Uninformed Heartland owners

ram_1955

Well-known member
Being out on the road this week we have been watching for Heartland products. We have found only a few owners that we have been able to talk to, of these no one has been aware of the owners club and only one said they knew about the web site but they had not visited it.

Sure seems like there needs to be a better way to get to all of the new owners and maybe even the older owners.
 

Manzan

Well-known member
Ray, I think it is the responsibility of the dealer to inform the buyer of the club. Mine sort of mentioned it in passing but the info was included in the packet I received from them. Wife was not much interested in joining but became a very enthusiastic member when we did join. I wonder if there is an effective way for Heartland to send out the needed info.
Manzan
 

JohnD

Moved on to the next thing...
Our first dealership where we bought our previous Heartland Trail Runner told us about the forum . . . but not the HOC.

Our second dealership that we purchased our Heartland Prowler from a year ago didn't know about either the forum or the HOC . . . until I told them about it.
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
It's hard to reach everyone.

What we've done for the last 7 years is include a single-page, printed both-sides, Forum/Club flier in the blue bags of all coaches. Exceptions are when a plant runs out of these and waits to reorder.

Then for the last 6 months or so, additionally, we're including a door hanger on a cabinet door knob in the kitchen area. This is a club piece. So we're doing what we can, but as some have said, since the retail relationship is between the dealer and the buyer, it's there where a mention needs to be made as the factory is not part of that conversation.

This all said, let's not be too hard on ourselves either. Some folks have no interest in online things. Some who are light online users may have no interest in joining a club.

Most of us have come across many Heartland product owners that have heard nothing of the forum or the club and seem very surprised to hear about it from us. Don't confuse that surprise for genuine interest. It is there in some owners but in many, it is not.

This is the reality I have come to accept. But, let's now let the reality dissuade us from mentioning what most of us feel is a gold mine of an opportunity to join something really special. Thank you to everyone who has and who continues to share the Heartland Owners Forum and Owners Club message.
 

klindgren

Retired Virginia Chapter Leaders
I had two campers (one Cyclone & one Bighorn) camped near me in Ohio this past weekend. The Cyclone owner knew of HOC, said he had used the one year free membership and had not renewed. The other one (BigHorn) did not know of the club at all. Gave the Big Horn a door hanger and told him about the one year free advantage. The Cyclone owner and I talked about the benefits of HOC. He said he would think about rejoining....As Jim says, not everyone is joining material, but I do think we all need to get the word out as much as possible. We know dealers don't do it!
 

travelin2

Pennsylvania Chapter Leaders-retired
I had two campers (one Cyclone & one Bighorn) camped near me in Ohio this past weekend. The Cyclone owner knew of HOC, said he had used the one year free membership and had not renewed. The other one (BigHorn) did not know of the club at all. Gave the Big Horn a door hanger and told him about the one year free advantage. The Cyclone owner and I talked about the benefits of HOC. He said he would think about rejoining....As Jim says, not everyone is joining material, but I do think we all need to get the word out as much as possible. We know dealers don't do it!

Just an FYI....there is no longer a free one year intro membership. Check out the HOC link for current membership details


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Hogladyrider

Well-known member
We learned about both before we even purchased our first Heartland product. During our research phase of purchasing our first RV and while visiting the Tampa RV show.

We have been members since 2009 and though we have only attended one Rally, the 1st one held in Florida, we will remain members.

We are finally full timers in our new Cyclone, our 3rd Heartland product, and we always stop and speak with other Heartland RV owners we see along the road. Now that we are retired we will definitely try and attend an annual Rally, however we are probably in the category that Jim mentioned, we do our own thing rather than group get togethers all the time, however we do firmly believe in the Heartland product and we do spread the word about he forum and the Club.

We have received tremendous feedback from the forum!

Susan
 

wdk450

Well-known member
My rig came with info about the club in the blue manuals bag. I printed some of the Heartland Owners greeting business cards on Vistaprint and occasionally hand them out. When talking about the forum to owners who know nothing about it, the main "bait" I dangle in front of them in conversation is the extensive library of online manuals available under the "Tools" tab at the top of the forum pages. I also tell them about the massive combined brainpower available to them with all of the forum owners' years of experience with Heartlands, if they do have problems that need to be corrected with their RV's. I also mention the "Search" and "Advanced Search" functions that can possible get them an immediate answer to their problem from the HOC forum archives, instead of waiting for a reply to post to their forum inquiry.

Word has spread throughout the RVing community about how much info and help is available here, and we even see inquiries from owners of other brands of rigs about generic RV questions.
 

TxCowboy

Well-known member
We looked for and found the HOC and Forum before we even bought our first HL in 2011. Nowadays, almost everything out there has a "group" and "forum".

But Ram_1955 is correct in that there are so many HL owners that don't know this forum, and its vast amount of info and shared brainpower, exists.

Spread the word! :)
 

JohnD

Moved on to the next thing...
I saw 5 Heartlands while driving to and from work yesterday . . .

1 Big Country, 1 North Trail, 1 Prowler, and 2 Trail Runners . . .

The North Trail I think was one of our Colorado HOC members . . . the other 4 who knows!

I usually try to mention the HOC and this forum when I see Heartlands when we are out camping.

CheyenneMtnCO2014-IMG_2007.jpg ProwlerAtMountaindale2015-P1000145.jpg

These are both of our Heartlands . . .
 

clubmgr

Heartland Owners Club Manager
Staff member
I agree that there is a wealth of information to be had on the Forum and tons of fun at the HOC rallies.

In the course of my club responsibilities I often look at individual registrants' Forum profiles. It never ceases to amaze me just how many people register and then never access the Forum again. Some look at the Forum but never post or just post a couple of times.

The reasons are as varied as the folks who own Heartland rigs: some just registered so they could join the Club; some find it difficult to follow the pathways; some just aren't that interested in reading the threads; etc., etc.

It is the same with HOC membership: some members travel 100s of miles to attend rallies and keep up with their Heartland friends in between rallies; some become Chapter Leaders or Region Directors; some attend one rally and discover it's not for them; some drop out after their initial year because there were no rallies convenient to their location and/or schedule. Some owners never join because they prefer to camp/travel by themselves or with a group of friends; etc., etc.

Although literature is included with the new rigs, it is often passed over or put aside (never to be picked up again) in the excitement of taking delivery of that new rig. People who buy used Heartland products rarely get any literature. At the dealership, prospective owners are interacting with salesmen. While the Forum and Club seem like good selling points to some, others don't want to bother with it. Still more don't realize that the HOF and HOC are a superior product when compared with other clubs/forums.

What I'm trying to say is that the very best way of advertising the Forum and the Club is just as everyone has said: your enthusiastic word-of-mouth!!!! Lead them to the water, then let them decide whether they are going to drink or not.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
A few years back, I approached a couple that pulled into the CG with a Bighorn. Didn't take the wife long to launch into a tirade about the problems they had with their rig and the dealers, yada, yada, yada. And they definitely had no interest in the club or the forums. Decided then and there to just MMOB unless someone with a Heartland rig approaches me. My club member sign is prominently displayed at the front of our site, too.
 

travelin2

Pennsylvania Chapter Leaders-retired
A few years back, I approached a couple that pulled into the CG with a Bighorn. Didn't take the wife long to launch into a tirade about the problems they had with their rig and the dealers, yada, yada, yada. And they definitely had no interest in the club or the forums. Decided then and there to just MMOB unless someone with a Heartland rig approaches me. My club member sign is prominently displayed at the front of our site, too.

BT & DT...


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Nabo

Southeast Region Director-Retired
Also been there - done that. I still approach HL product owners, if nothing else to just say hi (I like to gab). Yes I have run across many who have had problems with their coach so I listen, try to give some suggestions or directions for help. Many times they haven't heard of the forum and amazed that there is such a support group. Maybe by being a listening ear, their fear and anger will change to "wow - someone does care".
 

Silverado23

Iowa Chapter Leaders
Ask just about anyone with a new RV regardless of brand. If they had problems, The will let you know. Ran into that issue a few times talking with "neighbors" in the parks.
 

JohnD

Moved on to the next thing...
Last summer we were at the Buena Vista, CO KOA and a retired couple from Nebraska were right next door to us in a Montana 5-ver they had just purchased used.

Every time I bumped into him outside, he kept telling me "I'm 85 years old and still drivin'!"

He love the fact that he could pull their Montana (which is heavier than our Prowler - I looked at the sticker) with his Chevy Silverado 1500 crew cab . . . the one with the suicide doors.

I wanted really bad to warn him about the brand new BlowMax tires he had just put on it . . . but I just could bring myself to rain on his parade.
 
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