Heartland Elkridge Ultimate 37 Vs. Open Range Roamer 395BHS

[gem115]

We attended the Hershey RV show this fall and narrowed our 5th wheel selection down to the "Heartland Elkridge Ultimate 37" and the "Open Range Roamer 295BHS". Both bunkhouse floor plans work for our family. Last week we purchased a GMC 3500HD DRW Diesel and installed a B&W Companion Hitch. Now it is time to make a decision on the 5th wheel.

Has anyone evaluated these two units and what conclusions were made? We feel very comfortable with the Ultimate 37 but like the TPO Roof and Leveling System on the Roamer 295BHS. We called Heartland to inquire about the EPDM roof and they claim it is a better and proven product. They also said any leveling system (Lippert) would have to be done after market (an additional cost).

Is the Ultimate 37 roof really better? Is the Roamer 295BHS leveling system worth the convenience? One last concern we have is the Open Range slider cable system vs. the Heartland hydraulic. I have read a number of forums on this and can't say I heard a definitive answer but seems hydraulic is more enduring.

From a pricing perspective Hershey prices for 2014 models were comparable in the $45,000+ range for both units.

Appreciate the feedback and guidance. We are upgrading from a Fleetwood Niagara Pop Up so the 5th wheel is all new to us.

 

[jimtoo]

Hi gem115,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and hopefully to the family. We have a great bunch of folks here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge when needed.

Not having ever seen an Open Range, I can only say that the quality is very good on the Heartland units, the Heartland Owners Forum is the best and we also have direct contact with the Heartland management here on the forum. The factory support is second to none. The folks on the owners forum are great about helping with ideas or problems.

Hope to see you in a Heartland at a Heartland Owners Club rally in the future.

Enjoy the forum.

Jim M

 

[dbylinski]

We had spent some time looking at the quality of other products in the recent past. We looked at a front living room Open Range and although it looked really nice we liked the fit and finish of our Bighorn better. JMHO

A Big NJ welcome to the forum!

 

[Greengas]

I owned an open range roamer for two years before buying our heartland. We went with heartland because we wanted to upgrade both in quality and comfort. Now I realize my experience is just that, my experience but the quality on the open range seems to have been far superior to heartland. Our initial warranty work on the open range was 5 items with nothing major. On our "top of the line" heartland the initial warranty fix list is 38 items long with most caused by sloppy work and, at least on my coach, non existent quality control. You asked about the slides. Two years and no problem. Compare that to the four slides on my heartland where the only one that was adjusted properly was the bedroom slide which is cable based. The leveling system on the roamer is electric so it is slower but it worked great. The open range owners forum is great and easily on par with the heartland owners forum. If you want more specific info, just send me a PM

 

[bwwalczak]

Sorry for the delay. Busy building the best 5th wheels in the world.

You expressed two primary concerns. First - roof. EPDM has been the standard roof covering for many, many years. This is still used because of a few key factors. First - it has elastic properties that allow it to stretch. TPO does not contain this. To bend TPO over roof breaks, it requires extra seams, possible leak points. Realistically, it comes down to the amount roof seams to seal. EPDM is better because it requires less seams.

Slide rooms are a huge difference. ElkRidge 37ULTIMATE features full 12V through frame rams. The Open Range product features cable slides. Cable slides are not bad, unless they go over 24" slide travel. Longer/deeper slides on cables present the "trampoline effect" at the end of the slide. ElkRidges are a little heavier (in terms of dry weight), but they are built better and more solid over time.

One of the biggest reasons to buy the ElkRidge over the Open Range is because ElkRidge is a much better layout. ElkRidge has standard king bed, much better TV location, wider bedroom, and the most important part - more storage in the 2nd bedroom. ElkRidge has a full wall of cabinets across the back wall, vs the much smaller cabinet in the Open Range. Many customers prefer having a place for kids/people to stow gear, rather than leaving it on the floor.

Did we mention the ElkRidge standard wireless remote controls (slides, awning, jacks, lights)? There is much more value in the ElkRidge.

We haven't even mentioned the all new ElkRidge Pearl exterior. This is standard cream colored high gloss gel coat sidewall (vs grey), with dark chocolate painted front cap. The ElkRidge is all grown up. Looking sharp.

If you have any questions, please call us here at the factory, we can help find a local dealer to meet your needs. 574-266-8726. Thank you.