By (Popular?) Demand - Our Ownership Story
- Thread starter Rhyph
- Start date
Sadly I have, and the warranty coordinator and I at the dealer communicate regularly. He is who usually calls me once every week to say "Hey, nothing from Heartland, can you try to give them a call too?".
JohnD
Moved on to the next thing...
You should be able to hook up with someone in the Heartland customer service department . . .
I finally did with our previous 2013 Heartland Trail Runner, which had some major axle & suspension issues (after the manufacturers warranty), that I finally was able to get Heartland and Lippert to cover even after the one year warranty had expired.
The proof was in the photos . . .
Keep hounding on them, and you will end up on top!
Been super busy, haven't had time to re-visit here with an update or deal with the fanboi stress. Heartland finally, mostly, came through on everything but two items which are awaiting further investigation. The rear window leaking was initially declined as they tried to claim that caulking is only covered for 90 days. I pointed out that frameless windows are not sealed in the manner a traditional window would be, I would have thought they would have known this. This is a gasket problem, and the window slide down in it's framed opening - so I'm waiting for more info there. The other issue pending Lippert is the axle alignment issues. So, mostly good news so far.
Bob&Patty
Founders of SoCal Chapter
Well, glad to here most things were addressed. The alignment issue may not be a warranty item at this late date. Most cars and trucks only have a limited time and mileage warranty. My truck was 90 days or 6K miles. The window issue should be addressed, at least IMHO.
Bones
Well-known member
I took it as us to us heartlanders as being fanboy's and was making a joke
- - - Updated - - -
I think it sucks but it is not just heartlanders that have problems like this. My in-laws have a Cardinal and they are almost to the point of dumping Rv'ing all together because of the issues.
It's a person who is totally devoted to a specific product, blind to its faults and makes purchases based on that blind devotion.
Bones
Well-known member
Well I guess at that point non of us should be buying rv's period. They all seem to have a few quirks
Apparently! Thought I always was fair in my assessment of my contact with Heartland and our Big Horn. We don't buy due solely to maker, but a good experience will lead to more purchases and to positive reviews of the product. Sometimes people don't like to be questioned, I guess.
Yup, that. I can even call myself one on many items, that's how it should be? There's nothing wrong with it, but it can lead to blinding insensitivity too. When you invest in something, or an eco system of products there's a reason for it. I like to think it is all due to the traits a great product should have. Sometimes even great products can fail. When you tack on customer experience and how that failure is handled, all of that inclusive makes up the product itself as well.
Our product experience with Heartland originally started with great happiness and joy of ownership which has been diminished to constant stress, anger and depression. Our ownership plan was good, we were going Landmark and this Big Horn was a step in that direction. Right off a cliff into the pit of despair and we're stuck at the bottom of it.
Anyway, things are poking along on being fixed, the dealer is being slow this go around, they are busy and have just finished building a massive new stand alone shop on their property. They had somewhere around 16 bays I think, and the new building has easily doubled that.
I had to call Heartland again on Monday, asked for my various contacts and none were available. Then I asked to speak to Jim Fenner and all of a sudden it was like I had set the guy on the phone on fire and he wanted to know why. I gave him the short, short version of our story and told him the axle and window issues are still hung out there with no further progress beyond the initial denial and further investigation. He has promised to follow-up. The only key piece of information on the axle issue that was revealed by the dealer was they think the correct-track alignment system on the trailer "is bent". Not sure how, or where but that's the statement. I do know that having looked under the trailer many times, that I had always mentally noted there was a lot of camber in the axle tubes (they have a significant visible arc upward). That's not due to the correct-track system itself and I understand it, that adjusts for toe and caster (somewhat) on the axles. We'll see where this all goes now.
Perhaps others (like us) have had positive experiences with our trailer, our dealer, and Heartland. That doesn't make you blind to another person's commentary nor slavish to their products. I know we hope your BH can be made to all you envisioned initially.
Safe travels,
Martha
Safe travels,
Martha
Maybe someday. I've been calling once a week over the past 3 weeks for updates and trying to make progress again. I try not to be a pest, and I'm frankly too busy to deal with this on a daily basis. It'll continue to be a $65,000 depreciating asset, sitting and rotting at the dealership as it's done the past year. I had most recently been speaking with Dave who's been most helpful I think in trying to genuinely move the needle. I have asked for audience and consideration with Jim Fenner on 3 occasions now, whom I have yet to hear from or know if he's getting involved.
SilverRhino
Well-known member
While on a recent month long trip, I spoke with four other HL owners that are in the same position you are. We are very happy with our 2010 BC, but the folks that we camped with all had 2014 or newer coaches and they were very unhappy about the problems with their coaches and the responses they were receiving from HL. None of them were aware of the forum and I suggested they check here for possible help.
I was disappointed to see and hear of the issues these folks had or were having. Hopefully all of you will get your problems solved so that you can enjoy your investment.
Travel Safe!
JohnD
Moved on to the next thing...
I wish you the best and hope this all gets resolved!
Our 2015 Heartland Prowler is at the dealership right now getting warranty repairs . . .
This Friday it will be a month since I dropped it off.
I was supposed to have gotten it back last week, but it is not done (still waiting for parts and approval on some stuff).
About half of the work is done, so I decided to let them keep it until work is complete (supposedly two more weeks).
We don't really need it until February (Arizona HOC 2015 Rodeo Rally in Tucson), so no biggie not having it.
Although I do have a few mods I want to do to it before we head out to AZ!
I will say that most of our warranty issues are minor compared to others here . . . mostly stuff that wouldn't have been a problem if QC from the factory was more stringent!
Our 2015 Heartland Prowler is at the dealership right now getting warranty repairs . . .
This Friday it will be a month since I dropped it off.
I was supposed to have gotten it back last week, but it is not done (still waiting for parts and approval on some stuff).
About half of the work is done, so I decided to let them keep it until work is complete (supposedly two more weeks).
We don't really need it until February (Arizona HOC 2015 Rodeo Rally in Tucson), so no biggie not having it.
Although I do have a few mods I want to do to it before we head out to AZ!
I will say that most of our warranty issues are minor compared to others here . . . mostly stuff that wouldn't have been a problem if QC from the factory was more stringent!
Another update: Still at the dealer, still working on things. I sent a blind email to Jim Fenner on the 24th of November, which included the letter I had composed to the dealer and Heartland back on 24 August. Quickly after, Brandon Fish returns an email to me and gets with the other guy I had spoken to recently (Dave, I missed his last name), gives me a call back. I asked Dave to please also take on the letter I had composed to the dealer and Heartland detailing all of our concerns dated back on 24 August for their review. Brandon also arranged to call me the following day after he catches up on information.
My call with Brandon generally went well, I again called out the fact that items are sitting there (axle and window) without approval. For the first time, we actually got in to a bit of an argument over the axle, and that it would remain as declined. The argument that ensued was over the fact that the dealer couldn't prove one way or another what knocked the trailer "out of alignment". The reasons ranged from Brandon telling me "I had to have hit something" to "We can't tell if it happened before or after you took delivery". I pointed out again that I already noted on prior dealer visits the trailer was both wearing tires but had only been on short range trips (looked like edge feathering of the tires), the trailer looks like it towed dog-legged down the road, and the brakes on the trailer pretty much don't work. There are no obvious signs of external forces or damage present (eg no wheel damage).
Then we take one big road trip and the tires blow out, causing $2500 worth of body damage, plus the brand new G-rated GY's are now eating themselves and throwing rubber dust down the side of the trailer on the return trip from DC and then down to Disney and back. I reminded him that I had formerly worked in the automotive industry, I will happily send proof of my certifications. Tires don't eat themselves for no reason in under 4000 miles and I have the history to show this has been a problem. I also reminded on the fact that I'm not here asking for a new set of tires, help with the ensuing body damage, etc. but I also feel that I should in no way have to pay for fixing the cause.
When I repeated my ask to speak to Jim Fenner, he immediately threw up a defensive response and said "he will just tell you the same thing". Poor choice of response in my book. Jim Fenner should not be hiding from communicating with customers as has continued to happen to date, but I can only assume he's involved.
I asked to disown the communication and placed my expectation on Heartland. I told Brandon that I don't call and pester any one. I said I sometimes go a couple weeks between check-ins and I'm the one doing all of the phone work and chasing things. I said I will not do that any more and I would like someone at Heartland to manage this. I don't think my ask was unreasonable that I be communicated with on a regular basis and they should also be following up with the dealer on that same frequency to push them along. In the end Brandon committed to making sure I stay updated and they will call the dealer and myself every week or as new things progress.
So far they have kept the communication commitment, Dave has called me each week on Monday or Tuesday, "per orders from the big boss". Last week I asked again about the axle, and Dave said the axle alignment was approved. I must have made some sort of impression for my case, and that is some good news. Dave has been great to deal with and empathetic to our situation. This week I will need to follow up on the various other items such as the window.
On a side note, the lady who owns our covered storage facility called to remind of our annual renewal and asked if we were going to ever come back, she noted the last time we clocked in at the gate access point was in February. I had to chuckle, and let her know that we would still need our space because some day when this is all done, maybe we'll have a trailer to put back in there.
Oh, and for the "cancel your life until its fixed" crowd you should be most pleased with us. We did cancel our next scheduled trip that was to take us back to the DC area from 14 Nov to 6 December. So much for spending time with the family over the holiday.
My call with Brandon generally went well, I again called out the fact that items are sitting there (axle and window) without approval. For the first time, we actually got in to a bit of an argument over the axle, and that it would remain as declined. The argument that ensued was over the fact that the dealer couldn't prove one way or another what knocked the trailer "out of alignment". The reasons ranged from Brandon telling me "I had to have hit something" to "We can't tell if it happened before or after you took delivery". I pointed out again that I already noted on prior dealer visits the trailer was both wearing tires but had only been on short range trips (looked like edge feathering of the tires), the trailer looks like it towed dog-legged down the road, and the brakes on the trailer pretty much don't work. There are no obvious signs of external forces or damage present (eg no wheel damage).
Then we take one big road trip and the tires blow out, causing $2500 worth of body damage, plus the brand new G-rated GY's are now eating themselves and throwing rubber dust down the side of the trailer on the return trip from DC and then down to Disney and back. I reminded him that I had formerly worked in the automotive industry, I will happily send proof of my certifications. Tires don't eat themselves for no reason in under 4000 miles and I have the history to show this has been a problem. I also reminded on the fact that I'm not here asking for a new set of tires, help with the ensuing body damage, etc. but I also feel that I should in no way have to pay for fixing the cause.
When I repeated my ask to speak to Jim Fenner, he immediately threw up a defensive response and said "he will just tell you the same thing". Poor choice of response in my book. Jim Fenner should not be hiding from communicating with customers as has continued to happen to date, but I can only assume he's involved.
I asked to disown the communication and placed my expectation on Heartland. I told Brandon that I don't call and pester any one. I said I sometimes go a couple weeks between check-ins and I'm the one doing all of the phone work and chasing things. I said I will not do that any more and I would like someone at Heartland to manage this. I don't think my ask was unreasonable that I be communicated with on a regular basis and they should also be following up with the dealer on that same frequency to push them along. In the end Brandon committed to making sure I stay updated and they will call the dealer and myself every week or as new things progress.
So far they have kept the communication commitment, Dave has called me each week on Monday or Tuesday, "per orders from the big boss". Last week I asked again about the axle, and Dave said the axle alignment was approved. I must have made some sort of impression for my case, and that is some good news. Dave has been great to deal with and empathetic to our situation. This week I will need to follow up on the various other items such as the window.
On a side note, the lady who owns our covered storage facility called to remind of our annual renewal and asked if we were going to ever come back, she noted the last time we clocked in at the gate access point was in February. I had to chuckle, and let her know that we would still need our space because some day when this is all done, maybe we'll have a trailer to put back in there.
Oh, and for the "cancel your life until its fixed" crowd you should be most pleased with us. We did cancel our next scheduled trip that was to take us back to the DC area from 14 Nov to 6 December. So much for spending time with the family over the holiday.
Hopefully, maybe the last update - we took delivery of our Bighorn back to us this past Friday and did a walk-through and PDI as best we could in the freezing cold. It was at the dealer from end of September until 12 February without interruption. Everything seems fixed, however we can not check much of it out due to the need for it being winterized.
Heartland did step up in the end to resolve everything they could except our faith in the brand and product itself which we feel is pretty damaged considering the amount of effort, stress and lack of property possession we endured throughout. There have been no apologies, communication or acknowledgement behind how long we were without our 5th wheel.
We have a very active travel schedule this year again starting in April, we'll see how it goes.
For summary sake, and I might be missing some, here is everything that has been dealt with over the entire saga of our ownership to date with resolutions:
I also want to thank each of you who have both publicly and privately given me good guidance throughout in trying to get our issues resolved and turn this most unhappy experience in to a better one.
Heartland did step up in the end to resolve everything they could except our faith in the brand and product itself which we feel is pretty damaged considering the amount of effort, stress and lack of property possession we endured throughout. There have been no apologies, communication or acknowledgement behind how long we were without our 5th wheel.
We have a very active travel schedule this year again starting in April, we'll see how it goes.
For summary sake, and I might be missing some, here is everything that has been dealt with over the entire saga of our ownership to date with resolutions:
- Dinette window - glass colliding with itself between the two mis-aligned panes of glass - Fixed, Replaced entire window assembly
- Brakes on trailer barely slow it at any speed with brake controller set at maximum gain - Fixed, Brakes needed major adjustment
- Exterior trim/seal/gasket/caulking pulled away and exposed, lower right corner of bedroom slide out - Fixed, Resealed
- Bathroom sink stopper will not open enough to allow sink to drain freely - Fixed, Replaced drain assembly
- Residential refrigerator slid out of opening - Fixed, put buckle strap in place to hold it in while traveling
- Ice maker line leaking water - Fixed, at time of installation line was crushed by fridge rolling over it, replaced
- Large rear window MCD night roller shade will not retract, has no tension - Fixed on 5 separate occasions, will probably return
- Under-skirting screws are fatigued due to improper installation/over-torque and screw heads are popping off - Fixed, replaced screws
- Ceiling light over kitchen pantry is non-operational - Fixed, Replaced
- Light in utility bay is non-operational - Fixed, Was never wired to anything
- Multiple cabinet doors are separating from hinges - Fixed across multiple visits, every horizontal hinged door had to be re-glued at hinges
- Leveling jack system will typically not operate on battery, sometimes trips self-resetting breaker and will not do a full retract (battery or on shore power) - Fixed after 5th attempt
- Check kitchen slide out with Residential Refrigerator for buckling in center - Acknowledged, will not fix, roller solution will damage tile floor in kitchen
- Fireplace insert caught on fire, had melt-down - Fixed, replaced insert
- Rear living room floor furnace duct has zero airflow - Fixed, ducting crushed and disconnected in underbelly
- Left side propane tank inoperable - Fixed, replaced hose, regulator, selector valve
- Bedroom door will not close, collides with frame after trip - Fixed, adjusted door
- Bedroom door will not latch after another couple of additional trips - Fixed, adjusted strike plate
- Rear window leaking in to wall, flooding counter - Fixed, window slide down in opening, readjusted and resealed
- Outlet in dinette low voltage - Fixed, replaced wiring
- Original tires worn out in less than 5000 miles and had a blow out, replacement set wearing poorly in under 4000 miles, alignment issue - Fixed, replaced correct track system and adjusted axles
- Convection microwave makes burning electrical smell when using convection oven function - Will not fix, Acknowledged smell, operates fine
- Bathroom sink leaking when in use at drain - Fixed, replaced and re-tightened drain seals
- Black tank valve may not be opening for full dump or fully closing - Fixed, lubricated valve and re-checked
- Tank sensors reading full or partial full on grey water tanks all the time - Fixed, corroded tank sensor wire connections replaced
- Landing gear light inoperable - Fixed, replaced (bad switch)
- Unevenness in bedroom floor - Acknowledged, caused by slide out rolling over carpet
- LED Awning light strip has segments going bad/flickering, very dim - Acknowledged, no repair at this time
- Shower surround is cracked in multiple places - Fixed, filled cracks, painted, buffed
- 3 right side night shades lost tension and do not roll up - Fixed, re-tension
- Under-skirting covering (sharkskin?) falling down/tearing due to multiple re-applications - Fixed, replaced entire rear half of covering
- Both left and right slide out top gaskets sliding out back of track and dangle from rear of trailer - Fixed, re-glued with silicone
- Both non-folding dining chairs broken at seat base, one folding dining chair broken at hinge - Fixed, replaced
- Main kitchen light broken at base welds, fell down - Fixed, replaced
I also want to thank each of you who have both publicly and privately given me good guidance throughout in trying to get our issues resolved and turn this most unhappy experience in to a better one.
Westwind
Well-known member
I was glad to see Heartland finally stepped up to the plate and helped you resolve the large list of problems that came with your Bighorn. I'm hoping that you and your wife can now begin to enjoy it instead of dreading the use of it on vacations, it shouldn't be that way. I'm glad that the forum was able to help in some way resolve or advise. Many of us have gotten help in maintenance and repair issues that have occured during the use of our RV's.
Good luck and safe travels.
Good luck and safe travels.
Similar threads
