Towing in California

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Buster I am not sure but I think the mini is one of those vehicles that can be pulled with out mods if it has a manual trans but you do need to stop run it every few hours for a few minutes.

Rodger dodger will eventually get a break between his used car sales to read this and verify it.

Has anyone ever seen one of the new VW beetles being towed 4 wheels down?

[Jon Wehrenberg]

There are two concerns about toads.

First, will towing four down hurt anything? In some vehicles the rotating parts are not sufficiently lubricated so towing without some provision to curculate fluids is a bad thing. The problem is we don't know which ones that are not listed in the FMCA magazine will get harmed. Some are not listed because the manufacturers just don't wan't the potential liability exposure.

Second concerns relate to "key on" battery drain. That's easily solved. Just add a battery disconnect, or a wire to maintain the battery charge. Either way the battery is not affected by towing.

I have travelled with Roger when he is towing the mini. Every few hours he stops and runs the engine to circulate fluids through the transmission. I have not known his mini to have a dead battery.

[phorner]

Joe,

I have seen a newer VW bug towed 4-down here at the resort, but only one, and I don't know what they did by way of preparation. I believe it was an auto trans car.

I would think and older, manual trans, bug would be a great choice, but they are hard to come by in good condition.

Simple to maintain.... good fuel economy and certainly light weight.

Not to mention just plain fun to drive

[Pete]

I towed a new style V/W for several years, it was a stick shift diesel. Then changed to a V/W Jetta for more room (4 door) and towed it for a couple of years. The Jetta was also a stick shift diesel. They both make great tow cars, never had a minutes trouble.

[Steve Bennett]

Mike, we towed a Mini Cooper S manual transmission for 2+ years. We had no issues with the battery or transmission. It still is not a bad idea to run the engine every once in a while in neutral to keep the input shaft seal lubed. The other thing that is nice with the mini is the S model has run flat tires, so one less thing to worry about. I believe we used a Blue Ox base plate that did require some slight modification for the S model bumper fascia. Give me a call, and I can hook you up with the guys that rigged mine in Costa Mesa.

[Coloradobus]

ROADMASTER MAKES BASEPLATES FOR MINI



http://www.roadmasterinc.com/vehicle_guide/index.php

[rfoster]

I got an email from Buster and answered him back via email so I don't want anybody thinking I was ignoring him.

I got my first want to from Steve Bennett on towing the Mini while in Santa Fe and have been through 5 since both S and Coupe. Nothing newer than 06 models and as I told Buster I stop about every 200 or 300 miles and let it run for five minutes and take off again. The present Mini has been towed in excess of 20,000 miles with no problem. The base plates came from Blue Ox and require removing the front facia to install.

I do not know about the 09 models - no experience with towing anything newer than the 06. No battery drain problem. And as mentioned in my message to Buster, the best part is you don't even know the mini is in tow.

If anyone needs a mini I have one for sale. Set up with Blue ox base plates, silver with black roof 2003. 38000 miles 5 speed. Goes fast with or without the bus.

[flyu2there]

Mike, we towed a Mini Cooper S manual transmission for 2+ years. We had no issues with the battery or transmission. It still is not a bad idea to run the engine every once in a while in neutral to keep the input shaft seal lubed. The other thing that is nice with the mini is the S model has run flat tires, so one less thing to worry about. I believe we used a Blue Ox base plate that did require some slight modification for the S model bumper fascia. Give me a call, and I can hook you up with the guys that rigged mine in Costa Mesa.

I have an 08 Mini S with a paddle shift automatic that I tow on a small dolly....yeah, I know dolly's suck, however the little ones are not bad. It keeps the nose of the Mini up and I have had no "blast" damage from the bus. Anyway, it has those run flats...and I respectfully disagree with Steve. Damn things are nearly 400 each; they just have stiffer sidewalls and if there is an issue with them, like they lose their pressure, you must replace the tire. Can't tell if you have a tire issue unless you have a camera pointed at the dash in the Mini that will illuminate a tire symbol if the pressure falls below (I love this one) a pre-determied value.

I hit a massive pot hole in California (Thanks Arnold) that dispatched both front tires......tire light went on. You are good for 50 miles only with the run flats before you begin running on the rims, or so the manufacturer claims (Dunlop).

Final analysis, Mini's are great, fun to drive, really fun, economical and light weight. They tow well and a dolly, a small one, is really not an issue, plus you can drive for a year without starting the engine..............on a dolly!

John

[rfoster]

Forgot to mention that I have a dolly for sale too if anybody needs one - low miles.

[lewpopp]

Paul, I have strong doubts that that VW bug was automatic. In all of my 30 years of motorhoming I got tired of the answer when I'd see if the VW was auto or stick. They were always stick. I'm positive that you cannot tow one that is automatic and to make towable cost too much.