Decided to buy this: http://www.golittleguy.com/fourplatform.htm Drove to the nearest Little Guy Teardrop trailer dealership, Alpine Auto in Woodland Park, Colorado .. about 6 1/2 hours North from here. I liked the trailer and the good people at the dealership so I made arrangements to buy one (to my surprise they had one with a design that matched the color of my sparkling silver/black top car).

Bought a trailer hitch receiver, hitch, and wiring kit from MiniDoMore http://www.minidomore.com/mini_coope...iler_hitch.php . Good product. Installation instructions for the R56 MCS were clear with plenty of photos (this link may be a slow load with dial-up) http://www.minidomore.com/pdf/2007_H...oper_and_S.pdf .

I will recommend that MiniDoMore include the plastic fasteners that are to be removed in the second step of the procedure (I had to saw off 3 of the 4 and buy new ones from Mini). I'll also recommend they include a coping saw as a just-in-case item in the list of recommended tools.

After my frustrating start to this project (a car problem, not a product problem) the rest went fairly smoothly. Oh .. Mid way through there is a call for use of a torque wrench (17 foot-pounds). I didn't have one so I did a rough re-assembly, drove to my Mini service department, borrowed theirs, torqued the 12 bolts, then went back home and completed the job.

After a one day delay because of 70 mph winds in Colorado (the dealer called me to warn me just as I was leaving), I drove back to Alpine in Woodland Park to pick up my new trailer. The owners, Jon and Lois DeVaux, went out of their way to prepare the trailer, do some training, get the paperwork done, and send me on my way home to Albuquerque. The only real surprise was learning that It's necessary to tighten the lug nuts a few times during the first 50 miles of the trailer's first ride. I had to stop by Autozone and buy a 13/16 deep socket and breaker bar.

I had been worried about pulling a trailer all that distance in that my only trailer experience was years ago when I'd tow my small boat to the local launching ramp. Pulling this thing turned out to be no problem at all. The trailer rode very nicely even up to 75 mph on the freeway. Also, it came in handy taking a couple of naps at the rest areas (it comes with a very comfortable three way fold mattress). My mileage, by the way, dropped from a norm of 32 mpg to a little over 27 mpg. Got home at about 3:00 AM and just parked it. The next morning I went over to the local community college parking lot and practiced backing the darned thing (the skill, for me, didn't come natural, in spite of my past experience). I then successfully backed the trailer into my garage where it now shares space with my MCS (being able to share the garage with my car is a big advantage the teardrop has over larger trailers).

One more thing, after reading recommendations on this forum I bought a Garmin nuvi 350 (this link too may be a slow load with dial-up) http://www.tramsoft.ch/downloads/gar...ers-manual.pdf to be used for my travels. Excellent recommendation. It worked beautifully. GPS has come a LONG way since I bought my first one several years ago. One feature I very much appreciated was that at any point along the way, if I got hungry, it would take me to the restaurant of my choice and then send me back on track (same with gasoline stations). I loved the fact that when the places were listed, not only would the running miles to go be shown, but next to each, an arrow would point in the general direction of that establishment. I mounted it on the left edge of my rear view mirror where I could reach its touch screen easily without any real distraction. Also, hearing it give directions and naming streets was no problem at all. Oh .. and for those whose past experience mirrored mine, the brightness is excellent (and it changes to black background night mode at sunset).

 

Ken,
Excellent write-up! I did a little research on these after your last posting and you sure get a lot for the money. I was wondering if you got a chance to see the 5 series? Does it look like it would work with the MINI or too wide? How are you going to outfit the galley?
Let us know how it works out after the first extended use, OK?

 

Yep. Very, very nice. Glad you like your new big rig!

 

Good to hear things are turning out well! I have to say, the combo looks pretty slick. If I had a garage (and road tripped a lot) I think I'd spring for the same setup.

Only thing I noticed (and this is not at all related to the trailer) is that your license plate frame is upside-down. I think I understand why; it just seemed odd.

 

I don't always follow the rules. I chose to not have the Brittish flag cover an important part of my New Mexico plate, "The Land of Enchantment".

 

Love the trailer...and the MINI! Very nice write up. I'm wanting a mini teardrop trailer more and more with each posting of someone as lucky as you that get one!

 

VERY slick! You're making me want one of those teardrops more and more, but we're still in the "pop-up with slideouts and a minivan stage"... once these kids get off to school...

I especially like the little cargo area on the front of the trailer - would be a great place for a couple of mounts for the race bike...

 

Does anyone have an idea of how that front cargo area affects the tongue weight of the trailer??? It seems to me that the cargo area is so far forward it would cause additional tongue weight on the hitch...

I really like that teardrop, but with the stock weight of the trailer I'm thinking the retro style might be a bit safer. (I also have the Mini Do More hitch, which is rated for 100 lbs tongue weight.)

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Ed

 

Ed: Physics, my boy, Physics! Simply, if the center of mass of the load is 2/3 of the way forward from the trailer axle to the hitch, then it's carried 2/3 on the hitch and 1/3 on the trailer axle. For a sub-20-lb bike that's not a big deal, but for a 50 lb cooler it could be.

Also, with a cooler, the center of mass moves if the ice melts - since, under braking, the water moves forward toward the hitch.

In a like fashion, adding weight to the rear of the trailer (behind the trailer axle) UNloads the hitch - but overly unloading the hitch can cause instability in the trailer (won't track well or handle bumps well, "tail wags the dog").

That trailer, according to the link, weights 770 lb, leaving "only" 230 lb for gear (which is a lot, if you pack well). The trailer doesn't come with a mattress, but if you go with air you're pretty light. Add bedding, clothes, a cooler and stove, a few good books and a bottle or two of a vintage beverage... you'll maybe hit 1000. Tongue weight is 85lb, again within specs. Distribute your load correctly and you're golden. Looks like most of the storage is over the trailer axle so tongue weight will stay pretty close to the same.

 

The 5 wide looks like a 4 wide that's a foot wider and a foot longer. It does look more comfortably spacious and it comes with a standard bed size mattress. If I were to buy the 5 wide though I'd definitely go with the Retro as opposed to the Platform because of the weight.

as far as outfitting the galley is concerned, I don't know .. It's a good question. I'll be camping this week so I should be able to get a better feeling for how best to set it up.

Sorry I didn't get back to your questions earlier .. I just spaced it.

 

Thanks for your post Dixon. It got me thinking more about tongue weight so I went out in the garage and placed my bathroom scale forward under the hitch. As a result of that endeavor I removed the spare wheel and placed it all the way aft behind the trailer wheel fulcrum (leaving the mount for wheel storage while camping). I also placed my tent, stove, and other apparatus in and under the aft cooking area where the aft door opens (the cooking area table is hinged and can be lifted up for easy load manipulation). I placed my 12 Volt heater/cooler cooler on the forward rack and now have the tongue weight at 88 pounds (it had been as high as 115 pounds).

If I were to buy one of these with plans of mounting a dirt bike forward on the rack, I'd borrow a friend's pickup, bring all that I'd normally take on a trip, plus a scale and make sure I could make the weight balance out (remembering too that the hitch wants a total trailer weight of 1000 pounds).

P.S. I suspect the MiniDoMore hitch apparatus will handle more than these weights in that good mechanical engineering places a significant buffer on spec. but I'm certainly not going to test it out.

 

Yeah, it's been a few decades since my last Physics class... Funny, my high school children never ask me to help them!!!!???

Excellent points. This is exactly the information I was looking for.

Thanks again,
Ed

 

Welcome to the fraternity of MINI Teardrops!!


http://user.mc.net/~jdewey/MINI/teardroptrailers/

 

Great looking trailer. I'll have to think about getting one.

 

Glad I could help! One other thing to consider: Before taking that long trip, load the trailer up and drive a few familiar roads (including some twisties) near your home. Get a feel for it - even try some harder braking and a gentle swerve or two. You will have somewhat reduced limits with the trailer on, but you'll also be surprised at what you CAN get away with if you have to. Braking is where you'll notice the biggest difference, since these trailers do not have trailer brakes - stopping an additional 1000lb will take a longer distance so adjust following distances accordingly...

I had an incident while pulling a 2000lb popup (without trailer brakes) where, in the dry, I fully glazed the pads on my van and, if there was ONE more coat of paint, would've tapped the car in front of me... about had to go change my shorts! That trailer now has trailer brakes and it makes all the difference in the world - but trailer brakes would be cost-prohibitive (and unnecessary, really) on a 1000lb trailer.

 

I like your set-up! I made my own Mini Trailer... kept my options open, the side rails can come off and the deck can be used for other things that way. What do you think? Joey

 

VERY nice! You do the graphics yourself? Are those wheels silver to match the car? Brilliant!

 

Joey - that's awesome! Can you share how you did it? I really want one like that!

Ken Cooper - great write up, and I'm with you on the navigation! I broke down and got a garmin for my truck a little while ago. I just got a Minidomore hitch, but like an idiot, I didn't think about the wiring harness. Is it hard to install?

 

Simple and true. . . on a flat surface. This changes as you drive down a steep slope (with the hitch taking on more weight and the axle less . . . which is why it is harder to carry that dresser upstairs if you're the guy holding the downslope end of the dresser than the upslope end). So if you use this simple formula to max out the tongue weight and then go down a steep driveway . . .

 

Sure will, I will get the pics together in a few days and put them up for all to see. It was very easy to do, really. Joey

 

very cool.

 

Excellent point and duly noted, though tongue weight ratings are done on a flat surface, with allowances made for braking and driving.

BEAVR, glad you brough up this thread again. Note that the new MiniDoMore hitches are rated for increased tongue weight as well as increased trailer weight (200#/1400#, I believe). MDM has now reinforced (gusseted) the ends of the hitch.

Pic of the changes in the MDM hitch construction - note that the old model shown (the dirty one without end gussets) is the "with-reverse-or-foglight" model with a more recessed receiver to clear the lamp, while the newer model shown is a non-foglight model.

 

I did my own trailer set-up in my garage a couple years ago and then made my own HomeMade Trailer. I have towed it to California and back many times from Florida. Check out my photos in my photo gallery. Joey

 

If anyone is interested to build their own teardrop trailer to tow behind a Mini, I think this is the biggest teardrop builder's forum:

T&TTT (Teardrop and Tiny Travel Trailers) Forum

There is even a free set of plans and instructions to build a teadrop on a Harbor Freight utility trailer.

And by some quirk of fate (because I live in England) I'm the 'resident engineer' for the forum and provide its design library.

I've just finished a new set of plans for a super-small super-lightweight teardrop, the Pico-Light shown here behind a Mazda 6 (for size reference) and with the forum's Generic Benroy free plans trailer behind it:



Andrew