R50/53 Is this stupid? Towing with my MCS...
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Joined: Jul 2008
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Is this stupid? Towing with my MCS...
I'd like to be able to tow my amazing little boat with my amazing little car. The sailboat weighs about 250 pounds, the trailer maybe the same. I figure that's two passengers of about my size...ok, maybe a bit bigger. Anyway, is that going to cost me my clutch? 2004 MC-S 6 speed. Help? DD
Three bikes, gear for a day and two kids.........doubles as a track trailer or for carting around a set of 4 tires/rims to the shop to be balanced....
.............You will probably just burn up brake pads more than anything else unless you predict your stops.
.............You will probably just burn up brake pads more than anything else unless you predict your stops.
You will have no problem. I've done lots of towing with both my first MINI (an '06 MC) and my current MINI (an '08 MCS). Both were manuals. I have a popup camper that I tow with my MCS currently as well as a utility trailer that is used to haul lumber, motorcycles, Pianos (yes, i've moved pianos twice with my first MC 
) etc. This past summer, I loaded up the utility trailer with about 1000 lbs of stuff that a friend needed moved and drove like a mad man from Indiana to TX and back. No problems.
A few years ago, I acquired a small sailboat much like the one you show above (it's a long story....). I sold it off to a guy on the East coast and met him in Western KY to make the deal. After rebuilding the hubs on the boat trailer (bearings were toast), I was off to KY. 70 - 80 mph the whole way. Didn't even know it was back there.
What you have to watch on the MINI is the tongue weight IMO. If you get anywhere near the tongue weight capacity of the car, the bumpy ride that results will shake the fillings out of your teeth. I think the tongue weight of my pop up camper is probably about 50 lbs and that is enough bouncing around for my taste for sure. You won't even notice the boat, though...guaranteed. Have fun.
) etc. This past summer, I loaded up the utility trailer with about 1000 lbs of stuff that a friend needed moved and drove like a mad man from Indiana to TX and back. No problems.A few years ago, I acquired a small sailboat much like the one you show above (it's a long story....). I sold it off to a guy on the East coast and met him in Western KY to make the deal. After rebuilding the hubs on the boat trailer (bearings were toast), I was off to KY. 70 - 80 mph the whole way. Didn't even know it was back there.
What you have to watch on the MINI is the tongue weight IMO. If you get anywhere near the tongue weight capacity of the car, the bumpy ride that results will shake the fillings out of your teeth. I think the tongue weight of my pop up camper is probably about 50 lbs and that is enough bouncing around for my taste for sure. You won't even notice the boat, though...guaranteed. Have fun.
Oh I can't help myself....have to show my other towing pics....
Hauling a vintage BMW motorcycle all the way from IN to ND....
My old "remodeled" popup with my first MINI.....
Another angle...
New car....new paint job....
Who needs a damn truck?! Happy towing!
Hauling a vintage BMW motorcycle all the way from IN to ND....
My old "remodeled" popup with my first MINI.....
Another angle...
New car....new paint job....
Who needs a damn truck?! Happy towing!
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Awesome!
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Wow. Wonderful responses! I'm so stoked to get on with it now. Thanks. Now to find and install a hitch. Would love to hear any recommendations. Looking at either MINI Fini or MiniDoMore's offerings (love their installation instructions). Thanks again everyone! DD
I've towed 1700 lbs with a MINI, so that little trailer won't be much. I use the MINI FINI trailer hitch.
Thanks,
--Rich
Both hitches are good, and I (unfortunately) have met and know the owners of both manufacturers... so can't give my recommendation to either, as both are really good. I have a MiniDoMore from long ago, and I like the standardized 1 1/4" mount, and Brent makes a quality product. Russ over at MiniFini makes a really super duty hitch, likely a bit sturdier even than the MDM, and he does fantastic work . Either will work for your application, since that sailboat is really light. She'll tow like there's nothing back there, until you look in the rear veiw mirror...
Last edited by DixonL2; Nov 22, 2010 at 09:10 AM.
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Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Berea, KY
I went with the Curt hitch. I got it off eBay for about $125. I bought the MiniDoMore trailer light kit. Pretty straight forward install for both. I did the lights in just a few minutes, and me and a buddy of mine installed the hitch in about 45 minutes or so.
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Curt hitch
Yes, the Curt hitch line seems really reasonably priced. However, they don't make a "S" version...yet. FYI - I contacted them to ask if I could modify one to fit and they responded (immediately...BTW) that it couldn't but they had one coming ("in test") in a couple months. Might be worth the wait! DD
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Howdy Chaps,
I've dragged this same trailer around since 1985, the first 18 or so years behind 3 different VW Rabbit Cabriolets often veeery slow going even with a GTI engine retrofit. Then came this MCS and better yet, the mini fini setup. What a game changer. Unlike other vehicles this size without such a large wheelbase with so little overhang at all 4 corners, this is the most stable non-truck towing vehicle for this trailer I've ever used. Keeping tongue weight in mind (heavier you load that, the choppier the rear ride gets and the more you feel the load trying to "steer" your vehicle) I've had 1,200lbs of construction material on board with no problem.
As I tend to keep vehicles a long time and as an antique motorcycle restorer am naturally mechanically empathetic towards my machines, so drivetrain preservation with heavier loads is all about being smooth and managing the momentum of your now heavier combined load vehicle. Once rolling try to avoid unnecessary braking or need for big throttle openings. As far as your vehicle's systems: suspension, brakes, drivetrain, all fullly capable, the possible weak links are your clutch and engine mounts, I try to roll off in first and 2nd (where torque multiplication is its highest) with as little throttle and hard pulling as possible to reduce the risk of trashing the uppler and lower mounts or glazing the clutch.
Keeping in the vintage BMW theme of fastlane's, here's my Steib in its crate then on the trailer to work where I then shipped this chair to Vancouver to its new owner. Also depicted is how the minifini setup looks, twin port receivers sticking through each of your rear grills. Great setup as you can also get plugin brackets for bikes and surfboards in addition to that trailer hitch.
Other pic is delivering my Velocette Thruxton to a freight forwarder who because this car's compact size let me drive right up forklift ramp into their warehouse to unload the bike into a container to go to San Francisco.
With the intro of this hitch, Mini practicality is elevated to a level where one really has no need for a pickup.
I've dragged this same trailer around since 1985, the first 18 or so years behind 3 different VW Rabbit Cabriolets often veeery slow going even with a GTI engine retrofit. Then came this MCS and better yet, the mini fini setup. What a game changer. Unlike other vehicles this size without such a large wheelbase with so little overhang at all 4 corners, this is the most stable non-truck towing vehicle for this trailer I've ever used. Keeping tongue weight in mind (heavier you load that, the choppier the rear ride gets and the more you feel the load trying to "steer" your vehicle) I've had 1,200lbs of construction material on board with no problem.
As I tend to keep vehicles a long time and as an antique motorcycle restorer am naturally mechanically empathetic towards my machines, so drivetrain preservation with heavier loads is all about being smooth and managing the momentum of your now heavier combined load vehicle. Once rolling try to avoid unnecessary braking or need for big throttle openings. As far as your vehicle's systems: suspension, brakes, drivetrain, all fullly capable, the possible weak links are your clutch and engine mounts, I try to roll off in first and 2nd (where torque multiplication is its highest) with as little throttle and hard pulling as possible to reduce the risk of trashing the uppler and lower mounts or glazing the clutch.
Keeping in the vintage BMW theme of fastlane's, here's my Steib in its crate then on the trailer to work where I then shipped this chair to Vancouver to its new owner. Also depicted is how the minifini setup looks, twin port receivers sticking through each of your rear grills. Great setup as you can also get plugin brackets for bikes and surfboards in addition to that trailer hitch.
Other pic is delivering my Velocette Thruxton to a freight forwarder who because this car's compact size let me drive right up forklift ramp into their warehouse to unload the bike into a container to go to San Francisco.
With the intro of this hitch, Mini practicality is elevated to a level where one really has no need for a pickup.
I'm planning on towing my thriumph in lieu of getting a touring bike...no offense to folks, but riding my bike through northern indiana, illinois, or ohio to get to fun roads is getting old.
Cheers,
--Rich