Best reasons to buy a HL?

[Campernewbie]

Me and my wife are interested in buying a fifth wheel and are looking into several brands.So far the top three are BH,BC and LM.We don`t want to spend several thousands on a home and not be happy with it.Some other forums would suggest DRV suites and that is way out of our price range. I`ve read on Rv.net and similar forums on suggestions and alot of people are very brutal on HL rv`s.Some of my concern`s include how well built are the Fw`s,how do they fair in colder climates and how is the carpentry on the inside of the coach? I appreciate all feed back both positive and negative.

 

[jmgratz]

Me and my wife are interested in buying a fifth wheel and are looking into several brands.So far the top three are BH,BC and LM.We don`t want to spend several thousands on a home and not be happy with it.Some other forums would suggest DRV suites and that is way out of our price range. I`ve read on Rv.net and similar forums on suggestions and alot of people are very brutal on HL rv`s.Some of my concern`s include how well built are the Fw`s,how do they fair in colder climates and how is the carpentry on the inside of the coach? I appreciate all feed back both positive and negative.

I would give Heartland RV customer service an A+. The other issue is the Heartland Owners forum will allow posting that are negative about their RV (within reason) where other forums will not. DRV does make a great unit but you will pay $15-30K more for a similar unit. We recently looked at several other brands, Infinity toy haulers, Columbus, Redwood, Cyclone, Cardinal but decided on the Landmark. We have purchased a 2013 Landmark Key Largo and are waiting for the dealer (Ron Hoover-Houston) to finish getting it ready to deliver. We probably could have stretched to get a Mobile Suites but have found Jim Fenner at Heartland and his 'crew' to be top notch so Heartland RV it is. Good luck in your selection. Keep in mind that whatever you select most of the components are made by the same manufactures such as Dometic, Lippert, A&E, Carefree, Norcold etc. It is the service after the sale that makes the difference.

 

[Garypowell]

I do believe I see some legitimate concerns from some owners. But i also see those that seem to complain the loudest have unrealistic concerns or they don't handle the problem correctly. They complain that they are 3 hours away from their dealer and don't want to drive that distance to have a screw tightened. And then they blame HL.

I think part of the "deal" has to be understanding that these rigs are 1 bedroom apartments ON WHEELS and that a few things are going to happen over time.

I have owned 4 different brands and have always been treated fairly. In fact just yesterday I sent an email to HL. And then followed up with a phone call and my three broken items will be on their way soon. I would like to have a dealership next door to me but don't mind lending a hand at fixing something myself.....

Could not be more pleased!

 

[rjr6150]

I would give Heartland RV customer service an A+. The other issue is the Heartland Owners forum will allow posting that are negative about their RV (within reason) where other forums will not. DRV does make a great unit but you will pay $15-30K more for a similar unit. We recently looked at several other brands, Infinity toy haulers, Columbus, Redwood, Cyclone, Cardinal but decided on the Landmark. We have purchased a 2013 Landmark Key Largo and are waiting for the dealer (Ron Hoover-Houston) to finish getting it ready to deliver. We probably could have stretched to get a Mobile Suites but have found Jim Fenner at Heartland and his 'crew' to be top notch so Heartland RV it is. Good luck in your selection. Keep in mind that whatever you select most of the components are made by the same manufactures such as Dometic, Lippert, A&E, Carefree, Norcold etc. It is the service after the sale that makes the difference.

Jim
X2 on your comments our latest unit is also our 2nd HL 5th wheel

 

[kowAlski631]

Forums & Internet postings usually involve people with issues. Yes, we've had a few ourselves with our 2013 BH. However, the assistance we've had from not only customer service at Heartland, but from the executives at Heartland (not requested by us, but offered freely) have reassured us that our decision was the right one.

If you expect that ANY RV will be without flaws, you will be disappointed. Like I said before, we're happy. We're not stockholders, employees, or have relatives employed by Heartland any of their holdings. We're just contented full-time owners.

 

[danemayer]

Hi Campernewbie,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum. This is a friendly environment where you'll hear good and bad; but mostly good. The vast majority of Heartland owners are happy with their trailers and with Heartland's support.

What many of us have found is that Heartland's support for customers makes them stand out. That comes in the form of direct customer support when you have a question or a problem. It comes in the flexibility that Heartland demonstrates; for example, while on an extended ski trip I was having problems with some light fixtures. Rather than insist I go to a dealer, at my request, Heartland shipped me new light fixtures and I installed them myself.

Heartland actively supports the Owners Club with support for local, regional and national rallies and much more. And of course Heartland supports this forum. Heartland management monitors selected areas of the forum to collect feedback from customers and to answer questions and address concerns.

Our Landmark is three years old and has traveled 31,000 miles across 20 states. We're looking forward to our 4th extended ski trip to Breckenridge, CO in January. During our ski trips we've been in heavy snow (5 feet in one week), high winds (80 mph), and extreme low temps (-30F). Through all those conditions we've been comfy in our Landmark. We do have the fireplace option and occasionally turn on a ceramic disc heater to supplement the furnace when it's really cold.

We've fixed our share of problems - many on appliances and parts that are used in just about every brand of RV, but have never had to cut a trip short.

Good luck on your search and hope to meet you at a Heartland rally at some point down the road.

 

[cookie]

Hello Campernewbie and welcome to this great forum. There is a lot of great information here.
I'm sorry, but I can't say anything negative about the two Bighorns that we have owned. Loved the first one, love this one.
I can't say anything negative about Heartland either, as we have always been treated fairly.
This forum with it's vast amount of information and the Heartland Owners Club are just icing on the cake. You just can't find a better group.
As to the brutality on RV.net, perhaps when there is a problem, as there can be with any manufactured item, the way it's approached for resolution may have been presented in the same demeanor that is exhibited at RV.net. You know the old saying, get more flys with honey.
There are some that will never be happy, no matter what.
Continue to do your research to find a coach that best suits you.
Hope to see you in Heartland product.

Peace
Dave

 

[wehavefun]

Best reasons?

Here are a few

Awesome units!
Well built
Great customer service
Price
Re sale value
This forum

THE HEARTLAND FAMILY!

JMHO

Brian

 

[iawoody2]

I am retired from the John Deere marketing division. The one thing here is that a unhappy customer will sound off too everyone and more. The happy customer tends to tell a few people and not say much further. So think of it this way, there are many many more happy than the few who sound about problems.

 

[Theresau]

We've had two HL's so far. We've loved them both. We purchased through different dealers. Our impression now is that the dealer will make a world of difference in regard to what you take home at the start. General RV did an excellent PDI and corrected items that we will prob never know about in our 2010 BH. This was the second RV we bought from General RV and they did the same for the other as well.

Whereas, we purchased our BC from another dealer and they did very little - wasn't even washed when we got there to pick it up. This left us with having to clear up some of the build issues ourself that we feel very certain would have been addressed by General RV if we had purchased through them. However, we got an incredible deal on the BC.

Since our BH had no issues to speak of we didn't have much experience with HL customer service. We have found that HL has been very responsive to our issues with the BC and easy to work with directly (rather than through a dealer) - there has not been any delay in receiving replacements when needed. For example, our screen door was missing the slider (somehow everyone missed this including ourselves) - we called HL about this when we got the BC home and they sent one to us overnight. One of our chairs had a short leg so it wobbled - HL sent a new one and we received in less than a week of our call (we just had to send a pic to them).

In regard to the order of the BC - HL was very flexible. Since we had a BH before we wanted some of the BH standards added to the BC. Dealer was very surprised at how flexible HL was in this regard. Said other manufacturers would not be willing to do this.

And then of course there is this forum and the rallies. We've just greatly enjoyed these. And the customer service is just amazing at the Goshen rallies when the HL crew comes in and fixes items on coaches well out of warranty.

Best of luck.

 

[codycarver]

I'll echo some of the comments already made.

Heartlands outstanding customer service is second to none.

Quality construction: We've put over 20,000 miles on our Bighorn with no problems. Often, after traveling on some of these roads I half expect to open the door and see cabinets on the floor.... nope not even a door ajar or a plate out of place.

The owners club: One rally and you'll understand

This forum: Try getting help from a dealer or manufacturer on a Sunday with a problem your having. Post it here and I guarantee you will have help resolving whatever it is FAST.

Best of luck. Hope you join the HL family soon.

 

[priorguy]

This forum: Try getting help from a dealer or manufacturer on a Sunday with a problem your having. Post it here and I guarantee you will have help resolving whatever it is FAST.

I can attest to the immense help this owners forum provides. I've had many minor issues, and even general RV questions answered on the forum. And I purchased my unit used, although from an HL dealer. Any issues I've had weren't manufacturer related, just things that can occur over time. 24/7/365 you can get an answer from a fellow owner that's already dealt with the same thing or remembers somebody else's solution. I can be sure that HL customer service will be there if I ever need them just by reading some of the experiences here on the forum.

Also check the "Reasons to buy" brochure on the Heartland website. I found that there are many features and options just not available on other coaches. It's almost like people that designed them actually use them too. How many times have you purchased something at home or at work and then asked yourself "what were they thinking?" A lot of time and effort has been put into the little details, that's why many of the floor plans and options just aren't available on other brands.

Best of luck and hope to see you in a Heartland.

 

[Campernewbie]

I wanna thank everyone for replying and giving helpful information and making our decision easier.Now for the hard part,picking a floor plan.

 

[codycarver]

That's easy....BH 3670 while they last

 

[tweber]

To make it even easier look closely at the BH 3875FB. It has a bath and a half, a huge front bath with a large vanity, and of course a large closet. Good luck.

 

[JohnDar]

That's easy....BH 3670 while they last

+1 on that recommendation

 

[kowAlski631]

3670RL has our vote, too!!!

 

[Jacknelson]

Just purchased a Bighorn 3070RL, any tips on this unit would be appreciated, Thanks, Jack

 

[danemayer]

Just purchased a Bighorn 3070RL, any tips on this unit would be appreciated, Thanks, Jack

Hi Jack,

Congratulations on your new Bighorn and welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum. You might be interested in our owner-written User Guides and Troubleshooting Guides. Being written by other owners, these guides have tips and tricks you aren't likely to find in manufacturer's documents. If you do need to refer to manufacturer's documentation and can't find your copies, we have a couple of hundred documents in the manuals section of the forum.

 

[Jacknelson]

Thanks Dan, information is great to have.