Cougar 337 FLS

[Watchdog]

Hi guys, the wife and I are newbies at 5th wheels and relatively new at RVing in general. We currently have a trailer but since the kids are getting older and don't always want to come camping with us we've decided to look at 5th wheels.
We are currently looking at the Cougar 337 FLS and since I don't trust salesmen, I'm looking for some owner feed back, not just on the 337 FLS but on Cougar in general.

Thanks.

[Festus2]

We've had our Cougar since '08 and it has not had any major issues - other than a replacement of the front landing gear - during this time. We think it is good value for the money and would certainly look at buying another Keystone product again in the future.

There have been an increasing number of problems concerning discoloration and fading of the front cap in a number of models - especially the newer ones with the darker cap. It's difficult to say how widespread this issue is but it appears to be a reoccurring problem that I am sure has been made aware.

[gooselover]

We just recently purchased a new 2013 Cougar 327RES and it has been absolutely perfect - no problems....well, we did have an E4 error code on our thermostat, but with some help on this forum, we made it go away!

DH and I did look - in fact last week - at Cougar's front living. While we liked it, the living room seemed smaller than what we have now. Also, if and when we get another one, I want a king bed!

All in all, we LOVE our Cougar!

[Watchdog]

Awesome, thanks for the feed back. Looks like we're going to make a deal on the 337 FLS.

Now the next question I have is the dealership is offering a package that covers the leather (to prevent it from cracking due to the weather changes +30 (summer) to -30 (winter)), scotch guards the carpets and other interior things plus a sealant of some sort for the exterior to prevent it from fading. The package is good for 5 yrs on the interior items and 10 yrs on the exterior. The cost of this package is almost $2800.00. Is it worth it?

[Festus2]

Originally Posted by Watchdog

The cost of this package is almost $2800.00. Is it worth it?

Save the $2800 and do your own "protection" for far, far less. Is it worth it? No.

[chuckster57]

Is the dealer talking about "trident"? They make both an interior and exterior treatment. Is it worth it? if you have limitations that prevent you from doing your own treatments then maybe, but that price is high IMO.

[Watchdog]

Hey Chuckster57, it might be similar to the "Trident", I have no idea. The dealership calls it the "Platinum Shield" and they are now offering it to me for $2300.00, boy they really want to sell this package.
The package includes:
Paint protection, (from fading/peeling, 10 yr warranty)
Fabric protection, (from burns/tears/rips, 5 yr warranty)
Leather protection, (from burns/tears/rips, 5 yr warranty) and
Scotch guard on all carpets.

[chuckster57]

Makes you wonder how much it really "costs" them. Again, unless there is a limiting factor (age, health, etc.) that prevents you, I would do as Festus2 says and do it yourself.

[Festus2]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

Makes you wonder how much it really "costs" them. Again, unless there is a limiting factor (age, health, etc.) that prevents you, I would do as Festus2 says and do it yourself.

Chuckster makes a good point regarding other "limiting factors". If there are, you could probably hire and pay for someone else to do some of the manual stuff such as waxing and polishing. Most, if not all, of the other stuff could be done yourself. Another option would be to take your rig to an auto detailer and cost it out.

I would also look very carefully at the fine print with respect to what is covered and more importantly ..what is not. For example, what about the issues of " front cap fading and peeling decals"? What is the deductible?

Again, I would not recommend it.

[Yosemitebob]

Where we store our 5er, the service there wants to charge me 350.00 to wash, wax/polish, or just detail the outside top to bottom, I do it myself for the cost of the soap, wax, conditioner for less than $35.00, now they say do that at least twice a year. So, washing and waxing my 5er for the last, two years it has cost me so far, $35.00. No, wait a minute, I just bought another bottle of wax, add 15.00. If I had it done twice a year by the service that would be 350 twice at 700 a year. Figure it that way, you might have a deal, figure it doing yourself not so much.

[therink]

Save your money. You will never see that $2300 again. While it is important to keep the unit clean and protected from the elements, it is equally important to regularly check all exterior caulking, roof, roof seams, etc for potential leaks. When a protection plan is purchased, many owners are given a false sense of security that the unit is protected against leaks because they paid big bucks to have these things covered. No one will care about your rv as much as you, no matter how much you pay the dealer. You are so much better off maintaining everything yourself, or hiring a "qualified" person a few hundred dollars each year to detail and freshen caulking.

[Watchdog]

Thanks for all the advice guys, it's greatly appreciated.

We just purchased our new unit yesterday. The dealership goofed and sold the cougar that we were dealing on and gave us a no cost upgrade to a cougar high country 337 FLS for no extra charge.

Any suggestions on the hitch I should be looking at? I've been told Curt is really good, but as always I'm open to suggestions.

[bsmith0404]

The Curt is nice, as are the B&W. Personally, I have been very happy with my Reese hitch. I considered the Curt when I upgraded from my 15k Reese, but it is not compatible with some types of pin boxes (sidewinder). Although I don't have one of those, and don't anticipate ever having one, I didn't want to limit myself from possible future purchases. Based on a few other threads on here, I'd say the most important factor is the ability to adjust the height. There are a few people who have a hitch that is not adjustable and they are having difficulty getting the trailer level. Next consideration is to buy heavy enough to allow for future upgrades. My 15k hitch was more than enough for my last two 5ers, but I finally bought more than it could handle. I wish I had spent $150 more before instead of $700 now. Used hitches don't sell well, so if you upgrade you won't get much out of your old hitch. Finally, make sure the hitch you buy does not require grease on the plate. Most do not require grease and you can use the disc, but there are a couple out there that do. You don't want to deal with that mess.

As for passing on the protection package...good choice, you just saved yourself over $2000 from what it would cost to do it yourself.

[chuckster57]

Some of the higher rated Reese have a built in lube plate on the face of the horseshoe.