Seeking advice on Cougar Lite (1/2 Ton)

jalichty wrote:
Got my Jayco HT 26.5 RLS, big rear window and look straight at the television in 2012 for about $26,000, quite a ways below MSRP. Has a bunch of room with a 2-year warranty. I would guess a person could find that type of FW for less than $30,000, even new, right now. I'm not saying it's better than the Cougar, but it does fit your thoughts. GVW, whatever, of 9,950 although we have never put over 2,600 pounds of stuff in it as the fry weight sticker stated 7,272 pounds from the factory with battery and propane tanks.

It's interesting that you posted with this trailer. The Cougar is out of the running now but I'm looking at a 2013 Jayco HT 26.5RLS later today. How do you like yours? Are the holding tanks big enough. Do you ever dry camp? Is 48gal large enough for the fresh water? The other tanks look like they would handle about a week (65 gray and 32.5 black). Anything else I should look for?

Got my Jayco HT 26.5 RLS, big rear window and look straight at the television in 2012 for about $26,000, quite a ways below MSRP. Has a bunch of room with a 2-year warranty. I would guess a person could find that type of FW for less than $30,000, even new, right now. I'm not saying it's better than the Cougar, but it does fit your thoughts. GVW, whatever, of 9,950 although we have never put over 2,600 pounds of stuff in it as the fry weight sticker stated 7,272 pounds from the factory with battery and propane tanks.

Njmurvin wrote:
While I don't own a 1/2 Ton truck, I am looking for a 5th wheel on the smaller, lighter side for long weekend and occasionally longer trips. It's mostly just my wife, myself and our golden retriever with the grandkids once in a while. I'd like something fairly new that can be had for under $30k. I have my sights set on a 2014 27RKS that's priced right and seems to check off most the boxes. My wife prefers a big window in the back vs. the rear kitchen, but it's not a deal breaker. Is there anything to be concerned about with the Cougar Lite series?

Jayco's Eagle HT line seem to be a decent trailer. All models, with one exception, gross at 9,950. The KZ Durango 1500 models also are real nice and all gross at 10,500. They are #1/2 on my short list, though my "perfect" FW would be a meld of the 2 of the ones I'm looking at. :-)

Lyle

Thanks for all the input. The trailer sold before I could make the 2 1/2 hr drive to look at it. So, the search goes on...

Now I'm considering a slightly older, better quality unit (2008 Hitchhiker II LS 26.5). I know it's heavier but I'm sure I have enough truck. This one is about 6 hrs away. I'd love to hear opinions on this one too!

We have a 28SGS. Love the layout , it had its fair share of problems in the first year, all repaired under warranty, but its been fairly good since then although not perfect, have had a few plumbing issues where the water supply connections come into the unit which I repaired myself.(might have been frost related although it was well winterized) We have put about 35,000 miles on it since we got it in Aug 2014 as a 2015 model. Its been from Ontario down to Arizona and up the west coast to B.C twice now, easy to tow and a nice size for parking and camping at State and Provincial parks which is where we do most of our camping. I would describe it more as a mobile kind of model rather than a park and stay model, as we rarely stop any more than a day or 2. On the run to B.C we are there and back in 3 - 4 wks.

I just bought a Keystone Hideout and was worried about quality as it's in their "Standard" line (lowest on the list). The floor plan worked for both the DW and I which was no small task. Also, it was on a lot locally which was nice.

So far I've been extremely happy with it. 3 months in and a few trips under my belt and nothing has gone wrong. This is my 2nd new RV and 5th overall so I have a pretty good idea of what these things are. I'd say go for it and have fun!

Well you currently have lots of truck to pull a lite trailer. Many manufacturers have recognized the benefit of a 1500 series lite 5ers.
We previously owned a KZ Durango 1500 275 and was very satisfied.
Some things to consider about lite weight units: I) insulation value is low as the walls are thinner II) lite framing i.e. around doors, windows etc vs. a studded (house like) framing III) cupboards tend to be lower to the ground and not as deep as to not putting to much strain on the walls III) appliances tend to be smaller i.e. check the size of the oven. Lastly, much has been written about the plus & minus of rear kitchens i.e. stuff in fridge and cupboards bouncing around during travel. Not all lite weight units are built alike.
Personally we loved the large rear window. KZ had a full sliding rear window which not only afforded a good view but great ventilation also.
Bottom line, it is all a matter of preference. We upgraded as part of our retirement plan. Good luck. Enjoy !!!!

Very happy with our Cougar half-ton series. A good value vacation trailer.

Wouldn't recommend it for half-ton trucks, so I guess they lose points for that dishonesty. It's ideal for 3/4T trucks. But you already know that and have plenty of truck.

Your wife would probably like the Cougar 28SGS. Great pull for 2500 but little much for the majority of the 1/2 tons. We had 2475 CC on our Chevy 2500 Diesel and the scale showed we had about 300 lbs to spare on the trucks GVWR of 10,000 lbs

We have had 2 Cougar Lites and still have a 2014 26SAB dry weight about 7k lbs
No complaints!
We use ours for camping trips of about a a week or two at a time and are satified with the quality , comfort and the way this fifth wheel pulls and handles with our 2500 GMC

Obviously, one can't expect the quailty and comfort levels of a lite to be the same as the regular heavy series
But the lite fits our needs and budget

We also like the big rear window and this model has a floorplan that works good for us

Good luck with your search and decision

Enjoy your camping adventures