Winnebago Hike 100 1316SB review
Today’s RV review is of the 2023 Winnebago Hike 100 1316SB. In many ways this is absolutely the answer to requests I get about a small trailer with big features, particularly the ability to bring along adventure-related gear.
In fact I have the privilege of writing articles for Girl Camper Magazine and many of the readers have reached out asking for exactly what this trailer is. What is it? Well, my most general description of this is that it’s a very small toy hauler with a bathroom. How’s that?
Essentially this is a very small, single-axle trailer that sports double doors at the back much like a modern cargo van but also brush guards and a metal exoskeleton which would allow you to tie down some cargo. Despite its diminutive size, it is a very useful floor plan indeed for the right buyer.
Unique Features
There are a lot of unique features in the 2023 Winnebago Hike 100 1316SB. This is a narrow-body trailer where the wheels stick out of the side of the trailer, in some ways like a cargo trailer.
The first unique feature lies above those wheels in the form of metal boxes. These can be used for storage or small cargo items. The box on the road side of the trailer has a flip-up lid which has a magnetic hold back to keep it open. Nice.
On the camp side there is the same lid arrangement but the front of the box flips down as well forming a table. There are also metal dividers in the box so you could ostensibly use this as part of an outdoor kitchen.
This brings us to the next feature, which is an included induction cook top. While this trailer does have a small kitchen inside, there is not a cooking surface, per se. But Winnebago does include a single induction cook top which may work well for some campers.
You could use that inside in the kitchen, on the portable table that’s included or on that flip-down table in the metal box above the wheel.
Further, there’s another flip-down table at the back on the inside of the camp-side double door. So you could make your kitchen in a any number of places on this trailer. Nice.
Inside the opposite door is a moly panel which is essentially a grid of squares that you can use to hook carabiners or just about anything else. Heck, if you are my old uncle Tony you could even outline the things you hang on that moly panel with white paint so you know if something’s missing.
I love when you go into some people’s garage workshop and they have a peg board with outlines to match the tool that’s supposed to be there. He also knew if one of us brats, er, kids borrowed a tool and didn’t return it.
That moly panel is part of the whole flexibility of this trailer and I like it. There is also an exoskeleton which looks like roll bars on the outside of the trailer. You can tie things to this to add to the cargo functionality of this trailer. It also gives it a tough, rugged look.
On the subject of those back doors, the two doors are very similar to what you’d find at the back of a van and offer much the same functionality which extends inside.
Cold and hot camping
As much as I like a lot of the features on the exterior, the interior is what has me sold. But first it’s important to know that the walls between inside and out are much thicker than what you’d normally find in a small, towable RV.
This translates into better insulation for occupants. Further, the underbelly is fully enclosed and also helps to make this camper more compatible with foul weather. There are also 12 volt heating pads on the tanks to facilitate in making this compatible with that weather should it be of the cold variety.
Interior features
I like so many of the things Winnebago did with the exterior of this trailer but the interior is really where it shines the most, to me.
First of all the bed, which is a 60” x 70” flat bed on a manual drop-down. There are a lot of toy haulers where a bed drops from above and this is an example of my favorite kind. Essentially the bed is in a frame that is held to the ceiling by four gas struts. To move it from storage mode to bed mode, you just pull down on the front and the back and you’re set. It’s remarkably quick and easy.
Putting it back out of the way is similarly simple. A couple of quick pushes and the job is done.
While I appreciate the power mechanisms in many toy haulers, this is just so fast and bulletproof it can’t be beat.
Winnebago actually offers two very similar floor plans the Winnebago Hike 100 1316SB and the Winnebago Hike 100 1316TB. The one we’re looking at has the aforementioned bed on top but two lower bench seats, one along each wall.
These bench seats can be facing benches and there’s a portable table that comes with the trailer that you can put between them so up to six campers can sit across from each other. This would be great for a card game or something like that.
You can also tumble fold the back of the seats such that this also becomes one big bed. These benches can also fold up against the wall to maximize the interior storage.
Think about this - if you have a smaller tow vehicle you could easily fold up those two benches, have the upper bed stowed and easily haul two bikes back here. There are also tie-downs to make sure your stuff doesn’t go flying around.
This makes this very flexible trailer one that can serve a lot of purposes including as a gear hauler. Heck, if you just bought a washing machine or some volume of home repair stuff you could use this as a cargo trailer.
Further there’s a nice little cubby on the camp side so you could use this for things like the phones we’re not supposed to be looking at right before bed or even a CPAP machine. There are USB and household outlets here so you’re set.
In fact, speaking of your phone, this even comes with a JBL Bluetooth portable speaker that recharges on an included base. That base also has a couple of USB ports. It’s pretty slick.
Kitchen and bath
As much as this trailer offers a lot of flexibility the kitchen and bath might be where this falls a bit short for some buyers.
The kitchen is essentially a sink, bar-sized refrigerator and a convection microwave. There is no stove top, although I did already share the induction cook top that comes with this and that maybe plenty for many campers.
Actually there is a decent amount of storage space in here with some of that over the sink and a drawer beneath the microwave. Someone at Winnebago was really thinking as there’s a cutting board in that drawer so it serves multiple purposes including as a cutting board, drawer or just extra counter space. Nice!
The bathroom is equally clever in that it’s a wet bath, which is a deal breaker for some. But the way they’ve done this, there are easily-removable shelves in the bathroom so you could use this for just storage. Or, you could put things you’ve gotten wet with all that adventure gear you can bring and let those wet items drip dry.
There is a toilet in here, a cartridge toilet. That means you have about five gallons of storage before you have to empty but if you’re going off-grid camping it’s fully acceptable to dump your cartridge toilet into a pit toilet or even a campground flush toilet. These are actually pretty convenient, although I think the perception is worse than the idea.
The cartridge toilet is an interesting implementation because the seat actually rotates 90 degrees so it can stow more compactly or be in position for. Well. You know.
Tonys thoughts
I really, really like this trailer and think it would make a lot of sense for a lot of campers.
Another thing I haven’t seen before is the suspension on this. While Curt, which is part of Lippert, has been getting a lot of attention for their new independent suspension this system also intrigues me.
It is also an axle-less independent suspension but one using Dexter’s torsion axle design along with shocks at each wheel. It appears to offer a lot of the functionality of other independent suspension systems without as much of the cost. I’m certainly going to do more research into this system.
There are a few things I would like to see done differently, of course.
You should know that, in this model, the only way to operate the induction cook top and the microwave are with shore (120 volt) power. Now that can easily be solved with something like a Jackery or that sort of gadget so it’s not that big a deal. But it’s worth knowing.
Second, I have harped on lots of RV companies for using just a small four inch fart fan, which doesn’t really do anything but make noise. I wish they had stepped up with a high performance fan.
Lastly, I wish they offered a screen to cover the rear of the trailer. I can see myself camping in this with the back doors open but I can also see this as an invitation to flying pests. Many of Winnebago’s camper vans have big screens across the back so it’s not a new idea.
But these are really minor nits to pick in a trailer that I think would work for a lot of campers. The small size and light weigh along with decent cargo carrying capacity really would make this a useful rig. Further, it comes with both a power side awning but also a bat wing awning. When they’re both deployed, virtually the entire rear of this trailer is covered.
I can see why this model is getting so many awards. Further, there is another variation with a very advanced solar and battery system in their “FLX” edition that we will look at in the near future. That likely solves the power issue and is another feather in the Winnebago cap in terms of off-grid camping.
More RV reviews
We have more RV reviews that you can see including specific categories for your reference.
Our complete collection of travel trailer reviews.
Our complete collection of fifth wheel RV reviews.
Our complete collection overlanding RV reviews.
Our complete collection of motorhomes and motorized RV reviews.
Our complete collection of toy hauler RV reviews.
Our complete collection of bunkhouse RV reviews.
RV Shopping Tips
If you’re shopping for an RV we have some great resources for you.
Our complete guide with Tips for buying and selling an RV
Planning on purchasing a towable RV? Visit our RV towing guide first.
Is the mattress in your RV terrible? Check out the GhostBed RV Mattress - we love ours.
Visit an RV show
Want to check out RVs for yourself in person? We have a complete list of RV shows across the US.
