If anyone can give some direction I would appreciate some help. Among the Heartland travel trailer companies is there a rating of the best quality to the less quality (and probably lower price). The floor plan we like is called "RL" and we are looking for 25' to 28' length.

In my opinion the RV industry should be ashamed of the lack of quality overall. I have always felt each worker on the line should sign off on what they do and a bonus given at the end of the year based on number of warranty work. Have you seen the video's on Youtube for RV asembly? Guys running with walls slappin them on. And we keep buying it. Amazing

I agree with OasisBob...While not a Heartland model, in the Outdoors RV forum, a gentleman picked up a new 2020 trailer and headed home, got 100 miles down the road (highway, not dirt roads - even though ORV claims theirs are made for off-road use) and the Rear Window Valence came off and landed on the dinette table.Product quality is the lowest amount that a manufacturer can get away with and that a buyer will accept. Until we the consumer stand up and tell the manufacturers (with our LACK of purchases) that we do not accept their product, they will continue to spew out junk as fast as their worker's crazy legs can move.

We have owned an Airstream since 2016 and it has been flawless. With that said, some of the AS models coming out in the last couple of years have seen an increase in defects. Mainly with the interior items. Shell, Windows and Suspension have been solid but, Issues with the furnace, cabinets, plumping have been on the rise. Still a well built unit but, even at the higher price point, they are not immune to issues.

More than likely the difference in price is just bells and whistles. The frame, suspension, and body are probably all the same, built by the same guys at the same factory.The quality of cabinets, flooring, furniture, etc. may be higher. Bigger appliances, bigger AC.But the basic structure is probably the same across the price spectrum.

Between my parents and my family we have had 7 RVs since the 70's. In order to save weight the manufacturers use build techniques which are not as beefy as sticks and bricks houses. They do have to take into consideration the travel aspects of RVs and make them strong enough to survive various road conditions and weather. Unfortunately as a brand or model becomes popular, the assembly quality may suffer in order to keep up with demand. Our first 5th wheel was one of the first on the market with two slide outs with one of the slides being 14 feet long and 4 feet deep (super slide). This model became so popular the factory added a third shift to try to keep up with demand. So you can imagine a worker on the 2nd shift might be installing a sink and end of shift comes with the task not complete. The 3rd shift may not be aware the sink install is incomplete and the trailer ends up being shipped with loose connections. Our 1994 5th wheel had over 25 problems, most were cosmetic with only a few mechanical issues. Lack of quality is not just an RV industry issue...Our friend who bought a new house recently had over 300 problems identified during their final walk through, it was a 5000 sq ft house. Another friend had his oil change at one of the quick oil change places and drove off he got a few miles away and his engine seized up. They hadn't put the oil filter on.

Quality versus Price | Good Sam Community

BadgerMcAdams
Explorer
Oct 28, 2019
I agree with OasisBob...While not a Heartland model, in the Outdoors RV forum, a gentleman picked up a new 2020 trailer and headed home, got 100 miles down the road (highway, not dirt roads - even though ORV claims theirs are made for off-road use) and the Rear Window Valence came off and landed on the dinette table.

Product quality is the lowest amount that a manufacturer can get away with and that a buyer will accept. Until we the consumer stand up and tell the manufacturers (with our LACK of purchases) that we do not accept their product, they will continue to spew out junk as fast as their worker's crazy legs can move.
Oasisbob
Explorer
Oct 28, 2019
In my opinion the RV industry should be ashamed of the lack of quality overall. I have always felt each worker on the line should sign off on what they do and a bonus given at the end of the year based on number of warranty work. Have you seen the video's on Youtube for RV asembly? Guys running with walls slappin them on. And we keep buying it. Amazing

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