HEARTLAND Complaints

9/21 WHILE HEADING HOME FROM A WEEKEND OUTING I GOT TO EXPERIENCE NOT ONE, BUT TWO OCCURRENCES OF POWERKING TOWMAX TIRE FAILURES. FIRST SETTING THE SCENE: TIRES AT PROPER PRESSURE (80LB), SPEED UNDER 65MPH, TRAILER WEIGHT BELOW 14,000LBS, MILES ON TIRES TOTAL LESS THAN 1,000, ROAD CONDITION DRY AND SMOOTH. TIRE #1: BLEW OUT THE CENTER OF THE TREAD, NO COACH DAMAGE AFTER ~70 MILES OF TRAVEL; TIRE #2: FAILED SPECTACULARLY WHERE THE TREAD CAP CAME COMPLETELY OFF THE TIRE CARCASS (AFTER ONLY 30 MILES) TAKING OUT THE FENDER SKIRT, THE HEATER COVER, REAR STEP PLASTIC FRAME, AND LOTS OF SIDE PANEL. *TR

JULY OF 2014 PURCHASED NEW TOYHAULER TRAILER, HEARTLAND ROAD WARRIOR RW 348. RV CAME WITH POWER KING TOWMAX LT235/80R16 E TIRES. WITH LESS THAN 2,500 MILES, TIRE TREAD SEPARATED CAUSING BLOWOUT. TIRE CAUSED $2,000 OF DAMAGE TO TRAILER. BLOWOUT OCCURRED ON SEPT 18, 2014. TIRES WERE WELL MAINTAINED AND CHECKED. NEVER DRIVEN OVER 62 MILES AN HOUR, AND ALWAYS ON PAVEMENT. NEVER OVERLOADED. REMAINING TIRES WILL BE REPLACED BEFORE NEXT BLOWOUT, DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS AND THE NUMEROUS BAD REVIEWS. *TR

SATURDAY, 9/20/14, WE DROVE APPROX 300 MILES FROM FL ON INTERSTATES 95 AND 26, SPEED 65 MPH OR LOWER, TOWING OUR 2014 HEARTLAND BIGHORN 5TH WHEEL TRAILER EQUIPPED WITH POWER KING TOW MAX ST235/80R16 TIRES. TIRE PRESSURE (80 PSI) AND LUG TORQUE (120 FT/LB) CHECKED BEFORE DEPARTURE. EXITED I-26 IN LEXINGTON SC AND HAD DRIVEN 2-3 MILES, SPEEDS 35 AND UNDER, ON SURFACE STREET WHEN LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW, SEPARATING 2/3 OF THE TREAD CIRCUMFERENCE CREATING A 3 1/2 FOOT LONG 8 INCH WIDE STEEL BELTED FLAIL THAT DESTROYED THE LOWER VALANCE AND WHEEL WELL ON LEFT MAIN SLIDE, THROWING DEBRIS ON ADJACENT TRAFFIC. THANKFULLY, DUE TO LOW SPEED AT TIME (20-25), THERE WERE NO INJURIES, DAMAGE TO OTHER VEHICLES OR LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. TRAILER PURCHASED NEW JAN 2014 AND HAD LESS THAN 1500 MILES TOTAL USE. INTERNET SEARCH REVEALED LOTS OF SIMILAR STORIES AND A FULL COMPLAINT LOG (50) SINCE 6/2014 ON NHTSA SITE. NO FAITH IN THESE TIRES; REPLACED TWO (ALL THE LOCAL GOODYEAR TIRE DEALER HAD ON A SUNDAY) BUT WILL REPLACE THEM ALL WHEN AVAILABLE. HEARTLAND AND TBC, THE TIRE MAKER (?) WILL HEAR AS WELL. SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD! *TR

2 POWER KING TOWMAX STR TIRES, 2 YEARS OLD, VERY LOW MILEAGE, TOWING 4 TIRE BIG HORN FIFTH WHEEL CAMPER, SEPARATED TREADS ON JULY 6 AND JULY 13 OF 2014. CAMPER IS WELL UNDER WEIGHT SPECIFICATIONS, TIRE PRESSURE ALWAYS RUN AT 80 PSI. CAUSED SEVERE DAMAGE TO CAMPER.

TIRE FAILURE ON THREE POWER KING TOW MAX STR 235/80/R16 IN ONE DAY. TOWING 2013 HEARTLAND 3000 CK SUNDANCE @ LOVELOCK NEVADA, ONE TIRE BLEW AND DAMAGED SIDE PANEL DRIVERS SIDE, OTHER DRIVER SIDE TIRE HAD A BUBBLE STARTING AND THIRD HAD BUBBLE. *TR

I ORDERED AND PICKED UP MY HEARTLAND 2014 ,3110 CYCLONE FROM FACTORY DEALER #001 IN ELHHARDT ,IN. FEB,25,2014. TOWED UNIT HOME 713 MILES WITH NO SNOW STORMS/ RAIN. PREPPED AND STOCKED UNIT FOR 1ST TRIP IN MARCH. STARTED TO NOTICE LOTS OF RUST ALL OVER SUSPENSION AND CHASSIS AND COMPONENTS INCLUDING PROPANE GAS LINES. REPEATED EMAILS/PICTURES AND PHONE CONVERSATIONS WITH LIPPERT COMPONENTS WENT UNHEARD. THE FACTORY DENIES RUST. I'VE HAD TO POWER WASH /WIRE BRUSH, SCAPE AS MUCH RUST OFF AND PAINT AND UNDERCOAT. SEEMS TO BE SOME SORT OF ELECTROLYSIS GOING ON ALSO. THE CHASSIS IS ALSO PRETTY FLEXIBLE AS DOORS DO NOT CLOSE ON SLIGHT GRADE WITHOUT THE USE OF LEVELING JACKS. DISAPPOINTED IN THE WAY RV MANUFACTURES GO VASTLY UNREGULATED. *TR

BEFORE WE LEFT FOROUR TRIP WE WERE CHECKING THE TIRES AND NOTICE THAT ON OF THE TIRES WERE COMING APART. WE HAD THAT TIRE REPLACED. THEN ON OUR WAY HOME PULLING OUR HEARTLAND CAMPER ON 301 GOING 55MPH ANOTHER TIRE BLOW CAUSED DAMAGED TO THE CAMPER. RIP THE WIRING HARNESS OUT OF CAMPER. *JS

WHILE TRAVELING ON I-5 THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEW ON MY FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER. AMBIENT TEMP WAS ABOUT 102 WE WARE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 58 M.P.H. THE TIRES HAVE LESS THAN 3000 MILES ON THEM. THE FAILURE CAUSED APPROXIMATELY $2800 DAMAGE TO THE TRAILER. THE TIRE WAS A 235X80X16 POWER KING TOW MAX TIRE. THE DOT # 83B54111 DY. DUE TO THE UNRELIABLE CHARACTERISTICS OF THESE TIRES ALL ARE BEING REPLACED. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT THE TRAILER WAS EMPTY,ALL HOLDING TANKS AND FUEL TANKS. THE TRAILER IS A 2012 HEARTLAND CYCLONE 300C. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 HEARTLAND PROWLER THAT WAS BEING TOWED ON A 2004 GMC YUKON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE AND TRAILER BEGAN TO SWAY DUE TO AN UNSTABLE FRAME. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRAILER WAS ABNORMALLY SITTING ON THE RIGHT OF THE VEHICLE FRAME AND THE TIRE VERSUS BEING CENTERED ON THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE AND TRAILER WERE TOWED TO THE DEALER BUT THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE TRAILER WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

DRIVING HOME FROM TEXAS IN OUR 2008 DODGE RAM 3500 PULLING A 2012 HEARTLAND BIG COUNTRY 3690SLR THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE ON THE 5TH WHEEL BLEW OFF. WE DOING ABOUT 60-65 MPH ON I81 IN PA. THERE WAS NO WARNING AT ALL IT JUST BLEW OFF THE RIM. THE TIRE WAS A POWER KING TOWMAX 235 80R 16. IT DID DAMAGE TO THE SIDE OF THE SLIDE AND PULLED THE WIRES FROM THE OUTLET AND THE LIGHTS IN THE SLIDE. *TR