Possibily looking at purchasing a 1/2 ton, questions

[ihbond]

So, buy your floor plan first..Didn't listen to my own advice..and now it will cost us..

SORRY TO START OFF MY FIRST THREAD THIS WAY..Just trying to play a quick catch up .

Currently we own a 2018 2108ds Winnebago and the trailer floor plan does not meet our needs after a couple of times rv'ing. No issues with the quality so far...Just cramped. For my wife and our 1 dog. I have owned other RV's in the past.

So folks;
i have joined the forum as my wife and I are looking at spending (what we consider a lot of money) on a 2018\19 cougar 1/2 ton 26brswe or something in that size. We tow with a f150 (which can handle the weight and hitch weight)..

my main concern is, figured I would ask the experts here first then hearing it from my local stealership.

1) Would you buy a cougar towable again ?
2) Are you seeing a trend of quality issues go up since THOR owns it ?
3) Customer service (I get that its the typical when in doubt ship it out, including winni's trust me..there are issues on all sides). How responsive is CS in the first year ?
4) IS the trailer holding up after use (Drawers, Cushions, electrical, etc )
5) any other towable companies (ORV, Lance) would you look at ?
6) how is the Slideout mechanism's (Airplane wire) working for you so far

I must admit, i have done a few searches, but getting a little worried on the negative feedback i have seen so far... I believe Cougar has some modern design thinking, just trying to do some more analysis (paralysis)...

THanks
Ian

[Tbos]

I know several people with Cougars and they all enjoy them. The Passport I just traded in had a very large cable slide and I never had any issues with it. They do need to be adjusted if not correct but that happens with anything.

[DocP]

I'd buy another Cougar again in a heartbeat. Very, very few issues so far, and the fit and finish is infinitely better than any of the other travel trailers and motorhomes I have owned (and there have been quite a few). Keystone customer support has been very supportive and rapid in their response to me.

Keep in mind that satisfied customers often don't take the time to post good things on the forums. So, you often end up reading about those who had problems (legitimate problems, to be sure, but I would hazard the guess that there are more satisfied than dissatisfied folks). Just my thoughts, for what they're worth! Good luck with your decision.

[RoscoeV]

I have the Cougar 26SABWE half ton and have not had any issues and have not had to contact customer service.

I would buy another Keystone product again without any concerns. Keep in mind that you will find negative feedback on all manufacturers and people that do not have issues do not provide that feedback on the forums.

As mentioned above download the PDI from this forum and spend a few hours doing the inspection. This will also get you very familiar with the rig. The other option is take it to a dealer and pay them to do it but in my opinion it is better to do it yourself.

Good luck and rest assured that the Keystone Cougar line is not junk.

[Dave W]

Welcome - hope you choose a Cougar

We originally went looking for a Cougar and found that for the dollars spent, they were a good buy.

Cable slides on our Montana HC are working well. I have had to adjust two of the four but that is pretty easy if you have any mechanical inclination, the BAL manual and three wrenches.

Dealer service is a crapshoot regardless with smaller usually beter then the massive dealers. Camping World is often but not always at the bottom of the pile.

As far as holding up - there are a lot of these Cougars on the road. I have yet to talk t anyone that isn't happy with his. I am not overjoyed with an ultra light as there are lesser materials used, but again, these seem to be doing well.

As far as Thor owning Keystone - they aren't any worse or better then Forest River. They let the individual company's mostly do their 'thing' and worry about the bottom line. You choose what you like and need in an RV then dicker for your best price - and how we ended up with what we have instead of a Cougar 327RES

[maccam1]

I've had a 2006 jayco,2007 keystone Springdale a 2011 coachman Catalina, now a 2018 cougar 32rli.
I had no second thoughts about purchasing another keystone product.

[Ken / Claudia]

Customer service is all about the dealer. Maybe review dealers as much as trailer brands and find one with great reviews regarding service and warranty work. I kind of get a kick out of the number of people who go right to Keystone leaving the dealer and their service dept. out. They always say I talked to someone who knew nothing about my unit. Of course they do not, they work in a office not on the line or in a service dept, maybe never even been in a trailer.

[ihbond]

Customer service is all about the dealer. Maybe review dealers as much as trailer brands and find one with great reviews regarding service and warranty work. I kind of get a kick out of the number of people who go right to Keystone leaving the dealer and their service dept. out. They always say I talked to someone who knew nothing about my unit. Of course they do not, they work in a office not on the line or in a service dept, maybe never even been in a trailer.

Agreed, a great service dept will carry you pretty far. What i find is that when the repair requires some lengthy work or big expensive ticket items the dealerships\repair dept hands are tied.

[ihbond]

I've had a 2006 jayco,2007 keystone Springdale a 2011 coachman Catalina, now a 2018 cougar 32rli.
I had no second thoughts about purchasing another keystone product.

Thank you for your reply.

[ihbond]

Welcome - hope you choose a Cougar

We originally went looking for a Cougar and found that for the dollars spent, they were a good buy.

Cable slides on our Montana HC are working well. I have had to adjust two of the four but that is pretty easy if you have any mechanical inclination, the BAL manual and three wrenches.

Dealer service is a crapshoot regardless with smaller usually beter then the massive dealers. Camping World is often but not always at the bottom of the pile.

As far as holding up - there are a lot of these Cougars on the road. I have yet to talk t anyone that isn't happy with his. I am not overjoyed with an ultra light as there are lesser materials used, but again, these seem to be doing well.

As far as Thor owning Keystone - they aren't any worse or better then Forest River. They let the individual company's mostly do their 'thing' and worry about the bottom line. You choose what you like and need in an RV then dicker for your best price - and how we ended up with what we have instead of a Cougar 327RES



I guess i hear from others in different forums that their bottom line impacts their quantity sold without ramping up resources or providing better insutry standards. Of course that is all perception. As I do now work there , so those type of concerns are usually just vented issues from their RV's defects or mishandling.

Do you know how there resale value does compared to other companies out there ? Just curious, in case i do need to sell it...

[ihbond]

I'd buy another Cougar again in a heartbeat. Very, very few issues so far, and the fit and finish is infinitely better than any of the other travel trailers and motorhomes I have owned (and there have been quite a few). Keystone customer support has been very supportive and rapid in their response to me.

Keep in mind that satisfied customers often don't take the time to post good things on the forums. So, you often end up reading about those who had problems (legitimate problems, to be sure, but I would hazard the guess that there are more satisfied than dissatisfied folks). Just my thoughts, for what they're worth! Good luck with your decision.

Kind of like why do the have contracts..in case things go wrong, not when things go right.

What year is your cougar and model, if you don't mind me asking..so i can understand the context.

When i looked at one in person, the drawers seemed a little "slapped" together, but TBH, most of the other manufactures also fall into that category.

[ihbond]

I know several people with Cougars and they all enjoy them. The Passport I just traded in had a very large cable slide and I never had any issues with it. They do need to be adjusted if not correct but that happens with anything.
I thought the new cables were airplane grade and stretched verry little so adjustments would not be needed. Not like the cables of old days. Is it a pain to get to the adjustments ?

BTW who makes the frame..are they lipperts ? Do you know ?

[ihbond]

I have the Cougar 26SABWE half ton and have not had any issues and have not had to contact customer service.

I would buy another Keystone product again without any concerns. Keep in mind that you will find negative feedback on all manufacturers and people that do not have issues do not provide that feedback on the forums.

As mentioned above download the PDI from this forum and spend a few hours doing the inspection. This will also get you very familiar with the rig. The other option is take it to a dealer and pay them to do it but in my opinion it is better to do it yourself.

Good luck and rest assured that the Keystone Cougar line is not junk.

Spent about 2-3 hours on my PDI when i bought the winni. I was Disappointing in support from the RV dealership in the quality of walk around when i pointed out issues. The typical. oh sure we can fix it..will take about a month . Please leave your RV there. Stuff like cables being crammed into the outside conduit without appropriate sleeves.

Good to hear that about your 1/2 ton. anything that when you did your PDI or after ownership you might i take a look at based upon your personal experience with your RV ?

Thanks

[DocP]

Kind of like why do the have contracts..in case things go wrong, not when things go right.

What year is your cougar and model, if you don't mind me asking..so i can understand the context.

When i looked at one in person, the drawers seemed a little "slapped" together, but TBH, most of the other manufactures also fall into that category.

I've got the 2018 Cougar 32RLI.

[RoscoeV]

Spent about 2-3 hours on my PDI when i bought the winni. I was Disappointing in support from the RV dealership in the quality of walk around when i pointed out issues. The typical. oh sure we can fix it..will take about a month . Please leave your RV there. Stuff like cables being crammed into the outside conduit without appropriate sleeves.

Good to hear that about your 1/2 ton. anything that when you did your PDI or after ownership you might i take a look at based upon your personal experience with your RV ?

Thanks

Actually everything went well with my PDI and we did not have any issues after we picked it up.

We bought our Cougar at the dealers smaller location at their grand opening and they transported it to their main location around 20 miles away where they have their shop. I contacted the sales manager at that location after I signed the purchase agreement and gave a deposit and stated I was in no hurry to pick it up and I wanted everything to be perfect when I came in to do the paperwork and do the PDI. I also stated I wanted to do the PDI prior to signing the contract because I didn't want to find any issues and have to make another trip. I let them have it for two weeks after I signed the purchase agreement to complete their dealer prep and get it ready for my PDI. Everything went smooth and as I said we have not had any issues to date.

[wobly]

As mentioned above download the PDI from this forum and spend a few hours doing the inspection. This will also get you very familiar with the rig. The other option is take it to a dealer and pay them to do it but in my opinion it is better to do it yourself.


RoscoeV, do you have a link to the PDI that you are referring to? I can't find it after searching the forum.

[RoscoeV]

RoscoeV, do you have a link to the PDI that you are referring to? I can't find it after searching the forum.

wobly, try this link:
http://www.angelfire.com/trek/buenav...PDI_V113_2.pdf (http://www.angelfire.com/trek/buenavistas/RV_checklists/PDI_V113_2.pdf)

[wobly]

RoscoeV Thank you! That link didn't work, but I walked it back to this link and he has shuffled some pages around. I found his PDI checklist on this page...
http://www.angelfire.com/trek/buenavistas/

[Ken / Claudia]

8 rvs purchased, 2 from private parties. I have done different things regarding problems. Ask for a lower price, fix or repair items then I buy. This last one, The salesman made a list and I got it on paper of what needed to be fixed. One item needed to come from the factory. When it came it I made a appointment and took it back. I think the most important thing about a PDI is do not focus on the pretty colors or layout, really check everything and ask for it to be tested by the salesman while you watch. That means lay on the bed, sit on every seat, get down on the floor and look in the cabinets etc, etc. This trailer does not have a ladder so, I missed inspecting the roof until I got it home.

[Port List]

The manufacturing of RVs is done in a big hurry, by people of various skill levels and motivations. There will be issues because of that. That being said, Keystone has sold me my last two trailers, one a Hideout, and the present one, a Cougar. The quality and fit/finish is up there with the best.

[Cougar1957]

We would not hesitate to purchase another Cougar fifth wheel. Our's is a 2015 model and we have had zero issues with it. It has never been back to the dealer for anything. The slides have worked flawlessly, and they have not needed any adjustments. In reality you have to expect at least some issues with any RV because as others have said, they are all put together very quickly. We have always found that the Cougar's are a step above most others though. Personally, I would not tow a big Cougar with a F-150 because I'm sure you are way over your max GVWR. That half-ton towable advertising has holes in it.

[DOWva]

This past February we purchased a Used 2014 35 Foot Cougar 5th wheel and absolutely love it. Features of the RV and the craftsmanship seems to be top notch. This by the way is our second 5th wheel, our first 5th wheel was a Forest River, we like the Cougar a lot more.

[schallerr]

Most campers nowadays have a few things that are wrong with them straight from the factory, unfortunately. Make sure you go to a dealer who has a good reputation and their own repair department. We bought a new Keystone last year (Laredo) we camped in at all season and kept a list of things that needed to be fixed. We had some wiring problems on the first trip that we had a local guy fix and kept the receipt. At the end of camping season we went back to the dealer with our punch list and receipt. They fixed everything as it was covered under warranty and submitted our receipt to Keystone and we were paid back. Looking forward to a trouble-free year this year. Knockwood

[foldbak]

So, buy your floor plan first..Didn't listen to my own advice..and now it will cost us..

SORRY TO START OFF MY FIRST THREAD THIS WAY..Just trying to play a quick catch up .

Currently we own a 2018 2108ds Winnebago and the trailer floor plan does not meet our needs after a couple of times rv'ing. No issues with the quality so far...Just cramped. For my wife and our 1 dog. I have owned other RV's in the past.

So folks;
i have joined the forum as my wife and I are looking at spending (what we consider a lot of money) on a 2018\19 cougar 1/2 ton 26brswe or something in that size. We tow with a f150 (which can handle the weight and hitch weight)..

my main concern is, figured I would ask the experts here first then hearing it from my local stealership.

1) Would you buy a cougar towable again ?
2) Are you seeing a trend of quality issues go up since THOR owns it ?
3) Customer service (I get that its the typical when in doubt ship it out, including winni's trust me..there are issues on all sides). How responsive is CS in the first year ?
4) IS the trailer holding up after use (Drawers, Cushions, electrical, etc )
5) any other towable companies (ORV, Lance) would you look at ?
6) how is the Slideout mechanism's (Airplane wire) working for you so far

I must admit, i have done a few searches, but getting a little worried on the negative feedback i have seen so far... I believe Cougar has some modern design thinking, just trying to do some more analysis (paralysis)...

THanks
Ian

These are all good questions. I've had 5 trailers and they were all good quality. My last 2 were a Jayco 25' ultralight and a Prowler 30'. Never had a quality issue with either. I recently purchased a 2018 Cougar Half Ton 27SABWE. My wife and I fell in love with the floor plan......at first. I was a bit unsure about the cable pop out system but honestly what sold me was the self leveling system, the PVC roof, sealed belly and foam filled walls. At first glance the draws and hardware looked solid.

Before our first trip I installed a Onan 3600 LPG gen and an Aims 4000 inverter. We took it to the Delta for a ring out. It was raining the first day and normally I would be concerned with set up in the rain. But I felt the leveling system would alleviate some of that pain so off we went. When we arrived I got out thinking that all I had to do was push a button and get inside......boy was I wrong. Long story short, the system failed throwing all kinds of error codes. Lifting one side off the ground, out of stroke etc. It took me and hour and a half to figure out how to manually level it. The next fail was the water heater. It blew flames out of the side of the trailer and filled the bathroom with gas. The fresh water system cavitated every time a faucet was turned on. One drawer slide failed, the window shades wouldn't stay up and it took an act of god to lock the hitch.

We took it back to the dealership and reported the issues. They called several days later and told me it was ready for pick up. They said they fixed all of the issues. The leveling system just needed to be calibrated. the water heater had debris in it and the window shades needed to be adjusted. The had to rebuild the drawer slide frame. As for the cavitation and the hitch, that was normal....

So I returned home and pressed the leveling button and guess what happened.........FAIL! I was infuriated. Called the dealer and took it back. We went through this 3 times before I exploded to the sales manager. The factory would only pay for a calibration. And the mechanic calibrated and tested it in the same spot every time. I told the shop to calibrate it and move it to various locations on the lot for testing. Outcome it failed. As it turns out the factory used too large of screws breaking the rear sensor and it was just hanging by it's wires. They had to cut the sealed belly open to make the repairs.

Next trip we took it to Bodega Bay. Got out and pressed the button and it leveled. :rolleyes: The trip was a success.

Recently we had a severe rain and I found water in two of the window tracks. Took it back and they pressure tested the trailer to find 7 faulty window! WTF??? Those are on order.

The negatives are:

The floor vents are poorly located. You walk on the bedroom vent collapsing it and the rear lounger foot sits on the the other doing the same
Storage is severely lacking
Loungers have to be turned sideways in order to retract the slide
Construction debris works its way from under the cabinets into the living space. I removed a bottom drawer to find all kinds of crap!!
The window valances are crooked
There are staple holes everywhere
The king size bed is a joke. Cant stand next to the bed
The bedroom closets are too short
Don't lean against the interior walls....paper thin, no support
The interior LED lighting is ridiculously over done.
Crappy TV antenna

Positives:


LOTS of windows!!!
Great floor plan
Large frig
Good entertainment system......CRAP speakers :banghead: A sound bar took care of that
Leveling system
Electric awning
Large slide
Comfortable furniture
Good color scheme......the light one
PVC roof
Foam filled walls
Good chassis and axles
Sporty rims
Molded nose cone
Rear storage rack
LED lights
I can pull it with my Expedition

So at the end of the day, would I buy it again?.....well given the state of the industry what choice do I have. The problem industry wide is supply and demand. With a good economy and all the Baby Boomers buying trailers the manufactures can't keep up. They slam these things together with little to no quality control. I could do a better job!


Sorry for the long post but you asked.

[RoscoeV]

Wobly, glad you were able to get the PDI. Please let us know how you made out.

[wobly]

Wobly, glad you were able to get the PDI. Please let us know how you made out.We were supposed to pick up the trailer today, but it hasn't arrived at the lit yet. We rescheduled for Friday.

[RoscoeV]

We were supposed to pick up the trailer today, but it hasn't arrived at the lit yet. We rescheduled for Friday.

Great, I hope it all works out well for you.

[BW66L]

We had a Keystone Passport towable for 5 years and decided to move up to a 5th wheel. The only issue we ever had with the Passport was the sewer smell (which the dealer could never find how it was getting in the cabin). We traded it for the 2018 Cougar Xlite 28SBS. After having it now for 10 months, we have had the entire floor replaced due to the substrate screws coming up and poking thru, Slide-out motor replaced, new inverter installed, City Water fill box replaced, cabinet door handles replaced due to breaking off in hand, cabinet hinges installed because they keep falling out and the pin box replaced. Other than that, it's a great RV! :facepalm:

[Dave W]

We had a Keystone Passport towable for 5 years and decided to move up to a 5th wheel. The only issue we ever had with the Passport was the sewer smell (which the dealer could never find how it was getting in the cabin). We traded it for the 2018 Cougar Xlite 28SBS. After having it now for 10 months, we have had the entire floor replaced due to the substrate screws coming up and poking thru, Slide-out motor replaced, new inverter installed, City Water fill box replaced, cabinet door handles replaced due to breaking off in hand, cabinet hinges installed because they keep falling out and the pin box replaced. Other than that, it's a great RV! :facepalm:



In other words: "besides that, how was the play, Mr Lincoln"..........

[Ken / Claudia]

Foldbak just made my whole point in post #19. Of the 11 negatives he listed 9 would have been spotted if he really looked first.