I bought a new heartland Sundance XLT 281DB last month. We took it to an RV park for the first time out. You know, the ones that have paved pads, full hook ups, pools, etc. I share that to point out that it was not taken anywhere that should have tested its flex or durability. However, When we pulled in and opened the door to start setting it up, the valance and blinds over one window had fallen out. I am finding that all of the items that are screwed into the thin interior walls do not use any sort of anchor and are not screwed into any studs. Just the wall. So, I went through and put anchors into all of those screw holes throughout the entire trailer. After the first trip, we put it into the shop for warranty work. We found a broken window track, the gutter over the slide-out was crooked and ripped the trim off of the slide-out. We had a shelf under the outside fridge that was falling out, etc. We found about a full note book sheet of papers worth of things to have looked at when we put it in. Today, as I was doing a bit of cleaning after getting it back this past week. I hooked up to city water and quickly found a puddle of water in the bathroom on the floor, seeping out from the cabinets. I quickly turned off the water and mopped up al the water. I took the access panel off from under the sink and found that all of the attachments to the exterior water ports were a little loose, and did not use any teflon on the fittings. I removed all of the fittings, cleaned them, added teflon to all of the nylon on nylon threaded fittings and tightened the fittings back down. Problem solved. It just blows me away that there are so many of these little things that didn't get attention. I would suspect that there would be significantly fewer warranty claims if they would spend just $5 more on attention to detail at the factory.
Am I the only new owner who's trailer seems like a lot of corners were cut?
- Thread starter ckwall
- Start date
I totally understand your frustration, our first year of ownership was challenging, but Heartland stepped up to the plate every time. We have been full time in our B/H going on 7 years now, we love the life style and love our trailer and it has performed perfect, with many cross country pulls under our belt. If you ever get a change to go to the plant while production is running you will see the workers working their tails off, literally running from point A to point B to complete their task, you might understand why things don't get done as if you were doing it.
kowAlski631
Well-known member
Did you do an inspection before purchase? The reason I ask is because of the loose water connections. We caught several things then and during the warranty period, anything else was fixed.
Martha
Martha
JohnDar
Prolifically Gabby Member
When you buy one of these rigs, and it doesn't matter what brand, you need to be proactive and have some repair skills of your own. Stuff happens. Sometimes it is due to poor workmanship or materials, sometimes it's just due to bouncing down the road. Regardless, these forums are where you can learn what to look for and how to fix most problems.
Thank you all for the replies. We did do a walk through when we bought it, but I didn't know to check this deep into it. I know for next time. I definitely get the proactivity and self serviceability. There was a funny interaction when I was taking it off the lot. The nephew of the name sake of the dealership was the person who hitched me up and did the whole picture taking thing and all... he is a service tech. I asked him, "Did I choose the right one?". He said, "All trailers suck, but Heartland probably sucks the least". I chuckled.
RoadJunkie
Well-known member
I had a friend, let's call him "Yoda". Well, after buying a high-end class A motorcoach, he described his experiences as buying an RV, but receiving a kit; All the parts were there, you just had to assemble, reassemble, or modify the unit to become functional. You won't get bored while camping--or "glamping"--because there is always something to fix or modify. Or, you can always find someone in the campground that you can help fix or modify. Honestly...it takes a village!
danemayer
Well-known member
In June, we were at our seasonal site and I was trying to help out a Class A owner with his TVs. His rig was 2 days old and he was on his first trip. I've forgotten the brand, but it was a mid-range, probably cost several hundred thousand dollars.
His over the air antenna didn't work at all, and the cable reception was beautiful on one TV but terrible on the other two. Strangely, the one that worked was furthest from the signal booster.
While walking to the back of the coach, I had to squeeze around an out of place sliding door that closed off the kids bedroom. One of the kids had rested his feet against it and it popped right out of its tracks. The stop that held the door in place only overlapped the door by about 1/16". I put it back in place for him, but told him he'd have to get the dealer to do something with the placement of the stop.
I'm sure there was more to find. And I let him know that there was a good mobile service guy who worked the park if he had more problems.
Also had a new SOB 5'er next to us. Just a few days old. Toilet leaked around the base. Black tank leaked into the basement. Water pump fittings broke, flooding the storage bay. They were told they couldn't transport the trailer until the black tank problem was fixed, but got zero support from the manufacturer. Fortunately their dealer stepped in and arranged for mobile service to handle the problems and said they would work it out with the manufacturer.
It doesn't matter how much you pay, or who manufactures the coach. Some people have one or two problems. Others have a long list. What really counts is manufacturer and dealer support to get things fixed.
His over the air antenna didn't work at all, and the cable reception was beautiful on one TV but terrible on the other two. Strangely, the one that worked was furthest from the signal booster.
While walking to the back of the coach, I had to squeeze around an out of place sliding door that closed off the kids bedroom. One of the kids had rested his feet against it and it popped right out of its tracks. The stop that held the door in place only overlapped the door by about 1/16". I put it back in place for him, but told him he'd have to get the dealer to do something with the placement of the stop.
I'm sure there was more to find. And I let him know that there was a good mobile service guy who worked the park if he had more problems.
Also had a new SOB 5'er next to us. Just a few days old. Toilet leaked around the base. Black tank leaked into the basement. Water pump fittings broke, flooding the storage bay. They were told they couldn't transport the trailer until the black tank problem was fixed, but got zero support from the manufacturer. Fortunately their dealer stepped in and arranged for mobile service to handle the problems and said they would work it out with the manufacturer.
It doesn't matter how much you pay, or who manufactures the coach. Some people have one or two problems. Others have a long list. What really counts is manufacturer and dealer support to get things fixed.
Sadly, you're not alone but that's the problem being the first owner. You make it perfect for the next one. We bought our Sundance 267 RL in May. We liked the thoughtful elements of the design, the comfort and the price/value. I, too, had a bathroom sink leak traced to a loose fitting. Luckily I caught it before it caused any damage. The pantry shelves collapsed at first use so I had to brace them. The closet pole collapsed transferring clothing from our old rv. Screws were not set or stripped, etc. The worst was the electrical service plug was not screwed in properly (as diagnosed by Camping World on the repair) that shorted and melted the shoreline receptacle. That was scary. I figure we were very close to having a fire. Even with all of that, it is a very well and thoughtfully designed unit and we are still cautiously enjoying it. Factory workmanship, attention to detail and QC could definitely be improved. All that being said, it's par for the course for a new unit. All was covered under warranty and we have extended coverage for the future. An RV is just not the same as brick & mortar. You can't catch many of these issues in a walk-thru. Our nation's poorly maintained roads take an enormous toll. You just have to be vigilant. We took all this in stride, though not always happily. We've been full-timing for 3 years and still love the lifestyle and, yes, our rv.
SNOKING
Well-known member
Never looked at it that way! BRAKE as in STOP the sale? Chris
macjj
Well-known member
Sad to hear about your issues. Mine is a 2012, and yes I had issues. However an associate Westwind, also bought his about the same time, and it wasn't his first. I had issues, but he trumped me. Sometime I think about what they say about cars built in the spring, or on Sunday. And who would think to tear into a cabinet to inspect the plumbing during a walk through. However, I will agree with a previous comment, Heartland has always listened to my concerns and helped where they could. I can't say this is true with other brands I have had in the past. My issues have been minor compared to some detailed in this thread. I will state that Jim Belitti is and advocate for owners, and he has made things happen in the past. Good luck.
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DuaneG
Well-known member
I see some of you are still giving the manufacturers a pass. Is there any other house, car or truck you might purchase that you have to spend multiple days exploring for the defects that were overlooked.
If one of these companies stepped up and actually quality controlled their products. The word would spread quickly and other companies would loose business.
I bought mine to camp and get away not so I would have to learn how to rebuild my fifth wheel one defect at a time.
If one of these companies stepped up and actually quality controlled their products. The word would spread quickly and other companies would loose business.
I bought mine to camp and get away not so I would have to learn how to rebuild my fifth wheel one defect at a time.
kowAlski631
Well-known member
As a matter of fact, our stick and brick had a bunch of issues after purchase (brand new built for us) that took the better part of a year to discover including plumbing connections, appliances, and flooring. We had significantly less issues with our BH.
Not defending the builder of our house or Heartland - stuff happens. That's why everything has warranties.
Just saying..... Martha
jrandall283
Member
I purchased a 2014 Sundance 3000CK fifth wheel just before Labor Day 2015. It was a new unit the dealer still had on his lot. We have had it back in for compartment seals coming off, slide out seals that came off, external speakers not working and now they tell me it needs a new roof but Heartland says it's not covered under warranty! The dealer ONLY wants $4200 to replace it! BS. Anybody else have any roof problems?
You make the point that the workers are runnngs their tails off from pt A to B to get things done,well if Heartland slowed down a little bit and treated their staff as human beings and not worry about the last littler penny then their quality might see an improvement,better quality equals less warranty work,if you can pay for the ork to be completed correctly the second time than slow down and save money by doing it right the first time.
danemayer
Well-known member
Trailers that sit on the dealer lot for a couple of years often don't get maintained during that time. If the caulking hasn't been maintained, water intrusion is a strong possibility. That could be why the roof needs to be replaced.
You're not the first person to post about serious problems on rigs that sat for a long time before being sold.
$4200 is a bargain price for a new roof, probably because the dealer is trying to help.
jrandall283
Member
It was discovered that there appears to be several areas of the roof that the material is very thin and very close to opening up. Heartland is claiming these spots were caused because I covered the unit over the winter. I have been an RV owner for over 40 years and have never had a roof damaged by a commercial manufactured cover.
- - - Updated - - -
At this time, the dealer has not found any leaks yet. As I replied in another post, it's not the seams, it's the roof material that's failing.
Not sure that I understand why covering the trailer in the winter would result in thin material. Are they suggesting that the rubber roof was abraded by the rubbing of the cover? Surely the vents, antenna, AC unit, skylights, etc would have kept the cover from touching it. Otherwise, I would think that there would be clear wear marks where it did touch. What is the logic of this? I know a lot of folks believe that the cover will wear away the finish. But, enough wear to remove significant amounts of rubber roof would probably have caused the cover to fail much sooner than the roof.
But, I don't know
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