Buying a 2011 sundance 3300CK. Any opinions on this camper(good or bad)? ?best 5th wheel hitch?

[snatchypants14]

I am going to buy a 2011 sundance 3300ck and was wondering if anybody has any input on this camper. Also, I have a 2010 Silverado HD 6.0L gas engine crew cab with a 6 1/2 foot box. What would be the best 5th wheel hitch to get? I am new to having a camper with a 5th wheel hitch. Thank you

 

[cookie]

Hello Snatchypants14 and welcome to the forum. There is a lot of great information here.
The 3300CK has a GVWR of nearly 14,000 pounds so you will need to be sure that your truck can handle that.
Is your Silverado a 2500? A 1500 wont cut it.
A gasser may lack some power when going up hill or into the wind. So give that some consideration.
A lot of people do tow with a gas engine.

Hitches have weight ratings, so what ever hitch you get just be sure that it has the proper rating.
I would go with an 18K rated hitch.

Enjoy that new Sundance when you get it.
And check the Portal Page for rally events. There is a rally in the Amana Colonies this coming fall. It will be a fun event. Consider attending and showing off your new rig. You will also get to meet other Heartland owners that are willing to share mods and other information.

Peace
Dave

 

[jbeletti]

Sundance is a great product. As you are buying a unit that was likely produced in 2010, it's been outdoors for up to 3 years. Nothing wrong with that. You'll just want to look it over well, make any repairs and do any preventative maintenance required.

Couple items that come to mind that buyers of any used coach would want to attend to:

• Walk the roof to inspect everything up there: Roof vents, antenna, AC cover and most importantly, caulking sealant around the edges of the roof material and self-leveling sealant on/around anything attached to the roof
• Walk the exterior of the coach from the ground with a sharp eye to make note of caulking sealant around tops of windows, around front and rear caps etc. Any gaps in sealant need to be cleaned and recaulked.
• Hookup city water, remove the bulkhead wall to expose the utility area where the water heater, water pump and outdoor shower may be to look for any drips. Look under all sinks for drips. Hand-tighten any nuts on the end of PEX lines that you can reach. Hand-tighten the spanner ring under all sinks that tighten the drain basket.
• Crawl under coach and inspect the tires, axles, springs and brake wires. Do the axles have a slight upward arch? Do the tires look checked, cracked, have bubbles, bad wear patterns, correct air pressure etc? Do the springs still have an arch or are they flat? Are the brake wires rubbing on anything or do they look intact and well protected?
• Consider having the bearings repacked, lug nuts and u-bolts retorqued. While the tires are off - have the brake inspected.

These are just some things that come to mind for me. There are a hundred items one should look at when buying a used (or new) coach. You weren't in control of how the coach was maintained prior to your ownership but you'll want to go over everything, right anything that needs it and set a new maintenance baseline for yourself.

And I see that Dave replied before I was done typing my reply. Glad he mentioned the Iowa rally. We'd LOVE to see you there. Here's a link to more info about it.

 

[Moose2013]

We have a 3300CK as well, nice camper for a family. When buying used make sure to take a slow methodical walk though to make sure it is to your liking and expectations. Only being a few years old, there shouldn't be too many issues.

As for the hitch, we opted for the Valley 16K Slider. Hooks up easily and with the short box, we wanted the slider for the "just in case" times when you may end up in a tight camp site. Although with the Sundance 88-degree turn radius, I probably won't ever need it.

We had a very similar TV as well (newer 2500hd crew 6.0) but the 3300CK pushes the limits of the 6.0 gasser. So we just upgraded this past Friday to a new diesel as we camp out of state and travel in some hilly regions.

Good luck and happy camping.