A trailer designed specifically for MINIs was used to haul the Fantasy Racing Team to Bonneville…

When the Southern California MINI Maniacs (SCMM) set out for the Bonneville salt flats to enlist the members of the Fantasy Racing Team into the famed 130 MPH Club, they knew the wouldn’t all be driving their MINIs to Utah.

MINI Hauler Showing Tie-Down Strap Positions

MINIs that are set up for the special kind of time trial that is the Bonneville 130 MPH Club, generally aren’t drivenby their drivers prior to the event.  Once the car is pretty well set up for the salt, it is best to leave it be until the runs are done.  So to get the cars to Utah, it meant they had to be trailered.  The problem is that most car trailers just aren’t properly set up for hauling the MINI Cooper, so a special trailer was devised for the job by SCMM member, Dan Skorcz, who also owns a MINI GP that went with the group to the salt flats.

“The problem with standard flatbed trailers is that the ramp angle is too steep for a MINI,” says Dan.  “What is needed for a low-profile vehicle like a MINI Cooper is a tilt-bed trailer with long telescoping ramps, and since none existed, we invented one, building it around the needs of the MINI.”

MINI Hauler Showing Bed-Tilt Mechanicals

Called the MINI Hauler, Dan’s trailer features 6-foot long load ramps instead of the 4-foot long ramps used on other trailers.  And to reduce the ramp angle further, the load bed tilts up 14-inches and the load end of the trailer narrows to a “knife edge,” so that even the low clearance MINI GP can easily be driven onto the unit.  The tilt feature can be operated manually or by hydraulics, depending on what the customer orders.

Another problem with the standard trailers is the height of the fenders, which are usually too high to allow the doors on low clearance vehicles to open when they are on the trailer.  This means it is difficult to get in and out of the vehicle when loading/unloading.  To solve the problem, Dan designed the MINI Hauler with 13-inch wheels fitted with D-range tires, so that the fenders could be lower.  Tandem torsion axles spread the load and allow you to change the ride height or clearance of the trailer as needed.

“Because the MINI is so low to the ground,” say Dan, “securing it to the trailer with regular tie-downs can be problematic because reaching up under the vehicle to secure the straps is difficult.  My MINI Hauler uses strap loops over the tires, cinched down to welded hoops on the trailer bed.”

To eliminate the chance for any contact between the tie-down ratchets and the MINI’s body, the tie-downs pull out toward the edge of the trailer.  The rear tie-downs pull out and forward, while the front tie-downs pull out and aft to keep the vehicle very well secured while towing.

MINI Hauler Showing Storage Area With Spare

With the tilting load bed for loading/unloading, Dan realized that he could use the under-area for storage and he designe da secure storage area between the chassis rails at the front of the trailer, under the tilt-bed.  In the supplied bins, there is enough room for tow straps, tools and even a spare tire.

“With the spare tire stowing under the load bed, the trailer is cleaner looking and the tire is more secure,” says Dan.

According to Dan, four of the vehicles hitting the salt this past fall were towed on his trailers.  And since he built the first one for his own use, orders have been pouring in.  “I really didn’t intend to go into the trailer business,” says Dan.  “But so  many MINI owners want them, that I am now offering them starting at $4,000 for a manual tilt unit.  If you want hydraulic tilt, the trailer is around $5,000.  We can custom-build the trailer to meet the customer’s need and can paint it to match their MINI or their tow vehicle.”

For more info contact Dan Skorcz: dan@pacific-tek.com

Story by Peter D. DuPre, photos courtesy of Dan Skorcz.

Originally published in MC² magazine – Issue 18, Jan-Feb 2009)