New Guy: 2500RL or 2600RB

[ridgebackbob]

Hi Everyone,

We are getting ready to purchase a GD Imagine travel trailer. I have a couple of questions and am looking for any input you might have.

We will be towing with a ½ ton Ram (2019) with the towing package and Hemi engine. It has the towing gears (3.91 ratio) and in theory can haul 11,300 pounds. We are looking at two trailers. The Imagine 2500RL (gross weight 7,495 lbs., empty tongue weight of 581 lbs.) and the 2600RB (gross weight of 7,850 lbs. and empty tongue weight of 591 lbs.). We will be using the trailer as a couple’s coach for my wife and me and our dogs. We are within the trucks gross weight assuming a 900 lb. max tongue weight.

1) Any opinion of which trailer you would choose? All thoughts are appreciated since our choice seems to be based on which day we try to make the final decision. We like them both and their weights are close enough to not make a big difference.
2) We plan to use the ProPride 3P hitch. Any comments on the hitch or our proposed rig setup?
3) Lastly, we will do some boondocking at some dog field events. I am planning to purchase a Westinghouse iGen4500DF generator. My plan is to add a rear mounted hitch to the frame of the trailer and put the generator on some type of cargo carrier mounted to that hitch bar, not the trailer bumper when we need to do so. At this point, hoisting 100 lbs into the bed of the truck isn’t a great idea. Thoughts and comments welcome.

Thanks everyone for any thoughts you have!

[Ynot4me2]

First off, welcome to the group. Second, disregard the advertised tongue weight. Those are calculated without options, lp tanks or batteries. Best to use 15% of GVWR of the trailer. As for your TV, again, disregard advertised tow rating. Those don't take into account a bunch of variables. Instead look at your cargo capacity on your door jam sticker. Substract any after market that was added, people, tools and anything that will be in the truck including the wdh. What is left is the payload you can afford.
I really love both of those floor plans but I didn't have enough payload but we love our 22mle also which I can tow. Keep in mind that you'll want to pack bbq, beer cooler, chairs, tools, beer cooler, beer cooler. Wait i said that already. Just kidding but CCC goes real quick. If I was to choose between those 2, I think I'd go with the 2500rl. That 2600rb rear bath is real attractive but do you really need that big of a bath? I personally don't mind the pass-through bath. It's larger then most Imagine bath and it offers double doors in case either of you want to sleep in or go to bed early.
I remember that 1 of our members had 2600rl which wax totaled in an accident. Everyone was OK. They ended up replacing it for 2500rl. He said that there was more sunlight in the rig which is pleasant.
Maybe best to find both and seat in them for a while to give a better idea. What works for one doesn't mean that it will work for the other. Hope this helps

[ridgebackbob]

Thanks guys for the response. The Ram is my daily driver (although as a newly retired guy, I don't drive every day). We had the truck weighed at a certified scale (full fuel, etc) and am using the door jamb weights. I have also been using at tongue weight of 10% to 15% of the gross weight of the trailer and we are good but close to max. Truck prices have gone up so much since we purchased this truck we are going to give it a try. with the 1500. We are flat landers (East Coast) so we will see how it goes.

[Redapple63]

Thanks guys for the response. The Ram is my daily driver (although as a newly retired guy, I don't drive every day). We had the truck weighed at a certified scale (full fuel, etc) and am using the door jamb weights. I have also been using at tongue weight of 10% to 15% of the gross weight of the trailer and we are good but close to max. Truck prices have gone up so much since we purchased this truck we are going to give it a try. with the 1500. We are flat landers (East Coast) so we will see how it goes.

Welcome to the forum! Both of those floor plans are popular ones. Weight wise you are at what I consider the “fringe” of the half ton capacity, but I think it is doable and you will be fine. Watch your loading and you should be ok.

I never go by a trucks tow ratings, they are meaningless. Instead, rely on payload, GVWR, GCWR, tire and axle weight ratings. They don’t lie, but lots of variables to calculate in though.

Let us know which one you end up going with.

Bill

[TakeMeHome]

We picked the 2500rl (2023) for the windows all around, kitchen counter space, and the center bathroom feels like a plus to have double doors if need privacy or drown out the AC hum. I compared to other brands and just kept coming back to it for the layout and weight. Just me and the wife so didn’t consider any bunk models. I do wish it had a king bed, thought I’d miss an outdoor kitchen but don’t. I also am towing with a half ton, keep the tanks empty except 4 gallons in the black when driving. My payload is 1577 so we can’t keep anything in the truck really but us and the dogs. Some day a max payload half ton or 3 quarter if prices drop so I can keep a generator and more stuff in the bed.

Bottom line is can’t go wrong with either in my book, pick which layout you’ll see yourself using the most.

[masterdrago]

We just got the 2600RB and are getting the final loading for our first travel of about 100 miles each way. Going to the weight scales soon. We are now approaching 1,074# including the PP3 of "stuff" added to the camper of the available 1562 of CCC. Our current hitch weight at the truck hitch (ProPride hitch bar) is ~880# measured with a Sureline scale.

We just are really pleased with the floor-plan with the recliners & U-shaped table with all the windows on the slide opposite the entry.

[Rivercityjeff]

We are pleased with out 2017 2600RB for the two of us. It has over 25,000 miles on it. When considering the "next rv," we keep circling back to the 2600RB.

[uwskier]

We went with the 2600RB for a couple reasons.

1. Through-frame slide instead of Schwintek. Not all Schwinteks are bad, but bad ones are really bad it seems.
2. We didn't want the bathroom right next to the bedroom

We thought we'd hate not being able to access the bedroom with the slide closed since I can't open the slide fully when parked alongside our house, but it hasn't been an issue. We just open the slide part-way when we need bedroom access and be sure not to sit in the dinette or couches unless the slide is fully open.

Your truck will do fine with either of those with the ProPride. I'm continually amazed how well my rig tracks and tows with the PP. Ditch the stock squishy P metric tires on your truck and find a solution to help boost the rear end. On mine, that was the Roadmaster Active Suspension, but you can't put that on a coil spring rear end.

[Tigger1]

These are both popular floor plans and you won’t go wrong with either.

Just for another data point. We had a couple in our camping group, now retired from RVing, who had the 2600RB. We were in it several times. If you like and need a large bathroom, it has it. They towed it with an older GM 2500 6.0.

We now have a couple in our group with a 2500RL that we’ve been in a few times. For us, and this is just our opinion, we are okay with the pass thru bath but it does have two outside door exits. What we really like is the large back window. Sitting at the dinning table, with its own large window and adding the large back window, gives the inside a wide open panoramic feeling. They’re towing with a late model GM 1500 with no issues.