We have the HD 3950 (Love it!). It has the new optional center facing rear couches (fold up from the lower bed in the garage). This is great, but was pitched to us as "when they are down (in the sleeping position) they make a queen size bed". That isn't accurate, they in fact make two very short single beds. We'd like very much to see them reworked to eliminate the 6" gap in the center when they are both down. We travel with other couples and these are currently non-functional for sleepers. My current workaround (tacky) is to take a piece of 1/4" plywood, covered with vinyl, to cover the gap, and then a queen size blow up bed. We did spend a lot for these, sight unseen, and are very disappointed with the lack of functionality.
2011 upgrades
- Thread starter Cycloner3950
- Start date
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- 2011
jimtoo
Moderator
Hi shagan77,
Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and Family. We have a great bunch of people here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge if needed.
I have reviewed the features and options on the Heartland RVs website. I can find no place that gives reference to queen bed in garage area. I would be contacting your dealer to help you solve your problem, although, it appears you have solved it already.
Enjoy the forum and your new toy.
Jim M
Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and Family. We have a great bunch of people here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge if needed.
I have reviewed the features and options on the Heartland RVs website. I can find no place that gives reference to queen bed in garage area. I would be contacting your dealer to help you solve your problem, although, it appears you have solved it already.
Enjoy the forum and your new toy.
Jim M
ScubaSteve
Full Timer
AGREE!!! And the in the lights, and on top of the garage bunks, and...
Half Agree! I have a theromostat, but I it doesn't appear to do anything, so I'm not sure what kind of vent it is (regular or fantastic). I do know that I need to manually open it and there's a push button on it that makes the fan turn on. I'm guessing that the thermostat cuts out power to the fan when the correct temperature is achieved, but have not verified (go figure it's not mentioned in the owners manual [see my post about water heaters in the appliance section]). The part I agree with is that it should be a little farther forward along with the A/C vent. It just blows onto the bunks when they're up.
I'd also like to see an option for a third A/C in the garage. It may seem rediculous, but when it's 105 with a heat index of 120 +, two A/C's can't keep up. It does remain comfortable by comparison to outside, but it would be nice to have an A/C back there, or better yet a heat pump since there does not appear to be any furnace vents in the garage.
Another item I'd like to see is ethernet wiring. A connection at every cable/satellite connection would be great, and perhaps a rack and all the connections in that space above the back fridge in the 3950 for your router.
Also, I'd prefer a convection microwave oven rather than a regular microwave (my wife made me put that, I really don't mind the microwave
)A hitch receiver in the back for a bike rack would be nice.
Not sure why the under carraige drawer was removed in 2011, but that would have been a great place to store my waders and boots!
Oh...and how about a little more detailed owner's manual!
I know some people don't like them, but I love the new lower bunk in the 2011 garage. I guess making the back a little longer to join with the other side for a full queen bed would be better, but I'll take the two bunks with large table over the previous versions.
I also like the new and improved tv mounting space in the bedroom on the 2011, it's much better.
I'd like to see another window up top above the dining area slide similar to the window above the kitchen slide to allow a little more natural light.
Another one from the wife...a trash compactor.
A true digital surround sound stereo would be nice, but I don't think a 12V one exists.
Ohh...how about a 16 gal water heater, there's plenty of room for one.
And finally, how about a fishing package with places to store your rods up high out of reach of toddlers...just kidding, I can add that one myself
Another item I'd like to see is ethernet wiring. A connection at every cable/satellite connection would be great, and perhaps a rack and all the connections in that space above the back fridge in the 3950 for your router.
A hitch receiver in the back for a bike rack would be nice.
Not sure why the under carraige drawer was removed in 2011, but that would have been a great place to store my waders and boots!
And finally, how about a fishing package with places to store your rods up high out of reach of toddlers...just kidding, I can add that one myself
Throw in a wireless gigabit router bud and be done with it. Cheap, easy, and no limiting wires.
The hitch would be nice. I'm still dreaming of a little trailer behind mine even if the wife thinks I'm half nuts.
I cut 2" PVC pipe and used self tapping screws to mount into the floor of the bedroom in the basement using 2" pipe hangers. It all came from Home Depot. The rods just slide in (lures and all), and I have a bungy at the end that holds them all in place. Works great. My bigger kid can reach, but the little kids can't. I'll shoot a pic this weekend and post.
ScubaSteve
Full Timer
Wireless is fine. That's what I'm doing, but it'd be easier for video streaming and printing. It's mostly because I won't spend money on a new wireless laser printer.
I'd love to see pics of the rod holders! I'm thinking about making some rod holders out of PVC piping and mounting them under the frame behind the wheels.
I'd love to see pics of the rod holders! I'm thinking about making some rod holders out of PVC piping and mounting them under the frame behind the wheels.
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Thanks Jim! Appreciate your comments and welcome. When I ordered our RV these bunks weren't a standard feature. We got one of the very first ones (so we were told). Still have the problems, tried to use these bunks at Sturgis with an adult couple, gap between seats to big to be comfortable, used a 1/4" vinyl covered plywood pad to cover the gap. Had to use an air matress to cover the bunks/board combo. They tried to also use the bunks as twin beds, but the guy was 6'2" and half his legs stuck out over the end.
Maybe a retro-fit is possible? I just bought an '11 and when the couches are in the "bed" position there is no gap. Well, no unreasonable gap anyway. I think it would be a bit problematic trying to make it a seamless junction.
ckoepf
Member
I was just browsing the forums this morning and thought I would chime in on the 2011 model year options. I have not looked at any of the 2012s to see any changes.
We have a 2011 3850HD and I have made a few changes and would like to agree on a bunch of the suggested ones in this thread.
Additions / some good recommendations
1. The lights on entry - I added a switch in the curved wall across from the entry door which now turns on half of the puck lights in the ceiling in front of the cupboards. The other half of the puck lights are still on the switch under the radio.
2. Additional outlets - the comment about only having outlets under the couch side of the island was right on. I added an outlet in the wall behind and to the left of the sink for our coffee maker and added another outlet between our HD recliners for laptops or phones (this one was loads of fun to wire. lol)
3. I've gone back and changed out a bunch of the AC vents so that that are variable, instead of just redirecting air. I also added a 2nd vent in the garage area to help get extra air back there. I help with the air flow, we added our own AC in the bedroom and when running this unit, we close the bedroom and bathroom vents which help force more air to the back.
4. I also added some small, metal, wall mounted fans to help circulate air through the coach. One on the outside wall, just inside the bedroom door to push the extra bedroom AC out to the main living area and just circulate air if we don't have high amperage electric hookups. The second one is just inside the garage entry door on the outside wall next to the couch. This one has the same function as the bedroom, but for the garage. When it's really hot and we are running all AC, we leave the garage door cracked open and this fans helps push more cold air to the garage. When we don't have enough electric, it just circuits air in either direction.
Note: we use our garage for work materials while working and then haul bicycles, firewood or whatever for leisure and usually have company on the bunk in the garage for leisure trips.
5. I removed the TV wall mount and put 2 lightweight, metal wall cabinets in it's place. I made sure to add leg support underneath them to that the wall wasn't supporting the weight, just keeping them upright. This addition added tons of extra storage for either work stuff or extra gear, whatever.
6. I've added an extra DC outlet in the garage, under our new cabinets for an electric cooler. This is one we couldn't believe. There is only one 12v outlet in the whole coach which is below the stereo. That location did nothing for our electric cooler while driving.
7. Because we are in the business of battery backup, we had access to some nice large 12 volt batteries. We replaced the original 12 volt, deep cycle battery with (3) large 12 volt, High rate 490 watt per cell batteries. We can now run that 12 volt cooler for more than 3 days with no hookups or running our generator if we wanted to. The original battery would go dead in 3-4 hours if we left our coach sitting in a parking lot while on a job site.
I realize not everyone may want this, but additional batteries might be a good option for some people.
8. On top of our generator shield (the sheet metal shield around the generator in the front compartment) I added some sides to the shield so that I could slide some extra tarps and a small basket of ropes up there. All light weight stuff, but it takes up lots of space in other storage spaces.
9. I've added 2 sewer hose storage pipes under the drivers side of the coach. They are mounted on the outer edge, facing front to back, between the generator exhaust pipe and the kitchen slide. I did need to add some support to the sheet metal so it wouldn't flex or buckle from vibrations and the little extra weight from the holders and hoses. This was a nice addition for us so we don't have to keep those dirty, smelly hoses inside anywhere and they are quickly accessible for dumping when we have had no hookups.
Planned additions and possible recommendations
1. Additional porch light by garage entry door (already suggested and a much needed addition)
2. I don't necessarily agree with the flood lights on with reverse, but at least have a switch up front by the landing gear for quick access to turning on the flood lights when backing in at night.
3. Shelve(s) above or next to the bed. Definitely need this. I just haven't gotten to it yet.
4. Under bed storage in the bedroom. I'm planning on adding something there, but I have not looked under the bed to see how much space is available around the slide hardware.
5. There appears to be lots of wasted space under the stairs entering the hallway to the bedroom and bath, as well as behind the HD recliners/under that side of the bathroom. I know there are some sewer pipes there, but not a lot else. I'm planning modifying all of this space to have a nice long storage compartment from outside the coach. We'll use it for awning poles, our flags, possibly our popup awning (if I can get the door big enough), other little items that just clutter the main compartment. It could be used for fishing poles, sewer hose, etc.
The other option with the stairs (if not having an outside door) would be to have a hinge where 1 or 2 of the steps could flip up for storage of small items under the stairs. Dog leashes, extra shoes, flashlights, etc.
One big thing we complained about to ourselves with our 3850 was the lack of storage compartments overall when compared to our previous Jayco Designer.
6. In the 3850 there really is no space around the television to mount anything extra. In our case, we are using one of those digital/analog converter boxes. I know we don't NEED it because the TV has a digital tuner, but the tuner in the converter box must be stronger than the tv. We can get almost twice as many channels through the converter box than we do with the tv. And yes, this is with the amplifier on. Anyway, I'm going to add a small shelf under the tv mount. People having satelite boxes must really be lost here.
Other comments
1. lower bunk in garage - ours just about touches in the middle, like I believe it's supposed to. However we've been told it's still uncomfortable. So we have used 2 different options which both seemed to work well. Our friends stayed with us for a weekend and brought their memory foam pad out of their camper to use over the bed. They said it was very comfortable. The other option, if you're not using the upper bunk, is to take the mattress off the upper bunk and put it on top of the lower bunk cushions. My parents stayed on this and said it was very comfortable as well.
2. Fridge door when closed - I read a comment about this and I was big on this, which is why we went with the 3850. The fridge door DOES actually open, but it's really tight. Depending on the angle of the coach while stopped, it sometimes opens freely. Other times we have to put pressure on the outer edge and push toward the hinges to get it opened. We have not made any scratches on the door or the countertop yet and have done this a bunch of times. This was a major deal for us. Lots of times we're stopped and would like to access the fridge (shopping while on route). A simple notch or straight edge on the counter would alleviate this.
3. It would be nice to have separate slide controls. I realize this would require 3 solenoids and 3 switches, along with a few extra hoses, but would be great for our use. There are many times where we've stopped quick for the night in a rest area or a Wal-Mart and don't want to open all the slides. Or the option to access the fridge on other models with opening all 3 slides.
4. same key option would be great
5. space next to be in bedroom. Not sure how to resolve this, but it is tight as others have mentioned.
6. A collapsible roof ladder would be great too. I have been leaving ours on because I can't stand having it in the garage. I've contacted Jayco about purchasing one of theirs, but they are between suppliers at the moment.
I'm sure there's a few more, but that's all I can remember at the moment. Hopefully this info is helpful to some others and to the factory for future models.
We have a 2011 3850HD and I have made a few changes and would like to agree on a bunch of the suggested ones in this thread.
Additions / some good recommendations
1. The lights on entry - I added a switch in the curved wall across from the entry door which now turns on half of the puck lights in the ceiling in front of the cupboards. The other half of the puck lights are still on the switch under the radio.
2. Additional outlets - the comment about only having outlets under the couch side of the island was right on. I added an outlet in the wall behind and to the left of the sink for our coffee maker and added another outlet between our HD recliners for laptops or phones (this one was loads of fun to wire. lol)
3. I've gone back and changed out a bunch of the AC vents so that that are variable, instead of just redirecting air. I also added a 2nd vent in the garage area to help get extra air back there. I help with the air flow, we added our own AC in the bedroom and when running this unit, we close the bedroom and bathroom vents which help force more air to the back.
4. I also added some small, metal, wall mounted fans to help circulate air through the coach. One on the outside wall, just inside the bedroom door to push the extra bedroom AC out to the main living area and just circulate air if we don't have high amperage electric hookups. The second one is just inside the garage entry door on the outside wall next to the couch. This one has the same function as the bedroom, but for the garage. When it's really hot and we are running all AC, we leave the garage door cracked open and this fans helps push more cold air to the garage. When we don't have enough electric, it just circuits air in either direction.
Note: we use our garage for work materials while working and then haul bicycles, firewood or whatever for leisure and usually have company on the bunk in the garage for leisure trips.
5. I removed the TV wall mount and put 2 lightweight, metal wall cabinets in it's place. I made sure to add leg support underneath them to that the wall wasn't supporting the weight, just keeping them upright. This addition added tons of extra storage for either work stuff or extra gear, whatever.
6. I've added an extra DC outlet in the garage, under our new cabinets for an electric cooler. This is one we couldn't believe. There is only one 12v outlet in the whole coach which is below the stereo. That location did nothing for our electric cooler while driving.
7. Because we are in the business of battery backup, we had access to some nice large 12 volt batteries. We replaced the original 12 volt, deep cycle battery with (3) large 12 volt, High rate 490 watt per cell batteries. We can now run that 12 volt cooler for more than 3 days with no hookups or running our generator if we wanted to. The original battery would go dead in 3-4 hours if we left our coach sitting in a parking lot while on a job site.
I realize not everyone may want this, but additional batteries might be a good option for some people.
8. On top of our generator shield (the sheet metal shield around the generator in the front compartment) I added some sides to the shield so that I could slide some extra tarps and a small basket of ropes up there. All light weight stuff, but it takes up lots of space in other storage spaces.
9. I've added 2 sewer hose storage pipes under the drivers side of the coach. They are mounted on the outer edge, facing front to back, between the generator exhaust pipe and the kitchen slide. I did need to add some support to the sheet metal so it wouldn't flex or buckle from vibrations and the little extra weight from the holders and hoses. This was a nice addition for us so we don't have to keep those dirty, smelly hoses inside anywhere and they are quickly accessible for dumping when we have had no hookups.
Planned additions and possible recommendations
1. Additional porch light by garage entry door (already suggested and a much needed addition)
2. I don't necessarily agree with the flood lights on with reverse, but at least have a switch up front by the landing gear for quick access to turning on the flood lights when backing in at night.
3. Shelve(s) above or next to the bed. Definitely need this. I just haven't gotten to it yet.
4. Under bed storage in the bedroom. I'm planning on adding something there, but I have not looked under the bed to see how much space is available around the slide hardware.
5. There appears to be lots of wasted space under the stairs entering the hallway to the bedroom and bath, as well as behind the HD recliners/under that side of the bathroom. I know there are some sewer pipes there, but not a lot else. I'm planning modifying all of this space to have a nice long storage compartment from outside the coach. We'll use it for awning poles, our flags, possibly our popup awning (if I can get the door big enough), other little items that just clutter the main compartment. It could be used for fishing poles, sewer hose, etc.
The other option with the stairs (if not having an outside door) would be to have a hinge where 1 or 2 of the steps could flip up for storage of small items under the stairs. Dog leashes, extra shoes, flashlights, etc.
One big thing we complained about to ourselves with our 3850 was the lack of storage compartments overall when compared to our previous Jayco Designer.
6. In the 3850 there really is no space around the television to mount anything extra. In our case, we are using one of those digital/analog converter boxes. I know we don't NEED it because the TV has a digital tuner, but the tuner in the converter box must be stronger than the tv. We can get almost twice as many channels through the converter box than we do with the tv. And yes, this is with the amplifier on. Anyway, I'm going to add a small shelf under the tv mount. People having satelite boxes must really be lost here.
Other comments
1. lower bunk in garage - ours just about touches in the middle, like I believe it's supposed to. However we've been told it's still uncomfortable. So we have used 2 different options which both seemed to work well. Our friends stayed with us for a weekend and brought their memory foam pad out of their camper to use over the bed. They said it was very comfortable. The other option, if you're not using the upper bunk, is to take the mattress off the upper bunk and put it on top of the lower bunk cushions. My parents stayed on this and said it was very comfortable as well.
2. Fridge door when closed - I read a comment about this and I was big on this, which is why we went with the 3850. The fridge door DOES actually open, but it's really tight. Depending on the angle of the coach while stopped, it sometimes opens freely. Other times we have to put pressure on the outer edge and push toward the hinges to get it opened. We have not made any scratches on the door or the countertop yet and have done this a bunch of times. This was a major deal for us. Lots of times we're stopped and would like to access the fridge (shopping while on route). A simple notch or straight edge on the counter would alleviate this.
3. It would be nice to have separate slide controls. I realize this would require 3 solenoids and 3 switches, along with a few extra hoses, but would be great for our use. There are many times where we've stopped quick for the night in a rest area or a Wal-Mart and don't want to open all the slides. Or the option to access the fridge on other models with opening all 3 slides.
4. same key option would be great
5. space next to be in bedroom. Not sure how to resolve this, but it is tight as others have mentioned.
6. A collapsible roof ladder would be great too. I have been leaving ours on because I can't stand having it in the garage. I've contacted Jayco about purchasing one of theirs, but they are between suppliers at the moment.
I'm sure there's a few more, but that's all I can remember at the moment. Hopefully this info is helpful to some others and to the factory for future models.
rrawsonran
Member
Electric from inverter should power microwave so you can cook without waking up the camp by having to start generator early in morning. I moved my microwave circuit to the inverter by way of inverter powered outlet in passthru storage area. Also changed micro outlet to dual outlet and installed Keurig coffee maker in the cubboard next to microwave. Bathroom lower storage door should be frosted instead of mirrored as it faces toilet and know one wants to see themselves while sitting on toilet. Slides should be set up so kitchen goes out first and then living room so when quikie lunch or accsess to fridge is needed you dont do bedroom first. Prewire to roof for solar panel option during initial wire install with sealed outlet box up there.
