Our experience with getting our new Bighorn serviced was far from satisfying, and sharing this has been a long time coming because the problems keep coming!
October 29, 2010 we picked up our new Bighorn 3585 from Curtis Trailers in Portland, OR. We live on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington and drove down to Portland to make our purchase after failing to find a local dealer who was willing to enter into honest negotiations.
Leaving Portland after our walk through with Curtis, we stopped about a half hour into Washington to spend the night. Arriving at the camp ground we discovered the lower refrigerator cover missing... it came off along the road somewhere. The next morning our power cord reel failed, motor burned out... this is where all the troubles began. Called Curtis Trailer and they said to bring it back and they'd order and install a new reel, but we just wanted to get home. They were great and understood, had a new cover sent to our home in Washington and advised us to seek a service dealer closer to us for the power cord reel.
We found Fife RV in Gig Harbor, WA. to be our closes service dealer. Called them about the problem and they said "we need the coach for about a week to replace that reel". I took it into them for service. I dropped it where they told me and before leaving saw one of their employees ride the fork lift over to move my coach. He took it out back, in a wet and muddy lot and when trying to push my BH back into the space, it sunk in the mud. He fought to pull it out and then to get past the hole where it had sunk, he got a run at it and launched the coach almost off the ground! That should have been a notice to me, seeing and hearing the crash... but after bringing it to the attention of the Service Manager I was assured he would not only address the issue but check the coach thoroughly. A month later... we got our coach back. They also repaired the self leveling as it had never been "zeroed", replaced the bedroom slideout relay as it would stop with the slide out only 1/2 way. While they had our coach, the weather took a sudden change and temps were predicted in the low 20's. This is rare for us, especially when it lasts a few days.
I called Fife RV and asked them to winterize our coach since we had not expected them to have it so long and the forecast low temps could be a problem. I was assured it would be done and was done.
We picked up our coach from Fife RV just before Xmas as we had family coming and we needed that extra room. When we hooked up water, the kitchen faucet leaked. I pulled the valve body and it was cracked. Not even thinking it was caused by freezing (afterall, Fife RV winterized it) we again figured we had a failure of a part.
Called Heartland they were not too excited about sending out a new one, but did agree and promised it would arrive at our home before we left to follow the sun on January 4th.
They did not keep that promise, and our trip had to be delayed.
Finally left town, first night we stopped in Eugene, OR and after using the bathroom faucet while both of us got ready for bed, water came running out of the cabinet. Next day we stopped in Grants Pass, OR at a Heartland dealer who said an O ring was out of place on the faucet and he repaired it. Neither of us thought to check the shower faucet while there!
Yup, next night we used the shower in our coach for the first time... GREAT... no leak! That is until I got out of the shower and found the lower kitchen area at the entry flooded. Yup... it was leaking behind the shower wall.
I called Heartland again and this is where it got interesting. They said it would appear Fife RV did not winterize it properly and they would not warranty a new shower faucet. I asked for parts so I could order and pay for one, installing it myself. Parts gave me a run around. "We don't have the exact one in stock, but can order it for you". Yeah... right, just like you did the power cord reel which took 3 weeks to get from the factory. I was hesitant and was asking about other options when she said "look, do you want to order this or not". To save everyone from my response to her, I just hung up. Next day I went to a local RV dealer and bought a replacement... it doesn't match, but it works!
Once we arrived in Menifee, CA. where we planned to stay for 2 weeks, we found one tire to be very low on air pressure. I had inflated all to 100 psi before we left. We also found our antenna did not work either. I was pretty sure that was not related to the freeze! Called Heartland, they said to call the antenna manufacture, which I did. They were very helpful and we did some testing over the phone. They determined it was a Heartland issue, so off to yet another service dealer. The dealer found the factory had pinched and grounded the cable when they bolted down the antenna. It was fixed.
Off to Arizona for 6 weeks, inflated that one tire again as it had dropped to 66 psi, no other troubles so we finally started to enjoy our new home. Opps... not too fast. Back in Menifee, CA for 2 more weeks before heading back to Washington and now we find not only do we have a tire still leaking (who the **** services Sailun Tires on warranty?) but the tube that contains our sewer drain hose lost an end cap (hinge pin broke) and our hose was gone, the holding tank valve is leaking, found that out when I removed the cap after going over a mountain range... like a big burp, nasty!
Last night our refrigerator ran up to 54 degrees, so called Dometic and they referred me to a local RV service dealer. They want us to move out of our coach and bring it to them for a few days so they can find out why it's not cooling, and address the other service issues. This could easily turn into a multi-week event again!
Minor issues like loose screws, molding/trim etc. I repaired myself. Same with a jammed window (emergency rear window would jam half way open) blown fuse, leak under the kitchen sink, outside light that was never connected, reading light that didn't work, loose cabinet hinges, satellite cable connection wired wrong, to get TV in living room to work satellite must be connected to Bedroom TV connection, connecting to the Main TV won't work, etc. etc.
So... care to ask if we're happy with our new Bighorn? Are we impressed with Heartlands customer care or their authorized dealers? Will we ever go back to Fife RV in Gig Harbor, WA? Ahhh, come on, someone ask!
October 29, 2010 we picked up our new Bighorn 3585 from Curtis Trailers in Portland, OR. We live on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington and drove down to Portland to make our purchase after failing to find a local dealer who was willing to enter into honest negotiations.
Leaving Portland after our walk through with Curtis, we stopped about a half hour into Washington to spend the night. Arriving at the camp ground we discovered the lower refrigerator cover missing... it came off along the road somewhere. The next morning our power cord reel failed, motor burned out... this is where all the troubles began. Called Curtis Trailer and they said to bring it back and they'd order and install a new reel, but we just wanted to get home. They were great and understood, had a new cover sent to our home in Washington and advised us to seek a service dealer closer to us for the power cord reel.
We found Fife RV in Gig Harbor, WA. to be our closes service dealer. Called them about the problem and they said "we need the coach for about a week to replace that reel". I took it into them for service. I dropped it where they told me and before leaving saw one of their employees ride the fork lift over to move my coach. He took it out back, in a wet and muddy lot and when trying to push my BH back into the space, it sunk in the mud. He fought to pull it out and then to get past the hole where it had sunk, he got a run at it and launched the coach almost off the ground! That should have been a notice to me, seeing and hearing the crash... but after bringing it to the attention of the Service Manager I was assured he would not only address the issue but check the coach thoroughly. A month later... we got our coach back. They also repaired the self leveling as it had never been "zeroed", replaced the bedroom slideout relay as it would stop with the slide out only 1/2 way. While they had our coach, the weather took a sudden change and temps were predicted in the low 20's. This is rare for us, especially when it lasts a few days.
I called Fife RV and asked them to winterize our coach since we had not expected them to have it so long and the forecast low temps could be a problem. I was assured it would be done and was done.
We picked up our coach from Fife RV just before Xmas as we had family coming and we needed that extra room. When we hooked up water, the kitchen faucet leaked. I pulled the valve body and it was cracked. Not even thinking it was caused by freezing (afterall, Fife RV winterized it) we again figured we had a failure of a part.
Called Heartland they were not too excited about sending out a new one, but did agree and promised it would arrive at our home before we left to follow the sun on January 4th.
They did not keep that promise, and our trip had to be delayed.
Finally left town, first night we stopped in Eugene, OR and after using the bathroom faucet while both of us got ready for bed, water came running out of the cabinet. Next day we stopped in Grants Pass, OR at a Heartland dealer who said an O ring was out of place on the faucet and he repaired it. Neither of us thought to check the shower faucet while there!
Yup, next night we used the shower in our coach for the first time... GREAT... no leak! That is until I got out of the shower and found the lower kitchen area at the entry flooded. Yup... it was leaking behind the shower wall.
I called Heartland again and this is where it got interesting. They said it would appear Fife RV did not winterize it properly and they would not warranty a new shower faucet. I asked for parts so I could order and pay for one, installing it myself. Parts gave me a run around. "We don't have the exact one in stock, but can order it for you". Yeah... right, just like you did the power cord reel which took 3 weeks to get from the factory. I was hesitant and was asking about other options when she said "look, do you want to order this or not". To save everyone from my response to her, I just hung up. Next day I went to a local RV dealer and bought a replacement... it doesn't match, but it works!
Once we arrived in Menifee, CA. where we planned to stay for 2 weeks, we found one tire to be very low on air pressure. I had inflated all to 100 psi before we left. We also found our antenna did not work either. I was pretty sure that was not related to the freeze! Called Heartland, they said to call the antenna manufacture, which I did. They were very helpful and we did some testing over the phone. They determined it was a Heartland issue, so off to yet another service dealer. The dealer found the factory had pinched and grounded the cable when they bolted down the antenna. It was fixed.
Off to Arizona for 6 weeks, inflated that one tire again as it had dropped to 66 psi, no other troubles so we finally started to enjoy our new home. Opps... not too fast. Back in Menifee, CA for 2 more weeks before heading back to Washington and now we find not only do we have a tire still leaking (who the **** services Sailun Tires on warranty?) but the tube that contains our sewer drain hose lost an end cap (hinge pin broke) and our hose was gone, the holding tank valve is leaking, found that out when I removed the cap after going over a mountain range... like a big burp, nasty!
Last night our refrigerator ran up to 54 degrees, so called Dometic and they referred me to a local RV service dealer. They want us to move out of our coach and bring it to them for a few days so they can find out why it's not cooling, and address the other service issues. This could easily turn into a multi-week event again!
Minor issues like loose screws, molding/trim etc. I repaired myself. Same with a jammed window (emergency rear window would jam half way open) blown fuse, leak under the kitchen sink, outside light that was never connected, reading light that didn't work, loose cabinet hinges, satellite cable connection wired wrong, to get TV in living room to work satellite must be connected to Bedroom TV connection, connecting to the Main TV won't work, etc. etc.
So... care to ask if we're happy with our new Bighorn? Are we impressed with Heartlands customer care or their authorized dealers? Will we ever go back to Fife RV in Gig Harbor, WA? Ahhh, come on, someone ask!
