Things you had to fix on your first outting in your Gateway?

DentguyJC

Member
Just bought a 2013 Gateway 3200, and the factory installed the shower door track backwards, so the water escape holes in the track would let the water pour out on the bathroom floor and not back into the tub. So I took it all apart and noticed it wasnt sealed anywhere! So I put the track on the right way, and sealed the entire shower. So far so good. Next I inspected the roof and found 2 small spots and resealed them. Nothing to complain about after those repairs, this camper is wonderful! Tons of storage and beautiful interior and exterior. For the price, you cant beat it! The LED lighting is awesome. I travel for work so why not be comfortable! My tow rig is a 2011 GMC Sierra Ex-cab, 2500 Duramax and I have a Superglide hitch. It tows wonderful with the Trail-Air suspension on the Gateway. I also had the dealer install a rear hitch and wiring for my 5x8 enclosed trailer.

Camp on!
Jason
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Hi DentguyJC,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and congratulations on your new Gateway. Thanks for sharing.
 

Eddhuy

Well-known member
Congratulations DentguyJC,

We love our GW 3200 as well and it continues to get more comfortable the more you use it. I would be careful will the casters on the moveable island, they will destroy your heater vents if given the chance.
 

Greengas

Well-known member
I'm glad you were able to fix the problems yourself. But, as long as we, the owners, keep fixing the "small" problems instead of sending it in for warranty work there is no reason for HL to work on their quality control issues. I know getting the rig in for maintenance can be difficult, but something has to give. If you paid that much for a new car would you accept a door that was not set right and leaked every time it rained? Overall, I love my new Landmark but the quality control at the factory is poor (at least on my coach) and it sounds like on yours as well.
 

Theresau

Well-known member
Like!!!

I'm glad you were able to fix the problems yourself. But, as long as we, the owners, keep fixing the "small" problems instead of sending it in for warranty work there is no reason for HL to work on their quality control issues. I know getting the rig in for maintenance can be difficult, but something has to give. If you paid that much for a new car would you accept a door that was not set right and leaked every time it rained? Overall, I love my new Landmark but the quality control at the factory is poor (at least on my coach) and it sounds like on yours as well.
 

greg7140

Member
Just had our first outing on out GW3200 also this past weekend...was a 4 night trip running on 2 honda 2000i generators in parallel. We also had the shower issue, although ours was installed with the drain holes facing in, but the sealant was pretty much non-existent and leaked quite badly. We found this before leaving when we spent a night self contained in our barnyard before leaving for SC for a long weekend, so this was an easy fix by pulling rails out and sealing properly.

Just a couple of other small issues were found. The bedroom door striker was installed too high and the bedroom door is very hard to close. I will be filling in the cut out, re-drilling and reinstalling the striker in the correct position. When we opens up the awning for the first time I found the awning had a 1/8th inch hole in the center awning. I will be very unhappy if I the warranty is just "patching" the hole with awning repair tape. I fully expect our dealer will take care of this awning with no issues.

Meed to look at a few things electrical as when either AC unit kicks on the TV and the microwave resets, this did not happen in my ToyHauler using same two honda's in parallel.

We love the GW so far and enjoy the extra living area that was lost by the garage in our ToyHauler we traded in on the GW. We spend between 100 to 120 nights a year in our camper going to my work related events. Will be spending next weekend on the road also!
 

DMAN302

Member
Had to remove some material inside the door striker of the rear exit door inorder to allow the dead bolt to be completely extended and locked properly. Had to drill out material for the lockout pin to be fully extened on the top bunk (3650BH unit). Had some bigger issues delt with...had some smaller issues delt with, overall this thing is a heck of a well built unit. I expect problems with so many componenty involved...but really build quality is really quite good. Our family loves it...and more than once it's left people speachless when they walk through...just starring, trying to take it all in...'wow' is what I hear the most from them.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
Had to remove some material inside the door striker of the rear exit door inorder to allow the dead bolt to be completely extended and locked properly. Had to drill out material for the lockout pin to be fully extened on the top bunk (3650BH unit). Had some bigger issues delt with...had some smaller issues delt with, overall this thing is a heck of a well built unit. I expect problems with so many componenty involved...but really build quality is really quite good. Our family loves it...and more than once it's left people speachless when they walk through...just starring, trying to take it all in...'wow' is what I hear the most from them.

I had to do the same with the entry door on ours, and I improved the caulking on the shower stall before it actually got used, but I agree with your overall assessment.
 

Wmnmy

Well-known member
Congrats DentguyJc welcome to the forum hope you enjoy you gateway as I did my cyclone and now elkridge29rksa .
 

greg7140

Member
Well, wasn't the first outing...but was the second outing this past weekend. Put out the bedroom slide, looked over at the dresser and it was leaning over about 3" from the wall at the top! Wasn't much in drawers...at least not enough that would cause the dresser to pull from the wall. Quick trip to Lowes to get some more screws like they use through out the camper...and the dresser is not going to move now! Instead of only 6 screws only holding the dresser to the wall...now there is probably 20! I put one about every 4" or 5"...If dealer ever needs to remove the dresser...they won't be happy with all those screws they will need to remove! :)
 

DentguyJC

Member
So sorry guys, I wasnt subscribed to the replies! Its been a month now since I first wrote in, and I've had a chance to really live in it and see whats what. I forgot to mention my bedroom door latch will not close properly as well. I got a screw driver and tightend every screw I could find inside and outside. I wont tell you how many were loose or missing. The side skirting around the wheels is fastened on like a joke. I put better hardware around to stiffen it up, and now I'm feeling much better about it.

While working in SD, The Weather Channel showed a snow storm coming in the next day or so. I went and filled my truck up and bought food. The storm arrives and the campground looses power in about the 3rd hour. The wind is around 50-70 mph and the Blizzard is worse than expected. All I could do was hang on in the Gateway. I thought if this camper does not fly apart or leak when this is over, it will be a miracle. The camper battery lasted 20 hours just running the furnace. The furnace will NOT heat the living room like it will the bathroom and bedroom. So to conserve propane, I hung a bedsheet at the hallway and made sure the thermostat was on the heated side of the hall. The furnace kept the bathroom and bedroom a very nice 70 degrees while the living room stayed in the 49-50 degree range. The outside temp was 30-35 during the storm. I only went into the kitchen to cook on the stove. I charged the battery back up with my truck and really was ok during the storm but it was very scary. The Gateway kept me safe and warm. Then the storm was over, I was able to go out and check everything outside and the roof. Folks, it stayed together and not one thing went wrong. Not even one small leak. I was able to dig out and the roads were clear enough to leave so I hit the interstate headed home to Mississippi. The camper towed flawless and I pulled into a KOA in Sioux City IA to stay the night. I got up the next morning and inspected the outside again and found one slide out weather strip come loose, so I fixed that. Made it home with no more problems. Overall The customer is Quality Control, no bones about it. But I'm going to hang in there with my Gateway and hope to have many good advertures with it. But you can bet I'm headed as far away from a snow storm as possible!!!

As far as heat goes, with power, the built in fireplace really will not heat it up THAT well if its in the low 40's outside. The living room just isnt insulated that well I guess. But the AC works great, the shower is plentiful, and storage is never ending. I think before I head out next season I will put a nice set of Michelin 10 ply tires on. I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things so ill chime back to yall.
 

DentguyJC

Member
Congratulations DentguyJC,

We love our GW 3200 as well and it continues to get more comfortable the more you use it. I would be careful will the casters on the moveable island, they will destroy your heater vents if given the chance.

hahaha your right! I honestly think the island is a tad overkill, a smaller one would be better I think but I've almost stuck my foot through the vents!!
 

martelds

The Martells
Just picked up our 2013 Gateway 3200. From the information I learned on this post I was able to catch a few off the problems that people talked about. The Bedroom door would not close and the shower leaked because the track was installed wrong and not sealed. Did anyone have any issues with the back of the couches getting punctures by the privacy blinds? We did not catch that in the walk through. Also the dealer has to replace our flooring because the kitchen slide is pushing it out of place and making it loose. Has anyone else had this issue as well. Otherwise we love this Rig, and can't wait to take it out this weekend.
 

jimtoo

Moderator
Hi martelds,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and to the family. We have a great bunch of folks here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge when needed.

Jim M
 

greg7140

Member
Martelds, sounds like this is a repeat of mine. My 3200 is at the dealers now for a laundry list of issues I found during the first 3 months. Including the kitchen slide causing issues with flooring, but appears not maybe as bad as yours as I don't thinks ours will require replacement, although I am not 100% sure. But one of the biggest issues I have and am waiting to hear back from dealer as to what heartland will do about the punctures in the back of 4 out 5 of the recliners in the 3200. The punctures don't show, but I should not have gotten damaged furniture in a RV that hadn't had any traveling except the trip from factory to dealer. I didn't catch in PDI either as did not think about pulling furniture away from wall and look at backs.

I may call Heartland tomorrow and see what they say about this now that there is at least two of us...
 

GWRam

Well-known member
Just picked up our 2013 Gateway 3200.the dealer has to replace our flooring because the kitchen slide is pushing it out of place and making it loose. Has anyone else had this issue as well. Otherwise we love this Rig, and can't wait to take it out this weekend.

Our Gateway 3650BH kitchen slide out is rubbing the floor also. So as to not increase the damage to the flooring (until I take back to dealer in Jan.) I went to Lowes flooring dept and bought two strips of vinyl flooring which I place on floor over the scuffed areas in front of slide before I retract it and store the two strips behind the sofa when slide is extended.
 

greg7140

Member
Martelds, just got off the phone with a couple of nice Gents from Heartland that took my info and put notes in to their system under my VIN about the issue with the punctured recliner backs. Not really sure what will come of it? It would be nice to have the recliners either fixed or replaced, but I am not sure of the possibility of this happening. But I certainly appreciated the call from Heartland directly this morning!

I think I would at least let Heartland know about your punctures also.




 

martelds

The Martells
I contacted the dealer about my punctured furniture. They said they would fix them, no problem. I think I will give Heartland a direct call as well. But I was thinking as to why this happened on both couches and the answer is the dealers do not know how and where to fasten the Island. Since mine was is a 2013 closeout I think it was moved around a bit and if the island is not in the correct locations the couches get pushed into the privacy blinds bottom screws. It took my and the wife a little time to figure out where the island goes, but now I think the couches will not longer get poked. This is my first 5th wheel and my first experience with tie down, it really would have been nice to Heartland to have provided a what goes where for a specific coach. I'm sure it will all workout. It's a beautiful Rig.
 

1_oldgoat

Well-known member
Martels, Greg, good morning from Umatilla Oregon, its beautiful here at the marina rv park, pretty much have the place to ourselves. We froze up night before last, not sure why, i ran to the local walmart and.picked up a small ceramic heater and put it in the udc last night and had no issues this morning. It was down in single digits night before so cold, the camp host said his rv froze up as well so didn't feel to bad. My tank heater switch light comes on when its supposed to but the fuze panel led light came on and there is no fuse installed in #13 and its marked tank heater, not sure if the tank heaters are hard wired or not now. Anyway other than freeze up the only thing i have found that needs to be adressed is the shower enclosure, it is installed corectly however the sealant is on the inside so water drains to the outside of the tub, i picked up some silicone sealant and will remove the inside sealant and seal the outside of the enclosure and bobs your uncle!! No other problems at all. My wife and i love our new Gateway!! If any other problems pop up i'll post them but so far so good. We do have a burner on the stove top that quit working, not a Gateway problem, atwoods. I'm sure a new burner will fix the problem there.
 
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