57 replies to this topic

[fairylou]

cheers for your help Jordie, if in doubt theres usually two options, hit it with a hammer or use a bit of wood, wood seems more sensible on this occasion.

[blue redtop]

sorry to bring a old post up but im planning on picking a mini up in a luton van.
does anyone know how long the bits of wood would need to be so it dosent bottom out.
thanks

[Jordie]

depends how steep the ramp is going to be.

[A KIRK]

Whilst putting a mini into a luton is possible its just asking for trouble and could all end in tears, you will be much better of finding someone who transports cars around the UK who might be able to do it as a back load i.e pick yours up when there in that area and delivery it to you, most will probably do it for a lot less money that way, as they will have had a full payinh job.

[onefastmoke]

I'm writing on my girlfriend's behalf, who's just bought a mini mk1 as a project car... so i'm sure we'll have lots of questions and rants about how great minis are and how *rubbish* they can be some days, when it's raining and a simple job has turned into taking over a whole day.

Well anyway back to the subject, sorry to drag this thread up from years ago, as i said she's just bought the car and didn't think about how to transport it, on the advice of a friend who has a race car, she's hired a luton van and some ramps, the ramps however are 8ft long, and someone's just pointed out that a mk1 mini with 10inch wheels, 6inch ground clearance with 6' 8inch wheelbase, would bottom out when entering the van, i've done a little drawing and it appears so, has anyone done this before? please help us, in our ill planned dilema, my only plan so far is to drive the luton up onto a kerb, (front wheels) and then let the rear wheels down to help it out a bit, i'm not sure thats going to be enough. am i worrying over nothing?

(we are transporting from Essex to Manchester so to pay a transport company, although an ideal solution, is too expensive for us... and we can't find anyone with a tow bar to get a transporter trailer)

Thanks for any help

I had this problem getting mine onto a trailer before i bought a car trailer, get hold of some standard 12" steels to put on(usually cost very little as tyre tread will be unimportant). when I was changing the wheels over I also put a small piece of wood in the suspension (above radius arms etc) while it was jacked up which gave enough clearance to get it on

[fairylou]

Thanks guys these are all good ideas! How about putting breeze blocks underneath the ramp to lift it a little and laying scaffolding planks on the bottom end to create the beginning of the ramp to ease the angle a little?

[scottyegg]

at 17 yer old with a full uk licence you can happily tow a trailor with a car/van aslong as the trailor dosnt exceed 750kg's and ofcorse the totaly towing capacity of the vehicly! anything above 750kg you need to take a trailor pulling licence!

[Jordie]

You can tow a unbraked trailer to a maximum of 750kg. This means the car and the trailer together. A mini weights at least 600kg, so finding a car trailer under 150kgs is going to be a miricle.

You can however, tow a braked trailer over 750kg's aslong as it doesnt exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle and the full combination is not exceeding 3500kg.

Example. 650kg mini, 1000kg car trailer = 1650kg. 3500 - 1650 = 1850kg. 1850kg is the maximum for the weight of the car to go with this trailer combination. So the car must be between 1650kg and 1850kg weight and have the towing capacity of 1650kgs.

Reference
A 2007 model mondeo diesel as a unladen weight of 1571kgs. Towing capacity of 1800kgs (braked).
A 2003 vectra diesel as a unladen weight of 1476kgs. The estate model 1.9CDTI as a towing capacity of 1500kgs (braked).

So your going to need a big heavy car or a jeep which falls in the weight to be able to tow on a CAT B license.

Jordie

Edited by Jordie, 18 July 2008 - 11:30 AM.

[lewis]

i managed to get mine in.... BUT only with no front end or front subframe and i managed to break the mini slightly so i wouldnt reccomend it

[bebbinator]

yes it will if you cut it in half

[scottyegg]

they wil also fit in a LWB sprinter aslong as the wheel arches inside are boxed off

[Kinjo]

I disagree - I have had mine in my LWB sprinter, fine - and the wheel arches do not need to be boxed off, it is easier without them boxed, as there is more room

Edited by Kinjo, 18 July 2008 - 07:08 PM.

[fairylou]

Just to let all those who helped out with ideas know that in the end we managed to rent a car trailer and a van to tow it and my lovely mini mk1 came safely home on Saturday We got the van and trailer for £120 from glossop motors near manchester if anyone is trying to transport a car in that area. The trailer was just 30 pounds on its own for the day if you already have a tow bar.