Quote:
Originally Posted by BGR
I am interested in hearing from any members who have towed a Mini Cooper 4 wheels down and in particular, those who have tapped into the mini's electrical system for wiring lights and have towed without supplemental braking.
On the lighting, I have 2009 convertible and that makes using magnetic lights difficult. The only place to really mount them is on the side and while the cooper width is narrow enough where these would still be within the width of my rig, I don't really like the idea of having these hang on the side. At the same time, I've read numerous posts where people say DO NOT attempt to tap into the mini's electrical system as it's complex and can lead to problems. I want to hear from owners who have done this without issue before moving forward. I am also concerned about the warranty issue here, but without a good option I'm willing to take the risk.
I also want to avoid the use of supplemental braking if possible. My rig is a 2005 27' Rexhall Vision. It certainly doesn't match the weight of the 32+ rigs, but the mini at 2500 lbs is likely still inconsequential and keeps total weight within rated vehicle weight. Can owners towing this without supplemental braking let me know their experience here? Thanks!
|
If any post needed to be answered by "Do a search - you'll find many posts on this subject" -- it's this one.... so
Do a search MINI COOPER TOWING.
There is a lot of good info out there from all of us who have (or still do) tow a MINI.
Note: I suggest using the COOPER in the search box, so you keep the number of posts down that you would get by using just MINI.
And, frankly, I get tired of typing the same thing over and over every few months - as you can see I'm not too good a typer nor can I spell good.
None-the-less:
To tow a MINI it must be a manual transmission - no automatics.
It's OK to tow a MINI - you won't hurt it.
1))No matter what the weight - get a brake system, if for no other reason to get a "Breakaway" facility (applies the vehicle's brakes in case of a hitch failure).
2)Easiest way to get tail/marker/brake lights is to buy a couple of surface mount lens/lamp assembly (Wally world has them) and run the wiring all the way to the back of the MINI - where you mounted the lamp assembly.
3) The only part of the Warranty that could be voided is on the transmission - and I and lots of other folk have towed a 2010 MINI for many thousand miles without any trouble what-so-ever. IE I have put 7500 miles on my MINI ClubmanS in the last year. And I put over 15,000 miles on my 2005 MINI before trading it for my 2010 Clubman.
PHESPE