New Micro Minnie 2106FBS owner

[old_engineer]

I've posted a few time already and figure I might as well introduce myself and shamelessly build up my post count.

We picked up our new Micro Minnie 2106FBS this past week. Prior to this we had owned a Palomini which we used for about 4 years. It is nice having more room and a real bathroom (this second bit is very important just ask my wife. ). We leave for our first of many trips next weekend so should give it a good shakedown. Given how few problems we encountered during the PDI I expect everything to go smoothly. That's about it for now.

[BirchyBoy]

Enjoy it!

[dmoritz2]

Picking up my trailer in April. Very excited to have this much room.

[Run4Fun]

Welcome old_engineer!
Have a great time & safe travels,

[kitsonkt]

Old engineer
I too just purchased a 2106 FBS. Took possession today as a matter of fact. I’m new to the trailer world but am super excited about this new world to explore. Hope to see more from your journeys and experience.

[Atanchor]

old_engineer,

Would you mine me asking what you pull yours with? I am very interested in the 2106 and currently have a GMC Envoy with V8. Seems to be within limits but being new to this I am looking for any input I can find.

[kitsonkt]

I am using a 2013 Suburban, 5.3L, Texas Edition. It has the towing package with transmission cooler. It does a good job. Not sure if I mentioned it in an earlier post, but we took it out west through Albuquerque, Las Vegas,and Palm Springs. Avg fuel was around 9-10 mpg. I pulled it at a speed of 60-70 depending on the grade of the road. Slower going uphill.

[old_engineer]

Originally Posted by Atanchor

old_engineer,

Would you mine me asking what you pull yours with? I am very interested in the 2106 and currently have a GMC Envoy with V8. Seems to be within limits but being new to this I am looking for any input I can find.

I tow with a 2015 F150 Super cab, 2.7L Ecoboost. The truck has a payload capacity of 1641 lbs of which the wife, myself and stuff we carry in the truck comes to about 500 lbs. After 100 lbs for the WDH we have around 1000 lbs available for tongue weight. My hitch rating is 1100/11,000 lbs with a WDH. Our loaded trailer comes in at 5168 lbs (scale weight) give or take 100-200 lbs depending upon trip length. The tongue weight runs from about 670 lbs to just under 700 lbs again depending upon trip loading. The truck has a maximum tow rating of 7600 lbs and while our truck with us would allow that high of a rating I put the practical maximum around 5.5K lbs. This allows the truck to have some headroom and not struggle in the mountains (I hit 6% grades on some of our trips). If I were to go to a heavier loaded trailer weight than we have now I would upgrade to the 3.5L Ecoboost, max tow and heavy duty payload packages.

The first thing to keep in mind the 3700 lb dry weight is not the real empty weight of the trailer you will drive off the dealer lot. The dry weight does not include the propane tanks or battery nor any optional equipment weights. Each full propane tank will add about 37 lbs and the battery around 50 lbs. Add in all your stuff and it is common for a trailer to be 1K lbs or more over the dry weight.

You should have a sticker on the driver's side door pillar that tells you the available payload for your vehicle. It will say something like the maximum weight of all passengers and cargo cannot exceed nnnn lbs. From this you need to subtract the weight of all passengers, their personal effects and cargo that will be carried in the vehicle. Subtract another 100 lbs for the WDH and the remainder is what you have available to carry the trailer tongue weight.

You will also need to compare the tongue weight to the ratings on your hitch. I don't know enough about GM labeling to tell you where to look. On Ford trucks there is a sticker or metal stamp on the hitch receiver with the ratings. If your truck only has a maximum tow capacity of 5300 lbs I suspect you will not be able to handle the tongue weight of a loaded 2106FBS. The only way to know is to find the receiver rating.

You also need to be concerned with the Gross Combined Weight Rating which is the total maximum weight of the loaded vehicle and trailer. Lastly is the Gross Axle Weight Rating. This is the maximum weight that the axle can carry and is the combination of all weight on top of or behind the axle. Usually GAWR is not a problem if you are within the payload rating. If any weight is exceeded the trailer is too heavy.

We use to tow a different trailer with a 2001 Explorer. It was the 4.0L V6 with a 4.10 rear end and an oversized transmission cooler. It had a max tow rating of 5740 lbs. I added an after market hitch receiver as it could only bumper pull 200/2K lbs. We found we needed to stay with trailers under 4K lbs loaded and and ended up with one that came in loaded at about 3300 lbs and tongue of around 420 lbs. Its dry weight, which included propane, was 2650 lbs.

[Atanchor]

old_engineer,

Thanks for the information. While my Envoy has a tow rating of 5900lbs, I didn't think to check the hitch rating. It is only rated at 4000 tlr wt and 400 tongue wt. I was also surprised at your loaded trailer weight. I estimated the 3700 lb trailer would come in less, but I see my math error as I write my response.


I guess a new Minnie would look a lot better with a new truck as well!

[Atanchor]

I just rechecked my hitch specs in the daylight and realized that with a WDH it is rated at 7600 tlr wt and 912 tongue wt.

[old_engineer]

Originally Posted by Atanchor

old_engineer,

Thanks for the information. While my Envoy has a tow rating of 5900lbs, I didn't think to check the hitch rating. It is only rated at 4000 tlr wt and 400 tongue wt. I was also surprised at your loaded trailer weight. I estimated the 3700 lb trailer would come in less, but I see my math error as I write my response.


I guess a new Minnie would look a lot better with a new truck as well!

In addition to our stuff I try to keep 5 - 10 gallons of water in the fresh tank in the event we need to use the facilities on the road or before we are setup at camp. I also carry a full set of tools so I can make any repairs or adjustments to the trailer and hitch while on the road. 10 lbs here and 50 lbs there adds up before you know it.

If you do decide to look for a new tow vehicle keep in mind available payload is important and the higher the better. Most people run out of payload capacity before they hit the other vehicle maximums. The maximum tow rating shown in the manufacturer literature is a best case scenario with a low optioned truck and does not reflect the actual towing capacity for most trucks. A fully optioned truck will have a lower real life towing capacity than a lighter optioned truck of the same model. All of those bells and whistles add weight.

One other thing is tongue weights. For bumper pull trailers these usually run between 10% and 15% of loaded trailer weight with the most common range being 12% - 14%. For estimating trailer size most folks use a tongue weight of 13% as a rule of thumb. If you take the tow vehicle payload and subtract everything and everybody that will be in the truck with 100 lbs for the WDH the result is the available payload. Take the available payload and divide by .13 (13%). This gives you a good estimate of the maximum loaded trailer weight your vehicle can tow safely based on payload. Do the same for 15% if you want a worst case scenario. Of course you still have to be within the other maximum weights as well but usually those will be ok if payload is ok.

[rayne]

So I have been reading your thread trying to figure out the weight numbers for my vehicle and the trailer. I am currently in the middle of a deal to purchase a micro mini 2108ds. Could you help me please? The trailer's dry weight is 3900. Its GWVR is 7000. My chevy suv tow capacity is 5000. The suv's curb weight is 4362 and GVWR 6160.



I am thinking the trailer is too heavy for my vehicle but I see people in Jeep grand cherokees towing them. All in all, I am very confused.

[Atanchor]

Rayne,

Your 5000 tow capacity is pretty tight. My V8 GMC Envoy has a 5900lb tow rating and the v8 Grand Cherokees are up there too. I would think that by the time you have added your battery, LP tanks, equalizer hitch, and even a little water, you will be over the limit.

I too am very new to this too and looking at a Micro Minnie 2106fbs. I am very close on the limits. Old Engineer has provided a lot of great guidance in this thread.


I am also going to check out an app titled "RV Tow Check". It has mixed reviews but is only $1.99

Good luck!

[old_engineer]

Originally Posted by rayne

So I have been reading your thread trying to figure out the weight numbers for my vehicle and the trailer. I am currently in the middle of a deal to purchase a micro mini 2108ds. Could you help me please? The trailer's dry weight is 3900. Its GWVR is 7000. My chevy suv tow capacity is 5000. The suv's curb weight is 4362 and GVWR 6160.



I am thinking the trailer is too heavy for my vehicle but I see people in Jeep grand cherokees towing them. All in all, I am very confused.

Just getting back from a long weekend trip.



You probably don't want to hear this but yes the trailer is too much for your vehicle. Two 20 lb LP tanks and the battery will add over 100lbs. Not counting any options not included in the dry weight you will be over 4K lbs before you even drive off of the lot. It is not uncommon to add 1K lbs or more to the trailer as you load it with your stuff so it is easy to have a loaded weight of over 5K lbs. You also have to be concerned with tongue weight, gross combined vehicle weight and gross axle weight ratings. These maximum weights are all located on stickers on your vehicle. All of this should also be in the towing section of your owner's manual (this is where I first learned about it).



As I said above most vehicles cannot safely tow a travel trailer at the published tow rating which is determined from a specific industry test. The manufacturers use trim lines and options that maximize the towing capacity. The only way to know how much a specific vehicle can tow is to run the calculations for that vehicle. All other things being equal a highly optioned vehicle will have less towing capacity than a lower optioned one. Very few RV or auto dealers will know how or care to do these calculations for you. Their objective is to sell the trailer or vehicle and get it off the lot, not worry about the new owner's safety or excessive wear on their vehicle.



As to the Grand Cherokee's I can't comment without knowing their numbers from the stickers. They might be well within specifications. It could also be that people are looking at the published number and thinking all is ok when it is not.



Another thing I forgot above is even if the math works out a 2106DS or 2106FBS is a pretty long trailer to be towed with a midsized SUV. Wind and trucks will want to push the trailer around. With too short or light of a tow vehicle instead of it keeping the rig straight the trailer controls things and you end up with lane creep and/or sway. A good weight distribution hitch will help some but the larger entity still controls the situation. Just based on my recollection of the Grand Cherokee I think it would be more susceptible to a tail wagging the dog scenario than a pickup truck or full sized SUV like a Suburban or Expedition.



As a trailer is a big purchase I would take the time to run the math for your vehicle. Many folks buy a trailer and after a white knuckle trip or two buy a new truck or trade the trailer for something smaller to fit their current TV. Both are expensive solutions. My gut feeling is for your vehicle you are looking at a trailer of 4K lbs or less of loaded weight. Also if you decide to get a bigger TV be sure to look at the payload sticker on the driver's side door pillar. More is better. There are a lot out there with 1200 -1300 lbs which is too low for towing. So it pays to walk around the dealer's lot.

[bgrecen]

I'm new here, haven't even bought the rig. I'm researching. My Tacoma is rated at 6700 so I'm assuming a 2108FBS will work.

[Goodspike]

Originally Posted by bgrecen

I'm new here, haven't even bought the rig. I'm researching. My Tacoma is rated at 6700 so I'm assuming a 2108FBS will work.

You cannot assume that. The tow rating is largely a standardized BS sales pitch, or at least ignores a lot of important capacities. But if you want to know how your parking brake will hold on a steep hill, or how your truck will function in start and stop driving up a steep hill, look to the tow rating.

There are a lot of other important details, like tongue weight limits, axle limits, maximum payload, maximum combined vehicle weight, etc. My Colorado with a Duramax engine has a 7,600 tow rating, but a similar 2106DS comes pretty close to maxing it out in a number of those other areas with my wife and I in the truck. If I had the ZR2 version it would be maxed out due to suspension differences.

You can check out your truck here against the 2108 specs.

TowCalculator.com