The Jayco with the rear living room is close to a twin to our Rockwood Ultra Lite 2604. We love the floorplan, the bathroom is wonderful and the bedroom is plenty sufficient. Indoor times are nice because of the openness and all the windows. We love the rear window, but can see the heat/cold situation depending on when and where you camp. Valid point. Not as fond of the other model and no info on Heartland.
You mentioned the grandkids...how many, how often, do you mind making up the sofa for a few nights? If your sofa is like ours with the air mattress, it's very comfortable.
Things to check out based on our experience. Our slide will not clear the 2 swivel rockers in the position by the window...you have to move them in front of the door and sideways to clear. We don't mind it, just part of the set up, but something you should check if it would be a problem for you. Also, and we know this from experience, if the door from the living area into the bathroom is not closed the slide will not clear. When that happens you have a nasty sound and need Mr. DIY to fix the door frame. Thankfully, you'd never know what had happened unless you looked very closely after having it pointed out to you. Whew! Trust me when I say you'll only forget that once, but something else to check. Also if there are cabinet doors under your TV, make sure they latch securely or use a bungy to hold because if one happens to come open in transit, Mr. DIY is back in business. Your extra foot in length may address these glitches.
We love our 2604 and it really is perfect for us. Our disabled adult son goes with us only one time a year and we have adjustments to make for his wheelchair, etc but it works. We have more than enough interior storage and the pass-through is plenty. We got one of the cheapie runner type rugs that just fits in the pass-through and stops the stuff from sliding around. Very handy.
Good luck, happy shopping and happy camping.
