Upgraded to New Tow and Trailer

[Sherwolfe]

23086

23087So we started our camping in 2016 with our 2015 Ford F-150 and our 2015 Keystone Cougar 28RLSWE. We have had some great camping trips and memories made. So on Wednesday we said goodbye to our first trailer and traded in our truck. The trailer now has new occupants who picked her up and are looking forward to making memories as well. So now we have a new 2019 Ford F-250 and a 2019 Keystone Cougar 29RLDWE. Bigger is better they say. Bigger truck and trailer that now has a slide out King Size bed with a lot more storage and space in the bed room. Now on to making more memories.

[JRTJH]

Robert,

Great looking new rig (the old one wasn't too shabby either).

If you want to keep that Cougar fiberglass front cap looking good, you might want to consider some mudflaps for the rear tires on your new truck.

Congratulations on the upgrade...

[sourdough]

John makes a good point about protecting the front of your trailer. I went a few years with this one and didn't have a single ding so thought that things were set up "just right". 2 years ago I got to my destination and looked at the front of the trailer after a drive over perfectly good highways, no construction - nothing, and had about 8 or so chips in the front of the trailer; from where I have no idea. I immediately bought a set of flaps that attach to my receiver and are removable. They have eliminated that problem and you might consider them as well before you get the dings.

[meaz93*]

Congrats on the new TT. & F250.
I absolutely love the master bedroom slide out with the king bed as well!!> on our 328RL23089

[travelin texans]

23086

23087So we started our camping in 2016 with our 2015 Ford F-150 and our 2015 Keystone Cougar 28RLSWE. We have had some great camping trips and memories made. So on Wednesday we said goodbye to our first trailer and traded in our truck. The trailer now has new occupants who picked her up and are looking forward to making memories as well. So now we have a new 2019 Ford F-250 and a 2019 Keystone Cougar 29RLDWE. Bigger is better they say. Bigger truck and trailer that now has a slide out King Size bed with a lot more storage and space in the bed room. Now on to making more memories.

Confused! The second photo the truck connected is a GM which you made no mention of.

[Badbart56]

Confused! The second photo the truck connected is a GM which you made no mention of.

I get that to be the new owners departing with the out going trailer.

[Sherwolfe]

That is the new owner with the GM hooked up leaving our house with their new trailer.

[Sherwolfe]

JRTJH and Sourdough,

Yes, I have already ordered some flaps for that very reason. Thanks.

[notanlines]

Not to start this all over again, but the mud flaps that screw to the fender wells are worthless. You need real stone guards like Rock Tamers, Rock Star or Smart Solutions.

[Badbart56]

Never had any issues with mine for the last 35 years.

[travelin texans]

Not to start this all over again, but the mud flaps that screw to the fender wells are worthless. You need real stone guards like Rock Tamers, Rock Star or Smart Solutions.

Had the fender mounted flaps on every truck I've owned with no problems.
In Texas every summer they "seal coat" (spray oil & sprinkle pea gravel) about every road, the only protection from stone chips to paint or glass would be to totally encase the truck & RV in a big bubble. Even the big ugly stone guards you mentioned don't help any more than the fender mounted ones during this time.

[Big1]

Congrats! Nice setup.

[Alpine]

Niiiiiiice!!!

[notanlines]

Told ya! They come out of the woodwork.

[Sherwolfe]

Took you at your word. Always interesting to see the different views and experiences.

[Badbart56]

Told ya! They come out of the woodwork.

And just what does that mean?

[travelin texans]

And just what does that mean?

Kinda curious myself?

[notanlines]

"Not to start this all over again" The mud flap discussion tends to go in the same direction as tires, weight police and Keystone bashing. We never seem to come to a general conclusion.

[Badbart56]

Ok, I'll take the bait.

Not to start this all over again, but the mud flaps that screw to the fender wells are worthless. You need real stone guards like Rock Tamers, Rock Star or Smart Solutions.

Perhaps you are an engineer and can expound on your statement that mud flaps are "worthless"? I have used them for many years on my light duty trucks and have incurred no damage to any of the rigs I have hauled, nor have I caused damage to any other vehicles on the road that I am aware of. I also employ them on my Freightliner Cascadia, as they are required by state law for class 8 commercial trucks. They appear to be quite effective in this application also.

"Told ya! They come out of the woodwork."

Sounds like an inside joke. "They"? Meaning "the ignorant ones" perhaps? Do I detect a condescending tone?

"Not to start this all over again"? Really? Then why mention it?

[LynnGlaze13]

Nice setup! :cool:

[dietzldub]

Here is our 2018 Cougar 366RDS and we just got this 2 weeks ago, 2017 Super Duty about 4 months ago.

[dietzldub]

Nice set up. I hope you really like your TV. We love ours. We are new to Keystone, we’ve had 2 Forest River TT before, and we loved the layout of the Cougar, and going with a 5er.

[JRTJH]

dietzldub,

You've got a great looking rig and I'm sure you're extremely happy with it. This isn't intended to "rain on your parade" but it looks like your truck is an F250 diesel. If that's the case, then the pin weight of your trailer, the hitch you've added to the bed and with a small bit of cargo in the truck, you're going to be pushing beyond the payload of your truck if the trailer has any cargo, propane and batteries onboard.

I'd urge you, the next time you leave for a trip, stop by a CAT scale and double check your weight status.

Again, you've got an awesome rig and this isn't criticism, rather it's "caution that you be sure" of your weight status. Happy Camping.

[dietzldub]

Thanks you.

We are good for 14,000 lbs of capacity, I need to see where we are with our rear axle load. The trailer GVWR is 13,000 lbs. That being said the sticker on the side of the trailer for added contents is 2600 lbs, so dry weight should be 10,400 lbs.

Thanks
Terry

[66joej]

Thanks you.

We are good for 14,000 lbs of capacity, I need to see where we are with our rear axle load. The trailer GVWR is 13,000 lbs. That being said the sticker on the side of the trailer for added contents is 2600 lbs, so dry weight should be 10,400 lbs.

Thanks
Terry

I think one of the important items John "JRTJH" was alluding to was this door sticker.

[theboneskes]

We too are looking to upgrade in the near future! We currently have a 2003 Expedition with a 2018 Outback 293UBH, and an shopping for a good used Excursion now and planning on getting a Outback 341RD...



Some awesome memories have been made so far, we love going camping!!

[JRTJH]

We too are looking to upgrade in the near future! We currently have a 2003 Expedition with a 2018 Outback 293UBH, and an shopping for a good used Excursion now and planning on getting a Outback 341RD...



Some awesome memories have been made so far, we love going camping!!

The Excursion (diesel version) is not the "beast" that many think it to be. It's a "first generation SuperDuty F250" with a heavier body and often with more optional equipment. That means the 8800 pound GVW of that era Ford truck means a "critically limited payload". I've seen a few Excursion King Ranch or Limited 9 passenger versions with a payload less than 1500 pounds. When you start hitching a trailer with a 1000+ tongue weight, add a couple of kids, DW and an ice chest, you run the risk of not only exceeding payload, but also exceeding RAWR and possibly tire maximums.

I'm not suggesting that you don't want an Excursion, just do your homework before buying something that won't handle the weight ratings you'll be seeing....

[Big1]

Here is our 2018 Cougar 366RDS and we just got this 2 weeks ago, 2017 Super Duty about 4 months ago.


Nice looking setup, congrats.

[travelin texans]

We too are looking to upgrade in the near future! We currently have a 2003 Expedition with a 2018 Outback 293UBH, and an shopping for a good used Excursion now and planning on getting a Outback 341RD...



Some awesome memories have been made so far, we love going camping!!

If I recall the 1st round of Excursions had the 7.3 diesel, which is good, not a lot of hp or torque compared to newer diesels, but reliable. The second batch had the POS 6.0 which I wouldn't give two cents for a vehicle with that under the hood, unless you're a diesel mechanic with lots of tools & like to spend lots of time under the hood.