SeattleLion
Well-known member
It's been almost a year since we toured our Bighorn 3160EL at the Seattle RV show and decided to buy it. Over that time we have had our share of ups and downs. This post is intended to offer my perspective on our Heartland experience:
That's it. We love our BH and we are very happy campers.
- Our initial perception of the 3160 was that it had everything we could want. A year later after 10 trips, we discovered our perception was correct. There are so many thoughtful details that have made our trips better. Most notable for me is that every single time I needed an electrical outlet, there was one right where I wanted it. The placement of cabinets, closets, furniture, etc. is as good as we have seen anywhere. We compared our BH with some top of the line units from other manufacturers. Incredibly to us, there was very little difference between our BH and much more expensive units.
- The prewiring for satellite TV was amazing. We bought the Winegard Trav'ler and all I had to do was bring two DVR's from the house, plug in and go.
- We love the 6 point leveling. It has made setting up simple and very fast.
- The initial quality left a lot to be desired. We ended up with over 25 items that needed fixing or replacing. None affected operation of the trailer, but all reflected poor workmanship. On the other hand, the quality of materials used is top notch. No junk at all,
- Our bedroom slide failed after we had it home for the winter. Heartland authorized my dealer to go to our home and perform the repairs. The entire cable system had to be replaced. The tech said it was due to poor setup at the factory.
- The "luxury" mattress provided with the trailer is pretty uncomfortable. It is amazingly light weight (maybe why it isn't so good to sleep on). We are replacing it with a residential queen mattress. For the price of this BH, a better mattress should have been included. Even if it added $300 to the price, it would be worth it.
- Customer service has been excellent. I've called them several times and each time they helped me with one notable exception. That exception had to do with rust under the trailer. Heartland says that is the dealer's responsibility. I disagree. However, I feel that customer service has always been on my side.
- Our dealer has been fair with us and the service department, while slow, has done excellent work. This is our second camper. Both came from the same dealer.
- We attended the Washington Rally last summer. It was fun to go but not so easy to fit in as newbies. I think it might be a good idea for the chapter leaders to work out ways to make it easier to fit in. Everyone was friendly. We just didn't have the context of all the old timers.
- I wonder why there are no Landmark dealers anywhere near Seattle. It is the largest (and probably richest) city in the Northwest. There isn't a single Landmark at either the Tacoma or Seattle RV shows. Had there been one, we might have gotten one of them instead of the BH.
- I get the strong feeling that Heartland has neglected the West Coast. I read the article that they plan to expand to the West in 2016. About time! The west is the biggest regional market for RV's. I congratulate Jim for making the treck across the Rockies to join us in Washington and Oregon rallies. It's going to be great to meet him and it shows Heartland is aware we exist. It would be even better if the factory also sent some reps (or one rep) from the factory to offer suggestions and support to those attending. I've heard they do this in the East.
- My wife and I (and our dog who finally decided she wouldn't die if she went inside the BH) have loved our travels with the BH. We should be even happier this summer with the quality problems fixed. We plan to buy better tires before we travel again.
That's it. We love our BH and we are very happy campers.
