It is so refreshing to see innovative, well thought out design in the RV industry this year. I’m so happy to see modern, residential interiors. Love the colors.
Ok, give this one two stickers, Keystone is stepping it up! The exterior is breathtaking! The interior without the surprise is definitly outstanding on it's own, simply by doing away with the "Dinnette" you step into the latest "long overdue" move away from yhe dinnett, storage is good, but the surprise feature, OMG, I hope they have a patent because every RV mfg. are going to want to copy it! Well, Cougar, you've done it again!
Black does look nice, but I prefer all White. My vehicles White as well. Helps with summer heat. Also Black paint will crack as ages, well any dark color painted Fiberglass.
Wow Beautiful 🥰 looks so Expensive 🫰🫰 and is beautiful inside and out! Thank you for sharing this with us 😊 God bless I love the table 😀🙂😀😀 Wish they had a fireplace in the bedroom! I say that because I enjoy camping reading or doing quilts while camping and feeling like I am by a camp fire 🔥🚒🔥🚒🔥.
I just saw inside the 260MLE for the first time this month Oct 24. I really really like this floor plan!. The 25 model now comes standard with the chill cube. I like the gray midnight edition better than the black. Shop around! I found 2 24 models one in gray and 1 in black. The black was $12k less on the asking price vs the gray. I have had 2 Keystone rv's and both were good units.
That Cougar looks AWESOME!!! But you better have some RIP'n AC!!! I like the Articulating TV and the hidden Dinette table!! But the lack of extra seating and sleeping accommodations is a bummer as is the lack of patio windows
Love this floor plan. About the only thing I'd like to change is from a king mattress to a queen, so you'll have more space to get around the bed. Other than that, I love it. Any pricing numbers on this one JD?
I agree a queen makes more sense in such a compact unit. Queen is standard, the king is optional. The theater seating is also an option vs. a std 3-seat couch w./ bed. On the Keystone website, the base MSRP is a bit over $75K. It appears the "Midnight" black exterior is an option, although I couldn't find a price for it. Standard color is white. It looks like 2023 versions have dealer prices in the mid-$50K range. FWIW, this unit also has some extensive (and $$$) solar/battery options that could make it ideal for boondocking.
Wow, Nice 5th wheel, First Trailer I have seen with an outside kitchen that did not take away from space on the inside! this one has it all even my favorite a washer and dryer, just hope you can get it in other color's.
I love all that counter space. With that said, I would like to see the counter be a bar counter. Eliminate the table altogether. Love the open space, the east/west bed and the laundry hookup availability.
Thank you J D for this preview. My wife and I chose the 2020 Keystone Cougar 315 RLS. (you showed 1 of those a couple years ago.) I like this layout (sort of), its just not big enough. We love the size of ours. Its nice to see Keystone starting to make changes in there designs to keep up with some of the other Manufacturers. Thanks again for a great video.
I’m a subscriber to the Keystone RV channel here on YT. I made suggestion to them, along with many other subscribers, that Keystone quit treating the Cougar as though it’s a ugly red head step child. I own a late ❤2012 2876RL Cougar and love it! There was so much room for improvement without breaking the bank on this mid-line model for Keystone. Minor upgrades would certainly boost its sale ability, not that it needed that much help, and make it more appealing to customers, but let’s face it, Grand Design was kicking Keystones ass with the Reflection and Solitude lines and giving buyers options like TPMS, Full Body Paint, Back up Camera, etc… I love everything about this rig, including the black full body paint, accept that it did not have proper suspension as you had mentioned. Great review JD. Thanks bunches and God Bless.
It's just like I designed this one. It's just me and my wife so the convertible sofa/bed is not needed. Outdoor kitchen and W/D prep is a must for us and that dinner table is brilliant. I'll be seeking one of these out.
I love the black exterior motif! If you happen to live in northern climes, it helps tremendously in keeping the unit heated, without needing to engage too much interior heating appliances. Cougar and Outback make my favourite RV campers. I really love the way they deck out their interiors. I've never been a fan of neck-breaker TV/Entertainment systems. That needs serious reconsideration. I love tge hide-away dinette table! Typical of Cougar's foreard thinking. They also tend to offer King size beds; snd for someone who's 6'6", that's essential. Upgraded mattresses are am eventuality, but at least it's reasonable to to it.
Thanks for the review! I consider myself "loosely" in the market due to a job that requires 6 months of travel year and hotel prices seemingly on a constant rise. I now have hundreds of hours of research in to something I may never by. Anyway, I first saw a pull out dining table this year on the Winnebago 2630MLRK. I believe that was a new model for 2023. I Immediately wondered why more manufacturers have not considered this option for shorter units that can suffer from lack of counter space, awkward entertainment layout, or cramped floor space. I fell in love with the idea because it fits my needs the best as a fantastic solution for a solo or couples floor plan. At this point, for me, counter space is more important that a permanent booth. The "there when you need it, gone when you don't" versatility is ideal for my situation. It creates a dining or work station when pulled out, but allows for a more open feeling floor space when hidden. The drop down tv is very appreciated and provides an actual entertainment area, where most units this size would have a small tv stuck at ceiling height, above a booth. The 26MLE, being under 31 ft with a full size shower, full front closet, w/d prep, 0-110 rated insulation package, and decent running gear makes this a top of the list pick for me.
Lol you missed the pull out trash with the pull out paper towel holder..don't need trash under the sink. Great unit, layout is great. Black out maybe a bit much for Southern states in summer though. Looks great though!
Hey JD I hope you're having a great day? I love this Key stone Cougar. The full body paint is awesome. I love the setup on the inside,can you change the theater seats for a tri-fold sleeper sofa? The hidden dinette table is amazing! How much solar can you get with this fifth wheel? The color tones on the inside makes it feel like a high end apartment or hotel room.the space in the bathroom is great. I do love that you can put a stackable washer an dryer in this unit. I would use a 3/4 ton to a 1 ton truck to pull this Cougar with. I do agree it should get best in it's class. Keep up the great job on bringing us all the information on the travel trailers, fifth wheels, an motorhomes.! Your number one fan an friend Leonard Nelson from North Carolina...😎😀😃😎
100% Dope! The only #fail was the bed where there isn't a shelf for CPAP or books etc... The shelf in there now was too high, but other than that is was very cool~!
I really like the way the decor was set up and it is a very nice RV. The only thing im not so sure I like is the pull out table underneath the tv. For me I would much rather have the counter by the door not be there and instead have a booth style dinette there instead. Plus it would give an extra sleeping space too. Thanks for showing this!
Nice RV inside. I suggested the drop down TV and so did Bishs RV on our feedback, why not have a drop down tv stand or pull down through back of the cupboard.
I love the compact layout! I wish something like this could be done with higher end materials and a drop frame. Stackable laundry or all in one? The black has to go, but the paint stays. This is so close to perfect, I would almost jump on it. ❤️
I like it too. I’m not a fan of rear kitchens. I have found to much bounce behind the wheels for small cabinet items. The big negative for this layout, for me, is the no access refrigerator when the slide is closed.
The dinette table was a nice space saving feature. The black paint looks great when it's new, but how many summers in the Southern sun would it take to fade that black? And, it would be hot inside. Really don't like floor vents. JD -- If you said how long this unit was, I obviously missed it. Other than the dinette table, nothing jumps out at me. Lou from Georgia.
That is a pretty rv. I wonder if they are going to make a longer version or a different color? This one is nice and crisp on the inside. It has the same size bathroom we currently have in our 5th wheel so being a shorter rv than ours with the same size shower etc is a big plus. I think it hits all the positive marks. I love those windows in the kitchen and it has a lot of counter space. That table is pretty cool. One more thing. I've heard ceramic tint keeps vehicles cooler. I don't know if it's true or not but in the hotter states like Texas it would be nice to not have to put that bubble stuff or attic foil like I use to keep out the heat. I don't know why rv manufacturers don't consider something like that to let us see out our windows.😂
I absolutely love this unit however, I have kids and would love to see something identical to this with a bunk house, I have a 1 ton and can handle the extra weight
I look so forward to your videos. You are very informative. Also one of the best things I love. Is that when you show a new RV. You go right to the weight ratings. And then explain the best tow vehicle for it. Nobody does this. But I have a major question for you. My truck is a 350 1 ton. My gross vehicle weight rating is 10800 lbs. With a rear axle weight rating of 6290 lbs. ( I know it's because of the options in my truck). But why is my payload capacity so low (3551 lbs). Why dont they make your payload capacity in conjunction with your gross vehicle weight? Is it because you won't buy the truck then? I think that's why you always see a lot of guys driving overloaded. And guys using half tons for pulling 5th wheels.
I absolutely love this 5th wheel. It's really hard to find one that checks all the boxes of what someone is looking for. Any idea what the price range?
Cost of 2nd AC and can it also get set up for solar, tankless hot water heater, and king bed that a sleep number, washer/dryer installed ??? With these extra options (if possible what would you need to have you one and would you have one a little longer???)
The black exterior and windows are definitely slick... I totally dig the Darth Vader vibe... but other than that, it's really not all that impressive to me. Personally, I'm not a fan of the fold-out, hideaway tabletop & chairs... Looks cheap.
“Will need a heavy duty truck with at least 4000lbs of payload “ this is more than most 3/4 ton trucks and more than some SRW 1ton trucks. (Edit) while I do agree that you need a 3/4 ton truck what you need doesn’t need to be exaggerated, it makes it hard to take your recommendations seriously. What I like to use as a rule of thumb is that you should have at least 1000lbs extra payload. From what is stated as the hitch weight on fifth wheel rvs.
I caught that also. I have never seen a 3/4 ton that has 4000 lbs payload - would like to know where I could get one. I am looking to possibly upgrade my RV next year, and this 5th is currently #1 on my list. I am looking at a GMC 3/4 ton diesel with standard bed (not a long bed), with the max tow/payload package, which increases the GVRW of the truck to 11750 - with the options I want on my truck, should give me around 3400 lbs payload. But now, after watching this video, and him saying this 5th wheel needs a truck with atleast 4000 lbs payload, I am second guessing it all.
Just get the GMC 1 ton diesel SRW, plenty of truck with almost 4000 GVWR. I am thinking the gas GMC 1 ton would be a nice pairing if you don’t live in the mountains.
How confident are we that a sales rep is going to do a good job educating the buyer? There is only one channel that I accept towing recommendations from and this is it. TODAY, some yahoo without any knowledge or experience is going to get behind the wheel, and they are going to pull a rig that is way too heavy. What will we say about the intellect or abilities of the driver of an overloaded setup when an accident occurs? Large numbers of people look to the internet as their goto for guidance every day. Thank goodness they can find sound information and advice here. Remember, we drive the same roads as the people who rely solely on a sales person's recommendation or the internet for information.
