Patio or No Patio - opinions please.

ILH

Well-known member
I placed an order for a Road Warrior 305 last week - due in mid-April. However, I'm having second thoughts about adding a previously omitted option - and I'd like some input from other Heartland owners.

Originally my wife and I were looking at a larger toy hauler, but due to a number of factors, we settled on the smaller 305 (35' unit). We have a family of 4 (2 boys - one of whom is in a wheelchair). Now I'm beginning to think that we should add the patio option - as this would increase the total floor space on nice days. However, I have a few questions:

1) Is it worth it? ($1,900 option) Opinions please
2) Is it easily dropped to allow use of the ramp (ie for the wheelchair). I'm thinking that if the patio is set up - do you have to put down the railings or any other major tear-down to lower it? Is it something my wife can do without me?
3) How bouncie is the patio?
4) Does the novelty wear off after a couple of trips?
5) Does it present problems for a majority of the campgrounds?

Thanks for the help.
 

Urban350

Well-known member
1) Is it worth it? ($1,900 option) Opinions please

In my opinion yes just for the fact that I think it is a stronger door.

2) Is it easily dropped to allow use of the ramp (ie for the wheelchair). I'm thinking that if the patio is set up - do you have to put down the railings or any other major tear-down to lower it? Is it something my wife can do without me?

I do not think a wheel chair will fit between the patio rails if they are not standing up, at least one side and it is easy to do. So you will have to open the door then stand up the sides of the padio rails for the wheel chair to go up and down the ramp. If you leave the railing at home the ramp door will float 5-8" off the ground with no weight on it.

3) How bouncie is the patio?

I do not find that the patio any more bouncie then the trailer itself.

4) Does the novelty wear off after a couple of trips?

Yes and no depends on were you are camping and the weather, but I do not use it as much as I thought I would.

5) Does it present problems for a majority of the campgrounds?

Not sure as I have not stayed in a campround with it yet lol....

Thanks for the help.

Hope that helps
 

recumbent615

Founding MA Chapter Leader-retired
I placed an order for a Road Warrior 305 last week - due in mid-April. However, I'm having second thoughts about adding a previously omitted option - and I'd like some input from other Heartland owners.

Originally my wife and I were looking at a larger toy hauler, but due to a number of factors, we settled on the smaller 305 (35' unit). We have a family of 4 (2 boys - one of whom is in a wheelchair). Now I'm beginning to think that we should add the patio option - as this would increase the total floor space on nice days. However, I have a few questions:

1) Is it worth it? ($1,900 option) Opinions please
2) Is it easily dropped to allow use of the ramp (ie for the wheelchair). I'm thinking that if the patio is set up - do you have to put down the railings or any other major tear-down to lower it? Is it something my wife can do without me?
3) How bouncie is the patio?
4) Does the novelty wear off after a couple of trips?
5) Does it present problems for a majority of the campgrounds?

Thanks for the help.

With regards to #5 - when you make reservations you need to tell them that your overall length including your ramp - it would also be good to let them know that you use the ramp for wheel chair access. I am sure that most camp grounds will accommodate the access needs -

Kevin
 

Urban350

Well-known member
With regards to #5 - when you make reservations you need to tell them that your overall length including your ramp - it would also be good to let them know that you use the ramp for wheel chair access. I am sure that most camp grounds will accommodate the access needs -

Kevin

Thanks, never would have thought of that.
 

ILH

Well-known member
We do that now - with our Travel Trailer. While we don't usually ask for a wheelchair specific site (they tend to be barren, ugly sites), we ask for sites that are wider and more level than others to allow for better wheelchair mobility. Things will change now though, since we're moving from a 29' TT to a 35' Toy Hauler (with another 7' ramp).

Thanks.
 

ILH

Well-known member
Just an update to this thread. I amended the factory order to include the patio on the 305RW. Ironically, once we had decided to add the patio option, it appeared that the 305 didn't offer the option. After a couple of quick calls to the factory by the dealer, it was determined that the 305 is now available with the patio!
 

recumbent615

Founding MA Chapter Leader-retired
Ian and Linda,

Welcome to the Heartland Family - maybe we will run into each other at one of the NY Rally's or in Indiana next summer for that national Rally. Congratulations on your purchase.

Kevin
 

porthole

Retired
ILH - are you planning on using the the rear door ramp for wheel chair access?

If yes, have you tried it out first?
 

PeternLiane

Well-known member
Congratulations on your new trailer. We don't have a trailer with a patio. But we've been on several. We really like them. You and your family are really going to enjoy it.
 

ILH

Well-known member
Just a follow-up to this thread. We had our first trip on the weekend and tried out the ramp and patio. A couple of observations:

1. The ramp wasn't too steep for taking the wheelchair into the trailer (we push / pull the chair for our son).
2. The patio is FANTASTIC! We really love it.
3. We ordered a rug from the factory for the garage floor. Since we don't use the garage for storing motorcycles or ATVs, the rug really makes the whole garage warmer (especially on the feet) and esthetically.
 

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porthole

Retired
Looks like you made the right choice!
You have the latest version of that model which has an 8' ramp. Earlier models have a 7' ramp and are proportionally steeper.

I made my own version of the patio, without the enclosure. We only used it once so far, but it was nice since we were backed up to the Delaware river.

Add some foam padding under that rug and you'll be la la land!

Since you are using the garage as a room and not a garage, something you could do would be to have the factory make up window valances that match the rest of the trailer.
I did this with our garage. I ordered standard valances in different trim. What I missed though was slightly longer windows in the garage.

Look here:
//heartlandowners.org/showthread.php/11365-And-so-it-begins?p=93551&viewfull=1#post93551

//heartlandowners.org/showthread.php/11365-And-so-it-begins?p=123837&viewfull=1#post123837

//heartlandowners.org/showthread.php/11365-And-so-it-begins?p=99924&viewfull=1#post99924

//heartlandowners.org/showthread.php/11365-And-so-it-begins?p=123839&viewfull=1#post123839
 

ILH

Well-known member
We particularly lucked out on this purchase - we almost bought a 2012 model on the lot, but it was missing one minor option, and there was no discount vs purchasing the exact unit we wanted (plus it was middle of the winter and we weren't in a hurry). As it turns out, we got a 2013 model, full profile front and rear for extra room (higher ceilings and larger ramp) and a sense that this was our custom unit. It was only during the ordering process that we found out that the patio was newly available on the 305. I'm glad we went for it. I keep imagining all the previous campsites over the years where it would have been fantastic to have!
 
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