Re: New Owner
If you bought this 2018 Bighorn new, you should have some warranty coverage from Heartland. This is a hidden component of the new purchase price. Call Heartland service with your VIN number and see where you stand on warranty. Just a hint: most all of us have found dealer warranty service to be a poor stepchild of the dealer sales department. Sales department makes money, warranty service costs them money. Better service can be obtained from small businessmen independent (No RV Sales) RV repair shops. These guys depend on word-of-mouth repeat service business, rapid repairs to get them rapid cash flow, and doing a good job. Fortunately, Heartland is one of the FEW RV brands that will pay for your RV repairs wherever YOU decide to have the repairs done (with prior phone authorization from the Service department). Heartland Service even keeps a list of independent RV repairers they have worked successfully with, and can direct you to one of those in your area.
2nd of all, you seem to be paying most of your attention to the needs of your new 5th wheel in what I would call the cosmetic areas. This is a house/vehicle and primary attention should be paid to the house foundation: the tires, wheels, suspension and steel frame. Hopefully Heartland is now installing a better quality of tires. Use the search function at the top right of any forum page to search tire issues and brands. Wheels have generally had few problems with Heartlands. Tredit Tire, the tire and wheel supplier, has a LIFETIME warranty on the wheels it supplies. Springs,shackles, U bolts, and suspension hardware are generally from Lippert. There are premium (thicker) shackle links and greasable wetbolts out there (even some from Lippert) along with never lube special plastic shackle bushings. Heartland has bought equalizers from several RV parts companies, but never the cheapest no shock absorption types. Lots of choices here. I like the Dexter ones, myself. In my opinion the best 5th wheel suspension option is the MorRyde Independent suspension. Besides removing all of the standard suspension parts that can fail and need regular inspections (shackles, bolts, bushings, leaf springs, U bolts, shock absorbers), MorRyde welds in a steel tubing box between the main longitudinal I beams that locks them solid. Flexing I beams at the axle attachments is an all too common problem with big 5th wheels per the trailer welding mechanics I have consulted. Their standard fix is to weld steel tubing between the I beam spring hanger points. MorRyde even has a DIY I beam cross tube device (The X Factor) in recognition of this 5th wheel problem.
Good luck and happy RVing.
