Why Such Dirty Units From the Factory?

kampfirekid

Active Member
We just took delivery of our 31BHD this weekend, and I can't help notice how dirty the unit was delivered. The dirt is in places we'd never really expect to look at delivery time.

We looked under the slides, and could literally fill two cups with sawdust and shavings that were under the slides alone. Each A/C vent opening has chunks of styrofoam and wood splinters in them such that you can plainly see it in the vents in the ceiling when looking up. The adjustable vent grilles will have to be removed to take out the trash as the pieces are too large to fit through the vanes in the adjustable grilles in the ceilings. Would it be that hard to clean or blow out the ducts before putting on the diffusers? maybe it's a sequence issue during the build.
 

flamingknitter

Well-known member
Kampfirekid - I am with you!! It seem like such a simple fix - give the quality inspector a dustbuster! I had problems with the center area that was cut from my blackwater drain and from reading the posts, I'm not the only one. Why can't the guy who cuts the holes tape the left over piece to the outside so the QC guy would know it was OUTSIDE!!! And - if Heartland is aware that some guy on their line consistently lets it fall to the inside of the tank - why is he still working there? Heartland has a unique opportunity to change and keep pace on the fly by listening to what we say.

Don't get me wrong, I love my rig. Heartland hooked me up with a great repair place when my dealer bailed on the service end of things. Maybe I should apply to do QC. If they hired some of the wives on this list - we could turn out a really spiffy, tidy rig. JMHO.

Marybeth
(getting ready for my first rally, YIPPEE)
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
As many times as we try to clean areas that are visible, each time we pull it down the road, more shavings and debris bounce into sight. We can only reach so far with cleaning tools. It would be nice if they cleaned these areas before delivery at the dealer level but everyone is trying to save a buck when building and selling these units and profit is a good thing. I don't mind the little extra cleaning when I start digging into the nooks and crannies. It's a good way to accumulate extra screws too.;)
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
I started out with an empty zip lock bag and now it is almost full of screws I have picked up here and there. I figure when I get enough I will sell them back to Heartland to pay for my new rig (LOL) Seriously, I think there are male and female screws and they mate in the RV at night when the lights are off. It has to be true because as many as I have found the walls would fall off if it wasn't true.
 

Tom of Ypsi

Well-known member
This has been brought up before and it is quite evident the factory did not see or get the message. With the rv industry in such bad shape any little thing a company does that is done to show the customer they care would look mighty good. A few shop vacs to clean these coaches up as they go down the line would not hurt. I too am still picking up saw dust, screws wood chips etc. Where they come from I do not know but everytime I clean the ducts and other areas my coach is getting lighter.
 

Hart

Active Member
Our unit came with some sawdust, etc under the slide but the rest of it was pretty clean. I was going to remove an ac duct grill after seeing a screw behind it. Turned out to be a screw holding the duct grill in place poked thru the side!

Have not yet removed the AC grill to check for styrofoam, etc.
 

kampfirekid

Active Member
Kampfirekid - I am with you!! It seem like such a simple fix - give the quality inspector a dustbuster! I had problems with the center area that was cut from my blackwater drain and from reading the posts, I'm not the only one. Why can't the guy who cuts the holes tape the left over piece to the outside so the QC guy would know it was OUTSIDE!!! And - if Heartland is aware that some guy on their line consistently lets it fall to the inside of the tank - why is he still working there? Heartland has a unique opportunity to change and keep pace on the fly by listening to what we say.

Don't get me wrong, I love my rig. Heartland hooked me up with a great repair place when my dealer bailed on the service end of things. Maybe I should apply to do QC. If they hired some of the wives on this list - we could turn out a really spiffy, tidy rig. JMHO.

Marybeth
(getting ready for my first rally, YIPPEE)

Great! We had trouble draining our tank this weekend (first time). I sure hope we don't have the "cut-out" plugging our tank. How would somebody know?
 

flamingknitter

Well-known member
Others have posted before about this and the suggestion was to fill the tank and then let it run and repeat the process until the piece comes out. the person who suggested this said he had to do it 6 times before the piece dislodged. I have had problems with my blackwater tank since my first trip out. A small (1 1/2 inch) piece came out before I took it to the shop. The 3" piece came out at the shop. BUT.....my tank still leaks so everytime I hook up to sewer I have to carefully balance and open so that I can catch most of the poop shower in the hose!!!! GRRRRR!!!!! I see a bayonet drain thing in my future.

Hopefully, someone else with more RV experience will chime in with the perfect solution for you. I also added a clear piece between the RV and the hose so I could see when the water turned "clear".

Hope this helps,
Marybeth

Marybeth
 

Delaine and Lindy

Well-known member
We are the problem with no QC and it not just Heartland. We accept poor quality and no QC. We have experienced the same problem. But until we stop pulling the 5th wheels off the Dealership lot and demand they clean them it will continue. All we have to do is not give them a check until all repairs are done. But no most of us will and have accepted RV's that aren't up to the basic standards. GBY....
 

leftyf

SSG Stumpy-VA Terrorist
Pre delivery clean up and prep is the dealers responsibility. If you go to the dealers site and the RV is dirty and you are unhappy about it...and then you take the RV anyway...the problem is yours not the factory. Your acceptance says
"I'm happy with everything!!
 

sasha_j

Member
Pre delivery clean up and prep is the dealers responsibility.

I'm not sure I agree.

Once the unit is built and the walls are sealed, much sawdust and waste would not be reachable by the dealer's shop vac.

This is something that would be better addressed at the factory during production. When we buy our unit this will be something we insist on and will write it into the contract. If it costs more, so be it.

I find it rather disheartening how so many folks in this forum and others don't demand better from their brand-new RV's.
 

davelinde

Well-known member
Pre delivery clean up and prep is the dealers responsibility. If you go to the dealers site and the RV is dirty and you are unhappy about it...and then you take the RV anyway...the problem is yours not the factory. Your acceptance says
"I'm happy with everything!!

My unit was "clean" as delivered, but as I open access panels I find sawdust, screws and metal shavings that I didn't know I had. As I find it, I vacuum it up...
 

geeksrus

Well-known member
Pre delivery clean up and prep is the dealers responsibility. If you go to the dealers site and the RV is dirty and you are unhappy about it...and then you take the RV anyway...the problem is yours not the factory. Your acceptance says
"I'm happy with everything!!

It sounds like Heartland has brain-washed many customers... once again pushing the LACK OF QUALITY onto the dealers.

The dealer should have some responsibility for final cleanup & inspection but MOST of the responsibility should be part of the Heartlands QC (15/85/).

Heartland should be ashamed that units leaving the factory are full of sawdust, loose screws, etc.

Eh!
 

irvin56

Well-known member
Not all units were bad

Mine was spotless when I picked it up in March /08
I don't know who did it but, as I took covers off to find my hw bypass and how the slide and hosing was all set up. I noticed 3 screws and only under sink a very little amount of stuff. Even under slide was clear
 
Mine was Spotless

My Dealer cleaned my unit from top to bottom. In areas it would have took months for me to see the stuff left from the build.
:D
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
Junk in tanks

If all you get is a piece of plastic, feel lucky. Our previous trailer (not a Heartland) flowed broken drill bits, wood chucks, and foam pieces from the black tank. And the valve would not seal, so removing the cap was fun. Used a clear extension with a twist-on valve to keep from taking a black bath at the campgrounds. Took two trips to the dealer to get it replaced.
 

eddysgarage

Member
House-cleaning is definitely a problem at Heartlands factory!!! Our new 21FSB had hidden debris inside cabinets and behind the service panel for the WH... In July, we toured a competitor and their answer for a clean-up was to use a blow gun throughout to insure a clean interior!!!
Our unit had a major leak of the water heater and required a 100 mile trip to fix at dealers. Sure aint a Lexus!
 

Bob&Patty

Founders of SoCal Chapter
Eddy, sorry you had a dirty coach and a water leak. Sounds to me like your dealer let you down. All the times I have used an air nozzle to clean anything all it did was move everything to a different spot. Bob:D
 

geeksrus

Well-known member
Eddy, sorry you had a dirty coach and a water leak. Sounds to me like your dealer let you down. All the times I have used an air nozzle to clean anything all it did was move everything to a different spot. Bob:D


Again, blaming the dealer for Heartland's poor quality standards.

Eh!
 

caddojay

Tired and Retired member
Our dealer, Explore USA, in central Texas had our unit washed, completely cleaned, and "running" when we picked it up. I've been through previous PDI's, but never one as thorough as there's. We have in the past found debris in other units, but this was clean when we pulled away and we haven't had any other issues about cleanliness.

Now, a problem has come up with the black-water and the middle tank valve. We, too, have had a "non-closing" issue. The dealer has replaced the valves but the issue remains. The T handles will not seat the vale and opening the valves is a struggle. We put a temporary fix in place with the twist on safety valve at the terminus uf the pipe. Having read the info about tank debris, which the dealer couldn't have known, you have wonder why something is not cleaned at the factory when the holes are puched for the plumbing. I'm having mine repaired at the warranty expense. It would seem that the factory would save money and would be concerned about that step of quality control. Apparently, I'm not the only one with a tank issue.
 
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