Is Rockwood Mini Lite a Good Trailer? (2509S Reviews)
The Forest River Rockwood mini lite trailer comes with 12 design options. There is an option for any size of the family. The 2509S is one model for large families and it seems to fit the needs of those who have bought this option. There have been few complaints so far.
From what the reviews have said, while there are some issues for some owners, most of the owners have been favorable and have liked their model. The biggest drawback that was mentioned was the fresh water tank. It had support issues and a thin skin.
To learn more about the 2509S, just continue to read our article. It provides the best information possible about this trailer so you can make an intelligent purchase decision. Take a few moments to see how this important information will help you.
Rockwood Mini Lite 101
Is Rockwood Mini Lite a Good Trailer?
This is always a subjective question as there will be 3 answers to the question. The first side is that it is not a good trailer and that opinion is based on the poor experience the owners had with their models.
The second side will say that it is a great trailer and that too is based on their good experience and how well their vacations went. The 3rd side will be in between these two opinions and may be the most honest of all answers you will get.
We have looked at the floor plan and it seems very practical, very functional, and well laid out. The overall length is almost 26 feet and the width is the standard 8 feet which means you are not going to lose any room once you take it camping.
The fresh water tank is supposed to hold 52 gallons of water but there is some question about its strength and support system. That would need to be adapted if you want to haul a full tank of water with you.
The 30-gallon black and gray water tanks do not seem to have this issue which is a good thing. There is a lot of praise for this trailer so judging by the actual owners we can say it is a good trailer.
2018-2021 Rockwood Mini Lite 2509S Reviews
The reviews for the most part have all been good. People are happy with it and they have said that the trailer checks all of their boxes which made them feel happy when they spent the money to purchase it.
One reviewer did not like the lack of access to the Murphy bed. They felt it needed a bit more space to get in and out of it but overall, they liked the space that the bed design provided once it was folded up.
Another reviewer liked the floor plan and the fact that it is light enough for an SUV owner to pull it without having to change vehicles. A third reviewer did not like the included mattress as he said it was hard as a rock but the rest of the trailer met with their approval.
Also, the U-shaped dinette in the slide is said to have been a great idea. Owners seem to like it and it is a handy place to put the slide. The owners that did not like the trailer were the ones that had a few bad experiences with their trailer.
There were some issues with how things worked, etc., so they soured on the trailer no matter which model year they owned.
Rockwood Mini Lite Dimensions
The dimensions are quite simple. The exterior length is 25 feet 11 inches while the width is the standard 96 inches or 8 feet. This provides a lot of room inside including the overall exterior height of 10 feet 11 inches.
Headroom should not be a problem as the trailer includes a bunk bed in the back for those with kids or grandkids. The interesting thing about the interior dimensions is that no one mentions them.
We checked several websites that had the specs listed and even the factory website did not include those figures. We can only say that no one is complaining about a lack of headroom inside.
There is an 18-foot awning that is supposed to be electrically operated. In looking at the floor plan, almost every feature is located on the sides or ends of the trailer giving you lots of living or moving space in the middle.
The only exception to that design would be the kitchen sink. This feature sticks out to give a little barrier between a part of the trailer and the entry door.
Rockwood Mini Lite Dry Weight
The trailer is made with both aluminum and fiberglass making it one lite trailer. The company seems to have kept non-truck owners in mind when they picked these construction materials.
The dry weight comes in at 5,440 pounds and the trailer has an additional 1,493-pound cargo capacity. The tongue weight reaches 773 pounds making it an ideal trailer to tow with smaller vehicles that can handle these weight limits.
The tanks will hold a lot of weight when full so you need to calculate that weight when you are adding in your supplies and equipment. The 52 to 54-gallon water tank will be the heaviest.
Then the two 30 gallon black and gray tanks will provide more weight to the overall total. Make sure to calculate correctly before hooking up your tow vehicle. There are people who do go overweight and that is never a good idea. Keep your weight down so you do not experience additional issues with your new trailer.
Rockwood Lite Roof Construction
The company website has provided some very detailed information about the roof on this trailer. It is a radius roof design giving the trailer a vaulted ceiling look to it. Then the roof is coated or made from vinyl rubber composite for the membrane section.
The pieces are vacuum laminate into one piece to provide better strength throughout its reach. So far no one we have read has complained about any water leaks through the roof.
One nice feature to this trailer that does include the roof part is all the pre-wiring that has been done to this trailer. You get pre-wiring for Air conditioning, cable, heat, TV and Antenna, satellite, solar and back up camera features.
You do not have to ruin your roof or walls by adding in extra wiring for those accessories. There is no pre-wiring for phones or a washer and dryer. Those items you would have to do yourself if there is room inside for them.
The roof should be strong enough to hold a 15,000 BTU air conditioning unit or smaller. That addition should make life a little more comfortable inside when it gets hot out.
Rockwood Mini Lite Water Tank Issues
There is really only one main issue with the water tank on this trailer. It seems to have been a shortcut the manufacturer decided to take to cut costs or whatever reason they may have had.
The water tank supports are weak. There have been situations where the supports were not strong enough to hold the weight of the water and the tank would sag. Or it would simply pop out of position.
This problem was supposed to have been fixed and that may be so as after 2017, we do not see any complaints or mentions of the weak water tank supports. This is an area you should check out before you buy to make sure the water tank will not pop out while you are on the road.
Talk to the dealer to make sure and crawl under if you have to so that you can know this issue has been solved. Double-check everything and do not be satisfied with a poor walk through by the dealer. Make sure they explain everything so you know what you are getting.
Rockwood Mini Lite Slide Out Problems
We only found one complaint about the 2509S and its slide out not working. That does not mean that there aren’t more but they are not getting posted anywhere if there are more. Then there is one for the 2506S which seems to be the same issue.
If the slide-out is not working it could be due to the auto reset breaker. This is supposed to be located very close to the batteries by code. Another source may be that the batteries are low on juice and this is a common problem as slide-outs use a lot of power during their in and out process.
A final source may be a blown fuse on the control panel if your trailer has a fuse in that location. One owner said he could not hear the click when the slide-out was fully extended and brought back in. This may be a timing error with the system as we know you need to let the cycle go through its procedures before shutting it off.
Anyways, you should have a qualified mechanic look at it to see what the problem is.
How Much Does a Rockwood Mini Lite Cost?
The factors involved in setting the price will be condition, availability, features, and options as well as the dealer selling the trailer. One location had a 2021 model selling for $38,000 approx.
One review website set the price at $26,000 but that could have been the price when it was new. The company did not provide a price on its website but it would send you to a dealer near you to find out the cost.
Another online dealer had his 2021 listed at $28,000 approx. The 2022 models will range between $38,000 and $45,000 depending on features, etc. NADA listed the value for a 2018 model between $19,900 and $29,739.
You should be able to find some very good private deals if you search the classifieds. The dealers always place a mark up to give them negotiating room. The key is to decide what you want in the trailer then go looking for one in your price range that has those features.
There may be some motivated sellers who need to sell their trailers quickly but that takes time and a lot of hard looking to find one of those with a trailer style you want.
Rockwood Mini Lite vs Jayco White Hawk
The Jayco trailer seems to come with quite a few different floor plans, more than the Mini Lite seems to have which is a point in its favor. The smallest White Hawk we saw was just over 28 feet long and that was the only difference in dimensions between the two trailers.
The Mini lite had a superior interior lay out. Even though both trailers have a slide-out, the White Hawk used it's for a lounger and not a dining area. That is a negative feature. Plus, the interior of the Mini Lite looked better and had room for a set of bunk beds which the floor plan of the White hawk we used for this comparison did not have.
Then the White Hawk was heavier and had a larger cargo capacity as well as a lower tongue weight than the Mini Lite. However, the latter trailer had a larger fresh water tank. its black and gray tanks were 1/2 gallon smaller than the White Hawk’s.
What tips the scale in the Mini Lite’s favor, though, was that the Jayco did not seem to have a privacy door for the shower and toilet area. The Mini Lite’s bathroom was totally private.
Rockwood Mini Lite vs Flagstaff Micro Lite
This is going to be comparing apples to apples as Flagstaff RVs and Rockwood RVs are owned by Forest River. The same company is making these two brands and we should see some similarities in the floor plan.
That we do as the Flagstaff model we used for this comparison had its dinette in its slide-out just like the Mini Lite. The biggest difference between the two RV trailers is that the Flagstaff model did not have any bunk beds inside. But it did have a completely private bathroom area.
The Mini Lite is slightly heavier, by about 30 pounds for dry weight, and had 100 pounds more cargo weight room. The holding tanks were the exact same size but the Flagstaff model we used only slept 4 while the Mini Lite slept 8.
The 2022 models are about $5000 apart in price with the Flagstaff being priced at just under $38,000 and the Mini Lite being priced at just under $43,000. All the pre-wiring features are exactly the same as well.
What this comparison boils down to is if you like Forest River or not. You are basically getting the same trailer but with a different floor plan and different features. The Flagstaff is equipped with a 19-foot awning, only 1 foot different from the Mini Lite.
Rockwood is supposed to have a better warranty and customer service than most RV outlets but we are not sure how Flagstaff handles these two areas.
Download The Rockwood Mini Lite Manual
We heard that Forest River only keeps the last three model years when it comes to manuals. Since the 2022 models are now out and on sale, that means if that information is correct, you can only get a manual dating back to 2020.
You can check with the company if you want to see if they hold on to older manuals. If they do not have any older than 2020, then you can check with this website. It lists one that may or may not be for the Mini Lite. We did a quick search on their website and turned up no other option.
That was the only location we could come across in our search. You would have to check the dealers or used RV locations to get a hold of a manual. The best result we had was an old brochure for a Rockwood trailer and even that may not be up to date.
Talk to the company and the dealers to see if they have any leads where you can download a manual for this trailer. None are appearing in our searches.
Some Final Words
When you want a good trailer, you do need the read the reviews. The current and former owners can provide some great insight into the model you are interested in. Just take their reviews with a grain of salt.
We did not find too many owners that spoke badly about this model and from looking at the floor plan, it seems to be quite comfortable and well designed. The fact that it does not need to be towed by a pick-up truck is a very big positive.
Then with the ample headroom, length, and cargo capacity, you should have a great time when you take it on vacation.
