Not that defects should be acceptable to the consumer, but we've had several 2010 and 2011 models on our lot for repair. We don't sell RV's, only fix them. Very few of them are Heartland and in every single instance, the consumer failed to demand a thorough PDI from their dealer.
I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but it just breaks my heart that someone can spend so much for what should be a fun adventure, and then deal with problem after problem. Let me be really clear.
1. Your dealer should have your unit hooked up to water and power when you inspect it.
2. Your dealer should walk you through every operation of your appliances and equipment.
3. Your dealer should note any deficiencies and make prompt correction, or an agreed upon time frame for any noted repairs.
4. It does NOT (99.9% of the time) take 4 weeks to get parts. We're not even a Heartland dealer and we get our stuff usually in a week.
5. Do NOT take delivery unless everything is to your complete satisfaction. It's YOUR hard-earned money, not theirs.
The consumer should...
1. Open every door, run every faucet, turn on every appliance, and check for proper operation and leaks. Do NOT trust them when they tell you that they checked everything out. A few actually do, most would rather bill the company for repairs after the fact.
For what it's worth, we like dealing with Heartland so much that the owner's son has a new Cyclone being built this week. That decision was mostly based on our own experiences with the Heartland quality and the ease of dealing with the factory for repair issues. And we're not even a dealer.