What problems have you had

I would like to hear from Landmark owners as to what type of problems you have had in your RV, and how were they handled? Dealer, independent shop, warranty issues, etc. Thanks for your honesty.

We have a 2011 Rushmore that we bought in June 2011. Right after we got home, we had one issue with low voltage in the microwave outlet. Harry fixed this himself by reconnecting and securing the wires in the junction box. Last October 2012, the cooling unit failed in our fridge. It was replaced under warranty by an independent repair place near our home. (We lived in NY and our dealer was in TN.) In December 2012, we were staying in our rig when the temperatures went down in the teens, and the flexible vinyl water hoses began leaking at the connections due to contraction from the cold temps, and needed to be re-crimped. Harry also fixed this himself, and replaced many of the vinyl hoses with pex. Around the same time, our water pump died, and that was also replaced under warranty by the same repair place. One other minor issue was that the towel bar came off the shower and we had to design our own way to secure the door while traveling.

Overall, we have been really pleased with our fiver. We have been living full-time in our rig since mid-December, and it has served us well. We are already planning when we will do our next upgrade, and definitely plan to go with another Landmark when that time comes.

fulltime5er said:

I would like to hear from Landmark owners as to what type of problems you have had in your RV, and how were they handled? Dealer, independent shop, warranty issues, etc. Thanks for your honesty.

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I am just curious...why do you ask?

He's been considering a Heartland product for awhile now...been asking lots on RV.net also...

As for problems...Ceiling fan died, replaced under warranty...DH installed. Squeek in bedroom floor in front of closet...Heartland repaired at the Goshen rally. Pulled back carpet and re-secured flooring to steel framing with screws. Outlet in living room with USB connections died...DH bought new one and replaced. Couple of drawers needed to secured where nails missed their target...I fixed those with furniture nails. Dinette slide was not quite centered...Heartland repaired that at Goshen rally.

Been fulltiming in it six months so far and that's been the extent of our issues...

I think if you ask the same question on other brand forums you will find similar issues. Remember it doesn't matter what brand you buy the appliances, frame etc are the same i.e. Dometic, Lippert etc. What really makes the difference is the customer service by the manufacturer and dealers. We have had Heartland RV help up after warranty on several occasions. How many other manufacturers do that? As far as dealers go, each one is different just like car dealers. Some good, some bad, some mediocre. Bottom line for me is find the floor plan you like in the colors you like and then find the manufacture that stands behind their product. Then go dealer shopping for the best price. Remember with Heartland you can go to any dealer with Heartland's appproval. So if you can find a good price 1000 miles from you go for it. MHO

jmgratz said:

I am just curious...why do you ask?

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Yes, we are considering a Key Largo, along with a couple of SOBs for full time use. Trying to get a handle on the TYPES and severity of issues to expect, knowing that there will always be minor issues with anything we buy. Also want to know how the warranty work is handled, since we live very far from ANY dealers in the Ozark Mountains of southern Missouri. Thanks for all the input. I will say one thing, this forum answers questions quickly when asked, and that says a lot for the brand itself.

Heartland is good about authorizing any certified RV repair mechanic or service center for repairs...don't need to find a Heartland dealer. If you are the least bit handy, you can fix minor issues yourself. Heartland is also great at answering the phone at the service center and sending parts when needed so you can make your own minor repairs. We have been fulltime for 8 years, six of those with a Heartland product, and Heartland has always worked with us to make sure things were taken care of....

Also want to know how the warranty work is handled, since we live very far from ANY dealers in the Ozark Mountains of southern Missouri.

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Hi fulltime5er,

This is a very important consideration. Hopefully there's at least an RV Service location somewhere near you. No one wants to drive long distances for service, whether in warranty or out.

Heartland has been pretty flexible about authorizing service at places that don't sell Heartland products. Of course the authorization has to be done in advance so they can make sure the service tech is qualified. Almost all of the warranty work on our Landmark was done at a nearby dealer that doesn't sell Heartland products.

We take extended ski trips in the Colorado mountains. As you might imagine, it's not very convenient to interrupt a ski trip and drive 100 miles to the nearest dealer, going through difficult mountain passes. Waiting for a weather travel window adds to the difficulty. To help us, Heartland has drop-shipped parts to us up in the mountains. One time during very severe weather, we needed a part that had to come from Dometic. Dometic insisted we take the trailer to a dealer. Because of the weather issues and the urgency to fix the problem, Heartland Customer Service interceded for us and Dometic shipped the part to us.

These examples are why so many people on this forum will tell you that Heartland provides excellent customer service and warranty fulfillment.

As to problems, of course we've had our share. Some from Dometic appliances, some from Lippert stuff, some from Dexter, a partial failure from a Shurflo pump. These subsystems are widely used throughout the RV industry and buyers are just as likely to experience the failures on one brand as another.

We had a few minor issues where Heartland manufacturing made a mistake: a baggage door latch that wasn't adjusted quite right, and one or two other things that took the dealer a minute or two to correct when we took delivery. Rather than try to find a manufacturer that never makes a mistake, I'd suggest you do a very thorough walk through when you take delivery. Also, stay at the dealer or close by for a few days so any issues can be quickly corrected before you get home and are in the long distance scenario.

I have had several issues and repaired most of them myself because it would have cost me more to pull the trailer to a dealer for repair. Some of the repairs I re-engineered for improved reliability. Heartland always sent me the parts-- albeit not always new or rebuilt, but I wonder if they would pay me for my labor I think that would be the honorable thing to do.

dave10a said:

I have had several issues and repaired most of them myself because it would have cost me more to pull the trailer to a dealer for repair. Some of the repairs I re-engineered for improved reliability. Heartland always sent me the parts-- albeit not always new or rebuilt, but I wonder if they would pay me for my labor I think that would be the honorable thing to do.

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Good luck with the labor
Thanks for the responses, everyone. Seems like there have been no MAJOR issues, which is what I needed to know. Just trying to prepare as best as possible for what to expect, since we won't have a house to go back to.