Keystone cougar

[Blanch]

A group of us went to the Cleveland RV show over the weekend. One of the friends is interested in the Keystone Cougar. I remember some bad stories dealing with Thor and Keystone. Can anyone shed some light on them? Thanks

[dfb]

We owned a Tahoe by Thor... Worst company I have ever dealt with. They will slit their wrist over a penny. Cheap, legalized theft! If I knew our new Montana by keystone was associated with Thor, I would have ran! Had our Montana in warranty for 6 months out of 10 right now. Pain't shop took 3 months, dealer took 6 weeks the fist time and now it is back again. 2 items for the second time. I wanted the name of the manufacturer of the led. Lights so I could order them. Keystone REFUSED TO GIVE THE SUPPLIERS NAME! Like its a huge secret. We owned aljo by skyline and prowler by fleetwood. Our last was a new vision ultra by K-Z... They were great with no issues. Our new Montana has carpet on the steps to the bedroom. They already look worn after 3 months of use! Carpet is garbage, screws coming out everywhere. Ceiling fan blades came out. Thetford toilet won't hold water. Factory says use silicone! Really? On a new product? That pos is coming out for a dometic. Back cap is wavy,,, a joke! Showers door screws come out! Roof looks like a cheesy material.... It's new, so we will see...

[StewC130]

1 year into owning our 2015 Cougar 303RLS. No major problems so far with about 1300 miles on it, would have more but work decided different. use for us is about 4-5 nights each trip nothing close to full time but we enjoy it. did about a 4 hour pdi on it when i went to get it after the tech was through with his checks. even then no major issues popped up. might fall apart tomorrow but today it's been good to us.

[Leo_Smith]

We have a 2015 Cougar TT and have been pleased with it. Made a 10 day, 3,500 mile road trip as our "shakedown cruise" and had no issues with the trailer on this epic road trip. We purchased our trailer from an excellent dealer (Tacoma RV) and went through a very detailed PDI to make sure everything was in working order. Handles coming loose on the cabinets have been our only issue so far.

We are looking ahead to getting a fifth wheel in a few years and will probably go with a Grand Design or Keystone Montana. I understand that the Montana series is a heavier build than the Cougar series. Good luck with your purchase.

[bodacious]

Had a 2005 Cougar 309EFS and it was a good unit. Pulled from Florida to west coast several times. Finally traded for Escalade last December.

[JJnLilly]

We owned a 2001 and a 2005. No serious issues with either, except for the china bomb tires on the 2005. The tire company took care of the damage and replaced the tires.

[dcg9381]

Read Keystones BBB responses. Given, they make a lot of RVs and will have a high number of complaints - but read how they treat their customers, see if there are any common "trends" in the complaints and decide for yourself.

I'd be shocked if ANY new RV was problem free. That's not really the issue - it's what happens after the sale, the factory support (if any, Keystone defers to the dealer), and warranty length.

Given, if you go to another brand, you may pay more...

[Paul_Clancy]

We had an 06 cougar with a few issues. Dealer was poor an unhelpful but ultimately the warranty tech corrected everything. Also had decals peel shortly after warranty was up and called keystone. They wouldn't help.
Current 5th is a Primetime 2014. Again dealer (different dealer) just tries deny on most things but calling/email prime time directly has me taken care of even a year off warranty. I think the company behind the product is even more important than the dealer. Would be nice to find a way to vet dealer warranty department as it seems most just don't want to do the work. Very sad as it assures I won't buy from them again OR get my off warranty work done by them.

[bpounds]

Blanch wrote:
A group of us went to the Cleveland RV show over the weekend. One of the friends is interested in the Keystone Cougar. I remember some bad stories dealing with Thor and Keystone. Can anyone shed some light on them? Thanks

Name any brand, and you can find complaints about it.

We like our Cougar. Five years old now. Never been back for any work. I've fixed a few small things. Nothing major or expensive. We like the Cougar and it was a good value for us.

Having said that, they are a vacation level camper, not a full-time living level.

[GPG52_]

We have a 2014 Cougar 327 RES.
Love the floor plan, accessibility to the washroom when we travel and the ease of towing (travel Ontario to Florida). Unfortunately the recession has taken its toll on the RV industry with multiple close outs, amalgamations and cost cutting measure to stay alive. So it would not be surprising if any and all manufacturer standards have dropped from the circa 2005 standards.
KEY:
We did lots of research before buying and address some concerns with the dealer before taking delivery.
1- electronic panel 2- front cap premature fading 3- noisy 12vlt water pump.
2- we negotiated a fair price for both the dealer and us. Leaving profit for the dealer helps maintain dealer loyalty and commitment to fight for you on warranty items. If the deal is skinny, dealer can not afford to spend much time fighting for you after the sale. He is in business to stay in business and frankly that is who you want to deal with.
3- knowing your dealer also helps, is Keystone his main line or a sideline, is he an established reputable business. Does he have a reputable shop staff, parts staff, warranty department which the manufacturer can work with? OR is he a start-up undercutting prices in order to get his inventory out?
All of this will helps you get your coach in and out of the service bay with as little cost as possible.
SO... how do you know if the dealer has a good reputation with the manufacturer?
One trick we found is when attending major trade shows, ask if the dealer has any manufacturer rep's working his both with him. If the manufacturer has supported the dealer at trade shows it is a good sign that they are committed to each other for a long term relationship.
My 2ct worth.
Enjoy
GPG

[Thumb]

Had a 2010 Cougar TT
No problems
Own a 2015 Cougar 5th ( bought in 2014)
A few Minor issues that were easily fixed by me

We camp 5-6 months a year and our campers always get plenty of use
We would gladly put Cougar on our list to check out when we want a new camper

I recommend evaluating what is important to you in a camper and see if a Cougar fits
dont worry to much about the complaints of everyone

I suppose We all have different expectations from our camper

Enjoy camping
whatever your choice turns out to be!!!!

[fla-gypsy]

My Keystone Hornet served me well. Never owned a Cougar but have looked at them. Most had small holding tanks that were a "no go" for me.

[jffnkrn]

Check out Grand Design. We looked at a bunch, bought an Outback from Keystone, mistake and a great learning experience. We ended up with the 303 RLS. a couple more $$$ but like it well and would do it again. Good Luck & Be Safe ! ! !

[greende]

Had a Keystone TT and now the 5er in my sig. No problems with either one. I think for the money they are good. As stated, everyone seems to have reported problems.

[shepstone]

Had a lot of problems with ours in first year but it seems to have settled down now. Just started our second cross the country trip with it. Did ~7,500 miles in 3 wks last year probably the same this trip.