Perspective Landmark buyer with questions.. [LONG!]

linuxkidd

Member
Hello All,
First, I'd like to say how much I greatly appreciate such an informative forum. The fact that Heartland proper is involved is just the icing on the cake.

I'd like to get some feedback from both the valuable Heartland community as well as the Heartland Reps that frequent the forums.

My current situation is this. My wife and I recently moved from the Virginia Beach, VA area to Lexington, KY. My house in Virginia is still for sale, and with the current real-estate slump, who knows how long it will be on the market. My wife and I are currently staying in her Aunt and Uncle's Class A RV, and feel bad about them not having it at their disposal. Now, granted... They winterize their RV from about October till March or so. So the perceived wearing out of our welcome with regard to using their RV is probably all in our head. They have been more than persistent that we are not imposing.

So, we are looking to purchase a 5th wheel to live in full time. We have 2 RV Dealers within 3 miles of our current long term living space. One dealer in particular has been very up front and very helpful. The person we have dealt with there while researching our purchase has even agreed to send service techs to US instead of us needing to arrange to bring the RV to them if something needs to be done. This is very appealing since it will be our full time home. In other words, without our RV we are homeless. Thus, extended service trips are really a HUGE concern.

Another sticking point at this time is that neither local dealer sells Heartland RVs. Granted, the very helpful dealer does have a very nice Jayco Designer RV on the lot, and they are willing to give us what appears to be an amazing deal on it. If we end up going this route, I have no doubt that we will enjoy the Jayco very much. It has many of the same features that we like in the Landmark without a few modern comforts that I am sure we could live without (ice maker, stackable w/d, easy one stop panel for everything – the Jayco has the hookups spread out a little bit).

However, no matter what I see from other Manufacturers ... I still keep coming back to the Landmark. I love the community interaction that I've seen on this forum, the build quality, the convenience of the UDC, the 88 degree short bed turning capability, the expanded tank capacities... heck ... I just like the feeling I get when I do the research. The closest Heartland dealer is 73 miles away -- Tinker Toys RV (Dixie RV and Interstate RV locations) of Louisville, KY. The next closest is 130 miles away -- Best Buy RVs of Springfield, OH.

Another major concern is that we do NOT have a truck with which to move the RV at this time. As stated above, this will be our full time home, and as such we do have a permanent location (as permanent as we need anyway) to locate the RV on. With our house being on the market and still having to maintain it (mortgage payments, insurance, taxes, electric, water, etc.)... We can really only afford to purchase either the Truck to pull an RV of this size, or the RV itself. So, the plan is... Buy the RV now, pay to have it put on the lot. Then when the house sells, purchase the truck to pull it with, purchase a plot of land on which to build a new home, and stay in the RV while the home is being built. After this we do desire to be able to take the RV on trips and actually use it in a more mobile role. :)

With the fact of not having a vehicle in mind, needing to take the RV to the dealer for service becomes even a bigger problem.

So, for those that have read all of the above and need a recap... and those that decided to skip the long read and look at the list ( understandable ), here's a quick summary view:

What we want:
--------------------------------------------------------------
A 4 season 5th Wheel with all the comforts of home. (Landmark)
A flexible means of getting warranty service.
A full time 5th Wheel RV HOME.

What we don't have:
--------------------------------------------------------------
A Truck to pull the 5th Wheel.
A local Heartland dealer.

Constraints:
--------------------------------------------------------------
Current financial situation only allows for purchase of either
the Truck to pull this type of RV, or the RV.


I have taken the time to read many threads on this forum about warranty service and of course have seen some of the horror stories that accompany that type of reading. I do NOT want this to turn into a 'bash Heartland/Dealers' thread. I do realize as well that the largest portion of people only post in such forums when they have a problem, so I know that for every horror story, there's probably a multitude of completely happy Heartland owners.

One last point I'd like to raise is this. I am a jack of all trades. I have done almost every kind of work that anyone can imagine. I do all my own house and car work including: electronics, wiring, plumbing, mechanical, etc. - the list really does go on. So, I'm more than confident that I could do most repair work on my own as long as I could get the parts needed. I do not desire financial compensation for my labor, but I would like the parts to be covered under the warranty as appropriate.

With all this in mind...
==============================================================
What do YOU think?
What would YOU do?
Should I just bite the bullet and purchase a locally available (non-Heartland) RV?
Should I have a reasonable expectation of Heartland's flexibility and build quality that it won't be a problem to get local RV service when needed?
Have YOU had any first hand experience with any of the following RV Dealerships?:
Tinker Toys of Louisville KY
Best Buy RVs of Springfield OH
Northside RV of Lexington KY (non-Heartland dealer)


Bottom line is.. We are purchasing something. Hopefully before the end of the year. But we always like to be armed with as much information as possible before we purchase something, especially of this magnitude.

Thanks in advance for your time and input!
LK
 

Princess Kathleen

Well-known member
We have been fulltiming since April,06 and enjoying it. We were orginally from Louisiana, but bought from RVs for Less, in Knoxville TN. A great dealer to work with. We have a Grand Canyon model. We opt for all the comforts of home when we purchased. We have been around the service departments between Canada and Louisiana. All experiences have been great. Give Knoxville a call and see what Butch can do for you.

PK
 
K

Ken Washington

Guest
Linuxkidd,
I know of two used Landmarks here in Greensboro, NC that are for sale. One of them was ours that we traded in to get our Beaver motor home that we have now and I know that it is in like new condition. You can save a lot of money on this unit! If you need more information, PM me and I will give you more details.

Ken
 

ky-newbie

Member
Fellow Lexingtonian

Hi!

I'm a fellow Lexingtonian, and have been researching RV's for over six months using the two dealers here (plus others). It's amazing to me how much I've learned via this forum, and from other research. I was totally sold on a Puma 29' TT from Bluegrass, then took a more serious look at the Fifth Wheels at Northside. The Jayco Designer they have is really something. They have a used 36' 2006 Everest 344J on consignment from a friend of the owner - I really liked it. Then I got a look at their new Everests.

Then my eyes were opened - None I found this forum. The members pointed me to RV's for Less in Knoxville. I emailed the owner, and he called me the next day. He talked with me for almost 30 minutes (on his nickel). He actually talked me out of buying a new unit. Getting a used one to see what you like, then upgrading is a theme here. Based on the info about them, I think that's where I'm headed in a few months.

God bless!

Lannie (another LK :) )
 

linuxkidd

Member
Thanks all for the responses...
We've pretty well decided on a new Landmark Augusta. But after reading your post Lannie, I'm curious about the reasoning behind buying a used one, then trading up.

For us, we really like the idea of having the factory warranty there to cover anything that might come up. On top of that, we really want EVERYTHING we can get in a 5th Wheel. Since it will be our full time home for what may end up being a few years or more, it really needs to feel like home.

My next question is Financing... I'm working with my bank and the finance department of the dealership. But, I'm curious what interest rates I should expect. My bank is saying anything from 7.99 to 10.5 depending on term and credit. Does that sound about right? Who have you had good dealings with on financing?

Thanks everyone,
LK
 

jpmorgan37

Well-known member
Do a Google search for "RV Financing" and another source to check would be through the Good Sam Club. Elizabeth was right in her suggestion. My Credit Union matched the best rate that I was able to find. Shop around because there are always some better deals out there.
 

katkens

Founding Illinios Chapter Leader-retired
I would have to agree with the Credit Unions , I finance everything through them anymore. They always have the best rates and mine will knock an extra 1/4 % off if I set it up for direct payment from my bank or the account I have with them. The quotes on interest your getting seems way high to me, best of luck.....Ken
 

boatdoc

Well-known member
We just checked with our C/U yesterday and they are at 5.9%. They hold the title so you can write some of the interest off.
 

jpmorgan37

Well-known member
Since it has a bathroom and kitchen, it qualifies just the same as a stick built house for federal tax deductions, even if you have a primary residence, you can still use your RV as a second home for the deduction.
 

linuxkidd

Member
Thanks for all the input.. I've done the google searches, I just get leary of giving my info to people w/o some sort of reason to trust them esp with identity theft being such a problem now adays.. I'll definitely check into the Credit Union route.

Keep the good info coming!
LK
 

ky-newbie

Member
Buying used, then trading up

The theory is (for me, since I've never had an RV) you really don't know what you want, or like. They suggested that I get a cheaper used one and live in it for awhile (I figure 3-6 months minimum). Then you're more prepared to spend significant money, are more experienced, and really know what's important. It makes sense in my situation.

In your situation, you may have a pretty good feel already from living in the Class A.

Either way, it's only money! :cool: :p
 

linuxkidd

Member
Ya.. We definitely have had a feel of things while living in the Class A... Nothing against what we're staying in now. It is just that we need a bit more space... There are no slide outs, etc.. So, 30' x 8' for us and our 2 dogs. Honestly.. we... er.. :rolleyes: I mean.. I... have too much that I'm not willing to leave behind. I'm a big Geek.. I've been working on computers for over 15 years and have a tough time leaving my arsenal behind.. :)

LK
 

vmefford

Member
No better place to buy a Landmark than at RVS for Less in Knoxville, TN. Butch and Karen will give you personal service and assist you in purchasing just the right unit for your needs. Cheap delivery also. Be sure to goto rvsforless.net instead of rvsforless.com (you will get another dealer).
 

2psnapod2

Texas-South Chapter Leaders-Retired
I did not read through the whole thread so excuse me if i am repeating here. We have just bought a Landmark and have done a lot of research on the issue. The the two best offers over all were RVs for Less out of Knoxville, TN and RV Wholesalers out of IN. They both worked hard to get my business. At the end I did not use either of them only because a dealer in Florida gave me a good price and we where there. I felt really bad since RVs for Less had done a whole lot of work trying to get the info that we needed and worked with Heartland also. That being said I would give RVs For Less a try as they are really nice Christian people and go over the line to try and help. As far as loans go, we did have to finance also. We where given the best rate from Bank of America.

Good luck in your search and go with the Landmark as you will not be sorry.

Michael
 

caissiel

Senior Member
We have owned RV's for the past 17 years and I never had any work done at the RV service departments. I do all repairs myself.
We bought a new trailer because in my area used ones are were not available and financing was very attractive.

I bought one New Diesel truck and regreted it and had very bad service from the dealer and after warranty was over I fixed it with a $3.25 part.
I bought my last truck used 2 years old for a good price on a least return and so far its been a great truck. The replacement cost after 4 years is still as high as what we paid for it.

So if you research and are capable of doing the repairs yourself, you will have a good time with any vehicle or trailer you purchase.
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
For those of you just reading this thread for the first time, linuxkidd has been a fairly long term Landmark owner and is currently the Jim Beletti's right hand man regarding the forum. He is fondly referred to as LK. That said, Thanks LK, you're doing a great service to our Forum and it's members.
 

2psnapod2

Texas-South Chapter Leaders-Retired
Oops, I knew that sign on looked familiar. Yes it was way too early in the morning.
 
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