Heartland RV Customer Service

[Mortalis6860]

While packing up to go home while camping in our 2020 Heartland Bighorn I was washing out the black tank and I started to smell sewage, which I had not smelled before. I began to look around to find the source of the smell, when I noticed water running down the wall of my downstairs storage area. I turned off the water and began to investigate further. I noticed water running out of a PEX pipe cover so I removed it and the PEX entered the floor of my bathroom, which I was not able to access. After doing to some research I found out my problem was probably a bad anti-siphon valve. Called Heartland and was told the valve was either behind the shower handles or underneath a sink. Searched and searched to no avail. Borrowed a camera snake and low and behold the valve was installed near the bottom of the shower wall and I was unable to reach it. Called Heartland again and Damon proceeded to accuse me of trying to make another claim on a previous shower claim where the shower leaked onto the floor. He talked to me like I was some low life. Thirty-two years as a public servant and I was never spoken to in such a manner. Heartland refused to help me in anyway for their poor craftmanship if you want to call it that. Had to take out the upper wall of shower and cut hole in paneling to changed valve. Took me most of the day, but he valve is now fixed. So many problems with our Bighorn, bad inverter, electrical wired incorrectly had to have redone, shower not sealed properly when purchased, cabinet doors installed incorrectly and I can go on and on. Never buy Heartland again. Hope this post helps others with the same issue. Good luck.

 

[donr827]

I think that you will find a lack of quality with every manufacturer.

 

[mrcomer]

I agree with donr827 especially for the year that your Bighorn was built. Unfortunately Covid hurt the manufacturers in regards to employees and vendors. I was very cautious when we purchased our 2021 Bighorn. We too had some issues but Heartland was very good to work with, our dealer not so much. Regardless we are very happy with ours and hope you will eventually be happy with yours.

 

[rhodies1]

Covid has no issue with poor quality. Always poor but a little worse during this period . CertInly won’t change anytime in the future.

 

[cipwood]

Nothing is going to change with regard to quality as long as we, the public, keep buying their product.

 

[wdk450]

Mortalis:
The anti siphon valve breaking and flooding the trailer has been a known problem for a LONG time. I believe it is due to the plastic valve not being able to tolerate high water pressures (I am sure that is why mine broke). The instruction sheet from B&B molders has warnings to the installers to not install it anywhere water flooding below might happen. Thinking on this, I think the proper place to install these would be inside the shower where the flooding would be collected by the shower floor pan, and drained to the grey tank. Many Heartlanders have replaced the valve with a brass one, or simply put a Sharkbite (brand) simple check valve in its place. Heartland could have simply put a sticker on the wall denoting where it is. I think according to plumbing codes any plumbing that is prone to leaks should not be within walls. (BTW, the Sharkbite line of PEX push-on fittings has approval from the plumbing codes for behind the walls installations).
Here is the link to the Mfr installation instructions for the flusher system:

https://manuals.heartlandowners.org/manuals/Plumbing/Tanks/Black%20Tank%20Flusher2_Install_.pdf

Note on these instructions the bullet point: " • Vac/Check cannot be installed in an inaccessible location where venting of water from device during normal operation causes damage. It must be installed in an easily accessible location to end user."

Why don't you share this instruction with that guy from Heartland Service you talked to?

It cost me over $260 to replace the flooded Progressive 9260 converter/charger on my rig. A lot of rigs with this improperly installed system since 2007 adds up to a big class of wronged Heartland owners.

 

[sengli]

On all three of the new heartland fivers I owned the ASV either completely failed or leaked. So I eliminated it all together. I now use a manual ball valve in the blank tank flush input line. This line now goes directly from the UDC, to the black tank. When in use I reach in, and turn it to open, and water flows to the tank only.

 

[wdk450]

My advice to any Heartland owner who HASN'T addressed this black tank flusher atmospheric check valve KNOWN problem due to improper factory installation is either: 1)FIX IT NOW before your rig is flooded and damaged : or DO NOT USE THE BLACK TANK FLUSHER. RV's were made for many years before these tank flushing systems were invented, and a tank flusher was not an overwhelming need.
BTW, I have seen add-on black tank flusher kits at RV supply stores that DO NOT have the leakage prone atmospheric valve as part of the kit. I think this valve is required by plumbing codes from RV manufacturers, though.

I suggest all those interested do a forum search on "black tank flusher" to see the many threads and postings over the years about this ongoing problem.

 

[arisce]

I would like to see this forum put more pressure on Heartland. Strength in numbers you see. We are the clients who pay a lot of money for our enjoyment There should be no problems with these rigs. We should be able to enjoy our rigs without any hassles.
I am especially upset the way Mortalis was treated. Shame on Heartland.
If this continues I will boycott. This forum is powerful use it!
What say you Heartland owners?

 

[sengli]

I would like to see this forum put more pressure on Heartland. Strength in numbers you see. We are the clients who pay a lot of money for our enjoyment There should be no problems with these rigs. We should be able to enjoy our rigs without any hassles.
I am especially upset the way Mortalis was treated. Shame on Heartland.
If this continues I will boycott. This forum is powerful use it!
What say you Heartland owners?

I agree with everything you have said. But its not just heartland that treats consumers in this manner after the sale. I have looked at other brands, and the first thing I do usually is look at their blogs and forums. Even the DRVs which are like 5 times the cost of my RV, have a list of issues. Honestly there isnt an RV built by any brand that I would feel would be built any better. They are built by hand one at a time, on the fly.. not on a mechanized assembly line.

 

[arisce]

Sengli,
I couldn't disagree with you any less.
It is what it is.
But I was talking about Heartland owners putting pressure
on Heartland the manufacturer. Strength in numbers.

 

[rhodies1]

Heartland is owned by Thor Ind. — who owns the majority of the brands on the market. No one is better than the next. We as consumers buy and they will not make any major changes to what comes out of the factories. If we don’t like what they sell then we will have to stop camping.