discovered issues that occurred during build, but now out of warranty

[isisrider]

I have a 2011 Cyclone Toyhauler and I have been fairly happy with the unit other than a few minor issues shortly after purchase. The reoccurring problem has been the lack of water pressure on the unit, but I was told "that is just the way it is". I am on my third water pump and still not much water pressure, so I decided to dig a little deeper into the unit. I discovered a hose that runs from the fresh water tank to the pump that was ran between a steel beam and the wooden frame that the water heater sits on. This hose has been basically "pinched off" since this unit was built, which explains why I have never had good water pressure and why my pumps keep going out. I contacted my dealer who told me it was out of warranty and suggested I call Heartland. I called Heartland and was informed the same thing. I understand that this is out of warranty, but it was clearly built incorrectly from the factory and it was not corrected. I have also incurred the cost of new water pumps. Is there any further steps that I can take on this issue? I was going to fix the issue myself, but due to time constraints, I am forced to have a dealer repair this issue. I am using a more reputable dealer than the original dealer I purchased the unit from who is also alot closer to my home, however they are not a Heartland Dealer. We will document the process and take some pictures to prove how the unit was constructed.

Any advice?

thanks,
Rick

 

[Garypowell]

I would take my time and build a case. Not enough detail to know if you bought all the water pumps or if provided to you by HL.

I. Always think talking things over are better than writing an email. And heaven help those that send a 5 page ranting letter.

Keep in mind that they probably don't have to help you. And that is the toughest thing....getting someone to want to help.

I would keep my expectations low and don't demand anything. It's the "can you listen to a short mystery story and see if you can help me out" approach.

 

[Cjackg]

Instead of chasing this around in hopes of getting coverage after the warranty expired, Why not just get in there and replace the pinched hose and move on!

The RVs built today, for the most part, have so many of these careless issues that taking care of it yourself is likely to get it done faster and with less stress!

Even a mobile RV service might take care of that Fix for minimal cost....

 

[JohnDar]

I agree with the DIY approach. If you are able to get at it, splicing in a section of hose or PEX shouldn't be a big deal.
Do whatever gives you the less grief.

 

[Bob&Patty]

If you can get to the hose yourself..... just cut the hose. Then move it to place that wont pinch it again. Dont mess with the pex clamps at all. Go to Lowes, HD or any place that sells "shark bite" fittings and install it to splice the two ends together. This hose is a "suction" hose not a pressure hose. Problem solved and cheap.

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

It's seems to me the dealer that diagnosed the problem incorrectly should be held accountable. Yes, it was initially a build/design flaw to start with but had the dealer found the problem at the git go, it would have been warrantied. It's a pretty easy fix and I believe it's just 1/2" braided poly. Just reroute the hose and be done with it.

 

[Bobemuzzy]

I agree with the DIY approach at lease you know it is done right but to not put it on the Heartland Forum is totally wrong. I just got done cleaning and waxing the Corian tops in my Big Country and notice that my double sink has fallen away from my counter top and that there was a big gap that I could put my pinky finger in. I looked under the sink an saw that there are four sink clips holding the sink in place. The clips were installed 1/3 of the way in from the corner of the sink front and back WRONG!!!. There should be two clips in each corner of the sink minimum an one in the middle both front and back. I have fixed more things that were wrong on my RV then I care to list and to take it to a dealer who in most cases does not know what the he?? he is doing get pretty frustrating. The problem starts at the FACTORY. The installer puts one screw/bolt where there should have been two and the quality control person just checked to make sure there is air in the tires before it leaves the factory. The Manufacturer is interested in the sale/replacement an not the customer.

 

[Bob&Patty]

Bob, I bet if you called HL and asked them for the clips. They would send you some and probably free. I dont think anyone said that the OP's issues should not be posted. I still think that people/owners believe that someone at HL reads everything on the forum. It's not so...people that have issues should call HL service and talk to them. That way a person...not the forum, gets the info 1st hand.

You bring up something I have always wondered. Do the cabinet builders install the counter tops and sinks before HL gets them?? Then HL installs the complete assembly and only has to hook up the plumbing??

 

[JohnDar]

I agree with the DIY approach at lease you know it is done right but to not put it on the Heartland Forum is totally wrong. I just got done cleaning and waxing the Corian tops in my Big Country and notice that my double sink has fallen away from my counter top and that there was a big gap that I could put my pinky finger in. I looked under the sink an saw that there are four sink clips holding the sink in place. The clips were installed 1/3 of the way in from the corner of the sink front and back WRONG!!!. There should be two clips in each corner of the sink minimum an one in the middle both front and back. I have fixed more things that were wrong on my RV then I care to list and to take it to a dealer who in most cases does not know what the he?? he is doing get pretty frustrating. The problem starts at the FACTORY. The installer puts one screw/bolt where there should have been two and the quality control person just checked to make sure there is air in the tires before it leaves the factory. The Manufacturer is interested in the sale/replacement an not the customer.

Missing sink clips is nothing new, unfortunately. For the double bowl stainless steel sinks, you want six of them. One at the center, front and back, of each bowl and another at both ends, in the center of the bowl. A bead of clear silicone around the joint between the counter top and the bowl flange is also worth doing. Several of us have had similar experience with this in the past.

 

[JohnD]

Yeah . . . I just dropped my now-out-of-warranty trailer at the dealership yesterday to have them refix an issue that the trailer had from the factory (this is the 4th. time for this same issue).

They tried to tell me that since my warranty is up that they would be glad to fix it for a fee . . . to which I replied "NO!"

I was being as nice as possible, but finally had to give them the old "Had this been done right to begin with!" schpeel . . . and then they tried to tell me that caulking needs to be done every three months . . .

Well, considering that the leaks are behind the eve rails and down both sides of the trailer through caulking that has cracked in the exact places each time due to complete panel replacements on both sides of the trailer . . . and not to mention that the last time they 'fixed' this, they never even touched it . . . they said that they would look into it and do it one more time.

I'll know next week.

In the mean time, they charged me for de-winterizing my trailer yesterday when last year it was included in the winterizing charge . . . and they told me that when I had it winterized last fall that the same was true this year . . . yet yesterday, they suddenly had a $62 charge for the de-winterizing.

Hhhhmmmmmmmm . . . might be shopping around for a new place to service my trailer from now on.

I'm guessing they aren't interested in keeping regular customers!

I've been informed by many posters here that the dealership right next door to my dealership is one of the best places around for service.

Might just be calling them soon . . .

 

[JohnDar]

Winterizing and dewinterizing the plumbing takes less than an hour, and that includes driving 10 miles to the storage yard to do it. About $15 for the antifreeze.

 

[Bobemuzzy]

Missing sink clips is nothing new, unfortunately. For the double bowl stainless steel sinks, you want six of them. One at the center, front and back, of each bowl and another at both ends, in the center of the bowl. A bead of clear silicone around the joint between the counter top and the bowl flange is also worth doing. Several of us have had similar experience with this in the past.

I have sold and installed hundreds of sinks rimmed and rimless with silicone and plumber's putty as a seal, plumbing Included in my life time. A rimmed sink needs 10 to 12 clips. Under mount sinks need just as many or more depending on the sink material. All sink should have 2 clips I all 4 corners. The clips are for handling the weight, take out the sink warpage ( Stainless Steel, Fiber Glass, etc ) and help seal the sink

 

[Bobemuzzy]

Bob, I bet if you called HL and asked them for the clips. They would send you some and probably free. I dont think anyone said that the OP's issues should not be posted. I still think that people/owners believe that someone at HL reads everything on the forum. It's not so...people that have issues should call HL service and talk to them. That way a person...not the forum, gets the info 1st hand.

You bring up something I have always wondered. Do the cabinet builders install the counter tops and sinks before HL gets them?? Then HL installs the complete assembly and only has to hook up the plumbing??

I am tired of calling HL with out results and getting frustrated. Getting the clips is not the problem. Putting the clips in such a cramped space is the problem. I could not get my clips mounted under the sink. I had to open the gap more then it was and load it up with silicone and then using a car jack I jacked up the sink from underneath until the gap was closed with out putting a dimple in the sink. Lots of unnecessary work when it could of been done right at the factory. That is what I thought I paid for when I bought the Big Country.
Believe me this forum is monitored by HL personal and others.

I am not sure how they install the cabinets and countertops. When I did cabinet installation the cabinets were installed first and then the countertops were scribed to the wall and then installed. Corian and other manmade materials including Granite was glued to the cabinets. If HL installed using the modular system everything was mounted on the wall and then the wall was installed in the RV

 

[JohnDar]

It took some ingenuity, but I was able to add the missing clips to mine. The holes for the missing clips were drilled already, just no clips installed in some of them. I don't dispute that a heavy residential stainless steel sink needs the added support, but the ones in these rigs are puny by comparison and much thinner material. The one in my house is the largest available at the time (1994) and weighs a ton. I know because I pulled it out once to change the faucet. Easier than trying to do it from underneath with the plumbing in my face.

 

[JohnD]

Winterizing and dewinterizing the plumbing takes less than an hour, and that includes driving 10 miles to the storage yard to do it. About $15 for the antifreeze.

I know this kind of stuff comes easy for a lot of people, but for many of us we would probably do more harm than good by doing some repairs ourselves!

And when it comes to caulking . . . well, lets just say that when you put a caulking gun in my hands I get more on me than I do on the project at hand!

As for my caulking issue . . . it really isn't a simple caulking issue (which is all the dealership keeps doing to fix my problem).

Basically, when they replaced both top outside panels, they had to not only remove the eve troughs, but the awning and the awning rail.

It is the putty that seals these items back on to the sides of the trailer that apparently were not reinstalled correctly, which keep cracking and allowing water to run behind them and down the side walls.

Our trailer was manufactured on April 26, 2012 (2 years and 13 days ago as of this posting), and really shouldn't be having these kinds of leaks until it is at least old enough to be traded in for a new one!

Heck, our old 1978 Coachman Cadet 24 travel trailer was 35 years old when we traded it in for our new Heartland Trail Runner, and even though it had many issues . . . it didn't have the issues we are having that started out when the trailer was only four months out from the manufacturing date when we purchased it and took it home (September 11, 2012)!

Here are two photos of the same spot . . . the first taken last August 31, 2013 . . . the second taken March 24, 2014 (which is supposedly after the third fix of the same spot and several others reported):


Click on photo to enlarge

And this is just one of many spots!

Anyway, I'm hoping that my dealership will amaze me and fix this right, thus keeping my future business with them!

Although this being the fourth time in for this fix I'm not too sure how long I can hold my breath . . . most especially since my one year Heartland warranty has expired.

PS - Despite these issues, we really do love our 2013 Heartland Trail Runner and can't wait for our first campout of the season in three weeks!

 

[JohnDar]

Good thing you're happy with the dealer. That is some really shoddy looking work

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

JohnD, If I had to guess, it looks like there was no work done at all. There's hardly any visible difference in the caulk.

 

[rjr6150]

I know this kind of stuff comes easy for a lot of people, but for many of us we would probably do more harm than good by doing some repairs ourselves!

And when it comes to caulking . . . well, lets just say that when you put a caulking gun in my hands I get more on me than I do on the project at hand!

As for my caulking issue . . . it really isn't a simple caulking issue (which is all the dealership keeps doing to fix my problem).

Basically, when they replaced both top outside panels, they had to not only remove the eve troughs, but the awning and the awning rail.

It is the putty that seals these items back on to the sides of the trailer that apparently were not reinstalled correctly, which keep cracking and allowing water to run behind them and down the side walls.

Our trailer was manufactured on April 26, 2012 (2 years and 13 days ago as of this posting), and really shouldn't be having these kinds of leaks until it is at least old enough to be traded in for a new one!

Heck, our old 1978 Coachman Cadet 24 travel trailer was 35 years old when we traded it in for our new Heartland Trail Runner, and even though it had many issues . . . it didn't have the issues we are having that started out when the trailer was only four months out from the manufacturing date when we purchased it and took it home (September 11, 2012)!

Here are two photos of the same spot . . . the first taken last August 31, 2013 . . . the second taken March 24, 2014 (which is supposedly after the third fix of the same spot and several others reported):

View attachment 29663 View attachment 29664
Click on photo to enlarge

And this is just one of many spots!

Anyway, I'm hoping that my dealership will amaze me and fix this right, thus keeping my future business with them!

Although this being the fourth time in for this fix I'm not too sure how long I can hold my breath . . . most especially since my one year Heartland warranty has expired.

PS - Despite these issues, we really do love our 2013 Heartland Trail Runner and can't wait for our first campout of the season in three weeks!

John
Totaly unacceptable. I would have your repair orders in hand and personally walk the service manager out to the unit for inspection and correction on their dime.

I've had excellent service both warranty and post warranty from D&M Mobile repair out of Loveland. Both Don the owner and Maryann his wife are great to work with. When you have an appointment scheduled they have a tech ready to start your job and complete in a timely manner. See my posts in RV Service reviews.