IntroThis section will show how we (me and my family) made a Mini trailer. It is fairly easy and will take a day to get the basic trailer. I happily supply all of the information that I have but please remember we are not expert metal workers, so if you know a better way... use it! :-)
Stage 1Get a Mini that you don't need. Scrap merchants are a good place to find old shells. Our Mini became available when my sister didn't pick up the bottom pulley off the engine and my dad felt that the car wasn't worth running for another year. Stage 2Strip out all of the interior. Tear off the doors and remove all bolt-on bits so you basically have the shell and the engine.
Stage 3This depends on how you feel. We unbolted the subframe and lifted the car over the top but you can take the engine and gearbox away from the bay and leave the subframe on the car.
Stage 4Take a LARGE hacksaw and take off the roof. You will find that is suprisingly easy until you get to the 2-skin sections towards the rear. Some people like to take a large chisel and hammer to the metal but this tends to leave a bit of tearing :-) Once this is done then you can saw the car in half across the width (across the length would be a little stupid) :-)
Stage 5Tidy up the edges and fill in the gaps from the double skin section. Then measure up a plate and weld it onto the "Front" of the trailer. If you want to remove the seat (we didn't) then do so before you weld the plate on.
Stage 6Now that you have the trailer, you have to make tow bars. The Driving Mini has the Ball joint and the trailer Mini has the clamp. We just used some hollow square section material (about 50mm wide) and bolted it to the subframe. Simply bolt the bar in the centre of the subframe so that it runs in a straight line:
To bolt it to the subframe you can use special brackets, but simply drilling the subframe and putting a bolt through works just as well!
Once the tow bar for the towing Mini has been made, then the bar for the trailer has to be made. Use the same square section material and cut it into 3 pieces so that the hitch end of the bar is higher then the part that bolts onto the trailer. To attach the bar to the trailer you may need a piece of H section material to space the bar from the bottom of the trailer.
And there you have it. Wiring the lights up is easy as most tow bar hitches have the circuit diagram printed onto the back. The flasher units will operate faster as the current drain is slightly higher (there is an extra set of lights to drive) but everything else will work fine. Once the lights are wired up then you are ready to roll. If you colour the Trailer the same as the Mini that is towing it then you can have great fun confusing people that are following you, it is only at roundabouts and turns in the road that they realise that you are pulling a trailer.
Remember to put the reflective triangles on the back, and that the number plate on the trailer is the same as the car that is towing it! Siililand note: Please consult your local authorities about registering the trailer. In some countries (eg. Finland - where I live) the regulations for the trailer are different than those specified above. You might have to register the trailer with the authorities, and have it inspected the same way the authorities inspect your car. You might also be issued a separate registration paper for it.
by Paul Hill Northavon Mini Drivers Club Original site |
