I purchased a new 2022 Keystone Cougar 355FBS from Camping World in Feb 2022. Due to health problems, my wife and I were unable to use it in 2022 and 2023. It wasn't until 2024 that we were able to use it (we used it 2 times in 2024). We have used it twice in 2025.
We have had a number of problems since we started using it but the warranty had already expired by then.
The first problem was the air conditioners. The filter housing plate was installed backwards on both air conditioners. This caused the filter to be on the discharge side and the solid part of the plate to be on the intake side. This blocked the air going into the air conditioners causing the air conditioners to be useless. I took them apart and reinstalled the filter plates correctly. This allowed the air to enter the intake side and then be discharged into the ceiling duct work. Since air had not been blown through the duct work until then, all kinds of construction debris was blown throughout the camper.
The second problem was the motion activated light on the stairs leading to the bedroom area. It would randomly come on with no motion. I ended up buying a replacement from Amazon that fixed the problem.
The third problem was a bump in the floor between the bed and the dresser. A subfloor screw was sticking up above the surface of the subfloor and the flooring was installed over it. As the flooring settled the screw made a very noticeable bump in the floor. I had to use a board and hammer to drive the screw down where it should be.
The fourth problem was the wiring to the ceiling lights in the dinette slide. Whenever the slide is put out or brought in, the fuse for that circuit gets blown. It does not matter whether the lights are on or off when it happens. I have not had time to tear into the slide to figure it out so I carry extra fuses.
The fifth problem is the heating system. We had not needed to use the heater until we took it out this spring and there was a cold snap. So the very first time we tried to use the heater, it ran for about 30 seconds and then shut off. It did this repeatedly. I took the outside cover off and did diagnostics on the fan airflow switch and circuit board. Then I saw an online forum that pointed to the fuse in the fuse panel at the bottom of the pantry. The factory fuse is suppose to reset if there is a problem. There were numerous posts that this fuse fails and should be replaced with a standard automotive fuse of equal rating. I did that and the heater has been working fine ever since.
The sixth problem is one of the support boards under the dinette table cracked which allowed significant movement of the table top. I had to remove the table top and repair the board to fix the problem.
The seventh problem was a leak around the ceiling vent in the living room area. There was heavy rain when we camped this spring and water leaked in to the point that we had to put a bowl on the floor to catch it. I climbed up on top of the camper and discovered that whoever caulked around the vent put way too much caulking on the uphill side of the vent. The caulking was piled up at the edge of the vent mount which made a pocket between the vent and the caulking. The water pooled up in that pocket and ran over the side of the vent into the camper. Yes, the caulking was piled up higher than the side of the vent. I cut the caulking away and used flexseal to reseal it. That fixed the leak.
The eighth problem was the refrigerator. The refrigerator started making noises and was not cooling very well. The next day the noises were worse and while I was troubleshooting it, there was a clunk and it stopped working all together. It tripped the circuit repeatedly when I reset it. It turns out the compressor locked up so I had to buy a replacement refrigerator. I was able to find one that was the same brand and model at Home Depot on sale for $1199. I was limited to that choice so it would fit the retaining brackets. The new one is working fine but since it is the same brand as the old one, I seriously wonder how long it is going to last.
Fall 2025 update:
We just got back from our Fall camping trip. Now the bedroom slide is crooked when extended and retracted. Thankfully it will straighten out when fully extended or retracted (at least for now). Also, the wood panel that the fuse/circuit breaker panel is attached to came loose and is pushing out against the pantry door. The side panels on both of the dressers in the closet came loose and are sticking out from the dressers. The pop-up electrical outlet on the left side of the range will not stay down. The vinyl strip on the front passenger side of the camper came loose and ripped off during the trip.
All of these problems are manufacturer defects (camper and refrigerator) but unfortunately the camper was out of warranty before we could start using it and discover these problems. Keystone and Camping World were not interested in hearing about our problems since the camper was out of warranty.
I just wanted to make everyone aware of the problems I've had, to give potential buyers a heads up.
Prior to this camper we had a 2004 Forest River Cardinal that we used until we got the Cougar but we never had a single problem with it. I am sure there will be additional problems with the Cougar based on our experience so far. When we finally get tired of dealing with them, we will be getting rid of it and rest assured the replacement will not be a Keystone.
I would be interested if this is just a Keystone problem or is it an industry problem these days.
I pull this camper with a 2016 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD (Duramax / Allison tranny). It has a full cab and an 8 ft bed with a Kurt hitch.
Over 95% of the miles on this camper is interstate highway and it has never been pulled on anything but asphalt or cement roads.
Regards,
Bruce Cooper
We have had a number of problems since we started using it but the warranty had already expired by then.
The first problem was the air conditioners. The filter housing plate was installed backwards on both air conditioners. This caused the filter to be on the discharge side and the solid part of the plate to be on the intake side. This blocked the air going into the air conditioners causing the air conditioners to be useless. I took them apart and reinstalled the filter plates correctly. This allowed the air to enter the intake side and then be discharged into the ceiling duct work. Since air had not been blown through the duct work until then, all kinds of construction debris was blown throughout the camper.
The second problem was the motion activated light on the stairs leading to the bedroom area. It would randomly come on with no motion. I ended up buying a replacement from Amazon that fixed the problem.
The third problem was a bump in the floor between the bed and the dresser. A subfloor screw was sticking up above the surface of the subfloor and the flooring was installed over it. As the flooring settled the screw made a very noticeable bump in the floor. I had to use a board and hammer to drive the screw down where it should be.
The fourth problem was the wiring to the ceiling lights in the dinette slide. Whenever the slide is put out or brought in, the fuse for that circuit gets blown. It does not matter whether the lights are on or off when it happens. I have not had time to tear into the slide to figure it out so I carry extra fuses.
The fifth problem is the heating system. We had not needed to use the heater until we took it out this spring and there was a cold snap. So the very first time we tried to use the heater, it ran for about 30 seconds and then shut off. It did this repeatedly. I took the outside cover off and did diagnostics on the fan airflow switch and circuit board. Then I saw an online forum that pointed to the fuse in the fuse panel at the bottom of the pantry. The factory fuse is suppose to reset if there is a problem. There were numerous posts that this fuse fails and should be replaced with a standard automotive fuse of equal rating. I did that and the heater has been working fine ever since.
The sixth problem is one of the support boards under the dinette table cracked which allowed significant movement of the table top. I had to remove the table top and repair the board to fix the problem.
The seventh problem was a leak around the ceiling vent in the living room area. There was heavy rain when we camped this spring and water leaked in to the point that we had to put a bowl on the floor to catch it. I climbed up on top of the camper and discovered that whoever caulked around the vent put way too much caulking on the uphill side of the vent. The caulking was piled up at the edge of the vent mount which made a pocket between the vent and the caulking. The water pooled up in that pocket and ran over the side of the vent into the camper. Yes, the caulking was piled up higher than the side of the vent. I cut the caulking away and used flexseal to reseal it. That fixed the leak.
The eighth problem was the refrigerator. The refrigerator started making noises and was not cooling very well. The next day the noises were worse and while I was troubleshooting it, there was a clunk and it stopped working all together. It tripped the circuit repeatedly when I reset it. It turns out the compressor locked up so I had to buy a replacement refrigerator. I was able to find one that was the same brand and model at Home Depot on sale for $1199. I was limited to that choice so it would fit the retaining brackets. The new one is working fine but since it is the same brand as the old one, I seriously wonder how long it is going to last.
Fall 2025 update:
We just got back from our Fall camping trip. Now the bedroom slide is crooked when extended and retracted. Thankfully it will straighten out when fully extended or retracted (at least for now). Also, the wood panel that the fuse/circuit breaker panel is attached to came loose and is pushing out against the pantry door. The side panels on both of the dressers in the closet came loose and are sticking out from the dressers. The pop-up electrical outlet on the left side of the range will not stay down. The vinyl strip on the front passenger side of the camper came loose and ripped off during the trip.
All of these problems are manufacturer defects (camper and refrigerator) but unfortunately the camper was out of warranty before we could start using it and discover these problems. Keystone and Camping World were not interested in hearing about our problems since the camper was out of warranty.
I just wanted to make everyone aware of the problems I've had, to give potential buyers a heads up.
Prior to this camper we had a 2004 Forest River Cardinal that we used until we got the Cougar but we never had a single problem with it. I am sure there will be additional problems with the Cougar based on our experience so far. When we finally get tired of dealing with them, we will be getting rid of it and rest assured the replacement will not be a Keystone.
I would be interested if this is just a Keystone problem or is it an industry problem these days.
I pull this camper with a 2016 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD (Duramax / Allison tranny). It has a full cab and an 8 ft bed with a Kurt hitch.
Over 95% of the miles on this camper is interstate highway and it has never been pulled on anything but asphalt or cement roads.
Regards,
Bruce Cooper
