The Hike 100 Is the Smallest Winnebago Yet, But Still Competent

Winnebago’s latest trailer aims to make access to vanlife easier for those who have never done it before or who, for that matter, aren’t in the market for a new towing rig as well. The Hike 100, introduced at the end of last month and to be included in the 2022 lineup, is the smallest Winnebago yet. Don’t let its small size fool you as regards its competence, though. Size doesn’t matter, and all that.

The Winnebago Hike 100 is the youngest and most compact sibling of the Hike, designed to be towed with basically any mid-size truck or SUV. This means it’s easy to operate and store, and can be used with a vehicle you might already have in your driveway.

Measuring 15 feet (457 cm) in length and 7.9 feet (241 cm) in width, it offers standing height and big trailer amenities, all thrown in together in a very compact footprint. Dry weight is 2,700 pounds (1,225 kg), and you can load up to 1,500 pounds (680 kg) of stuff on it, including Thule compatible gear of all sorts, from kayaks to bicycles.

Unlike most Winnebago trailers, this is not a family vehicle. It can sleep two or three people, depending on which of the five available layouts you choose, but it’s not exactly made to be lived in. As you can see in the video presentation at the bottom of the page, the Hike 100 is a means to get you out, to offer you protection and shelter from the elements, the most basic creature comforts, and storage for the gear you will be using to explore the great outdoors. It is not a proper home on wheels, and doesn’t pretend to be so.

Regardless of which layout you choose, Hike 100 offers one queen-size bed, bunk / loft, all types of storage, a kitchenette with or without a dining nook, fridge, induction cooktop and microwave oven, an optional outdoor kitchen, a wet bathroom with toilet, shower and sink that doubles as storage for drying gear, solar panels, and mounts for gear and additional accessories. Power awning adds 200 square feet (18.5 square meters) of living space on three sides of the trailer – a very elegant attempt at compensating for the compactness of the actual trailer.

The layout shown in the video is the H1316FB, and comes with a bunk bed and storage under both beds accessible from outside.

Winnebago says the Hike 100 is perfectly capable to get you to remote locations and keep you there in comfort for an extended stay. To that end, the trailer features a 31.0-gallon (141-liter) tank for freshwater, a 4.75-gallon (21.5-liter) one for blackwater, and a 25.0-gallon (114-liter) one for graywater. It also has a small water heater, an 18,000-BTU furnace, air conditioning, a 20-pound (9.1-kg) propane tank, and standard 190-watt solar panel, with the possibility to add a portable unit.

“The Winnebago HIKE 100 offers unparalleled versatility with its incredible capacity to store gear of all kinds, and extended season capability — all in a footprint small and light enough to be towed behind a mid-sized SUV,” Winnebago says of the latest addition to its iconic lineup.

Pricing for the Hike 100 has not been revealed yet, but the consensus is that, since it’s a smaller version of the Hike, it will be cheaper than that one. The Hike costs close to $30,000, so the Hike 100 could be offered at $25,000 for the base unit. Whether this kind of money is worth paying for the convenience of a compact trailer is, as always, up to the customer.