Falling in Love with Small RV Camping & the Winnebago Hike 100 
Why this is the perfect fit for one couple’s overlanding adventures.

By: Austin & Kirsten Lawrence

Hi, fellow GoLifers! We are Austin and Kirsten Lawrence, and we live on the outer banks of North Carolina – commonly known as the OBX. We are super proud to call this area, where we were both born and raised, our home. We’ve also fallen in love with exploring our home (and beyond!) through overlanding and small RV camping – with our recent adventures in the Winnebago Hike 100 being more enjoyable than ever!

How We Got Started with Small RV Camping

When our two boys were much younger, we did plenty of ground tent camping throughout the years with the Cub Scouts and family outings. In 2016, our youngest son graduated high school and followed in his older brothers’ footsteps in the United States Air Force. It was at this point that we became “empty nesters” and decided that we needed to get out and start our own adventures which led us to the world of off-grid “overlanding.” 

We knew that ground tent camping wasn’t for us any longer, as our bodies were getting older and had outgrown finding any comfort sleeping on the ground. We are firm believers that the more comfortable we are when camping, the more we enjoy our adventures and the more often we’ll get out to explore nature. 

Our first adventure started when we were introduced to a roof-top tent company and after much discussion and research, decided that was the route we were going to take. We purchased our RTT, mounted it on a bed rack on our Ram 1500 and started exploring areas only accessible with a 4X4 vehicle.

However, after a couple years of RTT camping, we laid awake one night in a windstorm and thought how great it would be to have something a little sturdier that we also could use as a base camp instead of having to fold the tent away every time we wanted to go somewhere in the vehicle. Kirsten is also still somewhat of a “glamper” and wanted some comforts of home.

After a few more discussions over the next month or so, we decided a teardrop style camper would better suit us at that point. We finally found one that fit the bill about a six-hour drive away from our location and soon towed our first “camper” home. It was a basic setup consisting of sleeping quarters, storage, a slide-out galley, and an awning on the exterior. 

We’re all about making modifications, so we started making it ours right away by installing an on-demand hot water heater and shower surround on the exterior of the teardrop to make it more like home. 

However, with this setup, we still didn’t have some of the amenities we missed, including an indoor bathroom. We’d have to dig a hole, use a five-gallon bucket, or even lug a small porta potty around with us on our excursions, so having an on-board toilet was high on the must-have list for our next RV.

After a few years filled with many adventures in our camper, we decided last year that it was time for a new adventure with a different RV that would have the amenities that we missed. We sold our little off-grid teardrop to a wonderful young family that shared all of their adventures with us and started our search!

Why We Love Winnebago’s Hike 100 Travel Trailer

At last, our current adventure began when we came across an article about Winnebago’s newest towable to come: the Hike 100! At the time, there were only drawings of what they would look like for the interior and exterior. But we knew after reading the article of what these little campers were going to offer, we were hooked! 

We still wanted a camper that could go and do all the off-road adventures that we love so much, and the Hike 100 checked off all our boxes. Since the Hike 100 was still a “concept” and we were not sure of when it would be released, we reached out to the amazing marketing team at Winnebago to research the possibility of a partnership.
 
We were super excited when we received the invitation to attend the 2022 RV Super Show in Tampa, FL, to see the Hike 100 in person, and it was love at first sight! 
 
It was amazing to see all the ideas and comforts of home packed into this 16-ft towable, plus all the amazing off-grid capabilities! What we love most about small camping is the ease of use when towing, parking, and the livability of having a base camp. Again, the Hike 100 checked all those boxes. 
 

Our First Impressions of the Hike 100

Here are the features that really impressed us right away:
  • WOW, it has an indoor bathroom, with a shower and gear storage all in one! Yes, this is a big perk for us!
  • Indoor kitchen with all the storage you could imagine for your go-to necessities for any adventure.
  • Stow-away bed that leaves room for us to have two benches to relax on, eat meals, or even just stop at a rest area and take a break!
 
  • The electric canopy with beautiful LED lights makes for wonderful shade and ambient lighting in the evenings.
  • The FLX package offering off-grid capabilities with no plug-in power needed and the super quiet Truma Aventa A/C, Varioheat furnace, and AquaGo water heater made a huge impact on us! We no longer have to yell to hear each other.
  • The outdoor storage is unmatched with fender well gear boxes and a patented exoskeleton that can be used to hold gear such as kayaks, bikes, and paddleboards.
Overall, we love the Hike 100 floorplan and modern style that makes it look and feel like home. We can now wake up in the morning, make the bed and stow it away for the day while enjoying a nice open space below for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

We truly are excited that all of this can come with us out into nature whether it be sand, dirt, or pavement! We are looking forward to fall hiking and our new adventures this year.

You can follow along on Instagram (@adv4two) and YouTube

Comments

Comments on this post are moderated, so they will not appear instantly. All relevant questions and helpful notes are welcome! If you have a service inquiry or question related to your RV, please reach out to the customer care team directly using the phone numbers or contact form on this page .

User commented on September 23, 2022 12:44 PM
Outstanding! Happy the Hike 100 is working out so well for you guys! Safe travels. Adventure Awaits! 😎
User commented on October 28, 2022 10:59 AM
We love the Hike 100, it fits all of our needs in one small package.
User commented on October 23, 2022 1:22 PM
Austin and Kristen, I enjoy your YouTube channel. Your doing a great job promoting/explaining features of the intriguing Hike 100. The Flex package will be especially notable. Thanks, Grant
User commented on October 28, 2022 11:02 AM
Thank you for the comment. We have truly enjoyed the Hike 100 and the attention it gets. It’s definitely a game changer to off-grid camping. We love having it as a basecamp for our adventures.
User commented on August 31, 2023 10:17 PM
From a retired 7 Summits- Polar Guide w/ 40+ years Overlanding experience. Just finished up 8000+ Miles from Indianapolis to Seattle via both the Dempster Highway, (Yukon-NWT Canada; Inuvik, Tuk, to Arctic Ocean) and then the Dalton Highway, Alaska (Dead Horse- North Slope) in 21 days towing a 2023 Hike 100 with our (Supercharged) 2021 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison. Not my first run up the Dempster towing a trailer. No problems with the this trailer- what-so-ever. At this price point I could completely trash three of these over the next 10 years and still come out ahead of what they want for some of the ‘off road’ units currently on the market. 👍 to Winnebago on this one.
User commented on August 31, 2023 11:19 PM
Wow! What an epic adventure. Thanks so much for sharing! Do you have a blog or somewhere you share about your adventures?
User commented on September 8, 2023 5:00 AM
Hi, thanks of the reply, we just now got back to Indy. I’m not much into the social media scene these days now that I’m retired and no longer need to deal with sponsors, etc. Happy to share pictures and comment on request. This trip was basically a two part adventure. Part one was taking our motor yacht from Key West Florida, to Port Clinton, Ohio via the Intercostal Waterway, Hudson River and Erie Canal. Part two was starting at the boat in Port Clinton with the ZR2 Bison and Hike 100 (ours is one of the few with the custom wrap which just happens to match the truck). Basically it was a two part journey from the U,S. Continental most Southern gas station to the most Northern; Dead Horse, North Slope, Alaska. Special out to Chuck Mallet on the Supercharger and to Fun Time Campers in Indy where we bought the Hike; great guys!
User commented on September 8, 2023 6:55 AM
Sounds like a great trip. Thanks so much for sharing more about it!