Hello, Please excuse me as a newcomer if this is beat-into-the-ground topic... I did poke around the forums but am not really finding the general info I'm looking for. What is the general consensus on the quality and value of Heartland 5th wheels with respect to the competition? The fact that these forums exist appears to be testament that there is a loyal following. We are looking at retiring in a couple of years and, afterwards, living out of the US for 6 months and RV'ing in the US for 6 months out of the year. I want to be certain that we get a quality product that will last many years without excessive maintenance... it's my understanding that there are quite a few products out there that are poorly made and tend to fall apart after a few years use. From what I can see, Heartland comes in at a good price-point and have floorplan options that suit our needs (i.e. King bed and bunkhouse that can serve as office, music room, sewing room, etc.) Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks, -jay
Question on overall quality and bang for the buck
- Thread starter jschlegel
- Start date
jimtoo
Moderator
Hi Jay,
Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and to the family. We have a great bunch of folks here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge when needed.
I'm sure you will get lots more comments here about the Heartland RVs. We have lots of folks that full time in these units. Heartland has the best customer service around I think. You will hear the good and the bad as we do not edit the post to make them all good.
Be sure and check out our Heartland Owners Club. We have the best group of folks and always lots of help if needed.
Enjoy the forum and hope to see you in a Heartland at a rally.
Jim M
Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and to the family. We have a great bunch of folks here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge when needed.
I'm sure you will get lots more comments here about the Heartland RVs. We have lots of folks that full time in these units. Heartland has the best customer service around I think. You will hear the good and the bad as we do not edit the post to make them all good.
Be sure and check out our Heartland Owners Club. We have the best group of folks and always lots of help if needed.
Enjoy the forum and hope to see you in a Heartland at a rally.
Jim M
MTPockets
Well-known member
We made our final decision after the factory tours, what we saw in the actual build areas convinced us to order our Big Horn. Every brand will tend to have some issues, but structural soundness and solid cabinetry, not laminated, was our goal... Heartland has proven to respond reasonably to any issue. We're full time now over 3-1/2 yrs and have been pleased in all respects.
'Lil Guy'
Well-known member
Welcome to the forum and I don't think you can go wrong with a HL unit. We've had 2 rigs over the past ffew years and have had zero issues with them except for one self inflicted issue which was easy to fix.lol We joined the HOC and attended a few rallys meeting some of the people you talk to here and for that reason alone, I couldn't buy another rig outside of the HL family. Retiring the end of the year and will be upgrading to a higher end 5th wheel for full timing. I think the trick to getting a worry free rig is the PDI upon acceptance. Expect some minor issues to crop up and if you're handy, most are easy fixes with the forum at your disposal. Good luck on your endeavor. and hope to run into you down the road.
BLHFUN
Well-known member
Ditto - Every manufacturer is going to have it's issues. We've owned Forest River, Fleetwood and Foretravel. Our dealings with Heartland have been exceptional in every way. The small issues we've in countered will happen with every type of unit regardless of the manufacturers Name. It's the way Heartland dealt with these issues that makes the difference for us.
Unless your wallet can Stomach a Foretravel's Price... You're on the right Forum.
Unless your wallet can Stomach a Foretravel's Price... You're on the right Forum.
Hello. I am new to the heartland family and 5th wheels in general. After having travel trailers i wanted a 5th wheel for more room and ameneties. After over a year of research and comparisons we decided our Elkridge. Got it 2 wks ago and it was an excellent decision. The king size memory foam bed gave me the best nights sleep i have had in a while. The bunk house is LARGE enough for my 2 girls to have bean bag chairs and even play their xbox kinect. The only downfall i have seen is the AC vents dont evenly distribute the air flow. Which to my understanding and reading is common. As said in a previous post the issues that are typical will be typical with every manufacturer. My selling point was size, amenties, and cost. IMO you get a great value for your money.
Every RV requires maintenance. For some it's minor, for some excessive. Bottom line is we are happy and would make the same decision again. It's not just the floor plan or the quality of construction, it's knowing you can call Heartland and get help whether you're in Key West, Nome, or wherever you travel. And, lastly, which other manufacturer has your RV warrantied for full-time living. We love our BH.
Martha
Martha
Hi and welcome to the Wide, Wonderful and sometimes Wacky world of Heartland. You never mentioned your tow vehicle and that will most assuredly be a deciding factor in selecting your new Heartland should you decide that way. I have a website that I refer to when someone mentions buying a new home on wheels. It helped me better understand the limits of the truck and the almost limitless selections in travel trailers at my disposal. I hope it helps you as well.
http://howto.curtmfg.com/Pages/index.cfm.25.html
http://howto.curtmfg.com/Pages/index.cfm.25.html
Howdy!
We're fulltimer's and this is our second fulltime 5er. Our first was a Carriage and it was well built and very few issues and if we did have any they Carriage took care of them even after our warranty expired. I can not say the same for Heartland. As for us we want own another Heartland product after this one, and if an when we purchase our next RV it sure want be from Camping World. Like you I did a lot of research on this forum and others it just hasn't worked out. Good luck with you search.
"Happy Trails"
Chiefneon
We're fulltimer's and this is our second fulltime 5er. Our first was a Carriage and it was well built and very few issues and if we did have any they Carriage took care of them even after our warranty expired. I can not say the same for Heartland. As for us we want own another Heartland product after this one, and if an when we purchase our next RV it sure want be from Camping World. Like you I did a lot of research on this forum and others it just hasn't worked out. Good luck with you search.
"Happy Trails"
Chiefneon
olcoon
Well-known member
One thing to keep in mind is that no matter who you buy a coach from, a lot of the basic components are from the same company. Frames, axels, brakes, appliances, mostly all come from the same supplier, and most of them are made in or around Elkhart, Indiana. All of them require regular maintenance, because we are pulling a rolling earthquake down the road! These rigs take quite a beating from some of the roads we have here in the US.
Thanks, Not sure what "PDI upon acceptance" means... could you please clarify?
Garypowell
Well-known member
Pre delivery inspection. A good one should take a minimum of 3 - 4 hours. Some one will show you around for an hour or so and then they should leave while you try everything by yourself.
Many videotape the tour.
You should also stay at the dealership overnight if possible.
Many videotape the tour.
You should also stay at the dealership overnight if possible.
AAdams
Well-known member
They are referring to your Pre-Delivery Inspection before you accept the trailer at the dealership. The dealer will walk you through the unit, normally quickly. You can then tell them you want to go over the trailer and really look at it BEFORE you sign anything. Make a list and have them fix it BEFORE you sign anything. Test the appliances, look at all the trim, check the a/c. furnace, roof, look at the seals, tires etc. Search the forum and you can find several examples of PDI check list.
We recorded our PDI and used it as a reference when we needed validation of memory. I did recently hear of a dealer (not an HL) who didn't want it recorded, but they lost a sale. Our son told them that if they didn't want him to record for his use, then they weren't doing business.
Bought our Elkridge and love it. We did look at a Heartland Gateway (i think). AWESOME!! The slideouts made it feel like a Park model trailer you see in private campgrounds. I have looked at many 5th wheels (they all have short comings and things you would do different) bang for the buck is Heartland IMO.
I would never buy another one. Ours is falling a part. Welding is giving away in many areas. Have spent several thousand dollars on front end and now facing it again. We have a bighorn. Many of our friends have have several problems. We drove to plant which is many miles away after year and a half had repaired broke again last year in area repaired. Had it fixed again and now welds on other side have broke. Floor in large slide was falling out deputy to poor welds. Suspension system has been upgraded as it also failed.
