Puma Unleashed 351THSS

[FandRChambers]

Nice....congratulations

[Ke5rbd]

Took long trip this summer with the 351 THSS. Pulled around 3700 miles. Went to Rocky Mountain National park, Yellowstone National park, and Mt. Rushmore. Long way from Louisiana. Only problem had was overloaded cargo area. Had 2 900# Harleys back there. Pulled ok, until got passed on Interstate and would sway like a bumper pull if traveling over 60. Not severe, but kept me on my toes. On the second night stop I filled the fresh water holding tank completely full and no more sway problem. Got in severe thunder storm the first night out in Wichita Falls, TX. Had 75 mph straight line winds reported about 3 in morning. Needless to say it got our attention. Swaying so bad could hardly walk in trailer. Only lasted few minutes but felt like eternity. I have heard talk about hearing the freight train coming. I heard it coming. No way I was going out side as it was too late. We got real lucky. It did blow down lots of limbs, split some trees and blew outside furniture everywhere and blew down 2 flag poles at campground. Some how no damage was done to rig. The wind hit us from the rear. If it had been a side wind I suspect we could have been rolled. Next day we came along after a hail storm and they had to use snowplows to remove the hail from the road. That night in Raton, NM about 1 in morning, very large hail storm. Got vent fan cover broken out and damage to both sides of camper and truck. Got vent fixed next morning and all dried up. What a way to get started. I was ready to call it off as someone was trying to tell me something. Stopped two days in Fort Collins, Co. and went to Rocky Mt. National Park. Snow up in park was still several feet deep in places. It hailed both nights in Ft. Collins. Very small hail. Day 5 stopped in Lander, Wy. for the night. We missed the hail about 20 minutes. Ground covered. It rained everyday on our way to Yellowstone. They are having a drought and were happy to get what ever moisture they could get. It did rain first and second day in Yellowstone, but very light. No more rain or hail for the rest of the trip. Weather in W. Yellowstone was very cool. We had to run heater nearly every night. Got down to 28 degrees one night around July 2. We stayed in West Yellowstone KOA for 10 nights and moved to Cody, Wy KOA for 6 days. My 2012 Dodge 2500 is gas burner and got between 7 and 8 mpg. It had no big problems pulling other than long climb out of Cheyenne WY. slowed me down to about 55 or 20 miles. It would pull faster, but I didn't like running 5000 rpms to run 65 mph. I have always until this truck had Dodge diesels and it takes some getting use to that gas burner. It has 400+ foot Pounds of torque, but it is at 4800 rpms. The diesel had 700 around 1600 rpms. Quite a difference.
Other than popping few staples in front bedroom no major issues. Even with the weather issues we had a great trip. Had wife, Daughter, grandson and pair of mini Schnauzers. Son in law flew up and stayed all the time we were in W. Yellowstone and Cody then flew home. Long trip, but worth every bit of the effort.

[FandRChambers]

Does anyone use the bracket to mount the tv outside on your unit? Can someone provide me with that part number? I seemed to have miss placed mine and would love to use it. Thanks

[Ke5rbd]

Originally Posted by FandRChambers

Does anyone use the bracket to mount the tv outside on your unit? Can someone provide me with that part number? I seemed to have miss placed mine and would love to use it. Thanks

It is the same as the one that mounts the TV in the Living room. In fact the one that was in the living room was plastic and I replaced it with the one for the outside which was metal. Not sure where to get it from. I am referring to the one that mounts to the back of the TV.

[Oaklevel]

My camper is in Myrtle Beach . I am assuming you are referring to the second flat bracket that mounts directly to the TV? I just take the TV outside & use the swing arm bracket from the Ent. Center.

[FandRChambers]

Ok thanks guys, for some reason I thought there was an extra one for outside.

[ferguson65]

I'm in the same boat as quite a few of you guys were. The wife and I really like the 351THSS, and I have one priced out and am very near pulling the trigger on it. The killer is I have not been able to see one in person. I went to the Hershey show only to find a 356QLB, of course I had been through that one already. There are no units any closer than 300+ plus miles for sale from where we are in southeast PA, so its a weekend trip to even walk through one. We like the couch and dinette of the 351 more than the u dinette of the 356. My question to those that have these, how tall is the front bedroom? Can a 6 foot adult stand up in it? I know I could in the 356QLB, but the 351 is 14" lower overall than the 356. I'd love to walk through one first, but I'm kind of stuck.

[doodler]

[QUOTE My question to those that have these, how tall is the front bedroom? Can a 6 foot adult stand up in it? I know I could in the 356QLB, but the 351 is 14" lower overall than the 356. I'd love to walk through one first, but I'm kind of stuck.[/QUOTE]

the front bedroom is maybe 6 foot high for the first foot and slopes to the front from there. pretty tight for a person to change clothes standing up in there. I will try to get some real measurements tomorrow

[doodler]

Originally Posted by ferguson65

I'm in the same boat as quite a few of you guys were. The wife and I really like the 351THSS, and I have one priced out and am very near pulling the trigger on it. The killer is I have not been able to see one in person. I went to the Hershey show only to find a 356QLB, of course I had been through that one already. There are no units any closer than 300+ plus miles for sale from where we are in southeast PA, so its a weekend trip to even walk through one. We like the couch and dinette of the 351 more than the u dinette of the 356. My question to those that have these, how tall is the front bedroom? Can a 6 foot adult stand up in it? I know I could in the 356QLB, but the 351 is 14" lower overall than the 356. I'd love to walk through one first, but I'm kind of stuck.

And Welcome to the forums. Lots of great info and people on here.

[bluefinger]

Originally Posted by ferguson65

I'm in the same boat as quite a few of you guys were. The wife and I really like the 351THSS, and I have one priced out and am very near pulling the trigger on it. The killer is I have not been able to see one in person. I went to the Hershey show only to find a 356QLB, of course I had been through that one already. There are no units any closer than 300+ plus miles for sale from where we are in southeast PA, so its a weekend trip to even walk through one. We like the couch and dinette of the 351 more than the u dinette of the 356. My question to those that have these, how tall is the front bedroom? Can a 6 foot adult stand up in it? I know I could in the 356QLB, but the 351 is 14" lower overall than the 356. I'd love to walk through one first, but I'm kind of stuck.

ferguson, I just measured it and mine is 5'11' on the 3rd step which is where we get dressed. It obviously gets shorter the farther forward you go. I'm just under 6' so it isn't a problem, but if you are 6' or taller you might want to get dressed in the bathroom. We love everything else about this unit, especially the rear bathroom with the bathtub. When sandy or dirty we go through the garage and staight into the bathroom without tracking dirt and sand into the rest of the unit. Also, the tub is great for bathing little kids and for when the wife wants to shave her legs.

[doodler]

Originally Posted by bluefinger

ferguson, I just measured it and mine is 5'11' on the 3rd step. It obviously gets shorter the farther forward you go.

Thanks for measuring that bluefinger

[ferguson65]

Originally Posted by bluefinger

ferguson, I just measured it and mine is 5'11' on the 3rd step which is where we get dressed. It obviously gets shorter the farther forward you go. I'm just under 6' so it isn't a problem, but if you are 6' or taller you might want to get dressed in the bathroom. .

Thank you. It looks like the 3rd step is the level at the foot of the bed? Not many great pics of the bedroom online. I'm 5'10-11 so that shouldn't really be an issue. Still rather have a little less headroom and be 12' tall than be 13'2" tall like the 356QLB.

[ferguson65]

Wes topped by the dealer today and did a walk through on a 2014 Puma 295BHSS which appears to be the same as the 351 from the garage wall front. We liked the setup and can work with the interior height and minimal outside storage, won't be doing an onboard generator so that frees up some space too. We ran some numbers and I'm planning to head back up there this week to get the order rolling. Looks like it will be a 2015 with the premier package, and a bunch of other options! Can't wait!

[dustycoyote]

Hello to everyone! First I wanted to say thanks to everyone who contributes to this forum. I get so much value from online groups like this and your thread is a great one.

I've been looking to buy my first camp trailer and, after interviewing multiple friends who are owners, I determined that I want a toy hauler fifth wheel. I've been told that the fifth wheel will be safer and much more manageable when towing. My wife isn't the most comfortable with driving large vehicles and definitely not with towing. It seems the fifth wheel offers more stability and a more confident towing experience than a bumper pull. I also have a VERY tight entry angle to my relatively narrow RV pad beside my house. I assume that a 5th wheel would be more manageable backing around the house and through the gate opening.

I've been scouring the web for info on various models and have pretty much decided on the 351THSS. Though there are specific features that make it very attractive to me, honestly, I am kind of befuddled as to why anyone buys other brands/models that are similar to the 351. The apparent value of this unit is great. Because of the relatively low price I assumed that build quality would be poor (have read lots of information that leads me to believe poor build quality is not uncommon generally in RV's) but this thread has given me confidence in the quality if the unit. I understand people have different tastes, but for those who aren't looking for something with more luxurious features and materials, this unit seems to be a gem. (could be wrong, I still don't know much about RV's).

ANYWAY, I was hoping to get a couple of questions answered as I work my way to ultimately buying a camper...

One of the things that has drawn me to a toy hauler is the bunk beds in the garage area. We have three young children and a dog and wanted to have a separate space for them (that is convenient and easy to clean as well..) We really like the idea of the drop down bottom bunk that can convert into dual couches with a dinette table. Earlier in this thread someone mentioned that Palomino offered the dual couches but I can't find reference to it on their site. Does anyone know if it is an option? It's really important to us. I assume, even if it isn't available from Palomino we could buy it directly from Happijack and trade the lower bed out for it later?


Also,
I also need to purchase my tow vehicle and am leaning toward a 350/3500 diesel truck (Of the available options GM vehicles seem to be potentially the most reliable from the reviews I've read, even though I personally would prefer Toyota to make a 1 ton Tundra....). I plan on getting a crew cab (room for the family) and probably a short bed to make it a little more manageable to drive around. I would get the 350/3500 because the price doesn't generally seem to be too much more than 250/2500's and the feedback I've been getting is that the ride quality is not much worse. If that is the case, I'd rather have the more capable rig.

If anyone has any feedback on the truck, please chime in (size, brand, model, hitch, other considerations I may not have thought of, etc.). I can use any educated information I can get.

Also, Other than the question on the convertible couches in the garage, if anyone has any sage advice for someone looking to investigate and buy their first pull trailer, let me have it!

I want to get some feedback on my RV pad space as well, to see if I will have any chance of getting an RV backed into it. I will capture a picture of it from Google Earth and post it to see if you all think I could get a 351 backed in....
Thanks, and sorry about the length of the post. Got a lot of questions....

(Have to add a couple emoticons because my 7 year old is watching me type this and wanted me to add some...

[Oaklevel]

Originally Posted by dustycoyote

Hello to everyone! First I wanted to say thanks to everyone who contributes to this forum. I get so much value from online groups like this and your thread is a great one.

I've been looking to buy my first camp trailer and, after interviewing multiple friends who are owners, I determined that I want a toy hauler fifth wheel. I've been told that the fifth wheel will be safer and much more manageable when towing. My wife isn't the most comfortable with driving large vehicles and definitely not with towing. It seems the fifth wheel offers more stability and a more confident towing experience than a bumper pull. I also have a VERY tight entry angle to my relatively narrow RV pad beside my house. I assume that a 5th wheel would be more manageable backing around the house and through the gate opening.

I've been scouring the web for info on various models and have pretty much decided on the 351THSS. Though there are specific features that make it very attractive to me, honestly, I am kind of befuddled as to why anyone buys other brands/models that are similar to the 351. The apparent value of this unit is great. Because of the relatively low price I assumed that build quality would be poor (have read lots of information that leads me to believe poor build quality is not uncommon generally in RV's) but this thread has given me confidence in the quality if the unit. I understand people have different tastes, but for those who aren't looking for something with more luxurious features and materials, this unit seems to be a gem. (could be wrong, I still don't know much about RV's).

ANYWAY, I was hoping to get a couple of questions answered as I work my way to ultimately buying a camper...

One of the things that has drawn me to a toy hauler is the bunk beds in the garage area. We have three young children and a dog and wanted to have a separate space for them (that is convenient and easy to clean as well..) We really like the idea of the drop down bottom bunk that can convert into dual couches with a dinette table. Earlier in this thread someone mentioned that Palomino offered the dual couches but I can't find reference to it on their site. Does anyone know if it is an option? It's really important to us. I assume, even if it isn't available from Palomino we could buy it directly from Happijack and trade the lower bed out for it later?


Also,
I also need to purchase my tow vehicle and am leaning toward a 350/3500 diesel truck (Of the available options GM vehicles seem to be potentially the most reliable from the reviews I've read, even though I personally would prefer Toyota to make a 1 ton Tundra....). I plan on getting a crew cab (room for the family) and probably a short bed to make it a little more manageable to drive around. I would get the 350/3500 because the price doesn't generally seem to be too much more than 250/2500's and the feedback I've been getting is that the ride quality is not much worse. If that is the case, I'd rather have the more capable rig.

If anyone has any feedback on the truck, please chime in (size, brand, model, hitch, other considerations I may not have thought of, etc.). I can use any educated information I can get.

Also, Other than the question on the convertible couches in the garage, if anyone has any sage advice for someone looking to investigate and buy their first pull trailer, let me have it!

I want to get some feedback on my RV pad space as well, to see if I will have any chance of getting an RV backed into it. I will capture a picture of it from Google Earth and post it to see if you all think I could get a 351 backed in....
Thanks, and sorry about the length of the post. Got a lot of questions....

(Have to add a couple emoticons because my 7 year old is watching me type this and wanted me to add some...

My 1st sugesstion is to start a new thread as this one is getting very long & old.........

[ferguson65]

Originally Posted by dustycoyote

I've been looking to buy my first camp trailer and, after interviewing multiple friends who are owners, I determined that I want a toy hauler fifth wheel. I've been told that the fifth wheel will be safer and much more manageable when towing. My wife isn't the most comfortable with driving large vehicles and definitely not with towing. It seems the fifth wheel offers more stability and a more confident towing experience than a bumper pull. I also have a VERY tight entry angle to my relatively narrow RV pad beside my house. I assume that a 5th wheel would be more manageable backing around the house and through the gate opening.

Mine is on order still, but I've pulled goosenecks and bumper pulls, and much prefer the gooseneck. No experience with the 5th wheel yet. A very tight entrance could prove tough, it takes a bit of room to work with when a trailer goes 37'. Do you have any towing/backing experience?

Originally Posted by dustycoyote

I've been scouring the web for info on various models and have pretty much decided on the 351THSS. Though there are specific features that make it very attractive to me, honestly, I am kind of befuddled as to why anyone buys other brands/models that are similar to the 351. The apparent value of this unit is great.

As someone who was just shopping for one (and ordered it), I can't agree more.

Originally Posted by dustycoyote

One of the things that has drawn me to a toy hauler is the bunk beds in the garage area. We have three young children and a dog and wanted to have a separate space for them (that is convenient and easy to clean as well..) We really like the idea of the drop down bottom bunk that can convert into dual couches with a dinette table. Earlier in this thread someone mentioned that Palomino offered the dual couches but I can't find reference to it on their site. Does anyone know if it is an option? It's really important to us. I assume, even if it isn't available from Palomino we could buy it directly from Happijack and trade the lower bed out for it later?

Palomino offers the couches as an option. I don't know if it comes with a table or not. They were double the cost of the standard power queens. For the extra $1300 I decided against it.

Originally Posted by dustycoyote

If anyone has any feedback on the truck, please chime in (size, brand, model, hitch, other considerations I may not have thought of, etc.). I can use any educated information I can get.

I will never talk anyone down from buying more truck. I agree with your plan on going with a 1 ton truck. Might as well do it right. Ford and Ram you can get a factory installed 5th wheel prep package, don't think GM offers one yet. I had one Dodge and will never have another, I'm a Ford guy. Gm's styling does nothing for me. Are you looking for a new truck or a used truck? That really makes a big difference with some brands. If you really need the shortbed, you'll need a slider hitch. I would seriously consider a longbed for cab clearance, again I'm biased, I will never own another shortbed truck. I use the bed too much. I will be pulling mine with a 2013 F350 crewcab dually. Overkill for this specific trailer, but it's not a DD and it cost me less than the SRW truck optioned the same way...........................

[dustycoyote]

Thanks for the replies Ferguson65 and OakLevel.

Oaklevel, looks like you're a seasoned member of this forum. What area or thread do you recommend I post this?

Ferguson,

I don't have any towing or backing experience (other than pulling some 40 foot flatbeds with tractors on them 20 years ago, and it was fairly infrequent). I will need some practice. Truthfully I don't think I will be able to get the trailer backed into the area I am hooping to get it to. It's just too narrow and my driveway approach is angled in a way that won't allow me to articulate the truck much. I'll post a snapshot of it from Google earth with some measurement marks.

New trucks are out of my price range so I'll be planning on something 2010 or older. That's kind of why I'm looking at Chevy's/GM's. I know lots of people who swear by each of the Ford/GM/Ram trucks and I've heard good and bad stories about each, but JDPower and other survey companies seem to rate the GM products best for reliability (though lowest for general customer satisfaction...??). For the years I'm looking at I seem to see a lot of good reviews for each brand, and it seems all three makes really are good rigs. That's why I'm asking for any input from anyone. I assume there are benefits and risks to each.
I'll go with a SRW just because I want it to be more usable for regular driving when not pulling the trailer.
You really wouldn't do a short bed huh? Even with a slider hitch?

I wonder if it would actually be cheaper to order the trailer with the dual beds and then buy the couches from Happijack separately?

I'd like to hear back from you when you take delivery of your trailer. I won't likely be ordering one for a little while so it would be nice to hear what you think. Did you order from a local dealer? It seems that a lot of the members of this thread had to order from different locales in order to get the best price.

[ferguson65]

Originally Posted by dustycoyote

New trucks are out of my price range so I'll be planning on something 2010 or older. That's kind of why I'm looking at Chevy's/GM's. I know lots of people who swear by each of the Ford/GM/Ram trucks and I've heard good and bad stories about each, but JDPower and other survey companies seem to rate the GM products best for reliability (though lowest for general customer satisfaction...??). For the years I'm looking at I seem to see a lot of good reviews for each brand, and it seems all three makes really are good rigs. That's why I'm asking for any input from anyone. I assume there are benefits and risks to each.
I'll go with a SRW just because I want it to be more usable for regular driving when not pulling the trailer.

Guess a lot of it comes down to one last question? Gas or diesel? I would avoid 2003-2010 Ford diesels. Both the 6.0 and 6.4 can become expensive nightmares. Yes, I'm a Ford guy. Those engines were why I tried a Dodge. The engine (5.9) was OK, but the rest of the truck was crap. Gm I have no experience, but I do know there were better and worse years for the Duramax. Far as gas engines go, all 3 seem to have viable options that seem to hold up well.

Originally Posted by dustycoyote

You really wouldn't do a short bed huh? Even with a slider hitch?

Me personally, no. I use the truck for hauling almost anything and the shortbed just doesn't work for me. I know more than one person that has a 5th that would rather have a longbed.

Originally Posted by dustycoyote

I wonder if it would actually be cheaper to order the trailer with the dual beds and then buy the couches from Happijack separately?

I looked into it, and found some topics on the web about it, and it seemed most were having a very tough time trying to get the couches after the fact from happijac/lippert. Those that pulled it off paid well over the $1300.

Originally Posted by dustycoyote

I'd like to hear back from you when you take delivery of your trailer. I won't likely be ordering one for a little while so it would be nice to hear what you think. Did you order from a local dealer? It seems that a lot of the members of this thread had to order from different locales in order to get the best price.

I ordered from a local dealer. I found one online, about 600 miles away, sent them the link and asked them to spec one identical for the same price and they'd have a sale. They came back about $1000 higher. Given time, food, fuel, tolls to go get the other one, I felt that was pretty good. I have been warned both online and from the dealer that if you go buy one somewhere based on price, then take it to the local dealer for warranty work you may have a long wait on your hands. I wasn't willing to find out if they were bluffing.

[dustycoyote]

Originally Posted by ferguson65

Guess a lot of it comes down to one last question? Gas or diesel? I would avoid 2003-2010 Ford diesels. Both the 6.0 and 6.4 can become expensive nightmares. Yes, I'm a Ford guy. Those engines were why I tried a Dodge. The engine (5.9) was OK, but the rest of the truck was crap. Gm I have no experience, but I do know there were better and worse years for the Duramax. Far as gas engines go, all 3 seem to have viable options that seem to hold up well.



Me personally, no. I use the truck for hauling almost anything and the shortbed just doesn't work for me. I know more than one person that has a 5th that would rather have a longbed.



I looked into it, and found some topics on the web about it, and it seemed most were having a very tough time trying to get the couches after the fact from happijac/lippert. Those that pulled it off paid well over the $1300.



I ordered from a local dealer. I found one online, about 600 miles away, sent them the link and asked them to spec one identical for the same price and they'd have a sale. They came back about $1000 higher. Given time, food, fuel, tolls to go get the other one, I felt that was pretty good. I have been warned both online and from the dealer that if you go buy one somewhere based on price, then take it to the local dealer for warranty work you may have a long wait on your hands. I wasn't willing to find out if they were bluffing.

That'll really stink if I have to pay 1300.00 for those couches. Will have to find a way around that, just on principle.

I'll defintely go diesel. I originally wanted to get gas (cost, convenience, driving experience) and thought that the gas engines would work well since they have all gotten up to like 400ft/lbs of torque. Every buddy I've spoken to though has told me that I would regret it and would end up wishing I had gone diesel. Also heard the same thing you're saying about the 2003 to 2010 engines from other Ford guys. Both said that they wished they could have gotten the Cummins engine and the Allison transmission mounted to their Ford frame/body/suspension....

[Oaklevel]

Where it is in the Toyhauler Section but a new thread as this one is 28 pages long & growing.

I have the 356QLB (Heavier & taller than the 351) & is our 2nd Puma I do feel the PUMA's are a well kept secret. Very good quality for the $.

I tow with an 05 Dodge Duelly but I have seen the 351 towed with a 3/4 ton but I suggest a 1 ton.