The Little Guy Mini Max from Liberty Outdoors is a lightweight teardrop with a small footprint, but it plays a lot bigger.
The Mini Max is built on a steel-tube chassis with aluminum-framed side walls wrapped in fiberglass.
RVers looking for an attractive, fun, comfortable trailer that hitches up well behind fuel-efficient, easily maneuverable crossovers, compact SUVs and midsize pickups might want to take a look at the retro-style 2019 Little Guy Mini Max teardrop. It packs a load of amenities and thoughtful design into a compact footprint.
The Mini Max’s aerodynamic profile and dry weight just shy of 2,000 pounds make it a nice travel companion for family vehicles with tow ratings of 3,000 pounds or more, such as Jeep Wranglers, Toyota Rav4 all-wheel-drives and Tacomas, Chevrolet Colorados and GMC Canyons, Acura MDXs, and Ford Edges and Explorers.
The Stargazer window sweeps up and partially over the rear dinette/bed area, letting in an abundance of natural light. It has integrated screens and shades, and opens nearly 90 degrees, making it easy to adjust airflow and privacy.
Living Area
Inside the aluminum-framed, seamless-roofed, insulated fiberglass interior is a bright, airy, warm and welcoming interior with a 6-foot ceiling, rich composite paneling and actual hardwood cabinetry of light maple or dark walnut.
The interior is a study in efficiency with a galley at the front featuring a built-in two-burner cooktop, stainless sink and a microwave tucked beneath the sink-side drawer. The adjacent street-side wet bath is a welcome touch in such a small footprint, as is the 5-cubic-foot refrigerator-freezer mounted mid-trailer. Such amenities, along with a powerful A/C and furnace, add to year-around camping comfort.
You don’t find a lot of tiny trailers with a three-way, 5-cubic-foot double-door Norcold refrigerator-freezer, but that’s standard in the Mini Max, as is a 19-inch TV on a swivel mount. The dinette area transforms into a queen bed with a slick hideaway slat system for the bed.
A nice choice of hardwood treatments gives the Mini Max a warm, cozy atmosphere. Placing the galley at the front maximizes the lounging/sleeping area that easily converts into a queen bed (or twin beds, if preferred). The marine-style hydraulic-post dinette swivels, and the slat system for the bed is hidden neatly beneath the seats.
Beds and Storage
The Mini Max’s convertible dinette quickly drops into place to transform the cozy seating area into a 75-by-70-inch queen bed or twin beds, and the hidden-slat system makes it an easy conversion. As with many tiny trailers, storage is adequate, with cubbies above the kitchen and dinette, under the bench seats and fridge, inside the curb-side pantry and in the exterior compartment up front.
Special Features
Perhaps the Mini Max’s coolest feature is the Stargazer window that curves up and over the convertible dinette area at the rear of the trailer. The curved skylight has integrated screens and shades to make it easy to adjust the natural light that bathes the interior.
Hardwood cabinetry, a well-designed galley, a 6-foot ceiling and five Euro-style windows that let the natural light flood in give the Mini Max the feeling of a larger trailer.
The floorplan is basic but well implemented to maximize comfort within the confines of a 17-foot trailer.
FIRST TAKE: The Mini Max’s smartly designed floorplan and tastefully appointed interior make a comfortable getaway retreat for two.
Manufacturer’s Specifications
2019 LIBERTY OUTDOORS LITTLE GUY MINI MAX
Exterior Length: 17′ 2″
Exterior Width: 6′ 9″
Interior Height: 6′
Exterior Height: 8′ 6″
Freshwater Cap.: 20 gal.
Gray-Water Cap.: 14 gal.
Black- Water Cap.: 9 gal.
LP-Gas Cap.: 10 gal.
UVW: 1,993 lbs.
Hitch Weight: 280 lbs.
GVWR: 2,900 lbs.
MSRP, Base: $25,114
The Mini Max has a distinctive profile and paint scheme reminiscent of a bygone era. The compact size and light weight make it towable by many smaller cars and pickups. The roof-mounted A/C easily clears garage doors and carports with 9-foot-high openings.
A respected automotive and RV journalist and longtime Trailer Life contributor, Bruce W. Smith has held numerous editorial titles at automotive and boating magazines, and authored more than 1,000 articles, from tech to trailering. He considers his home state of Oregon a paradise for RVing and outdoor adventure.
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