Difference between 2009, 2010, & 2011 Cyclone 3914

[David_J]

Hi there. I been browsing this forum for the past few months now gathering data. We have decided that now is the time for us to move forward with a purchase. We are currently looking at the 3914 as our new toy hauler. We are in need of a toy hauler with a 14ft garage and the 3914 seems to be a great fit for my wife, my 2 kids (6 & 10), and I. We need to 14ft garage since my wife has a Polaris RZR and we need the length to fit everything else. We have found a few different 3914s out there. One is a 2009, one is a 2010, and just found a 2011. I know that this model is no longer in production, so I figured now is the time to get one while I can.

I am trying to determine what are some of the major differences between the different years. I have heard that the slides can no longer be indiviually controlled on the 2011. I have also heard that Heartland has removed the storage drawers in the rear. I'm not to concered with the removal of the amp/subwoofer. Did the suspension get upgraded on the 2011? Had a dealer tell me that the microwave/convection oven was replaced with just a microwave in 2010.

Seems like there are a lot of things that have changed throughout the different years and I am looking to see what else may have changed. This will be our first RV. We currently just have a 24ft enclosed cargo trailer that we use for our ATVs. As the kids are getting older, we want to be able to take extended weekend trips without having to always rent a room somewhere.

I want our first RV purchases to be one that will last a few years. I don't want to make a mistake and buy the wrong one right out of the gate. I know there will be things that I will find I want or don't need, but I want to have a good foundation to start. Everything I have heard about the Cyclone has been great. Although I did have one dealer tell me that the Cyclone is for the older crowd and the Fuzion was for the younger crowd (they do sell both so they were not picking one over the other). I'm 37, so consider myself young.

Any input would be appreciated.

 

[Riverman]

You are right...the changes are never ending. It appears that the majority of the changes happen mid-year, meaning just because two trailers have the same build year, the basic equipment and options available on them are not necessarily the same. We haven't even picked ours up yet and I hear it has undergone many changes we were unaware of. I do know the amp & subwoofer are gone as is the rear awning & security camera options. I am unaware of the rear storage drawers being deleted?? or any changes in the microwave ovens. We may be a even bigger surprise when we pick ours up. I seen a recent post about landing gear being switched to a hydraulic system, but if they have already chopped production of this model, you will definately have the electric type. It would seem that you will need to check each one you find because no 2 are the same.
Good Luck

 

[David_J]

As much as I would like to physically look at all of them before deciding, that just won't be possible. The closest one that I have found (with good pricing) is 2200 miles away. I'm doing my online shopping to determine which one I want. Once we decided, I will take the time to drive out and pick it up in person so that I can perform the inspection.

I'm just was looking for a list of things that may have been changed so that I know what to look for since I can't seem to go by the items they list on the website. Even their videos they have on the website would appear to be outdated since some of the options are not available anymore.

The drawers I heard were deleted in the later 2010 models, around the same time as the microwave and the stereo amp/sub. I also heard that they changed the construction of the cabinets from being all real wood, to just the door fronts being real wood. I haven't seen any in person to verify, just things I've heard from various dealers.

 

[Bob&Patty]

David, I think the best thing you could do is call HL yourself. That way you get the full scoop on what is changing for the new models. Bob

 

[R.Pratt]

you also can look at the website, i found on our 2010 there were a few "options" the dealer told me about but when i did the research i found that they were actually standard configuration on the 2010 so we got those "upgrade" charges removed
I agree with Bob and Patty, calling the factory is the best bet, and every time i have called they have been great, even when i was too lazy to read the manual and find there is a switch on the water heater panel outside........
after a pleasent phone call i had hot water!!

Enjoy and congrats (early ) on your new TH

 

[Riverman]

As much as I would like to physically look at all of them before deciding, that just won't be possible. The closest one that I have found (with good pricing) is 2200 miles away. I'm doing my online shopping to determine which one I want. Once we decided, I will take the time to drive out and pick it up in person so that I can perform the inspection.

I'm just was looking for a list of things that may have been changed so that I know what to look for since I can't seem to go by the items they list on the website. Even their videos they have on the website would appear to be outdated since some of the options are not available anymore.

The drawers I heard were deleted in the later 2010 models, around the same time as the microwave and the stereo amp/sub. I also heard that they changed the construction of the cabinets from being all real wood, to just the door fronts being real wood. I haven't seen any in person to verify, just things I've heard from various dealers.

You seem to be in the same predicament we were. Dont believe what you see on the dealers websites - most of them just post generic pics. Even the photos on the Heartland website are incorrect on some items..for example it shows a new Cyclone 3950 with 2 awnings & laundry in garage. There are multiple errors on the embedded video as well. Even getting the dealer to send you a copy of the build sheet won't help as the standard items change from one to the next. Maybe if you can talk them into sending a indepth video of their particular trailer???

 

[TNT]

Hello- We checked EBay and RVTrader for various years and models for sale before we bought ours. We settled on the 09 3210 (before discontinued as well) and couldn't be happier. There are usually only 2 of us, so it is the perfect size. This way you can look at various photos of different units besides talking to someone.

Good luck!

 

[MystrMagic]

Hello David. I know exactly what you're going through. I did the same thing, spent countless hours, days, weeks, months searching for the "right" 14' garage model. After eliminating all the Raptors, Fuzions, etc., I settled on the 3914 and began my own nationwide search. Finally selected one about a thousand miles from my home and bought it sight unseen. Actually had never even set foot in a 3914 model until I drove to pick it up because no dealer in my area had one left on their lot!

You mentioned the 2011 model year but I was told directly by Heartland in November that they had discontinued the 3914 model due to poor sales. They said they made a few of the models for 2010 but stopped because people with families seemed to want the second bathroom more than they wanted the 14' garage. (This was why none of the local dealers in my area had, or were able to get, a 3914.)

They also told me in the same phone conversation that their new Road Warrior model with a 14' garage just rolled off the assembly line that same day. I don't remember the exact model number but I think it was 360. I don't see it on their web site yet but if you call Heartland and explain this I'm sure they can give you the details.

While the Road Warriors are built with the same quality materials as the Cyclones, the Road Warriors are not quite as luxurious as the Cyclones.

I suggest you have your prospective dealer fax or E-mail you a copy of their factory invoice. They may block out the price but then again, they may not. While you do want to see the invoice price if you can, you need to see the exact list of all standard and optional equipment on the particular unit you are considering. That way there shouldn't be many surprises when you arrive to take delivery.

After all my efforts I still had a couple of surprises. I got the invoice and had watched the video walk-around on the Heartland web site and I expected the "half-time" gas oven with electronic ignition but I got a "plain old" match light gas oven. Oh well. Also expected the beaver tail storage bins in the garage but they are not on my 2009 model.

On the return home (I spent two nights in the unit) I learned the furnace blows virtually no hot air into the master bedroom. Most of the air comes out near the kitchen and then the entry way next to the control center. I asked a local dealer about this and he said there are no air flow controls on the floor registers to prevent owners from causing potentially dangerous back pressure issues with the furnace. He said most people just "throw a rug over" the floor registers to force the air where they want it. ??? If this makes sense to you please explain it to me. Sounds like it only shifts any possible liability from the manufacturer directly to the owner. Guess I'll carefully "throw a rug over" the vents myself!

I do have the amp/subwoofer and the microwave/convection oven in mine. In fact, I think I have just about every option available except the security camera and a backup camers.

I also had a washer/dryer installed so I wouldn't have to search for a laundry on the road.

All things considered I am VERY happy with the unit.

This was also my first RV purchase (November, 2009) and I wanted to make the right choices too. Here are a couple of issues for your consideration.

In deciding between the different year models available consider that the 2009 and 2008 units will cost you less for a couple of reasons. First, if a dealer still has one of these on his lot, he needs to get it off his lot asap so he will discount it lower than a new 2010 model. Second, a year or two older model will cost less to insure.

You probably already know who you want to get your insurance from but I found Good Sam to be the best all around. You can check with them at www.goodsamrvinsurance.com if you're interested. They definitely had the best rates I could find anywhere, including my own auto insurance agent for the past 20 years!

My dealer had persuaded me to buy their 7 year extended warranty for almost $3,000.00 and they were going to add it to my contract. I did some checking and found Good Sam (www.goodsamclub.com) offers 3 year extended warranties on this model for only $459.00 (as of December, 2009) and they can be extended for up to 16 years (at increased rates but still far less than what my dealer offered) so I told my dealer I changed my mind!

Upon geting home I carefully read through every one of my appliance manuals and learned the manufacturers warranties range from 1 year (smoke detectors) to 15 years (fire extenguisher). Most of them were 2 or 3 years (expecially the fridge, air conditioner and furnace) and most of the manufacturers offer extended warranties for 1 - 3 years at very reasonable rates, just check their web sites. For example, the air conditioner warranty can be extended for an additional 3 years (past the original 3 years) for a little over $100.00!

After considering this issue further I figured it will take me 10 years to put as much use into any appliance as a full-timer will put on it in six months so I decided to pass on all extended warranties. I'm sure there are many on this forum who will disagree with me but I'm happy with this decision. My unit will sit unused most of the year so it's not like I will be burning things up in a hurry.

You should also know that if you decide to buy a used model, there are NO warranties from the manufacturer. RV manufacturer warranties (not just Heartland, all of them) are not transferrable so you might reconsider the above opinion.

As for the dealer's comments about the "younger" Fuzion crowd and the "older" Cyclone crowd, I suspect it is because the Fuzion uses more metal and red colors and sports themes (inside) while the Cyclone uses a more elegant, luxurious decor. Personally I prefer the Cyclone. It feels more relaxing.

One thing you will definitely appreciate on the 3914 is the "real" stairs leading up to the loft instead of the small, rickety metal ladder used in the Fuzion and most other models.

Hope this information will be of use to you. Good luck in your search.

 

[porthole]

As for the dealer's comments about the "younger" Fuzion crowd and the "older" Cyclone crowd, I suspect it is because the Fuzion uses more metal and red colors and sports themes (inside) while the Cyclone uses a more elegant, luxurious decor. Personally I prefer the Cyclone. It feels more relaxing.

Exactly the reason why I even considered a toy hauler when the suggestion was made for "we need a bigger boat".


David you would be well advised to contact Mike Alpin either at Heartland directly or through this forum.

He is very knowledgeable on the product line and will spend all the time you need answering your questions.

And he calls back when you leave a message.

 

[Bob_in_Houston]

Well I'm sitting in our new 2011 Cyclone 3010 right now in Mountain Home, Arkansas, at Great Escapes RV. We did the PDI this morning and we are going to sleep in it tonight to make sure everything is okay before we leave for Houston.

New features:

- Microwave only; no convection oven/microwave.
- Theoretrically it has a heater vent and A/C vent in the garage. The heater vent is on the wall near the door and the A/C vent is in the ceiling. Theoretical because although air blows out it, it doesn't appear to be heated. The 2 vents in the living area, one in the bath and one in the bedroom all work. I don't know if the A/C works yet because its 22 F outside and it's too cold to test yet.
- Cabinents have interior hinges (looks nice and clean)
- "Slam latches" on most of outside openings. Let 'em go, and they slam and lock.
- Supposedly a new headboard on the bed but it looks the same to me.
- Beavertail storage is still there, but the outside drawers are gone.
- Hydraulic front jacks. The rear stabilizers are still electric.
- Sub-woofer and amp is gone. There is still the radio/DVD player there.
- The freezer/refrigerator is all black. No more wood grain decal.

I'm really pleased so far. The furnace is on almost full time because it is so cold and the furnace fan is driving me up the wall. Is there quieter after market unit?

Am I suppose to get a general manual with the unit? I forgot what the big red switch on the control panel does already.

Bob in Houston

 

[jimtoo]

Hi Bob,

Glad you got your unit. "Most Likely" the red handle switch is for the electric heating unit in the water heater. Make sure your water heater is full of water before turning on. I don't have a Cyclone, so I don't know for sure.

And, yes, you should have gotten a general owners manual and also operation manuals for all the appliances.

Check it out good before you leave.

Jim M

 

[porthole]

Theoretrically it has a heater vent and A/C vent in the garage. The heater vent is on the wall near the door and the A/C vent is in the ceiling.

The heater vent is new, the A/C vent has been there.
How about a picture of the heater vent, and where is it in relation the the living room vent?

"Slam latches" on most of outside openings. Let 'em go, and they slam and lock.

Nice touch, along with the hydraulic jacks.

Beavertail storage is still there, but the outside drawers are gone.

Sub-woofer and amp is gone. There is still the radio/DVD player there.

You can order the under chassis from Lippert
Sub woofer and amp is a small loss for the added cabinet space. You could always add your own and hide it.

And yes, you should get a manual, but if not supplied you can download it.

 

[Bob_in_Houston]

@ Porthole:

I'll get a photo out later on the new heating vent in the 2011 model garage, but if you stand in the garage looking forward, the vent is on the lower right edge of the bulkhead. Almost on the floor. Apparently, it's not insulated all that well because the air temperature was much lower than the floor vent just 2 ft away in the living area. The dealer says it's just a "bonus" vent; I shouldn't actually think it would really work.

The hydraulic jacks were heaven sent as it turned out. I had a Pullrite 16k Super5th put in. When it was time to leave, it was **** trying hitch up. They finally got it in though. I asked the dealer to move it from the campsite up to flatter ground before I took it over. I also, wanted to hitch and unhitch before I left. We gave it a try, and the hitch wouldn't release. As tried to get it to release, there was a lot of extending and retracting on those hydraulic jacks.

It turned out those close tolerances Pullrite advertises bit us on the butt. The U-shaped cutout on the fifth wheel top plate had to be trimmed a bit and the king pin paint sanded off before it would work.

Imagine a rookie getting home from a 600 mile journey and not being able to detach the truck!

Don't miss the sub-woofer either. Rather have the storage. As a matter of fact, we had the outside speakers deleted.

The kidney shaped table in the garage was eliminated too, but our dealer was able to have them cut me one. I'm glad they did. I think it will come in handy with the jackknife couch back there.

The mattress is pillow-top now; I'm not sure if that is new for 2011. Very comfortable. The mattress was one of my concerns too; very pleased it wasn't a torture rack.

There are low point drains for hot and cold water and the fresh water tank now. Not sure if they are new but I remember reading where someone was trying to drain their water tank and not being able to do so.

Bob in Houston

 

[porthole]

It turned out those close tolerances Pullrite advertises bit us on the butt.

The mattress is pillow-top now; I'm not sure if that is new for 2011. Very comfortable. The mattress was one of my concerns too; very pleased it wasn't a torture rack.

There are low point drains for hot and cold water and the fresh water tank now. Not sure if they are new but I remember reading where someone was trying to drain their water tank and not being able to do so.

PullRite's quality control is pretty good and the product is top notch. I would call PullRite and discuss the problem you had and the repairs that the dealer did. I would think you are entitled to a new saddle and adapter plate.

The pillow top should be a nice change. Ours is not the pillow top, but I put one of those Nova memory foam toppers (Costco) and it is very comfortable.

The low point drain sure not new. Something to consider, when I was looking around behind the wall in the basement I found where the low point tees into the hot and cold lines was not the lowest location.

It really doesn't show well in the picture below but you can see the that the blue and red water water go "up" looking from right to left. The low point tees would be on the left side of this picture if visible.
Not a problem if you are aware of it when winterizing.

As to the water tank drains, that is a matter of physics. The factory was supposed to be looking into correcting that issue, so you may be in luck.

Good luck with the new trailer and don't forget pictures of the changes so we can all be envious!

 

[David_J]

Thanks for all the input. Unfortunately we have decided against the Cyclone. I do like the Cyclone, but the Fuzion had more of what we really needed. Cyclone was less $$$, but my wife and I agreed on another unit.

 

[Bob_in_Houston]

How about a picture of the heater vent, and where is it in relation the the living room vent?.

You can see the new heater vent in this photo. It's the black circular register on the lower right.

Bob in Houston

 

[porthole]

So it looks like they did what Louis already figured out.
Looks good.

 

[Yianni]

Yes, I think the factory heater flex ducting is run in the primary underbelly and then brought up into the wall. I'm thinking they made a 2 inch boot to fit in the wall.
Unfortunately, you can't tap off the register next to the patio door as it is in the primary underbelly and has gray tank #2 sitting below it.

 

[Bob_in_Houston]

The ducting comes up througth the floor behind the big bottom drawer under the stove. It then runs aft behind the next drawer and through the bulkhead. No insulation whatever. That's probably why the air temperature coming out of it is much lower than the floor vent in the living area just a few feet a away.

Here are some photos. They weren't taken to show this issue but they are better than nothing.

044: Drawers out. The left one is where the hose comes through the floors.

048: This is the path of the hose. It would normally be on the floor there but it was held out of the way because I was photographing a water leak.

050: Here's the hose.

Bob in Houston