My understanding is that nor fully out or in, can cause future issues. My widest slide goes out only 3 feet. Plus to maintain a square opening the trailer should be level before moving the slide.
This 5th wheel almost had me. The shower is PERFECT, LOVE the shower seat and bathroom. 👍😍👍 The problem is the hanging tower in the bedroom, TAKE THEM OUT and put in 2 BREEZE THROUGH WINDOWS (one on BOTH sides, of course), then we would be happy! 😆 😄 😃 😀 😉 🤗 We would LOVE the bedroom to look like the u-dinette (windows all around), we LOVE fresh air when we sleep 😴💤 💤 💤 💤 😪💤 💤 💤 💤 Yes, the TV is WAY TOO HIGH, we agree with you on that Uncle Josh, what could we do about that anything? 🤔 🤔 Thank you for listening my friend!👂👂
This is a very livable floorplan when the slide is open but the loss of the upper deck when it closed kills it for me. For us road mode access to the bedroom and bathroom are more important than access to the kitchen. We always have a cooler in the truck and it doesn't take much to throw some sandwiches and a salad in it for a stealth overnighter in a parking lot. We like to patronize the place where we stop so that takes care of the wife's morning coffee and our breakfast if they have a restaurant.
Although the bathroom is out in road mode, it's a nice layout. I'd rather replace the big dinette with a big theatre sofa and put a mini dinette where the sofa is now. I would also like a power tower in the kitchen counter over by where the cut counter is above the fireplace. It would be great there.
l like the bigger oven, I'm a feeder so would end up feeding the neighbours kids as well as mine. I like the size of the booth. Still not as fan of the vents lol. Is there an option to have a hide a bed rather than theatre seats? I like that there's a fire, I like the atmosphere even if there's no heat. Pretty good size shower. I like the size of the sink too, you can get both hands in it! I like the bed size cabinets, and there's Pretty good storage there. Get well soon Josh.
Love it Josh. Cougar has best closet slides with room for longer clothes. I really Love the Jayco model ...has more cupboard space but would choose this one because of movable table...gives many more options , altho I would prefer to have the booth space for a desk etc. Overall I think this one hits 99% of my list. 😊💙
My wife and I really like it but will definitely check out your other links as well. Hope you feel better Uncle Josh. Sincerely, 2 parts of the Nerd Herd
I have owned 2 Cougar fifth wheels and have had good experiences, but I just can’t do that cable slide. When those things break they cause some major issues. So my quest continues.
This Cougar is nice. I love the storage space and floor plan. Love the dinette. The shower is great and has a nice seat in it. Love the bedroom. It looks all good and spacious. Thank you Josh!
Weird that they are using the AC that has been said to be very problematic with RV repair people. No toe kicks. The vinyl on the furniture lasts 3 years and under. Undersized axels. Slideouts with known problems. And frames that are, well, you know
We purchased a 2023 model last fall and it checks almost all of the boxes. Only niggle would be the step up in the bedroom. We love it. Tons of storage, camps big and tows small. I just don’t know if I’m supposed to kill the battery between trips or not. We have the lithium battery and 12V fridge. Only way to turn fridge off that I can see is turning battery off at the giggy box.
I'm not sure if I mentioned it but that step-up is a cross-member to keep things structurally sound. There are different ways of accomplishing it but that annoying step seems to keep doing just fine
Really like this one! Has what I'm looking for other than the camp queen. Really? Would have to try to fit a true queen in there straight away. I would deal with losing the bed/bath in road mode because this is such a nice unit and not too long either. At first I was going to suggest a small flip up counter extension to the left of the sink but after seeing the slide closed I would probably forget to put it down before closing the slide so better that it doesn't have that! Space for a waste basket under the sink too!
Just a comfortable residential sofa “option” for the decades old diner booth dinette and a true queen bed in place of the no excuse for camp queen from perfection👍
The decor is perfection for me. Only complaints are the road mode and the TV fireplace section. I'll get to the later in a moment. Still prefer the mle but ìf this is its more affordable little brother then all good. Everyone has a budget and different needs. TV/Fireplace. This applies to every rv that does this. Personally, I DEMAND the counter squared off and a televator. Put a huge window above it. I know about the spills and if wired correctly then no worries. Also forget the radio unit and just leave the space empty for a kicking soundbar. Bigger is always better when it comes to entertainment 🍻
Ember has this coming to a travel trailer soon. They initially did the same cutaway counter top. I pleaded with them not to. They ended up squaring it off and went "oh man.. that IS better!"
You may prefer a few of these th-cam.com/video/_cjQVU0ekbo/w-d-xo.html It's a collection of fifth wheels that are good for travel stops with access/use to the bed, bath, and fridge
Pretty trailer, like the paint scheme, appears that I can store 2 spare tires 🛞 in the front. Checks some boxes and one to add to the list of 37 of potential purchase. Thank you.
I don’t understand why they don’t make the rear center dinette seating removable. In the back it limits your seating. But if you could slide it out to the front you gain the room to fit four in the sides plus two on the kitchen side.
Josh, Why do they take up valuable storage space with a spare tire that could easily be mounted underneath? I understand it's easier to access, but taking up limited space seems unnecessary. Thanks for pounding on the 1/2 ton issue. Air bags, upgraded springs, etc are great and make a vehicle tow better but they don't add a single pound to the payload capacity. I'm sorry, but if all you have is a standard F150, you need a small travel trailer. I have an older Chevy 2500 that I use strictly for hauling trailers and boats. There's night and day differences in the feel of towing even a 5,000 pound trailer with it compared to my F-150. I like the idea of "small" but in practice it doesn't work for us. We are currently looking for a 5th wheel in the 30-35' range with more space than our 30' travel trailer, but not a monstrosity with 5 slides and weighing 15,000 pounds. Have you seen quality improving in the past year? We looked at some truly horrendous quality units from 21 and 22. Pricing has moderated but still seems inflated.
I heard that cougar is NOT putting the in command in the short tt & 5th wheels now. There going back to switches and toggles. I read that on a cougar page.
This is a great couples 5th wheel. I must say Cougar does it right and the road mode is not an issue. Now I do wish the upholstery would be lighter in color. I love the Victron Solar charge controller, I like the "wet bay" separated from the storage bay. All in all, great job Cougar.
Why do they cut that countertop at an angle? More counter space is preferable to a little more floor space. TV is far too high for sure. There's no need for floor vents in such a small RV. A flip-up counter extension would be nice.
Every time I ask builders about that counter top they say "We didn't want it to look cut off walking in" But it doesn't. I've seen a few who actually have squared it off. It's awesome
Currently in a '21 Cougar. Not impressed. Some of it I'll chalk up to it being a Covid era model year. Other things, such as them using fiber board for the kitchen counter, are just poor design choices. I'll probably never buy another one. Any surface that's going to be in constant contact with heat and/or moisture should be solid surface.
Thank you but the egg style are a little too small and this toy hauler is too big. Yes, I sound like Goldilocks. But seriously, there has to be a market for 25 footish 5th wheel with no slides. There are beaucoup travel trailers with no slides...so reason would suggest a similar 5th wheel should exist.
I think this one is accu slide since it's floor flush. Our local folks can verify for you. I have a hard time keeping which rvs use which slide straight by memory
The BAL Accu slide is an instant deal breaker for me. The BAL Exact slide is a newer design that fixes all the problems with the AccuSlide. It's sad that BAL keeps selling the inferior system that can ruin your RV when it breaks. I suspect that eventually they will go exclusively to the ExactSlide.
@@charlesklaus6290 Not saying I disagree necessarily but some extra info: They have both systems because they serve different purposes and cannot be directly exchanged. Accu-slide is a floor-flush capable system that can be used as a substitute for rack and pinon slides Xact slide is an above-floor system that was designed as an alternative to a Schwintek slide
Why do they offer a no access bathroom in travel mode? The designers must be young.
Lol…I so hear you
Why can't you just open the slide a few feet? Does something go wrong?
My understanding is that nor fully out or in, can cause future issues. My widest slide goes out only 3 feet. Plus to maintain a square opening the trailer should be level before moving the slide.
This 5th wheel almost had me. The shower is PERFECT, LOVE the shower seat and bathroom. 👍😍👍
The problem is the hanging tower in the bedroom, TAKE THEM OUT and put in 2 BREEZE THROUGH WINDOWS (one on BOTH sides, of course), then we would be happy! 😆 😄 😃 😀 😉 🤗
We would LOVE the bedroom to look like the u-dinette (windows all around), we LOVE fresh air when we sleep 😴💤 💤 💤 💤 😪💤 💤 💤 💤
Yes, the TV is WAY TOO HIGH, we agree with you on that Uncle Josh, what could we do about that anything? 🤔 🤔
Thank you for listening my friend!👂👂
Always a pleasure. TY for sharing Didi
@@JoshtheRVNerd You are very welcome Uncle Josh, anytime! 👍🤗👍
Nice Cougar 5th wheel Josh👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍😊😊 hope you get to feeling better soon🙏🙏🙏
Thanks 👍
I appreciate all your little visits so much Mr. Nick
Road mode is everything.
That's why I take the time to close them up! I know it's handy for some folks
That BAL slide system is a show stopper.
This is a very livable floorplan when the slide is open but the loss of the upper deck when it closed kills it for me. For us road mode access to the bedroom and bathroom are more important than access to the kitchen. We always have a cooler in the truck and it doesn't take much to throw some sandwiches and a salad in it for a stealth overnighter in a parking lot. We like to patronize the place where we stop so that takes care of the wife's morning coffee and our breakfast if they have a restaurant.
Funny I was JUST talking about this with someone at rockwood today
Although the bathroom is out in road mode, it's a nice layout. I'd rather replace the big dinette with a big theatre sofa and put a mini dinette where the sofa is now. I would also like a power tower in the kitchen counter over by where the cut counter is above the fireplace. It would be great there.
Ty for giving the idea for placements. So many people just go "it should have THIS."
Ok.. great. Where though?
l like the bigger oven, I'm a feeder so would end up feeding the neighbours kids as well as mine. I like the size of the booth. Still not as fan of the vents lol.
Is there an option to have a hide a bed rather than theatre seats?
I like that there's a fire, I like the atmosphere even if there's no heat.
Pretty good size shower. I like the size of the sink too, you can get both hands in it!
I like the bed size cabinets, and there's Pretty good storage there.
Get well soon Josh.
"I'm a feeder" lol - totally get it :)
Love it Josh. Cougar has best closet slides with room for longer clothes. I really Love the Jayco model ...has more cupboard space but would choose this one because of movable table...gives many more options , altho I would prefer to have the booth space for a desk etc. Overall I think this one hits 99% of my list. 😊💙
Nice! TY Lisa :)
Hmm! That TV - more than meets the eye.
My wife and I really like it but will definitely check out your other links as well. Hope you feel better Uncle Josh.
Sincerely,
2 parts of the Nerd Herd
Definitely feeling better. TY
Finally, Cougar gives you a larger shower in a smaller RV! Bravo!
They've been good about that in their FW for quite a while now. They're getting better in their trailers
I have owned 2 Cougar fifth wheels and have had good experiences, but I just can’t do that cable slide. When those things break they cause some major issues. So my quest continues.
Try this th-cam.com/video/O11ltqPpU6k/w-d-xo.html
@@JoshtheRVNerd Not bad! I need to put that on the list to go see. Thanks Josh.
Love this camper. The size for a samll rv it has a lot of head room. Overall a nice rv. Thxs josh!
You bet!
This Cougar is nice. I love the storage space and floor plan. Love the dinette. The shower is great and has a nice seat in it. Love the bedroom. It looks all good and spacious. Thank you Josh!
TY Sherri :)
Weird that they are using the AC that has been said to be very problematic with RV repair people. No toe kicks. The vinyl on the furniture lasts 3 years and under. Undersized axels. Slideouts with known problems. And frames that are, well, you know
I like it. I look at the website. I go to bookmark it...its already bookmarked lol. Thanks for the closer look!
LOL
We purchased a 2023 model last fall and it checks almost all of the boxes. Only niggle would be the step up in the bedroom. We love it. Tons of storage, camps big and tows small. I just don’t know if I’m supposed to kill the battery between trips or not. We have the lithium battery and 12V fridge. Only way to turn fridge off that I can see is turning battery off at the giggy box.
I'm not sure if I mentioned it but that step-up is a cross-member to keep things structurally sound. There are different ways of accomplishing it but that annoying step seems to keep doing just fine
Lord I’d be claustrophobic in that. Nice layout and colors though !!! 😂
Awwwwww poor Josh! Feel better. Pollen is Killin us here in Texas.
Nice 5th wheel but some old same old. 😊
Better now. TY :)
Really like this one! Has what I'm looking for other than the camp queen. Really? Would have to try to fit a true queen in there straight away. I would deal with losing the bed/bath in road mode because this is such a nice unit and not too long either. At first I was going to suggest a small flip up counter extension to the left of the sink but after seeing the slide closed I would probably forget to put it down before closing the slide so better that it doesn't have that! Space for a waste basket under the sink too!
They looked into changing the bed for 23 but found it was pretty tight
They're talking re-designing the nose for 24 to make more room
Just a comfortable residential sofa “option” for the decades old diner booth dinette and a true queen bed in place of the no excuse for camp queen from perfection👍
The decor is perfection for me. Only complaints are the road mode and the TV fireplace section. I'll get to the later in a moment.
Still prefer the mle but ìf this is its more affordable little brother then all good. Everyone has a budget and different needs.
TV/Fireplace. This applies to every rv that does this. Personally, I DEMAND the counter squared off and a televator. Put a huge window above it. I know about the spills and if wired correctly then no worries. Also forget the radio unit and just leave the space empty for a kicking soundbar. Bigger is always better when it comes to entertainment 🍻
Nearly the same price as the MLE. I think it's the stronger layout myself as well
Ember has this coming to a travel trailer soon. They initially did the same cutaway counter top. I pleaded with them not to. They ended up squaring it off and went "oh man.. that IS better!"
Oh man Ember has been killing it. Next video please 😁
Still love this one but road mode access is a hard line for us. We drive too many hours to not have quick access to the bathroom.
You may prefer a few of these th-cam.com/video/_cjQVU0ekbo/w-d-xo.html
It's a collection of fifth wheels that are good for travel stops with access/use to the bed, bath, and fridge
Pretty trailer, like the paint scheme, appears that I can store 2 spare tires 🛞 in the front. Checks some boxes and one to add to the list of 37 of potential purchase. Thank you.
2nd spare is actually a pretty good idea
I don’t understand why they don’t make the rear center dinette seating removable. In the back it limits your seating. But if you could slide it out to the front you gain the room to fit four in the sides plus two on the kitchen side.
Like a floating bench-style? That could be kinda cool actually!
Excellent !
☺
Josh, Why do they take up valuable storage space with a spare tire that could easily be mounted underneath? I understand it's easier to access, but taking up limited space seems unnecessary.
Thanks for pounding on the 1/2 ton issue. Air bags, upgraded springs, etc are great and make a vehicle tow better but they don't add a single pound to the payload capacity. I'm sorry, but if all you have is a standard F150, you need a small travel trailer. I have an older Chevy 2500 that I use strictly for hauling trailers and boats. There's night and day differences in the feel of towing even a 5,000 pound trailer with it compared to my F-150.
I like the idea of "small" but in practice it doesn't work for us. We are currently looking for a 5th wheel in the 30-35' range with more space than our 30' travel trailer, but not a monstrosity with 5 slides and weighing 15,000 pounds.
Have you seen quality improving in the past year? We looked at some truly horrendous quality units from 21 and 22. Pricing has moderated but still seems inflated.
Pricing is still creeping down but slowly. I fear we may not see a lot more relief on MFG price tags though. Just a thought
🎉#NerdHerd....
Good video Josh
TY Chris!
I heard that cougar is NOT putting the in command in the short tt & 5th wheels now. There going back to switches and toggles. I read that on a cougar page.
Correct. Moving away from incommand.
This is a great couples 5th wheel. I must say Cougar does it right and the road mode is not an issue. Now I do wish the upholstery would be lighter in color. I love the Victron Solar charge controller, I like the "wet bay" separated from the storage bay. All in all, great job Cougar.
TY! Not an accident these are on top of the market today
#RVNerdHerd 🎉 😊 🎉
If we have to have floor vents, those are the ones to have.
👍🏻
Thanks for the travel access notice up front. I’d like to find a 3/4 ton towable fifth wheel that has Brinkley RV quality.
My pleasure. I know that's important and it's nice not to spend 12 minutes watching before finding out
Just put an entry door in the bedroom so the bathroom can be accessed in road mode.
I'm not sure I understand how that would work when the bedroom is in the upper deck
All the features we are looking for including the fireplace. No bathroom in rode mode is a dealbreaker. You are right the TV is too high.
TY for sharing!
Why do they cut that countertop at an angle? More counter space is preferable to a little more floor space.
TV is far too high for sure.
There's no need for floor vents in such a small RV.
A flip-up counter extension would be nice.
Every time I ask builders about that counter top they say "We didn't want it to look cut off walking in"
But it doesn't. I've seen a few who actually have squared it off. It's awesome
Mostly love it, but road mode is a deal breaker.
Try this one perhaps: th-cam.com/video/TpHM3NJBNhU/w-d-xo.html
Name that sound affect transformers transforming
👍🏻
Nice but that dinette is way too big. I would rather have a sleeper sofa in that location
But wouldn’t it be awesome if every morning you could wake up, sit at the Denny’s diner booth dinette and look for a waitress to order breakfast😂
Isn’t Cougar putting ABS in their 2024 models?
They are now yes. I recorded a lot of their models before they made that call
Currently in a '21 Cougar. Not impressed. Some of it I'll chalk up to it being a Covid era model year. Other things, such as them using fiber board for the kitchen counter, are just poor design choices. I'll probably never buy another one. Any surface that's going to be in constant contact with heat and/or moisture should be solid surface.
You’ve probably been asked this before but are there any 5th wheels that don’t have a slide?
Same general layout except for no slides? Probably be much more half ton tow friendly. Great video Josh or should I say sick video Josh!
Very very few. Mostly the "egg" style campers. A rare toy hauler like this th-cam.com/video/GzFeMjZW-UU/w-d-xo.html
Thank you but the egg style are a little too small and this toy hauler is too big. Yes, I sound like Goldilocks. But seriously, there has to be a market for 25 footish 5th wheel with no slides. There are beaucoup travel trailers with no slides...so reason would suggest a similar 5th wheel should exist.
@@jenniferhuffman1835 i don't disagree. But nobody does it
Josh, this video looks like it's in the lowest resolution possible. And the quality setting is grayed out. Just me?
It's definitely something on your end. Apologies. Tested multiple devices and browsers on my end. All playing normally
@@JoshtheRVNerd Thanks for checking Nerd! I'll have to get my daughter to fix things. 😎
5th wheel gooseneck hitch
Is that a vent cover?
These typically do not include vent covers. I'm not sure what you're referencing exactly. Do you have a minute marker I could check?
What type of cable slide is used on this one ? BAL Accu-Slide ?
I think this one is accu slide since it's floor flush. Our local folks can verify for you. I have a hard time keeping which rvs use which slide straight by memory
@@JoshtheRVNerd thank you, If i recall the is Accu slide and Exact slide or something like that the Accu slide is harder to maintain. both are by BAL
The BAL Accu slide is an instant deal breaker for me. The BAL Exact slide is a newer design that fixes all the problems with the AccuSlide. It's sad that BAL keeps selling the inferior system that can ruin your RV when it breaks. I suspect that eventually they will go exclusively to the ExactSlide.
Thank you for the clarification
@@charlesklaus6290 Not saying I disagree necessarily but some extra info: They have both systems because they serve different purposes and cannot be directly exchanged.
Accu-slide is a floor-flush capable system that can be used as a substitute for rack and pinon slides
Xact slide is an above-floor system that was designed as an alternative to a Schwintek slide
C4YT
TY Mr. Garry
Queen bed, terrible travel access. 🙁