One year travel trailer warranty a sham for the customer . . . should be at least three years!

[JohnD]

Here I am on the one year eve anniversary of our brand new 2013 Heartland Travel trailer (purchased 9/11/2012) . . . and I should be celebrating . . . right???

But I'm not!

Our brand new 2013 trailer has already been in for warranty repairs four times . . . and on our recent Labor Day weekend camp out we discovered several more defects!

Many of them supposedly fixed already in previous visits to the dealer, but still occurring!

And now our dealership is giving us the runaround about the date when we purchased our trailer and trying to squeeze out of fixing the problems!

In the real world, unless we are living in our brand new RV's, how are we supposed to really find out real manufacturer's defects in one year??????

It is next to impossible.

I would like to hear from a Heartland spokesperson on this issue as I'm really upset about spending $30,000 on a product that I love, but seems to be full of problems that I'll probably end up spending another $30,000 fixing when it should have been manufactured right in the first place!

I'm really frustrated and starting to wonder if we should have just kept our old 1978 Coachman that didn't owe us a dime.

I'll post a few pictures if needed . . .

This shot taken the day we bought our trailer . . . September 11, 2012.

 

[danemayer]

Hi JohnD,

Sorry you're having problems that are unresolved.

Many of them supposedly fixed already in previous visits to the dealer, but still occurring!

It sounds like your dealer has let you down. Let me suggest that you call Heartland Customer Service at 877-262-8032 / 574-262-8030 and explain the situation. Have your VIN# ready. If you have unresolved warranty problems I expect they'll help you find a service location that can correct them under the warranty.

 

[TXTiger]

Depending on the issues and problems you are having, if they involve appliances, refer, stove, microwave etc, or water heater, water pump etc, they each have their own warranty which is usually more than one year.

 

[rjr6150]

John
Sent you a PM

 

[JohnD]

I heard back from the dealership and they are going to take care of the current issues we are having.

My main concern is that since many of the issues keep reoccurring, that after this time around we'll be on our own.

As I mentioned earlier, one year doesn't give most owners ample time to discover all defects unless they use their RV every weekend of that first year, or at least a long extended campout or trip.

So far we've gone on five campouts with it . . . a total of 25 nights!

Only two of the campouts were we able to use full hookups to check out the water and bathroom systems.

One would think that on a large ticket item like an RV that the warranty period would be longer than say . . . an iPad, cell phone or a laptop computer!

Oh well . . . it is what it is . . . and we still love our new trailer!

 

[danemayer]

I heard back from the dealership and they are going to take care of the current issues we are having.

My main concern is that since many of the issues keep reoccurring, that after this time around we'll be on our own.

As I mentioned earlier, one year doesn't give most owners ample time to discover all defects unless they use their RV every weekend of that first year, or at least a long extended campout or trip.

So far we've gone on five campouts with it . . . a total of 25 nights!

Only two of the campouts were we able to use full hookups to check out the water and bathroom systems.

One would think that on a large ticket item like an RV that the warranty period would be longer than say . . . an iPad, cell phone or a laptop computer!

Oh well . . . it is what it is . . . and we still love our new trailer!

JohnD,

Here's another way of thinking about the length of warranty.

First, nothing is free. The manufacturer calculates the expected cost of warranty and adds that to the manufacturing cost of the trailer. It's then marked up to a wholesale price to the dealer, who marks it up again to a retail price. While I don't know what the markups are, let me hazard a guess that $1000 of warranty cost could easily be marked up to $2500 at retail.

If the manufacturer decided to make it a 2 year warranty, that 2nd year might add another $2500 to the price of the trailer (I'm assuming cost doesn't go down in year 2, based on your assertion that 1 year isn't long enough to expose all of the failures).

So the manufacturer has a choice: keep warranty at 1 year, or change to 2 years and increase the MSRP by $2500 for EVERY buyer, antagonizing the buyers who are perfectly happy with a 1 year warranty.

The obvious alternative for buyers who want 2 years of coverage is to purchase an extended warranty. In fact, it's pretty easy to buy coverage for periods up to 5 or even 7 years.

 

[drsasser]

I agree, I think the factory should be proud of the units they build and give at least a 3 year warranty, Most automobiles have 3 year/36K mile warranty and are on the road every day. I worry about delamination on the fiberglass walls more than anything else. My 2 cents.

 

[iawoody2]

If they would just build a really high quality unit in the first place there would very little warranty work required.

 

[dbbls59]

I feel your pain. I have an ongoing issue that was addressed twice and two months after the warranty was out it failed again. I called Customer service and was told "sure, we'll fix it" but when the dealer called to get authorization, no, the warranty was out.

 

[JohnDar]

I would also say that your dealer let you down. We also had a major problem that our dealer caught because we complained about a floor squeak. Repairs were made at the end of of our 1year warranty with no hesitation by HL or the dealer.

 

[TravelTiger]

I have said this before, it's all perspective. It's not IF you will have a problem owning an RV, it's WHEN.

In the RV industry, one may think they've spent a lot of money for their unit, but in the grand scheme of things, they could be considered a very cheap mobile home. Unfortunately, to keep the cost down, ALL RV makers rush the units through the production line, use cheaper parts when they can, may have less-than-stellar workmanship, and probably don't spend enough time on quality control. The RV industry DOES NOT work like the auto industry. Dealers are not franchisees of the manufacturer. They don't make money on warranty work, so it's not a priority.

So, really, it becomes buyer-beware. Be aware that you are buying a low-cost home on wheels, built in a matter of days, with components that come from a myriad of manufacturers, each with their own warranty and quality control issues. That's why the PDI before you sign for the purchase is so important. You need to test everything before you roll away with it. That is when the dealer is most interested in making you happy with your purchase.

When buying any RV, you have to become a little "handy", and be able to fix/maintain things on your rolling earthquake yourself and/or find an independent repair shop, once authorized by HL, that can do your work. Independent repair shops make their money by having satisfied customers, not selling units.

All said, Heartland builds a better unit than most. They as a manufacturer really do stand behind their product. If you are having issues, deal directly with Heartland, and they can help find a repair shop to get the unit fixed. I would not trust a Dealer to deal with HL on your behalf, especially if they have been dropping the ball. It is not in YOUR best interest.

Good luck! I hope you get to a point where you can truly enjoy your unit!!

Erika

 

[RanCarr]

Here I am on the one year eve anniversary of our brand new 2013 Heartland Travel trailer (purchased 9/11/2012) . . . and I should be celebrating . . . right???
But I'm not!
Our brand new 2013 trailer has already been in for warranty repairs four times . . .

John, I have the 2011 BRS28 NT. Before we hauled it 3000 miles both axles, inadequate for the weight of the TT, bent, destroying all four tires when we were over a hundred miles from home. HL only gave us a 12 month warranty on it and we didn't notice the potentially deadly situation until we had the TT a little over the warranty period. They seem to know things will happen AFTER the year is up because TTs get so little use unless someone is living in them - which seldom happens with these TTs. In any case we had to crawl home in fear one of the almost bald-on-the-side tires blew-out. HL refused to take any responsibility for the damage and didn't seem concerned about the danger of tires blowing out on the interstates. They refused to do anything for us and pushed us off on Lippert. To their credit Lippert replaced both axles with heavier duty ones better suited to the BRS28. HL would not replace the 4 tires destroyed by the bent axles. Had HL installed the correct axles for the weight of the TT this would not have happened. It cost us hundreds of dollars for replacement tires. It's all covered here on these forums. So make sure you check your axles constantly to see if they too bend as the repair shop who did the work had a stack of bent axels from Heartland RVs. Don't get me wrong, we love the BRS28 for the most part, but will never buy another RV from HL and I make sure everyone one I meet in our travels knows what happened and on all the other Forums also. I don't want another person to go through when we did with these axles and tires - and potential for a deadly crash due to tire failure caused by axles bending.

P.S. I was also told the axles/tires were not aligned either, nor were the brakes adjusted correctly. Apparently HL has no quality control. NONE! The TTs are slapped together as fast as possible and rolled out the door. No one cares, certainly not the men putting them together. Although Lippert paid most of the labor costs, we had to pick up what they didn't and all the charges to have the new tires balanced, aligned and the brakes adjusted correctly. The TT no longer "jerks" when the brakes are applied. I can assure you - never again!

 

[TravelTiger]

RanCarr,

Thank you for sharing your concern with the original poster.

You have quite a few inflammatory comments. I am not trying to accuse you personally of anything, just pointing out the unfair statements.

Heartland does have quality control, I have seen it with my own eyes at the factory. I've seen the marked up "Inspection Form" attached to each rig, as it moves down the line.

Heartland does not install axles that are "inadequate for the weight of the TT". Using two 3500# axles on 6900# GVWR trailer is correct. 10% of the trailer weight is on the tongue, so the tow vehicle carries it.

Heartland buys the axles, brakes and tires, but Lippert builds the frame and axle components. They come, fully assembled, to the plant. If there was a defect in the Lippert components that caused premature failure, or the product was not assembled properly before delivering to Heartland, it is on Lippert, not Heartland. Many RV owners, not just Heartland owners, have had issues in the past with Lippert axles.

Many Heartland employees do care about the product they put out. It is not fair to say otherwise.


Thanks,
Erika

 

[jmgratz]

If you had a refrigerator in your home that was bad causing all of your food to spoil would you blame the home builder or the refrigerator manufacturer. I think the refrigerator manufacturer. Much the same with Heartland. I don't see how you can blame Heartland for a defective axle assembly when all they do is weld/bolt on the pre-assembled axle assembly. Any defects are on the axle manufacturer. And if the tires are run to a point of failure know there is a defective axle assembly then that is you own fault. Blame should be placed where it belongs. If Lippert manufactured the axle assembly then it falls to them.

 

[wrgrs50s]

What's so sad, is that so many Rv'rs accept that problems with RV's are just the nature of the beast. It's fine to have quality control measures with sign off sheets and such, but in my opinion the proof is in the pudding. If you purchase an RV and have a multitude of problems and then read of others who have a multitude of problems, somewhere the system has failed. No it's not just Heartland, it's the industry as a whole, and that's why I say it's sad.

It's funny that those of us who know this industry will purchase a luxury item such as an RV, knowing the risk of water leaks, poor axles, terrible tires, etc. Would we dare purchase a stove, Central AC unit, dish washer, or any other item like that if you expected to have to modify it, replace inferior parts, do without it for 3 months while someone is trying to determine if its covered under warranty, not likely.

The ones I feel for are those unsuspecting folks who have their vision of purchasing an RV and spending all their hard earned savings or other finances only to find they've purchased a lemon with very little recourse. Most all Manufacturers will attempt to repair anything that goes wrong during the warranty period, but it's totally at their convenience and the repairs are not always satisfactory to the customer.

I dont have a clue what will ever wake the industry up, but nothing will as long as we accept the standards they follow at this time. I dont think I will ever feel secure in purchasing another new RV unless I see some changes in their practices. There is not another industry that I'm aware of that allows such poor quality to hit the streets.

This is not a bash, but a reality check!

 

[TravelTiger]

What's so sad, is that so many Rv'rs accept that problems with RV's are just the nature of the beast. It's fine to have quality control measures with sign off sheets and such, but in my opinion the proof is in the pudding. If you purchase an RV and have a multitude of problems and then read of others who have a multitude of problems, somewhere the system has failed. No it's not just Heartland, it's the industry as a whole, and that's why I say it's sad.

It's funny that those of us who know this industry will purchase a luxury item such as an RV, knowing the risk of water leaks, poor axles, terrible tires, etc. Would we dare purchase a stove, Central AC unit, dish washer, or any other item like that if you expected to have to modify it, replace inferior parts, do without it for 3 months while someone is trying to determine if its covered under warranty, not likely.

The ones I feel for are those unsuspecting folks who have their vision of purchasing an RV and spending all their hard earned savings or other finances only to find they've purchased a lemon with very little recourse. Most all Manufacturers will attempt to repair anything that goes wrong during the warranty period, but it's totally at their convenience and the repairs are not always satisfactory to the customer.

I dont have a clue what will ever wake the industry up, but nothing will as long as we accept the standards they follow at this time. I dont think I will ever feel secure in purchasing another new RV unless I see some changes in their practices. There is not another industry that I'm aware of that allows such poor quality to hit the streets.

This is not a bash, but a reality check!

Very well said.


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[Bob&Patty]

All good points,,,,,except. We still buy things made in foreign countries filled with things harmful to humans. So where is the outrage about that? Out Horn is 6 years old and has had its issues. But so has our $500K house and it was from day one and went on for 2 years. BTW, it does not go bouncing down the road.

 

[wrgrs50s]

All good points,,,,,except. We still buy things made in foreign countries filled with things harmful to humans. So where is the outrage about that? Out Horn is 6 years old and has had its issues. But so has our $500K house and it was from day one and went on for 2 years. BTW, it does not go bouncing down the road.

I understand Bob, there are plenty of other things to be outraged about, I just figured since this is an RV forum I would restrict it to Rv's!!! LOL !! I'm not really outraged about RV's, I love everything about Rv'ing, just think there's always room for improvement, especially in the RV industry. My point is that the more we accept things as the norm, the worse things seem to get, and that goes for everything in society, if you know what I mean.

 

[Bob&Patty]

I understand completely. Things happen in every manufacturing process. Thats why erasers are on pencils. I would rate HL products at a 8 in quality compared to a $2 Million bus....and even those have issues. Everything made by "man" is going to fail at some point. Sometimes sooner....sometimes later.

I worked in auto industry for 47 years... and believe me.....I have seen it all....good and bad. Ideas are good on paper.....but some "dont work for crap" in the real world.

I hope HL will help you get your rig fixed. If your dealer fails you... call HL and get a PH# of a independent service center near you that will work on your rig.

 

[caissiel]

A warranty is an agreement by the manufacturing company that assures a quality product,
But from the day it leaves the plant an RV is exppsef to all kinfs of uncontrolled conditions, unlike must of the items we buy including cars that are delivered by transports.

No wonder things get damaged. Like a tire it depends on road conditions and speed.

In my 20 years of RVimg i have always respected the way i tow my RV and still break thing on transit.

Nothing worst on a trailer then having to big a tow vehicle and watch them towed down the road at excessive speed. Examples is a 3k lbs trailer towed with a duelly

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