BMW X5 Factory fit towbar

When i bought my X3 (with factory fit t/bar and 13 pin socket) i explained to sales man that i wanted fridge and battery charging, he knew exactly what i was talking about and all worked fine from the off

In the sales information booklet it did mention  (  alongside the towbar ) that a supplementary wiring kit was needed.

 ...and that I think is the key, ie someone that knows rather than think they know

Very helpful of BMW, more than VW provide...... By coincidence i perused teh latest VW accessory catalogue whilst waiting to check my car in for service today and whilst they make great play of their towbar kits being CANBUS wired, they say nowt about wiring for caravan towing. I had to have mine wired for fridge/battery charging albeit teh car was secondhand and the previous owner had paid for the (detachable) towbar.

Not knocking any manufacture or dealership,– tow bars, electrics, weights and caravans in general all appear to be off the radar of the ‘average’ sales person –unless you ‘screw him/her down’ - I know there is always an exception to the rule – but that normally applies to the sales person being a caravanner !

Hi mollysmummy

For  some reason Bmw do not let you spec twin electrics from the factory on any of there cars which does cause some trouble with customers 

Cos Euro haven't used 12N & 12S for years .... I was referring to a fully wired 13 pin. The 13pin OE loom I bought for my Vauxhall a few years back had plug & play lighting, but the fridge & charging side needed to be wired up seperately ..... nothing that would be beyond a tame tech 

12N & 12S was never used on the Continent.

Hi mollysmummy

For  some reason Bmw do not let you spec twin electrics from the factory on any of there cars which does cause some trouble with customers 

Cos Euro haven't used 12N & 12S for years .... I was referring to a fully wired 13 pin. The 13pin OE loom I bought for my Vauxhall a few years back had plug & play lighting, but the fridge & charging side needed to be wired up seperately ..... nothing that would be beyond a tame tech 

12N & 12S was never used on the Continent.

They must've used a 12N as otherwise why would they have had the alternative 13 pin socket ie a 12N in the middle, with a row of spade connectors around it? Can't remember its name, but I saw one on the back of a Dutch car when I went to offer a hand after he'd damaged it

I know it's not at BMW but I've ordered a new VW Tiguan which is German and have spoken to the dealer today he checked to make sure the 13 pin plug is wired to run the fridge and also it will charge the battery. He confirmed it does both.

Hi mollysmummy

For  some reason Bmw do not let you spec twin electrics from the factory on any of there cars which does cause some trouble with customers 

Cos Euro haven't used 12N & 12S for years .... I was referring to a fully wired 13 pin. The 13pin OE loom I bought for my Vauxhall a few years back had plug & play lighting, but the fridge & charging side needed to be wired up seperately ..... nothing that would be beyond a tame tech 

12N & 12S was never used on the Continent.

They must've used a 12N as otherwise why would they have had the alternative 13 pin socket ie a 12N in the middle, with a row of spade connectors around it? Can't remember its name, but I saw one on the back of a Dutch car when I went to offer a hand after he'd damaged it

THe 12N is still in use on the Continent. My trailer has a 12N plug. However, the 12S was never used.

I think you must be referring to the 13 pin Jaeger socket which was compatible with the 12N but had 6 additional flat pin connections. It never really made the breakthrough in the market and more or less disappeared a couple of years after the true 13 pin version appeared.

Thanks Lutz ..... that's the one. 

Hello please could you help, I am about to purchase a pre reg X3 and have just been told that I need to convert the 7 to 13 pin at some exterminate cost that we are currently in discussion with. My question however is the tow ball/bar ok for a caravan (swift with alko) and how do you find it as a towcar . thank you

Had a big bust up with the Oxford dealership, specified the car was for towing a caravan, delivered in my opinion not fit for purpose.  But they refused to do anything about the fridge wiring.

Wired myself with parts supplied by the Cheltenham dealership FOC, took an hour.

Not be going back to the Oxford garage again.