Mini Lite 2511S Owners Thread

[Dreedo]

Originally Posted by Loafer

Greetings. We are new to the RV experience and love the 2511S. My TV is a 2020 Ram 1500 Crew Cab 4X4 with V8 Hemi, Tow package and 3.92 Axle. GVWR 7,100 lbs., payload 1,537 lbs., tow rating 11,437 lbs., GCVWR 17,000 lbs.. I know the payload will be a little close to my rating but all other factors seem well below truck limits. I plan to carry about 200 lbs. on back hitch which may help offset tongue weight a bit. There are only 2 of us and we plan to travel all over the US. I am looking for some real world experience to tell me if this is a good fit or should I look at 2205 for lower hitch weight? Thank you.

I have the exact same TV and pulling a 2512 ( basically the twin of your 2511 - with different floor plan). My tongue weight may be a bit less than yours due to the rear kitchen configuration of the 2512. The only change I made to my RAM was to add rear air bags to level out the truck.

We live at 9,500ft in the mountain of Colorado and have towed over 12,000ft passes with no issues. Spent the month of September traveling 4,000miles through Montana, Idaho, and Utah. No problems, plenty of power and averaged 13.5mpg for the entire trip pulling over multiple mountain passes.

Would a 3/4 ton truck tow better..... of course it would, especially on windy days. But my RAM is also my daily driver and I did not want to sacrifice ride quality.

Just upgraded my RAM tires to stiffer LT tires which should also improve towing.

Good luck!

[Ken-m]

Hi , Just sold my 2020 Rockwood 2104s and bought a Flagstaff 25FBLS .
Towed it home from dealer 80 miles away , felt good , better than the 2104s did . It does have the Goodyear's on it where the old trailer had the Castle Rocks .
My WDH is the Centerline Husky which I'm happy with do far .
My TV payload is 2200 lbs , but my truck specs says my hitch capacity is 700 lbs . Is that 700lbs referring to if I had a ball on the bumper ?
This upcoming season I'm stuck with this 1/2 ton and the plan on getting a 3/4 ton vehicle .
Just my wife and I and we don't take a lot of extra gear . I'm well within my tow capacity of 9325 lbs , but the payload has me concerned and confused . Thanks for any input . This was my first year towing .

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by Ken-m

... My TV payload is 2200 lbs , but my truck specs says my hitch capacity is 700 lbs . Is that 700lbs referring to if I had a ball on the bumper ? ...

I suspect that is 700# if not using a weight distributing hitch.

As your question is not about a 2511S, it would be appropriate to start a new thread.

[Ken-m]

I'm sorry , I thought this thread was basically anything that pertained to a 2511 or the Flagstaff equivalent .
Guess it should have been put in the towing section.

[Johnfort]

Originally Posted by Ken-m

I'm sorry , I thought this thread was basically anything that pertained to a 2511 or the Flagstaff equivalent .
Guess it should have been put in the towing section.

Hi Ken-m. It's my understanding that the Flagstaff 25FBLS is the sister brand to the 2511 too, and like you, I have hitch/weight questions that I thought were appropriate for this thread.

I currently have and really like my 2018 Rockwood 2304KS, but I'm seriously considering moving to the 2511S for the floor plan and theater seating.

The 2511S is about #1000 heavier and 2' longer than my 2304 which is #5867 GVWR and 24'. I live in Colorado at 5000' and go up in elevation for my travels.

I am not concerned about the extra #1000 and 2' in length from a towing perspective, as my TV is a 2020 GMC SLT 6.2L, and it's a towing BEAST!

I am concerned and interested in hearing from the 2511S thread about what owners are experiencing for real world tounge weight, not brochure weight. The 2511S GVWR is just under #7000. 10-15% TW would be #700-1050. How does that compare to what members have personally measured on their units when loaded?

Ken-m how do you think the 25FBLS compares to the 2511S?

"Fair Winds and Following Seas "
John

2018 Rockwood MiniLite 2304KS
2020 GMC SLT 6.2L Short box

[Johnfort]

Ken-m, I went from Castle Rots to the Goodyear Endurance tires a couple of years ago and was amazed at the improvement in the general towing experience of my trailer.

What improvements do you see in going from the 2104 to the 25FBLS?

[Ken-m]

Hi John , You asked how I think the 2 compare , the 2511s and 25 FBLS . From what I can tell they are exact twins .
My unit has the darker exterior , which the call champagne apparently . Also I have the Newport Ash interior . I can't explain how much more I like the lighter interior , night and day .
My old trailer a Rockwood 2104s which was only a year old had the dark wood . I had to use a flashlight to use the control panel to hit the right switch .
I really think this layout is going to be good for my wife and I .
Not the most scientific method of measuring tongue weight but I found a YouTube video that explained how to do a cantilever and a bathroom scale to measure tongue weight. I did that on my old trailer and I came up with about 100 lb heavier than the brochure said. So I'm guessing that was somewhat close, using that home made scale .

[Ken-m]

Well 2 weeks ago I brought home the new trailer , now the getting it right starts .
1. Protect the windshield , plan on having a protective film applied .
2. Water lines that I can get to without tearing interior apart is going to be redone using fittings so the pipe isn't bent and rubbing on edges of cabinets and screws .Also putting pipe insulation on for protection against chafing while going down the road .Eliminate the water filter , I prefer to use a exterior filter and also the one the factory installed has threaded 90s that are loose .
3.Electrical , Going to put wiring looms where I can. I have already noticed that wires are going everywhere rubbing on edges of wood and metal .
4. Wheel wells , The flooring above the wheel wells I'm going to put metal underneath in case of a blowout . I'm so happy they changed to Goodyear's this year .
5. Double check every nut and bolt on the framing .

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by Ken-m

I'm sorry , I thought this thread was basically anything that pertained to a 2511 or the Flagstaff equivalent .
Guess it should have been put in the towing section.

My mistake and apologies. I took it as more of a towing weight question than one related to the trailer type.

[Johnfort]

Originally Posted by Ken-m

Well 2 weeks ago I brought home the new trailer , now the getting it right starts .
1. Protect the windshield , plan on having a protective film applied .
2. Water lines that I can get to without tearing interior apart is going to be redone using fittings so the pipe isn't bent and rubbing on edges of cabinets and screws .Also putting pipe insulation on for protection against chafing while going down the road .Eliminate the water filter , I prefer to use a exterior filter and also the one the factory installed has threaded 90s that are loose .
3.Electrical , Going to put wiring looms where I can. I have already noticed that wires are going everywhere rubbing on edges of wood and metal .
4. Wheel wells , The flooring above the wheel wells I'm going to put metal underneath in case of a blowout . I'm so happy they changed to Goodyear's this year .
5. Double check every nut and bolt on the framing .

Hi Ken-m. Thanks for the quick reply. This is just about a carbon copy of what I did when I got my 2304 a few years ago, except for the front window. I'll get that done too. What did you use?

I added a 320 Toilet, braced the water tank and added Dinosaur boards to the appliances and added Endurance tires. I also checked the wheel bearings and packed them. REALLY GLAD that I did. Had a bad axle. Been nearly trouble free since doing all of that. I really enjoyed the unit and towing with my 6.2L GMC, but want the Theater seating pretty bad!

Just checked the receiver last night. Had to use a mirror and flashlight to see the weight rating tag on the receiver. The tag was located way up and around the hitch and took 20 minutes to find and read. For he record it is rated at 1250/12500# so I'm good. I'm assuming the TW will be around 1050# on the 2511S. Also the GCWR of the truck is an amazing 15K! All well above my numbers. Now I can go trailer shopping without concern. Probably will add the Flagstaff 25FBLS to my list.

Still need to find a good private sale home for my 2304KS so I don't get dealer-molested on the trade-in price.

Still looking for those real-world hitch weights from other Forum members,

FW&FS, John

[Ken-m]

Hey John , Your not kidding when you say check your wheel bearings . When I got home from dealer with my 2104s I checked the grease . I had to put a lot in before it started coming out .
Going in I knew the trade in number was going to be a fight , I got 1k less than I paid for it , made me happy .
First dealer offered me exactly 50% of what I paid for it , I laughed at them . Sure glad I was able to trade , made the process easier . All you can do is call around and ask for a number . You might be surprised .

[Johnfort]

Yup, I'm sure it's going to be a fight to get a good deal. That's one reason I'm going to look at other brands and be prepared for a bit of a drive.

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by Johnfort

... I added a 320 Toilet, braced the water tank and added Dinosaur boards to the appliances and added Endurance tires. ...

Rockwood significantly improved how they mount the freshwater tank. Reinforcement is no longer as important as it once was.

What are Dinosaur boards?

[Johnfort]

Dinosaur is the company that makes replacement circuit boards of a much higher quality than OEM boards. The boards are available for the Suburban water heater, Dometic fridge and Suburban furnace to replace burned out OEM circuit boards.

My OEM water heater board failed on the first trip I took.

The Dometic fridge board has an adjustable setting that is much better than the "sliding probe" OEM method.

I also replaced the furnace board "just because".

[BajaFog]

Still waiting for my rig to be delivered. I see 25' 11" published as the trailer length. Is that from stem to stern, tip to tail or? I'm scouting covered storage and need to find out if this beauty will fit in a 10x15x26 foot space ($130/mo).



That covered space is available right now! I can get on a waiting list for an outdoor spot at $60.00/mo.



Maybe I should wait and save an lot of cash per month. I expect I could park it in my backyard for a week to two or three until a neighbor complains? There will always be that one neighbor...

[Dreedo]

Originally Posted by BajaFog

Still waiting for my rig to be delivered. I see 25' 11" published as the trailer length. Is that from stem to stern, tip to tail or? I'm scouting covered storage and need to find out if this beauty will fit in a 10x15x26 foot space ($130/mo).



That covered space is available right now! I can get on a waiting list for an outdoor spot at $60.00/mo.



Maybe I should wait and save an lot of cash per month. I expect I could park it in my backyard for a week to two or three until a neighbor complains? There will always be that one neighbor...

Well my 2512S ( which has same size specs listed as 2511) is 25'11" from the tip of the hitch to the back of the spare tire. If that garage is exactly 26' long, there would not be any room for error while backing it up, you'd better practice your skills! Frankly, I'd save the $ and buy yourself a good cover and park outside for $60.

Good Luck!

[BajaFog]

Originally Posted by Dreedo

Well my 2512S ( which has same size specs listed as 2511) is 25'11" from the tip of the hitch to the back of the spare tire. If that garage is exactly 26' long, there would not be any room for error while backing it up, you'd better practice your skills! Frankly, I'd save the $ and buy yourself a good cover and park outside for $60.

Good Luck!

I'll start looking into covers. I was hoping the enclosed storage would be above freezing. Then I would be able to grab and go for some winter camping in the mountains here in Colorado. It would be awesome to head up to Winter Park or one of the other local ski areas for a day of schussing, then come back to the rig at night for a hot meal.

[Dreedo]

Heated storage would be nice..... but hauling the trailer up I70 in the winter could be challenging, and then you have to worry about frozen water lines! I'm in Crested Butte, and I store our trailer in Grand Junction for the grab and go option to travel West and South toward warmer weather!

[BajaFog]

OMG - Yes! That road would have to be clear for that sojourn. Likely make a few trips sans trailer and wait for a good span of clear roads days before hauling the Traveling Dude up I70 and US 40. And what's with the drivers on I70 through the mountains. Seems like I accidentally entered a mountain road race - white knuckle time

Originally Posted by Dreedo

Heated storage would be nice..... but hauling the trailer up I70 in the winter could be challenging, and then you have to worry about frozen water lines! I'm in Crested Butte, and I store our trailer in Grand Junction for the grab and go option to travel West and South toward warmer weather!

[emoji54]

[DanTauriello]

New 2019 2511S owner here and only used it for a 4 day camping trip so far. I need to thank everyone here for all of the great DIY ideas. I have installed the TV mount (TV not in trailer for this weigh) in the bedroom and bought the hinges for the counter top extension. We love it but I am concerned about the heavy tongue weight. I have a new GMC 1500 Denali with the Duramax diesel. I took it thru a CAT scale today and received the following with nothing in the bed and 550 lbs of passengers and gear in the cab and about 150 lbs in the pass thru:

Front Axel: 3260 door sticker max 3700
Rear Axel: 3640 door sticker max 3800
Puts the truck at 6900 lbs door sticker max 7000
Trailer: 5100 door sticker max 9200
Gross:12,000 door sticker max 15,000


I am using an Andersen WD hitch and am still dialing it in. The front fender height without the trailer is 36 5/8" and it is the same with the trailer hooked up right now. The 1500 is my daily driver and I did not want to get a 2500 for a couple reasons. It rides very good with this setup - just concerned about the numbers, specially when I load up to camp.

I know from reading all of these threads that there is a wealth in knowledge out there and want to see your suggestions. The trailer came with two deep cycle batteries and two 30 gal propane tanks. I think I can start there and also use the big bathroom in the back for items I will bring.

Anyone using the Andersen hitch on the same setup?

Thanks in advance,
Dan