[bono]

Thank you for your valuable input.

[Gene Horr]

Originally Posted by bono

.. Anybody who has actual towing experience with X5 and trucks would confirm that X5 will outtow ANY half ton truck. ...

Ok, I'll bite. That does not match my experience. It is a good tow vehicle, better than most SUVs I've used and better than some 1/2 ton trucks. But best of those? Nope.

[Car-Addicted]

I have a good bit of towing experience with car trailers and there is one truth that I know "Size Matters". You can tow with just about anything until you either come to a mountain or something you didn't expect finds you.
As for towing anything beyond a single axle utility trailer, a trailer brake is a must have. I prefer a driver adjustable e controller, I have a REDARC Tow-Pro on my Tacoma and I'm very impressed.
I'm also a big proponent of keeping tongue weight to an acceptable level. The specifics on that depend on vehicle, trailer and load. There are calculators out there and most trailer shops will have a scale available. Too little tongue weight and you can lose rear traction and induce sway, too much tongue weight and you can lose steering and it's hard on the tow vehicle. Load leveler hitches are a must for me on any thing over 200lbs tongue weight and 2500lbs. I have used sway controls and have mixed reviews.
I'm currently looking at trading my Toyota Tacoma in on a X5 so a lot of the feed back here has been very helpful. For me this is a classic "don't let perfect be the enemy of good" situation. My time spent towing will be very limited so I will be very under spec on the tow vehicle. Even considering adding an e controller on a 2024 X5 looks like a PITA I will figure it out. Steel trailer I rent will be replaced with a alloy version. I haven't figured out the Load leveler hitch yet but will cross that when I have the set up and get a tongue weight.
Thanks to all you contributors here that have provided so much good information.

[bono]

Sure, your experience is your experience. Please can you share which half ton truck outperforms X5 while towing a trailer up to 7,700 lbs?

Originally Posted by Gene Horr

Ok, I'll bite. That does not match my experience. It is a good tow vehicle, better than most SUVs I've used and better than some 1/2 ton trucks. But best of those? Nope.

[bono]

I am using Tekonsha 902502 Prodigy RF for the last 50k towing miles. It is wireless, works great. It works even if the connection between the in vehicle unit and the trailer unit breaks.

It is not really a good option if you tow different trailers. Pairing took less than 5 minutes and installation of the trailer unit maybe one hour.

Originally Posted by Car-Addicted

I have a good bit of towing experience with car trailers and there is one truth that I know "Size Matters". You can tow with just about anything until you either come to a mountain or something you didn't expect finds you.
As for towing anything beyond a single axle utility trailer, a trailer brake is a must have. I prefer a driver adjustable e controller, I have a REDARC Tow-Pro on my Tacoma and I'm very impressed.
I'm also a big proponent of keeping tongue weight to an acceptable level. The specifics on that depend on vehicle, trailer and load. There are calculators out there and most trailer shops will have a scale available. Too little tongue weight and you can lose rear traction and induce sway, too much tongue weight and you can lose steering and it's hard on the tow vehicle. Load leveler hitches are a must for me on any thing over 200lbs tongue weight and 2500lbs. I have used sway controls and have mixed reviews.
I'm currently looking at trading my Toyota Tacoma in on a X5 so a lot of the feed back here has been very helpful. For me this is a classic "don't let perfect be the enemy of good" situation. My time spent towing will be very limited so I will be very under spec on the tow vehicle. Even considering adding an e controller on a 2024 X5 looks like a PITA I will figure it out. Steel trailer I rent will be replaced with a alloy version. I haven't figured out the Load leveler hitch yet but will cross that when I have the set up and get a tongue weight.
Thanks to all you contributors here that have provided so much good information.

[Car-Addicted]

Originally Posted by bono

Please can you share which half ton truck outperforms X5 while towing a trailer up to 7,700 lbs?

Good article:
Towing Capability
In terms of towing capability, trucks will pretty much always have the edge over SUVs.
https://drivinvibin.com/2021/03/04/suv-vs-truck/

[Car-Addicted]

Originally Posted by bono

I am using Tekonsha 902502 Prodigy RF for the last 50k towing miles. It is wireless, works great.

I think if I don't keep my REDARC Tow-Pro (Dealer told me they would remove it) the Tekonsha 902502 Prodigy RF is the easy choice. I do prefer a hard wired solution. I'm old school.

[bono]

Not sure what is good about this article. It is super easy. X5 is a better handling car than any truck on the market. Within its towing capacity, it will handle trailers better than a truck with comparable towing capacity. Trucks do not transform to great handling vehicles when you hitch up.

If you want to tow more than 7k lbs and / or need more space for the gear, truck may be a better option. No doubt about it.

However, again, if comparing towing 7k lbs trailer with X5 and a truck, X5 will handle better. There is no even a point to consider comparing X5 with a half ton truck due to soft, imprecise, archaic suspension. Stiff suspension of 3/4 or 1 ton truck do not make the vehicle handling better. These vehicles will be stable when going straight, but any emergency maneuver would be a challenge.

Originally Posted by Car-Addicted

Good article:
Towing Capability
In terms of towing capability, trucks will pretty much always have the edge over SUVs.
https://drivinvibin.com/2021/03/04/suv-vs-truck/

[Car-Addicted]

IMO it has nothing to do with "handling" It's more to due to with pure physics. The for the most part the truck has more weight, longer wheelbase and more contact area. In my towing experience when I towed with a light truck is was a white knuckle experience the whole time. When I towed with a motor home it was easy to forget the trailer was even there. The 1/2 or 3/4 ton truck is middle ground. I'm not saying you can't choose to tow with a SUV, I'm planning on doing that. In fact I expect the 2024 X5 xDrive40i I'm looking at to be a better vehicle than the Toyota Tacoma I current have. Neither is ideal but I can't justify the luxury of a motor home of dually truck for limited use.

[bono]

Yes, it is physics. Precisely. You look at selected relevant items, but not all. Is a longer wheelbase better than short one? Yes, for sure. Is there any additional benefit of a very long wheelbase vs. just a long one? Not really. I read a research that there is basically no benefit of a better stability when going over 120'' wheelbase. It was referred to on the airstream forum.

A long wheelbase and long rear overhang is worse than a shorter wheelbase and a short rear overhang. Do you take this into consideration?

A lower center of gravity is better than a higher center of gravity. Just look at the trucks these days. Some are even too high for some 5th wheels.

Independent suspension and low profile tires vs. archaic live axle and high profile tire - which one do you think provides a better stability for towing?

I won't even mention X5 brakes which are better than any truck brakes.

[tooloud10]

Originally Posted by Car-Addicted

IMO it has nothing to do with "handling" It's more to due to with pure physics. The for the most part the truck has more weight, longer wheelbase and more contact area.

And a factory trailer brake controller, tow mirrors, tires with more sidewall and a noticeably higher load rating...

Notice that the person you're responding to isn't providing any quantifiable details other than repeating the vague statement that "it handles better".

[bono]

More sidewall makes the towing less stable, if you want to use this argument.

Factory trailer brake controller - what is the additional benefit of using one vs. aftermarket controller? Both should work, i.e. control the brakes. There is no magic behind "factory brake controller".

Tow mirrors - what is the benefit of using "factory" tow mirrors vs. aftermarket tow mirrors? Yes, I know that some cheap tow mirrors shake. Use BMW OE tow mirrors or EMUK which is the OE manufacturer for BMW.

I am not providing quantifiable details? Maybe you try to not see these details... or just don't understand.

Originally Posted by tooloud10

And a factory trailer brake controller, tow mirrors, tires with more sidewall and a noticeably higher load rating...

Notice that the person you're responding to isn't providing any quantifiable details other than repeating the vague statement that "it handles better".

[FredBa]

Towing over 7,000lbs with an X5 is a bit of an esoteric debate.

I think the xDrive50e is close to the perfect TV for something lighter like an Airstream 23FB.
Great looking combo, regen braking which is great in the mountains and which doesn't crap out because the small battery is full like with the F150 hybrid, tons of torque, great handling.

[jad03060]

This might be a neat option late next year... https://pebblelife.com/

It can backup as a home emergency power source as well.

On the X5, there is NO OEM electronic brake controller...although, you can get it prewired for an aftermarket one (with non-standard connector). My concern with an RF one is first, at least with some, it's pretty simple for it to be stolen during a stop, and second, unless you buy an optional device, most require you to use your phone as the user interface in the cab. I wouldn't want to be searching for my phone, make sure the app is running in an emergency. The Tekonsha comes with a dedicated user interface, but it's the exception of those I've seen.

If you're only going to be towing one trailer, I like the Autowbake unit...it's sort of like a surge controller, as all of it is in the trailer, but the emergency activation is RF, should you need it, and comes with it. Unlike a surge controller, it works just fine when backing up without other actions.

[bono]

Tekonsha Prodigy RF is working the same way, i.e. it will control the trailer brakes even without connection with the unit you have in the vehicle.

Everything can be stolen, propane cylinders, spare tire, bikes from the hitch in the back, tpms sensors, etc. At least for me this is not an argument against wireless brake controllers.

[jad03060]

The Tekonsha is at least bolted on...the Curt wireless controller is simply an in-line plug between the vehicle and the trailer...i.e., just unplug it and it's gone.

The AutowBrake unit is hardwired into the trailer's harness and can be hidden within the trailer wherever it's convenient. If it detects a vehicle with an electronic controller, it will disable itself. Not good if you're going to tow various trailers, but fine if you have just one.

[gan23]

I’ll add my 02 cents here. From https://f15.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1745256

I sometimes use a Chevy Silverado 1500 to tow my trailer when I’m lazy about putting on the stealth hitch, my mirror extension from Emuk and picking my Tekonsha RF brake controller on the X5M. Each time, I regret it. The X5M is so far superior in towing than the Chevy

1) I don’t have to mash the pedal almost to the floor to go forward
2) Stealth hitch has less play than the standard square receiver
3) X5m can go on the highway in 8th gear @ 75 mph, making the drive smoother, more relaxing.
4) Maneuverability is way more easier since the car is shorter
5) X5M has plenty of power or braking capacity

No contest here for me between the 2 vehicules with a 600 lbs hitch tongue weight and 6000 lbs load

[2heeldrive]

Originally Posted by bono

Sure, your experience is your experience. Please can you share which half ton truck outperforms X5 while towing a trailer up to 7,700 lbs?

That's easy. Any of them.

[bono]

Fixed this for you.

Originally Posted by 2heeldrive

That's easy. None of them.