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      02-08-2019, 05:03 PM   #23
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I appreciate this post. I added the hitch to my wife's X5 build. Just happened to read this thread and see factory hitch deletes foot sensor. Thankfully in time to change my order. CA never mentioned it.
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      07-07-2019, 11:27 AM   #24
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Just ordered with 10% off for my M package. Just deciding if I should remove the bumper myself or get a bodyshop to. My bodyshop hourly cost is lower than my mechanic’s.
This thing is expensive but I don’t need to cut my car up to fit with the other one which is less than half of this price.
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      07-09-2019, 08:13 AM   #25
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How did you get the 10% off?
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      07-18-2019, 06:09 PM   #26
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The discount code was on their site. Just had it installed. It is a big job and I’m glad I let my body shop handle it. I’m only going to use it for bike or ski rack. The rebar was replaced by this piece. It is very well made and very good idea. It fit my M package no problem. This install cost me another $200. Oh well. I’m happy with it but I don’t think I will pay again to have it removed when I’m trading this X5 for the next. lol
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      07-21-2019, 12:27 AM   #27
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Discount code SUMMER750
$100 off for orders over $750
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      03-05-2021, 08:51 AM   #28
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Stealth Hitch

Guys, check out this installation video.

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      03-05-2021, 09:01 AM   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chief X5 View Post
Guys, check out this installation video.

That's an F15 in the video, not a G05
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      03-05-2021, 10:24 AM   #30
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Quote:
Originally Posted by trev230 View Post
It came with a wiring harness, taps, and excellent instructions. I believe they sell another harness that plugs into the factory hitch pre-wire. The wiring harness is routed through a grommet underneath the right tail light and then zip tied to the mounting plate for the hitch assembly. The hitch assembly replaces the rear bumper crash bar. I did not need the dealer to reprogram anything. I'm pulling a 5X8 utility trailer with two dirtbikes on it so nothing super heavy.

No Stealth does not sell the OE Harness from BMW for G05/G06/F95/F96 it is not available currently, nor will BMW sell it to them in North America. You can order from Europe. You will need a control box module if you go the OE Harness route and it needs to be coded (AHM module, 3AC option) you will also have to confirm you have factory 8SL option which is the trailer prewire where one of the harness connector will go to power the control box. If you use the Stealth provided harness you need no programming, but you will not have Trailer Tow mode, trailer camera zoom mode, turn off rear PDC and trailer stabilization/anti-sway. You will however have to deal with the annoying rear PDC warnings while reversing, not a big deal I dealt with it on my 2013 X6M Execuhitch. OE parts here: post 130
https://g05.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...1720879&page=6


Maybe a couple of these hitch threads should be merged..
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      03-05-2021, 02:39 PM   #31
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Anybody with the stealth hitch feel the receiver is too low to the ground due to the fact that it it located under the rear bumper; whereas the factory hitch option comes with a different bumper and the hitch is located in the middle of the bumper.

Worried about my bike rack contacting the ground on uneven terrain.
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      03-05-2021, 03:10 PM   #32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Axxlrod View Post
Anybody with the stealth hitch feel the receiver is too low to the ground due to the fact that it it located under the rear bumper; whereas the factory hitch option comes with a different bumper and the hitch is located in the middle of the bumper.

Worried about my bike rack contacting the ground on uneven terrain.
Unless you plan on traversing moguls there is no need to worry. I had this hitch on my previous X6M and I use a 4 place 1Up rack with never any issue. I also tow a couple Seadoos and back down some fairly steep ramps and never bottomed out.
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      03-05-2021, 04:17 PM   #33
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Brilliant!

Thanks for the post - much more attractive then the factory option. Sometimes, Germans are too smart for their own good (see, 1918/1945).

Of course, now I'm waiting to see when I can order my X5...as most of the good options are being screwed with rearts/chip shortages...and I'm not quite ready to pay $100k for an X5 50.

Either way..great post. Buy it, have it installed professionally, and if hauling bikes or skis, don't worry about anything else!
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      03-05-2021, 07:30 PM   #34
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As opposed to earlier MYs, BMW does NOT currently include the trailer pre-wiring for adding a trailer on the 2021 MY, so if you really DO want the full functionality of the OEM electronics, it is a lot more involved as you need to replace an existing harness with one that has the plugs and stuff to install the module, and then the output to the external trailer. So, people that have earlier MYs, and what worked for them, may not work from 2021 on in the USA.

The company that I used on my previous vehicle to get the full functionality was out of the UK called RightConnections...their box worked without any coding and was immediately recognized in the vehicle. They have not been able to extend that for the 2021 MY, and while it will enable the lights, it does none of the other things the OEM functionality can provide.

The X5 is an SUV (SAV, in BMW speak)...I don’t see where the OEM looks are unexpected...I don’t lust after the thing’s looks, and certainly can’t see the rear while driving...

The Euro (and maybe the rest of the world’s) hitch is neat, but it is also more expensive than the one sold in the USA, especially if you get the motorized version that retracts the gooseneck, and is one more thing to complicate things.

I had the predecessor to the Stealth Hitch, and by cutting into the bottom of the bumper cover, it does open it up to gathering some dust and crud that is nearly impossible to clean out. And, you might need to crawl on the ground to access the release mechanism, which for me, would be harder to do as I age. You need to access the locking pin with a key, then turn a release lever to remove or remove the thing, and just the locking pin when reinserting it (that’s pretty easy).

If you’re trying to use a US style bike rack, or want to change the ball size for towing with the Euro system, it’s not going to be easy, if possible (I’ve not looked at the ball on the gooseneck, but at first glance, it does not seem to be a replaceable part in different sizes, although many use the same one and it may not be a big issue). The OEM interface in the US also gives you both the 4-pin and 7-pin interfaces, so it make plugging in most any trailer easy. I will say I do prefer the EURO 13-pin trailer plug over the US one, but then, you’d always need adapters for any stock US stuff.

My thought was, spend the $550, get the trailer package, get the bigger front brakes, and all of the OEM functionality that will also be covered by the warranty and don’t look back. Feel free to have different priorities, but understand the nuanced differences. One poster has used the Stealth Hitch and retrofitted the OEM harnesses and electronics, so it can be done, but the parts and labor may not be worth it to you and won’t address the opening in the bottom of the bumper cover and the dust, sand, gravel, water that it can let in.
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      03-23-2021, 11:37 AM   #35
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mikli View Post
The discount code was on their site. Just had it installed. It is a big job and I’m glad I let my body shop handle it. I’m only going to use it for bike or ski rack. The rebar was replaced by this piece. It is very well made and very good idea. It fit my M package no problem. This install cost me another $200. Oh well. I’m happy with it but I don’t think I will pay again to have it removed when I’m trading this X5 for the next. lol

I have a X6 40l
$200 install sounds like a bargain. I had a price quote of $700 for installation.

I need to have one to handle two bicycles. I looked at the stealth and it looks very expensive $700 + and I was quoted $700 installation.
$1,400. Total. Seems very expensive.
I am never going to tow with it just moving to bicycle
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      03-23-2021, 11:46 AM   #36
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Originally Posted by midwestbmwguy View Post
I have a X6 40l
$200 install sounds like a bargain. I had a price quote of $700 for installation.

I need to have one to handle two bicycles. I looked at the stealth and it looks very expensive $700 + and I was quoted $700 installation.
$1,400. Total. Seems very expensive.
I am never going to tow with it just moving to bicycle

Ya..geez $200 bucks you robbed them LOL. Good job. It's the wiring that takes some time. If your not having wiring done then that install time is cut down quite a bit.
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      03-23-2021, 09:56 PM   #37
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It cost me $400 to install and I wasn’t happy with it. I got the bmw harness and all
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      03-23-2021, 10:03 PM   #38
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Originally Posted by mikester6 View Post
It cost me $400 to install and I wasn’t happy with it. I got the bmw harness and all
What weren’t you happy with? The install or the Stealth Hitch?
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      03-24-2021, 12:16 AM   #39
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When I had the predecessor to the stealth hitch installed on my GT in 2011, the labor was like $600 and that did not include the harness. I ended up installing an aftermarket harness from the UK that I picked up when visiting my sister, and did install that myself later to gain the full integration functionality but I ended up with the Euro 13-pin DIN plug (which, IMHO, is vastly superior to the one used in the USA).

If you have a shop that does this regularly, they could probably do it much quicker, but this was new to the shop. At that time, if you were near the company’s headquarters, it was less than $200 for them to install one, but that was also like 10-years ago.
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      04-01-2021, 08:50 AM   #40
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mikester6 View Post
It cost me $400 to install and I wasn’t happy with it. I got the bmw harness and all
You’re lucky I was quoted 1300 for the hitch installation and installation. Very high cost. Sadly there does not seem to be a cheaper solution on the market
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