Tow Vehicle Recommendations for 2023 Micro Minnie 2108FBS

[Jay Tea]

I am seeking recommendations on replacing my existing tow vehicle, for my 2023 Micro 2108FBS.

I am currently using my 2001 F350 diesel. It's in good condition at 225,000 miles. Weighing ~7,000 lbs, and having ~550 ft/lbs torque, it tows the Micro effortlessly without a WDH (airbags are fitted), although MPG drops down to 10-12 range when towing ~55-60 MPH. Most importantly, being an older truck, it's lacking in comfort.

I would like to upgrade / downsize to a smaller Ranger or Colorado mid-sized gas powered truck. Do these smallish-engine trucks have the torque and stability to easily tow the Micro on long trips, while returning reasonable mileage?

Real world experienced replies would be appreciated!

[Marine359]

Real World:
We towed our Micro Minnie 2108ds for 3 years all over the country north to south and east to west. Mountains and deserts, over 12,000 miles. Towing with our 2021 Canyon Denali 4x4 with 3.6L gas engine. Never a hiccup, always plenty of power even on steep, long mountain grades. The 8 speed tranny on this truck is pretty sweet. On 6% or greater uphills, shift into low range, keeping rpm 3,500-4,500 when possible. Hardly ever exceeding 5,000 rpm. Oil and water temps were normal. Downhill steep grades a bit more challenging. Low range, taping brakes to keep speed below 50mph. On really long steep downhills when you have to shift into lower gears, the rpm’s go up. My habit was, if over 5,000rpm for more than a couple of minutes, I would start looking for a pull out to stop and let tranny, engine and brakes cool a bit. Probably not necessary, but I did because I’m cautious. This truck does require a WDH with sway control when towing the Micro Minnie.

My dw likes all the amenities, therefore Denali. But all those extras cost weight. Our payload (Cat scaled) was just over 1,300#. We had to be strategic about transferring weight from truck bed to pass thru. Heavier stuff in pass thru helped. Trailer tows best with wet tongue weight about 600#. Rock solid, one finger driving. It helped that we had gotten LFP which we mounted in pass thru, thereby removing weight from tongue. All lightweight stuff carried in truck bed except for generator had to be in truck bed. Cat scaled just under RAWR and 200# under GVWR, 1.5” stoop with WDH engaged. Perfection. Happy campers. If we had kids, it probably wouldn’t work.

Average fuel economy not towing, city/hwy around 22mpg. Average economy towing, in tow/haul mode around 11 mpg. I drive 55-65.

[bjhay]

We tow our 2022 FLX 2108DS with a 2019 Ranger. Our experience is similar to Marine359’s. The truck has plenty of power to pull, hills aren’t too much of a problem and tow mode in the Ranger does a decent job holding speeds on downhill grades. We use an Anderson WDH and while the tow isn’t quite as easy as the 3000 lb a-frame trailer we came from, it still feels safe. Fuel economy isn’t great, 11-13 mpg depending on how many hills and direction of the wind. Unfortunately the Ranger has a notoriously small fuel tank, so we do need to consider fuel stops carefully. That issue does not seem to have been fixed with the new 2024 Ranger either.

Having said that, we definitely like the Ranger for being able to get into places that a bigger truck might not - up here in Canada we have similar issues to the US when it comes to overcrowded national parks, but I can usually find places to park where a F-150 would be a squeeze.

[Wmlunt]

Planning on towing with a Jeep Grand Cherokee V8 5.7L Hemi.
Max trailer is 7500lbs so we are well below that. Will let you know how it goes…
Plan on weighing after we get loaded up.
Bill

[Jay Tea]

Jim & Bryan - Thanks for your details. I'm new to RV trailers (prior experience was a Lance truck camper at the turn of the century, hence the F350 4x4 diesel ... a dream machine setup for serious off-road boondocking)!

With trailers though, manufacturer's "max tow" ratings don't necessarily relate to real-world towing geometry (vehicle weight, engine torque, transmissions, gearing, etc). Nice to hear from both Ford & Chevy owners that your towing experience is similar. And ~10 to 12 MPG is to be expected?

New max engine offerings (both 2.7L) show similar performance with Ford @ 400#FT torque thru a 10-spd tranny and GM @ 430#FT thru an 8-spd. So it comes down to vehicle amenities, purchase price, and comfort? Should make decisions easier? Thanks again for your input!

[eatSleepWoof]

I've towed plenty with everything from a 4cyl coupe, to the current 5.7L V8 LX570...

My previous vehicle was a 2016 Tacoma, V6, double cab, long bed. On the numerous occasions that I towed ~3500lb trailers, it managed the weight, but the experience frankly sucked. Going up steep highways, 2nd/3rd gear, near redline RPMs, doing 20-30kph below speed limit. Yeah, it got me and my gear where I needed to go, but it was frustratingly underpowered.

I've had a 2014 Lexus LX570 for the last 5.5 years and have been towing with it since pretty much day one. Whether off road, through snow, or just highways, it pulls everything I've thrown at it without an issue. My first trip with my 2022 2108FBS was 7.5-8 hours over the Rocky mountains, in late January of this year (going home from the dealership). Completely uneventul trip, flew by every semi truck and other slower-than-desired vehicle I encountered. With the exception of going up very, very steep hills I didn't even feel the trailer behind me.

Oh, and real-world fuel economy is basically the same as what I was getting in the Tacoma.

If you're going to tow once per year, get whatever vehicle you want for 99% of your daily use, and live with the mediocre towing experience. If you're going to tow regularly, a mid-sized truck is likely to prove to be a let down.

One of my past travel trailers, about 3200lb wet. 40km of making fresh tracks through the snow, and not a care in the world:

[Marine359]

Originally Posted by eatSleepWoof

If you're going to tow once per year, get whatever vehicle you want for 99% of your daily use, and live with the mediocre towing experience. If you're going to tow regularly, a mid-sized truck is likely to prove to be a let down.[/img]

I’m sorry to take you up on this, but your statement is terribly wrong, and could mislead people into believing they can’t, or should not tow a Micro Minnie with a Mid-size truck. I can’t speak to all trucks, but the Ford Ranger and GMC/Chevy Canyon/Colorado are ideal tow vehicles for towing a Micro Minnie. Excellent fuel economy when not towing, decent economy when towing, affordable, maneuverable, and plenty of power, payload and tow capacity for Micro Minnie towing duty. Not everybody wants a full size truck. These two trucks are excellent choices for this job. It ain’t a mediocre towing experience. Spoken by someone who has one and has towed a Micro Minnie everywhere, including off-road. Maybe you didn’t read my prior post.

[STCLARKE]

We pull with a Dodge Durango with Pentastar v6. Overall I'm happy, but sometimes I feel a bit more power on hills is needed. Toying with the idea of moving to a V8 Hemi Durango so interested in Bill's (Wmlint) experience.

[Gunny Rio]

A mid-sized truck data point

We pull a 1708FB (2022) with a modified 285HP 4.56 geared Tacoma. The trailer fully loaded weighs in at 5000-lbs. I tow in 4th gear 3000 rpm at 60-64 mph. MPG is pretty consistent at 9-10. Colorado hills & altitude can take the fun out of the drive, but then again it does so to everyone so I’m never alone crawling uphill in the right lane 3rd gear at 40 MPH. I do get better performance as I leave the Colorado mountains and into the lower flats with more O2.
The Tacoma isn’t a bad choice for this setup but it’s just my wife and I (and two cats). Any more would start getting crowded – especially on longer trips with increased stuff that we bring.
Eventually we’ll be getting a larger truck, but for the mean time the V6 Tacoma gets the job done.

[Jay Tea]

SleepWolf - I agree that a ~$90,000+ Toyota SUV would be a more comfortable tow & daily driver! My desire for a pick-up is to separate possible stinky, dirty, bulky, and/or flammable materials (generator fuel, extra LPG, firewood, extra ice chests, etc) from both the trailer and tow vehicle interior, as we boondock 2-3 weeks at a time exploring the western mountains from Mexico up through the NW Territories. Your Lexus towing experience matches my F350 (not even aware there is a trailer behind me). Thanks for your input!

Gunny - Love the photo, and references to the Rocky Mountains! Yes, altitude saps engine performance (even with a turbo), but altitude camping is certainly worth it! Sea level torque on the new Taco barely exceeds ~270 LB-FT, although I'd imagine low gearing compensates somewhat. Thanks for sharing your good/bad experiences.

So far, the Colorado looks to be in 1st place, with the Ranger in a close 2nd?

[Marine359]

@Jay_Tea
Torque is everything when matched to a good transmission. Diesels are better for towing because despite their lower HP, their torque is way more than a gasser. Would have been nice to have the Canyon diesel, but we knew the additional weight would give us a serious payload problem. If you want diesel, better to go with a full size truck. Chevy/Canyon have 430 lb-ft. Ford 2.3L Turbo has 310 lb-ft, but a better 10 speed tranny.

[Ray,IN]

This towing calculator will accurately,and without bias or chest-beating of vehicle owner or salesmen, match a trailer and tow vehicle:
https://www.ajdesigner.com/apptraile...utionhitch.php
here is another for confirmation: https://rvingzone.com/towing-calculator/

[Marine359]

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

This towing calculator will accurately,and without bias or chest-beating of vehicle owner or salesmen, match a trailer and tow vehicle:
https://www.ajdesigner.com/apptraile...utionhitch.php
here is another for confirmation: https://rvingzone.com/towing-calculator/

Thanks for posting this. This is a very good calculator for those unfamiliar with vehicle weights, trailer weights, and how to stay within safe limits. However, it does not address engine and transmission. There’s no chest thumping going on. Just reminding folks that engine and transmission are just as important as weights in the calculator. A vehicle may have a tow rating, that on the surface looks ok, but may be woefully inadequate in actual towing use, especially on long steep mountain grades, both uphill and downhill. If planning to traverse mountain grades, finding out you don’t have enough torque or transmission is not something you want to find out after purchasing the tow vehicle. Nothing can be more terrifying than descending a 3 mile 7% grade and not having a lower gear to snatch if your speed keeps increasing and you’ve tapped the brakes aplenty. Nothing can be more frustrating than watching your tranny approach redline on an uphill when you’re only doing 45mph.

[JoshBap]

We tow with our 2020 Ram Rebel 4x4. Towing capacity is 12,700lbs. It’s got a larger capacity gas tank. It’s an awesome towing truck for us. Gas mileage is NOT good, but it’s amazing comfortable and handles great. Interior is crew cab and TONS of room. We love it. We have always been Chevy people, but the interior and features at the time were really lacking in the Chevy and it was about $5-7k more than the Ram at the time. We also love the 4x4 as we boondock in the middle of nowhere with our 2019 Micro Minnie 2106DS. Hope that helps.
Josh

[TexasDon]

Why would you ever want to go from an emission free powerstroke diesel to a mini pickup ... for towing? You either have the 7.3 or the 6.0 diesel. My friends have 7.3 diesels with well over 350k miles and they run like new. Mind you ... you said your truck towed effortlessly. If it were me, I would put money in your truck to get engine and tranny current, improve fuel economy and bling out the interior. If the truck is way behind in maintenance then its still got a great tradein value. Some folks are out there looking for 7.3 diesels. However, if this is your grocery getter and not just your tow vehicle ... well ... nah I'd still spend the money on your 1 ton Ford. I think you own an awesome truck and it would cost a fortune to replace it.

[Audioi]

Here is the real issue with the newer Micro Minnie, it's 10 feet 6 inches tall and that's a lot of wind drag for a smaller truck. Case in point I had a 2022 Frontier Pro4X V6 and it felt like the trailer was controlling the truck due to the wind drag. If the wind was at your back it did a fine job but that didn't happen often enough. Fast forward the GMC Sierra Duramax seems to do much better and for that reason I would not recommend any small truck for one of these newer (taller) Minnie's. If you have an earlier one it might be a totally different story.

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by Audioi

Here is the real issue with the newer Micro Minnie, it's 10 feet 6 inches tall and that's a lot of wind drag for a smaller truck. Case in point I had a 2022 Frontier Pro4X V6 and it felt like the trailer was controlling the truck due to the wind drag. If the wind was at your back it did a fine job but that didn't happen often enough. Fast forward the GMC Sierra Duramax seems to do much better and for that reason I would not recommend any small truck for one of these newer (taller) Minnie's. If you have an earlier one it might be a totally different story.

If you read the manuals on some of the smaller trucks you will find a front-end area restriction in the towing section. I know Ford called it out for the older Rangers, crossovers, and SUVs. Another overlooked component is the wheelbase. A longer wheelbase vehicle can help maintain control better than a short one. Think Tahoe vs Suburban.

Aaron

[timfhodgson]

Good info here, but nobody mentioned what I'm towing my 2022 2108FBS Micro MInnie FLX with — a 2022 Expedition with 3.5L eco-boost, heavy duty tow package and 10-speed transmission. I was skeptical for years about a 6-cylinder but talked to a lot of people towing much larger trailers (over 8000 lbs.) and finally replaced our old 2000 Expedition that had a 4.6L V-8. The old one guzzled gas, getting 6-8 mpg and struggled going up mountain passes. I'd have to slow to 35mph at some points. The new Expedition is effortless and tows amazingly well. I can go up those same mountain passes at 70mph (if I wanted, but usually tow at 60). MPG is okay (for me) at 10mpg. They put this same engine in smaller Fords, but not sure how they would tow in that the Expedition is obviously significantly heavier and that plays into it. We also have a weight distribution hitch that works great. Great solution for our needs. Good luck!

[Marine359]

Originally Posted by Audioi

Here is the real issue with the newer Micro Minnie, it's 10 feet 6 inches tall and that's a lot of wind drag for a smaller truck. Case in point I had a 2022 Frontier Pro4X V6 and it felt like the trailer was controlling the truck due to the wind drag. If the wind was at your back it did a fine job but that didn't happen often enough. Fast forward the GMC Sierra Duramax seems to do much better and for that reason I would not recommend any small truck for one of these newer (taller) Minnie's. If you have an earlier one it might be a totally different story.

I don’t believe you’ll find a 2108 owner paired with a Canyon/Colorado, or a Ford Ranger, who have had the problems you’ve had towing with a Frontier. Ford & GMC/Chevy midsize owners have hundreds of thousands of miles towing this trailer with none of those issues. Maybe it’s just the Frontier with its low torque, or maybe it was your hitch setup (you didn’t indicate if you were using a WDH with built-in sway control), but painting all mid-size trucks with the brush you use for the Frontier is inaccurate. You’re entitled to your recommendation of course, but, for someone who prefers not moving up to a full size, I would highly recommend the Chevy/Colorado or Ranger for safe, comfortable, and economical towing of any Micro Minnie. No doubt Sierra Duramax is better, but it also costs at least $20,000 more than a Canyon.

[Jay Tea]

TexasDon - Your suggestion is a good one! Mine is a "loaded" (for 2001) 7.3L Lariat, body is in very good condition, and all mechanicals work well. I'm guessing the money I would save on annual registration and insurance would easily renew the interior (seats) to make my existing F350 more comfortable. Thanks!