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Thinking of installing a trailer hitch to mainly tow a motorcycle. Other than the Curt hitch, are there other brands that are better? Please post pictures if you have a hitch installed.
I haven't got my F54 yet, on a hauler now being sent to me, but I definitely want to install a hitch for a bike rack. I think I'll go with this one. No reviews on it yet and from the 1 image of the bumper looks like this goes thru the bumper instead of down and under like the Curt so it gives a little more ground clearance. Would love to know if anyone has this one and how the installation went as I would plan to install myself. https://new.minimania.com/part/G3NMX6102/
I installed the Curt hitch, but the installation is similar, the MM hitch requires cutting (which frightens me!)
It's not bad, the hardest part is removing the bumper, which requires just yanking on either side to release the clips.
Otherwise, just a bit of wrenching.
Do you have pics of the Curt one installed. I know they have some good options. These MINIs and the new Countryman being mostly ALL4 and higher HP and TQ make them good haulers.
I’m looking for one too, but I despise the standard square hitch receivers used in the USA: floppy, clunky and poorly made.
On my 2015 Ford Focus I ordered a Westfalia hitch from the UK and modified the ball mount to accept a standard USA tow ball. The ball mount bolts to the receiver so it’s rock-solid. ZERO slop.
I’d like to do that for the Clubman but all the euro brands (Westfalia, Witter, etc.) for the F54 say “not for Cooper S” and “not for ALL4” models. Anyone know what’s unique about the Cooper S and ALL4 rear end where you couldn’t fit a a hitch for a non-S FWD? Especially the ALL4 note. The hitch mounts to the bumper mounts - it doesn’t go anywhere near the rear differential.
Westfalia has a Australian market unit that accepts a standard American-style removable tow ball.
Found the directions for removing the bumper, so with either the Curt or MiniMania have to remove the bumper, eTrailer rates the Curt as a 10/10 difficulty. I do have a Dremel just not sure if feel confident enough to cut a hole in the bumper. I will probably get the Curt. On my local FaceBook Mini Group I found an independent shop who installs them, may just have them do it and save myself some frustration.
"This next step is very difficult and frustrating. Firmly pull outward on the left and right bumper where it wraps around to the wheel well opening. There is no easy to way to do this so just pull HARD with both hands to spread the pressure on the bumper." https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bwa...JqTnNOTnc/view
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"This next step is very difficult and frustrating. Firmly pull outward on the left and right bumper where it wraps around to the wheel well opening. There is no easy to way to do this so just pull HARD with both hands to spread the pressure on the bumper."
This really is the most stressful part, the most difficult even. Note that it's not hard, just scary. As they say, you just grab and pull. I've added a few pics of the tabs you're releasing in my albums. Note that the middle tab on the left split. It was the only one, and it didn't compromise the structural integrity. I cursed the engineers, but seems to work ok.
I’m looking for one too, but I despise the standard square hitch receivers used in the USA: floppy, clunky and poorly made.
On my 2015 Ford Focus I ordered a Westfalia hitch from the UK and modified the ball mount to accept a standard USA tow ball. The ball mount bolts to the receiver so it’s rock-solid. ZERO slop.
I’d like to do that for the Clubman but all the euro brands (Westfalia, Witter, etc.) for the F54 say “not for Cooper S” and “not for ALL4” models. Anyone know what’s unique about the Cooper S and ALL4 rear end where you couldn’t fit a a hitch for a non-S FWD? Especially the ALL4 note. The hitch mounts to the bumper mounts - it doesn’t go anywhere near the rear differential.
Westfalia has a Australian market unit that accepts a standard American-style removable tow ball.
We have the CURT hitch and it works great, on a dark colored car (lapis blue) you barely even see it below the bumper. The original one fitted to the sub-frame, but apparently caused issues tearing out, so they did a recall and the replacement one bolts on differently. Curt paid for the shipping and the labor for replacement, so it was all handled very well - top rank customer service. We use ours to tow a 16ft sailboat (combined weight with trailer about 400 lbs) and it works great.
Regarding US square hitch "slop", yes that can be an issue with bike racks, but the one we have uses a threaded bolt so it's possible to cinch it down tight with a wrench - this essentially jams it up against one side of the square hole so it doesn't slop around. I've know people who don't keep their hitch sprayed with WD40 in the winter, and the resulting layer of rust can cause all sorts of fun when fitting things back in the hole come spring time! This is probably the reason they make the hole ever so slightly bigger than it needs to be, to accomodate some corrosion.
The other thing you'll want to do is look around for the threads on wiring harnesses - there are a couple of good ones, all about the same cost, and the main issue for the wiring is just figuring out which color wires to tap into (MINI seems to use different random colors of wire on different batches of cars). Some folks drill thru and run the wires outside then tuck up in the bumper, but I just keep the connector stored in the trunk and trail the wire out the back doors when needed.
I’d like to do that for the Clubman but all the euro brands (Westfalia, Witter, etc.) for the F54 say “not for Cooper S” and “not for ALL4” models. Anyone know what’s unique about the Cooper S and ALL4 rear end where you couldn’t fit a a hitch for a non-S FWD? Especially the ALL4 note. The hitch mounts to the bumper mounts - it doesn’t go anywhere near the rear differential.
I believe that these statements concern the 'hands-free entry' option on some F54s. I know that the F54-S has it, maybe all of the ALL4 models do too? It is the feature where you can wave your foot under the rear bumper, and the barn doors open. There is a plastic mounting bracket which hangs down from the crash protector, 'inside' the bumper. This plastic mounting bracket has a small electronic control module, as well as an antenna, on it. The module and antenna are what detect your foot waving under the bumper.
This plastic housing interferes with hitch installation. The MNI Do More hitch actually shows how to cut the plastic mount up, and re-attach the foot sensor to their hitch. Oddly the CURT hitch install instructions don't mention it all. My guess is that other vendors decided to just say that the F54 'S' and 'ALL4' models are not compatible with the hitch, rather than providing instructions.
FWIW my 'foot wave sensor' no longer works after I installed my MNI Do More hitch. However I believe this may be my own fault, from mistakenly connecting a PDC lead to the sensor on my first go at re-installing the bumper. Do label your wires -- some of them are keyed identically and can mistakenly fit into the wrong module.
My big fear was that the convenience opening wouldn't work (it's too cool!), but the sensor and bracket fit just fine over the hitch. The kick to open (convenience opening) works like a charm.
I see from the MDM hitch why the bracket is in the way..
For me, the black hitch below the black trim is pretty unobtrusive.
I’m looking for one too, but I despise the standard square hitch receivers used in the USA: floppy, clunky and poorly made.
On my 2015 Ford Focus I ordered a Westfalia hitch from the UK and modified the ball mount to accept a standard USA tow ball. The ball mount bolts to the receiver so it’s rock-solid. ZERO slop.
I’d like to do that for the Clubman but all the euro brands (Westfalia, Witter, etc.) for the F54 say “not for Cooper S” and “not for ALL4” models. Anyone know what’s unique about the Cooper S and ALL4 rear end where you couldn’t fit a a hitch for a non-S FWD? Especially the ALL4 note. The hitch mounts to the bumper mounts - it doesn’t go anywhere near the rear differential.
Westfalia has a Australian market unit that accepts a standard American-style removable tow ball.
I believe that these statements concern the 'hands-free entry' option on some F54s. I know that the F54-S has it, maybe all of the ALL4 models do too? It is the feature where you can wave your foot under the rear bumper, and the barn doors open. There is a plastic mounting bracket which hangs down from the crash protector, 'inside' the bumper. This plastic mounting bracket has a small electronic control module, as well as an antenna, on it. The module and antenna are what detect your foot waving under the bumper.
This plastic housing interferes with hitch installation. The MNI Do More hitch actually shows how to cut the plastic mount up, and re-attach the foot sensor to their hitch. Oddly the CURT hitch install instructions don't mention it all. My guess is that other vendors decided to just say that the F54 'S' and 'ALL4' models are not compatible with the hitch, rather than providing instructions.
FWIW my 'foot wave sensor' no longer works after I installed my MNI Do More hitch. However I believe this may be my own fault, from mistakenly connecting a PDC lead to the sensor on my first go at re-installing the bumper. Do label your wires -- some of them are keyed identically and can mistakenly fit into the wrong module.
Can happily report that with the Curt hitch (on our '17 justa All4) the convenience foot-wave opening thing works just fine. Probably because there's no cutting or removal of the bumper required. Sure, the hitch shows below the bumper, but as I already mentioned that's not a deal breaker for us.
Can happily report that with the Curt hitch (on our '17 justa All4) the convenience foot-wave opening thing works just fine. Probably because there's no cutting or removal of the bumper required. Sure, the hitch shows below the bumper, but as I already mentioned that's not a deal breaker for us.
Yeah, if I had to it over again, I would install the Curt hitch, hands down. I finally got to cutting a hole in my rear bumper for the MNI DO MORE hitch and it is not great. The hitch receiver actually sits on bottom edge of the black part of the bumper, so it is not possible to cut a hole big enough to fit their pretty little cap over the receiver -- I would have to cut past the bottom edge of the bumper for the cap to fit. So, now i have an ugly hole in my bumper that I can't cover up. I'll have to get one of those trucker 'hitch cap' things that actually fits in the receiver I guess. Another disadvantage to the MNI DO MORE receiver is that it is lined up perfectly with muffler, so if you slide anything too far into the receiver, you're going to hit the muffler. That's how the hitch on my Miata is though, so I'm used to watching out for it...
I like that the Curt hitch has connections for a backup chain too (the MNI DO MORE hitch lacks that, obviously, as it would require a huge hole in the bumper to expose them). I use the tow hook as a safety backup instead.
I got my Genuine MINI hitch installed. Made by Brink. I was going to use my standard 2” (50.8mm) North American coupler with the 50mm ball, but just ended up ordering a Bradley Doublelock 50mm coupler from the UK.
The genuine MINI hitch has a small loop for safety chains, but I’m going to make a more stout one that bolts on.
Ugh: Forum software loads the photo upside down :dunno:
