Future Owner
- Thread starter bt3583
- Start date
Hello Bt3583 and welcome to this great forum. Lots of great information shared here.
If you have any questions regarding the Sundance, just ask away. There are plenty of owners willing to help out in answering your questions.
Hope to see you in a new Sundance soon.
Peace
Dave
If you have any questions regarding the Sundance, just ask away. There are plenty of owners willing to help out in answering your questions.
Hope to see you in a new Sundance soon.
Peace
Dave
Thanks Dave. My biggest issue now is where to purchase from. Our closest dealer is about 2 hours away, and there prices are pretty high. Looking at possibly purchasing from a wholesaler. Been in contact with Holman RV and RV Wholesalers, both have very good prices compared to the local dealer. I have no problem making a 9 hour drive to save 8k to 10k. Anyway I know we are not the only ones in this boat, and am finding very useful info go through the different threads on the forum.
Wish we would have started this 6 months ago!
Wish we would have started this 6 months ago!
danemayer
Well-known member
Hi bt3583,
Like so many others, we bought our rig long distance and have no regrets. I did some of the warranty work myself, with parts shipped from Heartland direct to me. Other repairs were done by a local non-Heartland dealer, authorized by Heartland to do warranty work.
Regardless of where you buy, it's important to do a very thorough inspection at delivery to make sure anything that needs attention is corrected before you sign the papers. It's also a good idea to stay at or near the dealer for a few days in case you have questions or anything else pops up. Before buying, you should discuss this with both the sales manager and service manager so if any work needs to be done, you'll be at top of list and won't have to wait.
Like so many others, we bought our rig long distance and have no regrets. I did some of the warranty work myself, with parts shipped from Heartland direct to me. Other repairs were done by a local non-Heartland dealer, authorized by Heartland to do warranty work.
Regardless of where you buy, it's important to do a very thorough inspection at delivery to make sure anything that needs attention is corrected before you sign the papers. It's also a good idea to stay at or near the dealer for a few days in case you have questions or anything else pops up. Before buying, you should discuss this with both the sales manager and service manager so if any work needs to be done, you'll be at top of list and won't have to wait.
Jim.Allison
Well-known member
I have found that this website is the best first stop BEFORE considering warranty work. I had no problems with buying from Jeff Couch in Hamilton Ohio. It was a great trip from SA Texas. As far as warranty is concerned, My rig has never been in for warranty work. My BC is perfect and the very few cosmetic problems were easily dealt with. ALL my problems were owner induced and this forum can solve those quickly, for example; I thought I had a warranty problem when my AC fan ran with the furnace on. I thought for sure that they hooked up the thermostat incorrectly. A search of this forum pointed out that it was easily remedied. IF not for this site, I would have taken it in for warranty work. All the while the cause of it was incorrect operation of the system. I'm a firm believer that warranty service can in some cases create more problems than they solve and its not like warranty work is impossible to get from a non selling dealer anyway. I have no "Heart" Burn buying a "Heart" land from a non local dealer. But pay special attention to your tires, therein lies a gremlin.
Thanks for the info! I'm really not to concerned with the dealer. I would say like Dan said, make sure we do a very thorough check over before leaving and prepare to stay out there for a couple days.
I would agree with Jim also, that this forum is our best friend before any thing else. Heartland seems to stand behind there products and I consider myself a fairly handy guy, so I feel confident that we could figure most issues out.
Think I'm going to look for the best deal and worry about the other stuff later. If I stay local I can get a nice used one. If I travel and do my homework we can get a nice new one for close to the same price. Think I'll travel, and take our time coming home.
Thanks everyone for sharing your insights.
Brian
I would agree with Jim also, that this forum is our best friend before any thing else. Heartland seems to stand behind there products and I consider myself a fairly handy guy, so I feel confident that we could figure most issues out.
Think I'm going to look for the best deal and worry about the other stuff later. If I stay local I can get a nice used one. If I travel and do my homework we can get a nice new one for close to the same price. Think I'll travel, and take our time coming home.
Thanks everyone for sharing your insights.
Brian
Any opinions on hitches? A friend of mine has a pullrite slider seems pretty happy with it. Does a slider have any other benefits besides helping with the turn radius? I only ask because the Sundance we like has the 88 Degree turning radius. I'm not looking to skimp especially on the hitch!
Thanks
Thanks
Jim.Allison
Well-known member
There are many choices here, but anything that fights chucking and slamming, its hard on you and hard on your rig. my choice was the TrailerSaver BD3.
http://www.trailersaver.com/product/bd3-air-ride-5th-wheel-hitch/
It seems like a lot of money, but its really not once you do the math. Once you buy it, its yours and you will never need another one. The pin boxes come and go with the rig, so each time you trade rigs you lose your expensive pin box. i do not have experience with the others so I can't say what is best but I can tell you that I RARELY get a chuck in the cab. I look in the mirror and I see the pin box just gliding along and the BD3 soaking up the road shock.
The TrailerSaver is not the only kid on the block there are many, but you definitely need a quality anti chucking pin box or hitch. Like 6 point leveling, its money well spent, overlooked until you start using your rig. Then you find out.
Sliders are not really necessary with the 88 degree turn radius, nothing says "I want to blow my tires like cranking your rig 90 degrees and dang near rolling the tires off the rims. That having been said, I have a slider for my BD3, I used it for a while, then I quit using it, then I recently started using it again, only because I own it and I would feel foolish that I did not have it when it came time to need it. Quite frankly, I have never had to slide that thing since I bought it. And I have been in some tight spaces.
http://www.trailersaver.com/product/bd3-air-ride-5th-wheel-hitch/
It seems like a lot of money, but its really not once you do the math. Once you buy it, its yours and you will never need another one. The pin boxes come and go with the rig, so each time you trade rigs you lose your expensive pin box. i do not have experience with the others so I can't say what is best but I can tell you that I RARELY get a chuck in the cab. I look in the mirror and I see the pin box just gliding along and the BD3 soaking up the road shock.
The TrailerSaver is not the only kid on the block there are many, but you definitely need a quality anti chucking pin box or hitch. Like 6 point leveling, its money well spent, overlooked until you start using your rig. Then you find out.
Sliders are not really necessary with the 88 degree turn radius, nothing says "I want to blow my tires like cranking your rig 90 degrees and dang near rolling the tires off the rims. That having been said, I have a slider for my BD3, I used it for a while, then I quit using it, then I recently started using it again, only because I own it and I would feel foolish that I did not have it when it came time to need it. Quite frankly, I have never had to slide that thing since I bought it. And I have been in some tight spaces.
jnbhobe
Well-known member
I used a Super-Glide for a few years it's the best thing since sliced bread if you have a short bed. Most of the time you won't need a slider and a manual one you won't use when you needed it. I still have my Super-Glide but I'll sell it if I get $500 out of it with all the extra parts I have.
brianlajoie
Well-known member
If you want to compare what the market rate for existing new 3400QB are, check the web sites of rvtrader and rvt. I can tell you that I saved twice what your talking about when I travelled a thousand miles to pick mine up. I agree with Dan on the exteme importance of a thorough PDI list. Our walk through lasted 5 hours with the 2 of us checking.
I have the pullrite hitch for my short bed. Love it. No problems with it. There is a large flange that is adjustable with a wrench that prevents all chucking on my rig. Several dealers told me that I didn't need a sliding hitch when I was looking for a trailer. After a conversation with a particular dealer - he showed me his set up, I noticed that there was damage on both side of the cab from the trailer hitting it. I consider the hitch to be an insance policy to protect the cab in the event that I get into sharp turn. I hope it never happens, but I'm protected if it does.
Good luck finding your trailer. I know you will enjoy it.
I have the pullrite hitch for my short bed. Love it. No problems with it. There is a large flange that is adjustable with a wrench that prevents all chucking on my rig. Several dealers told me that I didn't need a sliding hitch when I was looking for a trailer. After a conversation with a particular dealer - he showed me his set up, I noticed that there was damage on both side of the cab from the trailer hitting it. I consider the hitch to be an insance policy to protect the cab in the event that I get into sharp turn. I hope it never happens, but I'm protected if it does.
Good luck finding your trailer. I know you will enjoy it.
I am on my second Sundance and third fifth wheel. I've had the Trailer Saver TS3 for all three; it was expensive once but I've had it about 10 years now and are pleased with the results. I tow with a Chevy Silverado 2500 short bed and have not needed a slider. I had to be careful with my first trailer (a '98 Dutchman) but the two Sundance have not interfered with the cab even in tight situations. We pulled the 2007 Sundance to Alaska and back last summer and backed in and out of some "interesting" sites along the way. Enjoy your rig. PS We went with Maxxis tires for both units; we came back from Alaska with zero tire trouble and very little visible tread wear.
Jim.Allison
Well-known member
I saw a brand new (hardly used) BD3 TrailerSaver on craigslist for 50% of the original cost. Craigslist is a great resource for hitches.
Well I think we almost made the classic beginner mistake for a 5th wheeler. Almost bought to much trailer for the tow vehicle we have. Have a 2015 Silverado 2500HD, V-8, 6.0 gasser, 4:10 gears. GVW 9,500, GCVW 20,500, max usable payload 2,600lbs.
We really liked the 3400QB and just by going on manufacturer claims and sales brochures, thought I had the truck to handle it. But after much research on here and other forums, I realized we could be well over our limits. Just the pin weight alone would have maxed or put us over.
Anyway now thinking of the XLT series and staying between 10,000 and 11,000 Trailer GVW. Does anyone have any experience with them? Specifically the XLT 298BH.
Thanks all and still hope to join the family!
BT
We really liked the 3400QB and just by going on manufacturer claims and sales brochures, thought I had the truck to handle it. But after much research on here and other forums, I realized we could be well over our limits. Just the pin weight alone would have maxed or put us over.
Anyway now thinking of the XLT series and staying between 10,000 and 11,000 Trailer GVW. Does anyone have any experience with them? Specifically the XLT 298BH.
Thanks all and still hope to join the family!
BT
