313rli maiden voyage & initial thoughts

[Kristi]

Took the new Cougar out for our shakedown last weekend. Wow, it sure looks bigger hooked to the truck then it did in the lot! I'll post some pics later. Truck did great pulling it, but you can tell there's a lot more back there then the passport! Spent most of the weekend just learning about the trailer, arranging our stuff & tightening a few screws.

Favorite features so far-
Love the auto leveling system!
The rear living floorplan, so much more seating!
The huge shower! (with a great showerhead) :rofl:
Lots of counter space compared to the passport.
Storage! Cabinets & closets are only 1/2 full, and the basement is HUGE.

Things I miss-
The awning is shorter 14' vs the 19' one on the passport
The bumper grill. We bought a cheap coleman, but the rickity wire stand worries me. We will be looking for a better quality grill & stand.
More sites to choose from with a smaller 1 slide trailer

Now I'm in the process of changing our reservations to date from 30' 30amp to the 35' 50amp.

Overall, we love it so far!

[byrdr1]

kristi, Glad you enjoyed your first trip out. Yes there are a little bigger than the TTs. 3 years later and we still have empty cabinets. I was going through them this weekend just seeing what we are carrying that we dont need too. I found a tub with change in it. I knew I had it but forgot it, around $75.00 in change in it and a dollar bill. Nice find for me.
I did move a few things out of the basement storage and put them in the camper section of my out building.

randy

[Kristi]

Randy- That is a great find! Good for a few nights of camping fees, or a partial tank of Diesel :D

[nano]

Dh and I were at our rv dealer's, and I spotted the showerheads and asked dh if he wanted to buy one, and a new camper to go along with it. Lol.

[Cmartin5777]

We love ours too took delivery 4/12 and have taken it out three times twice in hook ups and once boondock.

It took us bit to understand how to use the auto level system but now we have it down. We also came out of a TT (08 31' Freedom Lite) and our set up time went from 45 minutes down to 15.

Next trip will be south to Pechanga RV resort in Temecula, CA

[Kristi]

We love ours too took delivery 4/12 and have taken it out three times twice in hook ups and once boondock.

It took us bit to understand how to use the auto level system but now we have it down. We also came out of a TT (08 31' Freedom Lite) and our set up time went from 45 minutes down to 15.

Next trip will be south to Pechanga RV resort in Temecula, CA

Amazing how much faster set up is, huh? Don't you just love the hitch memory feature? No more guessing how high it was when you unhooked.

[5mary6]

So curious to know why you need to switch camp sites to a 50 amp site? Most sites only have 30 amp and you're okay there with a 50 to 30 reducer, right?

[wms]

Thanks for the update on your new fiver Kristi! It's good for folks like us that are thinking of doing the same thing. We also, are considering upgrading to a new fifth wheel, but are still in the decision making process as what to do with our Passport. Wondering if we should sell it privately or trade it to the dealer when we decide to pull the trigger. I'm sure selling it privately will yield more money for the down payment on the new fifth wheel though, but will also take more time with the selling process. We also have a few models in mind and want to actually do a walk through on them before deciding on a certain one. Problem is, some of them are a little too far away for a walk through. Oh well, still plenty of time to plan and do our research. We love the Cougar you chose, and the features it has, but still have yet to actually see one. We would also like to add a 2nd air for the bedroom and a washer/dryer combo on whatever we select.

I think more RV shows are in our near future :). Until then we will enjoy one more season in our beloved Passport.

Keep up with the postings on your new Cougar as you learn more about it, we totally enjoy and appreciate your updates.

[Kristi]

So curious to know why you need to switch camp sites to a 50 amp site? Most sites only have 30 amp and you're okay there with a 50 to 30 reducer, right?

Yes, 30 amp sites will be fine for the spring and fall, but July & August it hits 100+F & we are gonna want to run the 2nd a/c. Besides, if I have to move anyway to a longer site I might as well go with 50 amps.

[{tpc}]

Auto-leveling sounds like fun. :)

[Cmartin5777]

Reducing set up and take down time is a plus gives us more time to enjoy our outings. Auto memory feature is wonderful if only it would rub off on hubby :rofl:

We debated on the second AC unit and with the recent heatwaves in California we are doing some serious thinking on adding it.

This weekend will be a test since Pechanga RV is south in Temecula near San Diego.

Cindy

[Kristi]

Auto memory feature is wonderful if only it would rub off on hubby :rofl:


Cindy

You figure out how to make that work, let me know! :D Have a great trip!

[gearhead]

I've been looking at pics of the 313 and the 333. Are you OK with the location of the microwave?
I'm taking the 28sgs to the dealer next week. I'm tempted and scared to look at new ones! lol

[Kristi]

Gear head- actually I like it better. I am 5'4" and can't see in the microwaves that are up high.


Sent from my iPad

[RedRover]

We just took delivery on our 313RLI in March and placement of the microwave was a reason for choosing that model. Wife is 4 ft 10 in. and removing boiling water from eye level microwave is dangerous. That five foot shower is great also.

[GaryWT]

Hey glad things are working out with the shower head. How is the outside shower? Good luck.

[gearhead]

My wife is about the same height. She will probably prefer that location as well. Keep us posted on how you like the new 5th.
Can't believe I'm thinking about shopping for another one.

[Zman81]

We also have 2015 313 RLI high country. Only a few items for warranty work which is getting done now but for iur first camper I went all out and love it. Plenty of room for wife and I and 2 dogs on them stormy days. The frameless windows are def. nice and opinion is the same on micro. Close to floor in case something is dropped.
Anyone thinking about goin 5'er. Do it. Pulls so much nicer and no hassle with wd bars and all. And the auto level is a must I agree. Makes it so easy and fast. Hit the buttons and grab a cold one 15-20 minutes slides are out awning is out. Ready to rock.
I run the B&W companion slider. Big and heavy but well built "USA" and sturdy, no rails in bed when hitch is out to.

[Kristi]

Zman- Congrats on your new 5er. Glad to hear you are enjoying it so far. We have the B&W companion, the truck already had a B&W gooseneck. We still love our Cougar. Happy Camping!

[RedRover]

So here is an update on our 2014, Cougar 313 RLI after one season and 7,000 miles of travel. Our unit never required any dealer service and has never had any dealer work done on it.
On our walk through, as we took delivery, we spotted a cabinet door with an unusually large knot hole and requested replacement. The dealer ordered a replacement from Keystone and forwarded it to me for my own installation, at my request, rather than make a 150 mile round trip journey.
The only “failure” we have had was a leaking shower door guide rail. Caulking with clear RTV was not complete at factory and shower water ran out onto the bathroom floor. An $8 purchase of caulking and gun fixed that problem somewhere in Arkansas during our first trip.
Things that we really like:
Lower to the floor microwave for safer access.
Fireplace. Always thought they were silly until I owned one. Much handier than a portable heater.
Shower. Generous size and sliding glass door make bathing comfortable.
Front Closet. Common with most bedroom slide models but new for me. Really like having all that well lighted space for hanging clothes.
Dark textured vinyl floor covering. This stuff does not show dirt. We are always surprised when we broom the floor as how much dirt there is.
Remote control for slides and awning. If there is ever any questionable clearances for the slides, I am able to stand outside and watch as the slide extends. Great for peace of mind. The electric awning is the envy of most that don’t have one. I have awakened in the night to the sound of a rattling awning as a storm approaches. Really nice to simply stay inside and punch a button.
Problems:
My first problem, from the factory, was the leaking shower already mentioned.
A second problem was a blown fuse in the landing gear motor, caused by me not releasing the switch quickly enough when it reached its limit of travel. Others on this site had had the same problem and quickly directed me to the peculiar fuse location for an easy fix.
My third problem was that one of the four screws that hold the dining table in place was too long and scratched the vinyl floor when the slide was retracted. The fix was to simply remove the screw and shorten by grinding and replacing. The damaged floor was disguised with a marking pen.
There have been a couple of sheet metal screws that fell out of the curb side fender. I replaced these with # 8 machine screws, washers, and nuts and painted the heads.
Modifications:
Modifications are few and simple. I cut an access door to the back of the water heater for easy access to the bypass valve during winterizing.
I drilled ¼ inch holes at each end of the rear bumper. I store two lengths of sewer hose in there and the square rubber plugs threatened to fall out as we travel. I used a couple of 6 inch long nails, spikes used for gutter attachment, to pin the plugs in place.
My third modification was to turn the wine rack, located just above the microwave, upside down. I laid a piece of Plexiglas in the bottom and thus created a useful shelf from a useless wine rack. ( my wine travels under the island sink)
Things they could do better:
The bedroom dresser drawers are so tiny they won’t hold a week worth of underwear.
The two recliners are such a hassle to pull out and then wrestle back into place for travel that we don’t always use them.
The ceiling mounted roof vent, over the kitchen island, is so high that you need a ladder to access it. I intend to make some kind of long handled tool for access but factory provided would be nice.
The water pump is so loud it must be mounted on a sounding board for noise amplification. Next on my list for modification.

[Kristi]

The ceiling mounted roof vent, over the kitchen island, is so high that you need a ladder to access it. I intend to make some kind of long handled tool for access but factory provided would be nice.
The water pump is so loud it must be mounted on a sounding board for noise amplification. Next on my list for modification.

Those are the same 2 things I would change if I could. I have to stand on the island to reach that vent. Needless to say, it stays closed & we only open the one in the bathroom during storage. Gonna look into the noisy water pump issue but honestly we don't use it that often so it hasn't been a big deal yet.

[Festus2]

So tell me ....... how is the showerhead working for you? :D

[Kristi]

So tell me ....... how is the showerhead working for you? :D

Love it! :D How's the search for new cabinet hardware going? I hear the ones on the 2015 29rli's are nice.... ;)