Looking into whether or not to get a new 5er

[calberry]

In 10 years we've gone from tent camping, to a small Coleman tent trailer, to a larger Fleetwood/Coleman tent trailer, and now to our 3 year old Copper Canyon. We really love most things about our 5er, but find ourselves doing a lot of 'what ifs' whenever we are out and about in it.

After a recent 4 day trip we decided we should investigate the market place to see what is out there in a 'short' 5er with a bed slide (which we don't have).

When we bought our current 5er we were very 'paranoid' about length as we are several campgrounds we have gone to regularly over the years, and the longer the RV the fewer the site selections. We are currently at 29', and feel that we could another 2 feet (or so) longer and still be OK.

So, after several hours of internet searching (we are an hour from any dealers so it is easier to search with our fingers than the car) we have found a couple of Heartland rigs that look pretty much perfect. First is the Sundance 293 RE, and 2nd is the Eldridge 28TSRE...in fact, the floor plans look pretty much identical.

As you can see, this is my first post in this forum (just joined today after learning about it in RV.net which I have been a member of since the 1st days of our tent campers) and I am here to learn as much as I can about these units before seeking out dealers.

I would appreciate any feedback/comments/observations.

Thanks

Steve

 

[ranchodx]

welcome, They look to be about the same length you currently own. If the new floor plan meets your needs go take a look. dont know about that particular unit but, we just went from 34 to 40 ft and it is somewhat limiting. Bed slides definetley help mucho. If you are planning on longer stays in the in the future, extra comforts are always a plus. Just my thoughts.

 

[jbeletti]

Hi Steve,

Thank you for considering Heartland!

Our Sundance/Greystone lines are mid-profile (shorter in height) units.

Our Elkridge/Big Country/Bighorn/Landmark lines are full-profile (taller in height) units.

Mid-profile units are very popular. By being shorter in height, they tend to weigh less and cost less than their full-profile counterparts.

Full-profile units are also very popular. They will be taller overall, which means greater interior height, especially in the bedroom and bathroom. This is important for owners 6 feet and taller. The living room and kitchen downstairs will also have taller ceilings. Of course, a full-profile means more weight, more cost and possibly, a larger tow vehicle. Full-profile units tend to have longer length options than their mid-profile counterparts.

Learn more about specs at www.heartlandrvs.com and keep asking questions on this forum. When you feel you really have it narrowed down to one specific Heartland brand and really want to ask some tough questions that only that manufacturer may know, we can put you in touch with the regional rep and maybe even the brand manager where you can speak to them by phone.

Best of luck to you,

Jim Beletti
Director of Owners Interests, Heartland RVs

 

[calberry]

Hi Steve,

Thank you for considering Heartland!

Our Sundance/Greystone lines are mid-profile (shorter in height) units.

Our Elkridge/Big Country/Bighorn/Landmark lines are full-profile (taller in height) units.

Mid-profile units are very popular. By being shorter in height, they tend to weigh less and cost less than their full-profile counterparts.

Full-profile units are also very popular. They will be taller overall, which means greater interior height, especially in the bedroom and bathroom. This is important for owners 6 feet and taller. The living room and kitchen downstairs will also have taller ceilings. Of course, a full-profile means more weight, more cost and possibly, a larger tow vehicle. Full-profile units tend to have longer length options than their mid-profile counterparts.

Learn more about specs at www.heartlandrvs.com and keep asking questions on this forum. When you feel you really have it narrowed down to one specific Heartland brand and really want to ask some tough questions that only that manufacturer may know, we can put you in touch with the regional rep and maybe even the brand manager where you can speak to them by phone.

Best of luck to you,

Jim Beletti
Director of Owners Interests, Heartland RVs

Wow, quick response. Thanks Jim!

I particularly like the high vs low profile observations. We're both under 6', so lower and lighter is fine with us!

It appears we have some dealers in the Roseville, Sacramento and Yuba City areas, so after we do a little more on-line searching we will have to make a day trip and pay them all visits. We did that when we bought the one we have. My wife sent me out to all the various dealers, taking pics of all the ones I liked, and then I came home and shared what I had found. A couple of months later at the Sacramento RV show we bought the very 1st one I had looked at ;-)

Steve

 

[ziggy]

Steve,
Welcome to the forum. You picked a great place to learn about RVs and Heartland is a great one to settle on, but you would expect to hear that on a Heartland forum.

When Jim says that he will put you in touch with a regional manager or brand manager, he really means it. Honchos from the factory are very willing to talk to owners and prospective owners. Heartlands are not perfect, but the customer service is there to help you with the problems that are bound to come up when you have a house on wheels. Just about all RVs are made with the same parts so its the way theya re put together and the backing by the factory that really makes a difference IMHO.

We hope you find what you want and what will work for you, whether its a Heartland or not, but of course, we hope this is your last stop on your search.

Kristy

 

[TXBobcat]

If you're worried about a 30-32ft length trailer you can pretty well no longer be to concerned. We have a 2008 Bighorn 3400RE that measures 38' from pin to ladder. I have been is some tight spaces but never had a problem finding one big enough to stay in. We stay in State Parks, City Parks, COE parks, Commercial parks (KOA and such) Private parks and have never had a problem. Have not stayed in many Federal Parks.

If your curious about brand. Think seriously about Heartland. I just left the Heartland factory and they took care of some problems I was having, installed a new Convection MW oven (which I paid for) plus they fixed a number of small items that I didn't know I had. I do not think any other Mfgr would do any work on a 4yr old trailer like Heartland has.

In my opinion if you purchase from another mfgr you will wish you could go back and try Heartland. They are not perfect. They make mistakes but if you are considerate they WILL take care of you.

BC

 

[calberry]

If you're worried about a 30-32ft length trailer you can pretty well no longer be to concerned. We have a 2008 Bighorn 3400RE that measures 38' from pin to ladder. I have been is some tight spaces but never had a problem finding one big enough to stay in. We stay in State Parks, City Parks, COE parks, Commercial parks (KOA and such) Private parks and have never had a problem. Have not stayed in many Federal Parks.

If your curious about brand. Think seriously about Heartland. I just left the Heartland factory and they took care of some problems I was having, installed a new Convection MW oven (which I paid for) plus they fixed a number of small items that I didn't know I had. I do not think any other Mfgr would do any work on a 4yr old trailer like Heartland has.

In my opinion if you purchase from another mfgr you will wish you could go back and try Heartland. They are not perfect. They make mistakes but if you are considerate they WILL take care of you.

BC

Thanks for input BC. Certainly we are learning that Heartland is a great brand/product, and we are looking forward to learning more.

As far as length is concerned, having had our 29 footer for 3 years now has taught us that we can squeak in a couple of more feet, but no. Just this past week we were in a Ca. State Park. The campsite driveway was 40 ft long...and all wheels have to stay on the drive. I had to back the rig all the way to the back and park the truck sideways at the entrance...the extra 2' of a new rig would mean we would not be able to use that site in the future. A longer rig means we would have more competition to reserve those sites that we would still be able to fit in ;-(

And here are the regulations for Yosemite, our favorite place to camp; "Maximum RV/trailer lengths: In Yosemite Valley, the maximum RV length is 40 feet and maximum trailer length is 35 feet, however, only a total of 12 sites of this size are available (six sites each in Lower Pines and North Pines, which are open spring through fall). Many more sites exist in Yosemite Valley and elsewhere in Yosemite that can take RVs up to 35 feet or trailers up to 24 feet."

We have gotten around the 24ft regulation for trailers by convincing them our overhang made up the 4-5ft difference...that could not be done with a 34-38 footer, which is why we never see any of them there...at least in the sites we love, and want to keep going back to.

So far we feel we can find exactly what we want in the length we want/need, especially the longer we look at Heartland products ;-)

Steve

Steve

 

[TravelTiger]

Steve, you'll find a wealth of info here. I'll vouch for the Elk Ridge, a great full profile rig. You won't see quite as many bells and whistles of the bigger HL rigs, but the ER is not lacking in amenities, fit, finish and reliability.

HL has stepped up in many cases when they didn't have to. And that says a lot.

Good luck in your search!

 

[calberry]

Steve, you'll find a wealth of info here. I'll vouch for the Elk Ridge, a great full profile rig. You won't see quite as many bells and whistles of the bigger HL rigs, but the ER is not lacking in amenities, fit, finish and reliability.

HL has stepped up in many cases when they didn't have to. And that says a lot.

Good luck in your search!

Bells and whistles are things we don't need, but reliability is a priority. We pretty much only dry camp, and pretty much try to avoid campgrounds with hookups...although we were 'forced' into staying at some KOAs so we could us our A/C when cutting through AZ and SoCal last summer when the temps were 100 degrees plus. YIKES!!!

We really love our current 5er, but now and then we say, "If we could do it over again we would have yadda yadda yadda", so then we start fantasizing, comparing, dreaming...and then we remember we are on fixed incomes (gotta love retirement!), so we come back to reality ;-) I'm trying to convince my wife that if my 401K was a new 5er short of what it is now we would still feel fortunate ;-) Now we know why she's the one that lays awake at night worrying about stuff, and not me ;-)

Steve

 

[calberry]

Hi Steve,

Thank you for considering Heartland!

Our Sundance/Greystone lines are mid-profile (shorter in height) units.

Our Elkridge/Big Country/Bighorn/Landmark lines are full-profile (taller in height) units.

Mid-profile units are very popular. By being shorter in height, they tend to weigh less and cost less than their full-profile counterparts.

Full-profile units are also very popular. They will be taller overall, which means greater interior height, especially in the bedroom and bathroom. This is important for owners 6 feet and taller. The living room and kitchen downstairs will also have taller ceilings. Of course, a full-profile means more weight, more cost and possibly, a larger tow vehicle. Full-profile units tend to have longer length options than their mid-profile counterparts.

Learn more about specs at www.heartlandrvs.com and keep asking questions on this forum. When you feel you really have it narrowed down to one specific Heartland brand and really want to ask some tough questions that only that manufacturer may know, we can put you in touch with the regional rep and maybe even the brand manager where you can speak to them by phone.

Best of luck to you,

Jim Beletti
Director of Owners Interests, Heartland RVs

Jim, I just sent you an email to the address you provided.

Thx

Steve