Landmarks new 5 year warranty will cost you $1800 or more to keep it.

Yes there 5 year structure warranty is going to cost the owner at lease $1800. and guessing you can add $1000.00 or more to that price. You must have the unit checked by a dealer to keep the 5 years going. Each year you have to take it in, have all the outside checked and the caulk or anything else taken care of. If they see it needs doing.
Had our place were looking at buying from check into this . He told us it would run around $360 for the shop to do the checks to keep this warranty active.
Great ideal on there part, But being you can buy a extended warranty for the same or less that would cover more? Not sure if its worth it to to us. I know there's a lot of people that can't or wont do there own maintenance on there unit, like re caulk the unit and other items..

We may just go with a unit off the lot and forgo the extra warranty that's costing more cash out of our pocket.


Pete

I've never been a big believer in extended warranties. I've had one with Good Sams and had problems getting them to approve a claim on my air conditioner. Ever since then my DW puts in an escrow account the premium we would have had to pay with additions each year for needed repairs...
Works for us.
Haven't had to withdraw any funds for over two years...and the escrow account is drawing interest...

wildwolfproducts said:

Yes there 5 year structure warranty is going to cost the owner at lease $1800. and guessing you can add $1000.00 or more to that price. You must have the unit checked by a dealer to keep the 5 years going. Each year you have to take it in, have all the outside checked and the caulk or anything else taken care of. If they see it needs doing.
Had our place were looking at buying from check into this . He told us it would run around $360 for the shop to do the checks to keep this warranty active.
Great ideal on there part, But being you can buy a extended warranty for the same or less that would cover more? Not sure if its worth it to to us. I know there's a lot of people that can't or wont do there own maintenance on there unit, like re caulk the unit and other items..

We may just go with a unit off the lot and forgo the extra warranty that's costing more cash out of our pocket.

Pete

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That was my initial concern about this "warranty" - that it would cost so much to maintain that most of us wouldn't want to follow it up.

It only makes sense to Heartland in two ways: it makes good marketing copy; it's so inconvenient and costly that Heartland will never have to honor it.

It's basically just smoke and mirrors to me...

Did anyone really believe in the "free lunch"...regardless of manufacture, there is no such thing.

If a shop told you it would cost $360 to check your caulking, I want to work there. If you do your own caulking, it would take a half to one hour labor for us to do a visual and minor testing. If we do work, maybe 1.5? Our rate is $98 hour, $60 half hour minimum. Most of the shops in our end of the state vary from $90 to $120 hr. $360 is out of line unless they are talking hooking it up to a Seal-Tech Machine?

You need to separate the inspection from the repair work. If you've maintained the caulking, the inspection should be pretty trivial and certainly a lot less than $360. If you intend to have the dealer do the caulking, it'll cost you more. But either way you have to maintain the caulking. If you choose to ignore it, you're likely to get structural damage from water intrusion.

As to buying 3rd party coverage, Good Sam's says:

The Terms and Conditions of the attached Master Policy provide mechanical breakdown coverage due to failure of a defective covered part
or faulty workmanship of a covered part as originally supplied by the manufacturer and under normal service. In order to maintain the full
benefit of the coverage you must maintain your Vehicle in accordance with service requirements as recommended by the manufacturer,
keep a record of maintenance validated (signed and stamped) by a licensed repair facility, and keep receipts and work orders showing date,
mileage, and service performed.

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Some of that sounds just like what Heartland is requiring.

They also EXCLUDE:

Any loss or damage to the overall structure both internal and external, including but not limited to Frames, Bumpers, Walls, Floor, Roof, Siding, Doors, Remote or manually actuated panels or covers, Windows, Glass, Weather stripping and moldings, Cabinets...

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I doubt that any extended warranty or service agreement would cover water damage coming from poor maintenance.

slmayor said:

If a shop told you it would cost $360 to check your caulking, I want to work there. If you do your own caulking, it would take a half to one hour labor for us to do a visual and minor testing. If we do work, maybe 1.5? Our rate is $98 hour, $60 half hour minimum. Most of the shops in our end of the state vary from $90 to $120 hr. $360 is out of line unless they are talking hooking it up to a Seal-Tech Machine?

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HeartLand told them what they had to do, in order to fill out the paper work each year. Then after they fill out your part, you send it in.
This price was what the dealer's shop would charge for all the items and work the Factory told them they would have to do. I agree the price they charge per hour sounds like a ripoff. But then again they can charge what the public will pay.
Quote from the Email..((3. The 5 year service is at the expense of the customer. My service department advised me it would be a minimum of 3 hours labor x $120 each = $360.))

danemayer said:

As to buying 3rd party coverage, Good Sam's says:

The Terms and Conditions of the attached Master Policy provide mechanical breakdown coverage due to failure of a defective covered part
or faulty workmanship of a covered part as originally supplied by the manufacturer and under normal service. In order to maintain the full
benefit of the coverage you must maintain your Vehicle in accordance with service requirements as recommended by the manufacturer,
keep a record of maintenance validated (signed and stamped) by a licensed repair facility, and keep receipts and work orders showing date,
mileage, and service performed.

Click to expand...

Federal law supersedes that nonsense.

Federal law supersedes that nonsense.

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Porthole, I assume you're referring to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. The law allows the manufacturer to require reasonable and necessary maintenance. Here's the relevant section of the law:

(c) Waiver of standards The performance of the duties under subsection (a) of this section shall not be required of the warrantor if he can show that the defect, malfunction, or failure of any warranted consumer product to conform with a written warranty, was caused by damage (not resulting from defect or malfunction) while in the possession of the consumer, or unreasonable use (including failure to provide reasonable and necessary maintenance).

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The onus is on the manufacturer that you did or did not provide maintenance and if the parts you installed did cause the failure.

You are not required by any law to prove that you followed all maintenance schedules, unless you signed some document stating so.

Went through this a lot when I was a Class A tech for new car dealers.
Even when it was obvious that the consumer did not maintain his vehicle we still did the warranty repairs because it is impossible to prove the consumer failed to do what is required.

Re-read what you quoted.
What you are quoting is no the same as the Good Sam quote.

porthole said:

The onus is on the manufacturer that you did or did not provide maintenance and if the parts you installed did cause the failure.

You are not required by any law to prove that you followed all maintenance schedules, unless you signed some document stating so.

Went through this a lot when I was a Class A tech for new car dealers.
Even when it was obvious that the consumer did not maintain his vehicle we still did the warranty repairs because it is impossible to prove the consumer failed to do what is required.

Re-read what you quoted.
What you are quoting is no the same as the Good Sam quote.

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I bet when you buy the new unit, its in the contract you sign. But again anyone that buys a unit and spends this kind of cash on it. Should want to keep it anyways. But then again I'm sure theres plenty of folks that buy one and expect it to not need anything done to it for years. LOL
Pete

My opinion is that Heartland's 5 year structural warranty is a great addition. And it seems pretty reasonable to me that Heartland requires you to properly maintain the rig in order to be protected by the warranty. After all, Heartland is not warranting against water damage; they're warranting against manufacturing defects discovered after the typical 1 year trailer warranty. The inspection protects Heartland from water damage issues that look like structural defects. The inspection will also help owners avoid water damage.

Some people think they can avoid the inspection requirement by buying this coverage elsewhere for less. Go for it, but maybe you should read the coverage details first. For example structural damage isn't covered by the Good Sam Policy, and for what they do cover, maintenance records are required by the policy. Maybe they enforce that, maybe they don't Take your chances.

Some people think a maintenance inspection ought to be at Heartland's expense. Ok, think that, but since Heartland hasn't offered to pay, you get to decide if you want the improved warranty coverage or if you'll take your chances.

Some people think the Federal Gov't will force Heartland to provide the new warranty without inspections. I've read the Magnuson-Moss Act and I'm guessing that the lawyers who wrote the new warranty also read it and know what they're doing. I'd get the inspections, but if you're sure you're right, go for it.

My bottom line: thanks to Heartland for providing a better warranty. On our next purchase, we all have the choice to take advantage of it or to ignore it.