What made you pick the Mallard? and other newbie questions

[scottren71]

Hi all,

First post on the forum, been reading all info I've been able to find about the Mallard line.

Wife, 13yo son and I went shopping at CW after a Colorado vacation as we are thinking we want to get another TT. Our salesman at CW was very accommodating, and showed is many different makes, models, etc.

We are set on following criteria:

1. Must have a bunkhouse (for the son and friends/family)
2. Must have a super slide with couch and dinette (for room. Our old TT was just too narrow)
3. Outdoor kitchen is pretty important
4. Room to shower and sit on the toilet in the bathroom (obvious )

We owned a 2005 26' Zepplin by Keystone for 4 years from '08-'12, and jobs kept us from using it enough to justify keeping it, so we sold.

Wife and I now both are self employed, so our schedules are much more flexible, and we all love camping and getting out the house and "unplugging". We will be weekenders with one long trip to South Fork, CO each summer to our favorite spot, Fun Valley each year.

All that being said, during our shopping trip to CW earlier this week, we went in thinking price was most important factor, but after looking at Coachman, Jayco (all lines), Forest River, the Mallard line really stuck with us. Just seemed from and uneducated viewpoint that the Mallard was better built, better "fit and finish", just overall a better TT to us.

After hours and hours of research, watching all the youtube videos about each model, we have pretty much settled on either the M312 or M32 floorplan, with the M26 coming in 3rd.

My question for those of you who own the Mallard, what was the deciding factor that led you to your Mallard over other TT's?

Some other questions:

1. Pricing on the Mallard varies greatly across the country from CW. Is is unreasonable to expect to get pricing in Oklahoma the same as in Minnesota?
2. Would you recommend and extended warranty?
3. Being that we are going to be weekenders most of the time, would you recommend buying smaller than we "think" we need?
4. CW service doesn't seem to have a very good reputation, are there other service centers that the Mallard can be serviced at under warranty?

Tow vehicle will be '14 F250 diesel.

Thanks in advance for the help. We aren't in any rush to buy today, but as we expect to buy and use for several years, we want to make an informed decision.

 

[jimtoo]

Hi scottren71,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and hopefully to the family. We have a great bunch of folks here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge when needed.

Enjoy the forum.

Jim M

 

[danemayer]

Some other questions:

1. Pricing on the Mallard varies greatly across the country from CW. Is is unreasonable to expect to get pricing in Oklahoma the same as in Minnesota?
2. Would you recommend and extended warranty?
3. Being that we are going to be weekenders most of the time, would you recommend buying smaller than we "think" we need?
4. CW service doesn't seem to have a very good reputation, are there other service centers that the Mallard can be serviced at under warranty?

1. If you're willing to walk away from the dealership with the higher price, in order to negotiate, you should be able to get the same price.
2. On extended warranties, there are many "fine print" questions you'll have to answer for yourself. Is it only good at CW? What is covered? What is excluded? Compare the price and coverages to a Good Sam Extended Warranty.
3. Never buy smaller. It's pretty rare to hear people say they bought a trailer that was too large. It's very common to hear people say they're trading up because they bought too small.
4. It's possible to go to other Heartland dealers for warranty service, but they're not obligated to service a trailer they didn't sell. Some do. Some don't. Some just put you low on the priority list. There are mobile servicers and independents you can use if you get prior approval from Heartland.

 

[TravelTiger]

It is feasible that CW across the country are different prices, because of transport charges. Further away from Elkhart, IN, the higher the transport cost. Some may pass it through, others may mark it up, others may absorb it in other ways.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Silverado23]

Very similar to the Mallard line at CW are Heartlands Wilderness and North Trail lines. You might look for a dealer in your area for these makes also as it may give you more options. Many of the floorplans are similar or almost identical. features such as colors and textures would vary.

 

[scottren71]

Thanks for replies so far! Very helpful.

What about those who have the Mallard TT. What was the deciding factor for you?

 

[cmartinez95]

Thanks for replies so far! Very helpful.

What about those who have the Mallard TT. What was the deciding factor for you?

We purchased our M26 because we felt that we got the most bang for the buck AND we got everything that we wanted/needed. Larger bunks for the kids, a usable bathroom, a super slide and outdoor kitchen. All that in a nice and great looking 32' package. I originally wanted to keep it under 30', but we just really liked the look and feel of the M26 we bought. It's been perfect for our family of 4 and two small dogs. If I were to do it again I'd probably get something larger, so like others have said don't go smaller than what you think you'll need. Our M26 has been across half of the country in the short time we've owned it and the only issue I've had has been with the wiring for the brakes. We lived in it for two weeks straight this summer and we never felt uncomfortable in it.

Don't be afraid to negotiate with them on price. They listed a MSRP in the low 30s for mine but we offered almost 30% under msrp and walked out under 25k after local taxes and registration fees were tacked on. I saw other dealers in other states listing theirs for close to what we were offering so I felt our offer was fair. We did have to walk out once because our saleman's manager didn't want to work with us. A week later we were able to close the deal. Your results may vary

And don't forget to check the tires. Make sure they aren't old and that they aren't one of the undesirable brands! Good luck with whatever you decide on.

 

[scottren71]

Many, many thanks cmartinez95!!

We purchased our M26 because we felt that we got the most bang for the buck AND we got everything that we wanted/needed. Larger bunks for the kids, a usable bathroom, a super slide and outdoor kitchen. All that in a nice and great looking 32' package. I originally wanted to keep it under 30', but we just really liked the look and feel of the M26 we bought. It's been perfect for our family of 4 and two small dogs. If I were to do it again I'd probably get something larger, so like others have said don't go smaller than what you think you'll need. Our M26 has been across half of the country in the short time we've owned it and the only issue I've had has been with the wiring for the brakes. We lived in it for two weeks straight this summer and we never felt uncomfortable in it.

Don't be afraid to negotiate with them on price. They listed a MSRP in the low 30s for mine but we offered almost 30% under msrp and walked out under 25k after local taxes and registration fees were tacked on. I saw other dealers in other states listing theirs for close to what we were offering so I felt our offer was fair. We did have to walk out once because our saleman's manager didn't want to work with us. A week later we were able to close the deal. Your results may vary

And don't forget to check the tires. Make sure they aren't old and that they aren't one of the undesirable brands! Good luck with whatever you decide on.

 

[TallyBeach]

Thanks for replies so far! Very helpful.

What about those who have the Mallard TT. What was the deciding factor for you?

I chose the M28 based on the fact that it has a permanent bed (not Murphy bed), two slide-outs, and a ton of storage. Also, I wanted something that could be towed with my current TV. I wasn't all that interested in the outdoor kitchen, but now that I have it and have used it, I love it! The swing-around television set works well for using the same set for living area and bedroom. And did I mention the outdoor kitchen with its own beer storage? My only disappointment has been in the quality of the construction of this RV. My first trip out, all of the trim inside either became loose or actually fell off. The second trip out, the dinette completely fell apart. CW fixed these and a few other minor glitches and I decided to rebuild the dinette the way it should have been done originally: with glue, screws and clamps. It's not going anywhere! As others have noted CW is very open to negotiation on price.

 

[crdaylily618]

Hi all,

First post on the forum, been reading all info I've been able to find about the Mallard line.

Wife, 13yo son and I went shopping at CW after a Colorado vacation as we are thinking we want to get another TT. Our salesman at CW was very accommodating, and showed is many different makes, models, etc.

We are set on following criteria:

1. Must have a bunkhouse (for the son and friends/family)
2. Must have a super slide with couch and dinette (for room. Our old TT was just too narrow)
3. Outdoor kitchen is pretty important
4. Room to shower and sit on the toilet in the bathroom (obvious )

We owned a 2005 26' Zepplin by Keystone for 4 years from '08-'12, and jobs kept us from using it enough to justify keeping it, so we sold.

Wife and I now both are self employed, so our schedules are much more flexible, and we all love camping and getting out the house and "unplugging". We will be weekenders with one long trip to South Fork, CO each summer to our favorite spot, Fun Valley each year.

All that being said, during our shopping trip to CW earlier this week, we went in thinking price was most important factor, but after looking at Coachman, Jayco (all lines), Forest River, the Mallard line really stuck with us. Just seemed from and uneducated viewpoint that the Mallard was better built, better "fit and finish", just overall a better TT to us.

After hours and hours of research, watching all the youtube videos about each model, we have pretty much settled on either the M312 or M32 floorplan, with the M26 coming in 3rd.

My question for those of you who own the Mallard, what was the deciding factor that led you to your Mallard over other TT's?

Some other questions:

1. Pricing on the Mallard varies greatly across the country from CW. Is is unreasonable to expect to get pricing in Oklahoma the same as in Minnesota?
2. Would you recommend and extended warranty?
3. Being that we are going to be weekenders most of the time, would you recommend buying smaller than we "think" we need?
4. CW service doesn't seem to have a very good reputation, are there other service centers that the Mallard can be serviced at under warranty?

Tow vehicle will be '14 F250 diesel.

Thanks in advance for the help. We aren't in any rush to buy today, but as we expect to buy and use for several years, we want to make an informed decision.

Hi, we are relatively new owners of a Mallard m28, 2018, 31' long. Our previous rv was a 2012 rockwood ultralite, which I loved. This was an unexpected purchase on my part, as I was happy with the rockwood. We went to our local Camping World to see what they had available. My 1st choice would've been a jayco (hubby wanted 2 doors & that met the criteria). However, this was a bit out of the price range & we continued looking. The mallard had an island in the kitchen (love it) & 2 slides vs the 1 slide in the rockwood. LOTS of storage room, electric stabilizers, canopy is over the 1 slide (with led lights & remote control). Will have to get a slide protector for the other slide. This rv only has the 1 door, but hubby was willing to compromise. It has an outside kitchen & BBQ grill, a plus for me, I think it has an outside shower as well. We haven't taken her out yet, but I continue to load her & get her ready for the Road. Towing was not an issue. I am the only driver, so that is an important issue for me. It was interesting making the bed, due to the slant in the front. I pulled the mattress partway away from the front of the rv to make it a little easier. Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have about our particular model.
Carol