Details (and answers to your questions) from Factory Tour

jbeletti

Well-known member
Hi folks,

Jeff and I spent about 4 hours today with Scott Tuttle, VP of Marketing and Dealer Services at Heartland, touring both plants, taking pictures and asking a lot of questions. In this post, I will attempt to speak to some of the questions posed to us elsewhere in the Heartland Owners Forum as well as pass along a few other tidbits we learned. I am sure there are a few more things that will come to our minds that we are leaving out. As such, we’ll update this post as needed.

Note: I have denoted the information below with LM for Landmark, BH for Big Horn, LM/BH for both and ? when unsure if it pertains to a specific model.

Use of a Gooseneck Style Hitch (LM/BH):
We confirmed that Heartland simply will not warrant trailers that are converted to a gooseneck style hitch. There is just too much stress put on the trailer and frame in a way they were not designed to have.

Side-to-Side Leveling using Gear/Jacks (LM/BH):
The way they are designed and setup, you cannot and should not use the front landing gear or the rear stabilizer jacks to do “side-to-side” leveling of the Heartland trailers. Use leveling boards or blocks for side-to-side leveling.

Slide Switches (LM):
At this time, the slides on the Heartland trailers come out in sequence by use of a single switch. You can independently control the slides but only by using the valves in the storage basement. Heartland is currently considering a future option that will include switches to independently control the slides from inside the trailer.

Slide-out Insulation (LM/BH?):
The slide-outs ceiling, side and outer walls are insulated with R7 loose fill.

Shorter Landmarks:
Heartland does have plans to make shorter Landmark models. The first one will be about 34 feet in length.

Granite Counters (LM):
Granite counter tops are now an available option on all floor plans of both the Landmark and Bighorn lines. The granite is 1" thick (see attached image) and adds about 450 pounds to the trailer.

Window Valances (LM):
One recent change we were shown in the latest Landmark was a move from hard side window valances to cloth curtain. They looked very attractive (see attached image) and should provide less intrusion into the room and furniture.

Hidden Hinges & Ball-bearing Drawer Guides (LM):
We also saw the change to the hidden Euro-style cabinet door hinges and the full-extension ball-bearing drawer guides (see attached images). Very nice new look and very nice to have a real smooth full extension drawer guide!

Bedding Upgrade (LM):
We were shown the latest bedding (spread, pillows etc) – an upgrade from 2004 (see attached image).

Closet Changes (LM/BH):
While not a change for the Big Horn since it is new, both models now have a shoe storage rack built-into the nose or very front of the master suite closet (see attached images). My wife will like that! The safe has been relocated in the LM to a new shelf-style open cabinet on the left side).


Dinette Changes (LM):
For 2005, the Landmark received a new dinette table and update dinette chairs (see attached images). The table no longer has a drop leaf on both the aisle and window ends. It now has a double length drop leaf on the aisle end only. This should prove easier to operate as it was a bit of a challenge to raise and stabilize the window side leaf before. The table also features a hinged lift-up top that reveals a large storage area underneath. I am betting a few board games will fit there as well as your place mats, playing card, napkins etc. The chairs have been updated to include storage in the bases of them. You lift up the seat to reveal nifty storage.

New Plant (LM/BH):
We were able to visit the new factory (see attached images) that Heartland purchased from Palm Aire in the fall of 2004. At this time, the building was full of Big Horns and Landmarks in near final assembly, being readied for shipment.

Shipments (LM):
While we were not given actual production figures, well over 200 Landmarks have been produced. We saw units in the 230-240 serial number range in the final assembly building.

We hope this information helps. Please reply with any questions you may have and also feel free to post in the ASK THE FACTORY” forum to speak directly to the Heartland factory as we’ve asked them to moderate that forum for us.

Jim and Jeff
 

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