Anyone have the 31SQB?

[dspfeiffer]

We are looking into the Cougar 31SQB and was wondering if anyone on the site had one. I have some questions:

1. Is the rear storage rack a useful option for carrying bikes? Does it have an clearance issues when extended?
2. We plan on camping at some state parks without any hookups. Has anyone done this? Any suggestions?
3. When camping without a/c in the summer, how do you keep it comfortable? A rockwood we were looking at had a big 12v fan to get some airflow. Does the Cougar?
4. Most important - what do you tow with?

Any input would really be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Festus2]

We have the rear bumper pull-out and have used it for packing 2 bikes. I have drilled two more holes in the track so that I do not have to pull it out all the way before it locks in place giving me more clearance than if it were fully extended. The vertical post by itself is a poor excuse for a support and I have modified it. Others have made modifications to this "bike rack" as well.

We have done a lot of camping at places without hookups - including state and provincial parks and have made out very well. Making wise use of your power consumption and water supply are the most important suggestions I would make now and would suggest others if you send me a PM. We have solar power coupled with golf cart batteries which, with prudent use of power, we can go for as long as our water lasts ,we can get enough sunlight for the solar panels and our holding tanks are still capable of "holding".
We also take a small generator along for emergency use but really don't like using it in a campground.

Keeping comfortable without an A/C depends in large part where you plan on camping. If you are going to be spending time in hot, dry or hot, humid areas, one or two 12v fans may not be enough to keep you comfortable. We don't spend much time in those areas and in the summer, we make good use of 2 FanTastic fans (12v)- one in the living area and the other in the bedroom.
You can Google "dry camping" or "Boon docking" and find all sorts of info about camping without power and/or water.
Sorry, I can't give you any info about which tow vehicle you should get other than to say do some research, find out all the weights numbers you need to know and get a TV that will safely pull whatever you decide to buy.

The "which tow vehicle should I get question" has been submitted here very often (some will say too often) and will always generate a lively and sometimes heated discussion. You might want to do a forum search using our search feature. Posts about this topic can be found in the Towing and Tow Vehicle section of the forum.

[dspfeiffer]

Thanks Festus, appreciate the input. I'll start searching.

[michol02]

I tow my 32SAB (similar to the 31SQB in weight and length) with a GMC 1500 and a Equalizer 4 point W.D. Hitch(max towing: 9700#, max tongue with W.D. Hitch: 1100#). I haven't towed it through any big hills, but it does great on flat land and small hills. No sway, just a little bouncy ride, which a set of air bags took care of. If I had the choice of vehicles, I would get a 3/4 ton, but I'm happy with mine for now.
Just looked at the specks again, and the tongue weight for the 31SQB might be pushing or exceeding it for a 1/2 ton(after you load the trailer and add the weight of a W.D. Hitch).

[BldrRob]

We bought our 31SQB last March and have had it out about 20 times. Just took it to Ft. Wilderness in Orlando all the way from Austin. I use my 2009 Yukon XL Denali with a Hensley Arrow to tow. I used the Reese hitch once and cursed it the whole way. I prefer the suburban type vehicle to a pickup, I've had several of those, and I just prefer the inside room over the bed of a truck. The Denali has been great, not one problem but.....if I were to do it again, I'd look into the 3/4 ton suburban.
Just my $.02
Rob

[happytrails]

We have a 2011 31SQB and love it. We have not done any dry camping, but the two gray tanks can fill up quick, especially the front one if you wash a lot of dishes in the sink. I can't speak to keeping it cool though.

I tow mine with a 2011 Toyota Tundra 4x4 Extended Double Cab with the tow package. It is supposed to handle 9900# and it seems to do fine. We have not towed it up many large hills, but has done well on smaller ones so far. You really have to check your tow vehicle thoroughly for towing capacity. At first I didn't think ours would tow that much but when I looked through the Toyota owner's manual it specifically had me look at the sticker on my door frame to match up option package numbers to get the tow rating. Also, adding extended cabs, beds, bed covers/caps, and 4x4 will/can reduce your towing capacity because of the addtional weight.

[Live4FW]

We bought our 31SQB last March and have had it out about 20 times. Just took it to Ft. Wilderness in Orlando all the way from Austin. I use my 2009 Yukon XL Denali with a Hensley Arrow to tow. I used the Reese hitch once and cursed it the whole way. I prefer the suburban type vehicle to a pickup, I've had several of those, and I just prefer the inside room over the bed of a truck. The Denali has been great, not one problem but.....if I were to do it again, I'd look into the 3/4 ton suburban.
Just my $.02
Rob

Does your Denali have the larger engine?

[BldrRob]

Yes, it has the 6.2

[springfield5]

Hi Dspfeiffer,
We have a 2012 31SQb and tow it with a Suburban. It tows this trailer great but I think it is definitely 3/4 ton worthy. Tongue weight will be your biggest issue. At FLW the tongue weight will probably be near 1200lbs or so. Recently, we had power loss due to storm while we were camping so I can speak for no A/C. You will definitely need some fans to keep cool without A/C. I can't speak for the rear storage rack though since I have an east coast model and they didn't put a rack on those....makes me a little sad.

Good luck with your decision and please let me know if you have any more specific questions about the 31SQB. We love ours and it has been awesome so far!

Jeff