14 replies to this topic

[g111mds]

A friend of mine is looking to fit a towbar to his mini and just wondering if anybody has any advice/tips as to the best kit, where to attach it, any measurements, etc?

Cheers

Jamie

[minimanclive]

I bought mine from towsure. It bolts to the rear subframe and to the bottom of the car under the back seat. It's fine for pulling my little trailer about, and i've used it to collect engines and other heavy stuff without any problems.

[Bungle]

what age is your mini as the very last minis werent type approved to towing ?

[g111mds]

I think its an '85 on a C. What was the age for the cut over on type approval?

[minimanclive]

Late 90s I think. Probably 97 for the Twin Point injection Minis. I had a tow bar on a 1988 E reg.

I think the Mini trailers website has some details on this.

[dklawson]

I think this is another example of my being separated from you by a common language.

Over here... if you talk about a tow-bar, that would be something that goes on the front of your vehicle allowing you to be "towed" by another. What you are calling a tow-bar... over here... would be a hitch or tow-ball.

Regardless... what can you really tow with a little Mini? There's hardly any horsepower to spare for such things. Good luck and be gentle on the clutch.

[mini1976]

Ive towed 2 sailing dingies ( on one top of the other) so the trailed total must have weighed about 300-400kg and two of us in the car and it was fine the 1275 mg metro engine was more than happy. Its just stopping thats not too clever with such little wheels there is so little rubber on the road that you dont have alot of grip.

[Bungle]

yea i have towed boats before in my mini and found stoping was the hardest bit

[Sprocket]

Ive towed 2 sailing dingies ( on one top of the other) so the trailed total must have weighed about 300-400kg and two of us in the car and it was fine the 1275 mg metro engine was more than happy. Its just stopping thats not too clever with such little wheels there is so little rubber on the road that you dont have alot of grip.

Rule of thumb for towing weights is maximum 50% of the kerb weight for un braked trailor and maximum 85% for a braked trailor and average kerb weight of a Mini saloon is 675kg. Also remember that weight distribution within the trailor is just as important. The nose weight ( the weight measured at the tow ball) should not excede 75kg and not less than 25kg

Note that these are for most modern cars. I cannot find any towing weights for the classic mini. So be warned, if its over weight and the police stop you, you will get a ticket, the vehicle removed from the road and impounded.

[Bungle]

sailing dinghys weigh around 70 kg + trailer :smartass:

[g111mds]

Thats great, thanks for all the advice

Cheers

Jamie

[andyps]

As far as I understand the regulations and situation, but may be wrong so please don't take this as legal truth:

Rover, or whatever they were called at the time, never type approved the Mini for towing when the regulations were introduced (July 1998) which meant tow bars had to be type approved for the vehicle they werer to be fitted on - therefore there are no type approved tow bars for Minis. Tow bars do not need to be approved to be fitted to vehicles manufactured prior to the regulations - hence why Towsure sell a tow bar for Minis made up to July 1998. Of course, Rover didn't change the body of the Mini at that time, so the bar would fit, but is (probably) technically illegal if fitted to a later vehicle.

[TNT]

could i put a 2 motorbike trailer on then?
for two trials bikes

[Sprocket]

could i put a 2 motorbike trailer on then?
for two trials bikes

Trials or Moto X

[mini1976]

I would have thought so aslong as whatever you tow (if the trailer is not breaked) weighs less than half the weight of the car (Know as kirb weight, it is the weight of the car plus driver and half a tank of fuel i believe) so say less than about 300kg. However whatever you put in the car (other than the driver) you must take off the kirb weight. So if you have a car full of people they may weigh about 200kg so you would have to take that off the kirb weight of the car (so your down to about 450 ish) and then half it giving you about 200kg ish that your allowed to tow.

If the trailer is breaked you are allowed to tow upto the kirb weight ( or the adjusted on if you have other people in the car)

Wont apply with a mini bu if you past your test after i believe 1997 then the maximum unbreaked weight you can tow is half the kirb weight upto a maximum of 750kg (if you have a very heavy car) or breaked upto the weight of the car ( but again not more than 750kg). If you passed pre 97 then its as about but without the 750kg limits.