New forum member

[DaleP]

Hi, We are from Winnipeg and have been camping for many years (tent trailer and tenting), and have been looking at a Prolite Mini 13.  We are driving a 2011 Toyota RAV4 - 4 cylinder, rated towing capacity 1500 lb.  Is this vehicle suitable to tow the Mini 13, especially in mountainous terrain? Would transmission oil cooler and electric brakes be advisable?  Sorry for my lack of French. This is a great forum.  Any information that you could pass along would be really helpful.  Thanks.

[MichelR]

Hi and welcome to our website, we have a Mini for two years ago with a 2.5 l 2011 Mazda Tribute equipped with a oil transmission cooler. The Mini has no electric brake, my car has 75.000 km and I will change the original brake next week. A mini asks very little the tractor, and  we have many hills in Québec. Have fun with your Mini Future. Sorry for my basic English.

[JonathanR]

Hello and welcome among us

Yours Rav4 is a great tractor and give you years of tirelessly working ... I know because I tow my profile for 3 years without problems and the more I work at a Toyota dealer

Your Rav4 has an original cooler but more can do no wrong!

Glad to have you among us and hearing from you!

Scuse my English

[DaleP]

Hello and welcome among us

Yours Rav4 is a great tractor and give you years of tirelessly working ... I know because I tow my profile for 3 years without problems and the more I work at a Toyota dealer

Your Rav4 has an original cooler but more can do no wrong!

Glad to have you among us and hearing from you!

Scuse my English

Hi Jonathan,  Thanks for your reply.  So you think that towing a 1000 lb. Mini 13 with a 4 cylinder RAV4 (no towing package) wouldn't be a problem...even in mountains?  Would electric brakes be necessary?  We love the RAV4 and would like to be able to tow the Prolite without causing problems.  Appreciate your advice.

[JonathanR]

Hello again
Electric brakes are not an option but an obligation to me!

For the transmission cooler, there is a origne of looking like this!


Ideally intense in tow, it's important to install one like this one!


But in your case, I do not think it's the intense towing with a Mini

[charlevoix418]

@DaleP

"Hi Jonathan,  Thanks for your reply.  So you think that towing a 1000 lb. Mini 13 with a 4 cylinder RAV4 (no towing package) wouldn't be a problem...even in mountains?  Would electric brakes be necessary?  We love the RAV4 and would like to be able to tow the Prolite without causing problems.  Appreciate your advice".




Hello Dale,


welcome aboard!  Since it's introduction, the Mini was advertised at 950 pounds although any owner knew that it was more than that.  Recently, Prolite presented new videos on their Web site showing the Mini at 1090 pounds.  Although we all carry a spare tire, a battery and a propane tank, their weight is never included in official manufacturer's tech data, in reality, no north-american travel trailer manufacturer includes that extra weight in their data.  1200 to 1300 pounds is closer to reality for the Mini, you will have to travel with an empty water tank and a minimum of luggage to meet your 1500 pounds Toyota Rav4 official towing capacity, to increase it, I would add electric brakes on the coach and a transmission cooler.  By the way, I do own a 4 cylinder Toyota RAV 4.

[DaleP]

Hello again
Electric brakes are not an option but an obligation to me!

For the transmission cooler, there is a origne of looking like this!


Ideally intense in tow, it's important to install one like this one!


But in your case, I do not think it's the intense towing with a Mini

Thanks, Jonathan

[JonathanR]

@DaleP

it always makes me happy

[CLAUDE M.]

WELCOME ,,..to you,,,,,p.s. Jonathan is the king of this forum,,,and Toyota,,,,,,

p.s. scuse me for my english,,,,,

[JonathanR]

WELCOME ,,..to you,,,,,p.s. Jonathan is the king of this forum,,,and Toyota,,,,,,

p.s. scuse me for my english,,,,,

[DaleP]

Hi and welcome to our website, we have a Mini for two years ago with a 2.5 l 2011 Mazda Tribute equipped with a oil transmission cooler. The Mini has no electric brake, my car has 75.000 km and I will change the original brake next week. A mini asks very little the tractor, and  we have many hills in Québec. Have fun with your Mini Future. Sorry for my basic English.

Hi Michel,  Thanks for the helpful information.

[DaleP]

@DaleP

"Hi Jonathan,  Thanks for your reply.  So you think that towing a 1000 lb. Mini 13 with a 4 cylinder RAV4 (no towing package) wouldn't be a problem...even in mountains?  Would electric brakes be necessary?  We love the RAV4 and would like to be able to tow the Prolite without causing problems.  Appreciate your advice".




Hello Dale,


welcome aboard!  Since it's introduction, the Mini was advertised at 950 pounds although any owner knew that it was more than that.  Recently, Prolite presented new videos on their Web site showing the Mini at 1090 pounds.  Although we all carry a spare tire, a battery and a propane tank, their weight is never included in official manufacturer's tech data, in reality, no north-american travel trailer manufacturer includes that extra weight in their data.  1200 to 1300 pounds is closer to reality for the Mini, you will have to travel with an empty water tank and a minimum of luggage to meet your 1500 pounds Toyota Rav4 official towing capacity, to increase it, I would add electric brakes on the coach and a transmission cooler.  By the way, I do own a 4 cylinder Toyota RAV 4.

Hi, Thanks for the good advice.  It's good to hear from another 4 cylinder RAV4 owner.

[charlevoix418]

Jonathan:

est-ce que Dale est notre premier membre de l'extérieur du Québec? 

Il faut le souligner!

[JonathanR]

Jonathan:

est-ce que Dale est notre premier membre de l'extérieur du Québec? 

Il faut le souligner!

Non

On a un membre du BC et un en Nouvelle-Écosse

[charlevoix418]

Bravo!

[JonathanR]

Bravo!

Ouais

Aucun d'un autre pays à n'a connaissance par contre

[SteveG]

Welcome in the group @DaleP , I will also be able to tell, next month it will be the first real trip with the rav4 and the Plus S, 800+Km just to go! I also have the 4 Cyl, but this is a 2.5l not the 2.4l

[DaleP]

Welcome in the groupe @DaleP , I will also be able to tell, next month it will be the first real trip with the rav4 and the Plus S, 800+Km just to go! I also have the 4 Cyl, but this is a 2.5l not the 2.4l

Thanks, Steve.  I will be very interested to hear about your experience on your first trip with the RAV4 and Plus S.
Bon voyage!

[JLucV]

Welcome in the groupe @DaleP , I will also be able to tell, next month it will be the first real trip with the rav4 and the Plus S, 800+Km just to go! I also have the 4 Cyl, but this is a 2.5l not the 2.4l

Hi Steve, I believe you can't wait anymore.

BTW, welcome Dale. It's always nice to have new member from ROC joining our happy mostly "frenchie" group. 

Please frenchie group, stop excusing yourselves for bad English. Even if you express your mind approximately in Shakespeare language, I don't think Dale will care if you put "the" everywhere. HaHa!!!