cabinets not level....... or is it the floor?

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ZNK

Well-known member
Is it possible that the trailer is not truly level when you are measuring? I have a 2012 North Trail and have not experienced any of these issues you speak of. I also do not see an issue with the cushions. Is it possible that Heartland has improved these issues? The reality with most of this is that nothing lasts forever and with every purchase whether it is a house, a vehicle, or an RV there will be some things that will need to be replaced or fixed throughout the life of the item. Expecting everything to be perfect is just a recipe for disaster. I personally find the errors to be an opportunity to learn more about the trailer. I recently found an issue with my outside shower, found out that the hose had come undone inside the cabinet. I had to take the cabinet apart to reconnect the hose, but in the process I was able to see more of how the trailer was built and how things were put together. Just my thoughts...
 

RanCarr

Well-known member
Is it possible that the trailer is not truly level when you are measuring?

The floor was level front to back and side to side when we put the extra levels on the cabinet tops. We had levels on the floor in 4 places. So yes, the TT was level.

I have a 2012 North Trail and have not experienced any of these issues you speak of. I also do not see an issue with the cushions. Is it possible that Heartland has improved these issues?

That's a distinct possibility since I'm sure we're not the only one this happened to and most people will complain, not just run out and quietly buy replacements for hundreds of dollars after the first few camping trips. Or maybe they switched to a different supplier. For the sake of buyers who came after us, I sure hope so.

The reality with most of this is that nothing lasts forever and with every purchase whether it is a house, a vehicle, or an RV there will be some things that will need to be replaced or fixed throughout the life of the item.

But we don't expect it to happen in less than a year do we? :confused: We expected a glitch or a problem here and there but we were overwhelmed with one thing after the other, starting with the 2 rear jacks being so close to the ground they were destroyed before the 1st month was up, plus a front one bent.

Expecting everything to be perfect is just a recipe for disaster. I personally find the errors to be an opportunity to learn more about the trailer. I recently found an issue with my outside shower, found out that the hose had come undone inside the cabinet. I had to take the cabinet apart to reconnect the hose, but in the process I was able to see more of how the trailer was built and how things were put together. Just my thoughts...

You seem to have correctable errors. :) Not everyone else does. And in a brand new $19,000+ unit, yes we expected most things to be perfect or would have saved $10,000 or more and bought a used TT from Craigslist. How would you like to rip out all the cabinets to level them? Then reseal them all? We can't. Or pull out the front wall of the TT to add more insulation to keep your mattress and pillows dry when it's cold outside - and put it all back together? We can't. Or try to figure out where to move the spare tire to because it's so close to the ground it drags in gas stations and CGs? Where can we put the tire? Since the pull-out tray also drags when out, we hesitate to make something for it there. How would you lift your TT at least 4" or more to fix this "too low" issue? We can't. I don't know what opportunities these issues are providing for us to learn about the TT other than the lack of quality control somewhere on the line in Elkhart. Someone let this one slide past. Unlike you, we are too old and lack the carpentry and mechanical experience and finances to fix these problems ourselves.
 

RanCarr

Well-known member
I don't for sure but the last I was told the North Trail was not rated for Full Time or even Part time.

Who told you that? A salesmen or someone who works for HL? We don't live in it full time. We spend 3 months in it in the winter and use it for camping during the summer months here in TN. Both dealers (FL and Elkhart) and HL KNEW why we were buying this TT. We didn't buy it to live in it. What has that to do with unlevel cabinets, being too low to the ground and the other issues? You're trying to compare apples to oranges.

What is part time? Six months of the year? Nine months of the year? Three months? Two weeks? No one we ever spoke to from the salesman to the people at HL told us the TT was only meant for maybe camping one or two weekends a year.

So after staying in your NT for the winter, yes I would think that the seat cushions not holding up would be normal. I believe that they are good enough for just about every other NT user. Why are yours different?

Apparently you didn't bother to read my original post. In fact it's obvious. The seats started flattening out within the first few times we went camping. You consider 3 months the winter? Since when was this TT designed to sit in someone's driveway and only used a few weekends a year? Why are my seats different? Why are you asking me? Maybe you need to call HL and find out where they get them from, and which supplier supplied the one in my particular TT. Also ask them at HL how many days a year was this 28BRS TT designed be used by the buyer. No one but a fool would spend this kind of money on a new TT to use for a few weekends a year, or at most a weeks vacation in summer.
 

RanCarr

Well-known member
WOW! I bet your family and friends that work for HL thank you for your post and assuring all that there is QC.

He's (2psnapod2) a typical apologist. I loved the TT when we first bought it. We were both very happy with it. But as time passed and the problems added up... how can someone not get disgusted and angered when they realized they just spent a lot of money on what turned out to be a poorly designed lemon?
 

RanCarr

Well-known member
The seat cushions in our NT flattened out and the fabric puckered before the end of our first camping season, which is short in Wisconsin. We had just the bottom seat cushions replaced with better quality foam and fabric. I won't admit to what it cost :). I remember when there was a Northtrail forum (before it went to facebook) and other owners also posted complaints and did replacements.

Thank you for speaking up. Those with newer model HL units may have gotten better quality seats with better quality covers than those put in the 2011's and older. Those our TT came with are just for looks, not to be sat on.
 

RanCarr

Well-known member
No direct contact with HL. I just know that the company does have a quality control department. It might not be the best but to say they have none is misleading to others.

When a unit slips by where the cabinets are not level, there is no *adequate* QC. There may as well not be any. It's not misleading since this unit slipped right by. And where is the person in charge of QC were the seats and seat material was chosen and checked? Who approved of a kitchen window an average height woman (5'6") can't reach to open? Was that the design engineer's fault? QC is more than just walking trough a unit to make sure no cabinet doors were left off or stove cover dented in or that the draws open and close.


They even just recently changed how they do it. Hopefully it is a better system and they can have less expensive costs in the long run.

You know all this yet claim you have no direct contact with the company. If they recently changed how they do it, there had to be problems in the past like my lemon that slipped through. If HL contacted me they could look back and find out who was taking an extra long coffee break instead of checking the TTs when my unit came down the line. Maybe the kinked hose could slide by... but there is no excuse for the cabinets not being level. All that information would be available to them since this was an ordered unit and we spoke to them several times on the phone before it was even constructed.

I just believe that bashing a company for a poor PSI and also not identifying if you unit is way off level prior to a year is wrong. They choice to buy the unit and now since they are unhappy with it, either they need to sale it or trade for another unit and stop bashing or live with it. JMHO!!!

Bashing the company? Get a grip on yourself. We had no idea it had all these problems when we bought it NEW, so stop playing the "blame the victim" game. Who in their right mind would have bought it had they known? If no one complained how would HL know there are problems with the units they're selling and that not all their employees are doing their jobs? You seem to feel anyone who got a problematic unit should quietly dump it on someone else, buy another unit and never say a word. I disagree. I'm sure someone at HL cares that this 28BRS left the factory and no one checked it. And I'm sure someone there cares about some of the design flaws also. How lucky you were to get one that was carefully checked and was perfect, like my Zinger was, when you got it.
 

RanCarr

Well-known member
If it's in warranty and its actually not correct the way it's suppose to be, I think HL will take care of it.

They offered to replace the cushions with new ones exactly the same as the ones the unit came with. I told him that wont work because he would have to replace them after every few camping trips. And to make it even more aggravating, I would have to haul it to another town so the dealer could sign something, some papers each time. We didn't buy it brand new to sit in the dealer's lot waiting for someone to look at the cushions when they had the time and sign paper work. Apparently you can't just take the cushions in.... and why bother when the new ones would flatten and the cheap covers crinkle and wrinkle in no time.

But if you knew this unit had issues,

If we knew this brand brand new unit had issues, it would have stayed on the lot in Elkhart. And the design flaws do not become apparent until you go camping with it for a week or two or take a trip. No dealer will allow that before you buy the RV.

.... and if you did a good PDI you would have found it un level I would think,

You think wrong. How many people would think to bring a handful of levels to make sure the cabinets and dining set are level when the floor is level? Did you? How did you check for design flaws there on the lot?

.....then why did you sign for it?

What makes you think the dealer who got it from HL or that HL itself told us about all the design flaws and that the cabinets tilted to streetside? That the cushions were just for looks? That no one checked the outside shower for kinks? That you couldn't really use the unit where the ground was not level as a pancake or the spare tire would drag and the rear stabilizers would get bent or ripped off - which is what happened the first or second time out with it. BTW, I called HL about the stabilizers dragging on every incline and that they were finally destroyed. That design flaw was not considered, we had to pay to replace them and we can't use them bolted to the frame or they too will be destroyed. We bought better ones and keep them in the cubby until parked. They didn't tell us before we signed that this TT needs super heavy duty dolly wheels attached to the rear frame to keep the slide-out try from being ripped off on any small incline. BTW, the rear tray still drags, even with the dolly wheels and I know one day we'll destroy the tray by simply going to a gas station or up an incline in one of the CG here in TN. Would we have bought this TT knowing all these things? Not on your life. No one would have and that includes YOU.

It seems you have been mostly un happy with it from the start if I remember right.

See above, we were quite happy until all the design flaws and problems started to become known. That includes having to buy a FantasticFan so we can get air to breath when it storms or rains plus two Maxxaire vertical louver vents for both slider windows. HL would not add the better crank windows even though we offered to pay for them, and pay for them to be installed as our TT was being made. This 28BRS has very poor ventilation in bad weather due to the sliders and awning-windows that have no adjustments. These are design flaws not known until you spend time in the unit. Flaws the other two RVs we had did not have.


Don't take this wrong but it is the reason I took a 9 page checklist, that had me down on the floor checking for scuff marks and holes. Too bad we have to do this, but you do get what you pay for. And I wanted the most for my money.

You can be sure we will never again buy another poorly designed unit like this one. The floor plan and layout are great, don't get me wrong. It was the floor plan we were looking for. They got that right, but in all other areas,.... this RV is sorely lacking, a real disappointment.
 

2psnapod2

Texas-South Chapter Leaders-Retired
If you did a proper PDI you would have found that the unit had the issues. It is not the dealers or the manufactures fault that you did not do a PDI as needed. Everyone on here tells you to do a PDI and either you did not do one or did not do a good one. THAT IS YOUR FAULT, no one else's.

As far as all these design issues, YOUR the only one that has complained about any design issues and if you did not like the unit then YOU SHOULD HAVE NOT Bought it. Like I said earlier either live with it our trade it in. Stop bashing the product because you don't like it. A lot of other people out there LOVE it! JMO (And my last post on this)
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
Hi gang,

I too am sorry that RanCarr is having issues with his unit. Unfortunately, they won't be solved online. I'm going to close this thread at this time.

RanCarr - please continue to work directly with Heartland (phone: 877-262-8032 and email: service@heartlandrvs.com) on resolve to the issues with your coach.

Thank you,

Jim
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
RanCarr, I truly am sorry to hear of the issues you are having with your North Trail. I just took a little over a half an hour and read every post in this thread. I feel at this point, there is nothing anyone on the forum can say or do that will be of any help to you.
That said, I feel this thread has reached it's the end of it's useful life and is being closed.
 
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