Cardinal or Cougar

[powerboatr]

Originally Posted by glennwest

Forest River, manufacturer of Cardinal, will not warrant unit if you tell them it is for full time use. This says a lot abut the confidence they have in their product.

wow these stories never end
we lived in our cedar creek, which is made by forest river, FULL time for three years, it was never an issue. MOF we only had two warranty items the whole time
first class construction and really served us well,
we only went to a bus because my old bones just couldnt take teh setting up part

[Kvtaylor]

Originally Posted by Charles & Dawn

Own a Cardinal have looked at Cougar it's a step down from Cardinal...Would I buy another Cardinal yes but at this time we lack a local dealer our old Cardinal dealer decided to retire in this tough economy. But at this time have no desire to get rid of my mostly trouble free Redbird. Very few issues.

Cardinals and Georgetown motor homes are constructed on adjoining assembly lines. A lot of interior products are used in both. While I was concertrating on the Georgetown, I did look at the Cardinal const. Being we were Montana owners (2) I was impressed with their construction. We moved to Forest River from Keystone after I saw their construction of their products. Ever since Thor bought out keystone, I think it has slipped somewhat.

[6x5er]

We have a Cardinal and are very pleased. We camp with friends who have a Keystone Laredo. They are pleased with their unit as well.

[450Donn]

Amazing how many people have chimed in giving the OP their opinions which have no bearing on the OP's question.
Cardinal= top of the line in the Forest River lineup.
Cougar= Entry to mid line on the Keystone lineup.
Why is that so hard?
In the Forest River product line, Cardinal and Cedar Creek are equals They offer very good value for the money.
Cougar is a very popular product in many parts of the country. They also offer good value for the money, albeit at a lower price point. Most people find that they are good rigs and have relatively few issues with them. Same for the Cardinals. The problem with the Cougar is that they are produced in several plants in different parts of the country. Therefore quality control can be iffy or good, depending on the production plant. Cardinal is produced in only one plant so quality is consistant.
Take your pick based on your budget and qhat floor plan you like best.