Satisfied 2108FBS Owners

FDrebin · 11-06-2020, 10:37 AM

Hi! New to the forum today. Just ordered a 2021 2108FBS. Not our first travel trailer, but first Winnebago. Have been eyeing the Micro Minnies for 2 years at least. Know full-well no new or used trailer is without issues. Saw posts here and elsewhere about leaks, but wondering how many 2108 owners are out there that have been using their trailer and have had no issues (serious that is, and to me leaks are serious)? I suspect defects like these are less common but would appreciate hearing from owners who have had their expectations met and/or exceeded. Thanks!

tinglett · 11-06-2020, 11:32 AM

Congratulations on your new rig!

I have a 2019 2108DS and have not spotted a leak yet. I bought it 6 months used, though, so perhaps the first owner had to do something, but I'm not seeing any evidence. Hopefully you'll have the same luck!

MicroMinnie · 11-09-2020, 04:23 PM

Sofar so good. no issues. Our 2108FBS has been great! - if I had to so it again I’d go king size bed. but hey, that’s me. i need my space��

The trailer tows well and no leaks or failure of anything really in 1.5years we’ve had it.

I’ve seen some pictures of 2108TB’s where there’s new storage under the stove (no oven) maybe that’s the way they’re going in FBS as well in 2021

This particular unit(in the photos) has the shower on the left vs right on ours. maybe this was a trial unit as I noticed some other differences. this one just down the road from us for sale, like the stainless fridge too

FDrebin · 11-09-2020, 07:03 PM

Thanks! Yes, my understanding is the 2021s being manufactured now have the drawers in place of oven, shower and sink flipped, 10 cubit foot 12V fridge, 1 solar panel installed (not just wiring). Glad to hear you're enjoying your Minnie!

tinglett · 11-10-2020, 08:09 AM

The new design is interesting. My first thought is where the charger/fuse-panel went. And with the shower and sink switching sides, did the water heater move to the driver's side? That might be a good thing to keep all the plumbing together.

I would miss the stove (we dry camp almost exclusively) but overall I do like the effort in having more usable cabinet space. Note under the "stove" drawer is another cabinet opening which is where the charger may have been relocated. And the stack of drawers to the left is now complete. I've been planning to mod mine that way also. This means the upper and lower drawer have to be short, but I see they went with folding front cabinets instead. And they moved the CO detector around the corner. I was thinking I'd do that. The fire extinguisher location is kind of a, duh why not, thing...although I'll point out that's another space for a little cabinet door which would be VERY handy for those little things you want to grab from the outside (e.g. aim-and-flame).

I find the microwave plug kind of humorous. Why have an electrical outlet only to have the microwave cord go out and plug into it? I'm a little torn about all the control panel stuff being out in the open. It's plain stupid the inside/outside light switches are behind a panel in the earlier models, but they shouldn't be up high there anyway. But the other stuff looks "messy" to me when out in the open.

Is the fridge a 3-way or did they give up propane? That would be a no-go for me until batteries and solar get a lot cheaper. I assume that's a convention microwave, so they seem to have moved in a more shore-power-based direction.

FDrebin · 11-10-2020, 11:06 AM

Not sure on all the plumbing details but I do believe the consolidated the shower, water heater, and even outside shower in that back corner.

You can swap the 12V for a slightly smaller electric/propane at no cost. I was torn on which to get but we don't dry camp all that often and the research I read made it sound like the 12V refers are just overall better at doing the job (power source notwithstanding).

backtrack15 · 11-10-2020, 12:28 PM

The top and bottom kitchen drawers (in the set of four) are “false”. The top one tips out to hold a sponge or drain plug. The bottom provides access to the antifreeze connection for the pump. The bottom drawer under the cooktop is also false. It is simply a hinged panel that hides the converter and power distribution panel.

tinglett · 11-10-2020, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by backtrack15

The top and bottom kitchen drawers (in the set of four) are “false”. The top one tips out to hold a sponge or drain plug. The bottom provides access to the antifreeze connection for the pump. The bottom drawer under the cooktop is also false. It is simply a hinged panel that hides the converter and power distribution panel.

That sink does look a lot bigger than mine (filling the total space) so maybe there isn't much left. In mine there would be a few inches of storage there. Having easy access to the antifreeze connection would be good. I assume they moved the valves around so they are reachable.

backtrack15 · 11-10-2020, 01:21 PM

They are reachable on my 2100BH.

FDrebin · 11-10-2020, 01:37 PM

Any particular reason you push antifreeze into the lines as opposed to blowing out with air? I've always used a compressor and emptied the lines that way, never had an issue. Is there a reason to do one over the other or is it just a matter of preference?

backtrack15 · 11-10-2020, 01:45 PM

It’s pretty easy either way on these little trailers. The antifreeze method might give more protection for the pump. It’s hard to feel confident the pump has been adequately purged with air. Thus far I haven’t done either.

tinglett · 11-11-2020, 11:43 AM

I've started to do both. I find the low-point drains get out 90% of the water, and blowing gets out a teensy bit more, but it takes a bit less than 3 gallons to fill the lines. I dump the leftover into the black tank, perhaps for luck more than anything

. With antifreeze access via that panel this would be VERY easy to do. I think the only value-add to doing the blowing in addition to antifreeze is to clear the city water check valve. But I can pull off the screen and push it to get antifreeze there, so I'll probably only do antifreeze from here on.

Like backtrack15 I worry a bit about things like the pump. I know PEX has some flex to it, but MN winters will freeze that water completely. I'd be using 1 gallon anyway for the traps, so 3 gallons doesn't cost more considering I need to go to the store to get it either way. The smell doesn't bother me at all, and I find it much easier to clear out in the spring than the bleach smell from the sanitizing process.

MicroMinnie · 11-11-2020, 03:21 PM

Tank pic on drivers side

Ross H · 11-15-2020, 06:47 PM

We own a 2019 2108DS and DID have a water issue. Turned out that our slide out was not closing all the way. Calibration issue from the factory. Our excellent dealer/service department fixed the issue and not water issue since.

Just Mike · 11-15-2020, 07:23 PM

I have a 2019 2108DS bought used. Very happy so far. We’ve been on four trips. One long distance. Tows well and plenty roomy for me, our 100 lb dog and my wife. No issues.

NormnLonnie · 11-16-2020, 06:20 PM

We picked up our brand new 2019 2108DS in early June and made 4 trips totaling 49 nights in it before putting it to bed for the winter. The problems we had with it (all fixed quickly and with no charge from the dealer) included the wallpaper not properly affixed at the front, the electrical outlets need to be held in place when you pull out plugs - I broke two by just pulling on the plug, and our slide got off kilter and we had to get a couple of young, burley men to help us push it in manually, and then drove back to the dealership where they told us that we should be lubing the rubber on the bottom of the slide. We also found out during our travels that our tires are filled with nitrogen (green caps) and we need to grease the equalizer hitch and ball. Things I never would have known to do and the dealer didn't tell us.

If I was to buy again, I would get twin beds or a king... the double murphy bed is a bit small and we sleep with our feet up at the front because it's pretty claustrophobic up under there. I also thought I really wanted an oven, but not so much. I LOVE the big fridge and freezer. Overall we're thrilled with our trailer, which I can handle with our Tacoma and made the difference between having a wonderful 2020 and sitting in a deep depression at home!

tinglett · 11-17-2020, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ross H

We own a 2019 2108DS and DID have a water issue. Turned out that our slide out was not closing all the way. Calibration issue from the factory. Our excellent dealer/service department fixed the issue and not water issue since.

It's interesting both you and NormnLonnie had issues with the slideout so quickly. I "researched" the Schwintech slide mechanism recently so I'd have a bit of a clue what to do (if anything) if I got stuck in a campground with a broken slide. This video (and a companion video) are good, but WAY too long unless you really want to repair it yourself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxEYSstvICI

I have learned a few things so far. First, there isn't really a calibration feature other than opening/closing it a bunch of times. It'll auto align at the end of travel unless it's so far off it can't really move at all (how'd it get that way?). The gist is that the controller has per motor sensors so it can tell if a motor is spinning or stuck, but it can't tell if the motors are in sync along the track. So what happens is if one motor stops it lets the other motor go a little bit more before artificially stopping it. If you open/close at the end of travel, one motor hits the end first and the other goes a little bit more. Do that a few times by backing up a bit first and eventually they hit the end together. Nice!

BTW, this also explains why you read the advice to always run the slide all the way out (or in) without stopping. If you stop arbitrarily, the motors might drift different distances as they don't hit the end of travel so there is nothing to stop them. If they drift a significant distance apart, the end of travel auto-sync won't necessarily get them back in alignment in a single go. I'd think it would be unlikely to get unaligned this way, but theoretically it is good advice.

There seem to be two other common ways the slide mechanism can "break." One is if a sensor (or sensor wire) goes bad. Then it stops as the controller thinks it's at end of travel. The guy in the video showed you can hit the wall switch backward quickly (so it doesn't really move) then hit forward and it'll move about an inch. This is because the motors are ok, but a sensor is not telling the truth. Just do this another 20 or so times and you'll have it in. There is an override on the controller that let's you override the sensor as an alternative, but you gotta get to the controller (the little panel inside at the bottom of the slide).

The other way it can break is if a motor actually dies or a power wire breaks. This is what he is fixing in the video. It seems you can simply manhandle it in (as NormnLonnie did), or as he shows in the video you can get to the motor from the outside and dislodge it. Then it's relatively easy to push in. But you'll need a ladder to get up to the motor (from the outside).

That's what I've learned so far. I'm hoping I never need to really do any of this, but now I'm wondering....

Tim D · 11-24-2020, 02:35 PM

Two short trips made this year on our 2108 FBS purchased in March 2020, no issues on those trips. But while winterizing the slideout failed to retract. Manual overide did not work. Needed to pull back seals and lift motors off the track to push it in. Repaired under warranty for new motors, charge was about $900 parts and labor - which I paid and then reimbursed by Winnebago. Service shop said motors installed incorrectly at factory by using washers that reduced engagement of set screws, the motors came loose and were spun pulling out some wires. I am concerned about long term reliablilty of the slide out and if it failed to go in while on a trip there is no easy way to get it to retract from what I see.

Marine359 · 12-19-2020, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NormnLonnie

We picked up our brand new 2019 2108DS in early June and made 4 trips totaling 49 nights in it before putting it to bed for the winter. The problems we had with it (all fixed quickly and with no charge from the dealer) included the wallpaper not properly affixed at the front, the electrical outlets need to be held in place when you pull out plugs - I broke two by just pulling on the plug, and our slide got off kilter and we had to get a couple of young, burley men to help us push it in manually, and then drove back to the dealership where they told us that we should be lubing the rubber on the bottom of the slide. We also found out during our travels that our tires are filled with nitrogen (green caps) and we need to grease the equalizer hitch and ball. Things I never would have known to do and the dealer didn't tell us.

If I was to buy again, I would get twin beds or a king... the double murphy bed is a bit small and we sleep with our feet up at the front because it's pretty claustrophobic up under there. I also thought I really wanted an oven, but not so much. I LOVE the big fridge and freezer. Overall we're thrilled with our trailer, which I can handle with our Tacoma and made the difference between having a wonderful 2020 and sitting in a deep depression at home!

We picked up our 2108Ds last month and we are loving it. Battery supplied by dealer way too anemic to run the 12v fridge for more than a day. We decided to upgrade to 170ah LiFePo4 battery and 2000w inverter charger before we head south for the winter. BTW, our upgrades cost about the same as replacing the fridge with a 12v/propane unit. We will be able to boondock for days with just a short running of a small generator to top off batteries.

FDrebin · 12-30-2020, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marine359

We picked up our 2108Ds last month and we are loving it. Battery supplied by dealer way too anemic to run the 12v fridge for more than a day. We decided to upgrade to 170ah LiFePo4 battery and 2000w inverter charger before we head south for the winter. BTW, our upgrades cost about the same as replacing the fridge with a 12v/propane unit. We will be able to boondock for days with just a short running of a small generator to top off batteries.

I've been wondering how the 12V fridge will reduce battery. How much was involved with the lithium battery, upgrade? Did you do it yourself? Been considering as an alternative to disrupting the trailer's stock electrical set-up a lithium power station like this:

https://www.amazon.com/EF-ECOFLOW-Po.../dp/B083FR3762