Review of Micro Minnie 2108TB

[joepirate]

Team
Thank you for reading my post and helping me make a decision. I am leaning toward a Minnie Winnie model 2108 TB (it's two twin beds that converts to a King). Reasons on the TB include: 1) better sleep for the Mrs and I since I am 6'2'' 2) I also want the option of taking a hunting buddy.

I need this camper to be durable off-road somewhat and it must be able to handle the cold weather probably in the teens since I also plan to use it during hunting season.

I have heard mixed stories about the quality of the RV from Winn. since COVID but I thought I would go to the experts and get your opinion. I plan to put to put to use so it will see alot of miles to include offroad.

Any input on what your likes and dislikes would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!!

[creativepart]

Joe, welcome!

But you are leaning toward a Micro Minnie travel trailer. A "Minnie Winnie" is a Class C motorhome.

As you can see, the actual name of the RV makes a huge difference when asking for advice, help or service.

Sometimes, new owners call every Winnebago a "mini winnie" or similar and it's no wonder, the names are similar. But this is an important distinction. The model you are "leaning towards" is the Micro Minnie 2108TB

[creativepart]

Originally Posted by joepirate

I need this camper to be durable off-road somewhat and it must be able to handle the cold weather probably in the teens since I also plan to use it during hunting season.

Regardless of what a salesperson might have told you, the Micro Minnie 2108TB is a very standard build for a travel trailer. It's not especially a capable "off-road" RV and certainly not built for camping below continuously freezing temps. And, if you buy it for that you will no doubt be disappointed.

There are some brands of Travel Trailers that attempt to be more off-road capable, and a few that speak of 4-season camping. But even those are fairly inadequate to meet those needs.

Pretty much any travel trailer can be modified to be more off-road capable with lifted axles, beefy suspensions and chunkier tires. As, to 4-season camping that's pretty non-existent. These RVs are thinly insulated and their plumbing systems are not built for more than an occasional sudden drop in temps over night.

You could drive on a dirt road that's been maintained with a Micro Minnie AND you can camp in the 30's and 40's with occasional overnights in the mid-20s for sure. But other than that you'd be pretty limited.

[joepirate]

Thank you for your input, advice and assistance!
Joe

[eatSleepWoof]

> durable off-road somewhat

> it must be able to handle the cold weather probably in the teens

Two great reasons you should NOT buy a Winnebago.

These trailers have their upsides, but they are not an off-road trailer, and they will not handle significant sub-freezing temperatures. If you're hovering around the freezing point, plus/minus a few degrees, they'll be fine, but anything lower than that and you will not be able to use the onboard water system/tanks.

These trailers will be fine on decent-quality forest service roads/gravel, but you'll have to take care (air down significantly, drive slow, pick your lines) and understand that things will still rattle apart/come loose here and there.

If you really plan to camp in serious winter temperatures, look into a BigFoot Trailer. They'll be way, way more expensive, but they are also (in my opinion) the best-made travel trailer in North America, and one of the few truly suitable for significant sub-freezing use.

[joepirate]

Many thanks! All equipment has limitations! Sincerely appreciate the input.
joe

[Gunny Rio]

Im a bit surprised by some of the comments here, but then I would admit I don’t have all the experience that most have with Winnebago.
My wife and I have camped all rear round for both hunting and fishing in the Colorado Rockies. Our first hard side Pop-up did get chilly in the winter, but not unbearable (we regularly boondock in single digit temps).
We replaced our Pop up with a 2022 1708FB that admittingly has been heavily modified for comfortable 4-season boondock-style camping. For winter camping the best mod was adding an inside propane socket & fitting so we can use a buddy heater 24/7. Using the installed furnace would waste propane and valuable battery capacity. The drawback to a buddy heater is the wet-heat condensation that is typical of that kind of heater.
We also have to be very diligent with winterizing the water & waste systems. We carry our own water in winter in 6-gallon jerry cans for potable water.
Suspension-wise the 1708’s tandem axles make a big difference when off road. We don’t go rock crawling with it, but have no issues getting to an out of the way base-camp location for winter elk hunts.
Granted the 2108 is longer and heavier than my 1708, but just wanted to chime in from a perspective of a 4-season boondocker.

[eatSleepWoof]

Gunny, those are totally fair observations. I would put emphasis on the detail that OP specifically mentioned off-road travels and winter camping as of importance to him, as opposed to a once-in-a-blue-moon, one-off.

How you use your Winnie in those conditions is fine, but it's not really what people imply when they ask whether a particular trailer is suitable for those conditions. Suitable means running water, toilet, shower, etc.: full access to all normal trailer amenities/functions.

You are describing a very limited, even "hacky" use; again, that's perfectly fine for very occasional one-offs (we've done that plenty ourselves). But if OP wants to do that for extended lengths of time with "regular" trailer comforts, there are better options out there.

Much like you, we've done winter campings with limited trailer functionality in the past. It's fine for a few days, but not much longer than that. Heck, we've tent-camped w/ no heat in -24c temperatures . Fun to reminisce about in hind-sight, but not something I'm eager to repeat.

[Fanrgs]

I think the OP will be fine in a Micro Minnie 2108TB for his purposes. It has two axles with torsion-axle suspensions and "off-road" tires. That doesn't make it even close to an overlanding vehicle, but it is much better than no-name street tires and 1918 Model T-vintage leaf springs. My guess is that he may use it on some USFS or BLM roads, but not on any tough 4WD/ATV trails. It is NOT designed for that kind of abuse!

However, the twin beds are only 74" long, so hopefully he is not over 6' tall. And, if it has the 12v fridge, at least 200w of solar and a 100Ah lithium battery or two 100Ah SLA batteries should be minimum requirements. Plus a small inverter-generator for those cold fall nights while hunting. The genny should help, not only with the fridge, lights, water pump, etc., but keeping those very important tank heat pads going in cold weather. Just keep in mind that the lithium battery can't be recharged at temps below freezing, so a built-in or add-on battery heater is also important.

[FlyingV]

We have a 2021 Micro Minnie 2100BH. Not the same but very similar, same size different bed and bath configuration. Both have the explorer and comfort tech packages available.

We’ve found the 2100BH to be a very capable 3 season trailer with the enclosed electric tank heater and excellent insulation. While I would not use mine for long term winter use, we have used it in cold and snowy conditions. If more than temporary freezing conditions are expected we do not use the water system, of course. We have been quite comfortable in some freezing and windy weather. We use ours almost exclusively off road on blm land using a variety of forest service type roads. It has high clearance and good off road tires. It had performed quite well in some difficult, but not extreme conditions.

[Fred L]

Hi Joe, also going with the 2108tb this year and may upgrade to the Bigfoot next year. Exact same intentions as you. Hope to be out in the UP, Wis and No. Minn this October for 2 weeks. If your plans are similar, would enjoy meeting up.
PS... will be prepared to winterize on the road if nessecary.

[Marine359]

I agree with most but not all advice about using a Micro Minnie off-road, and in winter camping.

First, cold weather: We have camped comfortably in ambients into the low teens for several days. It wasn’t pleasant. Fortunately Micro Minnie’s have thicker insulation than standard build Travel Trailers in this price range. Also have heated tanks. You must, of course not try to use city water connection. It will freeze and your pump will get ice into it and break. You can use water from your fresh water tank. And it’s our practice to let the faucet drip so the pump cycles to avoid a freeze up. It’s important to keep your tank heaters on, which means, you’ll need shore power unless you’ve got a lot of battery capacity, and I mean a lot, because your furnace will be running a lot. You must also leave all lower cabinet doors open. This help prevent freezing of valves and lines, and keeps the water pump from freezing. You’ll use about 2 gal of propane a day, meaning you’ll need to run for propane refills every other day. If you have shore power, use of a PTC heater preserves heat inside, and causes the furnace to run less. A Micro Minnie is no ORV or Bigfoot, but is livable for a few days in sub-freezing temperatures. My advice is that if you’re planning to do a bunch of sub-freezing camping, buy a trailer better suited for it. You can get along ok with a Micro Minnie for a few days, but you’ll tire of it real quick.

Off-pavement: Micro Minnie’s are not designed for off roading, but do OK off-pavement. I’m talking here about Forest Service Roads which are not paved, and may not be graveled and/or graded. It has a torsion bar suspension which is better at handling these conditions than other types of suspensions. The MM will get a very harsh ride off pavement as the suspension will tend to bottom out. This will not destroy the chassis, and the undersides are protected with coroplast. However, you should expect some damage to occur because the build is not superb. While getting to and from dispersed campsites, our cabinets failed and the microwave fell out due to poor/faulty fastening. The 12v fridge tore loose from its mounting and crashed into the camper. Happened mostly because Winnebago designed the fridge cabinet for absorption fridges which are larger, and they didn’t build in any support for the smaller 12v fridge. My fresh water tank fell out because Winnebago did not design a stout mounting system for the tank. Held in place by just four small self-tapping screws. I was able to effect field repairs on all these things. But if you’re not a decent wrench, don’t take a Micro Minnie off-pavement.

Overall, we enjoyed our Micro Minnie. We went pretty much where we wanted off the beaten path, and camped in all weather environments comfortably. I would recommend this trailer if you do this kind of camping AND you don’t mind fixing stuff. I can’t imagine how much stuff would not have worked for us with a lower priced camper. We looked at them, and they mostly stunk. If we were ever to buy another travel trailer, it would be a Bigfoot.

As it is, we’re now in a pop-up rail mount aluminum truck camper for which I have designed and am building a complete interior. Loving it because we can go to out of the way places without everything breaking.

[eatSleepWoof]

Originally Posted by Marine359

I would recommend this trailer if you do this kind of camping AND you don’t mind fixing stuff.

100% this. These trailers are good value for a DIY-capable person. They're far from perfect out of the box, but you can improve them significantly with fairly little effort. However, if you're the type of buyer that will expect the dealer to fix every loose screw, you're not going to have a good time.

Originally Posted by Marine359

If we were ever to buy another travel trailer, it would be a Bigfoot.

Also 100% this. If/when we upgrade to a different trailer, it'll be only when we can afford a 25ft BigFoot.