Big Horn on our short list

[logsend]

Hi everyone!
So the dh and I went to the Hershey show this weekend hoping to narrow down our list of rv's that we have compiled in our research. The spreadsheet is now down to one page so progress has been made!

All the walking in and out of models helped us see the things we loved and things that we thought we would love but didn't. Like a lot of heating grates in the floor is a bad design for us as we don't want our Great Danes toe nails getting hooked. Or the units with the steps on the back and the bed on the same wall as that tends to make an odd turn into the bedroom. After much looking we decided that we really liked a couple of the Big Horn floor plans but there are some specific questions that I can't seem to find the answers too and I'm hoping you can help.

We plan to use this rv for lots of weekend trips as well as a few 2 week vacations and we are hoping to travel early spring through late fall so we need a unit that is basically all weather rated and that we won't have to worry about pipes freezing! How are the pipes protected in the Big Horn? Is it fully heated underneath or are just the tanks wrapped?

We had a lot of terms and stuff tossed at us at the show. Prior to going we'd read a lot about delamination. So how are the walls for the Big Horn constructed? Are they vacuum sealed lamination or just glue and weight?

I was reading the website and it talks about "drop frame technology" would someone please elaborate for me as to what and why that is important?

Finally, someone at the show was going on about how walls that are just 'hung' aren't as good as walls that aren't. Would someone please explain which method Big Horn uses as I can't find it online anywhere.

Finally, has anyone noticed a change in quality, customer service, etc since Thor became involved? Our short list was made up of the smaller manufactures as we figured that they made better quality products and Heartland was on that list from the start, then we found out Thor had purchased the company and we wondered how that changed things, better or worse.

Thank you so much for your help!!!
Angie

 

[danemayer]

Hi Angie,

I can answer some of your questions and I'm sure others will jump in with their thoughts.

We have a Landmark that has the same construction (and is built on the same production line) as the Bighorn. We use it for extended ski trips in the Colorado mountains with temps well below 0 F. The underbelly is heated by the furnace and I would expect with the relatively mild temps in Maryland, you wouldn't have to do much, if anything, to keep water running. We have an owner-written Water Systems Winter Usage Guide that will help you prepare for harsher climates.

I would recommend you order the Yeti Option which includes holding tank heating pads, heat tape on the fresh water feed line, and extra insulation. You should also consider the fireplace option and dual pane windows.

The drop frame refers to the frame at the front of the RV being about 8" lower than the rear section. This allows for a much larger pass through storage area in the basement.

Thor bought Heartland about 3 years ago if I recall correctly. Heartland continues to operate pretty much the same as when we bought our Landmark in 2010. I'm sure there must have been changes that came with Thor ownership, but they aren't obvious to me. Heartland has added focus on Quality Control over the past couple of years, and now runs additional QC checks at the end of the production line, but I don't know if that has anything to do with Thor.

As far as delamination and wall construction, from what I understand, the key factor in preventing delamination is to follow good maintenance practices to prevent water intrusion. It's very important to check the caulking on a regular schedule and recaulk as necessary.

 

[MikeR]

Dan, I was under the impression that the Landmark was built on its own line and the Bighorn and Big Country were built on the same line.

 

[TGLBWH]

I'll jump in for Dan. Having been on several factory tours, as of now All three are built on the same line although there has at times been talk of Landmark getting its own line at some point

 

[logsend]

I'll jump in for Dan. Having been on several factory tours, as of now All three are built on the same line although there has at times been talk of Landmark getting its own line at some point

Education needed on this point please. Being that I'm not familiar with the manufacturing part of it how is it important (or not) in regards to what line they are built on??

Thanks!

 

[dbbls59]

Landmark, Bighorn, and Big Country all start out the same. Same frame, same walls, same roof, but different options and decals to make it a Landmark, Bighorn, or Big Country.