Need Help With Exterior Wall Cracking: 2015 3650BH

First off, I'm new and will post some pictures when I get enough posts. Just looking for some advice as I feel this is unacceptable for such a new trailer and I shouldn't be on the hook for it in my opinion. I haven't contacted Heartland directly, but my dealer has submitted pictures and details and were denied warranty.

The trailer is a Gateway 3650BH, bought new in October 2015, towed it home and put in in storage for the winter. It hasn't had a gooseneck adapter or anything else to cause extra stress on the pin box or front frame structure, and my hitch pivots side to side and front to back. We've maybe pulled the trailer 3-4000km on normal Canadian highways, no rough Offroad or anything. I keep my units cleaned and washed and generally take pretty good care of everything.

The Crack: The caulking and seams on my trailer have started to deteriorate rather quickly, so I've been keeping a close eye on them and was planning to re do a bunch this fall. After I arrived at my destination on my last trip, I noticed the seam cover under the front bedroom slide (where the 2 Fiberglass exterior walls meet) was starting to lift. So obviously I checked it out fairly closely and figured I would re seal it when I got home from my trip. From driving home ( 3 hours of highway driving) a 1.5-2" crack has propagated from the edge of the fibreglass wall under the seam cover, towards the front of the trailer, I can't tell the exact length because of the decal over top of it.

My dealers body guy quoted over $1000 to fix it, what are the chances there's frame damage or excessive flexing? Or this is the start to something worse. Any help or advice would be great. I've been into RV'ing my whole life, with the parents and on my own when I moved out, so I'm not new to the quality of these units, but I've never had damage like this on anything of my own or families from "general use".

Sorry for being long winded, and thanks a bunch
Monte Todd

Hi Dmaxmoe,

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.

Be sure and check out our Heartland Owners Club. Join us at a rally when you can and meet lots of the great folks here and make friends for a lifetime.

Enjoy the forum.

Jim M
Thread moved to better area.

First, I would not take the word of the dealer who then quickly told you what he would charge you.

It seems obvious that you have some frame damage and from those that call HL directly I have not heard anyone being refused.

Don't know your warranty status but if you are out of warranty you can take it to the service facility and they will fix it for free and possibly do some other things too....gratice.

You our then have to weigh the cost of the trip over a dealer fix.

HL will keep it for a week.

My gratice fix turned out out to be worse than the thought and side cracked again....took it back and they took off skin and repaired the broken studs....again no charge.

Good luck

Sorry if I posted in the wrong place, and thanks for moving it Jim.

And as far as my dealer, ya I'm not sure exactly how things went down, but the price they got wasn't really meant for me I guess, mostly to give a number to heartland on their cost I think. That was just to fix the fiber glass. Dealer gave me HL's number and suggested I try, so figured I would jump on here first. As far as warranty goes, it was only offered with a 1 year warranty, didn't think I'd be worrying about the $4000 optionally warranty to cover a cracking side wall when I purchased....

I only had one year warranty too. They fixed mine for free at the 3.5 year mark.

Sorry they came out sideways, but here they are. Thanks for the help Gary, that's reassuring they fixed yours several years later. I will call HL tomorrow if I get time at work and see what they say. As far as a HL service centre, if that's an actual HL facility I'm sure I'm a few days drive at minimum.

Dmaxmoe said:

View attachment 53555View attachment 53556

Sorry they came out sideways, but here they are. Thanks for the help Gary, that's reassuring they fixed yours several years later. I will call HL tomorrow if I get time at work and see what they say. As far as a HL service centre, if that's an actual HL facility I'm sure I'm a few days drive at minimum.

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Hi Moe,

With the downturn in the Alberta economy I would shop around and find a independent shop. With cracks like these there should be more investigation to find the cause. I agree the drive to Indianna is a long trip, fuel and time wise might be better for a quality local repair and see if HL would help.

I have a very similar issue happening with mine. it just started this year. I don't have a crack but mine is moving up and down and separating the trim directly underneath the stress relief cut. it took me some time but Heartland is taking my camper back for repairs late this year. From what i have been told and understand is that the aluminum tubes under neath have broken. I wont know for sure until it is taken apart. This is the second or third Gateway 3650 BH built around this time frame that is having this same exact issue. Makes me wonder if something is wrong or bad.

That was what was with mine...broken tubes. They cut a 5 foot by 5 foot section to find and repair the bad tubes. You'd never know they fixed it.

So are the broken tubes the aluminum wall or floor studs? My trim along the bottom, below that cracking wall seam is also in bad shape. On that note, kinda hi jacking my own thread, but what's a good sealant to re seal the trim and rubber slide out gaskets? They sure aren't holding up very good.

Dmaxmoe said:

So are the broken tubes the aluminum wall or floor studs? My trim along the bottom, below that cracking wall seam is also in bad shape. On that note, kinda hi jacking my own thread, but what's a good sealant to re seal the trim and rubber slide out gaskets? They sure aren't holding up very good.

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I tried to use the dicor stuff for walls and hated it. I am now going to depot and getting sealant for exterior and using that and I am happy with the results.

Bones said:

I tried to use the dicor stuff for walls and hated it. I am now going to depot and getting sealant for exterior and using that and I am happy with the results.

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Did you use the self-leveling? It's made for the roof and runny. The non self-leveling works fine for me on the sides.

avvidclif said:

Did you use the self-leveling? It's made for the roof and runny. The non self-leveling works fine for me on the sides.

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Nope. I used the non leveling version meant for walls

I've used the dicor self levelling on a few spots on the roof and for my solar panels and liked it, would have thought the wall stuff would work good to, but I guess not.

So anyways, I talked to David at HL, he seemed helpful, was friendly, AND English speaking, all positives in my book. He'd like me to get a few measurements with the weight of the trailer on the hitch and then on the landing gear to see how much it's flexing. I mentioned since new that there has always been audible creaking and cracking sounds (nothing crazy or very loud) while putting the weight on the hitch, I just figured it was normal. I will also be sending additional pictures of the trim failing and the crack. Thanks again guys for the help and info, I'm not working Sunday so will get some info sent in then and update here once I hear back.

So I've been back and forth a couple times now with HL, if I can get them my trailer they will fix it for free at their facility. It's about 1800 miles one way, and I would probably need to take a week off work, so it's not looking like that's a great option at this point.

Im kind of thinking if I start the fix on my own dime up here, and find structural damage, try and work it out so HL will help out. Or try and find a hot shot / trailer transport person heading south empty, and see what they would charge me. Not really looking forward to the final outcome here $$$.

Dmaxmoe said:

So I've been back and forth a couple times now with HL, if I can get them my trailer they will fix it for free at their facility. It's about 1800 miles one way, and I would probably need to take a week off work, so it's not looking like that's a great option at this point.

Im kind of thinking if I start the fix on my own dime up here, and find structural damage, try and work it out so HL will help out. Or try and find a hot shot / trailer transport person heading south empty, and see what they would charge me. Not really looking forward to the final outcome here $$$.

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I think that I would have a transporter take it there. Maybe a rv dealer could give you a name of transporter who is bringing new RV from the factory and is probably heading back empty.
Don

donr827 said:

I think that I would have a transporter take it there. Maybe a rv dealer could give you a name of transporter who is bringing new RV from the factory and is probably heading back empty.
Don

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I think this is the route I'm going to explore. My dealer was going to get back to me with some info to try and help get it down there. If anyone else has any contacts in the transport industry it would be much appreciated if you could share.

I would enjoy taking a holiday and going myself, maybe checking out the HL facility, but the amount it would cost just to get that time off work and such makes it very much not worth it.

Monte

You might ask Heartland if they could engage a transporter at your expense. Or they could probably point you to one of the Elkhart transport companies.

So I contacted a transport company out of Elkhart for a backhaul quote. 3009 (3750 Canadian) big ones !!
I didn't think it would be cheap, but that's nearly double what I was thinking/hoping for a back haul... Somewhat back to square one as that is in no way going to happen. I might contact my dealer about pulling the sidewall or how they feel about it to see if there's structural damage.

TBH, I don't really know what to do at this point, burning the trailer down is looking pretty good at this time lol....

You might try engaging a driver individually. Ask your dealer when they expect their next shipment to arrive. The driver is deadheading back might give you a deal and then make the return trip on his own too.....saving some money.