etrailer | Stealth Hitches Hidden Trailer Hitch Installation - 2024 BMW X5

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Full transcript: https://www.etrailer.com/tv-install-s...
Hello neighbors, it's Brad here at etrailer, and today we're taking a look at installing the stealth hitch hidden rack receiver on a 2024 BMW X5. Now this is what your hitch is gonna look like when it's installed and believe it or not it is installed. The name stealth implies the fact that it is gonna be completely hidden until you're ready to use your receiver. And once you are ready, it's as simple as twisting a handle back, popping this in place. (metal lightly thumping) And then once snapped in, you're ready to go. Now first thing out the gate that I need to point out is gonna be the sticker that's on our receiver and that simply says not for towing.

And that's because this is simply just the rack receiver kit. This is a really great option if you're just planning on using a bike rack or cargo carrier like our neighbor today. But if you do plan on towing, you're gonna wanna pick up the towing kit. Not only will it come with a ball mount, it'll still come with the receiver, so you can put your accessories on, but also it comes with the wiring to allow you to have seven pole and four pole on your vehicle, and you'll be able to tow. Now this is a two inch by two inch receiver tube opening when you have it in place, and that's gonna be awesome for a lot of different accessories.

Two inch by two inches, pretty much the standard. So when choosing bike racks and cargo carriers, you'll have tons of options. And those are all gonna stay in place with a 5/8 pin and clip that does not come with our hidden hitch today, but a lot of times your accessories will have them. Now if you want to pick up a locking pin and clip, that's a great option. That way you can lock this in place with your accessories on, you can leave 'em on there and know that no one's gonna walk away.

Now speaking of security, this also has a locking feature as well. So once you have your receiver tube in, you can just simply lock that in place, and no one's gonna be able to walk away with your receiver tube opening. And then when you are ready, you can unlock it. It's also got a nice cover around the tumbler to keep it clean as well. Now since this one specifically isn't designed for towing, we're only gonna need to adhere to our tongue weight rating, which is pretty good.

It's 600 pounds, so you can get a four bike bike rack loaded up no problem. I don't worry about that going over the weight limit or even a cargo carry loaded up, that's a decent amount of weight. Now if you do go with the towing kit, it's pretty high for gross trailer weight rating. So if that's something that you're looking to do, potentially you're gonna want to pick up that kit, and that's gonna have a ball mount already included. There's no rise or drop, but again, you'll have that availability to be able to at least tow a trailer. When a receiver tube is installed, it sticks out a decent amount, which is totally actually not a bad thing. Because a lot of your folding accessories, when they're stowed will be in a vertical position, and you've got plenty of space here. You might not be able to open up the tailgate and clear it, depends on the accessory, but it is nice that it sticks out far. It's not gonna make contact with the rear fascia. Now as far as the ground clearance goes, it's also pretty decent. It's coming in right at about 14 1/2 inches and that's gonna be important to note for some of your accessories when you put them on. They're gonna extend the vehicle so as you go up an incline, they'll want to tilt towards the ground. So just kind of keep that in mind. But overall, that's a pretty good ground clearance. And I do like this system for a lot of your luxury vehicles out there. You can get the stealth pitch and this one's no different, and so you get a really clean look when you're not using that hitch, which is great. Because this is a sporty SUV, you want to have a clean look, but you still need to use it as a car and tote your accessories around, so you kinda get the best of both worlds. The downside is the installation of this is one of the more tricky ones that we do here, and that's kind of common with BMWs and a lot of your German vehicles. They're very well put together, but that also means they're very hard to take apart to get your hitch installed. And really it comes down to just getting the fascia off, and it's gonna bolt up exactly where your bumper beam was and that part's not very hard. But in order to get your fascia off, there's a lot that needs to come out. A good majority of your rear area