Opinions are like certain body parts, everyone has one.
My opinion is that one needs to research the RV industry as a whole, and understand how it works, before buying one. Just because they are more expensive than an automobile, doesn't mean they are built with the precision of the auto industry.
RVs are produced on an assembly line, but entirely by humans crawling around the unit, each trying to accomplish their tasks as fast as possible. As far as towables, understand that they are building a house, not a vehicle -- using wood and plumbing and electrical -- in a very tight space. The industry as a whole is booming, and finding quality labor is getting harder and harder. The unemployment rate for Elkhart County (where most RVs are made) is very low, I think I saw 1.8%. Most RV manufacturing labor is paid on a per-piece rate, rather than hourly, so speed is the key.
All of the components are made elsewhere and assembled together. Each component has their own manufacturing standards, which may have their own issues.
Construction from start to finish may not take more than a few days! And we have heard they can product 13 rigs a day. That's pretty fast, and thus would be hard to expect perfection.
Once the completed rig is ready to roll, it may go and sit, waiting for transport to a dealer. Transport drivers have one goal, get it delivered as fast as possible so they can get paid and move on to the next one. They don't always follow safe/appropriate towing practices. This is where some damage can occur during transit from the factory.
No RV Dealer is an extension of Heartland, unlike car dealers. The RV Dealers are completely independent. THEY are actually RV Manufacturer's customers. The Dealers then re-sell the RV to you. How well a Dealer treats customers is not really in the Manufacturer's control. The Dealer is SUPPOSED to run a pre-delivery inspection on each unit BEFORE the customer takes delivery and fix any issues, but some choose not to do this, and expect the unsuspecting customer to find the issues. Obviously, that can leave a very sour taste in the mouths of customers.
Once you understand the nature of how the industry works, you can be better prepared for the realities of ownership.
Some manufacturers do a better job of aiding customers that have issues after ownership. Some are much worse. Our experience is Heartland is fairly easy to deal with directly, instead of going through a dealer, for customer-able repairs.
One of the major plusses with Heartland is this forum. Heartland directly supports the forum and its Owners Club, sponsoring owner rallies all over the US and Canada. They host a North American Owners Rally every other year in Goshen, and they listen to owners. They ask our opinion on floorplans and features. And they do stand by their product even after warranty, as we've heard of some folks having frame repairs done 3-4 years after purchase.
Hope this helps.
Erika
