Keystone Cougar 1/2 ton 25FKD

[dbratton]

Has anyone bought the Cougar 25fkd? If so, what kind of tow vehicle do you have? Looking to buy one next year and concerned about my F-150 being an adequate tow vehicle. It can certainly handle the tow weight rating, but has a 1,337 max load capacity.

 

[BGMAC]

The hitch weight of the trailer is 635lbs so you’re good there.
Just consider aerodynamic drag. That really affects performance on a 1/2 ton pickup. When I had mine years ago I put a topper on it with a wind deflector on top of it. That helped.

 

[Phillbo]

Advertised hitch weights are a lie. They do not include propane, batteries or anything you load in the front storage. Probably closer to 900lbs.

 

[RobertE]

Correct ^^. I would add at least another 100# to the hitch weight. A weight distribution hitch will help, but IME not that much.

Towing specs are always highly over rated by the mfg'ers. My rule of thumb is cut them in half and you're in a more realistic number.

With that amount of hitch weight you would need air bags. But personally, I wouldn't pull that trailer with a 1/2 ton truck b/c when you figure added cargo weight you're really close to the edge.

The think about towing is you won't really know what you've got until you get out there on the highway. So you don't want to mismatch the tow vehicle and trailer.

 

[AK Fish]

Always use the trailer's Gross Vehicle Rating and multiply by 12 to 13 percent to get your maximum tongue weight. 13% is 1,144 pounds which leaves only 193 pounds for you and not your better half. That is before you put one thing in your pickup bed or add any passengers and/or pets in the pickup cab. Add the WD Hitch and you better go on a diet and leave everyone behind.

Solution is not adding air bags, overload springs or Load Range E tires, but trade that F-150 in for a 3/4 ton pickup. Alternatively, you can get a much lighter travel trailer using the GVR (dry wt. plus cargo carrying capacity) as your guide for calculating tongue weight subtracted from your payload capacity. Load up your pickup filled up with gas - camper ready with all the people and pets you plan on taking and go the certified scales (I go the Municipaolity's solid waste transfer site with some garbage for weighing my pickup). Until you get your real weight and subtract that from the GVWR.

I have a 2018 3/4 ton 4wd gasser with real world 2,200# cargo capacity to spare. It is maxed out with a 2022 22MLS Cougar Luxury 1/2 ton travel trailer tongue weight and loading the pickup bed with travel/camping gear puts us as close as I want to be at the pickup's GVWR of 9500#.

I know if we get a bigger trailer, we will need a newer 3500 HD single rear wheel pickup. Heaven help me if the wife wants a 5'vr, then it's dually time. No way I'd get a 3/4 ton and overload my rear axle and tires with that pin weight.

You do you, everyone has their own level of risk tolerance. Better to have too much pickup than not enough.

 

[MikeT]

Has anyone bought the Cougar 25fkd? If so, what kind of tow vehicle do you have? Looking to buy one next year and concerned about my F-150 being an adequate tow vehicle. It can certainly handle the tow weight rating, but has a 1,337 max load capacity.

Jeep.