Community Forums

txsailorboy · 02-04-2016, 11:32 AM

It's a manual.

deSanford · 02-05-2016, 07:29 AM

Let me just say anyone who uses a "tow" dolly is NUTS. Of course if your Mini is an automatic it might be necessary. In that case I would get rid of it and get a manual transmission Mini. Sanford........ This is just my opinion yours might be different.

Displaced2 · 02-05-2016, 08:25 AM

On my 06. The first notch unlocks steering tranny in neutral. I also had power line to maintain battery just in case

txsailorboy · 02-06-2016, 07:19 AM

The reasons I prefer to tow via a Dolly is:
1. Brakes & Lights are provided by the Dolly....I don't have the expense of converting the MINI.
2. I would have the expense of adding a tow arrange to the MINI.
3. I sometimes travel to MG (I have an antique MGTD sportcar) and I want to tow my MG. To tow the MG flat I would have to go to the expense of converting to tow it.
4. And, if I ever want to trade the MINI in I would not have to convert ....i.e. more $$$ for the new Dinghy.
So.....I don't believe I'm nuts.......just smart!
Emmett

deSanford · 02-06-2016, 07:29 AM

Yes I agree with you Emmett you have very good reasons for your tow dolly. I added a new light to the rear light housing on the Mini for brakes and night driving with a separate wire. Works great and I keep spares (lights) in the glove compartment in case of blown light. My battery used to go dead when I had several days driving and not using the Mini. When I discovered the TRICK of turning off the engine and leaving the key in I NO longer drained the battery and did not need a separate wire to keep the battery charged. Sanford

**pasdad1** · 02-06-2016, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlturner

My 07 Cooper S tows well. As DeSanford stated turn off the ignition but leave the key in.

People is battery still goes dead! MINI rep tells me to run a charge line as the 07 Cooper is till drawing from the battery even though ignition is off?

Doesn't sound right, as then it would be going dead also when it was just parked. What else is turned on while you tow ? Do you use an auxiliary braking system which is drawing power ?

jlturner · 02-09-2016, 08:27 PM

No, actually We use a Brakemaster 9100 air brake assist.

Sent from my iPhone using iRV2 - RV Forum

Beav · 02-10-2016, 06:49 AM

Can I tow a 07 mini with auto trans?

deSanford · 02-10-2016, 07:27 AM

Beav not sure if you can tow with all four down. On a "tow" dolly for sure, but that is a pain in the _ _ _. Sanford

JMonroe · 02-10-2016, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beav

Can I tow a 07 mini with auto trans?

No. Even the stick shift is not sanctioned by Mini, but many have a successful track record of doing so.

cev1001 · 02-10-2016, 03:04 PM

I have several questions regarding towing my 2013 Mini Cooper with an automatic transmission. I have purchased an American Car Dolly since it requires front wheels up. If anyone uses this tow dolly and has advice for low slung cars please let me know.

The most pressing issue is that the dolly has a pivot plate held by a large bolt. When loaded this bolt is directly below my exhaust pipe with only 2 1/2 inch clearance. The rest of the undercarriage has 3 or more inches clearance from the dolly parts. Is this enough or is there a work-around for this?

Also the Dolly comes with safety chains for Dolly to RV but no safety chains for car to Dolly. Company says they are not required or needed given the large tire straps. Is this an issue? Anyone else drive with the wheel straps but without car to dolly safety chains?

The steering wheel does not lock on the vehicle and it must remain centered to prevent damage to the car. Looking for advice on how to tie it down. Tried strapping to brake peddle but it put a lot of stress on the steering column and lights started coming on with warnings and the wheel still turned a fair amount.

Any advice would be appreciated.

deSanford · 02-11-2016, 06:33 AM

My FREE advice which may not be worth anything, but it is FREE is to purchase a used Mini Super Charged or not with a manual transmission. I would also add to this FREE advice to get one so old that it uses an old fashioned key that gets inserted into the old standard keyhole, before purchasing verify that the steering wheel has an auto lock relay so that when the key is removed the steering wheel locks. The steering wheel should allow turning when the key is still inserted after the engine is turned off. This simple advice will save you lots of money and frustration. Sanford

ernest917 · 02-15-2016, 10:53 PM

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As you can see from the above picture, we tow a 2003 Mini 5-speed four down and have done so for thousands of miles... It's a fantastic little toad and we love the looks it gets as we are rolling down the road.... Plus - it's a blast to drive on all those mountain roads when we go sight seeing....

bsnolt · 03-02-2016, 05:13 PM

I own an 09 Mini withthe 6 speed manual and would like to tow it behind the MH four down instead of the truck on some trips. I can get the brackets for it, But are there any other issues? It has the key Fob instead of a key and as far as I can tell the steering column does not lock.