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Hi All,

Just purchased our first caravan - Extremely excited and eager to get out and about with it this year!!

I think I have however made a school boy error.  Before buying the caravan I did lots of research online as to what would be suitable in terms of the van and had an even more difficult task as we had intended to tow with a MINI Cooper D.  All the information I could find online states that the car has a max braked tow weight of 750kg so caravan choices were obviously limited to older, lightweight caravans but we found one! 

I've booked the car in for tow bar fitting but decided to be 100% sure and dig out the V5C.  This is showing the car as having NO tow rating at all.  I'm aware that MINI decided not to rate certain cars from 2010 onwards however the car is 2009 so should be rated.

Can I get the V5C amended?  Whats the line here?  I've looked into changing the car and unfortunately this isn't possible for another year or so.  I'm staying positive and hoping the V5C can be updated but would welcome anybody elses experience of similar situations.

Thanks in advance.

Thanks for the reply Rob.  I've contacted the DVLA and they've said that they wouldn't necessarily record this information.  I've also contacted MINI UK and they're confirming with their technical teams and coming back to me.

Inside the door, the following is listed although I'm not sure what the information means as its not labelled.  There are 4 lines :-

1540kg

(blank)kg

1-855kg

2-720kg

Any ideas?

Thanks for the replies -  I've had a response from MINI and unfortunately its not good news.  Cars registered prior to 01/09/09 were tow rated for 750kg.  Cars registered after this date weren't regardless of whether they were the 2009 model or not.  My car was registered on the 07/09 so a week over and although its the same car is not tow rated.  MINI are also unable to change the tow rating, even on the basis that it is the same car as prior to the registration dates.

Frustrating but not much I can do about it under the circumstances so I'll need to look into options to replace the car instead.

Thanks again for your help

Quote: Originally posted by nero1001 on 15/4/2015

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Thanks for the reply Rob.  I've contacted the DVLA and they've said that they wouldn't necessarily record this information.  I've also contacted MINI UK and they're confirming with their technical teams and coming back to me.

Inside the door, the following is listed although I'm not sure what the information means as its not labelled.  There are 4 lines :-

1540kg

(blank)kg

1-855kg

2-720kg

Any ideas? <img align="absmiddle" src="forum_images/smiley4.gif" width="17" alt="17">

 

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Out of interest, if the car has no tow weight, would the car still be able to have a towbar and say, a towball mounted bike rack? (btw, not something I am doing, or contemplating. Just curious

Quote: Originally posted by katycymru on 16/4/2015

Out of interest, if the car has no tow weight, would the car still be able to have a towbar and say, a towball mounted bike rack? (btw, not something I am doing, or contemplating. Just curious

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Quote: Originally posted by Miserly on 16/4/2015

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You can contact VOSA and argue that as a type approval has been issued for your model,it should apply to your car,what have you got to lose?

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Quote: Originally posted by kazo2014 on 16/4/2015

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lets make this absolutely clear what is being talked about on here ok, the mini cooper is actually the bmw one! a pre 1997 mini is the Austin/rover one and speaking from experience I wouldn't try to pull a rice pudding skin of with one of them never mind trying to put a tow bar on one and tow anything at all, says she awaiting a phone call from the garage for welding work on her mini (Austin)!

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Quote: Originally posted by Grampian91 on 16/4/2015

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The Mondeo ST220 is not type approved either. A 3L engine with 220bhp would be an ideal towcar, but Ford didnt type approve it.

Same shell as all the other MK3 Mondeo's, just a different engine and exhaust.

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