2018 Heartland Bighorn crack in body

[Jillmmcf]

We have a 2018 heartland bighorn. An 8-in crack has now appeared above our slide from the corner of the slide up to the roof. This was not caused by an impact. Has anyone else had the body of the fifth wheel just crack and if so do you just take it to a body shop and have them fix the fiberglass. We called the company and they said it is purely a cosmetic issue not anything structural. Any advice on how we can get this crack fixed would be very helpful. We have waterproof silicone on it right now to keep from leaking. Very disappointed that this happened on such a newer fifth wheel though

 

[southernlady5464]

Yes, they are called stress cracks and all manufacturers are prone to the (at least those with slides). They can be fixed. If you are diy talented, there are YouTubes to help. Otherwise get them fixed by a technicians. We have had three and getting a fourth one fixed this fall.

 

[Jillmmcf]

Thank you for the information. Appreciate the feedback.

 

[Garypowell]

We had same problem and it is probably structural. W e had our rig at factory to repair frame flex in front by pin and they tried “cosmetic” fix on our crack by slide. Left and one day later crack was back. Returned at end of that trip and they took side apart to find cage was cracked.
I’d call them again.

 

[Jillmmcf]

Thank you. We will look into that.

 

[danemayer]

While I wouldn't say the problem you've described is common, it has been reported here by a few owners. Sometimes it's cosmetic. But, it could be a broken weld in the aluminum framing inside the wall. One approach would be to have the fiberglas repaired and see if the fix lasts. If the crack reappears, you'll have to go deeper.

Depending on exactly when you purchased the rig, you may have a 3 year structural warranty. Check your trailer manual for details. If you do, you should again call Heartland Customer Service at (574) 262-8030 or (877) 262-8032. Have your VIN # ready. Discuss the warranty and the possibility of a structural problem.

If it turns out to be cosmetic, and you have to pay a bit extra to have the interior structure inspected, that's probably a good investment for peace of mind.

 

[david-steph2018]

We had a similar crack on our Road Warrior last year. We took it to Affinity RV Group in Goshen, Ind. per Heartland. Our crack was structural and caused by the aluminum frame welds breaking. The fix was they cut the fiberglass out, rewelded the broken welds and then placed a plate over the repair and welded it in place. Then the fiberglass was repaired, painted. Because of being a warranty claim thru Heartland the repair took 9 days.
Take numerous photos and call Heartland back.

 

[porthole]

Off door side main slide, forward top corner?

 

[Jillmmcf]

Off door side main slide, forward top corner?

No opposite side kitchen/entertainment slide. Above refrigerator area.

 

[Kbvols]

Good luck with Heartland and Affinity. You can PM me and I will gladly share my experience with both.

 

[Jillmmcf]

Good luck with Heartland and Affinity. You can PM me and I will gladly share my experience with both.

Thank you

 

[Tony64]

Good luck with Heartland and Affinity. You can PM me and I will gladly share my experience with both.

Hi seen you had a structure problem on your bighorn and had to deal with heartland
I have a crack above kitchen slide on a big Country 3950 just going to start the process of talking to Heartland have you got any info that may be usefully
Thanks Tony64

 

[private792]

2014 heartland torque crack inside and out

 

[mlpeloquin]

I believe I have stated before that I too had a crack that developed into a big bulge. The cracks happen on almost every brand/manufactures units. Not all units though. I was shown, by my independent repair facility owner, at least twelve units with crack as a few with bulges just sitting in his yard for repair. The fix is not cheep. The outside skin must be removed. Wall stud welds fixed, and then plating put in for added support.