What tow vehicle do you have for your Micro Minnie 1706FB/1708FB?

[Nordichawk]

I'm curious on what is your tow vehicle for towing your Micro Minnie 1706FB/1708FB and how it performs in various traffic conditions and elevations.

[Goodspike]

Slightly larger trailer (2106 DS), but my Colorado Duramax does well in all conditions it's faced so far, but that's been rather limited. The worst passes were the west side of Snoqualmie (fairly gentle but very long) and Tiger Mountain (steeper but fairly short). And the exhaust brake is fantastic for going downhill! Other traffic and freeway conditions it performs well.

I would say though that if my garage was bigger I'd use a 1/2 or 3/4 ton full size truck with a large fuel tank option. The new 3.0 diesels offered by all three manufacturers look like great towing instruments, but I don't think GM offers a larger tank with it's full size trucks. Unfortunately it may be the only 3.0 with an exhaust brake.

[skeetman]

We just picked up our Micro 1708FB on May 29th, and are towing it with our Subaru Ascent SUV, which has a 5,000lb/500lb tongue weight limit. On our trip home from dealership (3hr drive) we maxed at 65mph and averaged around 13.5 mpg and it towed quite well. We specifically got the Micro 1708FB because it was the lightest dual axle couples trailer that we liked and we’re confident our vehicle could handle. We’ll be going out this weekend and later this month on a few weekend outings but plan to travel from Ohio to Gatlinburg,TN this September for a week long trip. That will be a better judge of our Subaru’s towing prowess when we drive through the mountains down there.

[09busaman]

We use our Tacoma, does just fine with a brake controller and good hitch. Just cant get in a hurry when fully loaded.

[COSCamper]

2100BH, and Tow with F150 with max tow. It does awesome.. and i can be in a hurry if I want to! We are in CO, even going over 11k passes, no problems, can accelerate if I want. I was a little concerned about downhill with the V6 having less engine braking than V8, but tow mode handles it fine. If garage space and budget allow, I have nothing but positive recommendations on the F150 (only negative.. the V6 doesn't have that nice V8 sound).

MPG however.. just average, I'll get 10.5 to 12.5, in trips so far I honestly think wind is the #1, and probably main/only factor. A strong head wind just kills mpg.

[redboneu]

Originally Posted by Nordichawk

I'm curious on what is your tow vehicle for towing your Micro Minnie 1706FB/1708FB and how it performs in various traffic conditions and elevations.

We tow a 2020 Micro Minnie 2106 FBS ,which weighs 3705 lbs dry, with a 2013 Toyota Tundra mid-size v8 with towing package. 5000 lbs. cap./500lb hitch. A Breeze To Tow. Purchased the micro minnie due to size, weight, and dimensions, specifications to make towing easier and safer.
It is the nicest towing trailer that we have owned. You do not need a large v8 or diesel. A mid-size suv with a 6 cyl. will handle it easily. Trailer brake recommended.

ENJOY.

[ranger1001]

Tow my Micro Minnie with a 2016 Chevy Colorado V-6 2WD. Hauled it from Maine to Florida twice and been all over the Northeast and Atlantic Canada with it. Tows well, handles great on the highway and average around 17 mpg.

[TrailerDon]

Originally Posted by Nordichawk

I'm curious on what is your tow vehicle for towing your Micro Minnie 1706FB/1708FB and how it performs in various traffic conditions and elevations.

I bought a Chev Colorado with the V6 and factory trailer towing package to tow a MicroMinnie 2106DS, the first year trips were short and I thought the combination was adequate, however, year 2 I took the trailer through the Rocky mountains and found out that on steeper highways the truck was not up to the task, could barely keep to the speed limits, and on some steeper highways could not reach the speed limit. While the V6 combination just could not adequately handle the trailer I am told the diesel engine version can actually tow quite well. I opted to upgrade the tow vehicle to a full size Chev Silverado with the V8. Now I can honestly say that I can hardly notice hauling the trailer. Have heard similar stories from Toyota owner with the V6 and Dodge Ram V6 owners and even Ford V6 owners. It seems that it is the dual axles trailer that are the problem, the single axle Micro Minnies seem to be easier to tow. My milage with the V6 towing the trailer was about 12 mpg, surprisingly the full size Chev with the V8 gets about 13 mpg, slightly better that the Colorado, but so much more power. Without the trailer mileage without the trailer mileage is just about double. What a difference towing a trailer makes.

[KGs2108DS]

2015 Toyota Tundra Crew Max. no problems at all. Now gas mileage, that's another thing :-(

[TrailerDon]

Originally Posted by KGs2108DS

2015 Toyota Tundra Crew Max. no problems at all. Now gas mileage, that's another thing :-(

Is that model the 5.7 V8?

[Tim D]

2019 GMC Canyon with the diesel engine. Have only towed our new 2108FBS on the 4 hour drive home from the dealership. Truck pulled trailer just fine, it gets 27mpg when not towing and got 15mpg towing home on highway. Taking it out on shakedown trip next week

[SonofBert]

Originally Posted by Nordichawk

I'm curious on what is your tow vehicle for towing your Micro Minnie 1706FB/1708FB and how it performs in various traffic conditions and elevations.

Towed two 1706fb's with an '08 4Runner 4WD 4.7l V8. Does OK, but I think a 4.0l Tacoma V6 would be adequate also (towed a heavier 8ft-wide trailer with a 2012 Tacoma 4.0l over the same terrain).

4.7l V8 is 260hp/310tq, 4.0l V6 is 235hp/270tq.

Elevation increase will decrease engine power in any non-turbo vehicle, engines do best with dense air and the higher the elevation the lower the air density.

I think at high elevation (say 5000 to 11,000 ft), loaded up to 4000lbs+ with passengers, trailer, and gear an engine similar to the Toyota 4.0l V6 is the minimum.

[Trout One]

Tried towing my 1706FB with my 2000 V6 ZR2 S-10. Not a great situation: under-powered, under-cooled, and under-braked. It would run 65 on the interstate (thought that's not our thing) but we maxed out the cooling when pulling even the mildest of long hills on I-75 between Cartersville, GA and Chattanooga, without having AC turned on.


A couple of trips locally confirmed my suspicions so I found a 2011 4WD Suburban as a replacement for the ZR-2. I'm about to find out how the 5.3 V8 does tomorrow as we head to another local state park to check things out, though on paper, it should have no issue whatsoever.


Will post observations when we get back in a couple of days.

[TrailerDon]

Originally Posted by Trout One

Tried towing my 1706FB with my 2000 V6 ZR2 S-10. Not a great situation: under-powered, under-cooled, and under-braked. It would run 65 on the interstate (thought that's not our thing) but we maxed out the cooling when pulling even the mildest of long hills on I-75 between Cartersville, GA and Chattanooga, without having AC turned on.


A couple of trips locally confirmed my suspicions so I found a 2011 4WD Suburban as a replacement for the ZR-2. I'm about to find out how the 5.3 V8 does tomorrow as we head to another local state park to check things out, though on paper, it should have no issue whatsoever.


Will post observations when we get back in a couple of days.

Hi, I also had a Colorado with the V6 as my tow vehicle for my 2106DS, I had the same result as you. Finally upgraded my tow vehicle to a full size Chevy 1500 with the factory tow package and the 5.3 V8. Now I have all the power I need, can actually do the speed limit going up steep mountain roads. I do not know where GM calculated that the Colorado had a 7,000 lbs for towing capacity. It was fine as long as I did not need to drive any steeper inclines. At higher elevations it really laboured. I miss the Colorado for its size but the new Silverado is what I should have bought at the beginning.

[McTrailer]

My 2100bh was towed with a 02 chevy 1500 with 5.3 max tow package. Maybe back when it was new it would have been solid but the old 4 speed transmission is the achilles heel. Vacuum leaks and other typical old issues cause a lack of power.

I towed with a 2019 chevy 1500 5.3 single cab and it towed very well..

I decided a new 3500 chevy gas because of the much larger gas tank and future towing needs. I get 10mpg towing and 16mpg unloaded.

[Goodspike]

Originally Posted by TrailerDon

Hi, I also had a Colorado with the V6 as my tow vehicle for my 2106DS, I had the same result as you. Finally upgraded my tow vehicle to a full size Chevy 1500 with the factory tow package and the 5.3 V8. Now I have all the power I need, can actually do the speed limit going up steep mountain roads. I do not know where GM calculated that the Colorado had a 7,000 lbs for towing capacity. It was fine as long as I did not need to drive any steeper inclines.

These reports are odd given the V6 Colorado did rather well on the FLT's Gauntlet test. But to answer your question, tow ratings are about a lot more than speed up the hill, and I'm not even sure any of it is about speed up a hill, as opposed to repeating being able to start from a stop going up a steep grade. They are also about turning and other factors, including even parking brakes.

This test is with a 6,100 pound trailer, although a trailer that is much more aerodynamic than ours.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqcYm4_80Vg

[bleckb]

2108DS and we tow with a 2016 F-150 with the ecoboost. Previously we have a 17 foot Jayco Hummingbird that we first two with a Toyota Highlander. It did the job, but the difference when we moved to the F-150 was amazing. If you can afford a pickup of whatever brand, I suggest it over an SUV if only for the comfort of more readily being able to pull a load.

[Goodspike]

Originally Posted by bleckb

If you can afford a pickup of whatever brand, I suggest it over an SUV if only for the comfort of more readily being able to pull a load.

For me it wasn't so much what I could afford, but instead what I could fit in my garage. Height was the main concern, and I even considered the Ram with air suspension but then didn't go that far with the idea for fear I'd forget to lower it when entering the garage.

I went with the Colorado Duramax mainly to get better range and fewer RPMs.

[Captain_RV8]

Just finishing a 33 day trip around the western US. Nearly 7,000 miles, of which I’d say 5500-6000 were under tow. Average MPG at 17. Guessing trailer weight at about 4500 to 4800. Bed of truck pretty full with gen-ie, cycling gear, cleaning gear and other stuff. Probably not anywhere near GCVW.

Probably the most strenuous parts of the drive were from Colorado Springs to Gunnison and then Gunnison to Durango via the “Million Dollar Highway.” Truck handled all with no problem. I am pretty pleased with the set up. Except for height of trailer suspension and the weak rear bumper that will be soon getting replaced with a custom one.

Truck is 2017 Colorado Z71 With the MiniMax Diesel. 5” ProComp lift. Trailer is 2019 Minnie 2106FBS.

[creativepart]

Originally Posted by Captain_RV8

Truck is 2017 Colorado Z71 With the MiniMax Diesel. 5” ProComp lift. Trailer is 2019 Minnie 2106FBS.

Good looking rig! However, the front end of the truck looks a little high from this photo. Perhaps you need to clamp down a bit more on the bars of your WD Hitch?