Warranty Issues on my 2014 Heartland Cyclone 3110

We got a great deal on our Cyclone however perhaps it came at a price.  Perhaps the dealer knew about some of the issues associated with the trailer and neglected to mention them.  Our Cyclone is a 2014, manufactured in  2013 so it had been sitting on a lot for a while.  What follows is the list of our issues covered under warranty.  Some issues were caused by the dealer.  Most issues were covered under the warranty. Most issues were resolved in the end, but the Beast spent around two months in total at the dealer luckily in the off season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Items that were denied by Heartland:

1. Relocate Auto Leveling Control to a sensible location.  Factory installed location was approximately 3 1/2 feet inside the compartment.  Sorry, but this is not convenient?  This just didn't make any sense but it was easy to move!
2. Replace Tow Max Tires (AKA: Blow Max) with reliable tires. Too many horror stories.  I replaced them with Goodyear G614's.  Peace of mind!
   
   

Warrantied Issues Corrected by Dealer:

1. Leak in one of the water tanks.
2. Leak in one of the cross fill tank lines.
3. Water tanks when over filled were not draining properly.(See Video)
4. Brake Wires were resting on the Springs.  Dealer corrected one of them to satisfaction.
5. Replaced severely cracked rubber generator exhaust pipe support.
6. Shower Surround cracked.  Fiberglass was repaired.
7. Screws holding hose bracket pulled out.  Dealer replaced with bigger screws.
8. Wiring going to main slide-out burned.  Cut, re-routed to prevent grounding on Ram.
9. Replaced Fireplace due to fan wheel problem.  New one appears to have a cosmetic defect.
10. Blank Tank registering full when empty.
11. Dealer emptied Blank Tank because they left the tank in the open position after working on it.
12. Bathroom Sink had a stain.  Thought they would fix, but instead they replaced it.
13. Molding had pulled away from the wall at the base.
14. One of the Bedroom Drawers was not closing flush.
15. TV in main living area was mounted crooked.  Was leaning to the right.
16. Carpets and exterior were washed.

Dealer created issues:

1. Failed to properly close the Refrigerator outside vent cover which flew off shortly after taking delivery.
2. Left the valve on one of the grey tanks open after taking initial delivery.
3. Dealer left the Black Tank in the Open position after working on it, which unfortunately went unnoticed until it was too late.
4. Black tank drain pipe left unsecured after working on the water leak.
5. After dropping one of the water tanks that was cracked they supposedly buttoned up the other tank so we could use the rig while the new tank was being delivered. Something else was wrong and the tank was only holding a few gallons of water.  We ran out of water very quickly as a result.  No showers!
6. Chloroplast underbelly was only partially replaced and cracks were taped up.  Probably won't last.
7. Did not remove old caulking under the Sink when they replaced it.  They corrected the issue.
8. Pins were missing from the outside ladder which the dealer replaced.

Unresolved:

1. The back wall of the New Fireplace appears to be pulled away at the bottom making more light come through behind the fake wood and it doesn't look right.
2. One of the brake wires can still touch the Spring so i will need to address this.
3. The Level Up jacks make a popping sound all day and all night as weight shifts.  The slightest movement will cause random popping sound that will wake you at night.
1. Lippert recommended replacing some of the fluid with a couple quarts of Fork Oil which I have done but it didn't help.  Did it a second time with a quart of the more expensive stuff and it still pops.

Customer corrected issues:

1. Front door piston screws were loose on one end and the other end had been repaired, but with un-matching chrome screws instead of black headed screws.
2. Relocate Auto Leveling Control to a sensible location.
3. Removed three loose screws left behind by the repair men that were sitting on top of one of the Jack bases directly inline and in front of the tires. 
4. Replace Blow Max tires with Goodyear G614's. 

You may have noticed, I have not mentioned either of the two Dealers involved by name.  Many mistakes were made.  Some of them were shady and down right dumb however I am not ready to bash either one yet.  I am not ready to bash Heartland either as they took care of all of my issues so far but it will make me think twice about buying or recommending another heartland product.  Trouble is, the initial dealer could have prevented several of these issues ahead of time rather than passing them on to an unsuspecting buyer. They could have hired smarter service and delivery techs, but then they would have to charge more.

Had the selling dealer kept up on the issues they would have asked a higher price for the unit.  I probably would not have bought it had it been priced higher or if I knew about all the issues.  I would know what to look for next time but I don't plan on having a next time anytime soon.

I hope to post more positive posts in the future.  We will be testing the beast out soon on another trip to the beach so hopefully everything runs smoothly.   Soon I will be posting about some other items, problems and must haves that could have been addressed by Heartland at the factory.  I will be customizing the beast to allow for better dry camping, replacing the tires, and I need to leveling the rig to match my stock Dodge 4X4 height.  Eventually and after spending a lot more money the beast will suit our needs very nicely.  For those reading this prior to purchasing perhaps you will be more prepared before and after your purchase.  Happy Camping!

Pismo Beach 1st Timer Experience

So you want to go to Pismo Beach in your brand new 5th Wheel Toy Hauler eh?  All the stories are true.  Plan on getting stuck.  Maybe if you read this you won't get stuck but even if you do it's no big deal.... probably.  Don't panic or be afraid, just be prepared.  Like anything in life it's not so bad once you have done it once.  Just make sure you do it right and you will have a great time.  If you are reading this post prior to your 1st trip then you are heading in the right direction.

My cousin, an avid Pismo Beach goer told me about how he burned up his brakes, blew up his clutch and how dually's don't do so well in the sand.  Kinda puts the fear in you right?  Other friends told me I would have to air down.  I am towing around 15,000lbs of 5th wheel behind a Dodge Ram 3500 4X4 Dually with a Cummins HO 6 speed MT.  I took the advice, made some modifications to my Truck, bought a tow strap, brought a shovel and a tool for removing air from my tires and off to the beach we go.

I had hoped to avoid airing down as it's a pain to air back up so I head out on to the beach without airing down. It was low tide so the sand was hard packed near the surf so I had no trouble driving to mile marker 7 to meet up with some friends.  They already had a site picked out for me.  I end up passing them a bit and start up the hill to turn around and I didn't make it 20 feet before I was knee deep in the sand.  My wife panics and jumps out.  I am calm, cool secretly a little concerned as this is my 1st time.  I immediately begin to air down the front.  A friend works on the trailer tires.  He has these things that you screw on and it takes the tires down to 18lbs automatically.  My wife digs out behind the tires with our shovel in preparation for backing out of the hole.  In less that 5 minutes I am backing out no problem which is good cause if the tide came in my 5th wheel would become a houseboat.  :)

But I am not out of the woods yet.  I still have to turn up and around into loose sand and drive to the spot.  I make a run and turn up and surprisingly traction is solid and I am moving along just fine in the soft stuff.  Airing down really does make a world of difference.  I still can't quite make it up the hill into the spot that was picked out for me.  I would get most of the way and start to dig in.  I am able to back out though since it is down hill.  I make few runs and gun it, throw some sand and finally come to rest next to three other RV's.  We were all circled up like they did with wagons in the old westerns.  Now it's time for a beer.

Backing out when it was time to leave was no problem.  Granny geared it out no sweat.  Left at high tide in the soft stuff and still no trouble.  Drove to the garbage cans with a mile left to go and felt it was ok to air back up.  Friends followed me there with their air compressors and I was backup in no time.  It helps to go with a group of friends that have done it before.  Now that I have done it, it will be much more relaxing drive next time.  The pre-trip anxiety will be gone.  Since I am still a newbie at towing a 5th wheel I have enough anxiety as it is.  After making the trip without any major issues I feel 100% more confident now.

Here is a summary of what I did to prepare and what I would do next time.

1. Added a PacBrake brand Exhaust Brake.  It comes with a tank which I used to air up the front tires.  This offers peace of mind coming down the hill.  Awesome!
2. Next time I will bring a small compressor as the small PacBrake compressor will take too long.  There is a service that will air you up for $1 per tire as a backup plan.
3. Added Smarty Jr programmer and 5" exhaust system to add and additional 100hp.
4. I purchased a Tire Valve remover to speed up the air down process but if you loose the valve you are screwed unless you have some spares.
5. Before the next trip I will buy set of Tire Deflators.  I think 18lbs was too low for my trailer so I will look for something to take them down to 25 or so and experiment from there.  I will also try to only air down the Trailer instead of the truck as I have heard that works for some.
6. Before the next trip I will pick up a small 6 gallon or similar portable compressor.
7. I used a full tank of diesel so I had nothing left by the time I got on the beach and had to make a special trip in to town for diesel.  Next time I will be looking to fill up part way there.
8. I brought some 4X6's to put under the jacks for stability.
9. Some folks bring boards and tarps that wrap around the RV keep the wind and sand out.  It wasn't too windy on this trip so they weren't needed but I gather it could be nasty on a windy day.

Other optional tips and info off the top of my head.  Bring firewood.  Nothing like a nice fire and Smores.  I learned that double riding is not allowed and helmets, flags are required on all vehicles on the dunes.  There is a 15mph speed limit on the beach which is patrolled regularly by authorities.  It's only $10 bucks a night and reservations are recommended on popular weekends.

What have I done?

Those were the words that went through my mind as I drove off the lot with my 2014 Heartland Cyclone 3110 in tow.  Pulling out of the dealer I shift from first to second gear for the 1st time with 14,000lbs in tow I am realizing that my truck has met its match.  I had a bit of sellers remorse after selling my 11 year old Camper the night before.  I am starving from the 3 hour PDI, I have a beast in tow and I am stressing about where I can pull over to eat.  My mind races to justify my purchase but there is no turning back now.

Summary:
My truck has met it's match.  Need to add power.
Jacks and Spare Tire Hang too for comfort in the back
Need a backup camera and a co-pilot
Once I am on the freeway towing is comfortable
The Refrigerator vent cover came off during transport
Finding parking is a problem, but I feel experience will help reduce stress

I am used to a Lance Truck Camper.  It was the biggest one they made at the time and I could go anywhere with it.  The ass end of the Cyclone sits too low for comfort so I know I can't go into just any parking lot.  Starving, I look for a truck stop on my way home.  I finally find one ahead and I pull over and attempt to find parking.  I drive around and find an entrance where all the truckers pull in.  I take a right down an alley that appears to be a potential parking spot and ooops.  There is no way I am going to make it back on the road due to the deep dip where the side walk meets the pavement.  So I have to back out without a backup camera or a co-pilot to guide me.  Not fun.


I am back on the road for a bit and thinking about whether or not to stop off for some diesel or not.  I need practice to get over the fear of towing the beast so I decide to pull over to top off the Diesel and fill up the tanks on the Cyclone.  The distance behind the wheels on the Cyclone Toy Hauler and the ass end is seemingly endless.  I worry I will take someone or something out as I make a turn.  This is going to take some getting used to.  You can't drive around and look for cheap gas.  You pick the first station that can accommodate you and the beast.  Found one, filled up the tanks(Over $200 Bucks) and successfully navigated back to the highway without any damage.  Woot!

I decide I need supplies and figure it is now or make a special trip later, so I keep an eye out for a Wal-Mart.  Some folks boon-dock including us on occasion at Wal-Mart so I thought it would be a good option for finding parking and the supplies I needed.  NOT this one!  All the lanes were bordered with huge trees that hung low and narrow entrances that I can't fit through.  It is almost as if it was done on purpose to keep the RV's out of the parking lot.  I manage to find a spot but my rear end is sticking out.  I wait for a Bus to pull out and I reverse into a spot with help from a fellow driver who sensed my need for assistance.  With supplies purchased I am on the road again.


I finally make it home without a scratch.  I had to place wooden blocks near the curb so I could make it up onto the drive way.  I back into a spot that was earmarked for a potential beast long before the thought came to mind to buy one.  Unhitching the beast was a breeze compared to removing the Lance camper.  Just lower the front jacks, unplug, open the jaws of the hitch and pull away.  Push a button and the 6 point leveling system did it's job and I am done....for now. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.


During the trip home at my 1st stop I parked and did a walk-around and find that the Refrigerator cover is missing.  Damn.  During the PDI the guy opened it but I guess he didn't close it properly.  I immediately call ed the Salesperson and he tells me he would send me a replacement.  He did it, sent the wrong size, then sent me a second one and it fit but it doesn't have the decals.  I am a little bummed about that.

I feel like I need a place to vent, share, warn and remember this adventure.  For now all I have done is put the fear of god in anyone thinking about moving up to a 5th wheel.  I hope to reach a point of comfort as I gain experience and as we customize the beast so that it feels like home.  I like to boon-dock and the beast is not ready yet.  There is much to do and all I really want to do is hit the road.  I am stuck behind this computer for now sitting in my comfortable arm chair but that will change soon I am sure.