BMW towing pack.??

[Nine468]

Just wondering if anybody knows what the BMW towing pack consists of.?
Obviously a tow bar etc.
BUT is there a inreased towing limit , ie stiffer springs or bigger brakes, or even extra cooling for the engine/ transmision.?
Ive seen a few advertised with the BMW towing pack, and just wondered...

[535dboy]

[quote="Nine468"]
Just wondering if anybody knows what the BMW towing pack consists of.?
Obviously a tow bar etc.
BUT is there a inreased towing limit , ie stiffer springs or bigger brakes, or even extra cooling for the engine/ transmision.?
Ive seen a few advertised with the BMW towing pack, and just wondered...
[/quote]

Extra cooling too if I remember rightly.

[Tommy]

As said, cooling upgrade and 3500kg capacity if i remember correctly.

[wolins]

Mine has it on, was told by the dealer that if you want to pull 3500kg it must be specified on the build you want towbar with increased towing capacity as they need to upgrade the cooling, if not and you fit an aftermarket towbar you can only pull 2700kg

[Mdoug79]

I just bought a 2011 30d and thinking about getting a towbar fitted.

Does an aftermarket affect warranty?
Do BMW only offer the towbar and cooling fan upgrade or do they offer just a towbar?

[X5Sport]

The BMW Towbar is a Westphalia rebadged as BMW.  You can get them from a number of places.  You will need to modify the rear bumper too.

Have a look at P F Jones for the towbar and electrical kit.  They are £hundreds cheaper than getting BMW to do the job.  Factory fit are about £600, Dealer fit £2k, self fit £500 or less!

The retrofit from the dealer does not include a more powerful fan.  If you are going to be towing something on the heavier end then you should buy the 850W fan to replace the standard 600W version.

Upgrading to the 3,500 capacity needs major mods to the cooling system with extra rads, modded bumper, additional valves and fans.  Hence being a factory only mod unless you know all the parts and how to install/configure.

Anything non-Dealer fitted will affect your warranty.  BMW can be 'difficult' about this.

[Mdoug79]

Thanks for the info, If I decide to install a towbar it be to tow a caravan which weighs roughly 1600k

[X5Sport]

You should be fine with just a tow bar.  If you spend a lot of time goung up and down the Alps then the bigger fan might be worth the extra, but otherwise you won't need it.

It is definitely worth getting the dedicated electrics kit though.  Oh, and the factory fitted system leaves a couple of connections out!, but they neglect to tell you that so your fridge power is missing.  Aftermarket dedicated kits for the 13-pin system have no such issues.

[Mdoug79]

Yeah?? That's crazy! You would think that factory fitted would be 100% wouldn't you.

[X5Sport]

Indeed.  More than a few of us have taken BMW to task over this and forced them to correct the errors at their expense.  The brochures make no mention of the system not being completely installed.

One excuse is that only the UK uses the full wiring!  It's a car built for the UK so it should be fit for purpose!

[Mdoug79]

Did you have a BMW towbar fitted? Did they correct the issue and would you recommend the BMW installation to enable upkeep of warranty?

[X5Sport]

Done at build.  Yes BMW Dealer corrected at their expense.

You will be looking at a Dealer charging you around £2k to fit one.  No justification for that level of charge, but that's how much they want to do the job.  It is a DIY.  The instructions for the Westphalia bars & electrics is on the PF Jones website.

A professional installer will charge about £200 plus the bar.  PF Jones have a mobile service if you choose to use them.

Warranty wise, it's probably just a case of discussing it with your dealer and seeing what they will permit.  You may have to use OEM parts, or get it installed and inspected.  Or do it and worry about it later..