Towing with an e36

[michalt95]

Hi everyone.
I know it says im a 2012 but i've been lurking around on here for good 4 years now so take it easy on me haha:D

let me introduce my self first.

so im 17 and im looking for a first car. love the e36 styling and im looking to get into one.
However I did some research and i did not find anything :(
Seems like curt and dalan are the only ones that make hitches for the e36 and that they bolt to where the spare wheel goes (not the strongest part of the car) however it shows a 2000lb towing capacity and a 200lb Tongue Weight. I read that people tow small trailers with tires and small stuff.

However this is where i have a question...
I would like to know if the hitch and the car would be able to pull a yamaha raptor on a 4x6 trailer? or would it put too much weight on the hitch and possibly rip out over time?

Here is the set up im talking about

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/7053/55177661.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/521/55177661.png/)

[flyfishvt]

The e36 was never intended to tow. Hitches are available but it doesn't make it a good idea. You said yourself the attachment points aren't the strongest in the world. The other thing is even though it says 2000lb capacity...I would never believe it. Certainly not for long term towing on a regular basis.

Your raptor is 300lbs? 250? and your trailer is 200? You should be fine if the hitch is installed correctly. If it was me and I had plans to haul that puppy around on a regular basis Id find a vehicle MUCH better suited to the task.

There was a thread here a while back from a guy who bought a roof rack for his e36 vert. If you've ever seen an e36 vert you'll instantly know why he was given such a hard time. The rack was genuine BMW. Just because it CAN be done doesn't mean it should.

Just my 2 cents

[stradguy93]

The e36 was never intended to tow. Hitches are available but it doesn't make it a good idea. You said yourself the attachment points aren't the strongest in the world. The other thing is even though it says 2000lb capacity...I would never believe it. Certainly not for long term towing on a regular basis.

Your raptor is 300lbs? 250? and your trailer is 200? You should be fine if the hitch is installed correctly. If it was me and I had plans to haul that puppy around on a regular basis Id find a vehicle MUCH better suited to the task.

There was a thread here a while back from a guy who bought a roof rack for his e36 vert. If you've ever seen an e36 vert you'll instantly know why he was given such a hard time. The rack was genuine BMW. Just because it CAN be done doesn't mean it should.

Just my 2 cents
+1

[michalt95]

The raptor is around 430 lbs and the trailer is around 180 lbs id say. plus some fuel and some tools so that probably would be closer to 650 lbs everything put together

[flyfishvt]

Get a pickup and buy a huge sub for the back seat. I had a Mazda pickup a long time ago. It didn't have an extra cab but I had something like 10 speakers in that cab. 2 of them were in boxes with long cords so i could put them out the slider window. I was a happy camper. Got 35mpg too.

EDIT: If you really want a BMW to haul your stuff around get an e30. They're cheap, built like a tank and a trailer hitch looks half way decent on an e30. You can beat it into the gournd for very little money. Hitches look like ASS on an e36.

[michalt95]

Get a pickup and buy a huge sub for the back seat. I had a Mazda pickup a long time ago. It didn't have an extra cab but I had something like 10 speakers in that cab. 2 of them were in boxes with long cords so i could put them out the slider window. I was a happy camper. Got 35mpg too.

EDIT: If you really want a BMW to haul your stuff around get an e30. They're cheap, built like a tank and a trailer hitch looks half way decent on an e30. You can beat it into the gournd for very little money. Hitches look like ASS on an e36.

yea i guess i will have to get a pickup, i was trying to stay away from them haha
as for the e30 it looks like the hitch has the same design as for the e36 and it has a lower towing capacity than the e36

Thanks for the quick respond

[E36 For Life]

I have a da'lan on my e36. Works fine and looks good. I tow jet skis, a 4x6 trailer and a tow dolly. It's been on there for 6 years and I have not had any problems with it.

Oh I lie. I hooked up a friends trailer to haul his motorcycle and the wiring on his trailer was messed up. It fried my converter, but that was it. I replaced the converter and all is well again.

I wouldn't recommend this, but I towed a 4x6 trailer from Orlando to Scottsdale. Only real problem was somewhere in Texas I ran into a dust storm and the high winds made it tuff to drive.

I think the most important factor is knowing your driving limitations and the limitations of the car.

[M Quick]

Aslong as your car isn't struggling with rust i'd say you'd be just fine, but if you got rust that is near where the hitch is mounted, i'd stay away, god knows what can happen then!

[CirrusSR22]

650 lbs. is absolutely nothing. As for limits, the BMW tounge weight limit is 165 lbs for pretty much every car they have made for decades. The unbraked trailer limit on my E36 is 1,366 lbs and I've done that for thousands of miles over many years. Most BMW cars have unbraked limits in the 1,300 - 1,700 range depending on the model. 200 lbs. tounge / 2,000 lbs. total would be too much. 165 lbs. tounge / 1,500 lbs. total is about right for a general guideline.

You are correct on the spare tire well mounted hitches. I'd avoid them at all costs, except if it's just for a hitch mounted bike rack. The proper ones - like the BMW factory hitches (made by Westfalia), Bosal, Witter, Thule, etc... all mount on the bumper support tubes. My hitch is a Da'Lan which does mount on the bumper struts but those are hard to find. You might need to order a hitch from Europe. Going to run you $350 minimum with shipping from a place like www.pfjones.co.uk. The non-detachable hitches are the cheapest but provide the best towing experience as there's no slop between receiver and ball mount. And, euro hitch balls are 50mm so your trailer will need to have a 2" (50.8mm) coupler. I hear that is a good match for the 50mm euro ball.

And BMW cars are designed for towing. There has been factory BMW hitches available in markets outside of North America for decades. Just dig through the Euro side of RealOEM.com and you'll see the factory hitches for pretty much every 1, 3, 5 and 7 series ever made. Just keep to the limits set forth by BMW and you'll be fine. The theory that you need a dedicated truck to pull under 1,500 lbs is ridiculous.

For example here's the E36 factory trailer hitch:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=BG11&mospid=47431&btnr=71_0111&hg=71&fg=10&hl=5

F01 7_series:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=KA21&mospid=51867&btnr=71_0472&hg=71&fg=10

E90:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=VA31&mospid=49542&btnr=71_0414&hg=71&fg=95

1 Series (E88) Convertibe:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=UL91&mospid=50767&btnr=71_0396&hg=71&fg=10

E60 5_Series:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=NA71&mospid=47754&btnr=71_0337&hg=71&fg=10

[M Quick]

Agreed, don't see the reasons either to why one would get another car just to tow ~1000LBS..

[sjpgoalie]

As long as you aren't pulling much more than 1,000lbs and position the load on the trailer correctly, you will be fine. Just remember to brake early, turn slow, and get a feel for the load before you get very far down the road.

[Teddy Bomber]

probably not the best car for towing. . but the 600kg (1300lbs) on a trailer without brakes with a e36 in good condition and a proper hitch is nothing scary . . (btw . . a raptor is more like 450lbs . . IMHO)

here in europe ppl do tow the full 1300kg with braked trailors all the time . . not very funny but doable

edit: 08 Raptor 600 is dry (without fluids) 398 Lbs

[michalt95]

I have a da'lan on my e36. Works fine and looks good. I tow jet skis, a 4x6 trailer and a tow dolly. It's been on there for 6 years and I have not had any problems with it.

Oh I lie. I hooked up a friends trailer to haul his motorcycle and the wiring on his trailer was messed up. It fried my converter, but that was it. I replaced the converter and all is well again.

I wouldn't recommend this, but I towed a 4x6 trailer from Orlando to Scottsdale. Only real problem was somewhere in Texas I ran into a dust storm and the high winds made it tuff to drive.

I think the most important factor is knowing your driving limitations and the limitations of the car.

did you get it reinforced or is it mounted like they come from the box?


650 lbs. is absolutely nothing. As for limits, the BMW tounge weight limit is 165 lbs for pretty much every car they have made for decades. The unbraked trailer limit on my E36 is 1,366 lbs and I've done that for thousands of miles over many years. Most BMW cars have unbraked limits in the 1,300 - 1,700 range depending on the model. 200 lbs. tounge / 2,000 lbs. total would be too much. 165 lbs. tounge / 1,500 lbs. total is about right for a general guideline.

You are correct on the spare tire well mounted hitches. I'd avoid them at all costs, except if it's just for a hitch mounted bike rack. The proper ones - like the BMW factory hitches (made by Westfalia), Bosal, Witter, Thule, etc... all mount on the bumper support tubes. My hitch is a Da'Lan which does mount on the bumper struts but those are hard to find. You might need to order a hitch from Europe. Going to run you $350 minimum with shipping from a place like www.pfjones.co.uk (http://www.pfjones.co.uk). The non-detachable hitches are the cheapest but provide the best towing experience as there's no slop between receiver and ball mount. And, euro hitch balls are 50mm so your trailer will need to have a 2" (50.8mm) coupler. I hear that is a good match for the 50mm euro ball.

And BMW cars are designed for towing. There has been factory BMW hitches available in markets outside of North America for decades. Just dig through the Euro side of RealOEM.com and you'll see the factory hitches for pretty much every 1, 3, 5 and 7 series ever made. Just keep to the limits set forth by BMW and you'll be fine. The theory that you need a dedicated truck to pull under 1,500 lbs is ridiculous.

For example here's the E36 factory trailer hitch:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=BG11&mospid=47431&btnr=71_0111&hg=71&fg=10&hl=5

F01 7_series:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=KA21&mospid=51867&btnr=71_0472&hg=71&fg=10

E90:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=VA31&mospid=49542&btnr=71_0414&hg=71&fg=95

1 Series (E88) Convertibe:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=UL91&mospid=50767&btnr=71_0396&hg=71&fg=10

E60 5_Series:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=NA71&mospid=47754&btnr=71_0337&hg=71&fg=10

i would think the shipping would be a lot for the Westfalia from that website. however it might be worth it in the long run since it mounts into a sturdier part of the car. The original hitch for the e36 is $1300 which is a lot and way over what i want to spend


As long as you aren't pulling much more than 1,000lbs and position the load on the trailer correctly, you will be fine. Just remember to brake early, turn slow, and get a feel for the load before you get very far down the road.

thanks, you always have get a feel of the car since its going to drive different and have to make sure the load is secure (double check everything)


probably not the best car for towing. . but the 600kg (1300lbs) on a trailer without brakes with a e36 in good condition and a proper hitch is nothing scary . . (btw . . a raptor is more like 450lbs . . IMHO)

here in europe ppl do tow the full 1300kg with braked trailors all the time . . not very funny but doable

edit: 08 Raptor 600 is dry (without fluids) 398 Lbs

in europe you guys got better hitches like the original one or a Westfalia, unlike here where this is a hitch they sell most of the time
http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/8825/hitchn.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/43/hitchn.png/)

as for the raptor its a 06 700r so wet weight is 422lbs as stated on the yamaha website

also would a manual vs automatic transmission make a any difference?
id rather buy a stick model.

[E36 For Life]

It's just like they come in the box. Infact I currently have one for sale. Exact same one I have on my car.

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1860711

[CirrusSR22]

Pfjones lists shipping prices to the US on the website and I think it's $218 (140 GBP). The cheapest E36 hitch is about $125 and the Westfalia detachable was something like $360. A few options in between.

[michalt95]

also would there be any difference between the coupe, 4dr and the hatch?
i quess the hatch would be a bit underpowered with the 4cylinder engine?

[Gmfwd]

Just be careful loading the quad on the trailer to keep the tongue weight down. Put it on there then slowly move it forward until you feel the tongue weight is around 150lbs.

It should be fine. I have towed sketchier stuff with my friends cavalier.

[CirrusSR22]

also would there be any difference between the coupe, 4dr and the hatch?
i quess the hatch would be a bit underpowered with the 4cylinder engine?

The hatch does have a different hitch (part number) than the sedan/coupe/vert. But otherwise the weights are pretty much all the same. I'd actually think the sedan/coupe/vert might have a slightly higher empty trailer weight. You'd need to get your hands on a euro owner's manual though to confirm that.

For up to 1,500 lbs (the most I've ever towed), the 4 cylinder power is just fine. In fact with lighter trailers (under 750 lbs) you barely can tell you have any extra weight under acceleration. Up to 1,500 lbs. you can tell you have to slip the clutch for just a fraction of a second longer (only from a dead stop), but there's absolutely no lugging or straining of the engine. Not sure what it would feel like with an automatic, but I doubt you'd feel any difference. And automatics are better for towing anyways. BMW even lists a higher towing limit for the automatic cars sometimes (like my E36).

The only time I feel like I could use more power is when pulling my enclosed trailer at freeway speeds uphill. For example, climbing out of a big river valley. I usually have to downshift to 4th. The issue is the drag caused by a large enclosed trailer. I've done the same with open trailers and I don't have nearly the issue - although I usually downshift anyway.

So that's my experience with the acceleration. I think the bottom-line is that modern cars have more than enough power to tow light loads (≤1,500 lbs.) without any noticeable change in how the car drives - or the feeling that you are working the car hard at all. If anyone tells you towing 1,000 lbs. is bad for your car, I guarantee they have never tried it.

The much bigger issue is when it comes to braking. I definitely CAN feel the 1,500 lbs. under braking. It's certainly nothing of concern, but you can feel you need to give it more pressure on the pedal. A quick look at BMW's towing limits (or any manufacturer) shows this to be the case. For example, my 318ti is good for a 1,366 lb. unbraked trailer. But for a trailer with brakes, BMW approves up to a 3,306 lb. trailer. So even BMW knows the engine/transmission will handle 3,306 lbs, just not the brakes. I personally wouldn't try that much though. I feel good at about 1,500 lbs max. At 3,306 lbs. I COULD see excessive clutch/engine/transmission becoming an issue in the long term if done often. No data to back that up; just my hunch.

By the looks of your trailer, ATV and how you have it positioned (in the center), I highly doubt you are over the 165 lbs. tounge limit. I use a jack stand with a small base placed on a bathroom scale to read mine. If your rig is 650 lbs, your target tounge weight will be 65 - 95 lbs. 10-15% of the trailer weight is the general rule for load balance.

[michalt95]

what about if i want to lower the car later on? would that have a huge effect?
i mean not slam it like some people on here but do a mild drop (H&r sports or race or maybe coils)
would i still be able to tow? i know i would need a ball mount with a drop and flip it around to get ball higher to even out the trailer.

[E36 For Life]

You need to do the flip mount with out the lowering.

I would say not a good idea.

[attrack]

Or you can pick up a 500$ single cab truck? I realize that it's 500$ more then your set up, but it's so much less complicated to drive with (peace of mind doesn't hurt either)

[michalt95]

Or you can pick up a 500$ single cab truck? I realize that it's 500$ more then your set up, but it's so much less complicated to drive with (peace of mind doesn't hurt either)

the thing is i cant afford 2 cars, im 17 highschool student so money isnt something i have a lot of

i love the e36 looks and would really want one, and im not going to tow that much, maybe once a week or even less than that, and the raptor/dirtbike is the only thing i would tow with it

[malcomha]

There was a thread here a while back from a guy who bought a roof rack for his e36 vert.
http://www.astu.info/song17.jpghttp://www.onfish.info/a76.jpghttp://www.astu.info/song2.jpghttp://www.astu.info/song16.jpg

[scoobiedoo2029]

there is some real info on this in the m3 section and on m3 forums. ive seen an e36 tow an e36 on a 2 axle trailer, weither it was safe or not is open for discussion but its been done. but alot of track guys have tire/tool trailers and reinforced hitches. i had 2 threads book marked but not on this computer so.....

calvin (99mpower or somthing) has a good thread if you can find it.

[michalt95]

There was a thread here a while back from a guy who bought a roof rack for his e36 vert.
http://www.astu.info/song17.jpghttp://www.onfish.info/a76.jpghttp://www.astu.info/song2.jpghttp://www.astu.info/song16.jpg

okay?


there is some real info on this in the m3 section and on m3 forums. ive seen an e36 tow an e36 on a 2 axle trailer, weither it was safe or not is open for discussion but its been done. but alot of track guys have tire/tool trailers and reinforced hitches. i had 2 threads book marked but not on this computer so.....

calvin (99mpower or somthing) has a good thread if you can find it.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y171/morerevsm3/Picture502.jpg

talking about this?
hes on here (morerevsm3) hes from Australia. there they have different hitches (oem and others) that can handle a lot more weight, not the ones that are available in the US

[pussiwillow]

Yee haw let's go fishin
http://img.tapatalk.com/187925ad-fc85-0450.jpg

[revmoo]

I towed a overloaded uhaul trailer like 2000 miles including a trip over the Rockies. It was fine but in the mountains I was in third gear struggling to maintain 60. The trailer was probably 1000lbs or more. Also the trailer yanked the car around the entire way which was...uncomfortable. Car handled it fine though.