Cougar 368mbi question

0rion · 10-13-2021, 07:07 PM

Anyone know the pin to axle length?

0rion · 10-14-2021, 05:19 PM

I emailed keystone and they got back to me. Wanted to share it on the off chance someone else is looking for the info...although I highly doubt anyone but me would need it.

The distance from center of king pin to the center of the axles is 295.5".

wiredgeorge · 10-14-2021, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 0rion

I emailed keystone and they got back to me. Wanted to share it on the off chance someone else is looking for the info...although I highly doubt anyone but me would need it.

The distance from center of king pin to the center of the axles is 295.5".

If you took the time to put a signature on your posts, that would be a handy factoid to add. Signature is under UserCP. Year, make and model of camper and tow vehicle is a start.

0rion · 10-15-2021, 04:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

If you took the time to put a signature on your posts, that would be a handy factoid to add. Signature is under UserCP. Year, make and model of camper and tow vehicle is a start.

My signature right now would be pretty uneventful. We lost our 5th wheel to a flood just before labor day when hurricane Ida reached PA. We're currently shopping for a replacement. The 368mbi is the front runner but the place we go the most often has 2 very sharp turns leading into it. I have to make sure that we can make those turns before we buy something. Our old KZ was 34' and had a pin to axle hanger distance of 254". The cougar 368 is a 39' 5er with a pin to axle hanger measurement of 295.5". I have to figure out how much more offtracking that 41" is going to cause.

The math is well beyond me. The only idea I've came up with so far is to take 8' 2x4's and put them end to end making an axle out of another 2x4 using bike wheels. Go out and make those turns with it and see if it works. That's the best I've got so far.

wiredgeorge · 10-15-2021, 04:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 0rion

My signature right now would be pretty uneventful. We lost our 5th wheel to a flood just before labor day when hurricane Ida reached PA. We're currently shopping for a replacement. The 368mbi is the front runner but the place we go the most often has 2 very sharp turns leading into it. I have to make sure that we can make those turns before we buy something. Our old KZ was 34' and had a pin to axle hanger distance of 254". The cougar 368 is a 39' 5er with a pin to axle hanger measurement of 295.5". I have to figure out how much more offtracking that 41" is going to cause.

The math is well beyond me. The only idea I've came up with so far is to take 8' 2x4's and put them end to end making an axle out of another 2x4 using bike wheels. Go out and make those turns with it and see if it works. That's the best I've got so far.

Got it! We are limited to how long our camper can be. We live in the Texas Hill Country on the side of a hill and come into our parking slip off a very narrow country road and have to back in and the back in is almost 90 degrees. Have to put the camper at the rear of our slip as the front slopes too much so we can't have a fifth wheel much longer than 32' (current trailer is 28'). Can't help you with the math part but I have an Andersen Ultimate hitch and it allows 90 degree turns with our long bed pickup.

0rion · 10-15-2021, 07:58 AM

This is what I'm dealing with. Going in the 2nd turn is the tough one and coming out the first turn is tight. With my old camper I could make it with a couple feet to spare. Not sure how much further inside 41" more of pin to axle length is going to track. It's 4.5 hours from home so not real easy to just pop over there and look at it. I'll get over there eventually but our shopping is at a stand still until I get this figured out.

**sourdough** · 10-15-2021, 08:08 AM

How wide is that gravel drive?

wiredgeorge · 10-15-2021, 08:54 AM

Just looked at the 368MBI which has an unusual floor plan. If you camp in warm weather and that mid bedroom area gets used, I would be concerned about air conditioning getting to that area. There may be others on this forum with this type set up that can chime in. It is a great floor plan otherwise.

**sourdough** · 10-15-2021, 09:24 AM

George has brought up a good point. We recently had a thread about the lack of cooling in that mid room area in a trailer very similar to the 368mbi by another member. I looked at that trailer quite a bit as well and did not like it; that was one of the reasons. Look it over carefully and take that into consideration. I don't believe that trailer is able to add a 3rd AC so what you get is what you get. It may come with a 15k and 13.5k which could be upgraded to a 15k but not sure.

wiredgeorge · 10-15-2021, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

George has brought up a good point. We recently had a thread about the lack of cooling in that mid room area in a trailer very similar to the 368mbi by another member. I looked at that trailer quite a bit as well and did not like it; that was one of the reasons. Look it over carefully and take that into consideration. I don't believe that trailer is able to add a 3rd AC so what you get is what you get. It may come with a 15k and 13.5k which could be upgraded to a 15k but not sure.

My camper originally had a 13.5K Dometic and I upgraded to a 15K to enhance cooling. It doesn't make a huge difference, if any. I did other things to help camping fun in the sun. Don't see how a portable A/C would work in a mid bed situation like the 368MBI.

0rion · 10-15-2021, 10:05 AM

That's a good point on the a/c and something I hadn't thought about. This picking out a new 5er is proving to be far more difficult than it should be haha

**sourdough** · 10-15-2021, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

My camper originally had a 13.5K Dometic and I upgraded to a 15K to enhance cooling. It doesn't make a huge difference, if any. I did other things to help camping fun in the sun. Don't see how a portable A/C would work in a mid bed situation like the 368MBI.

This topic is a bit off track from the OPs question but since the RV isn't purchased it's something to think about.

As far as a portable for that mid bedroom/office area, there is a window in there but a couch is right in front of it so don't think that would work.

One of the reasons I ruled it out was the cooling (and I thought the mid area was a waste of space that could be better utilized - she thought otherwise but.....). If the OP checks there will only be 2 AC vents in the living/kitchen area...two. There is one right at the front of the stairs, one in the little bunk area over the middle room, one in the bath and 2 next to the wall in the bedroom. Nothing in that middle room and it has a window plus exterior wall in it - it will want to be cooled.

Those things in addition to the trailer being over 39' long meant to me that I would be hot all the time out here in TX. That may not be a consideration in other places but based on the posts we see here trying to stay cool in summer is a big issue for lots of folks. Now, back to trying to navigate that road.......how wide was it???

0rion · 10-15-2021, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

How wide is that gravel drive?

It's a single wide drive so maybe 12ish feet. Can't get 2 cars past each other but my old camper had plenty of room on both sides. I'm going to have my pap measure it all and send it to me when he's down there next and I'll recreate that turn using cones in a parking lot. Ideally I'd like to drive out and do it all out there, which I may do, but right now our schedule just has no room for that kinda time.

0rion · 10-15-2021, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

This topic is a bit off track from the OPs question but since the RV isn't purchased it's something to think about.

As far as a portable for that mid bedroom/office area, there is a window in there but a couch is right in front of it so don't think that would work.

One of the reasons I ruled it out was the cooling (and I thought the mid area was a waste of space that could be better utilized - she thought otherwise but.....). If the OP checks there will only be 2 AC vents in the living/kitchen area...two. There is one right at the front of the stairs, one in the little bunk area over the middle room, one in the bath and 2 next to the wall in the bedroom. Nothing in that middle room and it has a window plus exterior wall in it - it will want to be cooled.

Those things in addition to the trailer being over 39' long meant to me that I would be hot all the time out here in TX. That may not be a consideration in other places but based on the posts we see here trying to stay cool in summer is a big issue for lots of folks. Now, back to trying to navigate that road.......how wide was it???

Any and all advice/input is welcomed on topic or not. I honestly hadn't thought about cooling that room. Typically we stay in areas that aren't screaming hot....Ohio and PA but we do spend several weeks at VA beach every year and it can get pretty hot there at the end of July. Definitely something I'm going to talk to the wife about. They also sell those stand alone a/c units which would probably cool that room but who wants to do that when the unit already has 2 a/c units on it?

wiredgeorge · 10-15-2021, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 0rion

Any and all advice/input is welcomed on topic or not. I honestly hadn't thought about cooling that room. Typically we stay in areas that aren't screaming hot....Ohio and PA but we do spend several weeks at VA beach every year and it can get pretty hot there at the end of July. Definitely something I'm going to talk to the wife about. They also sell those stand alone a/c units which would probably cool that room but who wants to do that when the unit already has 2 a/c units on it?

I use a portable 14K BTU A/C to augment my 15K BTU roof top unit. It has to be vented outside. I fashioned a wooden panel to sit in my window with the window sitting down on it with foam insulation. I put the supplied vent opening in the middle. I run a heavy duty electric cord through the same window to a power pedestal and plug into the 15/20A outlet. Do you need the center room for an extra sleeping place? It is kind of neat but is isolated from the cabin A/C system. A traditional bunk room with a door and A/C outlets in the ceiling could be converted to a separate room if you pulled out the bunks; kind of depends on why you are looking at this type space in an RV.

0rion · 10-15-2021, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

I use a portable 14K BTU A/C to augment my 15K BTU roof top unit. It has to be vented outside. I fashioned a wooden panel to sit in my window with the window sitting down on it with foam insulation. I put the supplied vent opening in the middle. I run a heavy duty electric cord through the same window to a power pedestal and plug into the 15/20A outlet. Do you need the center room for an extra sleeping place? It is kind of neat but is isolated from the cabin A/C system. A traditional bunk room with a door and A/C outlets in the ceiling could be converted to a separate room if you pulled out the bunks; kind of depends on why you are looking at this type space in an RV.

Yeah....it'll be a bedroom for my daughter. She's 15 so probably limited trips with us in 3-4 years. We also have a 9 year old son that will take the loft. Our 18 year old son won't be camping with us much going forward but may go on occasion so he'll get a pull out. We've looked at several set ups and have our list of things we definitely want and things we can do without. The 368 has most all of them. The length ends up being an issue with that tight turn or we'd be open to a couple other floor plans. We're for sure not pulling the trigger on the 368 until we feel we've done our due diligence. It just happens to be the front runner at the moment.

**sourdough** · 10-15-2021, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 0rion

Yeah....it'll be a bedroom for my daughter. She's 15 so probably limited trips with us in 3-4 years. We also have a 9 year old son that will take the loft. Our 18 year old son won't be camping with us much going forward but may go on occasion so he'll get a pull out. We've looked at several set ups and have our list of things we definitely want and things we can do without. The 368 has most all of them. The length ends up being an issue with that tight turn or we'd be open to a couple other floor plans. We're for sure not pulling the trigger on the 368 until we feel we've done our due diligence. It just happens to be the front runner at the moment.

We looked at the 368 quite a few times a year or 2 ago and it is a nice floorplan if you can utilize the way it is laid out. DW wanted the mid room to be a "craft" room and the bunk area above to be "storage"....that wasn't going to happen and waste all that space. In your situation it might work out but really do look at that cooling or ask the question to other members, I believe we have/had some that had the 368. Good luck on the quest.

0rion · 10-15-2021, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

We looked at the 368 quite a few times a year or 2 ago and it is a nice floorplan if you can utilize the way it is laid out. DW wanted the mid room to be a "craft" room and the bunk area above to be "storage"....that wasn't going to happen and waste all that space. In your situation it might work out but really do look at that cooling or ask the question to other members, I believe we have/had some that had the 368. Good luck on the quest.

Thank you and I appreciate your input. I'm not new to campers by any means but I 100% realize the benefit to hearing others experiences and input. We started out looking at toy haulers and honestly I'd love to walk through a cougar 353 srx. I like that toy hauler. We also have looked at some wolfpack toy haulers. We kinda decided that a toy hauler gives up a ton of living space for a garage we'd haul a golf cart once a year to VA beach. I can do without a golf cart. That door isn't completely closed but it's not a priority. The living area is pretty important. Our last camper that was an issue....there just wasn't a comfortable seat anywhere in it.

Blueswede · 10-16-2021, 06:27 AM

We bought a new 368MBI in January. Really love the layout. Cooling the middle room has not been an issue for us, but we also live in So California. There is a product out there called the RV Air Flow that has gotten lots of good reviews. It can increase the cold air flow thru your ducts by up to 40%. I intend on installing one as soon as my knee heals. You may want to check it out. For us, the 368 is what we have been looking for in a 5th wheel.

0rion · 10-16-2021, 06:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blueswede

We bought a new 368MBI in January. Really love the layout. Cooling the middle room has not been an issue for us, but we also live in So California. There is a product out there called the RV Air Flow that has gotten lots of good reviews. It can increase the cold air flow thru your ducts by up to 40%. I intend on installing one as soon as my knee heals. You may want to check it out. For us, the 368 is what we have been looking for in a 5th wheel.

Thanks for your input. Anything that has really impressed you with it or anything you wish was different?

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