HEARTLAND Complaints

2 REAR LEAF SHACKLES BROKE WITHIN ONE YEAR OF PURCHASING RV. THE WORKMANSHIP IS POOR ON ALL SHACKLES AND ARE BREAKING AT THE WELDS. THE FIRST ONE BROKE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE IN AUGUST OF 2018 AND THE SECOND BROKE MAY 17TH 2019.

2014 ELKRIDGE 36' CAMPER BY HEARTLAND PURCHASED 2013, NEW. WE ARE ON OUR 3RD. SET OF TIRES. FIRST SET HAD BALOONING ON SIDEWALLS, (2 SEPERATE TIRES, ENTIRE SET REPLACED BY COMPANY.) 2ND SET HAD 2 BLOWOUTS DAMAGING CAMPER BOTH TIMES. WHO IS PROTECTING CONSUMER. NO ONE WANTS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, NOT HEARTLAND AND NOT THE TIRE COMPANY. TIRES UNSAFE. *DT CARFAX CANNOT PROCESS THIS REQUEST (VIN) UPDATED)1/30/18*JB

****NOTE - NEED INFO ON TIRES**** I PURCHASED A NEW 2018 HEARTLAND BIGHORN TRAVELER 39MB FIFTH WHEEL RV ON 10/11/2017. ON 09/17/2018, I DISCOVERED A FLAT TIRE ON THIS RV, WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE AN ISSUE OF TREAD SEPARATION RATHER THAN A PUNCTURE. ON 09/20/2018, WHILE STILL UNDER THE ONE YEAR WARRANTY PERIOD, I REPLACED ALL FIVE TIRES (INCLUDING SPARE), WITH LOAD RANGE "G" TIRES. AT THE TIME OF MANUFACTURE, HEARTLAND INSTALLED TRAIL KING ST235/85/16 LOAD RANGE "E" TIRES ON THIS RV. THE MAXIMUM LOAD RATING FOR THESE TIRES IS 3640 LBS TIMES FOUR TIRES IS A TOTAL WEIGHT RATING CAPACITY OF 14,560 LBS. THE GVWR OF THIS RV IS 15,500 LBS. THE TIRES THAT HEARTLAND INSTALLED ARE 940 LBS. BELOW THE GVWR OF THIS RV, THEREFORE CAUSING EXCESSIVE HEAT AND TREAD SEPARATION. UPON CONTACTING HEARTLAND ABOUT THIS MATTER, I WAS INFORMED VIA EMAIL THAT, "THOSE ARE THE CORRECT TIRES BEING USED DURING THE PRODUCTION PERIOD WHEN YOUR UNIT WAS BUILT. THE REASON THOSE TIRES ARE ADEQUATE IS BECAUSE THE ENTIRETY OF THE WEIGHT OF THE UNIT IS NEVER ON JUST THE TIRES. IT IS SPREAD OVER THE TOTAL LENGTH OF NEARLY 42' OF UNIT." HEARTLAND REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT MY SITUATION AND IS NOW INSTALLING LOAD RANGE "G" TIRES ON THE 2019 MODELS (WHICH CARRY THE SAME SPECIFICATIONS AS MY 2018). HEARTLAND FURTHER STATED THAT THIS IS BECAUSE HEARTLAND WENT "ABOVE AND BEYOND THEIR RESPONSIBILITY", NOT BECAUSE THERE WAS A PROBLEM. IT IS MY OPINION THAT HEARTLAND INSTALLED UNDER RATED TIRES ON THIS RV, WHICH CAUSED A SUBSTANTIAL RISK OF FAILURE OR BLOW OUT, WHICH IN TURN, CREATED A SUBSTANTIAL RISK OF ACCIDENT AND PERSONAL INJURY ON OUR HIGHWAYS. ## VIN PASSED ## HEARTLAND BIGHORN TRAVELER 2018 ##

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 DODGE RAM 3500 TOWING A 2016 HEARTLAND CYCLONE 4100 FIFTH WHEEL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT WHEELS OF THE TRAILER WERE CRACKED. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT TO SERVICE THE WHEELS. THE CONTACT WAS REFERRED TO THE DISTRIBUTOR. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. *DT *JB *DT CARFAX CANNOT PROCESS VIN.*JB

WEVERYTHING WERE RETURNING FROM PENNSYLVANIA DRIVING ON FEDERAL HIGHWAYS THE DRAMA ON THE UPPER DECK CRACKED AND THE TRAILER STARTED COMING APART AT THE LIPPERT BUILT FRAME. THE FIFTH WHEEL RV HAS CRACKS ON THE OUTER WALLS AND THE METAL FRAME HAS AT LEAST 1 MAJOR CRACK. TRAILER NEEDS TO BE TAKEN APART TO FIND OUT IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER CRACKS IN THE METAL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 HEARTLAND LANDMARK 365 RV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AXLE SHACKLE PIN THAT HELD THE SPRING IN PLACE FRACTURED. THE RV WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THEY WOULD PAY A DEALER AN HOUR AND A HALF WORTH OF LABOR TO REPAIR THE RV. THE DEALER SENT THE PARTS, BUT THE RV WAS REPAIRED BY OWNER. REPAIR SHOP DID NOT HAVE TIME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 4,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *TT VIN NUMBER INVALID UPDATED 10/16/18*JB

OUR 5TH WHEEL FRAME BEGAN FALLING APART IN MAINE AND HEARTLAND TOLD US TO BRING THE UNIT TO THEM IN INDIANA. IT IS NO LONGER SAFE TO TOW THIS UNIT. I AM A TRAVEL BLOGGER AND WROTE A POST ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE WHICH YOU CAN SEE HERE: [XXX] SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME AFTER LOOKING AT THIS THAT I SHOULD REPORT IT TO YOU. *TT INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TT

TRAVEL TRAILER HAS A SPECIFICATION STICKER THAT SPECIFIES LOAD RANGE D TIRES AND AN INSUFFICIENT, LOWER LOAD RANGE C TIRE WAS INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE FROM THE FACTORY. TIRE LABEL ON VEHICLE ALSO STATES TO INFLATE TIRES TO 65PSI AND A LOAD RANGE C TIRE CAN BE INFLATED TO 50PSI MAXIMUM. NO ACCIDENT OR DAMAGE HAS BEEN NOTED AT THIS TIME, HOWEVER TIRES NEED TO BE REPLACED WITH TIRES THAT WILL HOLD THE SPECIFIED GVWR OF THE TRAVEL TRAILER. 2 PHOTOS INCLUDED SHOW THE VEHICLE TIRE LABEL WITH VIN AND TIRE LOAD SPECIFICATIONS, SECOND PHOTO IS OF THE TIRE INSTALLED BY THE MANUFACTURER. TRAVEL TRAILER PURCHASED NEW ON 7/5/2018 FROM FUN TOWN RV IN CLEBURNE TEXAS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 (NA) HEARTLAND BIG COUNTRY 3650RL EQUIPPED WITH DYNAMIC SAILUN TIRES, SIZE: 235/85/R16. AFTER DRIVING 70 MPH AND STOPPING AT A REST AREA, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES WERE DETERIORATED. THE RECREATIONAL VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPLACEMENT OF THE TIRES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE AND TIRES WERE NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE TIRE AND VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000.

MANUFACTURER INCORRECTLY PLACED STICKER SHOWING WHERE TO DRILL A 4 INCH HOLE IN SIDE OF VEHICLE FOR A DRYER VENT. CUTTING HOLE WHERE SHOWN ACTUALLY CUTS THROUGH AN ALUMINUM FRAME MEMBER AS SHOWN IN ATTACHED PICS DEGRADING THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE VEHICLE FRAME/BODY. *TT