HEARTLAND Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 HEARTLAND NORTH TRAIL 33TBUD RV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE SWAYED FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE IT WAS STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS NOT SUPPORTING THE TRAILER AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40.

AFTER CHECKING TIRES BOTH AXLE SHOCK ABSORBERS ON THE DRIVER SIDE WERE FOUND TO NOT BE ATTACHED TO THE FRAME AND IN USE ONE WAS FREE AND BENT TOWARDS THE TIRE. WE WERE FORTUNATE IN THAT THE BENT SHOCK ABSORBER RESULTING FROM LACK OF RETENTION TO THE VEHICLE FRAME WAS ON THE REAR AXLE AND THE FORWARD MOTION DID NOT CAUSE IT TO DESTROY THE TIRE. THE FRONT AXLE SHOCK ABSORBER WAS ALSO MISSING ITS RETENTION NUT BUT DID NOT BEND . IF THIS HAD HAPPENED THE MOTION WOULD HAVE CAUSED EXPLOSIVE TIRE FAILURE. THIS IS THE LAST IN A SERIES OF QUALITY CONTROL ISSUES FOR THIS VEHICLE. INSPECTION SHOWED THAT THE RETENTION NUTS TO THE FRAME WERE NOT INSTALLED AND THE MOTION OF THE VEHICLES CAUSED IMPACTS OF THE FREE UPPER END OF THE SHOCK ABSORBER WITH THE VEHICLE FRAME. THE BENT END WAS RUBBING ON THE TIRE WALL. PHOTOGRAPHS ARE AVAILABLE. *TR

2009 HEARTLAND BIGHORN. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE FRAME FAILURE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED HE NOTICED SEVERAL CRACKS AND SEPARATION ON THE FIBERGLASS. THERE WAS A CRACK JUST ABOVE AND BEHIND THE BEDROOM SLIDE ON THE OFF DOOR SIDE OF THE UNIT. THERE WERE OTHER CRACKS AROUND THE PIN COVER AND VARIOUS RIPPLES AT OTHER PLACES ON UNIT. AN INSPECTION REVEALED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF NUMEROUS FRAME WELDS. THE WELDS WERE REPAIRED AND EXTRA BRACES WERE ADDED TO STRENGTHEN THE UNIT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HEARTLAND CYCLONE TRAILER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE SWAYED ABNORMALLY AND DROPPED. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, HE FOUND THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE LEAF SPRING WAS FRACTURED. THE CONTACT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE AND LATER RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V077000 (EQUIPMENT). THE REMEDY HOWEVER DID NOT ADDRESS THE AXLE BEING OVERLOADED AT THE TIME OF BEING MANUFACTURED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 23,000. UPDATED 12/03/13*LJ UPDATED 12/17/13*LJ

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 HEARTLAND SUNDANCE FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH POWER KING TOWMAX TIRES, SIZE: 235/80/16 (N/A). THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE EXPLODED. IN ADDITION, THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE TREAD WAS COMPLETELY SEPARATED WITH THE STEEL VISIBLY SHOWING. THE DEFECTIVE TIRES WERE REPLACED WITH A SPARE TIRE AND ONE NEWLY PURCHASED TIRE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE TRAILER DID NOT GENERATE MILEAGE.

WITHIN ONE HOUR OF LEAVING HOME HAD THREE SEPARATE TIRE BLOWOUTS ON RV. TIRES DID NOT APPEAR WORN, INFLATED PROPERLY, LOAD APPROPRIATE, AND STORED UNDER COVER. LESS THAN 6000 MILES ON THESE 2 YEAR OLD ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON HEARTLAND BIG COUNTRY RV. OCCURRED ON I-35 DALLAS CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO RV, AND RESULTING IN PURCHASE ON THE SPOT OF 4 NEW TIRES. TIRES APPEARED TOTALLY SEPERATED. *TR

WE WERE NORTH ON INTERSTATE 75 NEAR KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE TOWING OUR 2013 5 MONTH OLD HEARTLAND BIG COUNTRY RV WITH OUR 2012 FORD F250 SUPER DUTY. A PASSING MOTORIST SIGNALED TO US THAT THE LEFT FRONT TIRE OF THE RV WAS FLAT. WE LEFT THE HIGHWAY AND FOUND A TRUCK AND TRAILER REPAIR FACILITY AT THE EXIT. CAUSE OF THE FLAT WAS THAT THE PLIES OF THE TIRE HAD COME APART AND THE OTHER THREE TIRES WERE SO CLOSE TO FAILING (THE PLIES WERE COMING APART) THAT WE HAD TO REPLACE ALL FOUR OF THEM. THEY WERE FACTORY INSTALLED POWER KING TOWMAX 235 80R 16 E. WE CONTACTED THE DEALER, THE MANUFACTURER, THE DISTRIBUTOR AND TBC TIRE COMPANY IN PALM BEACH GARDENS FLORIDA. ALL THE HEARTLAND CUSTOMER SERVICE REP SAID WAS "UH HUH" WHEN I EXPLAINED. HE DIDN'T CARE. NONE OF THEM WOULD ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DEFECTIVE TIRES. TBC SAID THEY ARE GOING TO SEND US A SMALL CHECK "AS A GESTURE OF GOOD WILL." I AM NOT WRITING TODAY TO ASK FOR HELP IN COLLECTING MONEY. I AM WRITING BECAUSE THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THESE TIRES HAD ONLY 6066 MILES ON THEM. THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THESE TIRES. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS CATASTROPHE HAD ONE OR MORE OF THE REMAINING TIRES ALSO GONE FLAT. TRAFFIC ON INTERSTATE 75 AT KNOXVILLE WAS EXTREMELY HEAVY AT THE TIME. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. FOLLOWING THIS INCIDENT, I DID EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON HEARTLAND RV FORUMS AND HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINS SIMILAR TO OUR ABOUT THESE TIRES FAILING, SOME AS SOON AS 2,000 MILES. THE REPRESENTATIVE AT TBC TIRES SUGGESTED TO ME THAT THESE ARE NOT THE CORRECT TIRES FOR AN RV THE SIZE OF A HEARTLAND BIG COUNTRY. I DON'T KNOW, BUT I DO KNOW THAT WE WERE A HAIRS BREADTH FROM BEING SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED.. I HAVE ONE OF THE FAILED TIRES. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE IS A WHOLE CHAIN OF RESPONSIBILITY HERE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HEARTLAND GRAYSTONE RV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE NOTICED A WEAK AREA IN THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WHERE THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE FRAME WAS UNDER A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF STRESS AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 14,000.

ON HIGHWAY RETURNING FROM CAMPING TRIP ABOUT 400 MILES ONE WAY TRIP. TIRES OVERHEATED VERY BADLY-FELT SOFT-AND SMELLED LIKE RUBBER BURNING. CHECKING DIFFERENT SOURCES ON-LINE REVEALED THAT TOMAX TIRES ON HEARTLAND RVS ARE A KNOW PROBLEM. MY GOOD FRIEND HAS A 2012 THAT THREE OF THE FOUR TIRES CAME APART ON THE ROAD AND CAUSED MAJOR DAMAGE TO HIS RV. HE HAD TO BUY 4 NEW TIRES WHILE SITTING BESIDE I-95. I ASKED HEARTLAND TO CHECK MINE. THEY SENT ME TO TIRE KINGDOM (WHO SELLS THE TIRE) OF COURSE THEY SAID BECAUSE NOTHING HAD HAPPENED YET THEY COULD DO NOTHING. I AM VERY CONCERNED. IT HAS TO FAIL ON THE HIGHWAY AND PUT ME AND FAMILY IN SERIOUS DANGER BEFORE ANYTHING CAN BE DONE. AS I HAVE SAID THE FORUMS ON BOTH HEARTLAND AND OTHER RV SITES HAVE NUMEROUS EXAMPLES OF THIS TIRE FAILING IN A DRAMATIC FASHION. I AM SUBMITTING THIS TO GO ON RECORD THAT WHEN THESE TIRES GO IT WAS RECORDED AND A KNOWN ISSUE. I JUST GOT BACK FROM ANOTHER TRIP OF ABOUT 500 MILES AND THE TIRES AGAIN GOT VERY HOT. I WAS NOT EVEN CLOSE TO MY GROSS WEIGHT AND I NEVER WENT OVER 65 MPH. *TR

I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW FIFTH WHEEL IN 2012 TO AVOID ISSUES WITH USED EQUIPMENT, AROUND APRIL 2013 I NOTICED AN ISSUE WITH THE MOLDING IN THE FRONT OF THE TRAILER SEPARATING WHEN THE LOAD OF THE TRAILER WAS LOWERED ON THE PIN BOX WITH THE LANDING GEAR UP. AFTER TAKING PICTURES OF THIS AND FORWARDING THEM TO HEARTLAND THEY NOTIFIED ME THAT THE TRAILER WOULD NEED TO COME BACK TO INDIANA FROM THE WEST COAST FOR REPAIRS AT THE FACTORY.THEY INFORMED ME THAT LIPPERT THE MANUFACTURER OF THE FRAMES HAS HAD SEVERAL ISSUES WITH FRAMES BENDING AND BREAKING.THEY ASSURED ME THAT THE TRAILER WAS SAFE TO USE AND PULL CROSS COUNTRY UNTIL THEY COULD FIX IT FALL 2013.AFTER GOOGLING LIPPERT FRAME PROBLEMS I QUICKLY FOUND OUT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THESE ISSUES SOME MUCH WORSE.THEY OFFERED THE REPAIR AT NO COST BUT FUEL AND LODGING WILL BE AT LEAST $4-5K AT MY EXPENSE. *TR