Micro Minnie Thread - Page 11

Blubugger · 07-18-2019, 02:18 PM

We pull a 2018 Micro-Minnie 2106ds [3780# dry wt] with a 2015 Ford Explorer Sport [365hp] and get 12mpg towing. You should do better with 700# less weight.

Blubugger

Technut · 07-19-2019, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blubugger

We pull a 2018 Micro-Minnie 2106ds [3780# dry wt] with a 2015 Ford Explorer Sport [365hp] and get 12mpg towing. You should do better with 700# less weight.

Blubugger

Blubugger, thanks for your info, I'm sure others will benefit from it too. Do you really think the 700 lbs would make that much of a difference in MPG? Does your Explorer have AWD?
BTY, I love the 2106 floorplan! especially the 2106FBS.

Bigbird65 · 07-19-2019, 07:44 AM

Frontal area on a trailer has more to do with gas mileage than weight does.

Blubugger · 07-20-2019, 11:21 AM

I suppose an analogy would be...how much more energy would you expend carrying a six-pack of beer 1 mile, or a case of beer 1 mile?
But yea, these things do, for the most part get similar MPG whether half loaded or fully loaded...and since most of the Micros have similar frontal areas, they all are similar toads.

nuff said...

Glen 3 · 07-23-2019, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blubugger

We pull a 2018 Micro-Minnie 2106ds [3780# dry wt] with a 2015 Ford Explorer Sport [365hp] and get 12mpg towing. You should do better with 700# less weight.

Blubugger

We just bought a slightly used 2016 Explorer XLT. It doesn't have the turbo but the engine is still much more powerful than our old 1998 Explorer. That turbo is great though. I test drove one of them and it was an incredibly smooth engine. I've owned two turbos in smaller vehicles such as my Subaru Forester and they both have the dreaded turbo lag. Not so with the Explorer. Still I wasn't sure if I wanted the turbo to be running constantly while towing. There's no right answer to that but when this 2016 low mileage XLT came up, we decided to buy it. Tomorrow will be the first experience towing as we're just going to take out 1706FB to the dealer to have them look at the fridge as it keeps freezing. Once they are finished with it we'll set off for the mountains.

Blubugger · 07-24-2019, 07:34 PM

I would think that your 3.5-liter V-6 with 290 hp and 255 lb-ft of torque would certainly be very adequate to pull your trailer. As a backdrop, we previously had a Winnebago Vista Class C [yes that one with a VW Eurovan 200hp v6 engine] and suffice to say, the Winnie and VW engineering, though excellent, resulted in climbing uphill at 40mph, however getting around 15 or 16mpg. It was very comfortable, and being retired, I was really in no hurry to get to most destinations. However, driving 8 or 9 hours at a time became tiresome. Hence the 365hp Explorer Sport, which kinda landed in our lap. The trip ledger has been shortened and we arrive at destinations much more refreshed. So, you should revel in the extra hp. However, be aware of the loss in mpg with the new rig. There is always a dark cloud, huh?i

Glen 3 · 07-25-2019, 03:03 AM

Thank you for your comments. We've only towed with it a short distance as we needed to haul the Winnebago back to the dealership for some warranty work. However even then I could see that the difference was huge. Of course the real test is up mountain passes but I don't expect any problems. I think that we will really enjoy this combination of Explorer and Winnebago.

bobbyd1655 · 07-31-2019, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Technut

Wow your 2 month trip out West this year looks similar to what we want to do in May of next year from the East Coast. I'm looking to tow a 1706FB and am looking to trade and acquire a good tow vehicle. I see you have a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.6. How does that tow the Mini? And what kind of MPG do you get with that combination? Anyone else that wants to chime in on the MPG they get towing a 1706FB would be helpful too. Thanks for any info you can provide.

Recommend doing Weight & Balance calculations for your exact trailer and TV... do not just listen to most folks... there are a lot of unsafe towing rigs... actually quite scary on the road at times... NO disrespect to anyone... just saying...

rancherwilli · 08-01-2019, 06:52 AM

We pulled our 2019 2106fbs with our v6 2017 grand Cherokee for 5000 miles. It worked smoothly but not aggressive. It felt like truck and trailer had equal weight. We got 12 mpg. The Jeep was our only family car and we worried about the extra wear and tear so we upgraded to a 2010 ford v8 f150. We like the larger heavier tow vehicle much more. Still get 12mpg,,,

Willie

Glen 3 · 08-01-2019, 08:57 AM

Thank you Willie, that seems to be a good comparison of what an adequate and more than adequate tow vehicle will do. However we will probably only tow for up to five weeks per year so for the other 11 months the SUV will be much more agreeable than a truck would be. We live in a city and our garage is a tight fit. I don't think a truck would even fit in it. So that has always been part of the tow vehicle question for us. It's balancing the ability to tow the trailer and be a useful vehicle that's easy to live with when we're not towing the trailer. There is no right answer to the balancing part of the question. A bigger tow vehicle will absolutely be nicer while towing. Our new Explorer is much bigger than our old 21 year old Explorer and significantly more powerful. Now if we could just get our trailer back from the dealer for fridge repairs we could give some useful comments on how well it performs when towing the trailer.

Blubugger · 08-07-2019, 01:27 PM

Glen, we be in the same "pickle" as you were, Cramped garage, a previous Escape that could only carry bike racks, a few trips a year either to Phoenix [winter] or camping [summer] so a later model Explorer Sport fit the bill peachy. Fits in the garage, It does pull the weight fine with the idea that we have to pack the 2106ds sensibly, drive carefully and get there safely. The tailer's 7 foot width combined with the wide stance of the Explorer work very well together without the need for any mirror extensions resulting in minimal blind spots [motorcycles included]. So happy travels.

Glen 3 · 08-07-2019, 01:52 PM

Your Explorer Sport probably has the turbo V6. Out XLT has the non-turbo V-6. It handles the weight well although gas mileage is high when towing. Some people might want more power but it works for us. We like our 2016 Explorer with and without a trailer. It could use some useful gauges though. Water temp and especially oil temp would be nice.

Blubugger · 08-07-2019, 01:58 PM

Regards the lack of gauges in the Explorers, I also was flabbergasted that there were none. In a "Sport" no less. I thought Ford put gauges in all these truck-based vehicles.
I am curious, does the XLT have the "Tow/Haul" select option? Very handy while pulling of hill and dale.

Glen 3 · 08-07-2019, 06:32 PM

Yes it does as part of the trailer towing package. I wouldn't have bought an Explorer without it.

Wakullabob · 08-16-2019, 04:01 PM

Thrasher on July 8 asked about lowering his axles to gain height . If the axles are Dexter Torsion axles the answer is yes . Google " Dexter Torsion Lift Kit ". Less than $200 .
Careful as some are 8 inch spacing and some are 9 inch . For my 2106 I had to order two single axle kits to get 9 inch ? Ground clearance for axle remains the same but the " house ' is raised close to 3 inches .

Bigearl · 10-15-2019, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Technut

Wow your 2 month trip out West this year looks similar to what we want to do in May of next year from the East Coast. I'm looking to tow a 1706FB and am looking to trade and acquire a good tow vehicle. I see you have a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.6. How does that tow the Mini? And what kind of MPG do you get with that combination? Anyone else that wants to chime in on the MPG they get towing a 1706FB would be helpful too. Thanks for any info you can provide.

Completed the trip mid September and no issues over the 14,920 kms (9271 miles). Average mpg from my log of every fillup was 13.78 mpg which included driving without the trailer hitched up but the major driving was with the 1706 FB in tow. Our highway speed was generally around 65 to 70 mph and the 3.6 Jeep pulled it pretty well including on I70 over the Rockies from Utah to Denver, even at 12000 feet it was OK.

I did not thrash it up the hills I let it downshift and kept an eye on both the oil temperature and transmission temp and they were around 100 degrees C. Running with the wind against us as we drove west took a lot more throttle and lower mpg but with the wind behind us I had to keep an eye on our speed as it would run up to 75 mph without a problem. A turbocharged vehicle will do much better due the the torque those motors develop.
The only other observation was that the trailer was rock steady and I stopped using the anti sway bar half way along the trip as it was not necessary. As I mentioned in my previous post I lifted the trailer 3 inches, it has Lippert axles and I made my own lift kit, did a little boondocking and it was nice to have the extra clearance at the dump pipes and tail end.

Glen 3 · 10-15-2019, 04:33 PM

That's pretty impressive gas mileage. My 2016 Explorer with the normally asperieted 3.5 litre engine hauls the 1706FB quite well but the turbo would sure be nice. Like you, I've found the trailer to be rock steady back there so I don't have a sway bar. Also I found that the wind was the main problem for gas mileage. We want to drive across Canada to Newfoundland from Alberta. The wind will make for a cheap and easy drive to the east coast but I'll have to really watch the gas gauge. That's for another year though as the trailer is now winterized and will sit in the storage yard until the end of April.

Bigearl · 10-16-2019, 08:37 AM

With the 1706 FB's GVWR capacity, weight is not a concern so we usually have lots of fresh water in our tanks while towing, but I try to dump the grey and if the black is 2/3 full I dump that too as those two tanks are to the rear of the trailer so getting rid of weight there reduces the risk of sway. I figure our loaded weight to be about 4100 to 4200 lb with full fresh tanks ( I have weighed it with a partial load, no water or food supplies) and the Jeep weighs about 4500 lb empty so we have a heavier tow vehicle than the trailer which is necessary in my opinion.
We previously had a 24 ft Aspen Trail which we towed with a 2014 5.0 F150, but the SUV is so much more preferable for general use that we downsized and aside from the tight bathroom in the 1706 FB we find it much more convenient. There are many National parks and State/Provincial parks with length restrictions that we now comply with and we think these are the most attractive camping sites. That's just one persons opinion however.
Glen enjoy the east coast we did it last year and the lobster and scallops were marvelous.

Sun_Seeker · 10-19-2019, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GramaBabby

Hi everyone! I thought I'd start a new thread geared to the Micro line. We await delivery of our first TT ever: the 2017 1706FB Micro Minnie! We'll pull it with our 2015 Toyota 4runner V6. We have the factory-installed tow package and will have the Blue Ox WD hitch with sway control.

As newbies we have MANY questions as we wait for our rig! Small wonders like: do standard queen sheets fit the queen bed? Large wonders like: will our 4runner handle this rig ok?

We'd especially love to hear from 1706 owners, but welcome any Micro Minnie owners: what you've learned, suggestions you have for rookies, your favorite organizing accessories....... this list goes on and on!

We'll look forward to anything you might like to throw our way from the seasoned Micro field!

Thanks!

A great trailer..a real gem..but I'd suggest that you take your 1706FB to your dealer, or you do the work yourself...and have them, or you yourself, rebuild the OEM queen bed under support and frame work, with 2x4's or, your bed frame might fail as ours did...with the entire front wall (and very thin) wood bulkhead, ripping away from the front trailer wall, in the lower Storage Compartment, and with the result that your bed, with you in it, will collapse downwards towards the 'basement'. It happened to us, in the night..with two in bed. I chronicled it in the General Repair Forum, with also, what I had done about it. Now...my bed frame could support two elephants laying side by side. Trust me...they (Winnebago) built your bed frame in the 1706FB as bare essential wood member minimums...and you might want to reinforce that bed frame, so to avoid a frame and bed collapse...and damage your front wall, or ruin your vacation out upon the road....

Sun_Seeker · 10-19-2019, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jnmc

Am towing a 1706FB with a '16 Toyota Highlander rated at 5000#. So far, no probs, but mileage poor - around 11mpg.

Towing a 2018 1706FB with my 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan, and am getting 13.5-15 mpg at 60 mph, on the highway. If I have a head wind, or am hitting the hills, it drops to around 12.3 mpg. I am most satisfied with my Grand Caravan in its handling of the 1706FB!