How did you decide?

melissa

Member
Hi Group! I'm hoping ya'll can educate us on the new MPG and how you chose it over the competition. We have spent hours looking at pix, floorplans etc and just cant decide between the two. We are looking at the MPG 183 since we have 2 kids (ages 7 and 14) who no longer think it's fun to share a bed. Weight is not an issue as we're trading our minivan for a Ford Explorer with a V8. I know the small differences such as a bathroom sink, black tank flush, dual propane tanks and batteries (which equals a much heavier hitch weight and we dont require 2 of each), and 15" tires which we do prefer. What we want to know is major differences in construction, fit and finish, warranty, service etc. I'm hoping to find folks who physically saw both and then chose the MPG and we'd like to know why. Just looking on the internet is too tough to decide. We dont have either dealers nearby who are stocking the floorplans we want but we hope to see them side by side when the RV shows start in 2011. Any info ya'll can provide would be much appreciated. We are so excited to get our new trailer. We have our popup for sale and cant wait to say goodbye to it, lol. We only used it twice and that was enough to know it was not for us.

Thanks, sorry so long winded,

Melissa
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
Melissa, we don't have an MPG but when we compared our Bighorn to other units at the time, Heartland offered the best bang for the buck. We've been in our rig for 4 years now. In that time Heartland has made many improvements to their product line and has also come to being known for great customer service. For us it was finding a trailer that fit our needs then getting a great deal. I'll also say that we've had many RV's from Pop-ups to Class C motor homes so we've had a good amount of exposure to the RV world. We love our Bighorn and would buy another should we ever be in the market for a new rig.
 

jimtoo

Moderator
Hi Melissa,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners forum and hopefully to the family. We have a great bunch of people here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge if needed.

I'm sure some others will jump in with their opinions and thoughts, so stay tuned.

Enjoy the forum and hopefully you will become a member of the Heartland Family.

Jim M
 

PSF513

Well-known member
Melissa: Having owned a camper for over 30 years (a Heartland for only 2 of those years), I can tell you that the quality varies widely. Like a lot of folks, we went from pop-up to travel trailer to 5th wheel. We looked long and hard for a 5th wheel but could not find the quality and service we were looking for. We stumbled upon Heartland on the web, knew nothing of this group, found a local dealer, and went to look. We bought a Big Country and have recently traded up to a Bighorn.

I have seem the MPG and have been impressed by what Heartland has put into it. If I were starting over, I would seriously consider it.

Good luck with whatever you choose. Remember that the manufacturer is important but the dealer you buy from and who performs the service and maintenance is the key. Before buying Heartland, I have never bought a 2nd camper from the same dealer. I bought both Heartland units from the same dealer because they do a great job, treat us like family, and are serious about wanting everything to be right.
 

caissiel

Senior Member
I have pulled a 24ft 5th wheel with a ranger V-6, a 33ft 5th wheel with a 6.5L GM that was on the limits.
If you are buying an MPG for the fuel economy, I would think it twice.

When I had my V-6 Ranger and 24ft 5th wheel an owner of a V8 GM hauled in next to me. When the wife got out she imediately ran to me and asked how I was doing with the small truck and trailer so big, I told her I went to Florida twice with the unit on the Ranger. I can still recall what she told me "And my husband told me that we could not haul anything bigger then this lite trailer with this truck" I am sure she took that new trailer back and traded for a more comfortable size.

I had a friend that had an 18ft mini 5th wheel and traded it on a 21ft larger trailer and pulling it with a V6 Ranger, he found very little difference if any it was in the 21ft favour because longer pulled better. and he was the one that advised me on the 24ft unit.

I also had a friend from Virginia that had a lightweight trailer pulled by a 2500 GM and in a gust of wind while doing a turn, the trailer turned on its side and totalled the unit and ruined thier vacation. The one thing that saved them is the heavy truck that stayed on the road. I like heavy, strong and stable.

I am not a fan of light weights if you do have the vehicle to pull heavier.

I am sure I will get many coments on my opinion.

So choose right and don't skimp on size because right now I get the same fuel economy with my 3500RL as the Ranger V6 with the 24ft 5th wheel we had.
 

mrcomer

Past Ohio Chapter Leaders (Founding)
Well for us it is that felling when you walk into the trailer and you just know it is the one you want. That's how it worked for us when we bought our Bighorn.

Good luck,
Mark
 

melissa

Member
Hi Cassiel,

I appreciate your input. We are not choosing a smaller trailer due to gas mileage concerns. The main reason for the smaller trailer is "baby steps". Hubby is terrified of towing anything. I had to do a lot of convincing for him to agree to a popup camper. I've done (and will probably continue to do) ALL the towing. After our trip to the Florida Keys this month where we couldn't keep the popup cool with the A/C on full blast and the un-airconditioned bath houses that were miserable, I decided it's time to take another step and get a fully enclosed trailer with a bath. (I'm selling the idea as a 40th bday present for me :), Hubby cant argue with that, lol). My folks have a 40ft Holiday Rambler and a 30 ft (I think) Arctic Fox that my Dad pulls. The thought of towing those sends me into a panic attack but when I started out, pulling the popup scared the life out of me. So for us this is the next logical step in our progression. I think Hubby will be ok with me towing the MPG because he has gained confidence in me. It may take a few trips for us to be comfortable but that's part of the learning process.
I also want an easy weekend camper I can handle alone with the kids when Hubby is working plus an easy tow to WY in the summers to visit my folks and camp with the kids. We just dont need a large trailer for the type of camping we like to do. I dont want a pickup for my daily driver (Had a Nissan Titan and LOVED it!) since I need the additional room of a 7 passenger SUV for hauling kids, friends etc. around. Our large high sided popup at 4000 lbs (dinette slide out) pulled with a V6 Nissan Pathfinder with a 5000lb tow capacity was a marginal tow here in flat Florida. Thus, I'm shopping for a V8 and a body on frame design. I want to be confident my tow (equipped with a brake controller) can stop my trailer in an emergency whether on flat land or in the mountains. I'm a firm believer in the 80% rule for towing. I dont want it to be a stressful, white knuckled event. We are suppose to be relaxing on vacation after all, lol. I've been on the forums and most owners of V6's are either trading up or limiting the terrain they tow on even though the dealer told them their tow vehicle would be fine. One of my favorite sayings is, "Just because you CAN doesnt mean you SHOULD". There is a difference between towing and controlling. I've seen some scarry stuff going down the highways.

Sorry again to be so long winded. I hope this explains our reasoning for sticking to a smaller trailer at this point in out life. It is bigger than the Molded Fiberglass Egg Trailers we had settled on so that's progress, lol.

Thanks again,
Melissa
 

SmokeyBare

Well-known member
Our decision was made easier by a Factory Tour. I know many folks can't take the time or drive the distance to do a tour but I feel it sure helps. We were all set with what we felt we wanted, till our factory tour with tape measure and pen & Pad of Paper in hand. We discovered the Model we though would work, was going to be a tight fit after all. We stepped up one model and have been quite happy with the decision. If you can do it, make a trip to Elkhart Indiana for a tour of the Factory... see how all those parts come to Life!!
 

goodtruck

Well-known member
One thing that might help is to call Heartland and ask for the brand manager and then ask all the questions that concern you so you can put your mind to rest.Then do that with any brand that you considering.
 

melissa

Member
Thanks for all the great advice! We're headed to Wyoming tomorrow for about a month and will not have internet so I'll resume my learning process when we return.

Thanks e'body!

Melissa
 
I have had 4 trailers before I purchased the MPG 183. My last trailer was a pop-up, fully loaded, but moved from AZ to MO. I just didn't think that MO was a good state to live in and camp in a pop-up (personal preference). I looked at both the R-pod and MPG. The only advantage that the R-pod had was the bunks were bigger. My wife and I love our hotel on wheels, we RV, no dry camping here. Roughin it is not having any cable tv. It has to be a personal decision, but advise never hurts.
 

camr

Well-known member
Melissa, be sure to check out the Edge line of TT's. They are incredibly light, and are certainly worth a look. We have a larger M22 and are very pleased with it. The smaller models within the line give lots of headroom. You should have no problem pulling it.
Cam
 
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