Sparkie,
I have a Shenandoah and I bought it for the shorter length and quality of the coach. I discovered that the tongue weight was greater than what was advertised. Perhaps Heartland has made an adjustment about that by repositioning the axles since I purchased mine.
The tongue weight has placed nearly 7,000lb on my 2500HD rear axle. That is greater than the (axle) tire ratings listed on the truck. The gross weight is OK and is near or at the limit for the truck. I pulled the trailer nearly 6,000 miles last summer without any difficulty but I was a bit concerned about the tires and wheels holding up.
I am compensating for the axle weight by buying a set of Rickson wheels and G rated tires. It is an expensive addition but I feel it is necessary. As far as I know, the rear axle can handle 11,000lb. I also added Air-ride bags to level out the truck when loaded. I haven't received the new wheels because Rickson has had difficulty getting wheel blanks and Goodyear is on strike.
My opinion is that since the Shenandoah has a shorter rear area behind the axles it doesn't have enough weight in the rear to compensate for the heavy front bedroom and storage section. I think that Heartland could solve the problem by moving the axles forward slightly.
Lastly, I like the Shenandoah and still feel that it was a good purchase.
Larry
