Bought a trailer hitch and trailer. Click on the photo below. Comments? Questions?

 

Wow-that looks FUN! Enough room for 2 to sleep? How much does your mileage change?

 

Mileage went from 32 to 27 (6 1/2 hours of mostly freeway driving).

 

Now that is really cool!

 

Ken, Looks great. Thanks for updating us with the photos after your earlier thread. Checked out the trailer then, so cool to see it up and running. So, as a guy who tows bigger stuff, How's the little guy do?

 

My only towing experience in the past was with a boat trailer (14" sailboat). The boat trailer (with boat) would bounce up off the road with even the slightest road imperfection. A bumpy curve would send it skittering toward the side of the road. Luckily, the ramp was only a couple of miles from home.

With this trailer, most of the time you wouldn't even know you were pulling it. It's very smooth and easy to maneuver. It banged around a bit on the rough dirt turn-offs, but nothing to be concerned about. Actually, I felt very relieved in that my expectations centered around boat trailer memories.

There's a more detailed write-up on the General Mini forum.

 

oh ... that looks so cool! congrats!!

 

Nice looking rig!

 

This is so cool. Where did you get it? How much was it?

 

Welcome to the Club!!!!!
Ken where are you located? If you were anywhere near Nebraska you would be more than welcome to the 2nd International Teardrop Gathering next weekend in Minden, NE. At this point there are 94 trailers registered and 3 of those are pulled by MINIs.
Great to see another Cooper with a camper. 2008 "Tears of the Dragon" be there!

 

Very cool!! We'd love to get one of those....one day... Thanks for the picture... What is the name of the model you purchased?

Donna

 

Thanks Zamfier. Well .. If this event is on the 16th and 17th I'm tied up. But if it's the following weekend I'd very much like to attend. More info?

 

Thanks Donna,

Mine's the 4 Wide Platform: Here's a link:

http://www.golittleguy.com/fourplatform.htm

 

Yea it is the 14th - 17th but there is always MINIs in the Mountains. That is even closer to you.
I will put the link to the Teardrop forum here for all. http://www.mikenchell.com/forums/
Just in case some other owners are looking for more Teardrop info.
Here is another good source of teardrop builders.
www.teardrops.net
Enjoy,
Jim

 

Thanks!! I shall do some research... I see there is one right here in San Diego - Yippee!!!

Donna

 

Hi mufflethis,

Here's some info:

Decided to buy this: http://www.golittleguy.com/fourplatform.htm From 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 .

Price: A bit over $5,000 for the trailer.

 

I got to ask you this... Did you get the optional Beer Dispenser with it.?? You would have lots of friends when you went camping.

 

Wow, Ken. That set-up looks terrific.

 

Ken,
Just to show you what you are missing. I put my trailer out in the campground early for the event. I was the first as the event starts on Thursday.

2 years till the next International Teardrop Gathering. See you then

 

Love the trailer! I so want to get one someday. So cool!

 

Ken, congrats & nice looking set up you have. Did you happen to see the extra screen room tent on display at the dealer? If you did is it worth the price?

What is the total weight of your setup?

Have lots of fun.

Kelly

 

Zyamfier, would you please tell us a bit more about Minis in the Mountains. I'm just getting little swatches of time to come into the forum but trying to ferrit out specific info from the linked forum you provided is outside my time availability right now. When you say it's closer I presume you're talking some branch of the Rockies.

 

Great links folks! One concern is that the hitch at minidomore is rated at a 100lb tongue weight. Many of the trailers exceed that, and the 4-wide platform model already has an 85 lb tongue weight. Adding heavy items (like gas or water cans, or a small generator) could cause one to easily overload the hitch.

 

Hi Mr. D,

The weight is 770 pounds plus whatever I choose drag along with me in the trailer for traveling/camping. The car has a 1,400 pound trailer weight limit so there's plenty of buffer .. Meaning I can keep the car uncluttered when traveling.

I was seriously considering getting the screen room/tent that's designed to tie directly to the trailer. I like having additional shelter that leaves plenty of room to walk around in, provides for sleeping room for others, and, in general, a nice place to just sit and visit - sans mosquitoes. But after doing a little shopping around I decided on a 10 x 14 Eddie Bauer Mammoth tent from Target. It doesn't tie directly to the trailer but it's nice and open with large screened windows and doors, there's plenty of room for my 6'3" to walk around in, and it costs about $300 less.

djam43, I got so excited about just getting the trailer that I totally forgot about the optional beer dispenser. Waaa!

Bill's first trip (my trailer's name is Bill) will be next week for a few days visiting with my California brother at a nice midway point KOA in the mountainous region of Northern Arizona. From there we can take side trips to nearby places like, for instance, the Grand Canyon. I'll say a bit more on returning.

 

Well, took me a while to get back here. When I said MINIs in the Mountains I was referencing The MINI event this August at Copper Mountain Colorado. Registration is right here on NAM. I will have my teardrop there on display.
Hope you all can make it out for the Midnight runs on Mount Evans. Over 14,000 feet elevation.