Anyone towing a Trillium with A BMW X3?

[BarbieB]

We bought our first trailer, a 1977 Trillium 4500 last year, without a tow vehicle. The owner delivered to our home and we've been researching and hunting for a used TV through the winter. Are currently closing a deal on a 2005 BMW X3, which according to what I've found online, is rated to pull 3500 lbs which I figure should be fine. The trailer has trailer brakes included which we will be hooking up. Anyone have any info to share about this vehicle before we close the deal tomorrow? We wanted the smallest, lightest, and most fuel efficient vehicle we could find that would be a joy to drive to and from work, but could also handle towing our new/old trailer for weekends and weeklong trips in Canada and the US. (By the way, it's also blue....matching our new decals and tire/tank covers! Bonus!!!)

[Francesca Knowles]

I don't own/tow with an X3, but this sounds like a match made in Heaven to me. Lots of redundancy in the towing capacity department and a sweet ride all the time.

Have fun!

[Bob Miller]

WOW, thank you for thinking and asking ahead. As mentioned, at least from specs, it sounds perfect, but I suggest that you find some sites for that particular vehicle and find out if there are any recalls and/or known problems.

I suspect that a 11 y.o. BMW will have a few kilometers on the clock. Can you get a CarFax report? I always do so before buying.

[MC1]

Originally Posted by BarbieB

Are currently closing a deal on a 2005 BMW X3,

An X3!!!! Well I am truly envious.

On the Airforums the X3's get great reviews and you will be pleased to know that many of those X3's are towing much larger and heavier trailers than your Trillum 4500. When the time comes we too will be considering an X3 as a TV for our trailer.

Please post some pics of your rig when you get it all set up.

[David Tilston]

Since I know nothing about an X3, I can't comment on it as a tow.

But I would like to invite you to add your Trillium to the serial number list. It is a kind of ongoing history of the brand. It started out as a way to help identify the year of Trilliums by their serial number. At over 100 trailers, the list is getting kinda long, but there is always room for more.

Take a look:
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...tml#post441176

If you want to add your trailer, please post a few pictures of both the inside and outside of your trailer, as well as a picture of the data sheet that should be on the inside of your closet door.

[Roy in TO]

You might want to check one other detail before signing. Some vehicles list a maximum frontal area on trailers. The greater the frontal area the greater the drag. Think of sticking your hand out the window when you were a kid, getting your arm moved up, down or back based on the hand position.

[Bob Miller]

I think that the frontal area thing is fairly recent. The X3 he is looking at is a 2005.

[Roy in TO]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

I think that the frontal area thing is fairly recent.

It's in my 94 Ranger manual.

[Francesca Knowles]

Frontal area restrictive advisories have been around since at least the '70's, when true "compacts" first really hit the American scene.

Popular Mechanics did annual reports on tow vehicles, and frontal area "limits" for smaller cars were often reported. See for example the entries for the Maverick and others on page 156 in the March 1974 edition at this link.

[BarbieB]

Didn't end up buying the X3. Had it inspected by our favourite mechanic who found a suspicious oil leak that he figured would be very expensive to investigate and fix. Since the car already has 170,000 km on it, we decided to pass on this vehicle. So the hunt continues! Will attach photos of trailer and TV when the dust settles!

[David Tilston]

My boss had an X5. Every time he took it in for service, it was at least $1000. It didn't seem to mater how trivial the problem was.

[MC1]

Originally Posted by David Tilston

My boss had an X5. Every time he took it in for service, it was at least $1000. It didn't seem to mater how trivial the problem was.

I have found there is a huge amount of savings in auto repair when I do it myself of go to a quality independent mechanic. My independent mechanic has such a good reputation that all the big car dealers in the city send him their "problem vehicles" to problem solve/fix. In his youth and just out of school he was picked up by BMW as a mechanic.

[MC1]

Originally Posted by BarbieB

Didn't end up buying the X3. Had it inspected by our favourite mechanic who found a suspicious oil leak that he figured would be very expensive to investigate and fix. Since the car already has 170,000 km on it, we decided to pass on this vehicle. So the hunt continues! Will attach photos of trailer and TV when the dust settles!

How is your TV search coming along BB?

Many of us here have been following the TV trends for decades and have a very good idea of how to choose a good TV. Fill us in on your progress. Would luv to help you with a short list of TV's that have a solid history of long term towing success.