Looking into buying a Cougar 25FKD in 2025. Any heads-up, comments, or anything else?

[AndreB]

Hello all
I just joined the group and I am looking at the 2025 Cougar 25FKD model. I have been reading multiple articles, looking at multiple YouTube videos and multiple different venders and models. This model seems to fit what my wife and I are looking for. We plan to travel across Canada and the US in 2026. In planning for this trip, I changed my pickup for a new 2023 Ford F150 Lariat 1500lbs payload, with the 5.0L engine, Supercrew, Max Tow package and 3.73 differential.

Questions:
Will my rig be a good match for the 25FKD?
Is the 25FKD a good quality RV?
Should I expect any problems with such a long trip?
Should I buy a set of extra bearings for this trip (about 3 months)?
Any other ideas, comments, suggestions?

Thanks a head
Andre

[NH_Bulldog]

That is really too much trailer for that truck. Forget the published “specs” of the trailer, it is marketing hype and not grounded in any reality. You are looking at about 1,100 lbs. tongue weight plus another 120 lbs. for a good weight distribution hitch so right there you ate up 1,220 lbs. of your 1,500 lb. cargo capacity, leaving you about 280 lbs. for people, pets and anything else you carry in/on the truck. The F150 also has a “squishy” comfort-minded suspension that doesn’t play well with a heavier trailer. I had a Passport 240BH which was a bit smaller and lighter that I towed with an F150 XLT Crew Cab with a tow package and a bit over 2,000 lb. payload capacity. I added Bilstein shocks, Load Range E tires, and Timbrens, but it was always a white knuckle drive in anything more than a slight breeze. I traded up for an F250 and it was night and day.

I realize that you just got the truck, but you have to come at this one of two ways; chose your ideal trailer and then buy a truck that can tow it, or choose your ideal truck and find a trailer that it can safely tow. This is where you are at unless you can stomach upgrading your truck this soon.

Anyway, the 25FKD is a newer model so I don’t know if it has a history yet. In general terms, I am very happy with my Cougar’s build quality.

With simple and proper wheel maintenance, the bearings should be good for tens of thousands of miles. I kept the ones on my Passport adjusted and repacked yearly and they were going strong at 35,000 miles when I sold the camper earlier this year. We tended to do long trips every year and I kept a set of pre-greased/packed bearings and seals in my tool box but never had to touch them.

[RollaMo]

From Keystone’s website: 25FKD

Dry Weight: 7,130 LBS
Cargo Carrying Capacity: 1,670 LBS

GVW: 8,800

Tongue Weight (pushing down on your truck) @ 13% = 1,144 LBS

Keystone lists a tongue weight of 735 LBS.
But remember, that is for a completely empty trailer as shipped.
Note: You will never be pulling at that weight


Add propane tanks, batteries and your stuff you pack (clothes, kitchen, other supplies, etc).
Your tongue weight will be much closer to that 1,144 LBS than the factory rating.

You listed your trucks payload at 1,500 LBS.

So, that only leaves you around 356 LBS left.

Now remember, you still have to add in you and your passengers weight, hitch weight and any other stuff you carry in the truck.

Also, that is a 30’ long trailer.

I will say that I wouldn’t be pulling that trailer with that 1/2 ton truck.

[flybouy]

At 30' and 9k I would not use any 1/2 ton truck. At max weight of 9k that hitch young wt will be around 1,2oo lb. Where are you getting the truck payload of 1500 lbs? Is that from the tire inflation chart on the actual truck or a brochure or a website?