You’ll receive five different opinions on towing if you ask five car owners. Some people believe there is no issue and no damage to the car, while others, regardless of experience, wouldn’t let anyone near their baby with a tow truck. BMW owners often take their time causing alignment issues and front-end damage, and for good reason.
There is a knowledgeable group of BMW owners in the middle who are aware that towing a BMW is indeed possible. There is a proper method to accomplish it, even though it might not be as straightforward as towing dad’s 1970 Chevy. Knowing how something is done will at least enable you to make an informed choice.
If you’ve ever had the unfortunate experience of having a tow due to an incident that happened while you were driving, such as locking your keys in the car or being in an accident, you may have observed that experts utilize special equipment to complete the task.
They can avoid dragging the car by using their equipment to slide dollies underneath the front wheels. A BWM would drag if being towed by its front wheels when those wheels were on the ground. Avoiding a hefty front end repair charge is something you want to do for obvious reasons.
The ignition must be turned on and the vehicle must be in neutral when you decide to hitch your BMW. This security measure is intended to prevent would-be thieves from taking your car and driving off with it without first obtaining your keys, which, ideally, are always with you.
A tow bar is an essential piece of gear you’ll need if you want your BMW to travel with you on a road trip in an RV. It evenly distributes loads between your car and the RV and attaches to the tow hook on your BMW. Make sure the one you pick can support more weight than your BMW.
Without a tow bar that has been correctly placed, towing can be dangerous and should never be tried. Even with your BMW’s built-in steering lock, you run the risk of having the vehicle veer in one or the other directions due to slack in the chain that transmits forces as your RV corners. It can possibly obstruct your RV’s travel path.
Even though it’s a little trickier than some cars, traveling with a second car instead of just your toad can open up a whole new world of possibilities for you.
Instead of trying to squeeze your RV through congested city streets, you can park it in a convenient location and then hop in the BMW to explore the area. Heck, along the way, you could even come upon a few pleasant driving highways. At least no BMW owner ever relates tales of carving canyons in a Winnebago.
In This Article...
Which BMW models can be flat-towed?
Flat towing a BMW can cause significant harm if done incorrectly. Whether flat towing is safe or not is a matter of personal opinion for each BMW owner, therefore you must ultimately decide whether you want to take a chance.
Any model of BMW can be flat towed for a short distance—500 miles at most—and at a very modest speed. A BMW, however, can sustain catastrophic damage if it is towed any farther or at a quicker pace. It is advised to use a flatbed trailer to tow a BMW.
Before deciding if it is worthwhile for them and their vehicle, each owner must carefully weigh the dangers of flat towing.
Conclusion
We learned that towing a BMW is feasible for both leisurely purposes (towing it behind your RV while on a road trip) and emergency situations. Many BMW owners believe that it is impossible to tow their vehicle securely in either situation, but fortunately there are workable solutions.
If you plan to tow your car for recreational purposes, you should think about getting a tow bar. Other than having it loaded onto a flatbed tow truck, it is the best and safest way to transport your BMW.
Without a tow hook, how do you tow a BMW?
When I move out of state next month, I want to tow my BMW even though I don’t have a tow hook. The best method for towing a BMW without a tow hook
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You should realize that pulling BMWs without a tow hook is a challenging prospect, so good for you for thinking outside the box. There are only truly two options available:
- Put it on a trailer for a car. This technique is really easy to use! Utilizing the ramps, drive the BMW onto the trailer, and then attach it with ratchet straps, safety chains, or both. At least four tie-down points are necessary.
- Employ a tow dolly. At places like U-Haul or other truck rental locations, you can buy or rent one. A tow dolly is a very small trailer with two wheels that can absolutely carry a BMW even though it can’t support larger vehicles.
Keep in mind that you must update your insurance to comply with the requirements of your new state. Check out the Jerry if you want to quickly locate the greatest deal on the coverage you require. All you have to do is choose the strategy that works best for you once we gather tailored quotations from reputable insurers. Once you choose one, we will all even assist you with switching!
How is a BMW X3 towed?
Congratulations on being on top of things! The ignition must be in neutral and a particular piece of equipment known as a tow bar is required when towing a BMW.
You must take care to prevent the front wheels from making touch with the pavement due to the BMW’s design. A tow bar reduces this risk by maintaining the weight distribution of your car. Make careful to choose one that can support more weight than your automobile, though!
The ignition requirement is an anti-theft precaution that can assist prevent the theft of expensive vehicles like BMWs.
Towing should be a simple procedure as long as you meet these two prerequisites.
With a BMW, though, you might wish to get specialized roadside support. Check out the Jerry app to find the roadside assistance package with the greatest value. With a nationwide network of more than 55,000 service providers and coverage for lockouts, jumpstarts, and even Uber credits, Jerry’s roadside assistance membership ensures that you always make it home safely.
A BMW X5 can it be towed?
The towing capacity of a regular BMW X5 without any enhancements is 6,203 pounds. You must purchase the BMW X5 towing kit in order to use the full 7,200-pound capacity of the vehicle. It has a unique BMW X5 tow hitch.
Can a flat trailer transport a BMW 3 Series?
Enjoy your family’s vacation! Unfortunately, attempting to flat tow a BMW X3 is typically not a good idea. Although some customers claim to have flat towed their BMW 3 Series with success, BMWs are not designed for towing and may face some issues with their iDrive feature as a result.
You could choose to tow your BMW on a trailer if you wish to bring it with you. Your car’s wheels won’t be on the ground that way. Although it requires a bit more setup work than a standard flat tow, this will better safeguard your car.
Check out the Jerraay app to lower your BMW X3 insurance prices in just a few seconds while you’re learning how to keep your BMW secure. Jerry, the best-rated insurance app, may assist you in saving an average of over $800 annually.
A BMW can be towed even without a key.
The majority of people will soon think that you simply cannot securely tow a car unless you have a method to get inside, set it to neutral, and disengage the handbrake as necessary. This is because towing a car without the keys is a difficult and potentially dangerous process.
But daily car towing without keys is possible and even commonplace because to the training, equipment, and methods used by towing firms and vehicle rescue agencies. You might be possible to tow a car even if you don’t have the keys if you have access to the correct set of dollies. Lifting a car’s drive wheels off the ground is often how you tow a car without keys.
You may be able to tow a car even if you don’t have the keys depending on the circumstance and the towing equipment you have available.
Can a BMW 320i be towed?
The BMW 320i has a towing capacity of up to 1700kg. This is a braked value; if a vehicle is rated to tow that much in the first place, its maximum weight without employing trailer brakes is 750 kg. If you wish to know the tow rating in tonnes, merely divide the kilogram value by 1000. Kilograms can alternatively be written as kilos. To be sure your BMW 320i corresponds to the example given here, check with the manufacturer or your owner’s manual before attempting to tow with any car, ute, van, SUV, or 4×4.