Some background...I grew up on a farm driving tractors, trucks, semis and more. I'm very comfortable towing trailers and such. I am a USMC DAV...Semper Fidelis. I was in another forum researching on my first travel trailer. I have been camping most of my life. I camp now with my brother-in-law's Jayco, which I'm in right now. I'm familiar with Jayco and Keystone more. I had never even heard of Heartland until someone suggested them as a Jayco alternative. After visiting Chesapeake RV Solutions, my interest has peaked. I'm hooked on the 2010 32QBSS floorplan and the quality I saw on the lot. I am soaking in all of the posts here to make my decision. I must say that the Heartland Owners community seems to be a better group of people than I've seen elsewhere.
HappyKayakers
Well-known member
Hear, hear! Welcome to the forum and hope you find a model you like.
Ray LeTourneau
Senior Member - Past Moderator
enthuz, Welcome to the Heartland Forum. I feel we are a decent bunch of folks here. Heartland makes a fine product and has great customer service. Of course you know we're going to say that. We've owned Jayco and Dutchmen prior to our Bighorn. We've had a few minor issues as we've had with every trailer and or motor home. Being a bit of a handy man, all but a couple have been easily taken care of by me. I would buy another Heartland in a heart beat.
boatto5er
Founding VA Chap Ldr (Ret)
And we also have a terrific owner's club. Of course, I may be a little biased, being the Virginia Chapter Leader
. Seriously, if you decide to purchase a Heartland product, send me a PM or email and join our club. We have terrific rallies and have a great group of members. Check us out in the clubs section of the forum. You can also see pictures from our spring rally in the HOG (Heartland Owners Gallery).
. Seriously, if you decide to purchase a Heartland product, send me a PM or email and join our club. We have terrific rallies and have a great group of members. Check us out in the clubs section of the forum. You can also see pictures from our spring rally in the HOG (Heartland Owners Gallery).Thank you all for a warm welcome. I can admit that the Owner's Club and Heartland's AAA (H.O.T.E.L.) is definitely a bonus for a swing vote in my decision. Also I know everything mass produced has issues of loose connections and fluctuating workmanship. I prefer a better post-sale service relationship than a fantasy idea of no issues at PDI.
My next search is for a very good extended warranty with very few headaches when I need to use it.
My next search is for a very good extended warranty with very few headaches when I need to use it.
grizzlygiant
Well-known member
It is a no-brasiner to choose between a Keystone product and a Heartland product. Just look at the Keystone Owners Forum and about all you will see is owner issues with Keystone. Not so with Heartland!
TXBobcat
Fulltime
enthuz
These are all pretty good folks around this forum. The thing you should look for is a great dealer, especially if you live in one spot and travel around occasionally. Heartland is a good company and should be around for some time. They monitor this forum and give assistance in any problems that arrise.
This said Heartland is like most businesses. They need to make a profit and sometimes have to make a choice of what they put into their product. Tires are one of the items that are a problem, but it is a common problem with most RV manufacturer. Quality control is getting better but some of the plumbing and electrical items need to be checked. A good PDI is one of the first places to get things corrected. Download a PDI list and take a LOT of time to check everything out. This is were the dealer comes in.
The biggest thing you can do is READ, READ, and READ.
I don’t know what Tow Vehicle (TV) you have or plan to purchase but before you purchase a TV be sure which RV you plan to buy. If you have the TV first then you have to purchase RV that it can handle. It is cheaper overall to begin with the RV first.
Ask questions here. You can get a lot of good answers and advise. Go to a Rally. If you don’t have an RV yet, drop by one and just socialize. Look at the RV’s and people.
Welcome to the family. Keep us up to date with your progress.
BC
These are all pretty good folks around this forum. The thing you should look for is a great dealer, especially if you live in one spot and travel around occasionally. Heartland is a good company and should be around for some time. They monitor this forum and give assistance in any problems that arrise.
This said Heartland is like most businesses. They need to make a profit and sometimes have to make a choice of what they put into their product. Tires are one of the items that are a problem, but it is a common problem with most RV manufacturer. Quality control is getting better but some of the plumbing and electrical items need to be checked. A good PDI is one of the first places to get things corrected. Download a PDI list and take a LOT of time to check everything out. This is were the dealer comes in.
The biggest thing you can do is READ, READ, and READ.
I don’t know what Tow Vehicle (TV) you have or plan to purchase but before you purchase a TV be sure which RV you plan to buy. If you have the TV first then you have to purchase RV that it can handle. It is cheaper overall to begin with the RV first.
Ask questions here. You can get a lot of good answers and advise. Go to a Rally. If you don’t have an RV yet, drop by one and just socialize. Look at the RV’s and people.
Welcome to the family. Keep us up to date with your progress.
BC
beasleyrl
Well-known member
enthuz, welcome! I too have owned 2 Keystones purchased from 2 different dealers here in VA. At this point, I have no intention of ever having another one, nor would I purchase another vehicle from either of these dealers.
We've had our Cyclone now for over a year. Yes, we've had a few minor issues but certainly not anything significant. In addition, the dealer we bought this one from has been excellent from sales to service and has resolved everything we have thrown at them quickly and without arguing with us. Since you live here in VA, I'd be happy to share the name of the Heartland dealer (or even warn you about the 2 Keystone dealers). Just PM me.
Good luck with your search!
We've had our Cyclone now for over a year. Yes, we've had a few minor issues but certainly not anything significant. In addition, the dealer we bought this one from has been excellent from sales to service and has resolved everything we have thrown at them quickly and without arguing with us. Since you live here in VA, I'd be happy to share the name of the Heartland dealer (or even warn you about the 2 Keystone dealers). Just PM me.
Good luck with your search!
VixPix
Member
enthuz,
Wished I would have known about this site before purchasing a Heartland Landmark. But, I didn't. We're still very happy with the choice we made. After, about 15 months I finally got around to getting on this site and joined the Heartland Owners Club which has been a very good additional experience to our ownership. Our prior rig was a Jayco Designer 5th wheel which we enjoyed immensely. However, after several years we began researching and looking at 100's of RV's over the course of a year. We landed on the Heartland much by accident because it had all of the features we were seeking, and we found a dealer who was fair on price and great on service at RV's for Less in Knoxville, TN. About 100 miles from our home. Overall quality, fit & finish have been very good for us. Yes, we've had some items to have worked on by our dealer. All of those have been taken care of appropriately and now we're on routine maintenance mode. Overall, we would buy a Heartland again.
Best of luck to you in your selection,
Victor
Wished I would have known about this site before purchasing a Heartland Landmark. But, I didn't. We're still very happy with the choice we made. After, about 15 months I finally got around to getting on this site and joined the Heartland Owners Club which has been a very good additional experience to our ownership. Our prior rig was a Jayco Designer 5th wheel which we enjoyed immensely. However, after several years we began researching and looking at 100's of RV's over the course of a year. We landed on the Heartland much by accident because it had all of the features we were seeking, and we found a dealer who was fair on price and great on service at RV's for Less in Knoxville, TN. About 100 miles from our home. Overall quality, fit & finish have been very good for us. Yes, we've had some items to have worked on by our dealer. All of those have been taken care of appropriately and now we're on routine maintenance mode. Overall, we would buy a Heartland again.
Best of luck to you in your selection,
Victor
klindgren
Retired Virginia Chapter Leaders
Enthuz,
Hope you can see by now why all of us love this forum and the Hearland support. That alone should be a big plus in your decision to buy.
Gland to hear you are considering buying from Chesapeake RV Solutions. Tim, Jackie and Ben are great people to work with. They just made me the ole "offer I couldn't refuse" on my new 2010 Landmark Pinehurst. They worked with me for over 4 months while I made up my mind. No high pressure and certainly have been there since I bought. None of this "I got your money now go away" stuff you see in some dealers.
The best way I can explain what you'll see in service from RV Solutions, is when I got my new camper home, and discovered my ice maker was not working, Tim came to the house and spent a hour and a half on the phone with Heartland Service Dept. figureing out what was wrong. He wouldn 't leave until he was sure it was working properly. How many dealers do you know where the owner of the dealership will come out to your house to fix a problem. Now that's some kind of service!!
Good luck and, hopefully, welcome to the Heartland family.
Keith
Hope you can see by now why all of us love this forum and the Hearland support. That alone should be a big plus in your decision to buy.
Gland to hear you are considering buying from Chesapeake RV Solutions. Tim, Jackie and Ben are great people to work with. They just made me the ole "offer I couldn't refuse" on my new 2010 Landmark Pinehurst. They worked with me for over 4 months while I made up my mind. No high pressure and certainly have been there since I bought. None of this "I got your money now go away" stuff you see in some dealers.
The best way I can explain what you'll see in service from RV Solutions, is when I got my new camper home, and discovered my ice maker was not working, Tim came to the house and spent a hour and a half on the phone with Heartland Service Dept. figureing out what was wrong. He wouldn 't leave until he was sure it was working properly. How many dealers do you know where the owner of the dealership will come out to your house to fix a problem. Now that's some kind of service!!
Good luck and, hopefully, welcome to the Heartland family.
Keith
We just purchased our first one
Hello,
After much searching, this Heartland product really fit. The quality surpassed most of the known name brands available on the market. The deals are really good now and it is the perfect time to buy. We purchased the Big Country 3300RL and love the fact that do not have to purchase the sliding hitch for our F-250 short-bed. Save yourself the time looking, I think you will be happy and I know we will. By the way, this is my third unit and they all have issues in the beginning. No worries, get the extended warranty it is worth its weight in gold.
Hello,
After much searching, this Heartland product really fit. The quality surpassed most of the known name brands available on the market. The deals are really good now and it is the perfect time to buy. We purchased the Big Country 3300RL and love the fact that do not have to purchase the sliding hitch for our F-250 short-bed. Save yourself the time looking, I think you will be happy and I know we will. By the way, this is my third unit and they all have issues in the beginning. No worries, get the extended warranty it is worth its weight in gold.
RVerFulltime
Fulltiming Since 2004
After owning a Keystone Everest and now owning a Heartland BIGHORN, we have to say there is NO comparison between the two units. Unless you can compare an apple to an orange. The Heartland BIGHORN has so much better quality than the Keystone Everest, we are continuously amazed. We could create a long list of items stating the better quality, but lets keep it simple. From the tires to the roof the entire BIGHORN is built stronger and with more eye pleasing details to look at than the Everest. Going from the Keystone Everest to the Heartland BIGHORN was truly an upgrade for us.
That was the same experience I had on my first visit. I am working with Ben on my decision. He encouraged me to look around before I decided to make sure RVS was for me and has been there whenever I had more questions. They have a 32QBSS on order and I will return when it arrives to have another walkthrough and get the rest of my questions answered. I was skeptical at first, but Jackie and Ben (I haven't met Tim yet) made me feel at home and showed that they cared about their customers pre/post sale.
Today I went to another RV dealer (not a Heartland dealer) to do some more comparison shopping. As soon as the salesman (whom I actually knew...he used to work for my company) found out that I had an interest in a Heartland, he started dogging the quality and the stability of the company. I don't like it when people do that. I'm partnered with many competing fortune 100 companies in IT/AV and know that each company has their own strengths and weakness. I immediately started down the immediate list of pros for Heartland vs. the Jayco we were in at the time. Now I like Jayco trailers, but they are not perfect.
First off, Heartland provides much more space, lighter weight and at a cheaper price (by $7k in this case compared to the 31QBSS I was quoted) than what they were offering. The quality of the storage areas was about equal except I like the whay HL's drawers come out further. Jayco does angle their toilets for more leg and shoulder room for those times that steak doesn't agree with you. Is this available on the North Trails? I am not a fan of the rotating TV unit in either trailer, but Jayco's was poorly thought out in comparison IMHO. I do like the added space in the shirt closets in the Jayco though. However HL has much more storage space. Lastly the Jayco had something I really liked...separate prewiring for Sat-TV and Cable hookups standard on everyone I saw. Is this available on the North Trails?
Why is it so hard to find a reputable lot with outstanding service without driving for hours one way to get to one that is worth your time?
First off, Heartland provides much more space, lighter weight and at a cheaper price (by $7k in this case compared to the 31QBSS I was quoted) than what they were offering. The quality of the storage areas was about equal except I like the whay HL's drawers come out further. Jayco does angle their toilets for more leg and shoulder room for those times that steak doesn't agree with you. Is this available on the North Trails? I am not a fan of the rotating TV unit in either trailer, but Jayco's was poorly thought out in comparison IMHO. I do like the added space in the shirt closets in the Jayco though. However HL has much more storage space. Lastly the Jayco had something I really liked...separate prewiring for Sat-TV and Cable hookups standard on everyone I saw. Is this available on the North Trails?
Why is it so hard to find a reputable lot with outstanding service without driving for hours one way to get to one that is worth your time?
klindgren
Retired Virginia Chapter Leaders
Enthuz,
You don't have to drive hours, just head back to Chesapeake RV Solutions. I just picked up my LM Pinehurst after having it in for some warranty work. They took care of everything, no questions asked. Had to order a couple of parts but Tim said it was all covered and as soon as the parts are in, 15 minutes to install and I'm back on the road.
I really swear by RV Solutions. They have done everything they said they would do plus more. Tim told me he went into this business because he didn't like the service he was seeing from other dealers. Wanted to make sure RV Solutions wasn't "one of the others." From my experience he means it!
Besides, you won't find another trailer with the value for the money that you will with a Heartland. Go get that quad bunk unit you're looking at. You won't regret it.
Keith
You don't have to drive hours, just head back to Chesapeake RV Solutions. I just picked up my LM Pinehurst after having it in for some warranty work. They took care of everything, no questions asked. Had to order a couple of parts but Tim said it was all covered and as soon as the parts are in, 15 minutes to install and I'm back on the road.
I really swear by RV Solutions. They have done everything they said they would do plus more. Tim told me he went into this business because he didn't like the service he was seeing from other dealers. Wanted to make sure RV Solutions wasn't "one of the others." From my experience he means it!
Besides, you won't find another trailer with the value for the money that you will with a Heartland. Go get that quad bunk unit you're looking at. You won't regret it.
Keith
I own one, N.T. 31QBS
Lovely units. the heartland Web site has a 32qbss on the site as a walk through explaining everything about the North trail roof truss's everything else in them. Check them out. The N.T. also has a owner site (forum) and they have a couple people on there that have those units.
http://www.heartlandrvs.com/product.html?id=7&name=North+Trail&type=Ultra+Lightweights
click on the video to watch
www.Northtrailers.com
can go into guest room and ask questions and one of them can help on you questions.
Have fun, no matter what unit you pick.
any info you need someone here or northtrail forum will help.
There all nice folks
The north trails don't have seperate cabling for both. Just straight cable. But one member has a list and picture of how he ran sat. into cable splitter for sat to work.
Lovely units. the heartland Web site has a 32qbss on the site as a walk through explaining everything about the North trail roof truss's everything else in them. Check them out. The N.T. also has a owner site (forum) and they have a couple people on there that have those units.
http://www.heartlandrvs.com/product.html?id=7&name=North+Trail&type=Ultra+Lightweights
click on the video to watch
www.Northtrailers.com
can go into guest room and ask questions and one of them can help on you questions.
Have fun, no matter what unit you pick.
any info you need someone here or northtrail forum will help.
There all nice folks
The north trails don't have seperate cabling for both. Just straight cable. But one member has a list and picture of how he ran sat. into cable splitter for sat to work.
Last edited:
Irvin56, how did I miss that vid on the site. Thanks. I have been reading up on Northtrailers.com too. The question we have now is if we should wait until winter to purchase. I'm not in a rush since we RV now (actually as I type this while waiting for breakfast). I know we can get some winter pricing during those months. Plus we are trying to talk my brother/sister-in-laws to get one too. DW is one of twins so they like to do everyting together.
wow if you both buy one
you could probably get a real desent price on two units from one dealer.
even if not the same model. I would Think that would be a GOOD bargaining chip right there.
EVERYBODY IS HUNGRY FOR BUISNESS NOW.
As far as winter to buy, that's a good ?.
who khow how the price and economy will be.
A gamble either way.
They will have different ones by then.
I know if that 32qbss was available when we bought in feb 08.
I really would of bargained to trade up to 3/4 ton truck and bought that unit.
you could probably get a real desent price on two units from one dealer.
even if not the same model. I would Think that would be a GOOD bargaining chip right there.
EVERYBODY IS HUNGRY FOR BUISNESS NOW.
As far as winter to buy, that's a good ?.
who khow how the price and economy will be.
A gamble either way.
They will have different ones by then.
I know if that 32qbss was available when we bought in feb 08.
I really would of bargained to trade up to 3/4 ton truck and bought that unit.
I didn't think about the possible deal for buying two at the same time. We are actually sitting here discussing it. They are looking to trade up thier TV to get a bigger trailer. It is going to be a good holiday weekend in a couple of weeks when our whole family is here with their RVs at the same time. Yes camping is contagious with us all now.
