2011 MINI S Hatchback Trailer Hitch

[BlackminiS]

Hi, I have a 2011 Mini S hatchback that I want to install a trailer hitch. I've contacted Minis Do More and they seem to have the best one and they told me it should only take 2 hours to install.

Does anyone have any other suggestions on other brands or who to buy it from and/or do you have experience installing the hitch? I know I have to take off the bumper and 9 bolts/screws.

Thanks,
Scott

[fastlane]

Hi Scott.

I had a hitch on both my old '06 R50 Cooper and now my '08 CooperS. On the old car I went with MiniDoMore. For the newer car, I went with a Curt brand hitch because it is basically identical in design to the minidomore, but about $100 less and comes with a drawbar. I think I got it from etrailer.com or some other online retailer. The quality was the same as minidomore IMO. Here's the one I bought... www.etrailer.com/hitch-2010_Mini_Cooper.htm

That said, the 2011 front a rear facia designs changed a bit in 2011, so I'm not sure if the Curt hitch will fit for sure. Curt only lists models for up through 2010 for the Cooper-S it appears. MiniDoMore lists a specific hitch model for the 2011+ so it may be safer to go with that one even though it's more expensive. Personally, I wouldn't feel too bad for paying more for the Minidomore product anyway because it's basically a one-man company and he has done all the research/design himself from what I understand....and Curt basically stole his design. : (

Not sure if you plan on towing with the hitch or using it for a bike rack, etc....but if towing, don't feel like you have to buy a MiniDoMore brand drawbar to go in a MiniDoMore hitch receiver. Any 1 1/4" drawbar from Menards, Walmart, etc. for $20 will fit. I have two separate drawbars for two different ball sizes and I can show you how I modded them both to receive safety chains if you are interested. Very easy to do and much less expensive than buying the MiniDoMore one.

Also, if installing a trailer light hookup, you can use any brand light converter you want as long as it is a powered unit (uses a direct powered lead from the battery or other source to power the trailer lights, not your light circuits). I can give you some tips as to where to wire in to your lights as it's not as easy as most other cars where you just tap into the tail lights necessarily. The MINI is a bit more complicated in that respect.

Hope that helps. Let me know if you want any more info. Glad to help.

Chris

[MINI Fireman]

The reason the Curt hitch is cheaper is because Curt ordered MINI Do More hitches and directly copied them. Don't support companies with those kind of business practices. Buy the real deal from MINI Do More to support the people who support the MINI community and did the R&D work to make it in the first place.

Curt Manufacturing Mini Cooper Hitch is a DEAD RIP OFF of the Mini Do More unit

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After seeing the hitch on Curt's website today and looking at the photos and installation instructions, the hitch is a DEAD RIP OFF!! It is so bad that their installation instructions are basically a copy of ours. They actually stole a photo from our instructions with my hand in the photo and put it into their instructions. Total copyright infringement!

So, it got me wondering if they actually purchased a Mini Do More hitch to copy or if they at least did the engineering themselves.

Looked today at where Curt is located. They are in Eu Claire Wisconsin. Did a search on past orders from Eu Claire Wisconsin.

Phil Seidl, the Senior Buyer of Manufacturing Materials at Curt Manufacturing, over the period of 8 months (March 2009 - August 2009) has purchased all 5 models we sell. And, to make it worse, they had the d**n hitches shipped to the Curt Manufacturing facility. Obviously, when they ordered, they didn't put Curt Manufacturing on the order, just Phil's name. And, they were somewhat sneaky, they purchased each one separately spread out by about 5 weeks each.

So, I guess it makes sense why they look SO MUCH like our hitches.

Very disappointing, now we will have to get our attorneys involved. Not going to go down without a fight.

REMEMBER WHO HAS BEEN A PAYING ADVERTISER ON THIS SITE, ON MC2, ON MOTORINGFILE.COM FOR MORE THAN 4 YEARS AND HAS GIVEN AWAY DOZENS OF HITCHES FOR CHARITY AT MOTD, MOT, MITM, AMVIV, etc. WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR NEXT PURCHASE.

www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/2879982-post28.html

If you want an alternative check out MINI Fini: www.minifini.com/Shop.aspx

Nov 8, 2012 17:12:33 GMT -5 fastlane said:

Hi Scott.

I had a hitch on both my old '06 R50 Cooper and now my '08 CooperS. On the old car I went with MiniDoMore. For the newer car, I went with a Curt brand hitch because it is basically identical in design to the minidomore, but about $100 less and comes with a drawbar. I think I got it from etrailer.com or some other online retailer. The quality was the same as minidomore IMO. Here's the one I bought...

That said, the 2011 front a rear facia designs changed a bit in 2011, so I'm not sure if the Curt hitch will fit for sure. Curt only lists models for up through 2010 for the Cooper-S it appears. MiniDoMore lists a specific hitch model for the 2011+ so it may be safer to go with that one even though it's more expensive. Personally, I wouldn't feel too bad for paying more for the Minidomore product anyway because it's basically a one-man company and he has done all the research/design himself from what I understand....and Curt basically stole his design. : (

Not sure if you plan on towing with the hitch or using it for a bike rack, etc....but if towing, don't feel like you have to buy a MiniDoMore brand drawbar to go in a MiniDoMore hitch receiver. Any 1 1/4" drawbar from Menards, Walmart, etc. for $20 will fit. I have two separate drawbars for two different ball sizes and I can show you how I modded them both to receive safety chains if you are interested. Very easy to do and much less expensive than buying the MiniDoMore one.

Also, if installing a trailer light hookup, you can use any brand light converter you want as long as it is a powered unit (uses a direct powered lead from the battery or other source to power the trailer lights, not your light circuits). I can give you some tips as to where to wire in to your lights as it's not as easy as most other cars where you just tap into the tail lights necessarily. The MINI is a bit more complicated in that respect.

Hope that helps. Let me know if you want any more info. Glad to help.

Chris

[dallas]

You can always talk to Russel at Mini Fini in Columbus. He did the hitch on my Clubman.