HEARTLAND Complaints

THIS ISSUE IS RELATED TO THE NORTH COUNTRY 30 BHS BY HEARTHLAND TRAVEL TRAILER. THE 30 AMP POWER CORD COMES OUT OF THE COACH RIGHT ABOVE THE FURNACE FLUE WHICH GETS VERY HOT. WHILE CAMPING WE HAD IT PLUGGED IN AND THE FURNACE RUNNING. THE FLUE MELTED THE POWER CORD ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE WIRES IN A VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. JUST BY CHANCE WE WENT OUTSIDE TO CHECK SOMETHING AND NOTICED THE PROBLEM. CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO INDICATED THAT 4 OR 5 TRAVEL TRAILERS LEFT THE FACTORY THIS WAY AND THAT IT WASN'T RIGHT. WE UNPLUGGED THE UNIT AND DID A TEMPORARY FIX ON THE CORD. WE ARE CURRENTLY ATTEMPTING TO WORK WITH HEARTLAND ON A SOLUTION, BUT SO FAR AM NOT SATISFIED WITH THE FIXES BEING RECOMMENDED. *TR

I HAVE AN 2008 HEARTLAND CYCLONE MODEL 4012 (41 FT LONG) 5TH WHEEL TOYHAULER RV TRAILER. IT CAME WITH 3 AXLES WITH 15" LOAD RANGE "D" TIRES ON IT. EVERYTIME I USE THE TRAILER I HAVE A BLOWOUT SCATTERING TIRE CARCASS AND TRAILER DEBRIS ALL OVER THE ROAD BEHIND ME. IT HAS COST ME TIME AND MONEY EACH TIME AND I AM AFRAID IS EVENTUALLY GOING TO LEAD TO A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT DUE TO LOSS OF CONTROL. AFTER CONTACTING [XXX] (SERVICE DEPT. AT HEARTLAND) CONCERNING IF A RECALL FOR HEAVIER TIRES AND AXLES HAD BEEN MADE, HE SAID A NEW "STICKER" HAD BEEN ISSUED TO ORIGINAL OWNERS DROPPING THE AXEL RATINGS DOWN. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT BY DOING THIS THEY RECOGNIZE THEY HAVE A PROBLEM BUT INSTEAD OF RECALLING THEIR VEHICLES AND RE-FITTING THEM WITH AXLES AND TIRES APPROPRIATE TO CARRY THE WEIGHT THESE UNITS ARE DESIGNED TO THEY SEND OUT A .25 CENT STICKER AND REDUCE THE WEIGHT CARRYING CAPACITY OF THE UNIT. OVER HALF OF MY BLOW OUTS HAVE BEEN WITH NO CARGO WHAT SO EVER IN THE TOY HAULER AREA. [XXX] ALSO WANTED TO KNOW HOW MUCH WATER I WAS CARRYING ON MY LAST BLOW OUT, IT DOESN'T MATTER, HECK IF YOU CAN'T PUT WATER IN YOUR FRESH WATER HOLDING TANKS THEN WHY PUT THEM ON THE CAMPERS? HE WANTS ME TO TAKE MY TRAILER AND HAVE IT WEIGHED NOW THE WAY IT WAS LOADED DURING MY LAST BLOW OUT, HECK I AM AFRAID I WILL HAVE A BLOW OUT ON THE WAY. I KEEP NEW TIRES ON THIS THING ALSO AND ALSO HAVE UPGRADED TO LOAD RAGE "E" TIRES WHICH HAVEN'T HELPED. THE NEWER MODELS ARE COMING WITH 8 LUG AXLES AND HEAVIER TIRES, HEARTLAND KNOWS THEY HAVE A PROBLEM BUT SOMEONE NEEDS TO FORCE THEM TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM THEY HAVE NOT PUT A .25 STICKER ON THE FRAME AND SAY, ITS FIXED!!! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*TR

SECOND REPORT: FIRST TIRE WAS REPORTED THIS DATE AS AN OUT-OF-ROUND CONDITION. THIS REPORT IS FOR THE SECOND TIRE WHICH IS A CORD SEPARATION REPORT AGAIN ON THE SAME VEHICLE 2005 GLENDALE TITANIUM MODEL 29E34TS ALL DETAILS ARE THE SAME IN REGARDS TO PURCHASE DATE AND OPERATIONAL DETAILS TO THE PREVIOUS REPORT OF FAILURE.\ SEE ODI # 10397321 FOR REFERENCE. *TR

GOODYEAR MARATHON 235/80/R16. PURCHASED 4 NEW TIRES IN MAY 2009. DURING ROUTINE INSPECTION APRIL 2011 FOUND TWO TIRES DEFECTIVE. ONE WAS DETERMINED BY ORIGINAL DEALER TO BE OUT-OF-ROUND, SECOND WAS DETERMINED TO HAVE CORD SEPARATION. BOTH ARE BEING REPLACED BY DEALER. BOTH TIRES HAD LESS THAN 11,000 MILES. PRESSURES WERE ALWAYS MAINTAINED AT 75 PSI. TRAILER WEIGHTS WERE VERIFIED AT BELOW RATED WEIGHT. SPEED NEVER EXCEEDED 60 MPH. DUE TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF SIMILAR EVENTS REPORTED TO NHTSA AS WELL AS ONLINE REPORTS ON VARIOUS WEB SITES, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME ACTION BY THE GOVERNMENT TO INSURE THE PUBLIC SAFETY. VEHICLE IS A 2005 GLENDALE TITANIUM MODEL 29E34TS. THIS IS INCLUDED AS IT IS NOT AN AVAILABLE OPTION IN THE LATER DESCRIPTION FIELDS. *TR

I OWN A 2006 HEARTLAND BIGHORN 5TH WHEEL 3400RL WITH TANDEM AXLES. (TWO AXLES, 4 TIRES) VIN: [XXX] IT HAS AN ESTIMATED 20,000 MILES ON IT. UPDATED 04/25/11 *BF THE UNIT JUST TURNED 5 YEARS OLD. I AM THE SECOND OWNER. BOUGHT USED IN 2008, PULLED LESS THAN 10,000 MILES. UPON ARRIVING HOME LAST TRIP, (400 MILES ROUND TRIP), I FOUND MY LEAF SPRING SHACKLE LINKS, WHICH HOLD THE LEAF SPRING AND IN TURN HOLD THE AXLE IN PLACE HAD RIPPED LOOSE ON BOTH SIDES OF MY SUSPENSION. IN ESSENCE, THE ONLY THING HOLDING THE AXLE IN PLACE WAS THE REAR LEAF SPRING BOLTS. THE FRONT PART OF THE LEAF SPRING WHICH WAS NOW LOOSE JUST SO HAPPENED TO REST AGAINST THE TRAILER FRAME PREVENTING A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE, (WRECK!) I CALLED THE RV MANUFACTURER, (HEARTLAND RV), AND THE SUSPENSION MANUFACTURER, (AL-KO KOBER), AND DISCUSSED THIS WITH BOTH. THEY PUT ME OFF BY STATING THEY ONLY GIVE A 1 YEAR WARRANTY ON THE UNIT. I HAVE DRIVEN AUTOMOBILES WITH LEAF SPRINGS FOR 200,000 MILES ACROSS EVERY KIND OF ROAD WITH NO REAR LEAF SPRING SUSPENSION INCIDENT. AM I TO EXPECT AXLE, LEAF SPRING FRACTURES EVERY 4-5 YEARS? THE LEAF SPRING BUSHINGS ARE DAMAGED OR ENTIRELY GONE. THE BOLTS ARE WORN BAD AS WELL. I WOULD THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO LAST MUCH LONGER THAN 5 YEARS AND CERTAINLY MORE THAN THE ESTIMATED 20,000 MILES. COMMON SENSE STATES THAT THE AXLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN RATED AT LEAST 7, 000 LB RATING. YOU CAN SEE THE DANGER OF PULLING THIS DOWN THE ROAD AND HAVING AN AXLE FALL OUT. THERE IS NO REASON FOR THIS TO EVER HAPPEN! I CAN SEND PICTURES! JUST BECAUSE THERE WERE NO INJURIES, DOESN'T MEAN THIS SHOULD NOT BE ADDRESSED!! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*TR UPDATED 11/15/11 UPDATED 1/18/2012 *LN

I HAVE A YEAR AND A HALF OLD 5TH WHEEL WITH MISSION ST235/80R16 TIRES THAT HAS SIX TIRES ON IT. I HAD TWO SEPARATE BLOWOUTS IN ONE TRIP YESTERDAY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2011 HEARTLAND NORTH TRAIL. WHILE INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED A METAL LINK WHICH CONNECTED THE FRONT AND REAR AXLES, WAS PIERCING THROUGH SOME OF THE PIPING TO THE PROPANE TANK. THE CONTACT MADE REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE PIPING TO THE PROPANE TANK WAS REDIRECTED SO THAT IT WAS NO LONGER IN CONTACT WITH THE METAL LINKAGE OF THE AXLES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HEARTLAND CYCLONE. THE VEHICLE WAS LOADED TO THE PROPER LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE CONTACT HEARD A DRAGGING NOISE. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND NOTICED THAT THE SPARE TIRE WAS DRAGGING ON THE GROUND UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS IT WAS INTENDED TO. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS LOADED TO CAPACITY. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 15,000.

I OWN A 2006 HEARTLAND BIGHORN 3055RL 5TH WHEEL. WHEN THE UNIT IS CONNECTED TO MY TOW VEHICLE, POPPING NOISES CAN BE HEARD AND THE PIN BOX MOVES UP INDICATING A FRAME DEFECT. WHEN DISCONNECTED, THE PIN BOX MOVES BACK DOWN. THIS HAS NOT YET CAUSED ANY DAMAGE PROPERTY DAMAGE OR INJURY, HOWEVER I FEAR IT MIGHT IN THE FUTURE. *TR

LEAVING WYOMING TRAVELING EAST. FOUND LEFT FRONT TIRE FLAT. CHECKED ALL AIR TWO DAYS EARLIER. TIRES WERE IN EXCELLENT SHAPE WHEN CHECKED. LOOKING AT FLAT ALL TREAD LOOKED NEW EXCEPT WHERE TREAD AND SIDEWALL MET. TREAD HAD WORN OFF CAUSING A FLAT. THIS TIRE LOOKED LIKE NEW TWO DAYS EARLIER. TWO WEEKS BEFORE I LEFT ON THIS TRIP I HAD TO REPLACE THE TIRE ON RIGHT FRONT BECAUSE OF BULGE AT THE SAME LOCATION ON THE TIRE. TREAD DEPTH ON BOTH TIRES WAS WITHIN 2/32S OF NEW. PUT ON SPARE AND HEADED HOME. WITHIN ONE THOUSAND MILES RIGHT CENTER TIRE DELAMINATED AND BLEW TEARING UP THE WHEELWELL OF RV. ALL THREE TIRES WERE AT THE PROPER INFLATION CHECKED COLD. *TR