How are the tires if you have not changed them since
2014 I would do that first. Replace with a H/G class tire.
Take a look at your spring and hangers for wear.

Hi Doug if you check out this post and video - https://www.loveyourrv.com/cougar-trailer-review-fulltime-rving/ I go through all the things I needed to repair on the Cougar and how things have held out, I did this one at the 6-year mark, we are at the 8-year mark now of full timing. So it shows that it can be done in a lower end trailer.
I have friends with more so-called full-time rigs and things still go wrong.
They are a lot like boats always doing some sort of maintenance. Also here is a big long list of all the mods and upgrades I've done over the years. https://www.loveyourrv.com/love-your-rv-mods-and-upgrades/ Cheers.

Thanks Ray. I knew you had plenty of info. I will check out the videos. Probably already watched them but they'll be good anyway. Have a blessed day!

I'm sure your Sabre will do well. We had a 2010 that we just traded in this week for r a new Cougar.

We've traveled extensively from Toronto to the West coast a few times, in a caravan of 24 RV's to Puerto Vallarta in Mexico. We loved every minutes. No major issue whatsoever.

Re your water tank, I never ever traveled with lots of water, knowing too well and having seen how those tanks are attached to the frame...

We spent the last 2 winters in Texas, for 3 months. No problems.

So you had disc brakes installed... Wow that must make a big difference.

Good tires is important, tire pressure even more.

You'll do fine. Thumbs up.

Thanks for your reply. We had a Cougar, 2009 245RKS. We called it out "learner" fifth wheel since it was our first and we wanted to give it a few years to see if we enjoyed. We love it. Our Sabre has everything we need and we love the layout. We have done many upgrades and yes, the brakes are amazing! We replaced the tires when we bought the unit in January '18 with the Goodyear Endurance and the suspension was upgraded by MorRyde this past Spring. We tow with an 09 F250 diesel that we have made many upgrades to as well. I'm feeling confident that the unit is better now than it was but just wanted to keep moving in a positive direction. Ray's list of upgrades is amazing and I've done some of those as well. Thanks again for your input and hope to talk with you soon!

Thanks for your reply. We replaced the tires in 2018 when we bought the unit. The suspension upgrade was this spring to a MorRyde unit. Tows like a dream!

As Ray commented, owning an RV is much like owning a boat “a boat is a hole in the water that you pour money into”. We have a 2009 Cedar Creek that we bought brand new in 2011. We replaced the tires (Hankook G rated) and did a few fixes. Since then we have had to replace the springs - they were under rated from the factory. We added shocks. The unit model had an engineering failure (thanks to Lippert) and we had to take it to the plant in Indiana for repair. Otherwise, it’s maintenance, maintenance, maintenance. So long as you keep on top of caulking, seals, lube, it will last as well as any other model. We have run into folks with older units that have barely had anything go wrong, to folks with new Grand Design (claiming to be one of the best on the market) that is leaking so badly it reeks of mold. The units claiming live in usually simply have a warranty allowing for full time living. Most units otherwise have a clause saying “warranty may be voided if living full time” so they can try and get out of coverage. Most times we found, it is easier, and a better fix, to do things yourself rather than go to an RV shop for repairs. We have 7 years FT in our 5th wheel and probably just over 80,000 miles. Enjoy

HI Lorraine, Thank you for your reply. We have done plenty of the safety/durability upgrades and some repairs. From what others have said here and others I have talked to, maintenance and staying ahead of it are the key to longevity. Just like anything else in this world, if you take care of it, it will last. I think buying an extended warranty will be peace of mind over the years. It will be interesting to see how well it does with the use it gets. Blessings and safe travels.

We just bought a 2010 Cougar 245 RKS. What did you tow your 2009 with?

We have a "full time" rated RV 2018 Montana, and I can assure as Ray said, things still break and everything requires maintenance. Like the Fram commercial says, " pay me now, or pay me later". It hasn't been luck that Ray had had few problems, he does regular maintenance and radios the rewards.
We've been lucky, so far we've only had minor cosmetic issues with our home.
My only advice get a TPMS! Trailer tires aren't the best and I believe even Goodyear tire lost thirty DOT approval a year or so ago. Under inflation and excessive speed cause a large majority of blow outs.

Thanks Keith, We are proactive with our Sabre as well. I do have the TPMS that has worked well. Even though we are on our 2nd season with this unit, I'm still learning about it. We will probably need to replace a landing gear soon and looking at having the roof coated for longevity but so far we have been fortunate as well with only minor repairs. I did get an extended warranty from the dealer when we bought it and have used it once so I have a peace of mind that if anything major goes, it will be covered. Hoping it will last thru the years. Our biggest expense so far was a new truck;) Safe Travels!

We started towing our Cougar with a 2013 F150 with the EcoBoost. It did well and was pleased with it's performance. The truck came before the Cougar and didn't have a tow package on it but it got the job done. We updated the truck when the lease ran out and went to an F250 with a diesel with the intent of upgrading the 5er which we have done and the F250 towed the Cougar like it wasn't there. We upgraded the 5er last year and now we just upgraded the truck to an F350 diesel and I think were pretty well set even if we ever have to replace our current 5er. Kinda leap frogging truck, 5er, truck, 5er and so on. Hope the helps. Safe Travels!

Doug,
We started with a 1500 Silverado, then bought a 27 ft Flagstaff bumper pull. We checked to make sure the trailer's total gvwr, plus our estimated passenger weight and cargo was at least 1000 pounds less than the GCVR for the truck. We also had an anti-sway equalizing system. During the initial trip from Florida to Missouri, via the Arkansas "mountains", we decided we needed a bigger truck.
Now our tow vehicle is a Ram 3500 diesel with duallys.
I've never been a fan of Dodge/Ram, but several trips through the Rockies with our fifth wheel; the exhaust breaks has made me a fan. Don't think we'll need to leap frog again.

Regards, Keith