etrailer | Set up: Curt Trailer Hitch Receiver on a 2020 BMW X3

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Full transcript: https://www.etrailer.com/tv-install-c...
Hello neighbors, it's Brad here at Etrailer, and today we're taking a look, and installing the Curt Trailer Hitch receiver, on a 2020 BMW X3. Now this is what your hitch looks like when it's installed, and the great part about this one is, it bolts up behind the bumper beam, and really all that you're gonna see once it's installed, is going to be the receiver tube opening. So that's really nice because you get all the function of a hitch, but the form of keeping it nice and clean. Now this is gonna be a two inch by two inch receiver tube opening, which is gonna be great, for a bunch of different accessories. So whether you're looking to put a ball mount, bike rack, or cargo carrier on here, you're gonna have tons of options, and all of them are gonna stay in place, with a five eight pin and clip. Now hitch does not come with one, so either a lot of your accessories will come with one.

That's something to look for when choosing them, or you can pick up a locking one available here at Etrailer. That's a great option too, because you can leave your accessories loaded up, locked in place and know that no one's gonna walk away with it. We have a rolled style safety chain loop here, which makes it nice and easy when hooking up to a trailer to put a standard S hook, or even a larger clevis style, even goes on nice and easy. Speaking of towing this has some pretty decent weight capacities. We have a gross trailer weight rating of 5,000 pounds, which is gonna be the weight of the trailer, plus the accessories loaded onto it.

You also have a tongue weight rating of 750 pounds, which is gonna be the downward pressure, that's put on the inside of the receiver tube opening, and that's gonna be more or less your bike racks, and cargo carriers that you're gonna be looking for. And with 750 pounds, that means you could get a four bike bike rack on here no problem fully loaded, and really not have to worry about exceeding that. Same goes with a cargo carrier, it's gonna take a decent amount of weight to get to that 750, so that's really nice. Now as far as towing, you do wanna check the vehicle's owner's manual, see what the vehicle's capable of, and then compare that with the 5,000 pounds on here. Also, compare your ball mount, your ball, and any other components you may have, before hooking up to the trailer and hitting the road.

A few measurements from the center of our hitch pin hole, to the furthest point of the rear fascia, we're looking at about three and a half inches and that's gonna be important for a lot of your folding accessories like your cargo care, or bike racks. When they're in the stowed position, you wanna make sure, they don't make contact with rear fascia. With this measurement, I think you should be fine. Now keep in mind with some of them in that pulled position, you may not be able to open your hatch, but that is something you're gonna want to take a look at as well. Now as far as ground clearance, this one's pretty decent.

It comes in at 12 and a half inches, so that's important when choosing a ball mount, because you can determine whether or not you need a rise or a drop. So measure the coupler of your trailer, see where that's at, and then you can determine what you need to get. Now that's also important to keep in mind when you have suspended accessories in. So your cargo carriers and bike racks extend past the vehicle, so as you go up and incline, they do want to tilt towards the ground. 12 and a half inches is fairly decent, but if you go up a steep incline you may run the risk of bottoming that out. So just kind of keep that in mind, when you have those loaded up. Now many times people ask us, if the hands-free lift gate is going to still work, when you have a hitch in place and the answer is kind of, it's a little bit tricky, because the hitch is in the way, but as you can tell, I was still able to get that open. So you may just kind of have to, kind of wedge your foot there by the hitch, but it does still work. It may get a little bit trickier than the normal, just kind of raise your foot, but no worries, if your hands are full, you can still get it to operate. Now as far as installation goes, this one I would say is fairly tricky, and the main reason is because, you're pulling off the fascia. Nothing in particular is too terribly hard, but you do have to pull off the rear bumper, so you're gonna want to have someone there to help you along with that and a safe place to do it. It's not anything too terrible, as far as trimming goes, there's just a small little area, on an underbody panel that's super easy to trim out. The trickiest part that I r