2004 Keystone Cougar Problems

MULTIPLE TIRE BLOW OUTS LESS THAN 5000 MILES WITH THE FIRST ONE, LESS THAN 80 MILES WITH THE REPLACEMENT (SPARE NEVER USED ALWAYS MAINTAINED) WHICH THEN CAUSED A THIRD TIRE TO STRIP. ALL OF THIS WITHIN ONE TRIP WITH OUR RV THAT IS JUST 5YRS OLD. WE PURCHASED IT BRAND NEW AND SINCE HE WAS A TRUCK DRIVER, HE ALWAYS DID INSPECTIONS BEFORE EACH TRIP CHECKING TIRES, PRESSURE, WEAR ETC. OUR TIRES WERE VIRTUALLY BARELY WORN WHEN THIS OCCURRED AND LOOKED BRAND NEW. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT THE FIRST BLOW OUT HAPPENED AS WE ARRIVED AT OUR LOCATION, THE SECOND BLEW TRAVELING 60MPH ON A FLAT HIGHWAY THAT WE WERE ABLE TO STOP ABRUPTLY BEFORE THE THIRD TIRE ACTUALLY BURST. WE ONLY ENDED UP WITH MINIMAL DAMAGE TO OUR RV, HOWEVER I WAS HIGHLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE INCIDENTS AND WHEN SEARCHING ONLINE THE DOZENS OF COMPLAINTS WITH REGARDS TO THESE SAME TIRES. I WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THIS TIRE ON THIS WEBSITE SPECIFICALLY, THEY READ "MISSION LOAD MAX RADIAL ST 225/75R15 LOAD RANGE D MADE IN TAIWAN. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 KEYSTONE COUGAR 31QBHS TRAVEL TRAILER. I BOUGHT IT USED ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO. IT HAD NEW TIRES ON IT WHEN I BOUGHT IT. ON OUR SECOND TRIP OUT (I CHECK AIR PRESSURE BEFORE LEAVING EACH TIME) I BLEW A TIRE. IT HAS THE DISCOUNT TIRE - CARLISLE MAXXUS TRAILER TIRE - HEAVIEST RATED TRAILER TIRE I COULD GET FROM THEM) IT BLEW A TIRE WITHIN 45 MILES OF THE HOUSE. OUR THIRD TRIP OUT WE BLEW ANOTHER TIRE. I WENT BACK TO DISCOUNT AND THEY REPLACED ALL TIRES. ON A TRIP THIS PAST WEEKEND ANOTHER TIRE SEPARATED AND WENT FLAT. ANOTHER BLEW OUT ON THE RETURN TRIP AND ANOTHER SEPARATED. I HAVE SOMEONE WHERE I STORE MY TRAILER, THAT HAS AN IDENTICAL COUGAR AND LIKEWISE HAS CONTINUAL BLOWOUTS AND TIRE PROBLEMS. LOOKING ON THE WEB I SEE NUMEROUS PROBLEMS REPORTED ON KEYSTONE COUGAR TIRE PROBLEMS. THIS HAS TO BE A TRAILER DESIGN ISSUE AS I DO NOT SEE HOW THAT MANY PEOPLE CAN BE HAVING TIRE PROBLEMS. IN ALL MY YEARS OF PULLING FARM TRAILERS, HORSE TRAILERS AND TRAVEL TRAILERS I HAVE NEVER HAD BUT A FEW BLOWOUTS AND NEVER OVER AND OVER AND OVER ON THE SAME VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KEYSTONE COUGAR FIFTH WHEEL EQUIPPED WITH A DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REFRIGERATOR CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE EXTINGUISHED INDEPENDENTLY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. A TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE REFRIGERATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND SERVICED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 08V325000 (EQUIPMENT) AND 08E032000 (EQUIPMENT). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED DUE TO THE MANUFACTURER'S REFUSAL. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

I HAVE A 2004 KEYSTONE TRAVEL TRAILER. THE REFRIGERATOR HAS A RECALL FROM DOMETIC. THE RECALL IS TO PREVENT FIRES IF THE REFRIGERATOR LEAKS FLAMMABLE COOLANT INTO THE PROPANE FLAME. MY COOLER HAS STARTED TO LEAK AND IS NO LONGER SAFE TO USE. DOMETIC WILL NOT REPLACE THE FAULTY COOLER. THEIR SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM (LEAKING COOLERS) IS TO INSTALL A SWITCH THAT TURNS THE FRIDGE OFF IN CASE OF A LEAK. IT DOES NOT FIX THE REAL PROBLEM (THE FAULTY COOLER). THEY WILL NOT EVEN ALLOW ME TO HAVE THE KIT PUT ON UNTIL I PURCHASE A NEW COOLER. PLEASE HELP ME RESOLVE THIS ISSUE WITH DOMETIC. I FEEL THAT DOMETIC NEEDS TO REPLACE THE FAULTY PART. THANKS, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WE PURCHASED OUR 2004 KEYSTONE COUGAR TRAVEL TRAILER IN FEB 2005 FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER WHO HAD ONLY USED IT ON A 200 MILE TRIP ONCE AS HIS WIFE HAD TAKEN ILL AND HE COULDN'T USE IT ANY LONGER. IN APR/MAY OF 2006 WE WENT ON A CROSS COUNTRY TRIP. WE HAD A BLOWOUT THE 1ST DAY OUT ON I-75 NEAR THE NORTH MARION COUNTY LINE. WE THEN HAD ANOTHER BLOWOUT AS WE ENTERED CA ON I-8. OUR 3RD BLOWOUT CAME ON OUR RETURN TRIP ON I-10 IN LA. ALL THREE TIRES WERE MISSION RADIALS THAT CAME NEW ON THE RV FROM THE MANUFACTURER AND CAUSED FENDER DAMAGE. ON MAY 31, 2007 WE AGAIN WENT ON ANOTHER CROSS COUNTRY TRIP. ON THE 1ST DAY OUT ON I-10 NEAR SPANISH FORT, AL WE AGAIN HAD A BLOW OUT OF ANOTHER MISSION RADIAL TIRE ( ORIGINAL SPARE WHICH WAS INSIDE THE GARAGE AREA OF OUR TRAVEL TRAILER OUT OF THE ELEMENTS UNTIL APRIL OF 2006) CAUSING FENDER AND UNDER CARRIAGE DAMAGE. ON OUR RETURN TRIP WE HAD ANOTHER BLOW OUT ON JULY 31ST, THIS TIME OF A CARLISLE RADIAL TIRE WHICH WAS A REPLACEMENT OF OUR 1ST BLOWOUT IN APR 2006. THIS TIRE , AS ALL THE OTHERS HAD EVEN TIRE WEAR WITH PLENTY OF TREAD WEAR LEFT AT TIME OF BLOW OUT. THESE TIRES WERE PROPERLY INFLATED TO 60 TO 65 LBS EACH. BOTH SIDES OF OUR TRAVEL TRAILER INCURRED FENDER DAMAGE AND UNDER CARRIAGE DAMAGE FROM THESE BLOW OUTS THIS YEAR. I HAVE NOT REPAIRED THE DAMAGE THIS YEAR. I DO NOT HAVE AN OF THE MISSION TIRES IN MY POSSESSION, BUT I DO HAVE THE CARLISLE TIRE IN MY POSSESSION WHICH SHOWS THE STEEL BELTS COMING THROUGH THE TREAD IN ONLY ONE AREA AS THE TIRE DID NOT COME APART COMPLETELY AS THE MISSION TIRES DID. I FEEL THERE MAY BE A SAFETY PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL TRAVEL TRAILER AS THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT TIRE MANUFACTURERS OF THE TIRES IN MY CASE. *TR UPDATED 09/05/07 *TR

WHILE OPERATION OF THE LIPPERT SLIDEOUT IN OUR '04 KEYSTONE 285EFS FIFTH WHEEL, THE SLIDE STOPPED. UPON INVESTIGATION (FOLLOWING WIRES, CHECKING FUSE, CONTACTS, ETC.) I FOUND BURNT OUT AND MELTED WIRE NUTS DIRECTLY BEHIND THE FUSE PANEL LYING IN SAWDUST. THE WIRES ARE 10 GAUGE (30 AMP). ONE STRIPPED END WAS AN INCH IN LENGTH WHILE THE OTHER WAS LESS THAN 1/16". THESE WIRES PROVIDE FULL 12 VOLT AMPERAGE TO OPERATE THE SLIDEOUT. THIS WAY OF STRIPPING WIRES FOR WIRE NUT ATTACHMENT IS NOT PRUDENT FOR A SAFE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION AND IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. I WOULD BELIEVE THAT KEYSTONE SHOULD USE "BARREL CONNECTORS" FOR THIS EXTREME AMPERAGE AND NOT PLASTIC WIRE-NUTS WITH IMPROPERLY STRIPPED WIRES. THERE'S MEMBERS ON THE KEYSTONE RV CAMPING GROUP SIGHT THAT HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED THIS TYPE OF "BURN-OUT". THIS CAN AND COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY. THE 30 AMP BREAKER NEVER TRIPPED. I ALSO TOOK PICTURES. *NM

FAULTY SHACKLES AND 2 BENT AXLES ON 2004 KEYSTONE COUGAR FIFTH WHEEL CAUSED TIRES EXCESSIVE WEAR TO CORE. ONE TIRE BLEW OUT. LESS THAN 7000 LONG DISTANCE MILES ON CAMPER. WEIGHT WAS 2000 LBS UNDER LIMIT OF 10,000 LBS. KEYSTONE CLAIMS NO RECALL AND NO RESPONSIBILITY, WITH NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THIS WOULD OCCUR. OTHERS LIKE US ARE EXPRESSING SAFETY CONCERN OVER THE INTERNET. *TR