RV Guide Ratings?

:confused: Good morning everyone.
My wife and I are confused about how RV Guide does it's ratings. We are in the process of deciding on a new 5th wheel purchase. Currently we have narrowed it down to Heartland either an Elkridge ER34QSRL or Greystone 33QS. RV Guide has these coaches rated fairly poor for instance the Elkridge is rated #475 out of 604 and the Greystone is rated #282 out of 586. We find this very hard to believe that a Heartland product would be rated this poorly. For comparison purposes they rate a Forest River Sterling #116 out of 586. We are very curious as to how they come up with their ratings.
Any help in trying to figure this out would be appreciated. We know that it is like buying an auto. You can get the best vehicle you have ever owned or your worst nightmare. When you think you have done all the homework you can something like this pops up. The forums usually portray the good things that owners have to say about a particular unit. Going to the factory for a tour will only show you how they are made not necessarily your coach. We also have tried to locate dealers close enough to home to be able to personally have an up close look at the exact model we are interested in to no avail. We have located the Elkridge ER34QSRL within 3 hours of where we live so are making the trip this weekend. To this date we can not locate anyone near us with a 33QS Greystone.
We thank all of the help we get from Heartland Forums in general. What a great bunch of people and a wealth of knowledge. We hope everyone has a great summer season and look forward to any and all help in trying to become the next Heartland owner.
Thanks again, Navypoppop & Irish Eyes [and Shelby the Sheltie]:)
 

TravelTiger

Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
I don't know how the Guide gets their ratings, but from experience, the EllRidge has been a great rig for us. We are in our 40s, both still working with no kids. We like to go about once every 6 weeks or so, just to get away, and then 3-4 longer trips throughout the year. The QSRL has a great floorplan for us. All the conveniences of home! We have had a few issues, but nothing that has dampened our love for the RV lifestyle or made us regret our purchase. Even now, we sometimes consider upgrading, but we love our current rig because it fits us well.

To consider an ElkRidge over the Greystone, the main difference will be headroom in the bedroom. Greystones are mid-profile, while ElkRidge is full profile. This means the nose of the fiver starts sloping down more in the Greystone. Husband is 5'11 and occasionally hits head at the closet opening in our ER. If y'all are taller folks, you'll be uncomfortable with the headroom in they Greystone, for sure.

Good luck in your search! I think you'll know the right rig for you when you step inside.

Erika
 
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bwwalczak

Guest
What a great post!! I spend every waking hour trying to build better trailers, constantly looking at the competition and devising ways to establish more value. Oftentimes I wonder how a typical consumer educates themselves on what makes a trailer great. I have come to the conclusion that the typical "guides" get it right some of the time, however they miss the mark frequently. This is why we put together our own buying guides (see our website: www.heartlandrvs.com ElkRidge).

After doing this for many years, I can round it down to to some simplified buying criteria:
1- The look - does the vehicle look nice on the outside / inside. Are the colors appealing, decor inviting, etc
2 - floorplan - when searching for a couples / family model (bunks) does this coach have the correct function, storage, and adequate room
3 - price - we all have champaign taste, but I live on a beer budget. I wish everyone could get a $100,000 vehicle, but somtimes what if we can get many of the same ammenities, for much less money.

All this being said, YOU are the people we focus on when building designing trailers.

ElkRidge is the fastest growing 5th wheel brand at Heartland, and here is why:

ElkRidge offers the champaign taste at a beer budget. ElkRidges are similar is size to the more expensive luxury models (slide room height is 6'5", vs a mid profile at 5'10") and ElkRidge bedrooms are taller than typical mid profiles.
ElkRidge interiors are all designed by women. Look carefully at the well useful / comfortable furniture, cherry cabinets, solid surface countertops, wireless remote control system (controls slides, awnings, front/rear jacks, and the outside lights), and several other items which are appealing.
Most importantly the PRICE. ElkRidges have all the size and ammenities AND the cost LESS than the typical mid profile 5th wheels. YOU CAN have MORE for less.

You can see we are very excited about our product and we will build you the perfect ElkRidge so you can tell you friends about your new rig (and they can buy one too).

Same with all my customers, feel free to call my cell phone if you have any questions. We want ElkRidge to be your next coach.

Bryan Walczak
574-532-1491 cell
bryanw@heartlandrvs.com
 

rjr6150

Well-known member
Brian
That is exaclty why we are on our second HL product. How many other companies can you call and speak with the GM for the line.
 
Bryan, You do not have to sell us on Heartland! we're there. I was just trying to figure out how RVGuide gets their ratings especially so far below Forest River. Go figure! Thanks again. Navypoppop
 
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bwwalczak

Guest
Usually the guides are sponsored by a manufacturer. The guides have to get paid somehow.

Being low on the list is not necessarily bad. For example, they had to mention Heartland's strength, but we didn't sponsor the book, so we are low on the list.
 
Thanks Bryan,
We are going to view and walk through an Elkridge ER34QSRL this Saturday and it should be our final "peek" at a Heartland products. We thought we were sold on a Greystone 33QS but it is hard to find certain models to get a hands-on look at one up close. We'll travel 3 hours to view this one as our local dealer of Heartland Greystone's has gone out of business sad to say. We think it was personal family reasons. Thanks again and we can't wait to become members of the Heartland family. navypoppop
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Is this the Guide you're asking about?

Our RV ratings are calculated based on several factors:
  • [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] We analyze owner satisfaction surveys and compare them with our data to determine which brands may have, or could develop, serious problems or deterioration. All of this information is inputted, analyzed, and calculated. The results are reflected in the numerical ratings shown as Reliability; [/FONT]
  • [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] The highway control ratings (Motorhomes only) are computer-generated from data received from manufacturers; and, [/FONT]
  • [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] The value ratings are depreciation averages computed from our special database and appraisal books commonly used in the RV industry. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]In addition, we visit factories to look at the quality of workmanship and materials used; we visit major RV shows to evaluate the finished product; and we appraise used RVs to determine patterns of deficiencies within a brand. [/FONT]

The survey appears to be voluntary and is at this link. Voluntary surveys are usually considered unscientific since they're not a randomly selected sample and may as a result be biased. Also, the sample sizes are not disclosed. For results on any given product line to be statistically significant, there would have to be a fairly large number of randomly selected participants. I don't know the actual statistics, but I'd guess you might need 100 Bighorn surveys to have a shot at statistically meaningful Bighorn results. Otherwise a handful of highly motivated happy or unhappy owners could skew the results dramatically. For example, let's speculate that they base their results on as few as 20 surveys of each product line. Imagine if as a result of this thread, 10 Heartland owners went to the survey link and reported extremely positive experiences. Heartland might jump to the top of the list. Conversely if 10 unhappy owners reported their disappointment, Heartland might fall to the bottom. That's why it's unscientific. That doesn't mean the survey results are worthless; it just means they may not be truly representative.

When I was shopping RVs I considered buying this guide but passed.
 

branson4020

Icantre Member
I bought this guide the first time I was shopping for an RV. It was somewhat useful then, but with more experience, I would not use it now. As Dan said, their 5th wheel rankings are entirely based on second-hand information and analysis of manufacturers specs. They are not Consumer Reports. They don't actually test the products they rank.
 
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bwwalczak

Guest
I would LOVE an opportunity to show off Heartland's factory, facilities, assembly, and subassembly processes.

Out of the hundreds of tours I have given, I have never given one to an RV buyers guide. Anyone is welcome to tour our faclities.
 

olcoon

Well-known member
They are good tours, too. Our first tour was to see our rig while it was being built. This one was amazing, as everyone was buzzing around our coach doing their jobs, we got to see the factory in action. Second one was at the rally last year. A lot quieter, and got to ask a lot more questions. If you can, tour the factory, & you'd get a chance to look at 100% of Heartland's line.
 
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bwwalczak

Guest
By the way, Heartland does have the best owners group in the RV Business. Wouldnt say it if it were not true.. Thank you for staying involved.
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
Imagine if as a result of this thread, 10 Heartland owners went to the survey link and reported extremely positive experiences. Heartland might jump to the top of the list. Conversely if 10 unhappy owners reported their disappointment, Heartland might fall to the bottom. That's why it's unscientific. That doesn't mean the survey results are worthless; it just means they may not be truly representative.

When I was shopping RVs I considered buying this guide but passed.

You make an interesting point here. Most of us that are pleased or happy with our RV's are not likely to go out and search for places to tell the world we like our Bighorn. On the other hand, somebody that's really upset about their rig, no matter what the situation, are more likely to find everywhere possible to spread word of their disappointment. And while doing so, not reveal all the facts.
 
Thanks to everyone who has responded to our questions on the forum about RVGuide. As always you all are so right about Heartland Owners' honestly, knowledge and friendliness towards everyone especially new prospective owners. Being able to talk with management like Bryan and Jim Hickey proves the professionalism and sincerity of this company. I am sure after we tour the Elkridge 34QSRL this weekend we will be 100% sold and we will call for a factory tour to see the process and hopefully a Greystone 33QS @ the factory to finalize which model works for us. We appreciate everyone's help. Have a great day. Navypoppop & Irish Eyes
 
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