How my new Heartland is turning into a nightmare!

[Airplaneguy]

When my wife and I bought the new Landmark we were to say the least excited. We listened to the sales person and made our choice. The very first thing we noticed was a water leak under the kitchen sink. I fixed it myself. The next problem we had was with both AC's running the temp would rise and be in the mid 80's. We made our first road trip down south to the beach. Parked at a really nice resort. Our unit seemed to fit perfectly with all of the really nice rigs. Had a great time since we were only using the 5er to sleep in. Still it was not cool and only seemed to do so around 5:00 in the AM. Made it home and that is when the major problems started. After hooking up we noted water coming out where it shouldn't. Found the top fitting on the water heater had cracked and was spraying water. So called the service dept and they told me to bring it in. Since we fulltime it is much more than just bring it in so once again I repaired it myself. The bottom fitting on the hot water heater is made of brass. The top was plastic. Who puts plastic fitting in a steel hot water tank? Just under $9.00. I would have burned more fuel than that to take it in. So yesterday evening I going to bed and noted the front AC unit was not on. I had an E7 fault code. No 120 AC power. Now this big unit is only running on one AC unit that is performing no better that an old woman blowing over an Ice cube. Since we are in South Texas it doesn't get cool down here till the end of October. So we are in a world of hurt. We have an appointment on the 4th of October. We are going to be boiling mad by the time it gets repaired. I’ll paste the email I'm sending to list the other problems I have found. It is my opinion that the Quality Assurance dept. needs someone who used to work in the aviation industry. An Airframe and Power plant mechanic with an Inspectors Authorization. The reason I say this is because if I allowed an aircraft to leave my facility with this many problems I would have manslaughter charges for my negligence. Why can't people take pride in their products and sign their work with pride. I do so every time I return to service an aircraft. My freedom and others lives depend on it.


We full time so now I have to load up the trailer and take it in for service. God help us if it has to stay several days.


Sorry for the long post but I needed to vent and couldn't think of who else to take it to but fellow Heartland owners.

Below is the email

Attached is a list of the discrepancies we have found. Along with the ones I told you we have several more items that have since popped up. The most notable is the front AC unit now is showing an E7 error code. According to the manufacture it is loss of 120 volt power. We checked the circuit breaker and they are all on. Even with both AC's running full time the trailer temp couldn't keep up. We just received our electric bill and it was $144.00 dollars. I've owned homes whose electric bill wasn't that much. With it as cool as it is now as I sit here it is 80 degrees+ with the rear ac running.
Pictures that have been provided show the awning with the front support bowed forward.
Bathroom light drooping
Hall light that has a mind of its own. Turns on or off with the switch in the on position.
DVD player while attempting to watch DVD it says "LOADING". Never plays a DVD
Main door latch dead bolt has already locked us out of the trailer once. We refuse to use the deadbolt portion to lock the trailer.
Couch not repaired.
Inflatable bed has a leak. Deflates during the night.
TV volume at does not work properly and can get the surround system to operate
Washer and dryer installation. The washer shakes wildly side to side during the spin cycle.
Bedroom drape holders are broken.

 

[Bobby A]

Congrats on the new rig, they sure are beautiful, I feel your pain, when we got our rig we just loved it but had several problems right off the bat. I must tell you everytime Heartland has stepped up to the plate and made it right. I would get on the phone and call Heartland custome service and tell a rep your problems so he can document it, remember as frustrated as it is kindness goes real far when talking to customer service. I must tell you we full time also and have been for a few years now, we still love our rig and continue to share with others what a great company Heartland is, they have proven it to me several times. Hang in there, Heartland will make it right.

 

[danemayer]

Hi Airplaneguy,

Sorry you're going through these problems, but I'm sure they can all be corrected.

It sounds like you face the same problem as many full-timers; how to get the trailer repaired when you're living in it. Many people have found that their dealers expect you to drop your trailer off for repairs and they may keep it for quite a while - especially if parts are needed.

You might want to check for mobile servicers near you. High-end RV Resorts sometimes have mobile servicers listed and that would be a good place to start. If you can find a certified tech who will come to you, Heartland may be willing to authorize you to use them for service. You'll have to pay for travel time, but that could be a bargain compared to the alternative.

 

[jayc]

And some dealers have made arrangements for full timers to stay on their lot, some with water and electric and a sewer dump when needed. Not a real pretty view, but it's better than a hotel.

 

[TandT]

We fulltime and as Jay said, we have always been put to the front of the line and allowed to stay on the dealers lot, with water and electric when any repairs have been needed.
HL has always stepped up to the plate to meet our needs in a timely fashion. Trace

 

[mikeandconnie]

I think you are a little hard here, Aircraft cost much more then RV's and New Aircraft do have many problems from the manufactures, especially with the new composite and all the new technologys they added. The Owner Forum is the correct place to ask for help and work out our problems. With your input here, I'm making plans to change out my top fitting to the hot water heater. In the past just the lower one had problems of breaking.

If you prefer like I not to take it to the dealer the forum is the place to ask for help and questions. With your background many repairs should be simple.

Here is how I handled my landmarks problems full timing the last 4 years with 25000 miles. Thanks to the forum my rigs have never been back to the dealer.

I had a AC problem last month, I called a Mobil tech and both AC where removed, repaired and reinstalled same day at no cost to me. I think you will find Mobil Tech have more experience with AC problems then a dealer.

My fridge went out on my 09 Landmark, a Mobil tech loaned me a fridge and few days later the cooling unit came in, he replaced it at no cost to me.

There have been other problems, like a broken cable on my slide and with help from the forum I was directed to the manufacture and they over nighted me a cable at no cost and I replaced it in a few hours.

I prefer to do my on repairs and preventive maintenance. When I'm away, my wife has had problems, but the wonderful people in the parks have came to her rescue and got it repaired.

I think you will find RV's just like an Aircraft, there is always something that in need of repair or preventable maintenance to do. It's the nature of the beast ..weather, vibration, and complexity of the new systems.

Don't get too upset, It will work out and you will love your new rig like we do.

 

[danemayer]

There's been past discussion about the water heater plastic check valve and why it's not brass. It's a code problem driven by California law. A number of us have changed to brass fittings anyway; some pre-emptively, some after dealing with cracked plastic.

You should also change the swivel hose fitting to brass at the same time. For whatever reason, PEX doesn't recommend female plastic fittings going on male metal fittings. The brass fitting is a bit hard to find, but Grainger has it.

 

[RoadJunkie]

The OP did not indicate whether or not this is their first RV, but I will go out on a limb here and say the problems you're seeing are--unfortunately--not too abnormal, at least based on my experience. And, hence, the reason for a warranty. If you were an inspector--doesn't matter what industry--your tuned to identifying quality issues and probably going to have a tough time with the fast-paced construction of the RV industry. Oh, and by the way, you're not going to change the process. Actually, I think it was fortunate that you replaced the plastic valve on the water heater prior to the treads becoming affixed which requires "chiseling" to remove. I replaced mine based on information from this forum. My mattress leaked and my bedroom drape holders break on a regular basis (I just learned to live with them broken as they have broken several times as we make the bed). I know it's frustrating, especially if you're full timing, but you're going to have to take a deep breath on this one. Fix what you can yourself and you have received some good alternatives to having to be without your rig during repairs. My first initiative when I bought my rig was to have things be absolutely perfect; after all, I paid a "LOT" of money. Right? Now I pick my battles and have learned a whole bunch about what makes these things tick. I know you're feeling badly, but enjoy you're new rig, it will be OK.

 

[Airplaneguy]

I'm sorry I just don't see the difference of this is my first or my tenth. But that's ok. I didn't know a moble tech could repair under the warranty. Something to look forward to. Well the dealer checked out the 5er and repaired or replaced almost all of the problems. The biggest is the ac system. While they fixed the unit it still hasn't the ability to cool the trailer. It blows 57 degree air but just not much of it. There is no volume. Maybe someone can chime in and give me ideas how to make it better. Now as for me being a bit hard. Please let me try to explain. My father instilled in me the desire to do the best job I could and be proud to sign my name. I followed in his footsteps in aviation and untill recent my full time job changed to the oil and gas industry. I just find it so hard to understand how anyone can pay so much for a product and not expect quality. Believe me when I inspect a new aircraft and I find shoty work I let the plant and the FAA know. After all it is my job. Bottom line though is they have been working making this better. I'll run a borescope down the ac ducts to check for blockages.

 

[jayandhisgals]

Dear Airplaneguy,
We feel your pain. We too are experiencing issues that we beleive should have been caught at the factory with a good quality control inspector. For example our fantastic fans arn't so fantastic when wired backwards or our new awning already needs the motor to be replaced, not to mention all the broken screw heads we found, our Ac's acts just like yours (was told by service dept. it was because their lot only offered 30 amp service and once we were pluged into 50 amp it would work better, I am beginning to doubt that now). We purchaced our new 2012 Cyclone 3712 on Aug. 30th, spent the last 21 days trying to get the dealer to fix everything we found to be sub-par before we would accept the unit. The last five days we spent on the dealers lot, trying to ensure everying was in working condition. We thought we had all our t's crossed and i's dotted. After all we did a lot of research before purchasing and thought HL made a superior product and we too paid a LOT of $$ for this rig. Under pressure from the dealer to "stop nit-picking, and take the unit home, wait 30 days and return it for warranty repair" we towed our rig home today only to be dissapointed again when we fired up the generator and discovered that no power is being supplied to the unit. The gen. runs great just dosn't power anything also our batterie isn't charging when pluged into shoreline or by the gen. Ugggg! I hope HL stands behind their product as others have stated in this forum. Unfortunatly it is inconvient and dissapointing when your dream becomes a nightmare. I can't imagine what is going to go wrong next but I am sure this is just the beginning. We don't plan to go full time until next spring, hopefully we will get all the bugs worked out before then. I can't tell you how many times my husband and I said to eachother "where is the qc here? This should have been fixed before ever leaving the factory." Your not alone in your feelings. We also beleive their should be more respect in workmanship, they are building dream homes for people, not just RV's. It's not fair to brag about what an awsome product your company produce's and then allow units to leave the factory with faulty wiring or plastic caps on H2O heaters. Wish we had seen more post like yours and mine prior to signing on the dotted line. I hope your 5er gets all the repairs it needs and you deserve. Good luck.

 

[wdk450]

Airplaneguy:
You may want to look at the postings on this thread about your Air Conditioning non-performance:
//heartlandowners.org/showthread.php/1069-AC-air-flow-problem-SOLVED?highlight=timk

 

[tmcran]

I think you are a little hard here, Aircraft cost much more then RV's and New Aircraft do have many problems from the manufactures, especially with the new composite and all the new technologys they added. The Owner Forum is the correct place to ask for help and work out our problems. With your input here, I'm making plans to change out my top fitting to the hot water heater. In the past just the lower one had problems of breaking.

If you prefer like I not to take it to the dealer the forum is the place to ask for help and questions. With your background many repairs should be simple.

Here is how I handled my landmarks problems full timing the last 4 years with 25000 miles. Thanks to the forum my rigs have never been back to the dealer.

I had a AC problem last month, I called a Mobil tech and both AC where removed, repaired and reinstalled same day at no cost to me. I think you will find Mobil Tech have more experience with AC problems then a dealer.

My fridge went out on my 09 Landmark, a Mobil tech loaned me a fridge and few days later the cooling unit came in, he replaced it at no cost to me.

There have been other problems, like a broken cable on my slide and with help from the forum I was directed to the manufacture and they over nighted me a cable at no cost and I replaced it in a few hours.

I prefer to do my on repairs and preventive maintenance. When I'm away, my wife has had problems, but the wonderful people in the parks have came to her rescue and got it repaired.

I think you will find RV's just like an Aircraft, there is always something that in need of repair or preventable maintenance to do. It's the nature of the beast ..weather, vibration, and complexity of the new systems.

Don't get too upset, It will work out and you will love your new rig like we do.

You have had all these problems on a 2013??? Really?

 

[traveler44]

We had a leak in our air mattress in the fold out too and we called Flair interiors, the people who supplied the air mattress in our Bighorn. They had a new one sent to the RV park office in a couple of days. We shipped the old one back in the same box. They sent instructions on how to fold the mattress to keep it from being pinched in the bed hinges when you close up the couch. They sent a repair kit also. Sometimes contacting the component suppliers or manufacturers was a big help to us. I called Heartland and told them that one of the bedroom speakers was working intermittently, they sent me a new switch. I called Apollo the half time oven people and told them my oven wasn't baking quick enough and they helped me figure out what I was doing wrong. My Grandson had to show me how to get sound through the surround sound system though. That's the kind of thing that 16 year olds can figure out that I can't. Yes some of the wires can be loose on the light switches and some of the water pipes do need to be tightened. Seems like the plastic fitting on the top of MY water heater was a check valve and I installed a metal one too. Hope this helps in some way. Make a list of things that need fixed and call Heartland service so they will have it on record that it needed attention while it was still under warranty. Tom

 

[Airplaneguy]

Yes it's a 2013. I also read the thread about the ac. I'll try some of the tricks found there. Does anyone feel it's odd that new owners of expensive 5ers have to resort to making tents and baffles to get their ac systems working? I do know the next one I buy will be in the summer time and under blazing sun. It better be cool or no purchase. I will say this. My brother was going to buy a toy hauler but after seeing the problems heartland is having he has since started looking at other manufactures.

 

[mikeandconnie]

We had only one problem with the 2013 Key Largo, the AC where leaking when it was raining. The Slide Cable and many problems with the Dometic fridge on my 2009 Landmark Pinhurst.

 

[mikeandconnie]

Hi Airplaneguy,

When the tech pulled my ac units off he found many openings in the duct that feeds the units. He taped them up and told me I should see a big improvement in our cooling. The next day we moved our rig from Mrytle Beach to Northern California and really I have only used it this week and it's cooling great with the temps in the low 90s. I think the temps will be higher next week and we will see. Thou, I do have good flow from the ducts. I had to reduce the flow in the bath room vent because it was too cold in there.
Attached is a picture.... He also had to vacuum out all the saw dust you can see in the picture.

My splendide washer is not working after this trip. I called splendide and they sent me to Local Autorized repair facility. They will repair it free but I have to take my rv or the washer to them. It was easier for me to just take the washer to them.

If you call the manufactors of the product some will send repair techs to your door, For example, Toshiba, Dometic and Frigidare.

Let us know what you find on you AC flow