hi Jules,
i agree with Kevin here. your allowable towing weight will quickly rise with additional passengers and gear. the U Hauls are around 1200 pounds - but as soon as you add all the fun stuff, the weight starts to pile on quickly. for example, our new spare tire and spare tire mount add an additional 25-30 pounds right there. i took everything out of the U Haul in prep for a major
renovation and was amazed how much 'stuff' we had packed in there! so technically you can do it with the Mini, but for the sake of safety, you may wish to err on the opposite side of the extreme. i pull my U Haul with an old Tacoma 4x4. cant even tell its back there, and i can also bring bikes, kayaks, dive gear, etc. and still be well under my max allowable safe weight.
coming in at around 1400 pounds would be ideal if you are driving on long flat highways.
if you are going downhill fully-loaded and there is an emergency situation, thats when being on the risky end of the extreme could not be a benefit.
as for price - its looks well cared for. i think you will always find a few head scratchers as virtually all of the eggs have been modified (they cut out the rear bench on mine and put the
battery outside - but also installed a bathroom up front which is why i bought it). they all pretty much need window work as the window seals have simply degraded after 25 years. i think $2500 is a decent price but start at $2000 ...
in the end, as they say, its really about how much its worth to you. the handful of trips we have already taken in ours has been the topic of so many great stories already - and those are priceless memories. good luck!