New Prospective Buyer

JDvorak

Member
Hello all!

Thinking about buying a new 2018 Pioneer BH270. I just got through reading several very bad reviews on many models of Heartland RV's. Now with that in mind I seen very few reviews on Heartlands page and of the ones I read they were all good. Only one review in many of there different lines of RV's though. I read most all of the bad reviews on different dealer lots. Most of the reviews had to do with water damage and delamination of the exterior walls and just things in general falling off or breaking. The biggest thing that bothers me is the thing they all had in common was the pour responsiveness of Heartland. Most of these owners said they had had their units less than a year, one had bad problems on the very first trip out. Is there a place i can read reviews and what are some of your experiences with the Manufacturer Heartland?
I really do like the Pioneer BH270 Help!!
 

jimtoo

Moderator
Hi JDvorak,

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

I think Heartland does a really good job of standing behind the warranty of the units. Almost all the time there is a problem it is because of the dealer being slow, ordering wrong part, not having people that can do quality work and just not caring about their customers once they have sold the unit and collected the money.

Enjoy the forum.

Jim M
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Hi JDvorak,

People who aren't having problems don't spend as much time writing about their experience as people who are having problem. So as you read, you'll see lots of problems. But that isn't in any way representative of all trailers. This is true of all RVs, not just Heartland.

Delamination is almost always due to water intrusion and is very rarely a manufacturing defect. The owners manual has a maintenance schedule and directs owners to check caulking several times per year. But few people have read the manual and very few are aware that there's a maintenance schedule. Also, it's not unusual for trailers to be on a dealer lot for a year or sometimes longer. Dealers rarely do any maintenance. So by the time you buy, your trailer may actually have some weather wear and tear on the caulking and sealants.

All RV manufacturers pretty much use the same water heaters, pumps, furnaces, air conditioners, refrigerators, etc. And the plumbing components and electrical components are usually very similar. So while we all hope for a trailer that has 1 or 2 minor problems during warranty, the reality can sometimes miss that mark, and may be because of the appliances and subsystems failing.

When you have a problem, what counts is the support you can expect.

As the vast majority here can attest, Heartland is very good about supporting their products. There's a large Customer Support group at the factory that stands ready to help you. And Heartland operates this forum (run by owners who voluntarily contribute). The combined level of support is outstanding. Heartland is also very flexible in administering warranty. For example, if you have a problem where you have the skills to do the repair yourself, rather than making you drop the trailer off at your dealer (sometimes for a long time), they will often send you the part directly. Many other brands will not do that. They will also usually authorize non-dealers, including mobile servicers, to do warranty work (has to be authorized in advance). Many other brands will not do that.

Are there dissatisfied owners? Sure. And you can also find them for every RV brand. Some of them might see this thread and jump in with their experience. But we have an awful lot of happy owners. Many people here are on their 2nd or 3rd Heartland unit, having traded up from one to the next over the past 10 years.

Hope to have you join the family soon.
 
Last edited:

olcoon

Well-known member
We own a 2011 Elk Ridge, that we picked up from the dealer in April of 2010. For the first year we had some issues pop up, mainly minor issues that I could have taken care of myself, but figured it was under warranty, so I'll let the dealer take care of it. When the one year warranty was up, we had most of the bugs worked out, and for the most part have had no problems. One thing I learned early on, mainly from this forum, is that we are pulling a rolling earthquake down the road, and things are going to happen. So you can expect to have some issues down the road. Most of them will be no one's fault, it just comes with pulling a "house" down some of the wonderfu highways that we have. Are we satisfied with Heartland RV's? Yes we are very satisfied, and are thinking about upgrading sometime in the future. We have looked at other brands, and nothing is in the running except Heartland.
 

Abear79

Well-known member
We got our RV in 2014, had a nagging problem over and over. When I finally called Heartland, the support was overwhelming. I thought I was about to get in a shouting match, but I didn't. They wanted to make it right. The service department at the dealership was not truthful and having the coach for 3 months you would think they could fix it. They didnt, but Heartland looked up a better shop for me to use. I still use them today for things I cant do myself.

One more thing, the family support here is second to none. I have learned so much from just reading other post. Even things that I didn't think of. Always a different perspective can help.
 

JDvorak

Member
Thank you all for your input. I never really thought about pulling a RV down the road being like a small earthquake in your house. Went to my local Camping World last Monday and looked at a lot of rigs The 270BH is the one we have settled on. My dealer Rep that we spoke with pushed us away from looking at fiberglass units saying aluminum was better. What do you all think? Reading through this forum last night i managed to fling a PDI walk through form. Has anyone used this form and how accommodating are dealers to let a prospective buyer preform this lengthy inspection?

Lastly for now. Does anyone own a Pioneer BH270? Question for you? When I looked at this unit it was very hot and i thought I seen everything i wanted to see after going back to it a few times. Father continuing my research after getting home I realized I didnt look under the back bunk bead to see if there was storage room there. I can see from pictures online there isn't an access from the outside. Is there a storage area under the back bunk? While we are at it is there extra storage under the master bed? Can someone post picks?

Thank you all!!
JDvorak
 

danemayer

Well-known member
My dealer Rep that we spoke with pushed us away from looking at fiberglass units saying aluminum was better. What do you all think?

The aluminum skin is probably built on a wood frame. It's very light weight and gives you more flexibility when it comes to tow vehicle. Great way to get started.

The fiberglass skin trailer is probably built on a metal frame. It's a somewhat heavier and typically will have higher insulation values. Heavier trailers may need a bigger tow vehicle.

As a general rule, when you go up the product line to higher prices, there's a transition from metal exterior to fiberglass. So "better" may depend on what your needs are and what your budget is.
 
Top