Are We Just Unlucky?

[Disheartened]

We own a 2012 Heartland Big Country 3690SL. A couple weeks ago we pulled into Moab, UT. Upon our arrival two couples rushed over to greet us, they were Heartland owners and apparantly we had just missed the Heartland Roundup. They were clearly Heartland fans. When asked what we thought of our RV and I sheepishly admitted it's been a huge disappointment. The quality of constuction, reliability and customer service have been terrible. We've had no end of maintenace problems in our 5 months of actual use (refridgerator, wheel bushings, water pump, finish chipping off the cabinets after 6 weeks of use, hot water tank blow out, rear feet failure, tire blow out after 5,000 miles of use, shower controls to mention a few). All these repairs are very inconvenient and it's gotten expensive. Further we've found Heartland Customer Service to be less than gracious. The couples said that had not been their experience suggested if we posted on the forum maybe some one at Heartland would finally hear our dissatisfaction. At the very least it allows us to say we truely regret buying our RV, would never consider another nor would we recommend one to a perspective owner.

 

[danemayer]

Hi Disheartened,

Sorry to hear that your experience hasn't been good. It's not unusual to have a few problems the first year. But I notice your trailer is a 2012, which may have been manufactured four years ago, and of course the warranty would have expired quite a while ago.

Was your 5 months of actual use spread out over 3 or 4 years, or perhaps are you a 2nd owner of this 2012 Big Country?

 

[Disheartened]

Hi Disheartened,

Sorry to hear that your experience hasn't been good. It's not unusual to have a few problems the first year. But I notice your trailer is a 2012, which may have been manufactured four years ago, and of course the warranty would have expired quite a while ago.

Was your 5 months of actual use spread out over 3 or 4 years, or perhaps are you a 2nd owner of this 2012 Big Country?

We did expect some growing pains but nothing like the deluge we've had. We purchased the RV used in 2012, it had been used for 3 months by the previous owner who decided they wanted a Class A. It's spent most of the last 3 years in storage, we used it for 4 months straight last year and a month so far this year. Believe me, I am well aware the warranty has expired.

 

[donr827]

I sympathies' with your problems but it is not a good idea to let a RV sit 3 years in storage in my opinion. When mine was not used for 2 years because of health problems I would take the trailer for a short ride every month to exercise the breaks and bearings. I would also use all the systems every 4-6 months. JMO
Don

 

[danemayer]

We did expect some growing pains but nothing like the deluge we've had. We purchased the RV used in 2012, it had been used for 3 months by the previous owner who decided they wanted a Class A. It's spent most of the last 3 years in storage, we used it for 4 months straight last year and a month so far this year. Believe me, I am well aware the warranty has expired.

After warranty expires, in the interest of customer satisfaction, sometimes Heartland will fix things that break. But as you've no doubt discovered, warranties don't transfer to 2nd owners, and 3 years after warranty expiration, an accommodation for a 2nd owner would be for a pretty exceptional situation.

The owners who regularly participate on this forum have an unmatched collective experience when it comes to resolving every kind of trailer issue. If you still have unresolved problems, and aren't sure what to do, I'm sure that you can get some good advice here.

 

[JohnD]

Sorry to hear of the issues you are experiencing.

I think the key word to your problems are with the fact that the trailer was used.

Our first travel trailer was (well) used . . . and even though it was very old (1978 trailer purchased in 2000), the people we bought it from said everything worked . . . but of course, being newbies, we took their word for it!

Well . . . come to find out, the only things that worked in that trailer was the electric (ie.- we could plug things in and didn't blow anything up) and the furnace . . . which we only ever used once in the 12 years we owned it.

We called it our tent on wheels . . . and the other name I had for it (and was going to have it painted on the back like boat owners do) was 'Trailer Trash'.

The roof and all of the water and sewer tanks leaked like a sieve . . .

Heck . . . even the trailer brakes on it only worked when we didn't need brakes (ie.- going up hill) . . . but rolling down the other side of Wolf Creek Pass . . . NO BRAKES . . . AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

But we learned to live with it and had a lot of fun with that old beast over the years.

In 2012, we purchased a brand new 2013 Heartland Trail Runner that brought us into the 21st century of camping and we loved it.

We had our share of issues with it . . . mostly minor stuff compared to what others around here have experienced with their RV's.

But two years into our Trail Runner and 1000 miles from home, we had major suspension issues!

We paid a large sum of change to get us through our vacation and then home . . . and then the real fun began!

To make a long story short, after finding out what was going on with this new trailer (despite being a year and half out of warranty), Heartland and Lippert (axle manufacturer) stepped up to the plate and not only replaced the parts, but upgraded them to the next level!

I did pay the labor charges plus all other associated charges to make the trailer better, but Heartland and Lippert did stand behind their products and provided the parts to make it right!

Now, it wasn't an easy road to get them to cover it out of warranty . . . but the key factor here is that we did purchase the Trail Runner brand new, so we were the original owners!

We had the Trail Runner fixed six weeks ago, but we decided to trade it in and upgrade to a new 2015 5th-wheeler . . .

But we did stay with the Heartland brand!

Footnote: Our Trail Runner didn't last a week on the dealers lot before it was sold.

 

[Bob&Patty]

Sorry about your issues....but. Your "used" BC sat for three years and never moved?? Tires rot, wheel bearing grease dries up, exterior caulking goes bad, rubber seals rot and dry up. battery's go bad, etc, etc. What do you think a S/B home would be like if it was left sitting empty for 3 years with no care at all. Let your car or truck set 3 years and see what shape its in. Wont be good. What did you expect HL to do for you 3-4 years out of warranty?? Neglect does not fall under warranty no matter what the product is. So here we are, your mad and berating HL because you neglected the coach and now you have problems. Harsh statements...maybe, but as RV owners we need to be responsible for our own actions and not blame everybody else. Not very "PC" I guess, but "it is what it is". JMHO

 

[MRBailey]

I second what Bob&Patty said. It is not very PC, but it is honest. You can't let your RV sit for three years and not perform the proper maintenance and expect it to run as though you just bought it. Sorry. Even ours needs maintenance and it doesn't sit for very long usually.

Sorry about your issues....but. Your "used" BC sat for three years and never moved?? Tires rot, wheel bearing grease dries up, exterior caulking goes bad, rubber seals rot and dry up. battery's go bad, etc, etc. What do you think a S/B home would be like if it was left sitting empty for 3 years with no care at all. Let your car or truck set 3 years and see what shape its in. Wont be good. What did you expect HL to do for you 3-4 years out of warranty?? Neglect does not fall under warranty no matter what the product is. So here we are, your mad and berating HL because you neglected the coach and now you have problems. Harsh statements...maybe, but as RV owners we need to be responsible for our own actions and not blame everybody else. Not very "PC" I guess, but "it is what it is". JMHO

 

[fredwrichardson]

Even if you buy a new one you will have issues. It comes with the territory. Use to own a boat and for every hour I went boating I spent an hour fixing something. My RV is not that bad but I have found Heartland to be very supportive even when the issue was not theirs. One thing I would do is find a good RV shop that Heartland can approve for work. Our dealer is a hour and a half away and takes to long to fix things. We found a RV repair shop (they only repair) that is 25 minutes away and Heartland has approved them for both warranty and non warranty repair (means they will support the shop with advise and documentation even when it is not on their dime). Also the tire blow out happened to us to and it caused a lot of damage but we hit some debris in the road and Heartland cannot be responsible for that. It the tire was defective then the tire company should take care of it. We just came back from a 3,600 trip to Disneyworld from Santa Fe, NM and back. We had to reset our battery charger and our residential refrigerator had some issues with the inverter because of batteries not charging properly while towing. Besides these minor issues the trip went very well and the family was very happy.

 

[Bob&Patty]

Fred, the OP had no warranty when he bought it used in 2012. My post might have been a little harsh, sure. His coach could be 4 years old now and with no maintance in 4 years ( sitting 3 of that) what would one expect when you just hookup and go.

 

[Disheartened]

Sorry about your issues....but. Your "used" BC sat for three years and never moved?? Tires rot, wheel bearing grease dries up, exterior caulking goes bad, rubber seals rot and dry up. battery's go bad, etc, etc. What do you think a S/B home would be like if it was left sitting empty for 3 years with no care at all. Let your car or truck set 3 years and see what shape its in. Wont be good. What did you expect HL to do for you 3-4 years out of warranty?? Neglect does not fall under warranty no matter what the product is. So here we are, your mad and berating HL because you neglected the coach and now you have problems. Harsh statements...maybe, but as RV owners we need to be responsible for our own actions and not blame everybody else. Not very "PC" I guess, but "it is what it is". JMHO

Cranky is indeed an apt discription for you sir. There's no need for you to assume abject stupidity and our part, I simplified for ease of communication.

Even assuming your presumption is correct, no level of "neglect" would account for the finish chipping off the cabinets after a six weeks of use, for the water pump being screwed into thin air, for the refridgerator not being properly vented, or for continuing to use tires that have been proven to be problematic.

 

[danemayer]

Cranky is indeed an apt discription for you sir. There's no need for you to assume abject stupidity and our part, I simplified for ease of communication.

Even assuming your presumption is correct, no level of "neglect" would account for the finish chipping off the cabinets after a six weeks of use, for the water pump being screwed into thin air, for the refridgerator not being properly vented, or for continuing to use tires that have been proven to be problematic.

Is there anything we can do to help you?

 

[Disheartened]

Is there anything we can do to help you?

No, I don't guess there is. I was hoping Heartland would take notice of our troubled experience with a disappointing product and take ownership.

 

[buddyboy]

I

No, I don't guess there is. I was hoping Heartland would take notice of our troubled experience with a disappointing product and take ownership.

I'm sure all of us on this forum - fellow owners of Heartland products - feel your disappointment. You purchased the 5th wheel to make good memories in. We all get that since that's why we did the same. Many of us, including us, have learned that we can't put these trailers away and not expect issues when we're able to resume travel. Humidity, cold, heat, beating sun, ice, snow all have effects and 99% of the time those effects are not positive.

This year we had to replace 3 tires (no, not Towmax since we'd replaced them), have a propane problem analyzed and repaired, caulk examined and repaired, roof resealed, and inverter/charger replaced. This was after we had a water hose burst causing us to remove the coreplast and dry up the basement. We were lucky that we had an extended warranty which covered the propane and inverter/charger problems, but the rest were on our dime. This was after storage of only 6 months. You stored yours for 3 years. Wood finishes become brittle, mechanics break down when not used no matter who's the manufacturer.

We got everything fixed and are having a great time traveling again. Hope you can also.

Martha

 

[scottyb]

I'm very sorry for your problems. It sounds like you just want out rather than getting help working through your issues. This forum is great for the latter. My rig(s) never get stored without minimal climate control (AC set on 82 or heat set for 42). My fridge runs year round and I exercise the generator and run the AC's once a month, with a load for at least 15 - 30 min. Yes, it adds a bit to my overall electric cost at home, but it is worth it to keep things nice and fresh. I realize that this is not a possibility for everyone, and if so, other means have to be employed. Good luck in whichever direction you choose.

 

[wdk450]

You might want to think about getting whole RV insurance through someone like Good Sam. Pay careful note to any possible exclusions before signing up.

 

[Bob&Patty]

Well sir, I assume that all these thing happened in the first 6 weeks of ownership 4 year's ago...or are these failures after the BC sat for almost 3 years and owning it for 4 years? As to the tire issues, this has been a KNOWN fact for years and not just HL uses these tires. Regardless, a tire that sits for year's at a time can fail from dry rot no matter who made it. Bearings can fail if not properly maintained. How often do you have them repacked? When was the last time you checked all the caulking? As to the cabinets, HL buys them just as you would do if you went to a HD or Lowes they don't make them in house. So here we are, I did not assume you were dumb or stupid by any means but maybe you just did not do proper maintenance in 4 years of ownership. Cranky...maybe....PC..no...maybe too honest...yes. BUT, if you came to me and asked me for help on your coach, I would jump in with both feet. I learned a long time ago that ranting, raving and berating a person or product will normally will get you nothing. Asking for help in a calm way will get you all the help you need.

 

[Sweetlilwvgirl]

We bought a new 2012 big country. It has been horrible. Too many problems to list. The biggest being that the outside is de laminating in a big way. Still trying to find some help. DO NOT buy a big country


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[codycarver]

we've found Heartland Customer Service to be less than gracious. The couples said that had not been their experience suggested if we posted on the forum maybe some one at Heartland would finally hear our dissatisfaction. At the very least it allows us to say we truely regret buying our RV, would never consider another nor would we recommend one to a perspective owner.

Having been a Heartland "cheerleader" for years I have to say with great sadness that I to am finding Heartland's customer service not what it used to be. For years if I needed anything I would email my needs along with my vin and with in a couple days I'd hear back. The service was nothing short of spectacular! In the last month I've sent two requests and to date have got no reply. Last night while visiting our neighbors who recently purchased a Bighorn based largely on our experience and recommendation they let me know how unimpressed they were so far with Heartland's customer service.

Makes it very hard to encourage anyone to purchase a Heartland.

 

[justafordguy]

That is odd, I've had two different warranty issues in the last few months and with one call each, both issues were handled right away. Very nice on the phone and no delay in getting my parts shipped out.