Puma Unleashed 351THSS

[FandRChambers]

I can tell you kfp673, when the toys are out, carpet and beds down, there is a lot of room for you kids enjoy. One time the kids can brag their room is bigger than mom and dads!

[kfp673]

Ha, I hear ya! I actually wish the 351 had a master bed slide out. I would pay more for that if possible but oh well. I think toy haulers are actually better bunk house 5th wheels than actual bunk house 5th wheels. Not as fancy but more space for sure.

[toylover]

We just returned from a four night camping trip with our new Puma 351THSS really enjoyed the experience. The camper was everything we hoped it would be.

[FandRChambers]

OK third time out in my Puma...getting use to to it but why did they put the bathroom switches outside bathroom??? But loving the unit!

[toylover]

I thought the same thing about those switches as well as the bedroom light switch not in the bedroom. Guess we will get used to it though.

[FandRChambers]

Ha ha ha you are right toylover!

[Big Mac 60]

We haven't taken delivery yet on 351. My question is can the bathroom be accessed without putting the slide out. We have had several fifthwheels and they all had front baths so no problem getting in the bathroom on rest stops.

I am going to be pulling with a 2012 Ram 2500 with gasoline engine and was curious as to what performance to expect. I have always had 5.9 diesels and they spoiled me. I am putting air bags on the truck so level ride is not going to be an issue. I also don't have the overloads. Had them on 2001 2500 and put airbags on and it was still rough, so I unhooked the overloads and it road better with a load than empty then.

Read a couple of post about beds drifting down when traveling. I am not sure if there is some fix or reason they are doing this or is it just isolated experiences. Don't need the beds resting on my Harley. Windshield on fairing probably won't hold it up.

[FandRChambers]

Originally Posted by Big Mac 60

We haven't taken delivery yet on 351. My question is can the bathroom be accessed without putting the slide out. We have had several fifthwheels and they all had front baths so no problem getting in the bathroom on rest stops.

I am going to be pulling with a 2012 Ram 2500 with gasoline engine and was curious as to what performance to expect. I have always had 5.9 diesels and they spoiled me. I am putting air bags on the truck so level ride is not going to be an issue. I also don't have the overloads. Had them on 2001 2500 and put airbags on and it was still rough, so I unhooked the overloads and it road better with a load than empty then.

Read a couple of post about beds drifting down when traveling. I am not sure if there is some fix or reason they are doing this or is it just isolated experiences. Don't need the beds resting on my Harley. Windshield on fairing probably won't hold it up.

Congrats on your new unit. Unfortunately the bathroom can't be accessed without bumping out. You may not have to completely bump out. As for rear beds, there is a switch or brake on the motor that let's the beds up and down. Make sure that is on and beds won't move during transport. Hopefully your dealer shows you during your walk through, mines didn't.

[rabraz]

No complaints about the beds drifting down yet but I have experienced two roof leaks now. The first was the bathroom skylight. Got that fixed and now we discovered a serious leak along the fiberglass cap that leaked into the overhead cabinets and down onto the master mattress. I crawled up on top and it appears the entire caulk seam along the front cap has cracked and the caulk seam along the antenna has issues as well.
Real shame as this unit is not even 6 months old and we are already battling roof leaks. Pretty disappointing actually. The 351 is a really nice unit for the money but I am questioning quality of the build now. The mechanic at the shop we took it to for the first roof leak kinda shrugged when I mentioned I was disappointed over having a roof leak so soon and told me' "Welcome to world of RVs". Kinda like roof leaks are a fact of life due to the flexing of the unit while it is going down the road. That is a hard fact for me to accept. I wonder if the aluminum front cap would have been a better choice over the fiberglass cap. The first time I looked at this trailer I thought the front cap would be trouble spot.
We are/were pup addicts before we bought our 351. In fact, we still have our Rockwood and I never had the roof problems on any of our pups that I have had on this trailer.
If this persists I may complain straight to Forest River / Palomino.
Any thoughts?
We have two weeks before we leave for the grand canyon so I am hoping I can get it fixed before we leave. If they cannot get it in then I will be doing it myself I suppose.
Happy Trails!

[Ke5rbd]

Originally Posted by FandRChambers

Congrats on your new unit. Unfortunately the bathroom can't be accessed without bumping out. You may not have to completely bump out. As for rear beds, there is a switch or brake on the motor that let's the beds up and down. Make sure that is on and beds won't move during transport. Hopefully your dealer shows you during your walk through, mines didn't.

We picked up our 351 Saturday. During the walk through I asked the guy about the switch. He said the only switch he knew about was the one to raise and lower and it is a rocker switch with neutral off in the center. He did show me holes in the frame to put pins to keep them from coming down. Of course it doesn't come with them.
The brakes didn't work very well either. When I got home I jacked up each tire and adjusted the brakes. Both back tires had grease slinging from the axle seals and one of these the wheel could still be turned after adjusting and the controller manually energized. Figure the shoes and magnet are covered in grease. Problem is I am over a 100 miles from dealership. This would mean 400 miles to get it fixed as it would need to be left. While I was under I checked the tires and two of them had bulges about 1 1/2" wide from rim to tread area, and the tire tread was bulging about 1/4" in this area. Needless to say I am not driving this junk anywhere. WestLake Super ST tires good ole China stuff. All the tires looked fine outside.

[FandRChambers]

Originally Posted by Ke5rbd

We picked up our 351 Saturday. During the walk through I asked the guy about the switch. He said the only switch he knew about was the one to raise and lower and it is a rocker switch with neutral off in the center. He did show me holes in the frame to put pins to keep them from coming down. Of course it doesn't come with them.
The brakes didn't work very well either. When I got home I jacked up each tire and adjusted the brakes. Both back tires had grease slinging from the axle seals and one of these the wheel could still be turned after adjusting and the controller manually energized. Figure the shoes and magnet are covered in grease. Problem is I am over a 100 miles from dealership. This would mean 400 miles to get it fixed as it would need to be left. While I was under I checked the tires and two of them had bulges about 1 1/2" wide from rim to tread area, and the tire tread was bulging about 1/4" in this area. Needless to say I am not driving this junk anywhere. WestLake Super ST tires good ole China stuff. All the tires looked fine outside.

If you look on the motor that let's bed up and down you should see the switch I am taking about.

[doodler]

puma 351 thss finally arrived this afternoon. been out there trying to figure things out. have a few questions though. when u walk in the door there are two sets with two switches 1 switch for overhead lights in ceiling. 1 switch for amber light under step. 1 switch for amber light by door. what is the other switch for?

[Ke5rbd]

Originally Posted by doodler

puma 351 thss finally arrived this afternoon. been out there trying to figure things out. have a few questions though. when u walk in the door there are two sets with two switches 1 switch for overhead lights in ceiling. 1 switch for amber light under step. 1 switch for amber light by door. what is the other switch for?

Turns front bedroom light on

[doodler]

thanks Ke5rbd. it has plenty of lights for sure. what is the metal bracket above tires and plugs that has two large slots?

[bentpushrod]

That bracket is for hanging your tv outside.

[doodler]

Thanks bentpushrod . that would make since the cable and plugs are right below it. New to all this rv stuff. graduated from a tent lol.

[rabraz]

Just got home from a 1250 mile run to the Grand Canyon. The 351 worked out great. We slept all 13 of us and no one complained. Had a great time. All the kids will remember this trip for life. No complaints with my Puma at all but I did have a roof leak that had to be dealt with before we left.
I would like to let everyone know about the great service I got from Camper Clinic II in Buda TX. I discovered the leak the week before trip. I inspected roof and discovered the caulk seal where the front cap and the roof membrane meet was cracked all the way across the trailer. The seal around the tv antenna was also compromised. I called Camper Clinic II as they are the closest Puma dealer in my area and they first told me they were 3 weeks out before they could squeeze me in. I explained my delimma and they told me they could get me in the day before we were set to depart. Thursday came and I was at their shop bright and early. They moved my trailer right in and completely resealed everything on the roof of my trailer. They told me there had been a few Pumas that had problems with the roof seals and Palomino had come out with a kit to deal with that problem. They just happened to have a few of those kits and took care of the problem for me. They made me wait a few hours for things to set and I was on the road to pick up my family that afternoon. All this and I did not even buy my trailer from them. This is the third time I have asked them for help and they bent over backwards to give me that help. It rained hard two nights on our trip so I feel they saved my vacation. Kudos to Camper Clinic II and their great service department.
I will post some pictures of our great adventure in a follow up post.
Happy Trails To All!

[FandRChambers]

Rebraz,

Thanks for sharing. Wow 13 slept in the puma. Man that roof leak is scary. I have camped in some heavy rains and so far so good on the leaks. I would love to hit the grand canyon. Did you camp there or near by?

[rabraz]

Two babies on the sofa, two parents on the table, three 10 year olds on the top bunk, two parents on the bottom, two teen boys on air mattresses on the garage floor. Me and grandma in our suite. It was a bit tight but everyone was happy. We were mostly outside and it was a really great adventure.
We stayed in a KOA just outside Williams on the road to the park. About 50 miles from the park. Great KOA. Swimming, Hot tub, and Playground. Super clean facilities. Hot tub was nice after a hard day of hiking and the kids loved the pool and playground.
Regarding the roof, I can see why the owners manual states you should inspect all the seals and seams every 90 days.
I will say it was inspiring to look upon one of Gods great wonders. you have to see it.
Happy Trails...

[Gregg Willow]

Originally Posted by rabraz

Two babies on the sofa, two parents on the table, three 10 year olds on the top bunk, two parents on the bottom, two teen boys on air mattresses on the garage floor. Me and grandma in our suite.

I think you overloaded your axles

Great that you got that many in there.