Looking at that, I wonder, won't the plate end up at ~45 degree angle with the bottom resting on the drawbar? If so, wouldn't it be as visible there as under the drawbar?
I got one of these
http://www.gcustoms.com/product_info...ucts_id/10732/
and well, I don't know what that is picturing or what they are thinking, but what I got is completely useless. There is no way it'll fit on a car of any sort.

But, I've been thinking of something more like
http://www.gcustoms.com/catview/cate..._Plate_Bracket

except I'm made at GCustomes for their clearly false advertising in the first example.
Still seems to me the 45 degree angle would be acceptable ?

 

SaltNPepa - did you also install the wire harness? We have a Thule Terrapin that we use on our Infiniti FX, which has a light kit. We have been looking at hitch options that would allow us to use it on my wife's Clubman S. Also, would you know whether it is compatible with the Aero Kit?

http://www.thuleracks.com/product.as..._id=11&sku=684

Thank you

 

I got my hitch today and will be installing it soon.

As for the plate bracket, why not get the flip down model and mount it up-side down so that it will flip up at a angle while the hitch is in use.

j

 

I am doing the wire for the trailer lights this weekend. As for the aero kit It should work if the plate is in the same place as standard. If you go to the mini do more site and find the email address the guy will get back to you very quickly and should be able to answer the aero kit question.
EDIT:
Did not know you could get an aero kit on a clubman so I guess you have a non clubman if a non clubman the hitch comes out where the rear fog of a non s or in the black stuff on a s bumber so you might have to measure your self to see where to drill the hole but it should work.

 

This morning, I installed the Mini-do-more hitch on my Clubman. When my neighbor came home, we installed his on his Clubman. Then I installed the Mini-do-more wiring kit on my Clubman, and we did his after that. All told, we got both installations done and checked the hitch with our trailers that we use to tote stuff when we do track days. Wiring worked with no problems. The hitches installed just as simply as the instruction from Mini-do-more state. The hitch is certified for 200lbs max tongue weight and 1400lbs max towing weight. We both have MCS coupes as well (mine is a 2007 R56, his a 2004 R53), and have towed our track trailers, as well as our classic minis on tow dollies behind them. I have a Mini-Fini hitch on the R56, my neighbor has a home-made hitch on his R53. 2 guys, 2 Clubmen, hitches and lighting harnesses -- 1 day job. And it was 72 degrees in Ohio in March!

And for the person who asked, you do need to remove your rear mud flaps. I had them on my Clubman, and I needed to remove them anyway as the double stick tape never held very well. After I removed the screws, they just fell off. I am now looking for some good double stick tape to use when I re-install them.

Paul

 

I found some good double stick tape at Home Depot that was rated for outdoor use. I used it to reattach some rubber rain gutters on my M Roadster hard top after I had it painted. I did it last year and it is still holding.

 

Depending on spacing required for a snug fit, 3M's Dual Lock may also be a good alternative. It is like Velcro on steroids!

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3...beN1J2KJ2SJCgl

 

Paul to you happen to have the instruction to put the wiring on the clubman? I have a powered interface I want to use but dont know how/where to get at the wires in the clubman.

 

I have the instructions -- but not in digital form. What I can do is tell you which wires and where to tap into them.

Power comes off the aux lighter socket + is the red wire with yellow stripes. You get at this by bowing out the rear of that side panel and reaching in to actually push the aux lighter socket into the car.

Ground can go anywhere you can find a good spot to reach -- Mini-do-more uses a threaded stud that is on the inner left wheel arch --

You can easily get at the back of the tail lights by undoing the torx screw at the top of the light. On the left (driver's side in US) you can get the Left turn signal wire which is Blue with brown strip and the brake light which is Yellow with black stripe.

On the right side (passenger's side in US) you can get at the right turn signal which is Light purple with purple stripe. The tail light wire Mini-do-more says to take off of the solid blue wire. They say to take this wire from the loom before it gets to the right tail light socket. I'm not sure why they say to take it from there, but it does work.

Paul

 

Now, If I could just find someone who sells this stuff locally and in consumer quantity. I think this would do the job.

Sorry to steal a thread!

Paul

 

WOW. Thanks for posting. We live in Decatur and have a '09. I want to 'hitch it' and find a trailer to tote around a couple of motorcycles. Your post hit the spot and answers all my potential questions. great!

 

I completed my mini do more hitch installation:

It took about 2 hours to complete.

I had the same issue with the bolt thru holes not aligned and had to rework some of the holes.

I'm using this for a hitch mounted bike rack. I couldn't slide the bike rack mount into the hitch until I sanded the inside of the hitch. Too much paint.

Overall I am pleased with the hitch

Now I'm working out a license plate mount

found this: http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku

or this if there is one for 1 1/4" http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Licen...1%7C240%3A1318

 

Flytime let me know what you come up with for the plate. The summit one looks interesting but I would think it would stick out to far and remove some of the total hidden look of the hitch. The bottom on probbaly would sit to low and where would you put it with the hitch is in use? I wish someone had a little slide like a desk draw that I could put the plate on.

 

I have a 1990 Miata which weighs 1910 pounds. It is a cinch to pull. I have the larger disc brakes which are slotted etc. and seem to be really strong.

What do you think? My Clubman S is an automatic. I have pulled the Miata with a previous Lexus RX when we go to Florida. It's a flat drive with a few minor exceptions.

 

I should have mentioned, I pull it flat on the ground using a Roadmaster tow bar system.

 

Arns,
I wouldn't think so, the hitch isn't rated for that large a load.

 

I really didn't think so either, just wishful thinking. Pulling something a few block or few miles is one thing, but 725 miles at 75 mph is too much. I just like to dream.

 

Okay, I need some help here. Installed the hitch today, no issues (except the aformentioned hole alignment problem). Went to install a powered light harness, and things went downhill quick. Following this:

After many hours of trying to make this work, I did some investigative work and see that the tail light bulbs are not dual filiment, but single. It seems MINI is feeding low voltage thru the yellow / black wire for tail lights, and higher voltage thru the same wire for brake lights. Never seen it done that way before.

So, my Hopkins 46255 unit won't recognize the difference between tail and brake lights, it seems. Things get all flaky. Has anyone actually made this work, or do I need to toss the Hopkins unit and order the one from Mini Do More?

 

Subdude,

I got your PM and took a look at your post. However, I am not sure I understand the problem. However, according to what I read on-line about the Hopkins unit, it says it should work for most any configuration. I wonder if perhaps you didn't take the tail light connection from the solid blue wire on the right side that comes into the connector BEFORE the tail light connector. That is where Mini-do-more says to tap for tail lights. See if that helps.

Let us know....

Paul

 

Paul,

Thanks for the reply. I did indeed have the tail light connection to the solid blue on the right side. Can you confirm that unit you used is the Hopkins 46255?

Thanks!

 

Jim,
Let me know if you get it to work I have the same one (46255) but had not gotten around to do the install yet.

 

The hitch installation looks great, and I have been pondering a similar setup ever since I ordered my Clubman. I would use it primarily for a bike rack, but my rack has a bolt-in retaining pin (I love my Softride rack), and I can't see how to access the hitch to secure the pin.

 

The pin is easily accessed from beneath the bumper.

I'll spend more time with the wiring tonight, but am really discouraged by the fact that on the net the Hopkins one now says it WON'T work with the MINI.

We'll see. Anyone having actually done the wiring, especially witht he Hopkins 46255, I'd really appreciate some input. Maybe I had the wrong solid blue wire, but I don't think so. Stay tuned, more to follow.

 

Subdude,

No, my unit is not the Hopkins -- it is the one from Mini-do-more which unfortunately has the manufacturer part number hidden. If you have information that the Hopkins does not work, then you probably know what the answer is unfortunately.....

sorry not to be of any help,

Paul

 

Paul,

No worries. I've got things sorted out.

Short answer: The Hopkins 46255 works just fine.

Long answer: Feel free to skip to the bottom if you're not bored by long stories.

Now that I've cooled down and am able to type and speak without excessive profanity, here's what happened. Let me preface this with the fact that I'm a mechanical engineer with a field history of industrial machine service and troubleshooting. I've been working on and wiring cars for 40+ years, and have installed probably 40 trailer harnesses over the years. I was CERTAIN I had it right the first time. Nuff said.

I mounted the unit in the recess beneath the barn door latch, dead center of the car. It's protected there, and allowed me to run the extension cable into the "sub-basement", where I can just bring it up and out the back of the car easily. In this location, the light unit is not easily visible while installing, and hidden by the black plastic cover when done.

The wiring was run as described above. When I started testing today, here's what happened. I hooked up my homebuilt test unit ( 2 1157 bulbs mounted to a flat base with a trailer wire to plug into the vehicle for testing) to the Hopkins extension wire.

Tail lights on illuminated the left brake light
Brake lights on illuminated the right brake light, and the left tail light
Left turn signal blinked the left tail light
Right turn signal blinked the right brake light

Confused yet? I sure was. So I disconnected all the wires except power and ground from the car. I ran a jumper wire from the power to each individual input on the Hopkins unit, with the same results, eliminating any incorrect wiring issues. I then concluded that the Hopkins unit was faulty.

I removed the unit from the car, and decided to bench test it, to eliminate perhaps a bad ground. I had unplugged the Hopkins extension cable while removing the unit from the car, and plugged my test light into the unit directly. Bench testing by applying power to each input proved the unit to work correctly!

At this point I'm really tearing my hair out. I then realize the only variable I have eliminated between the in-car test and the bech test is the Hopkins extension cable. So, what do I see...... ?




Some maroon (trying to be PC here) at whatever assy plant built this thing swapped the tail light (brown) and left brake light (yellow) wires at the end that plugs into the Hopkins unit (hidden up inside a cavity, remember?). I've got it plugged into itself here for visual effect. With the unit in the car and the extension plugged in, I couldn't see it. Stupid me just naturally assumed (yeah, I know) that the cable was properly manufactured.

Bottom line: reinstalled the unit with a properly made cable, and all is well.

Sorry for the long diatribe, but figured that maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to save someone else the aggrivation if they screwed up more than just my cable.