Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s Review
Rockwood Mini Lite is a series of travel trailers released by the successful RV manufacturer Forest River. The Mini Lite series offers several floor plans to choose from (1). The Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s can be pulled by many different models of SUVs due to its relatively low weight, so it does not require to be towed by a vehicle with huge towing capacity.
The Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s is a travel trailer from Forest River praised for its lightweight, sturdiness, and open floor plans. Its salient signature features are the open grill with a table and RV fridge on the outside, covered by a massive resistant awning.
This model of the Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s boasts six sleeping spaces, a dry weight of 5300 pounds and a payload capacity of 1569 pounds, a fresh-water capacity of thirty-six gallons, a sixty-pound total propane tank capacity, and many other impressive specifications that you can check below in detail in our table of specifications.
The Exterior
The outside of the Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s travel trailer has some important new features in comparison with previous models. It has a larger awning as it is now 20 ft long, covering almost all the RV.
It introduces now a grill. It extends from the right side of the travel trailer and has beside also a table suitable to prepare food. Let´s go to describe these features.
The awning is larger now, encompassing 20 ft in length, thus covering most of the RV and providing more shade. Furthermore, it is now button-operated, which is a convenient characteristic for owners of older models, which generally require some effort and manual extension.
The Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s includes two full-sized propane tanks, with a 30-gallon capacity, which are exceptionally convenient, as most RVs come with small tanks and require gas more frequently.
The tanks are easy to switch between if you’re trying to conserve fuel in either one. When one tank is empty, the RV automatically begins drawing from the other tank.
There are levelers, stabilization jacks, but I was using leveling blocks anyway.
There is a solar panel hookup in the Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s. Also, you have two battery hookups where you can have six-volt batteries you have two 30 gallon propane tanks
You have an electric tongue jack that takes the travel trailer up and down and a hook for your chains and for your hitch as well.
You have a hitch, this is a two-inch receiver hitch in the Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s. It is only rated at 300 pounds but this is more than enough for many RVers to add an extra rack to carry a generator, racks for dirt bikes, or a kayak. It is not a toy hauler but it is fine
There is also a light that helps you to see the tongue jack at night and you can see if all is set up well. I did not have to use it myself. It is a LED, very useful when it gets darker.
This small light, helpful to see the tongue jack at night, or check a bike rack if you have one is a LED. All lights are LEDs to be more precise. This helps out with battery capacity and the longevity of the light bulb. There is also a LED led strip running through the whole length of it and these LED strip lights look very sophisticated.
There is a full pass-through storage that is very tall and goes all the way up. The dealer says that it is suitable for fishing poles.
There are other important connections and setups in the new Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s: You have the city water connection, cable, and satellite TV hookups. There is also a 30 amp power hook up here and this actually twists down so it locks in so you can’t pull that out unless you untwist it accordingly.
There is a hose for the antifreeze so at the end of the year when you are ready to winterize your travel trailer just hook a hose up, put your antifreeze down here and just turn on your pipes and flush it through.
There is a flush in the Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s to empty the wastewater that is very convenient because emptying this tank is a horrible task to do.
There is an outdoor shower, that I have not used, so you can spray before going inside the travel trailer. This appliance was not present in the 2504s model.
You have a ladder to easily access the roof of the Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s and work on any of your parts up there or applying a sealant. The roof is solid enough for you to walk on with no issues and it’s one sealed unit so there are no cracks or seams.
In the Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s, there is an outside grill, to put meat or corn. This appliance is not present in the 2504s model. Beside that grill, there is an extendable little table so you could set your steaks here and cook your steaks on the grill. There is also a propane hookup beside the grill.
The outdoor grill in the Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s can be unnecessary for a certain profile of users. The sink is of no use and the outdoor fridge is redundant as many RVers keep a cooler full of drinks on a rear bumper rack. In these cases, they simply acquire a removable extension for the propane hookup under the awning that enables them to grill further back off the rear of the trailer, more like “tailgate type” like in a teardrop trailer owners love to do all the time in RV parks.
Therefore, many RVers do not like to grill under the awning or right up next to the trailer due to the smoke, splatter, and grease. For them, the Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s will not offer this advantage.
There is an outdoor fridge, not present in the 2504s. It can hold cans and keep them fresh. You do not have to go to the RV fridge inside the travel trailer, you just retrieve your drinks from the outdoor fridge. Useful if you are below the awning doing a barbecue with your family, or for a tailgate party. This fridge, however, is only 120-volt ac. It is not 12 volt so you cannot use it while dry-docking.
You have two outdoor speakers so from your inside stereo unit you can choose inside outside or both which is really convenient.
There is also a TV mount so you can just retrieve the TV inside and install it easily in the TV mount. You have power plugs and cables available. Typical feature, not only of the Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s but also all Mini Lite product line.
We have an awning that can be extended easily by pressing a button. It is 20 feet long and covers almost all the RV which is 25 feet long. The awning is larger than the one provided in previous models.
The door of the Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s has some steps that can be easily removed, manually, of course, this is not an Entegra coach, nothing automatic here. The system is called Solid Step and is proprietary from Forest River. There is a pin on the side, so you pull out and the legs will extend in and out so that if you’re on you know up level ground or whatever else they do just fold right up.
Now, the door itself has a type of hinge so that the wind or different pressure between the inside and outside will not slam the door. The door of the Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s is blocked in an open position. I did not have a lot of wind during the test to prove if it slams or not, anyway.
The Interior Of The Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s
So in short, it has an open floorplan, suitable for a family with two children.
The buttons that should correlate with lights around the RV are somewhat misplaced in the Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s, so determining which buttons and switches connect with which light fixtures can be difficult. The same happens with the 2504s anyway.
Rather than a master bedroom, this RV has a Murphy bed on which passengers can sit during the day, or sit in the dinette too, and sleep at night. Some find this convenient, but you can criticize that there isn’t really anywhere for adults traveling with children to find some time alone in the Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s.
The seats surrounding the dining room table, called in the industry “dinette” are relatively comfortable, but they are straight-backed, which you might want to take into consideration if you are at all prone to back pain.
The seats (which are made of a comfy material similar to that of a couch) can host between six and eight people, so this is a great RV if you’re planning to dine often with your family or with other guests. However, remember that it fits only four passengers.
The Murphy bed is easy to pull out from the wall, perfectly suitable for two people. If you aren’t concerned that it pulls out straight into the dining and living area, there really are not many disadvantages to this bed.
There is a nightstand on either side of the bed of the Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s with ample storage space, and one of the nightstands hosts several USB ports with which you can charge cell phones, laptops, and other electronic devices.
Most USB ports in the RV must be powered by a generator, but the ports on the nightstand are battery-operated.
The Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s windows are easy to open. This is because there are twistable handles attached to each one that pops them several inches out of the wall. However, it’s important to note that, because these windows are frameless, they don’t open all the way. This probably will not be much of an issue for the RVers who prefer the heater or the air conditioner.
Kitchen Of The Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s
The Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s kitchen is not as spacious as the 2504s, despite the floorplan looks very similar. However, it is very innovative. For instance, there is an attachment for the sink that extends the limited counter space into a cutting board. Any lack in space is compensated by well-crafted features and ingenuity.
The kitchen also includes an extension table that adds several feet onto the counter, if you’re not quite satisfied with the initial space provided.
Be aware, though, that this extension table cuts the kitchen off from the living area (mostly the Murphy bed that occupies a lot of space when it is extended) so, while it might be convenient if you need extra room to prepare meals, it isn’t necessarily ideal if there are more than one or two people trying to move around in the RV while you’re cooking.
Beds
Sleeping quarters are composed of two bunk beds. The upper bunk is slightly smaller so this could result annoying. This is an RV for a family with two children, to be precise. The bunk beds behind the TV in the Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s are very close-packed and don’t allow much room for movement.
There is a ladder from the floor to the top bunk, but it’s fairly inconvenient to use, as it sticks out pretty far into the already-cramped hallway.
Each bunk has a touch-light, so whoever is on the bottom bunk can keep his or her light on without disturbing whoever is up top.
The bunk beds are long enough for adults to sleep in, and they section off from the rest of the RV with an easily maneuverable canvas divider. The top bunk is quite a bit smaller than the bottom bunk, which might be irritating if you’re traveling with any passengers other than very small children.
If you don’t mind tight spaces, the bunk beds should make for a good night’s sleep. But if adults will be utilizing the sleeping quarters, they will feel uncomfortable.
Storage Space
It has fewer compartments available for storage than the 2504s, but as it is usual with all the Mini Lite series, it has a good quantity of drawers, cabinets, or shelves.
The drawers below the bunk beds lead straight out into the trailer. You don’t have to lift up the seats at the dining area table to access the storage compartments, which is a vast improvement on past Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s models.
There is a laptop cart that pulls out from the wall directly below the TV. You can use it to work on the computer when you’re sitting at the dinette, or you can use it to store a video game console that should connect to the television without a problem. This is for the Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s as I have not paid attention to this feature in the 2504s to help you with the comparison.
The pantry is massive in comparison to those of other RVs. There’s plenty of space in the Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s for food and water, which is ideal if you’re planning to be on the road for long periods of time.
There is also a lot of storage in the bathroom, which, again, is great if you’re traveling for broad or uncertain stretches of time.
If you stock up liberally on toiletries before you leave, you probably won’t have to worry about running out of soap or toilet paper before you make it to a pit stop.
Regarding the bathroom. Good, but a bit smaller than the 2504s. Not a wet bath and has a good flooring.
Finally, if you’re concerned about fitting in the shower because most RV showers aren’t really suited for people over six feet tall, except notably the A-Frames and Aliner models, don’t worry: The ceiling above the shower of the Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s elevates just a bit to accommodate taller passengers.
Appliances Available
I am describing here the standard Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s model. Appliances are ok, typical as they are in the product line. Let´s see
The covering over the stove top is compact, it’s easy to remove, and it allows for quick cleaning. It is not an automatic stove, so you have to remember to turn it on and off manually, which can be difficult.
The flame is often put out by wind and passersby, and it can be difficult to remember whether you left the stove on or turned it off. The stove is the only appliance in the Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s that requires a lighter.
The oven, the microwave, the water heater, and all of the RV’s other appliances are entirely automatic and uncomplicated. You probably won’t have any trouble using them, and they require very little power. Interestingly, the microwave seems to be very similar to a home microwave, so it doesn’t take much time to warm your food.
The television is a decent size, and it’s very high quality. It’s easy to pull the dinette away and convert the dining area of the Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s into a miniature movie theater. You can even pull down the Murphy bed for more comfortable seating.
The television has a DVD player if you’ve brought your own movies. You can also download an app to stream and watch movies from your phone on the television, which is a nice feature.
The television is not battery-operated, however, so you’ll need to run the generator before you can use it.
Difference Between The Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s and 2504s
I was talking with an RV dealer and he helped me to decide between the Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s and 2504s. Both are very similar and I have finally decided on the 2509s as you know if you follow here my articles. So these are the differences between both models.
The Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s has wider bunks plus an outdoor kitchen. The 2504s have thinner bunks and no outdoor kitchen. Instead, the 2504s has a slide bar and propane fitting at the midpoint of the trailer (beneath the awning) that allows you to mount the grill to the trailer and use the trailer’s propane tanks.
The lack of an outdoor grill on the 2504s allows the entire space under the lower bunk to be for storage accessible from inside and outside the RV. The outdoor kitchen on the 2509s uses up almost the entire portion of this under-bunk storage.
Finally, the bathroom in the 2504s is larger due to gaining the space given up by the thinner bunks and the loss of the linen closet.
Regarding storage, the 2504s has much more storage compartments than the Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s. The 2504s have an extra cabinet over the sink area that does not exist in the 2509s.
The technical specifications are similar between the Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s and 2504s.
Forest River Rockwood Mini Lite 2509S Specifications
| Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s Specifications Table | |
|---|---|
 Wheels & Tires: | |
| Wheels Composition | Aluminum |
| Number Of Axles | 2 |
| Rear Tire (Full Spec) | Nitro Filled Radial |
| Spare Tire Location | Exterior Mounted |
| Spare Tire Cover | Standard |
| Brakes: | |
| Front Brake Type | Not Applicable |
| Rear Brake Type | Electric Drum |
| Technical Specifications: | |
| Length (ft/m) | 25.92 / 7.9 |
| Width (in/mm) | 96 / 2438.4 |
| Height (in/mm) | 131 / 3327.4 |
| Interior Height (in/mm) | 80 / 2032 |
| Length (ft/ft) | 25 |
| Length (ft/in) | 11 |
| Dry Weight (lbs/kg) | 5300 / 2404.1 |
| Payload Capacity (lbs/kgs) | 1569 / 711.7 |
| Hitch Weight (lbs/kgs) | 709 / 321.6 |
| Capacities | Standard |
| Number Of Fresh Water Holding Tanks | 1 |
| Total Fresh Water Tank Capacity (gal/l) | 58 / 219.6 |
| Number Of Gray Water Holding Tanks | 1 |
| Total Gray Water Tank Capacity (gal/l) | 30 / 113.6 |
| Number Of Black Water Holding Tanks | 1 |
| Total Black Water Tank Capacity (gal/l) | 30 / 113.6 |
| Propane Tank (s) | Standard |
| Number Of Propane Tanks | 2 |
| Total Propane Tank Capacity (gal/lbs) | 14.2 / 60 |
| Exterior: | |
| Body Material | Aluminum |
| Sidewall Construction | Fiberglass |
| Number of Doors | 1 |
| Sliding Glass Door | No |
| Number of Slideouts | 1 |
| Power Retractable Slideout | Yes |
| Number of Awnings | 1 |
| Awning Length (ft/m) | 18 / 5.5 |
| Power Retractable Awning | Yes |
| Screened Room | No |
| Leveling Jack Type | Front Manual / Rear Manual |
| Sky Light | Standard |
| Roof Vents | Standard |
| Exterior Ladder | Standard |
| Propane Tank Cover | Standard |
| Exterior Shower | Standard |
| Exterior Grille | Standard |
| Pass-Thru Storage | Standard |
| Exterior Kitchen | Standard |
| Instrumentation: | |
| Fresh Water Holding Tank Gauge | Standard |
| Gray Water Holding Tank Gauge | Standard |
| Black Water Holding Tank Gauge | Standard |
| Water Pump Power Display | Standard |
| Propane Tank Gauge | Standard |
| Identification: | |
| Generic Type (Primary) | Travel Trailer |
| Manufacturer Country | USA |
| Introduction Year | 2017 |
| Regional Availability | All Regions |
| Display Name: Rockwood Mini Lite 2509s | Rockwood Mini Lite 2509S |
| Electrical: | |
| Battery Power Converter | Yes |
| Battery Converter Amps | 55 |
| Air Conditioning Prewiring | Yes |
| Cable Prewiring | Yes |
| Phone Prewiring | No |
| Heat Prewiring | Yes |
| TV Antenna Prewiring | Yes |
| Satellite Prewiring | Yes |
| Washer / Dryer Prewiring | No |
| Exterior Plugs | Standard |
| Ground Fault Plugs | Standard |
| Heater & Cooler: | |
| Air Conditioning Type | Automatic |
| Heater Type | Automatic |
| Water Heater Tank Capacity (g/l) | 6 / 22.7 |
| Water Heater Pump Power Mode | Electrical / Propane |
| Water Heater Tank Bypass | Yes |
| Other: | |
| Smoke Detector | Standard |
| Carbon Monoxide Detector | Standard |
| Propane Alarm | Standard |
| Number Of Emergency Exits | 1 |
| Interior: | |
| Kitchen / Living Area Flooring Type | Carpet / Vinyl |
| Kitchen Table Configuration | U-shaped Dinette |
| Kitchen Location | Center |
| Living Area Location | Front |
| Number Of Oven Burners | 3 |
| Overhead Fan | Yes |
| Layout | Oven / Stove |
| Microwave Oven | Standard |
| Refrigerator Size | Mid-Size |
| Refrigerator Power Mode | Electric / Propane |
| Sink Cover / Cutting Boards | Standard |
| Number Of Sofas | 1 |
| Sofa Material | Vinyl |
| Reclining Sofa | No |
| Number Of Recliner / Rockers | 0 |
| Max Sleeping Count | 8 |
| Number Of Bunk Beds | 0 |
| Number Of Double Beds | 2 |
| Number Of Full Size Beds | 0 |
| Number Of Queen Size Beds | 1 |
| Number Of King Size Beds | 0 |
| Number Of Convertible / Sofa Beds | 1 |
| Master Bedroom Flooring Type | Vinyl |
| Master Bedroom Door Style | Curtain |
| Full Size Master Bedroom Closet | No |
| Master Bedroom Mirror Doors | No |
| Master Bedroom Shades / Curtains | Yes |
| Master Bedroom Location | Front |
| Bunkhouse | Yes |
| Heated | Yes |
| Number Of Bathrooms | 1 |
| Bathroom Flooring Type | Vinyl |
| Bathroom Location | Rear |
| Toilet Type | Plastic |
| Door Type | Curtain |
| Bathtub | Standard |
| Bathroom Sink | Standard |
| Bathroom Medicine Cabinet | Standard |
| Bathroom Mirror | Standard |
| Bathroom Vent / Fan System | Standard |
| Sink / Faucet | Standard |
| Power Vent Fan | Standard |
| Lights: | |
| Exterior Flood Lights | Standard |
| Warranty: | |
| Structure Warranty (Months) | 24 |
| Roof Warranty (Years) | 12 |
| Basic Warranty (Months) | 12 |
| Paint & Finish: | |
| Metallic | No |
| Wallpaper | Yes |
| Interior Wood Finish | Yes |
| Curtains / Shades | Standard |
| Audio & Communication: | |
| Satellite | No |
| Number Of Radios | 1 |
| Speaker Location (s) | Interior / Exterior |
| Surround Sound | Yes |
| Number Of Discs | 1 |
| DVD Player | Standard |
| Number Of Televisions | 1 |
| Retractable Roof Antenna | Standard |
| Towing & Hauling: | |
| Size (in/cm) | 2 / 5.1 |
| Rear Hitch Type | Receiver |
| RV Insurance | |
| Insurance depends on the dealer. It does not come with insurance from the manufacturer. Find your own insurance for the Rockwood Mini Lite 2509S or request it your RV dealer. |
Sources And References
- Inc., Forest River after the Rockwood Mini Lite. “Coachmen RV – Manufacturer of Travel Trailers – Fifth Wheels – Tent Campers – Motorhomes”. www.coachmenrv.com. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
- Manufacturing, Prime Time. “Prime Time Manufacturing – Manufacturer of Travel Trailers – Fifth Wheels”. www.primetimerv.com. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
- “Forest River Launches Shasta RV Division”. RV Business. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
- “Liegl Expects Few Changes at Dynamax Corp”. RV Business. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 2016-02-19.
- “Rockwood And The New Mini Lite: New business could add up to 70 jobs in Silverton”. Statesman Journal. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
- “Our Town – Silverton, Mt. Angel & Scotts Mills » Blog Archive » Match made: Forest River expands manufacturing operations into Silverton”. ourtownlive.com. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
- “HEMET: First trailer rolls out of new manufacturing plant”. Press Enterprise. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
- “Hundreds of Jobs Expected as Major RV Manufacturer Opens Plant in Hemet | Patch”. Banning-Beaumont, CA Patch. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
