Need Advice! About to buy a MicroMini

[Tbear-WO]

After a 10 day trip last fall around the GrandCanyon in a Mobile home, my wife and I are going to get back into camping. Never had a camping trailer before ( used tents in the good old days ). I’m about to buy the MicroMini 2108FBS.

Newbie questions :

I need to have my Highlander changed from a 4 wire to 7 wire connector. While doing that, should I wire up and use a traditional brake controller and if so which is best; or should I use one of the recent wireless controllers that sit between the trailer plug and vehicle socket?

I assume if you are Bluetooth connected to the brake controller with your phone, I can’t simultaneously Bluetooth Into my cars dash system? If true, that’s a game changer for me.

Also - does anyone have experience with the Fastway E2 hitch which describes itself as a dual weight distribution AND anti sway system.

The dealer is pushing both the Fastway as well as a wireless controller and I’m not sure who or what to believe.

Hope my new friends in this forum can give me some guidance.

Thanks.

 

[09busaman]

I would prefer to use a hard wired one, Tenkosha makes a great unit. I did look at that wireless one you are describing and it is too new for me to decide to pull the trigger on it. If you do try it, see if they have a return policy in case you dont like it.
As far as bluetooth, it just depends. I can connect my phone to my truck, the Escort, and to a smart watch all at the same time so I dont see a reason you cant connect to your in car system to the bluetooth unit at the same time as well.
I cant advise on that hitch system, I use an Anderson.

Good luck and let us know what you end up with.

 

[Tbear-WO]

Thanks

I would prefer to use a hard wired one, Tenkosha makes a great unit. I did look at that wireless one you are describing and it is too new for me to decide to pull the trigger on it. If you do try it, see if they have a return policy in case you dont like it.
As far as bluetooth, it just depends. I can connect my phone to my truck, the Escort, and to a smart watch all at the same time so I dont see a reason you cant connect to your in car system to the bluetooth unit at the same time as well.
I cant advise on that hitch system, I use an Anderson.

Good luck and let us know what you end up with.

Thanks for your reply. I decided to go with a direct wired Curt Spektrum. Plan to have it installed in my car tomorrow and pick up the 2108FBS tomorrow afternoon.

 

[Goodspike]

That might be a bit much of a trailer for Highlander. I'm not familar with all its specs, but don't just go by tow rating, there are other specs.

Also, can you use a WDH on a Highlander? Basically is it unibody construction? Typically that is not allowed with Unibody. Read your manual to find the limits, and don't rely on the sales people at the RV store.

 

[creativepart]

That might be a bit much of a trailer for Highlander. I'm not familar with all its specs, but don't just go by tow rating, there are other specs.

I just checked and the highland in V6 trim WITH THE OPTIONAL TOW PACKAGE has a maximum tow rating of 5000 lbs and the Micro Minnie 2108FBS travel trailer has a GVWR of 7000 lbs. So, basically you're 2000 lbs over weight for that combo.

The dealer will lie to your face and tell you it's "fine" but it is not fine.

The 2108FBS has a dry weight of 4,000 lbs. But you can't go by that. You need to consider the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and on that TT it is 7,000lbs.

Your tow vehicle will physically pull the trailer - but it will be unsafe and liable to cause all manor of handling issues. Flipping the two vehicles is not unheard of.

I'll bet that you've been assured that you're good to go. But the TT dealer just wants to sell the trailer and will say anything to get it sold.

I did a web search and found other folks that bought similar and or lighter TTs with a Highlander tow vehicle and had all manner of problems. One sold his Highlander and bought a Suburban. Most said a TT of 2000 to 3,500 lbs tops.

 

[creativepart]

Here's a link to a post made here today about the problems of towing th 2108FBS with too small a vehicle:

https://www.winnieowners.com/forums...innie-1706fb-1708fb-357480-3.html#post3867771

 

[tinglett]

When I set out to buy a 2108DS last year I was thinking of a Highlander as well. This is partly how I sized what trailer we wanted to get, and I happened by chance to find one that was barely used. It turned out the owner was using a highlander. No WD hitch either. The match seemed so easy as the dry weight was only 3900 and the Highlander could tow 5000, right?

It's been towed with an F350 Super Duty which had zero trouble, of course, but eventually I ended up with a Land Cruiser. I can't comment yet as it hasn't taken its maiden voyage with that tow vehicle, and won't until my WD hitch arrives. But soon.

I did get very worried about the capability of a Highlander and after lots of reading of discussions in forums decided very quickly against the Highlander as the math (and reality in my opinion) was not so obvious the more I investigated. But keep in mind that I'm very new to this. I just concluded it was a bad idea for me and kept an eye out for other options.

Todd

 

[Goodspike]

I just checked and the highland in V6 trim WITH THE OPTIONAL TOW PACKAGE has a maximum tow rating of 5000 lbs and the Micro Minnie 2108FBS travel trailer has a GVWR of 7000 lbs. So, basically you're 2000 lbs over weight for that combo.

The dealer will lie to your face and tell you it's "fine" but it is not fine.

The 2108FBS has a dry weight of 4,000 lbs. But you can't go by that.
.

I would disagree. The Micro Minnies have a strong frame and tandem axles, so they most all have 7,000 pound ratings, even though some weigh under 4,000. A similar trailer might have a much lower weight capacity due to a weaker frame, but if it weighed the same loaded (which is the weight that actually matters), it would make no difference that the Micro Minnie could carry more. Just don't carry more. (As an aside, I think you'd probably need to be Lucile Ball in The Long Long Trailer, carrying a bunch of large rocks to get the thing up to 7,000 pounds.)

But still, again don't go just by tow rating. My truck as a 7,700 pound tow rating and it's pretty well maxed out with the 2106DS, which is slightly smaller than the trailer being considered. I would not have bought it if I was planning on towing with an SUV.

 

[tinglett]

Just don't carry more.

I was initially following this line of thinking. A dry trailer of 3900 with a "towing capacity" of 5000 means I can haul 1100 lbs of "stuff." But then I realized that's it. You can't haul extra stuff in the car either. Oh, and my wife is also part of that 1100 lbs, and the rest of myself is there too (iirc, the "towing capacity" is a silly calculation that assumes a driver of 150 lbs, or something like that).

Anyway, I'll leave it to the experts to produce more solid warnings, but at this point I punted and didn't even try to figure out if a weight distribution hitch would help, or what on earth the axle weights might be, etc. I was seriously thinking of a Toyota Tundra, but ended up with the Land Cruiser which has similar ratings, and same engine, but I'm still worried I might be on the edge a little. I'm hoping not, else I'll be adding to that story creativepart linked earlier.

Todd

 

[Goodspike]

Just to give you some idea of the numbers you need to look at, my truck has several weight limits.

First there is Max Tow Rating. Mine is 7,700. This is a BS number designed to sell vehicles. When you look at the numbers below, unless it were maybe a boat trailer, there's no way I could tow a 7,700 trailer.

Second, Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 6,200. Since my truck without passengers and stuff weight 4,753, that leaves a payload of about 1450 pounds. That has to account for accessories, driver & passengers, cargo inside the truck and the full weight of the truck. For me I'm really close to that number with a trailer having a 550 pound tongue weight.

Then there is tongue weight. Mine is 770.

Then there's Gross Combined Vehicle Weight (GCVW). Mine is 12,700, so if my vehicle was at the maximum 6,200 weight I could tow a 6,500 trailer. But to tow a 7,700 trailer it would pretty much just have to be me inside the truck with nothing in the bed.

Then there are axle ratings. My front is 6,400 and the rear is 6,500. With a trailer with a 550 pound tongue and a Weight Distributing Hitch (WDH) I am under those numbers by over 400 and 500 pounds.

You can use this site to calculate some of the limits, but not axle limits.

TowCalculator.com

I really think you'd be better off with a vehicle that had a frame rather than Unibody, or going with a much smaller trailer. Also, keep in mind tow mirrors. A narrow trailer like the Winnebago will give you better sight around the trailer, and better aerodynamics. It's not just all about weight!

 

[creativepart]

I would disagree. The Micro Minnies have a strong frame and tandem axles, so they most all have 7,000 pound ratings, even though some weigh under 4,000.

You can disagree, but the strong frame and axle have nothing to do with this.

When matching a trailer to a tow vehicle the GVWR and the Max Towing rating are what matters - not how strong the frame is.

That trailer has a listed weight of 4,000 lbs DRY at the factory. It will weigh more than that the day it is delivered. Then, with Propane, batteries and even 1/3rd of a tank of water you'll nearer to 4500 lbs before you put anything in the fridge and store anything in the TT.

https://www.rvuniversity.com/staticpages/index.php/Matching_Tow_Trailer_101

 

[Goodspike]

You can disagree, but the strong frame and axle have nothing to do with this.

Yes it does! What are you going to fill a 4,000 trailer with to get it to weigh 7,000 pounds. It would be virtually impossible. You're penalizing a trailer with a stronger frame for absolutely no reason whatsoever! Again it's the loaded weight that matters for towing, not the dry weight or the GVWR.

Your way of thinking would have a 4,000 pound trailer with a 4,500 GVWR as superior to a 4,000 pound trailer with a 7,000 pound rating. If both trailers are loaded to 4,500 pounds the tow vehicle doesn't know the difference. Any vehicle that can handle one can handle the other.

 

[Goodspike]

Here are tow calculations from towcalculator.com. I put in some vehicle weights for a truck which can basically pull 5,000 pounds, both due to tow rating and GCWR. I used two 4,500 pound trailers but one had a 7,000 GVWR and the other a whopping 10,000 pounds. The hypothetical vehicle could tow either per the site because it's the actual weight of the trailer that matters.

If you put in a total trailer weight in excess of its GVWR it would flunk, but that would be due to the trailer, and you would flunk even if the tow vehicle were an F-350.

 

[creativepart]

I'm not saying you're going to load it to 7,000 lbs. Remember, 4,000 lbs is the dry weight without batteries, without propane, without anything loaded in the RV, and without any thing in the tanks. The day the trailer is taken home before he loads it it will be within a couple hundred pounds of the MAX his vehicle can manage.

That's all I'm saying.

If I was towing with a Highlander, I wouldn't exceed 3,500 lb dry weight. Simple as that.

 

[Goodspike]

The day the trailer is taken home before he loads it it will be within a couple hundred pounds of the MAX his vehicle can manage.

That I will agree with. I just don't see a Unibody SUV pulling that trailer very well or very safely.

I know tow ratings were supposed to level the playing field by standardizing the measurements, but they really have become a sales tool and very misleading.

 

[Tbear-WO]

Highlander

Thanks for all the comments.

Just drove my highlander and new micro mini 1000 miles up the east coast from Florida to MA. I have a combination Weight Distribution / anti sway system. Could hardly tell I was puling a trailer. Ran true and straight with no problem. Front and rear Highlander wheel wells were down an inch from no load but equal. We were careful not to add too much extraneous weight... seems to be working well.....

Tbear!

 

[Goodspike]

Thanks for all the comments.

Just drove my highlander and new micro mini 1000 miles up the east coast from Florida to MA. I have a combination Weight Distribution / anti sway system. Could hardly tell I was puling a trailer. Ran true and straight with no problem. Front and rear Highlander wheel wells were down an inch from no load but equal. We were careful not to add too much extraneous weight... seems to be working well.....

Tbear!

Your front wheel wells should not be below the unloaded weight. Scale back on how much you're adjusting the WDH.

 

[Tbear-WO]

WDH adjustment

Your front wheel wells should not be below the unloaded weight. Scale back on how much you're adjusting the WDH.

Thanks for your advice. I’m a bit new at this and thought that keeping the car level, implying that the load front to rear was the same was the preferable thing to do. Sounds like your suggesting that having the unloaded weight ( height ) on the front is preferable even if that causes the back to be a bit lower.

I can certainly tweak the WDH to bring the front end back up a bit. I didn’t sense any issues driving but fortunately I never had to jam on the brakes either. Any further advice is welcomed.

Tbear

 

[Goodspike]

Thanks for your advice. I’m a bit new at this and thought that keeping the car level, implying that the load front to rear was the same was the preferable thing to do. Sounds like your suggesting that having the unloaded weight ( height ) on the front is preferable even if that causes the back to be a bit lower.
Tbear

Yes, exactly.

 

[tinglett]

Your front wheel wells should not be below the unloaded weight. Scale back on how much you're adjusting the WDH.

Interesting, this is the first I've ever heard this. I'm still waiting for my new andersen hitch to arrive but will need to check the manual when it arrives. I thought they said to evenly squat both front and back, but maybe I just assumed that or saw it in other videos.

Todd