tdowney,
If you look carefully at the website for the Mount-Lock SafetyStruts that you identified, you'll see that they have attached the mounts to the I beam of the chassis. Unfortunately, on Keystone products, the I beam doesn't usually run past the back wall of the trailer. The bumper is mounted on two 2'x4' thin wall tube extensions. Should you attempt to mount the Mount-Lock SafetyStruts on these thin wall extensions, I believe the first bump you hit you'll be right where you are with the current bumper.
There just isn't any "beefy steel" to mount those Mount-Lock SafetyStruts that will support any significant weight on the rear bumper.
As for the $1000 quote, I had a complete 2" receiver hitch mounted on my Springdale for $350 and the dealer subcontracted a similar system for our Cougar for a bit less than that. I believe it was around $325. So, you may want to get a second quote from either another dealer or from a welding/metals fabrication shop. Talk to some of your friends and see who in your area has a good reputation and talk to that company. You can (and should) be able to get a receiver welded to your trailer frame for about 1/3 of that quote. Keep in mind that the modification will probably void your Keystone factory warranty, at least for the frame.
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John
2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
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