Heartland Customer Service - Not What I expected

I had a couple of minor issues with my new 2014 Trail Runner that I sought answers to. 1st, I couldn't locate the CO2 detector and 2nd, I had a switch that wasn't doing anything. I posted those questions on this forum and I was able to find the CO2 detector with the help of those that replied here but not to the switch issue. So my next step was to call Heartland customer service. Surely since they build these campers, they would be able to tell me what that switch was for so I could figure out what was wrong with it. I explained to them where the switch was located and even offered to send them a picture if it would help. Their answer? "Well it could be for the outside light or one of the interior lights. Is it a 12v switch?" Really? They build these things, install the switches, had the opportunity to see a photo, ignore that and instead would rather just ask me to tell them what type of switch it is and guess what it's for and why it isn't working? I told them that I was pretty sure that the switch was for the amber patio light because that light wasn't working but I wasn't positive. Then I said, how do I take off the cover to check the bulb? The answer I got...."There will be screws. Just take the screws out and pull off the housing to check the bulb." So I said thank you for the help and went out to my camper. So I look at the light housing and there are no visible screws. Just a housing and the amber lens. So I figure I'll pry off the lens. Not the instruction I got from customer service but the only option I had. Worst thing that could've happened is I break it and have to buy a new one. Fortunately, it came off easy enough and didn't break. I checked the bulb and it's fine. As it so happens, it's the same type of bulb for my garden tractor so I put it in there, fired up the tractor and it came on. So now I'm stumped. The switch doesn't work, the bulb is fine and I'm back at square one. I decided the next step would be to call my dealer. I wasn't interested in another guessing game with Heartland. I wanted an answer so I would know how to proceed. So I call my dealer and I tell them about my problem and I have a photo of the switch. Immediately they say.."Email us the picture. We have another Trail Runner here. We'll take a power pack out and call you right back." 10 minutes later they called me back and said it was for the outside light. Great! I'm further ahead with the dealer than I was with the manufacturer!!! Then they said, "unscrew the switch from the wall and make sure the wires are connected." I told them, I had already done that and they were attached. Then they said "you will need to check the bulb." I said I had done that too. Then they said, "if you're handy, you can check to make sure there is power at the light. If not, you can bring the camper in and we'll check it. It sounds like there isn't power getting to the light. Sometimes the wires from the switch become detached from the light itself. They are only held together with wire nuts." I assured them that I was handy, so they said, "Take the amber light cover off, remove the bulb, then with a razor knife, cut the seal around the light housing. Inside, the housing there will be two screws. Take them out and the housing will come off the outside wall. Pull on the wires until enough comes out to get to the connection. If one is attached and the other wire isn't, connect them with a new wire nut. If they are both attached, there has to be a problem in the wire somewhere or the switch is bad. Leave the wires outside of the wall and go back to the switch and detach the wires from the switch. Then attach new wire to the old wire and go back to the light housing. If you need new wire, we'll send it to you. Then pull the old wire out, fishing the new wire through. It will pull through easily. They aren't stapled inside anywhere." I said, ok, I can do that. Then they said..."If the light works, screw the housing back to the wall and seal the housing and re-attach the switch to the wall. Don't use silicon, it doesn't stick well and will peel back off. We use Geocel. We'll send you a tube. It's a pain to use but works really well. If it still isn't working, we'll send you a new switch" I will be doing this work when I get the tube of Geocel and I'm confident everything will be fine afterwards. If not, I'll get the new switch and then everything should be fine.

Thankfully, my dealer is fantastic but what I don't understand is how can a manufacturer who builds hundreds of these campers guess at things and offer no real guidance on how to find the problem and how to fix it. Isn't that what customer service is for? To have a knowledgeable person answer questions to problems owners have? Maybe I have the wrong idea or maybe they want you to take your camper back to the dealer for every little problem that arises. Either way, as owners, we should never talk to a manufacturer customer service person and have them guessing. Either tell me what the problem is likely to be and how to fix it in detail or tell me to take the camper in for service at the dealer.

A mechanics' wife was stuck in the parking lot one night and told me the car did that often. So I shook the ground wire and it started.
I told her to tell her husband to fix the ground wire on the car.
Ground connections sometimes can create more problems them anyone can imagine.
So don't always check the power line. It can be anywhere there is ground connection to.

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We have used customer services several times and yes you are correct you would think a company would have employees in a position to be able to answer and help customers but some employees do not really care about their job and are just there for a paycheck. All companies today have employees like this. Sorry you had a bad experience but you can't judge a company or it's service on one employee, I work in the medical field and deal with some of the best facilities in this country and I can tell you if I made a judgment of them based on one employee I would miss out meeting the other good ones. Give them another chance we usually have a positive experience when we need them. Good luck with your project

This reply to the OP's question is not meant to be nasty in anyway. But, for 47 years I worked in the automobile service industry. How can anyone expect someone at the end of a phone to diagnose anything. They can't see, touch, smell or hookup any test equipment over the phone. Sometimes it's a cut and dry problem that a person has seen or heard of before and can be answered over the phone....most times not. This is why all products have people that are "qualified service" people to repair these things at a dealer....not over the phone. I will tell you for a fact that you can't call GM, Ford, or Chrysler plants and get an answer. They would say "take it to your dealer". The biggest thing is liability. If I diagnosed something over the phone and the person did something stupid and got hurt or even worse....guess who would get sued.I know that there are several people on this forum that worked in car dealerships and would back me up on this. The thing I always wanted to say when I recieved one of these calls was..."hold your car up to the phone so I can see it". If the OP has a 12V test lite....use it. See if you have power and ground at the switch, then see if you have power going to the lite from the switch. If you do, then see if the lamp itself has a good ground and power to the bulb socket. Testing the bulb is a good thing...but is the lamp socket good? This is how I would check out the problem. Electrical issues are a hands on repair and can't be done over a phone line.

1 question I do have....was the lite working during the PDI? Did you try every switch, knob and handle to find out what it did. Did the saleman explain to you how everything worked?

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