We're towing our MINI to the Dragon in May and wonder if anyone out there has ever used the full platform trailer (the one that gets all 4 wheels up off the street)?



There's a memo on UHaul's site that says that with "low cars" I should extend the ramps with planks of wood. I'm looking at pics of the ramps though and they don't look very steep.



Has anyone got their MINI up on a full trailer and if so did you need the ramp extenders? I guess I can always do THIS:



Thanks!

 

Matt, it's not only the angle of the ramps. It's also the break over angle where the ramps meet the trailer bed. You will probably be OK there, but have someone look as you drive up so you don't hang up on your exhaust. Have a couple of short 2x8 pieces of wood with you just in case.

 

ImagoX,

It all depends on how high the trailer is and how steep the ramps are and how level the area is. How low is your MINI? Do you have any front air dam? Remember that you will need to take your MINI off the trailer at the other end, so whatever you use to load it up, be sure to bring with you. You may want to consider loading front first or back first depending on what works best. When you load or unload, look for a nice clean, smooth and level area. Good idea to have a spotter watching as well.

Also once you have your MINI on the trailer, try to position the weight so it is equal over the wheels. Keep in mind that the MINI is front engine and there is more weight up fornt. I am not sure of the weigh distribution for a cabrillo.

I use ratcheting ties downs. Once you have positioned your MINI on the trailer, secure it with the ties downs so it can't roll back or forth. I use my parking brake as well. I suggest that you leave it in neutral so as not to damage the transmission. The MINI will rock a little back and forth as it rides down the highway. I would check it about evey 1 1/2 hours when you stop. You will probably find that you need to tighten up the tie-downs every so often.

You may want to buy some inexpensive wheel chocks as well. These work great for keeping your MINI in place.

With an open trailer as you have shown, I would suggest that you use a car cover or bra. Your tow vehicle will throw up a bunch of little rocks and since your MINI is riding so close you may get some chips. If you can, see if U-Haul has a tow trailer with a "weather guard". This is a wall that is located in front of the MINI that keeps the rocks from flying up. It also helps with gas mileage.

If not, you may want to consider putting on some mud flaps on your tow vehicle to minimize the rocks.

Be sure to check the load capacity of your tow vehicle and make sure it has adequate towing capacity. Get yout trailer weight and then add the weight of your MINI. Add theose together and make sure you are below the capacity. I would suggest only putting lightweight items in your MINI while towing. Keep the towing weight as low as possible.

Doe the trailer come with electric brakes? What about load levelers and sawy bars? These are really nice to have. They help keep the trailer striaght behind your tow vehicle and keep it from swaying in the wind or under braking.

Keep your speed down going downhill.

Good Luck and have a great time.

 

The trailer is as shown - it's a rental from UHaul - I'll ask them about all the things you mentioned, but I'd imagine that it has none of the things you said. The tow vehicle is a Chevy Suburban and should be able to handle the load (it can handle 5000 lbs). UHaul lists the vehicle as acceptable as well.

I have a sloped driveway that I thought could asist me in the loading step. but that won't help me on the arrival side - I'll get the 2X8s that are suggested. My MINI is not lowered in any way and it has the stock front air dam (not MODded).

 

Pooper has made some very good points. Yes leave it in neutral. Leaving it in gear puts lots of shock load on the driveline. If you are picking the trailer up a little before you leave, take the opportunity to test drive the rig once it's loaded up. Make sure you have enough weight on the tongue. If you don't the tail will want to wag the dog . Not what you want. IIRC UHaul trailers have hydraulic surge brakes. Loading in your driveway would work great. Once you get down there I'm sure you will find a good place to unload. Check your setup every hour or so. Tie downs will loosen a bit.

 

Awesome... We're picking it up the day before and loading it then so I can test it out, yeah...

 

ImagoX,

I've done this in the past and it worked for me.

Leave the trailer attached to the towing vehicle. Jack up the front of the trailer to decrease the approach angle at the rear of the trailer. Load you your Mini. Lower the jack. Drive off to MOTD, you lucky dog.

(I usually use a 2 1/2 ton floor jack since the U-Haul trailers usually don't have a tongue jack)

Have a safe trip!

 

The tin top MINIs are actually engineered to be only slightly front heavy, and with an avg. male driver, perfectly balanced

 

We'll be DRIVING ours!!!

 

If you don't mind me asking but what does Uhaul charge for the trailer? I'm still shopping around for one to bring mine down...

 

Agee with all the good advice, especially the point about helping the load angle by jacking the front of the trailer up. Also, I would stress--after having trailered quite a few cars, to always check your tie down tightness after about 15 to 30 minutes on the road and then check on your regular stops after that. Cars seem to shift. My classic Mini is actually the most difficult car I've trailered since it is so light it moves around on the trailer. Also check to make certain that your tie downs don't rub on anything close to sharp. I've had straps fray on surfaces I didn't even think were rough.