Prospective Buyer - 2008 Heartland Sundance 2900rk

[zalenanv]

Hey there!

My husband and I are considering purchasing a 2008 Heartland Sundance 2900 rk as our first ever RV. He is a travel nurse so we're moving ALL the time and want to simplify our lifestyle a bit by having an RV instead of moving from apartment to apartment.

We've done a good bit of research, and know Heartland to be a great brand. However, I looked at NADA guides on this particular unit and the low price/ average price is quite low for a 5th wheel with two slides. Any insight from the community as to why the value is lower on this RV?

Would you recommend a "full time" type lifestyle in the Sundance line, and especially in the 2008?

Thanks for any insight!!!

Alena

 

[Shortest Straw]

I would be willing to bet most folks here would say you should not full time in that rig. IMO as long as you stay out of very cold climates you can live in it without many issues. In the campground we are staying at now there are many folks living in rigs that are much older than the one you are looking at and a couple of them are popups.

 

[zalenanv]

I would be willing to bet most folks here would say you should not full time in that rig. IMO as long as you stay out of very cold climates you can live in it without many issues. In the campground we are staying at now there are many folks living in rigs that are much older than the one you are looking at and a couple of them are popups.

Thanks for the quick response! Is there any particular reason you think people wouldn't recommend it? Not a four season RV, too old, not durable, something else?

 

[danemayer]

Thanks for the quick response! Is there any particular reason you think people wouldn't recommend it? Not a four season RV, too old, not durable, something else?

Hi zalenanv,

Most RVs are intended for seasonal use from late spring to mid fall. And most people take a few weekend trips and maybe a 2 week vacation trip.

When manufacturers select materials and furniture, they're usually assuming the typical buyer will follow that usage pattern. So if you take a trailer that's intended for 4 weeks annual use and instead spend 52 weeks in it, you may see accelerated wear and tear on those items.

And when the designers assume 4 weeks of usage per year with the longest trip maybe 2 weeks, they don't put in as much storage. The kitchen will be smaller. The refrigerator will typically be smaller. The shower may be smaller. The closet may be smaller. The holding tanks may be smaller. There's a lot you can put up with for 2 weeks that you might not want to put up with on a full time basis.

And the coach won't have things like cold weather treatments. There will be less insulation and I'd be surprised to see tank heaters or heated water lines for winter camping. If there's one air conditioner, you may want to stay out of extremely hot and humid areas. If the trailer has 30 amp electric service, you won't have the option of adding a 2nd air conditioner.

Older Sundance units are probably mid-profile, which means lower ceilings. If you're tall, you might be uncomfortable living in a mid-profile trailer full time.

Heartland makes RVs for full-time use. Landmark, Bighorn and Big Country are all in this category.

That all said, it's certainly possible to live full time in a 2008 Sundance. You should spend enough time walking through the trailer and thinking about where your stuff goes, what it'll be like cooking, etc.

 

[Nabo]

We had an '06 Sundance 3200 (5th wheel) which was a good weekend warrior type camper but not a full-time camper. Dan is right in that a mid-profile camper of this type didn't have as much insulation and no winter package for living in the camper during winter. If I was ya'll which wants to stay with a Heartland product that's rated for full timing, I would look at a Bighorn or Landmark product. The first generation of Big Countrys were also not rated as a full time camper until if I remember correctly, until the 2011 and later models. Our 2008 Big Country was not rated as a full time camper.

 

[Dean-Pam]

We have a 2012 Sundance 2900MK. We are not full timers, but are any timers, staying in our camper 2-3 months at a time. On one of our trips where I knew the temps would be in the teens, I took the precaution of adding a heat lamp behind the basement wall, added additional insulation and very cautious about how full the holding tanks were for those nights that were very cold. We were comfortable. I am 6'2" and am comfortable in our "mid-profile" camper.

IMO if we were going to full time, I probably would upgrade, but for now, we have not seen a floor plan that we like better than our current one, nor do I want a camper that is over 13 feet tall.

Good luck on your decision.

 

[Shortest Straw]

Thanks for the quick response! Is there any particular reason you think people wouldn't recommend it? Not a four season RV, too old, not durable, something else?

Some folks are going to say it won't work because it is not "rated" to do what you are wanting to do. While that may be true, IMO you can still make it work. I am guessing that you are buying a used rig for a reason specific to your life. If you do buy it make sure you go through it well looking for any problems as you may not know if it was well taken care of or not. Stay in the mildest climate you can and you should be quite comfortable.


Sent from my PU-36 Explosive Space Modulator.

 

[zalenanv]

Hi zalenanv,

Most RVs are intended for seasonal use from late spring to mid fall. And most people take a few weekend trips and maybe a 2 week vacation trip.

When manufacturers select materials and furniture, they're usually assuming the typical buyer will follow that usage pattern. So if you take a trailer that's intended for 4 weeks annual use and instead spend 52 weeks in it, you may see accelerated wear and tear on those items.

And when the designers assume 4 weeks of usage per year with the longest trip maybe 2 weeks, they don't put in as much storage. The kitchen will be smaller. The refrigerator will typically be smaller. The shower may be smaller. The closet may be smaller. The holding tanks may be smaller. There's a lot you can put up with for 2 weeks that you might not want to put up with on a full time basis.

And the coach won't have things like cold weather treatments. There will be less insulation and I'd be surprised to see tank heaters or heated water lines for winter camping. If there's one air conditioner, you may want to stay out of extremely hot and humid areas. If the trailer has 30 amp electric service, you won't have the option of adding a 2nd air conditioner.

Older Sundance units are probably mid-profile, which means lower ceilings. If you're tall, you might be uncomfortable living in a mid-profile trailer full time.

Heartland makes RVs for full-time use. Landmark, Bighorn and Big Country are all in this category.

That all said, it's certainly possible to live full time in a 2008 Sundance. You should spend enough time walking through the trailer and thinking about where your stuff goes, what it'll be like cooking, etc.

Thank you for all this helpful info! I've started a search for the Landmark, Bighorn, and Big Country. I've already found a few in our price range, this helped a lot. Thanks!