Cyclone 4100K - My experience

[Fireslyer]

So we bought a Cyclone 4100K toy hauler new and so far it has been poorly built product. It will not go in 32 deg weather like Heartland brags (0 ha -ha) without water lines freezing, Lights poorly wired burning out switches, this unit was not designed for the off road adventures at all. Dressers with one screw holding them together just to name a few hundred problems. Here was my answer from Heartland--- "Thanks for the information and photos. Unfortunately, Heartland does not pay its retail owners to work on their units. Sorry."
I have had to repair a lot of things or my unit would be at the dealer for months. I just asked for a gift certificate, E mail if you want more information.

 

[danemayer]

Hi Fireslyer,

Sorry you've had some issues with your trailer.

Many people do use these RVs in freezing weather, but yes, depending on outside temps, you may have to take additional measures to keep water lines from freezing, or dry camp. We have an owner-written Water Systems Winter Usage Guide that details how to deal with those situations. Perhaps you'll find it helpful.

We are looking forward ot our 4th extended ski trip in the Colorado mountains in January, in our Landmark. Heartland's "Comfort Tested" claim for cold weather has worked for us down to -30F, although we supplement with the Fireplace option and Dual Pane Windows option. When it gets to about -15F, I'll also usually fire up a ceramic disc heater in the kitchen for a few hours in the morning. We stay pretty comfortable.

I'm not sure why you would expect a manufacturer to pay you to work on your unit. Heartland's warranty doesn't promise to do that and I've never heard of any manufacturer of any product that pays retail customers to work on their units. I will say that Heartland has helped many of us by providing us with replacement parts so we could do the work ourselves instead of insisting we take the trailer to a dealer for repair. Not every company is that flexible. For example, if you ever need a warranty part from Dometic, I expect you may find them to be less accommodating.

In any case, I hope you get everything straightened out on your trailer so you can fully enjoy it.

 

[ShoganCO]

We went thru a lot with our 3410 as well. Heartland worked with us to resolve all of the issues and I corrected some myself. Keep in mind, it's built in less than a week or so. Granted some of the defects should have been avoided if the QA process worked for Heartland or if it exists. We had everything from basement walls pulling away to nails sticking out of the furniture to the jacks not working, heater not working, water lines so short that they were so taunt the could not be completely tightened, and many other things. All of this on a brand new unit. Our 3410 will be our first and last 5th wheel. We moved up from a Artic Fox 1150 Slide-in camper. In some ways I wish we hadn't. That camper was built with a lot of attention to detail. 3 years of ownership and not a single issue. As far as being paid for working on your trailer. I am assuming that working on it will be part of owning it. I'd love Ford if they paid me to work on my own truck but in a sense they do. I can do it cheaper than they can.

 

[wildwolfproducts]

Did you get the tank heaters? Are you keeping the furnace on? If so the water should not freeze up, unless your leaving the water hose hooked up. And don't have in insulated. When were camping in cold temps, I fill the fresh water tank. Remove the water hose to keep it from freezing. So far ours has been used down to the Teen;s and not an issue. Plus ours does not have the tank heaters, but I do run the gas furnace as it puts heat down along the pipes and the basement.
Also have to say wether must be bad there if your lines freeze in only 32 degree temps. We camping in our Key Largo a week last winter lows in the teens and highs around 28 to 30 and good winds. Not an issue.
Pete

 

[traveler44]

When we were in the freeze zone for a month last winter I bought a heat tape for the water line and cut a hose down to the same length. I taped the heat tape to the hose and insulated it with that foam pipe insulation. The heat from the heat tape carried up into the UDC and actually kept the UDC above freezing. We left the gray water drain open and let a faucet drip on the cold nights and we never froze up. Before I started using the heat tape we froze up one morning and I had to use a hair dryer to thaw out the hose and the spigot. Tom

 

[porthole]

Cyclones are not insulated the same as Landmarks and Bighorns, so they are not valid comparisons. Minimal underneath and only fiberglass bat in the ceiling.
No insulation under the garage floor, not even corroplast, and a good amount of heated or cooled air lost through to the basement storage from the air return.

 

[rgwilliams69]

My 4100K experience the exact opposite. After 1 year and 12,000+ miles our punch list only had a couple of items on it, and two of these were the plastic heater vents cracking which we asked to be replaced with metal. Other than that everything has worked flawlessly and everything is very solid. We just switched from Keystone to Heartland with this last purchase, and my comparison is that things were always loose, needing repaired, etc. on the Keystone (up-scale model also, the Alpine 3640) but not on the Heartland. Our 4100K is very solidly built from stem to stern.

In terms of cold weather, we did several nights in freezing temps on the way to/from Florida last February and didn't have any issues there either. No freeze ups (of course I didn't leave the external water line connected, used the tanks/pump). True comment on the insulation, I don't think this has as much as some other models but we stayed comfortably warm with the fireplace and furnace. In the garage we used a ceramic heater to overcome the lack of underbelly insulation there. Stayed nice and toasty.

Perhaps not the model you would want for extended below freezing camping, but for the occasional cold temps our seems to work just fine.

Just our experience...

 

[scottyb]

I'm with Greg. 11K miles in 14 mo., and my only failures have been a few components by other manufacturers, water pump, transfer switch, transfer pump. All of these items or parts were shipped to me from HL or the manufacturer. Payment for my labor to replace them was, not having to haul it to the dealer, 120 mi R/T x 2 each time. I did have one piece of plastic body trim around the wheel well become detached and broke a corner. HL sent the replacement piece to me. There are a few things I would like to see improved like the random mess of wiring and plumbing behind the basement wall, the ugly globs of spray foam around plumbing penetrations, etc., but I am told that it is an industry standard.

 

[Mauna]

How do I turn the tank heaters on?

 

[htneighbors]

Freezing up @ 32? Not here!
Me and my Cyclone have been down to -40!
Winter camping amateurs!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk and loving my Cyclone!

 

[jimtoo]

Freezing up @ 32? Not here!
Me and my Cyclone have been down to -40!
Winter camping amateurs! !

Hi HT,,, Welcome back to the posting side. It's getting winter time and your the expert on getting ready for cold weather.

Jim M

 

[dhsevers]

How do I turn the tank heaters on?

The tank heaters are an option and comes with the Yeti package.

 

[danemayer]

How do I turn the tank heaters on?

IF you have tank heaters, there's usually a large wall type switch in the middle of your other control panel switches. When turned ON, the switch lights up. You'll also have one of these for the electric side of the water heater. If you only have the one for the water heater, you may not have purchased the tank heater or Yeti option.

 

[remoandiris]

The tank heaters are an option and comes with the Yeti package.

Yes, you had to order the option. Yeti is one name. Canadian Arctic pkg is another name for it. Depends on the model year. My switch is directly below the control panel. Is is a white cover with a red switch that illuminates when on. IIRC, the tank heaters are operated by the 12V battery, not 120V shore power.