Help choosing something like Cougar

[mtbfamily]

Hi everyone. Newbie here, hoping you can point me to a few of the better travel trailers that meet our needs and wants. We just borrowed a friend's 2018 Cougar 29BHSWE and liked it. Only thing we didn't love is that the double bunks seemed like a waste of space for 2 kids (ours are just 3 and 12). We are new to travel trailers, so we don't know which brands are high quality. We're open to buying new or used, and max tow capacity is 8500lb with my vehicle. Here's what we have so far for needs and wants:

Needs:
Private bedroom w/door(s)
Auto-leveling jacks
Bunks (ideally singles not doubles for space saving / storage reasons)

Wants:
TV in front of couch (not at an angle)

It seems the Cougar 31BHKWE might fit the bill...but I'd love to know what other models you would recommend. Thanks in advance!

[Lwiddis]

At a max trailer weight that Cougar is 8800 pounds, 300 over your TV’s limit. Don’t fool yourself that you’ll “pack light” or drive without any water, propane or batteries. Look for a smaller TT or get a bigger TV.

[camp-n-family]

With an 8500lbs tow rating I’m going to assume that you have a 1/2 ton truck? The Cougar you list is way too much trailer. At 7400lbs dry weight you will be well over 8500lbs loaded to start. Keep in mind the tow rating of newer vehicles is calculated assuming 150lbs each for a driver and 1 passenger. Any other weight added to the vehicle reduces your rating pound for pound.

The tow rating is not the only number you need to be concerned about. You also need to consider the vehicle payload and axle ratings. The payload must be enough to support the trailer tongue weight and weight of all passengers and stuff in the vehicle. Trailers should have at least 12% of the loaded weight on the tongue to be stable for towing. That’s at least 1k right there.

I suggest you do more research and as a newbie learn about towing, ratings, wd hitches etc before jumping in to anything. This forum is a good starting place. You’ll probably find yourself limited to trailers under 6k dry weight. Don’t forget that your kids aren’t going to get any smaller.

To give you an idea, we have a similar sized trailer that weights 1k less (empty)than what you are looking at. Lightly loaded we were 7600lbs which is just about the empty weight of that Cougar. We towed it the first year with a 1/2 ton truck. It pulled it ok, plenty of power, but we were always 400lbs+ over payload, right at the rear axle rating and hitch rating. We added airbags and load range E tires to help and used a $3k Hensley hitch. Not the most enjoyable experience. We now use a 3/4 ton diesel Ram in complete comfort.

Consider the length as well. At 34’ you will be limited in site selection and won’t be able to fit in a lot of places. Gas stations etc can be a challenge too. That is a long trailer for a newbie with little or no tow experience. If I were to buy again I would keep it under 28’.

[StirCrazy]

at that age it wont be long untill they are wanting to bring friends camping then you will love the double bunks. what we ended up getting was afith wheel that had its own bedroom for the kids, which had a bun on one side above the outdoor kitchen, a bunk on the other and a couch that could make into a queen bed. so if its just my two kids they use the bunks but if they want to bring friends then can. I have a cougar 330RBK, probably bigger than you want but it will give you an idea of the bedroom layout.

Steve