Bad experience so far

[Relayman]

We purchased a 2017 3270RS BigHorn . I had to return it to the dealer to address problems. we took procession of our unit one day...
ExploreUSA picked it up the next day to address the water leaking from the ac system (TSB from Dometic) and an E1 code on the front thermostat . they had it for a few days. we picked it up..and prepared to head out on our first trip. HOWEVER...the inverter was throwing a low voltage code. the converter was not charging the batteries. talked to exploreusa...they said swing by and they would get us going. i had to charge the batteries a couple of hours to allow the inverter to power the fridge.the found a DC overload tripped..and reset it. off we went . when we made the 3 hour trip back home...we found the fridge temp high and the ice in the ice maker melting. the inverter had failed . also...the hot and cold water lines in the shower are reversed. So now...here we sit . the dealer says five weeks before we can get our camper back. I can't understand why it would take so long to swap two water lines ( which NEVER should have left the factory like that). and replace an inverter. We had a trip to Arkansas planning to leave on the 22nd. Guess what. not gonna happen. It's a tough pill to swallow paying as much as we did for our Bighorn..and can't use it.
I AM NOT HAPPY. This blows the whole summer for us. Buying a new camper is supposed to an enjoyable experience with no issues to deal with..no stress...but this has not happened for us. it's one thing after another. I spent a LOT of my retirement savings so we could enjoy life camping with friends and family . this has NOT been the case. We are not happy. I continously wonder "what next" ? Heartland needs to make this right. We are horribly disappointed. the guys at explorerusa USA are great.
but not being able to use our camper is just wrong. I asked the service guy at explore USA why he couldn't remove an inverter from another unit to get us on the road..he said they didn't do that. so I asked if they ordered the repair part..i would go on vacation , ice chest the food till we could plug up..then bring the unit back for install. he said we could but would have to put down a deposit on the cost of the repair part. FOR WARRANTY WORK!!!!?????. Ridiculous. I'm thinking about trading this unit . we looked at a Cardinal, and a Montanna. but the Bighorn had everything we wanted . Evidently....much more than we wanted. there are two foam blocks in the supply duct that seperated the living area and bed/ bath areas because of the bath skylight light and vent fan placement. it should not be that way. you should be able to run either unit to cool. blocks were acheap fix. sad.

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[SNOKING]

Have you talked with Heartland CS about your issues. They seem to very supportive and even offer to let one use a mobile tech to service items. They have been also noted to send parts directly to users to install or have installed.

Chris

 

[JohnD]

Sorry to hear of your issues . . .

Perhaps you can get someone higher up at the dealership to get the ball rolling so you don't have to wait so long for the warranty repairs.

We got our new Prowler last year at the end of May and found several warranty issues with it, however, none of them stopped us from being able to use the trailer, so by the end of the summer we had a long list of things to fix.

After our last campout in October, we arranged to take it in to the dealership for the warranty repairs . . . they told us three weeks . . . didn't get it back until 10 weeks later (middle of January).

They did some of the repairs and some were just half@$$ed fixes (as we found out on our trip to Tucson in February), plus a couple of new issues that weren't even there when we dropped it off!

Anyway, after some negotiations with the dealership (tip - if they blow you off, just write a bad review on their Facebook page and the boss will call you back in less than 10 minutes), they've sent out their mobile tech to our house twice, and even though our warranty is now expired, he will be coming out one more time to finish a couple of things that are still ongoing that never got fixed right in the first place (still waiting on parts).

 

[Relayman]

yes..I contacted them..I'm waiting to see what they propose.

 

[Shortest Straw]

You seem to be the victim of having too high of expectations. While I do not like reading stories such as yours, they are common no matter what you own, no matter the manufacturer. We go rving with a group of friends and the list of different manufacturers among us is lengthy. All of them have issues. I am not here to regurgitate our experiences with the 5 rigs we have owned, what our friends own, or the dealers we have dealt with as that will not help you. What I will say is, try not to let a few mishaps ruin your enjoyment of your investment. Losing out on a trip is disappointing for certain but it shouldn't be the end all of your happiness. Reach out to Heartland. They may work with you so that your repairs can be made at your next destination. We have never allowed a mishap with any of our RV's to ruin a trip because, we never do mind about the little things. Good luck to you and I hope you get back to enjoying your rig soon.

 

[Relayman]

Thank you for your words of kindness. I don't however believe my expectations are too high...too many people just " roll over"..and say "oh..well...that's just what happens". It seems that that is what manufacturers count on my friend. And when folks don't say something...nothing gets done. it seems the products are built..sent out..sold...then people have to deal with the shoddy production /quality control. I'm sure most suppliers of rv's have issues...but this should not be the way it is.
I believe in paying for what I get....but I also believe in getting what I pay for. happy trails

 

[alexb2000]

I just bought a new Torque 270HG last month. Same kind of terrible dealership experience. One simple example we were missing the legs to our kitchen table. The dealership said Heartlands factory is shut down for the next month for inventory, they might be able to locate them at another dealership in a few weeks, they'll see if they can get someone at Heartland to pull them out during inventory, etc. Basically all B.S. we went to another dealership the next day and bought the legs for $12 each and they had about 50 in stock. I have decided that I am going to have to fix everything myself except for major repairs or failed appliances during the warranty. In your case I would rather fix the water lines right, the first time, myself than have my trailer sit on the lot for weeks or months.

On the positive side it has given me a new appreciation for car dealers, they are customer service champions compared to a lot of RV dealers.

 

[Relayman]

the dealership and staff has been great...except for the poor initial TPO inspection ( they have let the guy go for shoddy workmanship )..and having to wait 5 weeks for repairs. im upset with the manufacturer
for letting units leave the factory..then having customers upset.

 

[IronJ]

Wait, I feel your pain on the new rv issues...I've owned mine a year and the dealer has had it 4 of those months!!..

But I have picked it up and used it while they sorted parts out...never did heartland or my dealer ask for one penny!!..

The dealer turns in claim, heartland approves it(or not) dealer orders parts....should cost you nothing...some parts take longer than others . My patio door came from lippert..took 3 weeks...other parts heartland sent out express delivery...



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[wehavefun]

Honestly if you purchase a portable battery charger to keep your battery charged and know the lines are switched you should be able to go about your trip. My inverter just died on my 7 month old rig, I went to the local parts store near where I was camping, purchased a battery tender hooked it up and finished my trip. Called my dealer, they are getting it in tomorrow, 1week notice I might add, and will go on my next planned trip Thursday. I have a GREAT dealer that seems to take very good care of me. You will have problems unfortunately with any dealer, but this forum and Heartland Customer Services it call usually be resolved. Good Luck!

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[alexb2000]

One could certainly argue that it should have had more QC from the factory, but who took your money?

Those water lines could be fixed in an hour.

The inverter could have been switched out for another one, they just didn't want to do that for you.

The "dealer said 5 weeks to fix it" would be outrageous to me after I had just bought a new trailer.

If someone had a gun to their head the I am sure they could have fixed all your issues in a day and had you on your way.

If you want to blame Heartland that's your prerogative, I just don't get it.

 

[Relayman]

new camper...warranty...they SHOULDN'T ask for one Penny. they want a deposit from me on the part they have to order if I decide to go camping while the parts on order. Deposit...on a Warranty repair??

 

[Shortest Straw]

Thank you for your words of kindness. I don't however believe my expectations are too high...too many people just " roll over"..and say "oh..well...that's just what happens". It seems that that is what manufacturers count on my friend. And when folks don't say something...nothing gets done. it seems the products are built..sent out..sold...then people have to deal with the shoddy production /quality control. I'm sure most suppliers of rv's have issues...but this should not be the way it is.
I believe in paying for what I get....but I also believe in getting what I pay for. happy trails

I do agree with you. I may have made it seem like we roll over but that was not my intention. I do think that quality control is severely lacking and the way it has been explained in other threads is that it costs to much to make sure everything is just right. That coupled with the workers are expected quotas each week. We do not roll over we just know that the rv industry as a whole cranks out a substandard product and work with that fact. This definitely is not the way it should be, but we all keep buying their products good, bad and ugly. I have found many things wrong with our rig that I just fix myself so I know it is done right. To me a day of camping even with an item or many items needing repair is still a good day. I was just trying to convey that to you as it can be a distant memory some days when things are not going just right.

 

[IronJ]

Deposit for what??.they don't pay for the warrantied parts!!....just call hl and talk to them...they are real good to deal with

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[GOTTOYS]

Doesn't sound like this dealership is too great to me. Brand new unit that wasn't fully checked out before they delivered it..Making you wait 5 weeks for a part they should have in stock or borrow from another unit to get you on the road...I wouldn't buy from them..Don

 

[danemayer]

the dealership and staff has been great...except for the poor initial TPO inspection ( they have let the guy go for shoddy workmanship )..and having to wait 5 weeks for repairs. im upset with the manufacturer
for letting units leave the factory..then having customers upset.

I'm not sure why you think the dealership and staff have been great. Sounds like they haven't been very good at all.

At this point I think you have 3 choices:

1. Do what your dealer proposes and lose much of your camping season.
2. Call Heartland and get approval to use an independent servicer or mobile servicer who's more motivated to do the 1 hour of work without you waiting.
3. Ask Heartland to send you the inverter and replace it yourself. If it's in the front compartment, it's a pretty easy thing to change. And if your shower has an access panel, as many do, it's probably a 10 minute job to swap the lines yourself. You can also probably buy the inverter from Amazon with next day delivery and with prior approval, Heartland might agree to reimburse your expense.

Some people want to stand on principle that all this should be done for you because you have a warranty. That's choice #1. Since you can't get the dealer to move faster, you just have to decide whether to pursue a faster solution even if it isn't your first choice on how to get the repairs done. That's 2 or 3.

I've attached some pictures that might help. One shows the inverter. Your model might be different, but the connections are probably very similar; hard wired connection at one end and plug at the other.

The other picture is the backside of the shower. The round thing is the access port that unscrews. Probably don't even need any tools.

 

[brianlajoie]

I second what Dan says, but add my experience.

I have my own ring crimper with me. It would take just a few minutes to remove the old rings, switch pipes and add new rings, then recrimp the rings. Maybe HL will let you buy your own inverter and reimburse you for the costs.

My trailer has never seen a dealer since I bought it. I have had all my warranty work done by a certified RVIA/RVDA master tech while I watch. I now have any issues outside of warranty work done by a master tech if I cannot do it. My advice to you is to find a certified mater tech by you and never take your rig back to that dealer. I have never had to wait for work on my trailer once a made the appointment.

Good luck and start enjoying that wonderful trailer you bought.

 

[avvidclif]

I got the same warranty response from that dealer, 5-6 weeks to repair anything. Never again.

 

[Relayman]

thanks danemayer..Brian....if I did the water line swap...( trust me I know how) and it leaked and caused additional damage...that would be on me. if the dealer does it and it leaks...it's on them. The inverter issue...they should get a new one overnighted...and install it. I'm kind disappointed there. I will probably do as you have advised..and find a master Tech locally.

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[IronJ]

Yeah...but do you really TRUST the dealer to do it right?..as a general rule I dont....

I would rather do something that simple myself and KNOW it's done right and will not leak...

The inverter is literally a 20 min swap job...

All easy fixes...

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