Surveyor Sport vs. Rockwood Mini-Lite

[lickem66]

My wife and I have been researching our first TT for the last couple of months and have narrowed it down to the ones below. We are wondering how owners of Surveyor Sports and Mini-Lites feel about the quality of them.
Are there any big diffs between them quality wise. I think the Surveyors are wooden framed and the Mini's are aluminum?? The dealers were not real clear (surprise). If the construction is different, is there a benefit to one or the other type of construction. Also the FR build sites are different. Are there any diffs between construction done in Indiana or Oregon? We are located in Oregon.

Surveyor Sport (West Coast FR maker):
SP-189

Rockwood Mini-Lite (Indiana FR maker):
2104 with Murphy Bed
2109S

[jerryliving]

We have a SP-220 FR Sport Surveyor. We like the trailer and the layout with the walkaround bed and swivel TV, however, the foam in the cushions on the dinette couch were very low quality and eventhough we only got it this year, we have replaced the foam with high-quality foam.

We have had a few issues with the unit, however, our dealer (Sutton RV in Eugene, OR) has been great about taking care of every issue that has came up.

We just came off of a 90 day road trip and looking forward to a 6 month trip next year.

[jerryliving]

I also forgot to mention that I was told that the frame is complete aluminum and that is what is shown in the brochures.

[Dave_Monica]

Some of the info you seek is on the Forest River site. Look under specs/features/options for the Surveyor Sport and Rockwood Mini-Lite. BTW, both are aluminum framed/fiberglass laminated campers

Forest River RV

Dave

[vp22er]

We have a Surveyor Sport 189, happy with it so far, had it about a year with only minor issues that I was able to handle myself with the help of Forest River Forum. That said the Surveyor Sport 220 has the better floor plan and is only weight a little more.

[lswartz]

Our 2109S was new this year so there hasn't been much time for things to go wrong. We are well pleased with the floor plan. There is more space inside than we anticipated as we has an Award Classic 30ft. TT previously. If you decide on FR, it could give you a good reason for a trip to IN & pick it up at a local dealer near the factory .

[punkaccountant]

I don't think you'll find many major differences in quality or construction between the two models. I would pick the floorplan you like best and make sure you find a dealer that will do a good job servicing it and standing behind the product. Those are the keys.

We chose the Rockwood because we liked the murphy bed concept. You get the sofa and floor space during the day and the bed for night. It's a great concept and you can just fold it up without really making the bed which I like, haha. The downside is it really reduces the amount of storage space so you have to pack smart. Big decisions.

Good luck!

[punkaccountant]

Oh and I forgot that we have not had any real issues with our unit. I like it a lot. But like Jerryliving, I too noticed that the foam quality in the cushions could be better.

[lickem66]

Thanks everyone for the helpful posts. We too could not find much difference in the quality at all between the Surveyor Sport and the Mini-Lites. We thought they were both very good. Since we are the towing 'virgins' we thought we would check with the veterans to see what they had to say.
My wife and I really like the Murphy bed setup but we also really like the 2109S with the slider. We should be making our final decision very soon and we will be joining the great enthusiasts here on the forum. Looking forward to years of camping and posting..

[lswartz]

If you decide on the 2109S ask if it has LED lights. Ours did not, but it is a planned change so you might be lucky. I plan to change 4 light bulbs to LED, the rest we seldom or never use.

[Smitty75]

We really like our 2109s. We looked at about every model available and the 2109s worked best for us. Have had no issues so far.

[mkillora]

We purchased a 2109s over a year ago now and have put aproximately 20,000 kms on it. We looked at alot of trailers before buying and settled on the 2109s due to the great floorplan; the queen side bed that you can access on both sides, as well as the door at the opposite end from the "bedroom". It has everything that 2 adults need and is easy to tow. Our TV is a Toyota Tacoma, 6 cylinder, with tow package and it pulls the 2019s just great. The only small issued that we have had with the trailer so far, was a small roof leak that originated around the tv antenae.

Would highly recommend this trailer!

[wbdvt]

We bought a 2012 2109S at the RV show in Feb of this year. We had a pop up prior and it being just the two of us we had been looking to upgrade to a TT. We had some requirements like a queen bed you could access from both sides, wanted something small but comfy and had decent storage. The 2109S fit the bill.

Some minor issues like a small leak in kitchen sink drain pipe (resolved by tightening), stereo system had static on 2/3 speaker channels (replaced by dealer under warranty) and power converter pulled out from mounting (replaced and added more screws to hold in).

Modifications done:
Had dealer add 2nd battery as we dry camp frequently in state parks
Added wire shelving in closet next to refridge to make a pantry
Added wire shelving in small closets next to bed to improve clothing storage
Replaced all bulbs with LED lighting
Added digital reception extender to Wineguard tv antenna
Wired output of TV thru stereo system
Installed magazine racks next to bedside to hold books, etc.
Bought a new single light to install over counter to left of stove (not installed yet)
Replaced shower head with an Oxygenics
Replaced outdoor shower hose with a much more flexible one.

I would also recommend this TT. Let the forum know what you decide on and why!

[Scorn]

Originally Posted by mkillora

We purchased a 2109s over a year ago now and have put aproximately 20,000 kms on it. We looked at alot of trailers before buying and settled on the 2109s due to the great floorplan; the queen side bed that you can access on both sides, as well as the door at the opposite end from the "bedroom". It has everything that 2 adults need and is easy to tow. Our TV is a Toyota Tacoma, 6 cylinder, with tow package and it pulls the 2019s just great. The only small issued that we have had with the trailer so far, was a small roof leak that originated around the tv antenae.

Would highly recommend this trailer!

I am thinking about getting this trailer and I also have a Tacoma 4WD DC as my towing vehicle. I have the towing package and WD Hitch BC.

Does it tow well and what is your gas mileage?

Thanks

[Starry2some]

We purchased a new 2109s last June and are very pleased with it. We love the floor plan (walk-around bed, slide that can be left in comfortably, a small but ”full” bathroom, a good amount of storage, a very nice kitchen, etc.). Ours did not have LED lights but it was simple and affordable to remedy that.

As first-time tt users, we don’t have a reference as to how easily it tows compared to other trailers, but we have had no problems. Our tv is a 2007 GMC Envoy with a 4.2L 6-cylinder engine. We used a ScanGauge II to monitor transmission fluid temperature and got pretty close to 10 miles per gallon on a trip from Indiana to southern Utah (and sadly, back). A few times while climbing long mountains I dropped our speed to around 50 to 55 to keep the tranny happy. Next tv will hopefully have more cylinders and more gears, but in the meantime, we are loving every trip!

[mkillora]

With the Tacoma, we get about 13miles/gallon or in metric, about 19 litres/100 kms. Find that it's a bit of a pig on gas when towing, but that seems to be standard fare with all tow vehicles. We have a Reese tow system; weight distribution and anti sway, and you sometimes forget that you're pulling the trailer.

[mjones12]

We've had the Surveyor 186 Sport for over three years, no real problems. We think it's a very good layout for two people. Loads of pass-through storage space. Easy to tow and back. We are now looking longingly at the Surveyor Sport that I think is about 24'8" in length, mainly for the walk-around bed and some other nice features that we don't have. We'd have no qualms about buying another Surveyor Sport.

[GlacierGus]

We purchased our 2109S last June. No major problems. A few things needed tightening up. I would suggest that you purchase a weight distribution hitch. Makes towing much more comfortable. We get 10 mpg with our Durango. We like the slide out, walk around bed and the door at the opposite end from the bed. TV, microwave, AC, heating and oven all work well. The shower is tight but you know that when you are purchasing a smaller TT. We are very satisfied with our Mini Lite.

[mjones12]

Originally Posted by GlacierGus

We purchased our 2109S last June. No major problems. A few things needed tightening up. I would suggest that you purchase a weight distribution hitch. Makes towing much more comfortable. We get 10 mpg with our Durango. We like the slide out, walk around bed and the door at the opposite end from the bed. TV, microwave, AC, heating and oven all work well. The shower is tight but you know that when you are purchasing a smaller TT. We are very satisfied with our Mini Lite.

X2 on the weight distribution hitch advice. We use the Equalizer, too. Even on my little 20-footer, I wouldn't tow without it.

[lickem66]

Thanks so much for all the posts. I think we are going to pull the trigger this weekend on a 2104 with the Murphy bed. Can't wait to hit the road for our first outing in April at the Sea and Wine fest..