Heartland 5th Wheels

We have a 2017 Big Horn 3750FL.
After 5 months of snow birding we are happy with the choice and would get another.
The floor plan was the biggest factor in our choice.
Friends had good things to say about their recent models so we changed from a Montana

ReneeG wrote:
One of the things to note about the Heartland Bighorn is that is guaranteed for full time use.

The Army claims their tents are for full time use also. So what does that mean in the RV industry other than a marketing ploy to suck in more people.

In rating my 2016 Bighorn, I would say it's bottom line as far as assembly quality for things like Electric wiring, prep of roof surface prior to installing roof rubber, basic fit and Finnish etc. They cover that stuff up well with trim though, so it doesn't look bad, and other than the electrical stuff which is poorly done to the point of being somewhat dangerous, not really an issue other than just annoying how little pride is taken in the building of the rig. I'd rate Heartland customer service a fair bit below average.

Component selection and quality of components slightly higher end, keeping in mind they are mostly Lippert sourced. In saying Slightly higher end that is in comparison to an industry standard that is of pretty poor quality. Compared to older rigs I've owned, quality is pretty bad. They have added a lot of nice features though such as LED lighting, auto leveling etc.

Me Again wrote:
The Landmark, Big Horn and Big Country all go down the same assembly line. Big Country lacks rear cap which was on our must have list.

Our 2010 Big Country came with the end cap like on the Big Horn. It didn't have some of the other Big Horn accessories like built in vacuum and a shoe rack in the closet.
I believe later years the Big Country could just be had with the flat end.

One of the things to note about the Heartland Bighorn is that is guaranteed for full time use.

justme wrote:
Some heartland owners seem to be brand loyalists. I don't think that brand is above average to justify loyalty and therefor that loyalty may be based on protecting their decision or ego. My take is that Heartland brand is average.

I agree and think this statement could be true for many brands/owners. Not much real difference between most mid priced RVs. They use the same components, appliances, frames etc.

B.O.

We had a Cardinal for 11 years and it was a great trailer and floor plan. We could not find a new Cardinal that we liked that had a light enough pin weight for our 3500 SRW RAM. Cardinals smallest model is cheaply make to keep it light.

So we bought a 2017 Big Horn 3575el. We love this trailer still after 14 months with it, living in it most of that time. Support from Heartland Corp is great, the Heartland owners forum and club is great also. Most of the large Heartland trailers come OEM with Sailun LRG or LRH tires.

We feel that what we got for our money is a little above the average quality in an industry that is noted for quality issues.

The Landmark, Big Horn and Big Country all go down the same assembly line. Big Country lacks rear cap which was on our must have list.

We looked at just about all West Coast offerings. Montana, Cedar Creek, Cardinal, all Heartland lines, Open Range etc.

We bought the Big Horn with plans to snowbird in it, and now it turns out we are sunbirding in it, as last winter we built a new park model with Arizona room in Gold Canyon, Az after selling our B&S home last summer.

We have a 3500 Big Country for the past 7 years. It's been a good one. No complaints. In the past we've had Cardinals, New Vision (before they were toy haulers) Jayco, KountryAire and a Montana for a short time. (So not a 'brand loyalist.) The Big Country has been the best for us and least maintainenace. Only real problem was the plastic check valve on the rear of the water heater tank was cracked and it leaked water into the basement. Once the leak location was found it was a simple swap out of parts. Probably overtightened during installation or hit with something when installing. The other problem was the capacitor on the AC motor went bad and needed it replaced. The AC isn't made by Heartland.
All the other brands had a lot more quality control issues. ie, one of the Cardinals the axles weren't aligned correctly and ate up a set of tires in less than 1000 miles. The Jayco and New Vision leaked around windows, roof leak, leak around antenna and AC. AC went out in the Jayco. The KountryAire had alignment problems with the door, cabinet doors came apart, and floor warped which we never diagnosed why but no indication of water, believed to be construction problem.

Some heartland owners seem to be brand loyalists. I don't think that brand is above average to justify loyalty and therefor that loyalty may be based on protecting their decision or ego. My take is that Heartland brand is average.

Had a 2011 Big Country. Good basic construction but it needed a lot of upgrades over the years. Springs went flat and needed replacement, both front and rear caps faded and needed to be painted, both fender skirts changed from gray to brown in the Sun and one started to peel, plagued by plumbing leaks, cracked fittings for the first couple years, cheap ceiling van shook and buzzed while running, very noisy A/C, electric front jacks were troublesome and the streetside jack had to be replaced which meant cutting a hole in the propane cabinet to gain access. Changed brands this time and I'm much happier. Cannot fault Heartland customer service, but dealers are getting harder to find.

B.O.