Hello all. New member here doing research. Wife and I saw the Big Country and were impressed. We thought the Big Country was their higher-end model but looking at the Bighorn, I think the pecking order to be the Landmark, Bighorn and Big Country. Can someone confirm this? And then wondered if between the Bighorn and Big Country, what is the difference? Anything in the construction? The complete lack of give in the floor of the Big Country was also very impressive being constructed with the wood bonded to the Styrofoam. Thanks.
Bighorn vs Big Country
- Thread starter Wadosan
- Start date
danemayer
Well-known member
Hi Wadosan,
Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum. You have the pecking order right. And all 3 units are built on the same production line using the same materials for the basic construction. On some of the shorter models, there may be differences in the frame. And on some model/floorplan combinations, the basement storage layouts may differ.
Beyond that, most of the differences between BH and BC have been in what's standard/optional, and in fixtures, furnishings, and decor.
That said, things change from year to year and sometimes mid-year.
Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum. You have the pecking order right. And all 3 units are built on the same production line using the same materials for the basic construction. On some of the shorter models, there may be differences in the frame. And on some model/floorplan combinations, the basement storage layouts may differ.
Beyond that, most of the differences between BH and BC have been in what's standard/optional, and in fixtures, furnishings, and decor.
That said, things change from year to year and sometimes mid-year.
TravelTiger
Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
What Dan said is true, they are made on the same assembly line. The walls, floor, roofing are all the same, I believe. What separates the brands are features and decor. We recently got to compare a BigHorn 3970RD to our Big Country 4010RD. The floorplans are essentially the same, but there were some differences in features. Examples (Bighorn feature listed first): Taller height in the slidouts, which means larger windows. Day/night roller blinds vs night blinds only. Standard residential fridge, vs optional residential fridge. More light fixtures in Bighorn. More wood details on the cabinetry in Bighorn. Brushed nickel vs antique bronze hardware and fixtures. Wood trim around entry door vs none. Solid hardwood doors vs wood veneer doors. more cabinetry in the bedroom vs less cabinetry. Deeper closet in bedroom vs shallower closet. Slam baggage doors on front and propane doors, vs standard thumb locks. More outside 120v plugs. Rear molded fiberglass cap vs flat rear cap. Single switch slide operation vs one switch slide operation.
These are just a few things we noticed.
Personally, we are very happy with our choice, because the Big Country met our price-point, decor and floorplan needs.
Either way, you can't go wrong.
Erika
These are just a few things we noticed.
Personally, we are very happy with our choice, because the Big Country met our price-point, decor and floorplan needs.
Either way, you can't go wrong.
Erika
Thank you Danemayer.
Yes that's one of the things that we liked too...the full profile ceiling. Thanks.
Thank you Erika for the very detailed reply. Very helpful in seeing the difference.
I will admit I am very jaded to the mass-market manufacturers when it comes to quality. I have not seen much out there that impresses me. And its mainly about the attention to detail. When I see wiring and hoses all twisted around each other forming a rats nest, when I see trim that is crooked, cheap adhesive tiling that is crooked, that says something to me. If the stuff that's visible looks like this, what can't I see? I understand we're talking about a production line assembly but these details matter. Because of this, we have been concentrating on the higher end manufacturers...and the commensurate higher end price. We would prefer not to spend the kind of money these semi-custom manufacturers charge. So having walked through a Big Country, I noticed less of this kind of things. And now seeing videos of the Bighorn, we liked them also. The attention to detail I haven't been able to weigh in on yet.
So, have you all been satisfied with the customer service? How would you rate the quality of the construction? I understand no rig is perfect but do you feel the quality and craftsmanship are up to par with the $$ spent? Have your rigs met your expectations in being mostly problem free?
So, have you all been satisfied with the customer service? How would you rate the quality of the construction? I understand no rig is perfect but do you feel the quality and craftsmanship are up to par with the $$ spent? Have your rigs met your expectations in being mostly problem free?
danemayer
Well-known member
Wadosan,
It's my opinion that Heartland does a good job of producing a quality product and Heartland provides very good customer service. I don't say that from the standpoint of having a rig that's never had problems. Rather I come from the place where when there was a problem, usually with an appliance or subsystem part, Heartland (and their suppliers) took care of me. In about 4.5 years of halftime living in the coach and about 1.5 years of fulltime, I've been able to rely on the coach and even when repairs were needed, I've never had to interrupt a trip. When we were starting out, this forum proved to be another great resource for Heartland owners, including me.
After 6 years of heavy use, I can say that we love our Landmark. And it might just be that Heartland did too good a job. Over the past 2 or 3 years we've talked a few times about getting a new rig but we always end up deciding that what we have is great.
But to one of your points, I have to admit that my viewpoint may be a little different in that having a rats nest of plumbing doesn't bother me at all. In fact, in order to deal with extreme winter weather, I've added heat tape and insulation to all my water lines which makes it look even worse. To me it's beautiful because it all works great and I have running water in the morning, even when overnight temps get to -30F. I've also added a CheapHeat device to the furnace, which added to the rats nest of wiring. But I sure love that CheapHeat.
But that's just me. I know other people have different viewpoints.
It's my opinion that Heartland does a good job of producing a quality product and Heartland provides very good customer service. I don't say that from the standpoint of having a rig that's never had problems. Rather I come from the place where when there was a problem, usually with an appliance or subsystem part, Heartland (and their suppliers) took care of me. In about 4.5 years of halftime living in the coach and about 1.5 years of fulltime, I've been able to rely on the coach and even when repairs were needed, I've never had to interrupt a trip. When we were starting out, this forum proved to be another great resource for Heartland owners, including me.
After 6 years of heavy use, I can say that we love our Landmark. And it might just be that Heartland did too good a job. Over the past 2 or 3 years we've talked a few times about getting a new rig but we always end up deciding that what we have is great.
But to one of your points, I have to admit that my viewpoint may be a little different in that having a rats nest of plumbing doesn't bother me at all. In fact, in order to deal with extreme winter weather, I've added heat tape and insulation to all my water lines which makes it look even worse. To me it's beautiful because it all works great and I have running water in the morning, even when overnight temps get to -30F. I've also added a CheapHeat device to the furnace, which added to the rats nest of wiring. But I sure love that CheapHeat.
But that's just me. I know other people have different viewpoints.
kowAlski631
Well-known member
We ordered our BH 3670RL (no longer in production) & took delivery almost exactly 4 years ago. We purchased it for our retirement years, first to live in for a year full-time traveling (2 coast to coast round trips and 38 states) and then for excursions on demand, a weekend, a week, a month, or longer.
We considered many different manufacturers and many different styles of RVs from travel trailers to Class As. We also tossed around the thought of commissioning a 5th wheel to be totally customized for us.
In the end, we both decided that Heartland with the quality of build (we toured the factory and encourage you to also if you can) and most importantly this forum was the one for us. We also did what we called the bounce test and Heartland products were the ones that felt most solid to us in that unscientific test.
Has it been 100% trouble free? Nope. Has it been without major problems? Yep. Has the quality been on a equal footing with the purchase price? We believe so, but that is very subjective. Would we purchase another Heartland - in a heartbeat.
Good luck in your search.
Martha
We considered many different manufacturers and many different styles of RVs from travel trailers to Class As. We also tossed around the thought of commissioning a 5th wheel to be totally customized for us.
In the end, we both decided that Heartland with the quality of build (we toured the factory and encourage you to also if you can) and most importantly this forum was the one for us. We also did what we called the bounce test and Heartland products were the ones that felt most solid to us in that unscientific test.
Has it been 100% trouble free? Nope. Has it been without major problems? Yep. Has the quality been on a equal footing with the purchase price? We believe so, but that is very subjective. Would we purchase another Heartland - in a heartbeat.
Good luck in your search.
Martha
Dan & Ann: I'm glad to hear Heartland has stood behind their product. Thank you for your response.
Thank you Martha. It seems like you went through a similar path we have gone so far in trying to decide what rig would be our retirement RV. Once we purchase whatever rig we buy, our intent is for it to be the last one we buy so its especially important that we get a RV with good bones. It does say a lot that after 4 years of ownership, you'd buy another Heartland.
TravelTiger
Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
We are not near retirement, but are fulltiming in ours. For daily use, our 2016 Big Country has held up well. We don't travel as much since we we both still work. We had a few warranty issues, and have a few more to be taken care of, but nothing that keeps us from living/enjoying our rig.
In my opinion, if someone wants a rig that is truly built for them in mind, there are custom rig builders with probably a lot more attention to detail. But you will pay a much higher price.
Of the mass production builders, Heartland may be about the same with some others, but what really sets them apart is that they invested in a Director of Owner Interests -- Jim Beletti -- who grew the owners club and owners forum, and created a virtual "family". This family supports every owner and tries to help them if they can, from a forum question: "what does this switch do?" To real world situations: "An owner is stranded, let's help."
To me, that's worth more than you can imagine.
Good luck in your research! I hope you join the family.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
In my opinion, if someone wants a rig that is truly built for them in mind, there are custom rig builders with probably a lot more attention to detail. But you will pay a much higher price.
Of the mass production builders, Heartland may be about the same with some others, but what really sets them apart is that they invested in a Director of Owner Interests -- Jim Beletti -- who grew the owners club and owners forum, and created a virtual "family". This family supports every owner and tries to help them if they can, from a forum question: "what does this switch do?" To real world situations: "An owner is stranded, let's help."
To me, that's worth more than you can imagine.
Good luck in your research! I hope you join the family.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Gaffer
Well-known member
We started with a Bighorn and considered a Big Country when we ordered our new rig. By the time I loaded up the Big Country options to cover what was stock on the Bighorn they got close to the same price. Some options I had to have were not available on the BC but were on the BH. So we went with the BH. If you can get the floor plan you want and the options you need you will be happy with either one.
Thanks for the input Gaffer. That was the other thing I was wondering about between the two. Option-wise, what I don't see on the list is disc brakes. They have them for the Landmark but not the BH. So that will mean converting later.
