Opinion - Hi-Gloss Exterior Fiberglass Sidewalls or Satin finish?

We are getting very close to ordering our BigHorn (3670RL) and are going through the options. We see on the Heartland's build sheet, that the Hi-Gloss sidewall is an option. The dealer said that Heartland doesn't do that anymore, but it is now a "satin" finish. But, if we really wanted the hi-gloss, it could be done.

Question? Is the satin finish just as nice? Does anyone prefer the hi-gloss for the added expense. It would seem that the hi-gloss would clean up easier and look nicer, but I don't know.

Feedback. Thanks.

UPDATE: My husband corrected me on this (since he personally talked with dealer on the phone). We were told they DON'T do the hi-gloss gelcoat anymore, but spray on a gloss if you want it. This is supposed to be something new. I may go to the factory with this question, unless anyone knows.

For me, the gel-coat (high gloss finish) is a must-have item. Stays much cleaner and just looks a little sharper. If your dealer is telling you its "no longer available", then I would be suspicious of that dealer.

Ours is high gloss. Don't know what is better but I can tell you will LOVE the 3670rl. We can't wait to get back on the road with ours. Good Luck. Dave

Thanks Dave. We can hardly wait. We are going to be putting our house up for sale, so I definitely want a big kitchen and the 3670RL seems to have it.

That and the king bed are what sold it for us. I'm sure my wife would be happy to vist with you about the kitchen if you have concerns/questions.

We have the high gloss gel coat and to me, there is nothing sharper looking than my trailer all polished up with a fresh coat of wax on it.

OK, I'll be the dissenting voice and say I really don't see a big difference for the high-gloss finish. I looked at both at the factory and had a very hard time distinguising the difference. I wax my rig regularly (nu-finish) and it washes up super quickly (<30 minutes manually) and that's squeeging the windows too. I did not order the high gloss finish.

We ordered our 3670RL in March. You will love it. BE SURE TO ASK ABOUT A HIDDEN OPTIONS LIST if you already have not, especially if you will be full timing in your rig. I ordered 8k axles (instead of 7k), 3.75" brakes (instead of 1.75") and Goodyear G614 tires, among other options.

Another option I would highly recommend is deleting the recliners (subtract $500 I believe). I do not like them one bit. Very poorly made, heavy, and hard to move around. Oh, and they are uncomfortable. They do look nice, at least while they are new. Do yourself a favor and buy quality recliners, aftermarket, even if it costs a little bit more. I would say the same for the couch, especially if you don't need the air mattress and can use a more conventional (read: comfortable) sofa.

I personally like the high gloss exterior. No way could I convince myself that the smooth Filon exterior looks as good as the high gloss.
We had gel-coat on our last rig and now on the new one. Would not be without it.
JMHO.

Peace
Dave

For the money a good buy,especially if you fussy like me wife in keeping it clean!

sgtbigb said:

For the money a good buy,especially if you fussy like me wife in keeping it clean!

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Are you saying Song washes the coach exterior too! You're a blessed man

Jim

Ours does not have the gel coat finish, yet it cleans up very nicely and people comment on how nice it looks. All I use is a RV Wash & Wax that I mix in a bucket of water and a soft brush. Rinse and drip dry. Life is too short for me to want to do a remake of "Karate Kid" and hand wax this 38' monsta.

Thanks everyone for your replies. My husband is a polisher. The shinier the better. We were curious about the new spray-on gloss treatment Heartland is going to do. Not sure if anyone has that yet.

Something that wasn't mentioned and no one wants to think about. If you get a boo-boo in your trailer the body repair man can match up the finish on the gel-coat and the repair is virtually unnoticeable. Not so with Filon, shows up like poop in a punch bowl. I thought the gel-coat panels were made that way. Would like for someone knowledgeable to chime in about this spray on process. A word on the recliners. Our saddle leather recliners are about the most comfortable chairs I have sat in and I'm 6-3 around 260. Now those Euro's we had in the old Bighorn weren't worth the powder to blow 'em to he!!.

retired4fun said:

Something that wasn't mentioned and no one wants to think about. If you get a boo-boo in your trailer the body repair man can match up the finish on the gel-coat and the repair is virtually unnoticeable. Not so with Filon, shows up like poop in a punch bowl. I thought the gel-coat panels were made that way. Would like for someone knowledgeable to chime in about this spray on process. A word on the recliners. Our saddle leather recliners are about the most comfortable chairs I have sat in and I'm 6-3 around 260. Now those Euro's we had in the old Bighorn weren't worth the powder to blow 'em to he!!.

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Wondered about the chairs. The last time we were at the dealer, they had those Euro-chairs in the BigHorn. Not sure I like those. But wondered if they weigh less? My husband is also 6'3" and I am 5'10". The Euro-chairs seemed a bit small. Glad to hear that the recliners are comfortable. Just wondering how they will hold up. Will probably call the factory next week to get the "straight scoop" on the sidewall finish.