Heartland and "quality" (long)

There have been many threads started about the "quality" of the Heartland trailer both here and on other forums. Some posts are constructive and show great insight while others just continue to repeat the same message of how Heartland "quality" is substandard.
Some posters have been accused of being Heartland cheerleaders and running to defend the brand, while others seem to have the brand in the crosshairs all the time.

Here are my thoughts. They are not meant to offend anyone or defend anyone. Just my way of looking at this.

1.) Definition of Quality:

The word "quality" is very subjectional. What I perceive as good quality may be perceived as poor quality by someone else.
Let's say both my friend and I need a watch. My requirements are that it keeps accurate time. I spend $20.00 for a Timex and feel the requirement has been met. My friends requirment is the same but spends $200.00 for a Seiko because in his mind a $20.00 watch could not be accurate.
Both watches conform to the requirements set by the owners and are accurate-so who has the higher "quality" watch? They both do because the requirements have been met..

2.) An Owner's Veiw:

I feel that alot of the perception of "quality" is based partly on the owners ability to make repairs. e.g. two trailers have an electrical problem. Owner #1 repairs it in a few minutes and goes about his business feeling good that he/she has solved a problem.
Owner #2 has the same problem but lacks the skill to make his/her own repair. He/she has to load up the trailer, drive to a certified dealer-risk the response of "if you didn't buy here-we will not work on it", leave the trailer for a period of time, then go back and pick it up and hope the dealer repaired it the first time.
Meanwhile, he/she cant beleive that their brand new trailer needed to have a repair and how much of a problem it was to get it resolved. He/ she has just spent 3 hours dropping it off, 3 hours picking it up and an hour each time talking with the dealer. He/she has burned fuel, time and possibly a few bridges trying to get their unit repaired.
At this point owner #1 is happy he/she bought this unit and loves the "quality" while owner #2 is begining to question his/her descision to buy this unit. Who could blame them? After all, this is a new unit and shouldn't have to go back to the dealer so soon.

3.) The Factory's Veiw:

The factory has to build "x" units today. The floor supervisor has 3 people who have not showed up and some of the components are not here. The supervisor does the best he can making the production quota, after all, he/she is here to do a job. But in meeting the quota, maybe he/she coundn't take the time to cut each hose, vent, etc just right, and 2 of the units still need part "xyz" that never showed up. These parts can be put on tomorrow when they come in but tomorrow the quota is for twice the units.
Tomorrow comes, the part comes in and the supervisor sends someone to put the parts on the 2 units. But guess what, here come more units down the line that need attention but he is short an employee becuase that employee is working on yesterday's trailers.
Wow... and the boss wants to know why the units aren't ready.

4.) The dealer's veiw:

The dealer has to sell "x" units this week. He just got a unit in from the factory over 1400 miles away. The trailer has to be inspected and checked out, Parts assembled at the factory fell off because Hwy 1 is under road construction and is full of pot holes--and- oh no, here comes the owner of a unit that we did not sell but expects us to repair his unit right now.


The bottom line is, we probably all have had surprises on our trailers. Both this brand and other brands. These scenarios are not unique to Heartland.

I know I posted some pictures of "quality" when I first got my trailer. I guess after spending hard earned money I wanted my trailer to be perfect. Well guess what-IT AIN"T GONNA HAPPEN, with this brand or any other brand or with my vehicles, or my house, or my dog and especially with me.

All we can do is control how we react to our "oppurtunities" in life and grow from each experience.

I bought my first trailer because of the Fleetwood quality of product and was the best trailer I ever owned. But it was a smaller unit and less equipment and it was build in the 80's where product quality was at its best, just the same time I build my house. The second unit was bought because the quality of Canadian made Glendale was the best quality trailer build and they still clam it is, but I cannot afford to buy one now even used. It was not as I expected but it was better then my friends newer model. I have now bought this one because I beleive it is the best build unit I have seen, I like everything about it but I find the installed equipment build by other suppliers is so cheap and I am sure all other manufactures use the same product that is sometimes purchased for the cost. We have to remember that these units are partime homes and not realy made to live in. I own some appartments build in the 90's and I assure you they are junk compared to my home, so we do have to live with it, we live in a changing world, and we have to admit to the cost of materials have improved thus sacrificing quality. I have wooden windows on my house for the last 35 years and they are way supperioir to the plastic ones houses now have on. Look at what happened to Fleetwood RV for being the best in the past, they just tried to modernized and lost there loyal customers.

QUALITY:

ISO9000: "Degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfills requirements."<sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality_(business)#cite_note-0</sup> The standard defines requirement as need or expectation.
Joseph M. Juran: "Fitness for use. "<sup id="cite_ref-ASQglossaryQ_3-1" class="reference">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality_(business)#cite_note-ASQglossaryQ-3</sup>Fitness is defined by the customer"
Robert Pirsig: "The result of care."
Genichi Taguchi: "The loss a product imposes on society after it is shipped."<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality_(business)#cite_note-7</sup>

These are quotes from some of the experts regarding 'quality'. Many of the standards developed by these people were part of my training with the computer company I spent 15 years with.

Eh!

I use to say in industry that ISO9000 had replaced the hand shake and trust was very limited when it came to standards. I my old days Quality was above expectation and now its limited to standards. I cannot beleive the quality of the last 30Amp plugs I bought lately, a complete wast of money I ended splincing my extensions and using my old units at both ends.

Thanks Geeks...you just proved what most of us have been trying to say...by your own definition of quality in the term "fitness for use". These units, as someone stated earlier, were built and designed for PART TIME USE!

You, myself and many others have decided to use these units in ways that they were not intended to be used...that is, we FULLTIME in them! Like the rest of us, if you're gonna use them outisde that intended use, then you need to be prepared to deal with what occurs....JMHO!

Same song, fifth verse, fly sat on the wall.....LOL

kakampers said:

Thanks Geeks...you just proved what most of us have been trying to say...by your own definition of quality in the term "fitness for use". These units, as someone stated earlier, were built and designed for PART TIME USE!

You, myself and many others have decided to use these units in ways that they were not intended to be used...that is, we FULLTIME in them! Like the rest of us, if you're gonna use them outisde that intended use, then you need to be prepared to deal with what occurs....JMHO!

Click to expand...

My My: please refer to the complete quote: "Fitness for use. "Fitness is defined by the customer" - especially the portion about the customer!

BTW: ... who said that I use my unit outside the definition of 'PART TIME USE'.

Jim B. : should I consider this to be a 'flame' coming at me.

Eh!

Not mean as a flame and not directed at anyone in particular. JMHO

no problem but it is true we are using our unit behound their design and we chose to accept it

Hi gang,

Larry had asked me to delete this thread as he felt it was turning a bit divisive and it was not his intent to divide us or create sides. I think the discussion this far has been productive, however, as a compromise to Larry, I'll close the thread rather than delete it.

Thanks to everyone for their feedback.

Jim