New to Campers in general and new owner of Pioneer RE275

[marknewbill]

Hello all,
Please excuse my post and delete it if it is not the best place for this.
First me and my wife have tent camped for over 20 years, around 2-4 times per year. we used to camp in the RV parks so we could use AC in the tent-lol.
We finally bought our first camper. I am technically inclined so i am pretty much up to speed on the basics and also am handy with some construction as well, so a few minor glitches are not going to surprise me like it may others that write the reviews I have been reading. I sincerely hope all those negative reviews are not the norm of the heartland population and only a handful of either non-technical people that cant change a light or whatever. But at the same time, it has burdened my mind with almost nothing but negative reviews on the sites such as insiderRV or similar places. Everyone is saying run away and don't look back. Have I made a bad choice? Please be honest and let me know what you think about your campers - especially the long run owners (more than 2 year or so).

Have a wonderful day!
Mark Newbill

 

[boatto5er]

You’ll see far more negative posts on any site because people just don’t tend to post their positive experiences, and many will complain because a screw was loose.


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[marknewbill]

You’ll see far more negative posts on any site because people just don’t tend to post their positive experiences, and many will complain because a screw was loose.


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I agree with that as I am in several forums for vehicles, in this case I couldn't even find a single positive review was what was strange other than perhaps another brand new owner that only commented on the floor plan.
Nobody was chiming in and saying, had mine x years and love it, etc.

 

[danemayer]

With any product in any industry, unhappy customers are always more motivated to tell others about their experiences. So when you go looking for feedback, you need to take that into account.

Heartland, like almost every other RV manufacturer, uses parts, sub-assemblies, and appliances that are used across the industry. There are two principal manufacturers of RV water heaters. Most RVs use the same manufacturer for the furnace. Two principal Air Conditioner suppliers to choose from, and so on. Materials are with a few exceptions the same across the industry. Manufacturing line employees move between RV companies for an extra 5 cents an hour. RVs are pretty much built by hand, as fast as possible to keep costs competitive. Dealers sell multiple brands. And everyone claims they have the best quality. So with all that, you're going to see similar problems across brands.

Where do differences show up? Customer Support. When you have a warranty issue that you'd like to handle yourself, Heartland will usually send you the part. Most manufacturers will insist you go to an authorized dealer. If the nearest dealer is 200 miles away, but there's a mobile servicer nearby, a call to Heartland for prior approval will usually get warranty repairs authorized. You'll have to pay the travel charge, but that's often less than cost of going to the dealer. Heartland, with prior approval, will usually authorize independents, or non-Heartland dealers to do warranty work.

Heartland sponsors the Owners Club. This June there'll be a North American Rally with 250-300 trailers in past years. Heartland has paid about 1/2 of the cost of the rally in past years. Heartland also contributes to the cost of holding local chapter rallies.

There's much more, but hopefully you get the idea. Customer Support comes in lots of forms and Heartland covers the bases.

 

[JohnDar]

Let me add that who insures your RV and the specifics of the coverage are something to look at carefully. Just adding it to your vehicle policy is not the best option in many cases. Extended warrantees are a crapshoot at best.

When it comes to repairs, if you’re handy with tools, you can do many on your own. A handy camper is a happy camper. The collective owners on these forums have probably experienced any problem you will encounter and are more than willing to share their knowledge with you.

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[NYSUPstater]

Dan & John hit the nail on the head.Rv's after all are homes on wheels that face HUGE amounts of jiggles/wiggles/jarring and bouncing going down the road. Many aftermarket products will aid in the reduction to stress placed on the coach. Lots of variables play into the longevity of a RV. Don't go after the "bling" when looking to buy. I think John has a very well written document of things to look at/over when buying new or used (correct me John if I'm wrong). RV's will require a lot of maintenance, but if you can keep up w/ things, they will offer you plenty of miles-n-smiles. Do not feel intimidated about asking questions on here. We've all been there and even seasoned vets will ask questions on things. I myself drive a semi for a living, but when we 1st got into Rving, it was a whole new world and was blind to everything. Now coming up on almost 20 years of it, have a much better grasp on things, but still ask questions. Folks on this forum are GREAT and yes we will badger each other as well, but all in good fun. After all, Ford is the best tow vehicle!!! LOL

 

[JohnDar]

You mean Ford is the best vehicle to BE towed!


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[NYSUPstater]

You mean Ford is the best vehicle to BE towed!


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See what I mean Mark Newbill! LOL