We spent most of the day today out looking at good bunkhouse models for us and our two sets of twins. So far the two quad bunks that seem to fit our needs the best are the Cougar 31SQBWE and the Surveyor 295QBLE. The Cougar we looked at was packed with options while the Surveyor was mostly standard, with that the costs were about the same. It seems to me that the Cougar had more storage and had many more nice little features such as better power outlets and all of the options look like they would make it a little more comfortable. The Surveyor, on the other hand, looks like it's significantly better quality construction. Thoughts and experiences between the two? Is the Forest River going to last us much longer, or is there really no difference in quality in the end? Good or bad experiences with either?TIA!

In RVs, unless you get up into the really "HIGH QUALITY" range of $100s of thousands instead of just tens of thousands, there is not a lot of quality. There are so many issues, just look at YOUR unit and see what appears to be wrong with it straight from the factory.We purchased a brand new 2018 and took it to the beach for 10 days, came back and parked it for almost a month. We took it to our local campground and had limited power. Seems the factory forgot to secure the neutral ground on the main electrical inlet. Fried several boards, microwave, one air conditioner, and other small things. (at least we had one AC still working).Our friends purchased a Keystone last spring and they didn't have electrical issues, but many of the trim pieces fell off, awning wouldn't retract, water heater only worked on electric, etc. Make sure you like the dealer and can get quick, dependable service from them. You will be glad you did.AND....I do like that layout. That gives the parents a little privacy, and the kids to have their own space. The outdoor kitchen on ours is the best thing about it. We use it all the time.

Whichever one has a rack and pinion slide mechanism would get my further attention.

Hannibal wrote:Whichever one has a rack and pinion slide mechanism would get my further attention.If it says Schwintek, run away from it.

Good comments, thanks. I'm sure there will be small issues, the Forest River dealer made a big deal about it being aluminum construction with aluminum framing around every window, I have no way of knowing whether that would be a problem or not. Hannibal wrote:Whichever one has a rack and pinion slide mechanism would get my further attention. Good thought, and one of the things I was looking at. Both do have a rack and pinion slide, I saw some of the ones with the cables and that just looks like problems to me.

One thing to look at for down the road is on the cougar, is the weight limit on the flip up bunk. We looked at one like that and it had a sticker that it was limited to 150lbs. Depending on the age and size of your kids, it may become an issue in the future. We went with the same floor plan as the Surveyor you are looking at.

Keystone Cougar versus Forest River Surveyor | Good Sam Community

11 Replies

ForMyTwins
Explorer
Sep 03, 2017
Thanks for the further responses. Sounds like Forest River doesn't have significantly better quality, so with the features being much better on the Cougar for nearly the same price that is probably a better option.

We are planning on checking out Jayco too, but the only quad bunk I see from them is too heavy for my vehicle.
Hannibal
Explorer
Sep 03, 2017
azdryheat wrote:
It's just me but I stay away from FR products. Had a friend with tons of issues with his toy hauler. I had a Keystone and it treated us well. But for the new trailers, they're all pretty much junk coming out of the factory until the dealer spends months getting the kinks worked out.

We've had our 2017 Jayco 28RLS for over a year now with eleven trips in it. It's our third Jayco. So far our only problem has been a tiny water leak at the elbows going into the shower faucet. Could have turned into major water damage if not caught early. I'd buy another one without hesitation. Not a recommendation. Just my experience.
NanciL
Explorer II
Sep 03, 2017
We bought a new 2017 Forest River 37 footer last year, and I would never buy another Forest river again.

They are junk!

If I listed all the times we have had them fix things and all the other things that I have fixed myself, it would fill a page.
We have ours on a permanent site in Florida where we snow bird, but I shudder every time I think of pulling this any distance on the highway. It would fall apart in a very short time

Be forwarned !

Jack L
old_guy
Explorer
Sep 03, 2017
I've owned both forest rivers and cougars. at the dealership I've worked on both also. I'll take a cougar any day of the week over a forest river
sparechange
Explorer
Sep 03, 2017
Almost pulled the trigger on a surveyor. Looked nice, was the floor plan I wanted and then for some reason I noticed the small wheels, and it seemed odd. Did a little research and that particular models axles and wheels were marginal at best for the weight of the trailer. Not something most of think about. I found that floor plan from a different manufacturer and have been happy. Not saying they're all like that but worth thinking about.

I will say that I think the interior of the surveyor was nicer than the one I ended up with but the piece of mind of bigger axles and stronger frame were worth it to me.
azdryheat
Explorer
Sep 03, 2017
It's just me but I stay away from FR products. Had a friend with tons of issues with his toy hauler. I had a Keystone and it treated us well. But for the new trailers, they're all pretty much junk coming out of the factory until the dealer spends months getting the kinks worked out.
wowens79
Explorer III
Sep 03, 2017
One thing to look at for down the road is on the cougar, is the weight limit on the flip up bunk. We looked at one like that and it had a sticker that it was limited to 150lbs. Depending on the age and size of your kids, it may become an issue in the future.

We went with the same floor plan as the Surveyor you are looking at.
ForMyTwins
Explorer
Sep 03, 2017
Good comments, thanks. I'm sure there will be small issues, the Forest River dealer made a big deal about it being aluminum construction with aluminum framing around every window, I have no way of knowing whether that would be a problem or not.

Hannibal wrote:
Whichever one has a rack and pinion slide mechanism would get my further attention.

Good thought, and one of the things I was looking at. Both do have a rack and pinion slide, I saw some of the ones with the cables and that just looks like problems to me.
SidecarFlip
Explorer III
Sep 03, 2017
Hannibal wrote:
Whichever one has a rack and pinion slide mechanism would get my further attention.

If it says Schwintek, run away from it.
Hannibal
Explorer
Sep 03, 2017
Whichever one has a rack and pinion slide mechanism would get my further attention.