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Mjoseph320's avatar
Mjoseph320
Explorer
Feb 13, 2015

New Cougar 331MKS

We did it. We bought our first fifth wheel. A new 2014 Keystone Cougar 331MKS. We've had a 21' travel trailer for three years that we've thoroughly enjoyed but have wanted the spaciousness of a fifth wheel for years. This one is 33 feet and we wanted to stay under 35 feet since we do lots of NP and Statepark camping. We pick it up on the 24th and I'm sure I'll have questions for all you experts...other than a couple I have now :)

The salesman said the newer rigs don't need slide out covers because they are tilted and triple sealed...is he speaking the truth? One thing I did like about him is he told us not to buy extra things from them. As he said, they do great on offering deals on RVs but the service department will soak us and they can't touch camping world prices. It made him seem a bit more trustworthy.

Also, can you help me out with understanding generators and inverters? We used, or rather attempted to use, a 2000 watt Champion inverter generator with our trailer. It never powered up the outlets and if we held our breath it sometimes ran long enough to recharge the batteries. We're selling that one and DH wants to get a Honda. Am I understanding it correctly that using a 50 watt to 30 watt reducer plug will operate our outlets? We don't need to run the a/c as it's always cool where we camp (Kings Canyon / Sequoia NP). Or does the generator only charge the batteries and I can only use the lights but not the outlets?

We will be taking it out to a local regional park for weekend "get to know it" party. We will do full hook ups and play with everything at that time.
  • Mjoseph320's avatar
    Mjoseph320
    Explorer
    Feb 13, 2015
    minnow wrote:
    The specifications show that that actual length is 36'6" not 33" as you suspect.


    Yup, we realized that...hopefully we will still be okay. So far the NPs we've been to haven't actually measured any units but we'll see what happens.

    Thanks for the tips. Maybe on the slide toppers we will wait and see how much junk collects when we're under the trees. If it's an expense I don't have to have than I can find something else to put the money to :)

    I'm glad the generator works the way i thought. I don't know why our Champion always overloaded but hopefully we will have better luck with the Honda. I know it won't run the a/c and that's fine. It would be used for charging phones and tablets, a flat iron, run the microwave and that's about it and not all at once. When we're boon docking we don't spend time inside watching TV, and I use a percolator for coffee.

    Thanks again!
  • goducks10's avatar
    goducks10
    Explorer
    Feb 13, 2015
    minnow wrote:
    The specifications show that that actual length is 36'6" not 33" as you suspect.


    Ruh Roh
  • minnow's avatar
    minnow
    Explorer
    Feb 13, 2015
    The specifications show that that actual length is 36'6" not 33" as you suspect.
  • GPG52_'s avatar
    GPG52_
    Explorer II
    Feb 13, 2015
    Congrat's on your new purchase.
    As most have said it is a personal preference but I always get the toppers. I for one believe in staying off the roof as much as possible.
    We use our Honda 2000i with our Cougar 327 RES and have no problem running the outlets, just remember that you have a limited amount of power supply i.e. when on the Honda we run the fridge on propane, don't try operating multiple small appliances like toaster, coffee maker and hair dryer all at once as each will likely draw about 1500 each and you are limited to 2000.
    Overloading the 2000i will cause it to cut off power.
    2000i is very portable, good on fuel and whisper quiet.
    3000i is another option, bulkier to maneuver but will run more appliance.
    GPG
  • TucsonJim's avatar
    TucsonJim
    Explorer II
    Feb 13, 2015
    Congratulations on the new rig!

    I've never used slide toppers, and never had a leak. If you park under a lot of trees, you might need to sweep the roof of the slide before running it back in. Some folks don't like toppers because they make noise in the wind. And they aren't cheap.

    A 2000 watt Honda will power all of your electrical outlets and items such as a TV, etc. It will most likely run your microwave too as long as you aren't pulling a lot of current from other devices. It may or may not run your AC. Most likely not. If you just want it for charging your batteries, consider getting a good solar charging system and save the purchase price of the generator. BTW, the lights in the trailer run off of the batteries, so the generator isn't needed for the lights other than to keep the batteries charged.
  • MFL's avatar
    MFL
    Nomad II
    Feb 13, 2015
    Congrats on the new FW!

    That is quite a step up in size, I'm sure you'll enjoy the extra room. You will need to remember that the rig is much taller, when camping in SPs.

    The slide toppers are a personal preference thing. I sweep mine off, but with the topper, it may not be needed. My slides slope down on top, and I'd agree most newer ones do.

    The Honda generator should power your outlets, using the proper adapter, and work for battery charge, and some electronics. It would take more than a single 2,000 model to run the AC, but I think you know that.

    Happy camping,
    Jerry

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