Class C - Towing Mini Cooper

[tafalf]

I am a new Class C Holiday Rambler owner and I'd like to tow my 2009 Mini Cooper behind it. I've heard that I should tow my mini on all four because it sits so low to the ground that a dolly would cause the back end damage when going over bumps. So.... what type of Tow Bar should I use? Do I need to get an Axle Lock? What else do I need to know to do this cost effective but also safe?!?! I welcome ALL comments/opinions. Thanks!!!!!

[rickcarlene]

We tow 2008 clubman 6 speed 4down,behind 2007 34'hurricane with ford f53 chasis towed aprox 2500 miles this past summer, every thing went great.use roadmaster quick release tow system,use magnetic lights on roof.just put car in neutral & go,no need for ignition to be on,don't use brakebuddy,cant tell car is there,

[AprilWhine]

stevekk wrote:
What is a good price to look for, for a basic/ no frills NEW Mini?
When I see them advertised on the internet or newspaper?
With manual trans.

Steve, Minis and BMWs are generally not discounted. To get an idea of price, go to MINI USA and do the "build" option for the model you want. That lets you figure out what options you have to have and which ones you can do without with prices for each one. If you have time, I highly recommend ordering one configured exactly the way you want.

The plus side of buying is the very high resale value of Minis. Check NADA or KBB and compare trade in value for a 5 year old Mini vs other makes.

[stevekk]

What is a good price to look for, for a basic/ no frills NEW Mini?
When I see them advertised on the internet or newspaper?
With manual trans.

[AprilWhine]

OFDPOS wrote:
I know this is about towing a mini , and don't mean to hi-jack the post. We have been looking at mini's and I've been lurking on about 3 Mini talk forums, and alot of what I have read ,it all but scares me away from getting one.
I sure as heck can't afford a new one, read horror stories about the older ones 2003-06's . Stopped by a Mini dealership and test drove an 09 then 12 and of coarse both my Fiancee and myself thought the 12 was awesome , till we looked at the price 29K Holy %$#@ talking with the salesman he said there are 1000's of ways to build one ,base $22k to $50K.
So to get this back on track if we did get one we would tow with the MH .
What are your thoughts on the mini's ?

I am currently a moderator on total MINI and before that I was a moderator on Mini2. I bought a 2002 MC-CVT when the brand was re-introduced to the US in March 2002. I have owned that one, a 2005 MCSCa, a 2005 MCSa, a 2006 MCS JCW GP (No 0019 of 2000), a 2008 Clubman and a 2006 MCSa. The hubby and I wrote the FAQ on flat towing a Mini for both Mini 2 and total MINI. So I think for RV net purposes, I am the Mini subject matter expert. 😉

Yes, they can be a bit pricey if you add options. Remember, Mini is made by BMW and they do not make a cheap car. But by the same standards, a Mini is a pure pleasure to drive, economical, and reliable. I love mine! It's the first car I've ever owned that I went back for another one.

Mini/BMW says you can not flat tow a Mini, but in the owner's manual there are directions for towing it with a rope. Can't really see how what you tow it with makes much difference. European owner's manuals say you can flat tow it. We have a Roadmaster baseplate on the Clubman and have towed it for over 20,000 miles with no problems. A nice little plus is that it doesn't have a locking steering column, so no need to leave a key in the ignition.

The FWD manual transmission models can be flat towed. The automatic FWD can be towed on a dolly or trailer. The AWD Countryman can only be towed on a trailer.

A Mini is not for everyone but if you want one, it is very easy to tow.

[OFDPOS]

Bumpyroad wrote:

OFDPOS wrote:
.
What are your thoughts on the mini's ?

the other day we stopped at a Mickey D's and a MC pulled in beside us. Out got a man and wife, and three kids. reminded me of the clown car at the circus when about 40 clowns pop out. 🙂
I would not want to be in one in an accident. don't bore me with safety ratings. when a bowling ball hits a grape, the grape loses.
bumpy

Kinda like the commercial of the smart car where they show how strong the bare body chasis is with a suburban sitting on top of it ?
Not to many suburbans will be hitting you from the top, more like being sandwiched between two vehicles...

[michelb]

AprilWhine wrote:
Oh, and there was no damage from towing either Mini on the dolly. The blue on both bonnets is blue painter's tape. I made a masque to protect the paint from rocks.

Looking at your pictures, it looks like the model of dolly makes a big difference. I think ours is a KarKaddy GT300SB and the front wheels go on a swiveling platform and it makes the whole thing much higher (our tires are 205/55R16s so probably not much different that your mini but the center hub on ours ends up a bit below the top of the dolly fender - it looks like your wheels sit much lower). Also the short wheelbase of the Mini might actually help - when you drive on the ramp, because of the shorter wheelbase, the front bumber / airdam ends up much higher over the dolly because of the angle which gives more clearance.

[Bumpyroad]

OFDPOS wrote:
.
What are your thoughts on the mini's ?

the other day we stopped at a Mickey D's and a MC pulled in beside us. Out got a man and wife, and three kids. reminded me of the clown car at the circus when about 40 clowns pop out. 🙂
I would not want to be in one in an accident. don't bore me with safety ratings. when a bowling ball hits a grape, the grape loses.
bumpy

[OFDPOS]

I know this is about towing a mini , and don't mean to hi-jack the post. We have been looking at mini's and I've been lurking on about 3 Mini talk forums, and alot of what I have read ,it all but scares me away from getting one.
I sure as heck can't afford a new one, read horror stories about the older ones 2003-06's . Stopped by a Mini dealership and test drove an 09 then 12 and of coarse both my Fiancee and myself thought the 12 was awesome , till we looked at the price 29K Holy %$#@ talking with the salesman he said there are 1000's of ways to build one ,base $22k to $50K.
So to get this back on track if we did get one we would tow with the MH .
What are your thoughts on the mini's ?

[AprilWhine]

We unbolted the ramps from the Dolly and stored them in the back of the car. Just block the ramps on wood blocks to load and unload, and the ramps don't hit the body of the car under the doors. That is the only contact point. As stated, the Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works with GP package is the lowest Mini stock.

Yep, we like MINIs. We are on our Sixth MINI. Green, Yellow, Red, Grey, Mellow Yellow, and White. Mellow Yellow is a repeat, we traded it in 09, and discovered it two months ago at a dealer 4 miles from our house. We had to rescue it, and now are towing it again. :B

[AprilWhine]

Oh, and there was no damage from towing either Mini on the dolly. The blue on both bonnets is blue painter's tape. I made a masque to protect the paint from rocks.

[AprilWhine]

I currently tow a 2008 Mini Clubman flat down, but it is a manual. A tow dolly works great for an automatic Mini, I towed my 2005 convertible MCS from VA to NV behind a moving truck.











On anther trip, we towed a Mini GP (lowest and fastest Mini from the factory)on a dolly:



As for the Clubman, I have flat towed it for over 20,000 miles with no problems. The owner's manual has directions for towing it with a rope, I just do it with metal. 😉

Moderator edit to re-size pictures to forum limit of 640px maximum width.

[michelb]

Unfortunately, it appears that you cannot tow automatic Minis 4 down. The owners manual for both 2007 and 2011 say that automatics can only be towed with the front wheels lifted or on a tow truck.

And as you suspect, I doubt you'd be able to use it on a dolly but it's not even because of the back end (although that might be a problem too). We've got a 97 Sebring Convertible (which I'm sure is higher than your Mini) and it barely fits on our Demco KarKaddy (it actually has some damage on the front lower fairing from putting it on / off the dolly and I had to cut away part of the front lower airdam so that it doesn't catch when backing it off the dolly but the car is 15 years old so it's not a big deal).

[wny_pat1]

Automatic - don't think you can tow it four down. Visit http://www.remcoindustries.com/Towing/Store.php and plug in your info.

[wbwood]

Also, cars that low to the ground dont like potholes too much. i know the Wynn's had to replace a rim on their smart car because of this.

[Bumpyroad]

tafalf wrote:

Also, I keep hearing that I should even be cautious about towing 4 on the ground, as the transmission lubricant isn't disbursed through the system while off and I could burn up the trans?!

IIRC that is the biggest problem with towing an automatic 4 down.being cautious has nothing to do with it, avoid it period. you could add a tranny pump which "might" work and would probably double the weight of the mini.
bumpy