Can a mini cooper be towed behind a motorhome?

Answer 1

BMW/MINI does not recommend towing the MINI. However, this is likely due to the extra stress placed on the suspension when towed. The MINI has bumper to bumper warranty coverage for the first 50k miles. The MINI does not accumulate mileage while being towed.

I have been towing my MINI 4 wheels down behind my motorhome for the last 3 years and travelled several thousand miles without incident. I have a 2003 MINI Cooper S which is only available with a 6 speed manual transmission. The MINIs with a CVT transmission can not be towed as the transmission will not be properly cooled when not running.

There are a couple of different aftermarket manuafacturers that sell the hardware that is installed on the front end of the MINI and include quick connect fittings that will allow the MINI to be prepped for towing in a matter of seconds. I also ran an additional set of wires back to the brake lights and installed an additional set of bulbs into the tail light housing. This way the turn signal/brakes on the motorhome actuate the lights on the MINI without having to tap into the MINI wiring harness.

When towing the MINI the key is turned to the accessory position to unlock the steering and the car is placed in neutral. The battery will slowly run down due to the key being in the accessory position, but will take approximately 6 hours to run down to a point where it will not start. However, this can be mitigated by running a 12v line from your motorhome that will help ensure the battery remains fully charged. Towing the MINI does not register mileage. It will wear the tires although at a slower rate because you will not be driving your motorhome anywear near as aggressive as you drive the MINI.