eneumeier Posted September 12, 2010 Share Posted September 12, 2010 Apparently there is a roof rack for the Mini Cooper that clips into grooves in the gutters. Does anyone have experience with using this rack to haul a full-size sea kayak? Liz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingsn Posted September 12, 2010 Share Posted September 12, 2010 Apparently there is a roof rack for the Mini Cooper that clips into grooves in the gutters. Does anyone have experience with using this rack to haul a full-size sea kayak? Liz Hi Liz, When the new Mini first came out two guys showed up & Sweetwaters Sympo with two 18' boat mounted on the rack> I always wondered if Thules Tracker feet might mount into cars that have those mounts already in the roof... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason Posted September 12, 2010 Share Posted September 12, 2010 Apparently there is a roof rack for the Mini Cooper that clips into grooves in the gutters. Does anyone have experience with using this rack to haul a full-size sea kayak? Liz Carl and Sam of ospreyseakayak.com have a Mini and transport boats with it. I am sure that they would be glad to talk to about how it works, they seem to enjoy it. -Jason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eneumeier Posted September 15, 2010 Author Share Posted September 15, 2010 thanks! Liz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pintail Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 I reckon you'lll need the station wagon version, Liz: there's precious-little space inside one of those (regular-sized) cars! (I took a look at one some years ago, when they were fresh on the market and thought there'd never be room for more than one of those plastic tubs we carry our gear in!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alec Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 Apparently there is a roof rack for the Mini Cooper that clips into grooves in the gutters. Does anyone have experience with using this rack to haul a full-size sea kayak? Liz Nigel himself used the van version of the original mini, which was frighteningly small. http://nigel-kayak.blogspot.com/2007/12/th...in-iceland.html Now it should be said that the young Nigel appeared to have scant regard for life and limb, but I'm sure you won't have any problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pintail Posted September 17, 2010 Share Posted September 17, 2010 <...Nigel himself used the van version of the original mini, which was frighteningly small...> Not so small: I knew three six-footers (six-foot men, that is!) who drove from the UK to Greece for holidays back in the 1960s! The original Minis <were> small, undoubtedly; but you can also bet your bottom dollar that Nigel Foster et el were <not> used to carrying all the gear that we carry nowadays! I'd stake my life on it. Think of all the safety and survival stuff <we> justify carrying; but now you are talking about sea kayaking as it was thirty-five years ago. Anyhow, to reiterate, I rejected the modern Mini as being unsuitable for a kayaker's purposes; but I never looked at the station wagon version: it wasn't available at that time. Oh, but those cars were fabulous to drive! There was nothing else remotely like them. I suspect that the modern incarnation is much like a VW Golf or any other sub-compact to drive? Hmmm: I see you wrote "van version" -- perhaps I should retract? Ach, no: stet... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alec Posted September 17, 2010 Share Posted September 17, 2010 My brother had one of these for a short while in the late 80's. He cut a pair of brackets out of ally so he could mount the driver's seat about 3 inches further aft so that it wasn't so cramped to drive. I don't recall us ever putting anything on the roof. I don't know the dimensions, but if you see an old mini next to the new ones, they are frighteningly small! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alec Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 That's not a mini, this is a mini... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11167721 (BMW loses its marbles) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nkanner Posted September 23, 2010 Share Posted September 23, 2010 Apparently there is a roof rack for the Mini Cooper that clips into grooves in the gutters. Does anyone have experience with using this rack to haul a full-size sea kayak? Yes! It does work... we have the Thule rack set for our MINI. Shown in the picture with a 17' and 14.5'. You can tie the boats down in the front and back as shown, using 2 tow hooks. - one is in your tool kit (you'll need an extra tow loop thingy for one of the tie downs). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Posted September 24, 2010 Share Posted September 24, 2010 Sorry, a bit off subject, but: Have you seen the new Mini Countryman for 2011. It's a bit larger. After taking Mini's out for 4 test drives over the past year, I find them the most interesting, nimble, peppy, roomy inside (I'm a big guy), and one of the coolest looking cars on the market today. Any transmission issues they had in the past apparently have been rectified since "08". http://www.insideline.com/mini/countryman/...first-look.html zoom zoom varoom.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazzert Posted September 24, 2010 Share Posted September 24, 2010 A little off topic but at the kayak sumposium in Bar Harbor there was a woman from Quebec with a full sea kayak on a smart car. It looked like she may have had a custom eye bolt attached on the front for the forward tie down and then a hitch extension on the back (almost like a thule hitch bike rack) that extended back a foot or two and up to support the stern. It was pretty impressive! Barry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason Posted September 24, 2010 Share Posted September 24, 2010 A little off topic but at the kayak sumposium in Bar Harbor there was a woman from Quebec with a full sea kayak on a smart car. It looked like she may have had a custom eye bolt attached on the front for the forward tie down and then a hitch extension on the back (almost like a thule hitch bike rack) that extended back a foot or two and up to support the stern. It was pretty impressive! Barry. It looks better at night when the reflective tape is in action. She has the Goalpost covered in reflective tape. -Jason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.