Our tow vehicle is a Dodge Durango and I figured that the fully loaded ready for camping tongue weight would be pretty close to the maximum recommendation. So, the dealer installed a weight distribution hitch (WDH) with sway control. Was surprised by the amount of difference in the ride. It really does feel like 1 vehicle especially over shallow undulations in the road (which is common this time of year). A much more stable ride.
We had 25-35 mph headwinds for almost 2 hours and the Edge behaved well. Our old camper was 6 feet shorter but wider and had a boxier profile. The Edge definitely cut through air cleaner and I never felt the wash from an oncoming semi. The WDH and sway control made cross winds feel like they were effecting both the Durango and trailer equally. I think in the end we should get about the same gas mileage but a better ride.
As mentioned in other posts, the plastic door latch is absolutely awful. It broke when we looked at the camper last fall and it broke again during our walk-through and inspection yesterday. The dealer installed another new one yesterday and we promised we would not use it if there was any kind of wind at all (the wind was really just a breeze in the early morning when we did our inspection). I am glad to hear that they are using a new system and would be even happier if Heartland offered a retrofit kit I could purchase. I think what I will try to do is find some stops for the outside that will prevent the door from opening far enough to contact the awning (when the awning is out). And making some hinged stops for the inside door jamb to keep the door open against the outside stops. This would put the entire load on the hinge and hinge side door jamb where the most strength is.
I was also surprised by the oomph and ease of the stabilizers. On our old camper it was impossible to put enough muscle into the crank to actually produce any lift so I got into the habit of giving the crank a quarter turn after contact. A quarter turn on the Edge stabilizers was lifting the frame so I will leave them alone once they contact the ground. The license plate hangs down low enough to make using that stabilizer a bit of a pain.
We bought the teardrop wedge shaped levelers and X-Chocks and both of those worked like a charm. I had to use the X-Chocks upside down because the wheel faring hangs down pretty low between the wheels but that is not a big deal. I may have to use some wide boards under the levelers if the ground is really soft.
The power awning and slide both work great and it still amazes me how much bigger the slide makes the camper feel. We will miss the pantry cupboard we had in the old camper but overall I think we have a lot more storage. The fit and finish is really nice especially around the slide and the accent lights are a treat. The windows are one of the reasons we were attracted to the Edge and I think we will only appreciate them more the longer we use them. I don't mind the bathroom sink and shower sharing the same water but I wish the shower hose was a little longer and fastened at more than just the shower head. I will probably work on modifying that a little bit.
It has been a long harsh winter and we can't wait to get camping in our new Edge. A lot of campgrounds open April 1 but this year there is still frost in the ground so it may be a few weeks before we can get out. The furnace just might be the first appliance to really get a work out.
We had 25-35 mph headwinds for almost 2 hours and the Edge behaved well. Our old camper was 6 feet shorter but wider and had a boxier profile. The Edge definitely cut through air cleaner and I never felt the wash from an oncoming semi. The WDH and sway control made cross winds feel like they were effecting both the Durango and trailer equally. I think in the end we should get about the same gas mileage but a better ride.
As mentioned in other posts, the plastic door latch is absolutely awful. It broke when we looked at the camper last fall and it broke again during our walk-through and inspection yesterday. The dealer installed another new one yesterday and we promised we would not use it if there was any kind of wind at all (the wind was really just a breeze in the early morning when we did our inspection). I am glad to hear that they are using a new system and would be even happier if Heartland offered a retrofit kit I could purchase. I think what I will try to do is find some stops for the outside that will prevent the door from opening far enough to contact the awning (when the awning is out). And making some hinged stops for the inside door jamb to keep the door open against the outside stops. This would put the entire load on the hinge and hinge side door jamb where the most strength is.
I was also surprised by the oomph and ease of the stabilizers. On our old camper it was impossible to put enough muscle into the crank to actually produce any lift so I got into the habit of giving the crank a quarter turn after contact. A quarter turn on the Edge stabilizers was lifting the frame so I will leave them alone once they contact the ground. The license plate hangs down low enough to make using that stabilizer a bit of a pain.
We bought the teardrop wedge shaped levelers and X-Chocks and both of those worked like a charm. I had to use the X-Chocks upside down because the wheel faring hangs down pretty low between the wheels but that is not a big deal. I may have to use some wide boards under the levelers if the ground is really soft.
The power awning and slide both work great and it still amazes me how much bigger the slide makes the camper feel. We will miss the pantry cupboard we had in the old camper but overall I think we have a lot more storage. The fit and finish is really nice especially around the slide and the accent lights are a treat. The windows are one of the reasons we were attracted to the Edge and I think we will only appreciate them more the longer we use them. I don't mind the bathroom sink and shower sharing the same water but I wish the shower hose was a little longer and fastened at more than just the shower head. I will probably work on modifying that a little bit.
It has been a long harsh winter and we can't wait to get camping in our new Edge. A lot of campgrounds open April 1 but this year there is still frost in the ground so it may be a few weeks before we can get out. The furnace just might be the first appliance to really get a work out.
