New to forum looking at 2018 Micro Minnie 2106FBS

[Mikefitz6]

Hello to all,

We sold our 16ft Casita and I think we will be buying a 2018 2106 FBS tomorrow. I checked the trailer over making sure I looked in all cabinets with a flashlight, roof seals, and under the trailer. Slide gaskets look good and are not stiff. No bad smells. No water stain/leaks that I can see. The reason for the sale is valid. Slide is noisy but runs smoothly and seems to work fine. Awning is in good shape and works. I did not try the air conditioner but all else seems to work. I was surprised that the speakers in the trailer sounded pretty good. I guess I am not a true audiophile.

I am going back tomorrow for another inspection and to have more questions answered. My one concern is the rear bumper fell off. It needs to be welded back on per the seller. I want to find out how or why it came off. I did not ask that today. He has a bike rack up front so I don't think that was the cause of the bumper coming off. I have read enough to know the bumpers should not have additional weight on them. He offered $500 more off if I fixed the bumper myself. I would take it to a local welder if that is all it needs. A quick search seemed to point to excessive weight on the bumper often caused failure and that is what I want to ask him.

Another question is that this trailer does not have any of the stickers on it that would suggest cold weather ready, but he says that they have had it in 21 degree weather without any issues on a couple of occasions. He stated that there is a vent that does keep the tanks warm. Is that possible without the stickers? Cold weather camping is not something I plan on doing much, but in Colorado it can easily go below freezing in August at altitude.

My sense is that he and his wife are honest.

Also, this trailer is not elevated at all. I am not sure the rear of the trailer has enough clearance to go over the sidewalk at our house. It is one of those sidewalks with the 45 degree slope on the road side. Does anybody know if the trailer should make that? Once the wheels are up on the sidewalk I know the clearance will be fine. How hard or expensive is it to have the axles lowered and the trailer raised?

Lots of questions but I really do appreciate any comments you may have.

I have considered taking it to a local RV dealer, but my experience with the ones here is that they are expensive and may advise for marginally needed repairs. I am trying to be polite. That may not be true, but it is my feeling having dealt with them. Next nearest dealers are 4 or more hours away.

Thank you.

[Eagle5]

Hi Mike,
When you search for:
trailer bumper
you will get the general impression that trailer bumpers aren't all that strong. I would take the $500 credit and get it welded yourself.
A Rolled Curb Ramp should solve the bottoming-out problem.
There are many threads on this forum about:
2106 FBS
It sounds like a good trailer for you.
Welcome to the forum.
Eagle5

[Marine359]

Hello Mike,
The MM platform is pretty solid. If the roof is in good shape, with no spots where water has intruded that could be a potential mold problem, that would be the biggest area of concen. If the original bumper fell off, it would seem to me it happened because he mounted too much weight on it, either a bike rack or platform bolt-on. Seeing a rack on the front would be a hint to me that he had a bike rack on the back that failed. No problemo. As Eagle5 states, you can weld on a new bumper, or weld on a frame hitch receiver. But where is the spare tire? Dropping the axles wasn’t always an option on MM over a certain age. You may get a better idea of the build by submitting a request for info to customer service with you VIN#.

MMs are NOT designed for cold weather. The sidewall insulation foam core is good compared to other brands, and there is decent batt insulation in front and back caps, but the roof is not particularly well insulated. For floor, check to see if your model has furnace tubing to the sub-floor. That’s a good thing, and preferable to the newer models which don’t have it. Check that Coroplast is secure and doesn’t have chunks missing, or cutouts which could indicate there were problems with the tanks or tank valves.

Set aside a couple of thousand bucks to make repair/replacements likely to occur real soon, like: replacing the tires. If they are originals, replace them immediately; they are aged out, worn out, cracked, or otherwise dangerous. You’ll also need to grease the axles. Test the waste valves with water in the tanks to see if they seal properly, and definitely buy a Valterra end-cap waste valve. A few bucks for a lot of confidence in dump operations. You’ll also likely need to replace batteries sooner rather than later. Lots of threads on what’s works and is economical for MMs

You didn’t enter a profile, so we don’t know anything about your tow vehicle. Be advised that the tow characteristics of MMs require you to have at least 12% of trailer GVWR weight on the tongue. It can be squirrely if the tongue is too light. So, figure you’ll be adding 525-575 lbs to your hitch ball, in addition to the weight of the hitch. You should ensure your tow vehicle has enough payload to handle the additional 600 lbs or so. And do carry at least 1/2 tank of fresh water. Balance your gear so not too much in the tow vehicle.

Our experience with our MM in cold weather is that because it’s small, it’s easy to heat. Small frontal cross section also makes it easy to tow. Good luck with your new 2106, and reach out for help when needed.

[Mikefitz6]

Eagle 5 and Jim,

Thank you both. A little more about the setup. I have a 2019 RAM 1500 with 8200 max towing. 8 cylinder Hemi. The trailer comes with an equalizer WDH and anti sway bars. Less than year old 2 lithium batteries. He did upgrade the (?) inverter in the trailer. Yamaha generator, upgraded mattress (it is real nice!), solar panel, and 4 new 14" Goodyear Endurance tires on the rig. They did most of the upgrades in the last year and then found a fixer upper house that they wanted. The trailer has to be sold while the money goes towards the house. He had put the generator on the back bumper. The one he is selling with the trailer does not have a scratch on it and works fine. I did not ask him if this was the one that was on the bumper. The trailer has already been winterized. The waste valves all opened and closed easily.

I will check the rest of the hints you gave me.

Thanks again.

[Bcborn]

Sounds like it doesn't have any obvious issues besides bumper. Upgrades tell you the previous owner took care of it.

If your handy having a RV do a pre purchase inspection is not always a bad idea. It brings peace of mind and a list of repairs you an do yourself. This is a good source for info as is Google. Your in no obligation to have the dealer perform any repairs.

The interior cupboard and panel covering is paper, if condensation was present anywhere it typically wrinkles or stains the paper cover. Sink traps coming loose and water getting onto cupboard base is seen by staining as well. Check them regularly as vibration from towing can loosen them.

Welcome to the forum.

[TerryMA]

I have this exact unit and year and love it. I have used in marginally cold temps with no issues. If the interior is at room temps pipes freezing should not be an issue. You might consider looking for any air leaks in the floor etc.
This is a solid unit. I have driven mine over 20000 miles over the last three summers . I have had no issues with the trailer hitch and seems to me that you have not heard the whole story. Also seems strange to me the the reason to sell would be slide…. Not sure what noise it makes, but that could be an expensive fix so you might want to expire that issue a bit…. After all of it is making an inappropriate noise that could be a bad sign! Because I may market mine in the next year or so I am wondering what your research tells you about vlcurrent value .

[splitley]

Hi, I have a 2018 2106DS, regarding the height, If it's like mine you'll notice a couple xtra holes in the plates at each axle attachment, I left the trailer hooked to the truck and used 2 floor jacks to lower each axle to the lowest hole's ,' you shouldn't even have to mess with the wires, it will give you 3 more inches in clearance, you'll need 2 jacks, one to hold the trailer up and the other to lower the axle, my son helped me and it took longer to get all the tools together than what it took to do the job. Much better for clearance on the cleanout pipes too!

[Mikefitz6]

Terry,

Here in Colorado prices varied quite a bit. Most of the trailers were over $20,000. The most expensive I saw was $26,000 for a 2019. 20-22K was the more common price. I saw one for $17,000. The reason I bought this one was that he was only 15 miles away and most of the others were 250-500 miles away. The extras he threw in made it a good buy.

The noise I hear on the slide is just the motors working. A friend said his sounds just the same. I will be doing slide maintenance this spring on the slide.

BC,

I went through all the cupboards and any access I could find with a flashlight. No signs of water issues anywhere. I did see where some of the 1" trim at the ceiling is slightly loose in one spot, but not falling off. I assume that will be an easy fix.

What do I really like about this trailer so far? My comparison is a 16ft 1996 Casita. The slide really opens it up. The power jack! The scissor jacks are real easy to deploy. I do not feel the need for a drill to do this. My wife loves the idea of the dry bathroom - the Casita did not have a bathroom. She has never been fond of the idea of a wet bathroom. Of course we will not actually use the bathroom until this spring. The storage is way more than the Casita. I felt the double axle was more stable towing when I brought it home. I did not connect the anti sway bars for the trip home, but I used the backroads at no more than 35-45 mph with the WDH. The upgraded mattress feels real nice and the bed is big enough for the both of us to have some space to sleep. I think our Casita bed was only 46" wide. He replaced the couch with a dinette. We were going to put the couch back, but we actually like the dinette. The seats would be a little tight for 2 adults, but perfect for one adult and a grandchild.

Other than minor fixes and a little bit of grease I think the trailer is in great shape.

[Bcborn]

Mike would love to see pictures of how the dinette was done, thinking of doing the same to mine.

[Mikefitz6]

I will go out tomorrow and take some pictures.

[creativepart]

Originally Posted by Mikefitz6

Less than year old 2 lithium batteries. He did upgrade the (?) inverter in the trailer.

You most likely mean "converter" not inverter. Just about all travel trailers come with a converter/charger. There are just a very limited few that come standard with an inverter.

A converter does just that - it converts 110v AC shore power to 12v DC. That DC runs all of your 12v accessories (lights, fans, water pump, etc) and it charges your batteries.

Since the original owner changed the batteries to Lithium (actually LiFePO4 battery chemestry - FYI Lithium IRON not Lithium ION) the OEM Converter couldn't provide a proper Lithium charging profile so the owner "upgraded the converter" to one that can properly charge the new batteries.

An inverter also does just that - it inverts. But it is the opposite of a converter. It inverts 12vdc into 110v AC to run 110v appliances from your TT's batteries.

As an FYI - there are small and large inverters. So, many TTs come with small inverters to power a 110v TV. But this shouldn't be confused with a large inverter to run a residential 110v refrigerator or microwave, etc. Also, many large inverters also have a built in charger function and can charge the 12vdc batteries, as well.

[Mikefitz6]

Creative,

You taught me something today. Thank You!

BC,

I am not sure who made these. There is nice storage beneath them. The backrest cushion has velcro on it so they do not fall off when traveling. The seller said you can make a bed out of it. If you need more pictures let me know what you want.

[Bcborn]

Thanks, looks like they are 36 wide.

Bet you they are comfy, judging from the cushion thickness and spring base.