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If you’ve ever heard Stef or me talk about the “Sea of Same” in RVs, all it takes is one trip to an RV show and you’ll understand what we mean. Take travel trailers, for example. There are literally hundreds of travel trailer models, and I honestly couldn’t tell most of them apart. Sure, some are longer, some have more slides, bed here, bed there, yadda yadda yadda. But if I blindfolded you, and walked you inside a travel trailer, when I took off the blindfold, there’s a zero percent chance you’d come back with, “Oh, of course! We’re in a Jayco Jay Feather 21MML.” (I don’t think the president of Jayco would be able to identify it either.) And that’s what we mean by “Sea of Same”. You can’t tell one from the other.
This isn’t to knock travel trailers. They fulfill an important niche in the RV industry. They generally tend to be less expensive, entry level rigs. And you can usually expect that they’ll contain less expensive, entry level appointments.
Except this one:
The Winnebago Micro Minnie FLX (we review the 2100 Bunk House model here) sets itself apart with the quality of appliances and the high tech features it packs in. Now granted, the FLX models will be more expensive than travel trailers with “standard” RV appointments, but this is one of those cases where you get what you pay for. Here’s some of what makes the Micro Minnie FLX special.
Truma Appliances Throughout
For heat, the FLX uses the Truma VarioHeat. This is the same heater we have in our EKKO 4-season motorhome. It’s quiet. It’s efficient. And it was designed in this century. Same for the water heater, which is the tankless Truma Aqua-Go. Again, the same thing we have in our motorhome. And for air conditioning, it features the Truma Aventa – which is something WE WISH was in our motorhome. It’s quieter and more efficient than industry standard RV air conditioners.
Pimped Out Off Grid Capabilities
Instead of the standard 105 amp hour flooded cell battery, the FLX includes a 320 amp-hour Lithionics lithium battery (over 6 times the usable capacity)! This battery system is UL listed, and includes a circuit breaker as a safety measure. There’s also a 3,000 watt inverter, capable of running everything off-grid with no generator. There are 200 watts of solar panels, with the option to add a portable panel – and they all run through an MPPT solar charge controller (not a less expensive PWM controller). A lot of these features are things I’ve built into our own motorhome – we’re big fans of Lithionics Battery and ditching the generators.
Wired for Tech
Throughout the unit, there are thoughtful tech touches. The USB jacks throughout are also USB-C compatible, so bonus there. There is a wireless charging station on the counter. The unit is pre-wired for backup cameras, tire pressure monitors, and WiFi boosters.
The Personal Angle
Honestly, we had no idea they were putting cool stuff like this into travel trailers. It wasn’t on our radar, and wouldn’t have been – had not Tyler and Anna and the two grandchildren made us aware of it. They’re shopping for a travel trailer, and had narrowed their search down to two models – this one, or an R-Pod. Stef is absolutely thrilled about this, and she’s already got their next 10 vacations planned out for them (she’s a bit of a sMother).
So we made this video kind of for them, but kind of for all of you as well. Personally, I hope they get this one because of all the cool tech. I’m actually running out of projects to do on our own RV, so I could use something new to pimp out! If you want to see what they wind up with, check back in a while. Hopefully, I’ll get to try my hand at travel trailer mods soon!
We have the flx with the 2108DS floor plan! We love ours. My husband is an electrician and the Lithionics battery system was especially enticing to him. We are taking the grands out at the end of June for their first overnight!!
Did your kids buy the flx?.
They did! They’re coming around in a week or two to work on some mods. Fun for everyone!
Can you tell us if your family had any issues with the new FLX? The 2022’s had slide issues and setup issues with the electronics and wonder if you guys were able to troubleshoot successfully and can share your findings.
They haven’t had any slide issues that we’re aware of, and they took off on an all-summer-long series of trips this year, so I think they’re solid there.
They did have one caulking issue with the shower, which the dealer fixed for them. And I’m aware of one quirk with the inverter turning off or on when it shouldn’t or something like that. That wasn’t something they had fixed, but rather something they just learned and work around with a reset or some such.
Beyond that, it’s been pretty trouble-free for them.
Glad to see more competition in the AC space, but it doesn’t look like Truma sells their Aventa model to the public yet in the US. I recently switched from Mach 10 NDQ to Houghton 3400, and have really enjoyed the 3 speed fan and the quiet design of it all. Unfortunately I had to hack it because the fan would run 100% of the time blowing warm damp air after the compressor cycles off, so now there’s a w1209 thermostat interrupting the internal fan’s neutral when the evaporator coil rises above 45 degrees or so. I guess Australians don’t know about humidity. It’s frustrating that the companies that make ACs aren’t thinking about these things. Variable inverter mini split would be the way to go if I could only make it fit. I’m too leery to trust the BTU ratings of some of these smaller outfits making expensive DC based units.
Not direct to public yet is what I understand as well.
It’s worth noting that the Truma unit does pay attention to the humidity when it operates. It tries to keep both the temp and humidity in a range where it thinks things are comfortable. Also has a dehumidification cycle!
Great review! We might be switching to a trailer from our 2019 Travato and this one is a possibility! I am hoping you can answer a couple more questions to help our decision making:
1. Can you provide a real life example of how much power the lithium battery can supply? Say if we want to go boon docking for three days, would the battery support A/C, lights, etc.
2. Is there a tow hitch on the bumper if we wanted to add bike rack?
3. Are the water lines easily accessible for winterization, and if there is a water line leak are the lines accessible enough for a DIY fix?
4. Could we bring a portable generator and plug it into the trailer for power if needed?
Thanks for your great reviews and info!
“How long will the battery last” is almost impossible to answer, because we might not use electricity the same as you. BUT!!!
I did a video to address this very question, and the battery I use as an example in the video is the exact battery that’s in this travel trailer. So there are some theoretical examples there.
How Long Can You Run Your RV AC Off Batteries?
As to your other questions:
2. Yes.
3. The water lines are as easily accessible as any other rig. It would be no more or less difficult to wintreize or repair.
4. Yes. You would plug in a portable generator the same way you would plug into shore power.
Hope this helps!
Thank you, James! Just watched the video. So informative and helpful!
I think, a few trailer brands have three tires. On each side. Making an even more comfortable ride. And some have good shocks, for extra stability.
Also, there’s a new trailer hitch that prevents trailer swaying, left to right. It acts as a pivot which moves, in a half- circle. Either left or right. This is very helpful, from sudden moves or from winds. For a more stable-centered ride on the road.
I saw a trailer that had it’s own Tv room, desk, and small couch and shelves. Separate, from all rooms.
And for satellite dishes that allow for work and emails while camping. I heard a subscription can be as much as $120, per month.. For the premium subscription. They say, it’s best not to park under a tree. At least while trying to get a good signal. Wi-Fi sometimes doesn’t work, at some locations. Due to mountains. Or, no Wi-Fi tower nearby.
I think you mentioned before, for those using wall slide-outs: To prevent rusting, spray WD-40 around screws. And on the slide-outs, where the panel extends out. This also prevents rusting. Since condensation can be constant, every day. Especially, in the winter months. And also on the slide-out guides that help the wall extend out.
Thank you, for your reviews, updates,; how-to’s….And what not to’s (lol).
-Mike C
Glad you liked the review!
Haven’t scene one of these reviews in a long while …. one question, where is the bell? Did Stef finally get rid of it?
We haven’t been to any RV shows in a couple years – pandemic and all…
The bell is still sitting on my desk. Mel rings them now, so Stef won’t take them away because that would seem mean.
This is a little off topic, but you talked about an EV Winnie a bit ago, I can’t find it and it isn’t important, but I was wondering if you had comments on this e-Winnie, second gen:
https://www.rv.com/rv/trending-rvs/winnebago-reveals-second-generation-electric-camper-van-prototype/?utm_source=exacttarget&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=RMN025664_02172023&scpc=
Maybe a review in the future. Guess that’s pre-review.
Cheers, Don
We’ll be taking it for a test spin (camp) in a month or so!