Well we've been on a couple of camping trips with our Lacrosse 329 so I thought I'd provide some feedback for all you 329 fans or folks considering a 329. And who knows, maybe someone from Prime Time will take note and make some changes.
We love our 329! Compared to our older (and lighter) Cougar, the 329 with the 14K Equalizer hitch tows so much nicer! Hardly any sway and a much more comfortable tow. It puts the fun back in towing! We really enjoy the extra space and features. We also love the gel coat fiberglass (another reason we liked the Lacrosse). Another nice feature is the black skirting below the fiberglass. It should weather much better than the white ones on older trailers. The black molding is also a nice touch...should avoid showing mold as time goes on. We decided to play it safe, so we ditched the factory installed tires for brand new Maxxis, Load Range E (for more strength). We also installed a TPMS for added peace of mind. The factory installed bed was hard as cement, so we replaced it with a Sleep Number RV bed. No need to have a bad night sleep when you are on vacation. We also like the black slide toppers we had installed and the smoke colored vent covers. But like most owners, we also have a few suggestions/complaints.
1. One of the reasons we bought the 329 was the size of the fold out bed in the rear bunk room. Our teenage son is pushing 6' and this bed was the largest we found on the market (6'3"). The problem is with the design of the bed. On our first camping trip we found all the screws on one of the brackets had pulled out of the wood frame. The dealer promptly fixed it when we got home. On our second trip, we found the other bracket completely broke at the hinge point. (still need to have this fixed). Then there is a major design problem with the bed. On the 2014 329, the bunk room is carpeted. On the 2015 model, it isn't. This causes an elevation problem when you fold the bed out. The first 1/3 of the bed is level and then it dips down for the final 2/3. This is very uncomfortable. When they removed the carpet, the factory forgot to redesign the foot of the bed and the mid bed support brackets to make them taller to keep the bed level. We got a 2x4 and cut it up to put under the foot of the bed and the mid bed support brackets to level it out. But it is a major PITA and extra weight to carry extra boards for this purpose. Hopefully they will redesign the bed to make the hinges more robust and the bed level for the 2016 model.
2. There is a roof vent in the hallway just outside the front bedroom. Why, I'm not sure. This vent should be in the bedroom to provide for more ventilation. And speaking of roof vents, the rear bunk room could also use one. Our Cougar had them in both areas and we really miss no being able to open them up, especially at night, to let cool air in.
3. The 329 could use more and/or larger windows. The interior is great but it is dark. More natural light would help. And oh by the way, none of the windows are "rain" windows. Would be handy if at least a few of them were.
4. Speaking of windows, why not put a small one in the kitchen slide? This would add more natural light in the kitchen, plus it would give you the opportunity to keep an eye on what is going on outside the trailer. You know, like what the kids are doing out front where all the action is. Currently the only window on the right side of the trailer is the small one in the front bedroom. More is better.
5. There is an outside TV mount under the awning which is placed so close to the awning bracket, I doubt it would be useable with the installed TV (or maybe any TV for that matter). Obviously, no one field tested the location. How about moving it about a foot or so toward the back of the trailer?
6. Speaking of the awning, it looks great but falls about a foot short of covering the kitchen slide. Another design problem as far as I am concerned. How hard would it be to extend the awning to cover the slide, especially since you can't mount a slide topper above the kitchen slide?
7. Supposedly you can't mount a bike rack on the rear bumper. I'm not sure what the designers were thinking, but why would you design a trailer which can sleep a small army and then not have any way to carry a bicycle? This is the 21st century where we can put email on our watch, but can't put a bicycle on a bumper? How hard would it be to reinforce the bumper to carry a bike rack? Just a thought.
8. I love the outdoor docking station for all the hookups. I do have a complaint about the cable TV connector. I know PT used the industry standard receptacle (made for the outside), but it is another major PITA or more appropriately a major Pain In The Finger/Thumb to try to thread a standard coax cable on this receptacle. How hard would it be to design one for an INDOOR docking station? Save a finger!
9. How about labeling all the switches located in the coat closet? After 10 nights camping in the rig, we still can't remember which switch is which. When you go weeks between trips, good luck in remembering. Switches are labeled in cars and airplanes, why not travel trailers?
10. The refrigerator in the outdoor kitchen opens from the left. That means you have to take items out of the fridge and work around the open door to get them to the counter. We had our dealer take the refer out and swap the hinges so the door opens from the right, thereby eliminating that problem. How hard would it be to come from the factory with the hinges on the left, so it opens from the right?
Well that's about all for now. Overall we are very happy with our 329 and look forward to many years of camping! Hopefully, the 2016 model will be even better.