Let me tell you a story about Heartland and Strafford Missouri, Camping World which starts August 31, 2009 and continues to date with no resolution.
On August 31, 2009 I arrived at the Strafford Missouri Camping World to take delivery of a new Hartland Big Country 3355RL 5th Wheel. There were many factors which lead me to selecting this 5th wheel being: the price, layout and design and lots of research indicating that Heartland has superior service and support; that to be questioned. During the inspection of the 5th wheel, with the Camping World representative, I noticed a bulge in the stairwell wall, the wall leading from the living area to the bathroom/bedroom area along with torn seals around the storage compartment doors, an extremely loud ceiling fan, and a few other minor deficiencies. The bulge in the wall concerned me. I told the Camping World representative that I would not take possession of the 5th wheel until I know what was causing the bulge. The rep had a mechanic remove the access panel in the storage area to try and identify the cause. The mechanic indicated that the bulge was caused by the sewer vent pipe pushing against the wall and that it could be taken apart and turned to elevate the problem. Because the Service Manager for Camping World of Strafford Missouri indicated that the problem could be easily repaired, and because I had come from another state to pickup the 5th wheel I decided that as long as all the faults were annotated and that Heartland was aware of the findings then I would take delivery. I was guaranteed, by the Service Manager, of Strafford Missouri, that any Camping World would be able to repair the problems. MORAL OF THIS PART, DON’T BELIEVE ANYTHING THAT CAMPING WORLD OF STRATTFORD MISSOURI TELLS YOU, AND DEFFENITLLY DON’T TAKE DELIVERY OF ANY UNIT FROM THEM WITHOUT EVERY PROBLEM BEING REPAIRED. Second, I wonder if I have any legal recourse that I can take against them for misleading me so that I would take possession of the camper. You will understand what I am talking about as you continue reading. There is more to this part but to keep it shot I will leave it out.
The next day, September 1, 2009 after my 800 mile trip home while cleaning and prepping the unit for use; I noticed that two of the bolts holding the rear awning arm were pulling away form the wall. I immediately contacted Camping World of Fountain, Colorado, to notify them of the findings; I was then informed that Camping World was not able to look at or perform services or warranty work on any Heartland Product. I immediately contacted Camping World of Strafford Missouri and asked them what was going on? Why Camping World of Colorado was unable to work on the Camper after they had guaranteed me that any Camping World would be able to perform the repairs on the 5th wheel. The Service Rep of Camping World Missouri told me that he would look into it and get back with me. Later that morning the Service Rep contacted me and informed me that there were problems between Heartland and Camping World and that they would not be able to provide any warranty work. He did provide me with a number to a service center in Colorado who would be able to assist. The only problem with this was that the company, he provided, had gone out of business. STRIKE TWO FOR CAMPING WORLD OF MISSOURI!!! I still question whether they know about the problems between Camping Word and Heartland and that was another reason they mislead me when I picked up the unit the day prior. Regardless, that same day after calling around to locate a dealer, which would work on my unit, I contacted Heartland Warranty Department and talked to Steve. I informed him of the awning problem and told him that I needed someone to look at the unit to determine what needed to be done to repair that problem. Obliviously this problem prevents the unit from being used. I was told to call and find an RV dealer that would repair the unit and they would coordinate with the dealer for payment. Unfortunately this is not a widely excepted practice; dealer want to be paid what they charge not what the manufacture is willing to pay for the repair. This proved to be a challenge.
About a week later I was contacted by Camping World of Missouri and informed that Camping World and Heartland had worked out their differences and that Camping World was now able to provide warranty work on my unit. I scheduled with Camping World of Fountain Colorado to have the problems repaired. On September 25, 2009 I received a call from Camping World of Fountain, informing me that we had a major problem. Apparently the Pipe in the wall that was causing the bulge was not a pipe at all and that the flooring in the bathroom, another problem that I identified as being loose in the corner, was not loose at all!!!! The problems were actually related. The problems turned out to be that the bathroom floor had been miss cut or put in improperly. There was a gap between the side wall and the floor of about one inch and the bulge in the wall was being caused by the floor edge pushing beyond the wall struts, causing the bulge. What is really sad is that who ever put the unit together, in the factory, know about the problem because it appears they went out of their way to hide the gap by putting a piece of half round along the wall to cover the gap and then putting long screws in the wall trying to pull the floor over to hid the bulge; unfortunately for them it did not work but sad for me because I have a unit that is not put together properly, that I am unable to use, and was told by Camping World of Strafford Missouri that it was just a pipe pushing against the wall. AND WE HAVE NOT EVEN DISCUSSED THE AWNING PROBLEM.
It was explained to me, by the Service Manager of Fountain Camping World, that Heartland had been contacted concerning the problem and that pictures had been sent, it was also indicated that even though they being Camping World of Fountain, wanted to perform the warranty work he, the Service Manager of Fountain, recommended that the camper be returned to the factory for proper repair. (At one point it was mentioned that all that needed to be done was put some screws in the wall to pull it together!! Don’t want to say who thought up that repair). By the time I found out about the problem it was late Friday evening and Heartland was closed. The following Monday I contacted Heartland and requested to speak with Steve, the point of contact that Fountain Camping World had been using, but according to the receptionist, he was out for the day. I tried again Tuesday, and again received the same information. I then requested to talk with anyone concerning the problem and was put through to Garry. Garry informed me that he would follow-up on the problem and get back with me. I waited all day Tuesday, no call I then call Wednesday and requested to talk with Garry, according to the receptionist he was on the phone. I explained the problem to the receptionist who then said they would put me through to another service rep; don’t recall his name. I explained the problem to him again; he said that he would follow-up and call me back. Wednesday afternoon he called and explained that Steve would be back tomorrow, Thursday, and sense he was working the problem would it be possible for me to wait until then. The Heartland Service Rep guaranteed me that he would place a high priority on the problem and have Steve contact me Thursday. He guaranteed me that if Steve was not in that he would call me back himself. Needless to say Thursday came and went and I received no phone calls for either of the Reps. It is now Friday a 10am and I have still not heard anything from Heartland concerning what will be done to provide me with a 5th wheel that is usable.
The following week I was contacted, by Steve, to discuss the issue. After explaining to Steve that I have had the unit for over a month with out being able to use it, I recommended that the unit be replaced with one that was ready for use. Steve explained that Heartland does not provide replacements, the unit would picked up and return it to the factory for repair. (I question this knowing that it was recommended that we just put screws in to pull the wall in to the floor closer together to remove the gap). What kind of repairs can I expect? What about the awning; putting longer screws into a wall that has already stripped out is not a fix but that is the fix for now. What will Heartland do to repair that?
On the 9th of October 2009 I signed and returned the release document, so that the unit could be returned to Heartland for Repair. This was after having to remove everything from the camper AGAIN. Finally, on the 23rd of October, two weeks after I returned to release document, someone arrived to transport the unit, to the factory, for repair. It was identified, during the conversations between Steve and I that I needed the camper back on later then mid November, because of a trip I have scheduled. I have already had to cancel two; I have no intention of canceling this one although I question whether they can meet the deadline they agreed to. Also during the conversations I asked that the warranty be extended or at least start from when I get the unit back from repairs, because I have not been able to use it due to the problems. I was told by Steve that that decision was above him and that he has addressed it higher. Still no word back on that.
What is sad about this whole situation is that I purchased a new 5th wheel and by the time I get to use it the awning will have to be repaired causing possible blemishes to the fiberglass sidewall or at least a weakened mounting area due to the already striped out hole and if it has to be moved all the mounting hardware will have to be relocated leaving holes in the rubber roof and other locations. The floor will have to be fixed and who know how this will be accomplished knowing that to do it right the whole floor would have to be removed and replaced, and lastly the worst part about all of this is that the factory allowed the unit to leave with these problems, knowing they existed.
As you can see I am not very happy with Heartland or their product. I have tried to contact someone at Heartland, other then Steve and his boss, but the receptionist will not put me through or provide an email address. Maybe I’m being unreasonable but as far as I am concerned Heartland should have provided me with a replacement unit long ago.
More to follow as this problem progresses.
Michael
On August 31, 2009 I arrived at the Strafford Missouri Camping World to take delivery of a new Hartland Big Country 3355RL 5th Wheel. There were many factors which lead me to selecting this 5th wheel being: the price, layout and design and lots of research indicating that Heartland has superior service and support; that to be questioned. During the inspection of the 5th wheel, with the Camping World representative, I noticed a bulge in the stairwell wall, the wall leading from the living area to the bathroom/bedroom area along with torn seals around the storage compartment doors, an extremely loud ceiling fan, and a few other minor deficiencies. The bulge in the wall concerned me. I told the Camping World representative that I would not take possession of the 5th wheel until I know what was causing the bulge. The rep had a mechanic remove the access panel in the storage area to try and identify the cause. The mechanic indicated that the bulge was caused by the sewer vent pipe pushing against the wall and that it could be taken apart and turned to elevate the problem. Because the Service Manager for Camping World of Strafford Missouri indicated that the problem could be easily repaired, and because I had come from another state to pickup the 5th wheel I decided that as long as all the faults were annotated and that Heartland was aware of the findings then I would take delivery. I was guaranteed, by the Service Manager, of Strafford Missouri, that any Camping World would be able to repair the problems. MORAL OF THIS PART, DON’T BELIEVE ANYTHING THAT CAMPING WORLD OF STRATTFORD MISSOURI TELLS YOU, AND DEFFENITLLY DON’T TAKE DELIVERY OF ANY UNIT FROM THEM WITHOUT EVERY PROBLEM BEING REPAIRED. Second, I wonder if I have any legal recourse that I can take against them for misleading me so that I would take possession of the camper. You will understand what I am talking about as you continue reading. There is more to this part but to keep it shot I will leave it out.
The next day, September 1, 2009 after my 800 mile trip home while cleaning and prepping the unit for use; I noticed that two of the bolts holding the rear awning arm were pulling away form the wall. I immediately contacted Camping World of Fountain, Colorado, to notify them of the findings; I was then informed that Camping World was not able to look at or perform services or warranty work on any Heartland Product. I immediately contacted Camping World of Strafford Missouri and asked them what was going on? Why Camping World of Colorado was unable to work on the Camper after they had guaranteed me that any Camping World would be able to perform the repairs on the 5th wheel. The Service Rep of Camping World Missouri told me that he would look into it and get back with me. Later that morning the Service Rep contacted me and informed me that there were problems between Heartland and Camping World and that they would not be able to provide any warranty work. He did provide me with a number to a service center in Colorado who would be able to assist. The only problem with this was that the company, he provided, had gone out of business. STRIKE TWO FOR CAMPING WORLD OF MISSOURI!!! I still question whether they know about the problems between Camping Word and Heartland and that was another reason they mislead me when I picked up the unit the day prior. Regardless, that same day after calling around to locate a dealer, which would work on my unit, I contacted Heartland Warranty Department and talked to Steve. I informed him of the awning problem and told him that I needed someone to look at the unit to determine what needed to be done to repair that problem. Obliviously this problem prevents the unit from being used. I was told to call and find an RV dealer that would repair the unit and they would coordinate with the dealer for payment. Unfortunately this is not a widely excepted practice; dealer want to be paid what they charge not what the manufacture is willing to pay for the repair. This proved to be a challenge.
About a week later I was contacted by Camping World of Missouri and informed that Camping World and Heartland had worked out their differences and that Camping World was now able to provide warranty work on my unit. I scheduled with Camping World of Fountain Colorado to have the problems repaired. On September 25, 2009 I received a call from Camping World of Fountain, informing me that we had a major problem. Apparently the Pipe in the wall that was causing the bulge was not a pipe at all and that the flooring in the bathroom, another problem that I identified as being loose in the corner, was not loose at all!!!! The problems were actually related. The problems turned out to be that the bathroom floor had been miss cut or put in improperly. There was a gap between the side wall and the floor of about one inch and the bulge in the wall was being caused by the floor edge pushing beyond the wall struts, causing the bulge. What is really sad is that who ever put the unit together, in the factory, know about the problem because it appears they went out of their way to hide the gap by putting a piece of half round along the wall to cover the gap and then putting long screws in the wall trying to pull the floor over to hid the bulge; unfortunately for them it did not work but sad for me because I have a unit that is not put together properly, that I am unable to use, and was told by Camping World of Strafford Missouri that it was just a pipe pushing against the wall. AND WE HAVE NOT EVEN DISCUSSED THE AWNING PROBLEM.
It was explained to me, by the Service Manager of Fountain Camping World, that Heartland had been contacted concerning the problem and that pictures had been sent, it was also indicated that even though they being Camping World of Fountain, wanted to perform the warranty work he, the Service Manager of Fountain, recommended that the camper be returned to the factory for proper repair. (At one point it was mentioned that all that needed to be done was put some screws in the wall to pull it together!! Don’t want to say who thought up that repair). By the time I found out about the problem it was late Friday evening and Heartland was closed. The following Monday I contacted Heartland and requested to speak with Steve, the point of contact that Fountain Camping World had been using, but according to the receptionist, he was out for the day. I tried again Tuesday, and again received the same information. I then requested to talk with anyone concerning the problem and was put through to Garry. Garry informed me that he would follow-up on the problem and get back with me. I waited all day Tuesday, no call I then call Wednesday and requested to talk with Garry, according to the receptionist he was on the phone. I explained the problem to the receptionist who then said they would put me through to another service rep; don’t recall his name. I explained the problem to him again; he said that he would follow-up and call me back. Wednesday afternoon he called and explained that Steve would be back tomorrow, Thursday, and sense he was working the problem would it be possible for me to wait until then. The Heartland Service Rep guaranteed me that he would place a high priority on the problem and have Steve contact me Thursday. He guaranteed me that if Steve was not in that he would call me back himself. Needless to say Thursday came and went and I received no phone calls for either of the Reps. It is now Friday a 10am and I have still not heard anything from Heartland concerning what will be done to provide me with a 5th wheel that is usable.
The following week I was contacted, by Steve, to discuss the issue. After explaining to Steve that I have had the unit for over a month with out being able to use it, I recommended that the unit be replaced with one that was ready for use. Steve explained that Heartland does not provide replacements, the unit would picked up and return it to the factory for repair. (I question this knowing that it was recommended that we just put screws in to pull the wall in to the floor closer together to remove the gap). What kind of repairs can I expect? What about the awning; putting longer screws into a wall that has already stripped out is not a fix but that is the fix for now. What will Heartland do to repair that?
On the 9th of October 2009 I signed and returned the release document, so that the unit could be returned to Heartland for Repair. This was after having to remove everything from the camper AGAIN. Finally, on the 23rd of October, two weeks after I returned to release document, someone arrived to transport the unit, to the factory, for repair. It was identified, during the conversations between Steve and I that I needed the camper back on later then mid November, because of a trip I have scheduled. I have already had to cancel two; I have no intention of canceling this one although I question whether they can meet the deadline they agreed to. Also during the conversations I asked that the warranty be extended or at least start from when I get the unit back from repairs, because I have not been able to use it due to the problems. I was told by Steve that that decision was above him and that he has addressed it higher. Still no word back on that.
What is sad about this whole situation is that I purchased a new 5th wheel and by the time I get to use it the awning will have to be repaired causing possible blemishes to the fiberglass sidewall or at least a weakened mounting area due to the already striped out hole and if it has to be moved all the mounting hardware will have to be relocated leaving holes in the rubber roof and other locations. The floor will have to be fixed and who know how this will be accomplished knowing that to do it right the whole floor would have to be removed and replaced, and lastly the worst part about all of this is that the factory allowed the unit to leave with these problems, knowing they existed.
As you can see I am not very happy with Heartland or their product. I have tried to contact someone at Heartland, other then Steve and his boss, but the receptionist will not put me through or provide an email address. Maybe I’m being unreasonable but as far as I am concerned Heartland should have provided me with a replacement unit long ago.
More to follow as this problem progresses.
Michael
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