It could be that this is my first new RV purchase and I expected more from the company and the dealer themselves. However, I must admit that my experiences so far with Heartland and their dealers have been frustrating to say the least. Perhaps a little background might be in order.
At the end of March 2010 I purchased a 2010 Heartland Northtrail 28BRS from a local RV America store. Unfortunately the weather promptly returned snowy with a vengeance and I was not able to get the trailer out until the middle of May. On the first trip we were mostly happy though there were a number of defects that needed to be handled. Apparently there was an appliance problem with the stove and refrigerator cooling but none of those really bothered me all that much. After all you cant expect things to be perfect on the first run. However there was one incident that really made me think.
While coming back from Buena Vista, CO we encountered high winds and even higer winds when an oncoming truck went by us at 120 mph closing difference (he was westbound and we were eastbound) on a 2 lane road. At that point something astonishing happened. The front left escape window came cleanly off the hinges, every rivet popped and the window flew off and down the highway. The screen was dislodged and ended up inside the trailer and the window shades were shredded. And here is where the problem begins. Although its absolutely clear that there must have been a structural defect with either that hinge or the window, heartland is telling me to go to **** on the warranty with that.
And that is only half of the problem. When I call either RV America or the Heartland service department, the attitude is rude an surly. You get the image of a guy holding the phone with his shoulder, issuing monosylabic answers and wishing you would just shut up, hang up and go away because he has better things to do than talk to a customer. Its like pulling teeth to get an answer. Even the parts department doesnt seem to know their own vehicles. You can tell them the exact window with the VIN of the vehicle and they cant even look that up on their system? Instead you must manually measure the window with a tape measure? That seems messed up to me. If I call ford service and tell them which part, vehicle and year, they can immediately look it up. They don't need me to measure the length of the belt for example. The lame excuse from Heartland is, "Well there are lots of windows in the trailer." Of course I wonder how many "Driver's side front fire exit window"s there could be in a single trailer.
RV America hasn't impressed me either. After purchasing the trailer their attitude has essentially been, "Yeah ... whatever, we got your money already so go away." Is the art of customer service, satisfied customers and building word of mouth recommendations old fashioned now? Are we all reduced to numbers on a board?
Upon delivering my RV to have the issues in the shakedown cruise serviced, I was told by RV america that I would have to completely take off my Pro-Pride 3p hitch (a Hensly design, upgraded hensley arrow). Never mind that it takes something like 4 hours to get it off and I dont exactly carry a 200ftlb torque wrench in my back pocket. I said, "Pardon me? Do you know how long it takes to install that thing? Its not a 1-2-3 operation." But apparently they cant handle moving the trailer with the hitch despite me volunteering to show them how to use it. Now someone tell me why I want to let a mechanic tinker with my RV when he cant handle a well known if less common trailer hitch? I have a good mind to go pick up the trailer and do the service work myself. I practically built my own house so it cant be that complicated.
So now I am looking at customer service that would rather I get hit by a truck an leave them alone, a service department that cant handle hooking up to a hitch that a couple of rank amateurs can man gage, and a RV dealer that would prefer it if I just go away. Someone tell me why I would want to recommend my friends for either of these companies? And the irony is that I have friends now thinking about buying a trailer. Perhaps I should send them to one of the other companies and other manufacturers less I risk losing their friendship.
I am a very dis-satisfied customer.
-- June 08, 2010
Just a few notes and a follow up.
First of all the window was latched. We checked it specifically before we got on the road. It wasn't just that we never opened it to begin with, I personally visually checked it.
Second of all at the end of this charade it turns out that my RV will end up being in sevice for 7 weeks for a single window. Heartland's vendor needs 3 weeks to get a new window to heartland and then Heartland will send the window on to the dealer for another week and the dealer will get to the replacement within 1 to 2 weeks. Since the trailer has been there nearly three weeks already, we are looking at a total time of 7 to 8 weeks.
Heartland's line on this is, "Well we change the windows constantly so we dont stock them and the vendor takes as long as they take." Really? Are you kidding me that you dont use standard windows and change them all the time? You don't think that would create a parts fiasco? It did.
The entire summer is essentially blown. Three trips must be canceled. We will get the trailer just in time for a couple weeks before kids start up school again. Yay my entire summer is BLOWN. I just hope there are no more delays or I will get it back in time to do nothing but winterize it.
As for the people trolling me and insulting me, *dismissive wave*. Whatever. The post isnt for you. Its so that prospective customers can be informed about what they are getting into and so that perhaps Heartland will improve things. Of course since I am only a VIN number to them and they already have my $21k, my expectation of them making changes is about zero. But one can hope.
If you find this acceptable as a new customer then OK. Otherwise heed the warning. I had hoped that I would be posting a follow up that all was resolved. Unfortunately I cant do that.
At the end of March 2010 I purchased a 2010 Heartland Northtrail 28BRS from a local RV America store. Unfortunately the weather promptly returned snowy with a vengeance and I was not able to get the trailer out until the middle of May. On the first trip we were mostly happy though there were a number of defects that needed to be handled. Apparently there was an appliance problem with the stove and refrigerator cooling but none of those really bothered me all that much. After all you cant expect things to be perfect on the first run. However there was one incident that really made me think.
While coming back from Buena Vista, CO we encountered high winds and even higer winds when an oncoming truck went by us at 120 mph closing difference (he was westbound and we were eastbound) on a 2 lane road. At that point something astonishing happened. The front left escape window came cleanly off the hinges, every rivet popped and the window flew off and down the highway. The screen was dislodged and ended up inside the trailer and the window shades were shredded. And here is where the problem begins. Although its absolutely clear that there must have been a structural defect with either that hinge or the window, heartland is telling me to go to **** on the warranty with that.
And that is only half of the problem. When I call either RV America or the Heartland service department, the attitude is rude an surly. You get the image of a guy holding the phone with his shoulder, issuing monosylabic answers and wishing you would just shut up, hang up and go away because he has better things to do than talk to a customer. Its like pulling teeth to get an answer. Even the parts department doesnt seem to know their own vehicles. You can tell them the exact window with the VIN of the vehicle and they cant even look that up on their system? Instead you must manually measure the window with a tape measure? That seems messed up to me. If I call ford service and tell them which part, vehicle and year, they can immediately look it up. They don't need me to measure the length of the belt for example. The lame excuse from Heartland is, "Well there are lots of windows in the trailer." Of course I wonder how many "Driver's side front fire exit window"s there could be in a single trailer.
RV America hasn't impressed me either. After purchasing the trailer their attitude has essentially been, "Yeah ... whatever, we got your money already so go away." Is the art of customer service, satisfied customers and building word of mouth recommendations old fashioned now? Are we all reduced to numbers on a board?
Upon delivering my RV to have the issues in the shakedown cruise serviced, I was told by RV america that I would have to completely take off my Pro-Pride 3p hitch (a Hensly design, upgraded hensley arrow). Never mind that it takes something like 4 hours to get it off and I dont exactly carry a 200ftlb torque wrench in my back pocket. I said, "Pardon me? Do you know how long it takes to install that thing? Its not a 1-2-3 operation." But apparently they cant handle moving the trailer with the hitch despite me volunteering to show them how to use it. Now someone tell me why I want to let a mechanic tinker with my RV when he cant handle a well known if less common trailer hitch? I have a good mind to go pick up the trailer and do the service work myself. I practically built my own house so it cant be that complicated.
So now I am looking at customer service that would rather I get hit by a truck an leave them alone, a service department that cant handle hooking up to a hitch that a couple of rank amateurs can man gage, and a RV dealer that would prefer it if I just go away. Someone tell me why I would want to recommend my friends for either of these companies? And the irony is that I have friends now thinking about buying a trailer. Perhaps I should send them to one of the other companies and other manufacturers less I risk losing their friendship.
I am a very dis-satisfied customer.
-- June 08, 2010
Just a few notes and a follow up.
First of all the window was latched. We checked it specifically before we got on the road. It wasn't just that we never opened it to begin with, I personally visually checked it.
Second of all at the end of this charade it turns out that my RV will end up being in sevice for 7 weeks for a single window. Heartland's vendor needs 3 weeks to get a new window to heartland and then Heartland will send the window on to the dealer for another week and the dealer will get to the replacement within 1 to 2 weeks. Since the trailer has been there nearly three weeks already, we are looking at a total time of 7 to 8 weeks.
Heartland's line on this is, "Well we change the windows constantly so we dont stock them and the vendor takes as long as they take." Really? Are you kidding me that you dont use standard windows and change them all the time? You don't think that would create a parts fiasco? It did.
The entire summer is essentially blown. Three trips must be canceled. We will get the trailer just in time for a couple weeks before kids start up school again. Yay my entire summer is BLOWN. I just hope there are no more delays or I will get it back in time to do nothing but winterize it.
As for the people trolling me and insulting me, *dismissive wave*. Whatever. The post isnt for you. Its so that prospective customers can be informed about what they are getting into and so that perhaps Heartland will improve things. Of course since I am only a VIN number to them and they already have my $21k, my expectation of them making changes is about zero. But one can hope.
If you find this acceptable as a new customer then OK. Otherwise heed the warning. I had hoped that I would be posting a follow up that all was resolved. Unfortunately I cant do that.
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