[DanITman]

Every since I picked up my F34 I had every intention of putting a tow hitch on it. I have a couple of small boats that I need to tow. When I asked the dealer about it, they stated that the GT didn't have a towbar option. When I showed them the European brochure with the option they contacted BMW NA and got a response that the towbar was not an option in the US.

I spent a bunch of time investigating adding the OEM towbar (motorized) and had a difficult time finding any good information on the topic. I have all the part numbers and it isn't cheap.

After making a post over at bimmerfest I was told to look at execuhitch.com. I had seen them in previous posts but didn't see anything on their site. I reached out to them and they do have a product for the GT. Westfalia and Curtis both make a hitch for the F34. Curtis one is the cheapest option and you can find it at etrailer.com (search for the 3 series sedan) but you will see the receiver below the bumper. I wanted mine to be invisible unless I was towing something.

The other issue is the wiring. Westfalia and Execuhitch are the only two that I've been able to find that will support the wiring as well. This is the part that worried me the most. Everyone warned me (including the dealer) to not mess with the wiring. This isn't like a chevy where you can just power your trailer off the taillight power. Westfalia wiring is for europe and you'll need to run a converter.

The only thing that you'll be missing from the oem solution is the PDC sensors automatically shutting off. This is annoying. I'm still investigating how I can incorporate the OEM wiring. BMW doesn't include the prep wiring needed to just plug in the tailer module. From what I've been able to find out, this doesn't include a ton of wiring and could be done manually if you're daring enough. The module requires a KCAN bus connector and I have the wiring diagram. I'll continue to investigate this.

A big thanks to the Execuhitch folks for the million questions I had up front before the purchase. Total cost was just under $620 for everything, that includes the shipping. Here is the finished product with the hitch on.



Hitch removed



It does require that you make a cut to the heat shield / gravel guard. The item you see hanging from a wire is the smart opener. It's consist of two antennas on a plastic frame.



It also requires that you remove the low speed bumper frame. I was a bit shocked by this but apparently it's common on some OEM installs for BMW. I have a feeling this is the reason you can't have a tow bar in the US. The hitch actually becomes the bumper frame since it's connected in the same spot.



A bit messy but getting ready for wiring:



There is a nice hole in the back of the F34 for wiring to pass through. The directions had me going through another hole but this was way more convenient.



Wiring kit comes with a cover for the exposed portion. Here it is in the included bracket.



Here it is from underneath with everything put back together. Everything was a tight fit and I had to take my time to get everything back to how it was. The locking system on the hitch is pretty cool. It's spring loaded and when you pop it up into the receiver it snaps the spring over and has a super tight fight. Nothing is moving when this thing is attached. Feels really secure. It includes a lock with a key as well. Nice plastic flap to protect it from the elements. If you have a bike rack they sell another attachment for a bike rack to go into.



All the wiring is done in the right hand compartment of the trunk area. Start by lifting up the lower section on the floor closest to the wall, it will swivel up. You'll probably need something to pry this up with. Once that's up you'll be able to remove the rest to get access to the wiring. You'll also need access to the battery so remove the plastic cover Here it is, start sweating now This is the REM module (Rear Electronics Module). Most of your focus will be on this.



Execuhitch instructions were pretty close but I found it easier to access the wires near the plugs. I verified the wires (as recommended) by pulling the tailights and looking at the wires going to the taillights. Everything was in line with their instructions.

Trailer Wires ------------------------------------------BMW Wire Colors
Yellow (left turn signal) ------------------------------- Black/white

Green (right turn signal) ------------------------------ Black/grey

Black (taillights & marker lights) -------------------- Grey/purple

Red (brake lights) --------------------------------------- Black/blue

I found two Black/Blue wires and you will always want to choose the wires that are approx the same size as all the other wires in the BMW. There was another wire that was black and blue that was thicker and it would have been the wrong one.

They include easy splice pieces to make it easier. Here is the hookup for the right turn signal.



Ground wasn't easy to reach on the F34 so I just hooked it to the battery bracket. Since the body of the car is ground, this was a very convenient spot.



Battery hookup was directly on the battery terminal.



The wiring from Execuhitch was well labeled and includes a small processing unit. Basically it monitors voltage on the spliced wires and then provides independent output to the trailer lights. They have a few protections in place to make sure everything runs smoothly.

Post questions below if you feel I missed anything. I didn't go into too much detail on the install but if you want specifics, just let me know.

Happy towing!

[OfficeHeadphones]

This is fantastic! Thank you for taking the time to document your installation.

[2Newts]

Wow that looks good. And interestingly, I need it for exactly the same boat.

Not sure I can stomach doing all that tearing apart though. Hmm.

[DanITman]

Originally Posted by 2Newts

Wow that looks good. And interestingly, I need it for exactly the same boat.

Not sure I can stomach doing all that tearing apart though. Hmm.

It looks like a lot of tearing apart but it really isn't that much. Getting the bumper off was easier than I thought. It helps to buy a set of these.

http://www.amazon.com/Portable-Radio...0792051&sr=8-7

There is one tricky part with the bumper but for the most part it was a simple job. You'll need some decent tools as well as a torque wrench.

[B5rider]

does the trunk foot sensor still work? can you relocate it to the left or right side? thanks
This looks great. I installed a Curt hitch on my 2008 535 wagon (still miss that car) and it towed great

[DanITman]

Originally Posted by B5rider

does the trunk foot sensor still work? can you relocate it to the left or right side? thanks
This looks great. I installed a Curt hitch on my 2008 535 wagon (still miss that car) and it towed great

Yes, foot sensor works fine. It even works with the hitch attached. The foot sensor has to be attached to the hitch frame with zip ties. Based on the wiring you could move it closer to the drivers side but I don't think you would have much wire left to move it towards the passenger side. I put mine back in the middle.

[Aalders]

Thank you for the fantastic DIY. I will be doing this when i get back in the states. I want to be able to pull a K9 Trailer for long trips camping and to visit family. I looked on their sight and couldn't find how to choose between the electric and manual locking hitch... do they offer electric for the F34?

[DanITman]

Originally Posted by Aalders

Thank you for the fantastic DIY. I will be doing this when i get back in the states. I want to be able to pull a K9 Trailer for long trips camping and to visit family. I looked on their sight and couldn't find how to choose between the electric and manual locking hitch... do they offer electric for the F34?

I don't think there is an electronic locking option for the F34. I could be wrong about that. I don't think it's that important. The locking mechanism is spring loaded. Something major would have to break for it to come lose. They include a manual lock that you push in to lock the hitch in place. They tell you to use this all the time but I don't.

-Dan

[OfficeHeadphones]

Originally Posted by DanITman

I don't think there is an electronic locking option for the F34. I could be wrong about that. I don't think it's that important. The locking mechanism is spring loaded. Something major would have to break for it to come lose. They include a manual lock that you push in to lock the hitch in place. They tell you to use this all the time but I don't.

-Dan

I really want to get this and install it, but I remain nervous.

1. I don't want to scratch the paint on the bumper panel.
2. I don't know if I trust the accuracy of my torque wrench. What was the torque setting?
3. How stable is the wire splicer? Digging into wires gives me some pause.

How long did it take? Can I do it in a morning or afternoon? Thanks for sharing.