I want to purchase a 2012 mini cooper countryman automatic. The main purpose for this vehicle is to tow behind my RV. I have read - flat tow, trailer tow, 2 wheel up tow, my RV dealer says cant tow my auto dealer says can tow. HELP! Can anyone give me a straight answer to my dilemma? I am also willing to buy a toy/car hauler if necessary. I have not purchased the car yet...but my wife has her heart set on the mini. (I am fine with a jeep)

 

you cannot tow an all4 countryman with wheels on the ground

a front drive countryman you should be able to tow with the rear wheels on the ground

 

thanks. do you know if I can tow in a car trailer?

 

if you mean put the mini on or in a trailer, sure then no problem at all

 

I believe the manual clearly states that you cannot tow, except on a trailer.

While I agree that technically you should be able to tow a front wheel drive car with the rear wheels on the ground, neither my R59 and especially my R53 have the ground clearance. You would scrap the rear of the car going over dips or up driveways.

Also, isn't this one of the reasons we get Mini Roadside Assistance, to make sure the car gets towed correctly?

 

I think you may have missed the OP's point. He wants to tow the car behind his RV so they have a 'run-around' vehicle when they camp somewhere. I've having a hard time believing you can't tow an Auto R60 (non All4) with the front wheels off the ground.

 

Living in SoCal I see RVs all the time towing various cars, usually Jeeps, Rav4s, and the like.

Based on this thread the assumption is that you can't tow an all 4 with all 4 wheels on the ground. Also, based on this thread it was suggested to tow with only the rear wheels on the ground, the front on some sort of trailer (I've seen these too).

Thus my comment about the manual clearly stating to not do that; and my comments around ground clearance would still be valid.

I have to enter parking lots and driveways in my R53 at an angle so as to not scrape.

Again the assumption in this thread is that flat towing was not an option.

Well you know what they say about people who ***-u-me, myself included.

That said, a quick google of "rv tow mini cooper" resulted in numerous hits; including

http://www.minimania.com/msgThread/112483/1/1/Flat_towing_a_mini

Looks like you can flat tow a MINI Cooper behind an RV.

I would confirm with your dealer first, make sure there are no warranty issues.

That would be cool to see, BTW. Tired of seeing "sensible" compact SUVs behind those things.

 

Now i see your thought process but this is an R60 with a bit higher ground clearance. But the OP didn't state whether it was a front wheel drive or an ALL4 that he was considering so we're left to guessing what he means.

 

Thank you everyone for you help. I have decided to purchase a flatbed trailer to tow the mini. Just to let everyone know, it is a front wheel drive automatic, and it is indeed very low to the ground. This being said clearance for the rear end is the main issue.