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Old 10-08-2020, 01:32 PM   #1
Mike&Sandy
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First post, looking at a Cougar

My wife and I are looking at several TT's. In Keystone, we really like the cougar 29bhs. My only sticking point is customer service. After reading some of the online reviews about Keystone, it sounds like there are some real horror stories with warranty issues. I can't imagine this being a systemic issue. Can anyone offer reassurance or tips/tricks to avoid any nightmares please? Thanks in advance.
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Old 10-08-2020, 01:53 PM   #2
wiredgeorge
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If you buy a new Cougar, there is a PMI sheet floating around and best go through the camper with a fine tooth comb and find all issues you can prior to signing. You might also hire an RV tech who does inspections as well. Keystone actually has pretty good customer service and right now all RV manufacturers are pedal to the metal cranking out units. I have a 2002 Cougar fifth wheel with NO repeat NO issues so you might think about a used camper. The main issue with ANY camper, new or used is water intrusion. Look at the roof CAREFULLY around roof edges and penetrations (vents, etc) and make sure the Dicor sealant is NOT cracked and is applied over the edges. It doesn't usually look pretty, even on a new camper.



Last bit... the camper you like is 34' long and weights 8700 lbs loaded. The unloaded weight will NEVER be the actual weight (6875 lbs). That 6875 lbs is the bare trailer weight as delivered Once you get propane and batteries and you stuff in it, the trailer will be close to the 8700 lbs I mention. This size trailer isn't really a good idea for a half ton truck. A 3/4 ton truck or better a 1 ton is more in line with safe towing. And don't listen to all the carping about Keystone customer service. The carping is about the selling dealer's ability to keep up with service right now.
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Old 10-08-2020, 03:06 PM   #3
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Mike and Sandy,
George nailed it on two counts. The PDI (on a new trailer) is your best chance to avoid leaving the dealership with a trailer that has problems. Not to say something will not go wrong later, but that's where the warranties (be aware, the trailer will have a separate warranty from the "components", stove , fridge, heater, water heater, TV, radio ect... This is normal business for the industry) come in. My first TT dealer had their own "RV park" on the property. I had the trailer towed over to a site for an overnight stay and received instruction on how to set up and hook up the trailer. I operated EVERYTHING on the trailer. Plugs, spigots, stove/oven, AC, window shades, everything. Had a few minor things fixed the next morning and was on my way. As for customer service, a couple of things. I have found most dealers ( at least a few that I have dealt with) have a "phone guy", someone that takes on the spot calls during business hours and answers questions from customers. This is great help in the time of need. The first time you take your trailer back to the dealer, maybe you'll get lucky here and avoid this, but if you do, consider a few gift cards ($15-20) for a local sandwich/lunch shop near the dealership. The service manager, phone guy and a well deserving service tech will not forget you in the future and your first interaction is a positive one.
Will it get your trailer fixed faster? Depends, some things are out of their control (ie. parts) but a positive gesture can not hurt.

The tow vehicle. Yes, that is a large TT. I heard it said long ago " you want more truck than trailer". Words are so true. Please ask questions. This site has some great knowledgeable people on here with many miles and years of towing experience. You can't go wrong to listen.
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Old 10-08-2020, 03:35 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by Mike&Sandy View Post
My wife and I are looking at several TT's. In Keystone, we really like the cougar 29bhs. My only sticking point is customer service. After reading some of the online reviews about Keystone, it sounds like there are some real horror stories with warranty issues. I can't imagine this being a systemic issue. Can anyone offer reassurance or tips/tricks to avoid any nightmares please? Thanks in advance.

Keystone's customer service/warranty is as good as any of them out there in my experience and better than some. Remember that 3/4 of the RVs being sold (guesstimate) are under the umbrella of Thor including Keystone. One of the biggest things you can do for yourself is make sure you choose a good dealer that has your interests in mind AFTER the sale as well as making the sale. They will generally be your interface to Keystone customer service (that goes for any other RV manufacturer). There's a reason that Keystone RVs are one of top selling brands year in and year out. Find the trailer you like, find a GOOD dealer, do a thorough PDI/walk through and go have fun.

As far as tow vehicle and the prospective trailer, you will need to look into that.
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Old 10-08-2020, 03:58 PM   #5
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Thank you all so much for the information. I was able to find a PDI, it looks very helpful also. I've got a Ram 2500 Cummins that has pulled much heavier loads so the 29bhs shouldn't be too bad. Would waiting and watching towards winter be better for getting a good sale? And does anyone have a favorite dealer? I'm going to have to go out of town, here in San Antonio, the pickings are pretty slim.
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Old 10-08-2020, 04:51 PM   #6
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The RV world is not like anything else. If you buy an RV from abc dealer not another dealer has to honor any warranty work for that trailer....only the selling dealer....and then at who knows with what kind of wait period. That's the reason I said look for a GOOD dealer, I did not mention it should be close enough for you to take the RV to them in the event of warranty issues. At times Keystone authorizes a mobile tech to do minor repairs but I've never availed myself of that.

The pickings ARE pretty slim at the moment on RVs. The market is HOT. I doubt waiting toward the end of the year is going to help on pricing or availability. Maybe in a year or two but's that's JMO.

I will say this about dealers and warranty repairs; some folks don't like Camping World, others do. The thing they have going for them IMO is that the buck stops at the CEO, not some guy out on the golf course that could care less. Also, all Camping Worlds will honor the warranty on any RV Camping World sold at any location. Not just a hunch, confirmed to me, from the very top. That to me is a big thing since I only buy new and bounce around a lot. Just something to think about. Also, the Cougar is a nice line of trailers.
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Old 10-08-2020, 05:00 PM   #7
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Yes, your Ram sounds like a perfect fit, just take a look at the numbers to be sure. We will assume since you are looking at a 29BHS you will have the kids on board with all their stuff (friends, dog(s), bikes ect...). All to be considered in your weight calculations.
As for a dealer, can not help you there since I am not in that area but we have a handful of folks on here in Texas (yes I know Texas is a big state, real big) that may be able to direct you to a good reputable dealer in your area. Don't be afraid of a clean and newer used unit, especially if you can get some good help when shopping. Easier said than done I know, but you never know who "must" sell and their situation. As stated obvious things like roof leaks and tire wear are easy to spot, but use that PDI doc as a guide and with some You Tube info you should be able to maybe find a reasonable unit. And save some money.
Good luck
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Old 10-08-2020, 07:04 PM   #8
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Have to admit you guys made me giggle with the immediate and continued TV advise, regardless of OP. Not sure if being funny based on recent activity on the forum or not, but made me laugh anyway. Stay true!

I have only owned the Keystone, so can’t personally compare customer service. However the internet says they are all that way. A few family members with some more personal experience with different manufacturers agree. For what it’s worth. Best of luck!
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Old 10-08-2020, 08:01 PM   #9
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Have to admit you guys made me giggle with the immediate and continued TV advise, regardless of OP. Not sure if being funny based on recent activity on the forum or not, but made me laugh anyway. Stay true!

I have only owned the Keystone, so can’t personally compare customer service. However the internet says they are all that way. A few family members with some more personal experience with different manufacturers agree. For what it’s worth. Best of luck!

I belong to multiple RV forums. Some are active, some are sort of generic, some are for the bigger RVs - most are pretty slow. This forum has more new members coming on than any I belong to best I can tell. Due to that, the new folks that have never towed; don't know anything about weights etc., come on here with questions about weights, or not. Post obvious combos that any seasoned tower can see are a problem....IMO it's an obligation to at least point out how the numbers work. No one did that for me when I started towing and if it moved...we're good. That is way off the mark. Too many think that nowadays and the least a person should do is warn them.....sort of like, hey, there's a bullet in the chamber.. don't point it at your head and pull the trigger!
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Old 10-09-2020, 05:50 AM   #10
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Originally Posted by Mike&Sandy View Post
Thank you all so much for the information. I was able to find a PDI, it looks very helpful also. I've got a Ram 2500 Cummins that has pulled much heavier loads so the 29bhs shouldn't be too bad. Would waiting and watching towards winter be better for getting a good sale? And does anyone have a favorite dealer? I'm going to have to go out of town, here in San Antonio, the pickings are pretty slim.
I purchased mine from Seguin RV outside San Antonio. Good dealer in my opinion. We have not had to bring our TT back for service of any kind and a thorough PDI was done at the time of purchase. I have received calls and letters from the dealer asking if I was still satisfied with the purchase. In my opinion, that is good customer service!
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Old 10-09-2020, 09:17 AM   #11
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Have to admit you guys made me giggle with the immediate and continued TV advise, regardless of OP. Not sure if being funny based on recent activity on the forum or not, but made me laugh anyway. Stay true!

I have only owned the Keystone, so can’t personally compare customer service. However the internet says they are all that way. A few family members with some more personal experience with different manufacturers agree. For what it’s worth. Best of luck!

KsuPaul, Have you considered it not helpful to get your giggles criticizing people who are actually trying to help? The OP said he wanted advice on a really larger bumper pull and it would have been negligent to not mention that the proper tow vehicle was critical to his enjoyment and safety. If you don't have anything helpful, well, its a free country but consider the useless nature of sniping the attempts to be helpful of others on this forum.
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Old 10-09-2020, 10:02 AM   #12
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If you buy a new Cougar, there is a PMI sheet floating around.
I'd be interested in reviewing this, but the forum search software always throws out the term "PMI" as being too short, which defeats the purpose of the entire search (I know as much as I need to about Cougar bedsheets, thanks!)
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Old 10-09-2020, 10:05 AM   #13
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We are very happy with our Cougar. It's the 4th or 5th RV we've owned. Each of them have had minor issues that for the most part we've fixed ourselves. Loose hinges, things to be tightened or loosened or relocated to suit our tastes. It's my opinion the majority of RV purchasers are happy and you never hear from them. There is a minority that have found minor or even major problems and those are the ones who post their issues. Some are seeking advice on how to resolve, while others are just shouting. There is absolutely no way to measure the exact size of each group.


Do a good PDI and enjoy!!
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Old 10-09-2020, 10:58 AM   #14
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I purchased mine from Seguin RV outside San Antonio. Good dealer in my opinion. We have not had to bring our TT back for service of any kind and a thorough PDI was done at the time of purchase. I have received calls and letters from the dealer asking if I was still satisfied with the purchase. In my opinion, that is good customer service!
Hey thanks Steve. Just got off the phone with them, they don't sell Cougar.
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Old 10-09-2020, 11:06 AM   #15
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https://www.genuinerv.com/

Ask for David Morris.. I bought my last two 5th wheels from him one of which was a Cougar..
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Old 10-09-2020, 12:37 PM   #16
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I'd be interested in reviewing this, but the forum search software always throws out the term "PMI" as being too short, which defeats the purpose of the entire search (I know as much as I need to about Cougar bedsheets, thanks!)

I have never seen the PMI sheet but many have referred to it floating around. I have an 18 year old camper so my PMI days have sort of slipped away.
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Old 10-09-2020, 12:45 PM   #17
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Hey thanks Steve. Just got off the phone with them, they don't sell Cougar.

I have never bought a new RV but I know Explore USA RV on the west side off the Hwy 90 access road sells them (just outside Loop 410) as does San Antonio RV going towards Seguin on IH10 and Crestview RV north of Live Oak on IH35. A little farther north on IH35 is Camping World in New Braunfels. I have never done business with any of these places so can't give you a thumbs up or down on them as businesses.
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Old 10-09-2020, 01:01 PM   #18
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I have never seen the PMI sheet but many have referred to it floating around. I have an 18 year old camper so my PMI days have sort of slipped away.
The only PMI I'm aware of is private mortgage insurance. Here's a link to a PDI Pre Delivery Inspection that's a generic style that's a PDF download .. http://www.angelfire.com/trek/buenav...PDI_V113_2.pdf
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Old 10-09-2020, 01:15 PM   #19
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The only PMI I'm aware of is private mortgage insurance. Here's a link to a PDI Pre Delivery Inspection that's a generic style that's a PDF download .. http://www.angelfire.com/trek/buenav...PDI_V113_2.pdf
That link suffers from the forum's copy-and-paste "..." problem, but it was enough for me to locate it in other posts:

http://www.angelfire.com/trek/buenav...PDI_V113_2.pdf
(ends in /trek/buenavistas/RV_checklists/PDI_V113_2.pdf, since the forum will do the same to mine).
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Old 10-09-2020, 02:21 PM   #20
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The only PMI I'm aware of is private mortgage insurance. Here's a link to a PDI Pre Delivery Inspection that's a generic style that's a PDF download .. http://www.angelfire.com/trek/buenav...PDI_V113_2.pdf

Thanks for the correction. Must have been one of those Froydian SLIPS! I used to reside at the Psycho Mental Institute. It is amazing what a little shock therapy will do for a person!
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