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Thank You,
Heartland Recreational Vehicles, LLC
Six for the Road
Interview with Al Roker
Today Show
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
As seen in an interview on the Today Show. The Loud family sells their home to travel the US with their four children in a journey of a lifetime. Their Cyclone fifth wheel serves as the backdrop for the interview Parked in Rockefeller Plaza Down Town Manhattan, a true testament to Heartland's patented 88 degree turning radius front cap design. See the Today Show interview, click play below.
Heartland Still Growing in Contracting Market
By Dave Barbulesco
RV Business
Monday, September 15, 2008
Closing in on its fifth year of operation, Heartland RV LLC has shed its “newcomer” label while also moving beyond its niche in the high-end fifth-wheel market into the highly competitive mainstream trailer sector.
“I think that despite the fact that as of last May we had just 48 months of production, dealers perceive us as being much more than a start-up company,” said Brian Brady, chairman of the Elkhart, Ind.-based builder. “We put that stage behind us and most dealers see Heartland as a robust and well-balanced manufacturer.”
Heartland continued to expand its product offerings last spring with the launch of the aluminum-framed, laminated North Country travel trailer line. The brand complements the stick-and-tin North Trail travel trailer that debuted last year along with a fifth-wheel lineup that sports six lines, including two toy haulers.
Brady said other trailer launches are planned, designed to quickly increase market share – much in the same manner as Heartland's track record in the fifth-wheel sector.
“I would hope that we can follow up on the travel trailer side with the same type of success we have experienced with our fifth-wheels,” Brady said.
Through June, Heartland ranked No. 3 in terms of market share among fifth-wheel builders highlighted by a 56% increase in unit volume from a year ago. And, as Brady noted, that has been accomplished in a down market.
“In a very competitive industry, which is now under distress, there is a rush to partner with OEM’s that are doing it right,” he said. “We feel we are doing things right.”
The company has rolled out several initiatives to cement relationships with its dealer body, most recently the launch of “FAST-TRACK,” a new web-based warranty, parts and service system. Brady said that the program offered another way for dealers to improve their bottom lines during challenging times.
“When any enterprise loses revenue volume, you look for alternative ways to make money,” he said. “Helping our dealers interface more accurately translates into savings.
“We talk to dealers as investors, understanding they have a variety of alternatives. We show them where they are going to get the biggest gain from their investment. Dealers understand that.”
Heartland Ramps up Plant for New Trailer Line
By Bob Ashley
RV Business
Monday, May 5, 2008
Heartland's new North Country travel trailer
Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC announced today (May 5) the opening of a new 80,000-square-foot manufacturing facility at its Elkhart, Ind., headquarters for production of the new North Country entry-level and “extended-stay” line of travel trailers.
Heartland said it expects to add more than 80 new employees to staff the new plant, which will open today.
Heartland named Brad Whitehead, with more than 20 years experience in the industry, as division manager of the new North Country line.
The wood-and-aluminum North Trail brand represents Heartland’s first entry into the higher-volume travel trailer sector. Initially, Heartland will produce seven floorplans, ranging in size from 22 to 38 feet, and eventually expand to 14 models.
Features include an aerodynamic radius front profile for improved mileage and towing, seven-foot interior ceilings, finished and lighted baggage compartments and a colored radius skirt.
Heartland RV Reports It's Business as Usual
By Joe Bohn
RV Business
Thursday, February 7, 2008
In the media frenzy that has beset the recreational vehicle industry amid the current soft market, positive business-as-usual stories about companies doing a good job and growing their annual revenues and market share often tend to get lost in the shuffle.
One case in point: Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC, Elkhart, Ind., the management of which continues to be both optimistic and aggressive, even while acknowledging the unique challenges that lay ahead.
After doubling its sales in each of the past three years, Heartland is still on track for another 50%-plus increase in 2008, according to CEO Brian Brady. “We beat our 2008 forecasts in January and February and just increased production rates for our (full profile fifth-wheel) Big Horn, Big Country and Landmark units for the second time this year.
“Our plants are now producing to forecast; we have a very comfortable order backlog and, at this point, we’re feeling pretty good,” added Brady, the former Damon executive who anticipates producing about 12,000 units this year.
A relative newcomer – the company was founded in December 2003 – Heartland has been on a fast track, climbing to fourth place in the fifth-wheel segment through November 2007, according to registration data.
While Heartland’s full profile fifth-wheels compete in the higher priced $40,000-$75,000 segment of the market, the recent launch of a line of North Trail lightweight travel trailers “is off to a terrific start,” Brady says. Down the road, plans call for Heartland to step into the entry-level trailer segment while staying out of the higher-end market.
“We’ve had a steady progression of new product releases, and we’re getting reasonably close to competing in all (trailer) segments,” says Brady.
Brady attributes Heartland’s success to paying attention to the basics, “intensely focusing on dealers” and creating “high quality RVs with compelling features and value for retail customers.”
“We work closely with our dealers to put them in a position where they can get an excellent return on their investment,” he explained. “We do that with all the obvious things, like giving them high quality products and then giving them (dealers) a lot of latitude.”
Brady, whose company signed a lot of new dealers at November’s Louisville Show, claims there’s a silver lining to the dark clouds overshadowing the U.S. economy and the RV marketplace right now in that “dealers are doing all the right things, paying close attention to inventory and carrying costs and being very discreet.”
“It tends to wring out some of the excesses we’ve seen the last couple of years,” he adds. “Dealers and manufacturers are doing things to ensure continuing profitability and ensure that we’re well positioned when the market turns.”
From the South Bend Tribune
Investor group banks on HeartlandBy Ed Ronco Tribune Staff Writer Wednesday,February 14, 2007 Edition: MICH, Section: business, Page C8
ELKHART -- They've got money in building teddy bears, striped chewing gum, and a chain that serves some incredibly good lettuce wraps. Now, investors from Connecticut are pouring money into Elkhart-based Heartland RV, in a deal Heartland's president and chief executive called "an extremely attractive marriage." The actual size of the investment isn't being disclosed, but it comes from Catterton Partners, a Connecticut-based firm that focuses on consumer businesses. The firm's other investments are in companies such as Breyers Yogurt Co., Build-A-Bear Workshop, Kettle Foods and the P.F. Chang's China Bistro restaurant chain. This is Catterton's first venture into the RV industry. "Heartland is a leader in towables, the most attractive segment of the RV industry," Catterton managing partner Scott Dahnke said in a statement. "The company's growth has been driven by a loyal group of satisfied consumers and dealers." When he says growth, he's talking about Heartland's $9 million in revenue back in 2004, $57 million in 2005, $110 million in 2006 and a projected haul of $200 million in 2007. Heartland now has more than 400 employees and six brands of fifth-wheel travel trailers and toy haulers. So why look for new money? To sustain the growth, said Brian Brady, president and chief executive of privately held Heartland. But don't think Catterton's investment is going to mean a sudden explosion of growth from Heartland. "This isn't going to be an overnight metamorphosis," Brady said. "With the investment from Catterton, we at Heartland expect to get even better, not just bigger." But Catterton's sole focus on investing in consumer-oriented businesses could mean good things for Heartland, Brady said. "They understand today's consumer."
Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC's new mid-priced Razor travel trailer and fifth-wheel towable sport utility RV (SURV) is designed to go where larger towables can't. Introduced at the Louisville Show with 22- to 33-foot floorplans, Razor fifth-wheels feature a drop frame that increases the size of the front pass-through storage compartment. “The length is something they can take into a national park or a smaller campground where larger toy haulers can't go,” said Scott Tuttle, vice president of marketing. Garages on the aluminum-and-fiberglass Razor (MSRP: $37,300) range from 10- to 14-feet deep. Also at the show, Heartland introduced the Big Country fifth-wheel (MSRP: $39,000) and Sundance (MSRP: $24,900) laminated fiberglass travel trailer.
The LUV SHAK is becoming a landmark on wheels
(Dec. 22, 2006) -- Kathleen and Vance Hamilton of Crowley, La., commissioned artist Robert Baxter to transform their Landmark fifth wheel into one of the most eye-catching vehicles to ever hit the road.
Heartland Recreation Vehicles
Kathleen and Vance Hamilton commissioned the handpainted artwork which makes their Heartland fifth wheel a rolling landmark.
ELKHART -- There’s a unique RV traveling the roads of North America these days, and everywhere it goes, it causes heads to turn, mouths to drop open, people scrambling for their cameras, and most of all - smiles.
What is it about this fifth wheel trailer that is causing so much commotion? It’s the incredibly unique murals that cover every square inch of the coach. The fifth wheel is a Landmark model built by Heartland Recreational Vehicles, Elkhart, Ind., but the “LUV SHAK” is quickly becoming its own “Landmark.”
Kathleen and Vance Hamilton of Crowley, La., commissioned artist Robert Baxter to transform their Landmark fifth wheel into one of the most eye-catching vehicles to ever hit the road. Baxter’s work shines in the hand-painted flowers, dragonflies, stunning sunsets, lush flower gardens and even a scene reminiscent of the rice and crawfish fields near in their hometown.
headline What on earth were the Hamiltons thinking when they had large colorful murals full of tree frogs, a lizard and even a castle wall painted on their home? “We just love RVing and we’ve never been ones to stick with the status quo,” states Kathleen. Retired from over 30 years of teaching at Crowley Middle School, Acadia Parish, Louisiana, Kathleen had dreamed of retiring to the RV lifestyle since she was in college. “It all started when a friend asked me to travel to Gatlinburg, Tenn., with her family in a pop-up camper. I enjoyed the trip immensely and was hooked for life,” shares Kathleen. “Even marriage and kids couldn’t slow me down. I remember once I packed up four young children, a dog, and a tent. We traveled to all 64 parishes in Louisiana!” she reports. “My husband, Vance, and I discussed going full time for some years. But, we wondered if we could live together in a small space for an extended period, and live to tell about it. We decided we needed to find out before we took the plunge. So the summer before last, we bought a pop-up camper and headed out to Montreal to visit one of our daughters. We were gone for 45 days…… and we survived!
Bob Ashley
RV Business
Friday, September 30, 2005
Elkhart Fiver Maker Heartland Heats Up With Growth, New Lines Two-Year-Old Company Eyes Controlled Growth as it Adds Entry-Level and SURV Towables, More Workers Bob Ashley RV Business Friday, September 30, 2005 For a startup company that introduced itself – without product – at the 2003 Louisville Show, fifth-wheel manufacturer Heartland Recreational Vehicle LLC, Elkhart, Ind., has come a long way in a short period of time. With two fifth-wheel brands in production – the high-end Landmark and mid-priced Bighorn – Heartland intends to flesh out its lineup for the 2006 model year with the entry-level Sundance fiver and Cyclone sport utility fifth-wheel (SURV). "We are focusing on what customers want and controlling our growth," said Tim Hoffman, vice president of sales, one of a quintet of RV veterans who founded Heartland in 2003. "Our philosophy is lower numbers mean a better market and better dealers. That's one of the reasons all of us left the companies that we worked for. We wanted more control over growth, and we wanted to do it right." With the addition of Sundance and Cyclone, Heartland plans to step up its work force by 50% to 300 employees and add nearly 66,000 square feet of production capacity after acquiring two buildings in Elkhart that formerly housed Potomac RV LLC. The fact that the Landmark, aimed at extended-stay RVers who spend a lot of time in their coaches at one location, was Heartland’s first product was not a coincidence. "We purposely picked the hardest unit to build," Hoffman said. "We wanted to show that we could do it right. Our success with the Landmark allowed us to do the Bighorn." With the debut of the Bighorn at the 2004 Louisville Show, Heartland doubled its dealer base, which now totals 130, and expects to add more with the introduction of the two new coaches. Production, however, will continue to be controlled, company executives say. "We are not a high volume company," Hoffman said. "We don’t want to be. We want to create demand from our dealers and for our dealers, and keep innovations going." Among Heartland's notable technological accomplishments is a front cap designed to accommodate a 30% tighter turning radius for extended-cab or short-bed pickup trucks. "From a marketing perspective, the short-bed turning radius has been huge for us," said Scott Tuttle, vice president of marketing and dealer services. "We modified the frame in the upper deck and redesigned the front cap. It doesn't impede the usability of the coach inside whatsoever." A universal docking center also centralizes water, waste tank, electrical, TV, telephone and high-speed computer controls and access points. John Rhymer, vice president of engineering, said the new Cyclone SURV will emphasize high-tech design and material. The fiver features a carbon fiber control panel, and incorporates a "carbon-fiber" look in the trailer’s graphics. "The Cyclone will appeal to the sports enthusiasts – the gear-head guys who are going to know exactly what they are looking at when they see it," Rhymer said. "It's going to look like it's going 200 mph while it’s standing still." The Cyclone also will feature a frame mounted on a heavy-duty 12-inch I-beam for added strength. "Consumers are not engineers," Rhymer said. "They want to go out and have fun. We want to guard them against themselves. People have a tendency to load things however it fits them, not how they should be loaded." To date, Heartland has done no widespread magazine advertising, relying instead on word-of-mouth in campgrounds and favorable reviews of the Landmark and Bighorn in RV club publications – including the Gypsy Journal newsletter and the bi-monthly Escapees magazine. "Getting the attention of the full-timers was one of the fortunate things that happened to us early," Tuttle said. "Full-timers can help dominate a segment of the high-end market. The Escapees had more than a thousand people at a national rally in Goshen last year, and we did very well. Once you get into that tight-knit group of full-timers, they spread the word." With Heartland having grown as quickly as it has with the recent introduction of the Sundance and Cyclone, it soon will be time for Heartland to take a virtual deep breath. "We will be covering each segment of the fifth-wheel market, and we may add floorplans," Hoffman said. "But for the most part, we are going to be pretty content with what we have for a while so that we can make sure we are the best that we can be. "Sometimes you lose sight of what you have started. We want to make sure that we hold our position in the marketplace." Photo Shawn Spence FROM THE HEART: Heartland Execs, from left, Scott Tuttle, vice president, marketing; Tim Hoffman, vice apresident, sales; Jack Culbertson, vice president, engineering; John Rhymer, vice president, operations; and Brian Brady, chairman.
Heartland Bighorn 3200RL
By Garth W. Cane
RV Lifestyle
Heartland Bighorn 3200RL (34-4) By Garth W. Cane Luxury fifth wheels have grown increasingly popular in recent years, particularly among serious RVers who will spend a significant amount of time on the road. One of the latest models is the Bighorn 3200RL, by the newly-formed Heartland RV company, headquartered in Elkhart, Indiana. Heartland Bighorn 3200RLThat this is an RV for people who will be on the road for a longer than just weekends is evident by the attention to residential-type features, such as the walk-in wardrobe in the front bedroom. Behind its mirrored sliding glass doors you’ll find other niceties including a shoe storage cabinet and a large shelf for hats, blankets and such. To the right is an area prepared for the installation of a washer/dryer combination, while to the left sits a set of drawers. This bedroom has a king bed in a slide-out that lifts up to reveal ample storage and a Brinks safe. Below the emergency exit window are six 20-inch wide drawers for keeping clothing neatly stored, and above the window are two cabinets with etched glass doors. The bathroom is split into three sections, with the sink and vanity cabinet and mirror at the entry to the bedroom from the hallway. The glass enclosed corner shower stall is trimmed with brushed bronze accents and the shower head is a handheld unit with on/off controls so that you don’t have to re-adjust the water temperature before rinsing off. The single pedal-type Thetford flush toilet is in its own private room at the head of the stairs. A pocket door here separates the living area from the bedroom. If you are travelling with another couple, there is a bi-fold type privacy curtain that can close off the bedroom while still allowing access to the complete bathroom. A nice feature that we appreciated was the laundry basket hidden under the top step as you enter the bedroom. This basket could be retrieved from the lower storage area or by lifting the lid when the time came to use the optional washer/dryer. Just down the three stairs to the spacious living room and kitchen area, we found the Hide-A-Bed Sofa and the free standing dinette in the large street side slide-out. This sofa was a comfortable place for conversations or watching TV. There is a small table between these chairs for your coffee that can be extended for snack plates by lifting the lid and pulling the top out. The dinette had a nice feature that allowed to top to open and reveal space to store cards or writing materials. Unexpected extra storage was found under the seats of the four upholstered dinette chairs. The entertainment centre at the front of the living room had a large 27-inch Toshiba television, with RCA Dolby 200 watt surround sound system and many speakers near the ceiling. Above the TV was another storage area that will require the use of a step stool. A neat feature that you don’t see in many RVs is the Optiflame electric fireplace below the TV screen. The flames look real and you can adjust the amount of heat to take the chill off the air with a thermostat. The kitchen area has a large area for meal preparation on the Corian counter tops. The double sink is residential size with a plastic cutting board cover. The three burner Magic Chef range has a high output front burner for boiling water at high altitudes, and a propane oven. An 1,800 watt Apollo convection microwave oven with turntable has a stainless steel interior for easy cleaning. Under the Corian counter are several 22-inch deep drawers that come all the way out on roller-bearing drawer glides, and a roll out pantry below the counter glides out easily with several deep shelves to accommodate cans of different sizes. On the face of the lower cabinet under the sink are two condiment trays that hinge out for access. The floor in the kitchen and bath areas are Armstrong no-wax coverings, and the living room and bedroom have carpet with underlay. On the ceiling towards the rear of the living room is a Fantastic fan that you can set for automatic or manual operation to either bring cool air in or to exhaust hot air from the coach. The control allows you to set the speed of the fan and the temperature that it will automatically turn on. Also installed is a large bladed ceiling 120-volt fan with three lights that can be controlled with pull chain switches. Since this is a basement-style fifth wheel, there are full pass-through storage areas below the floor level. The storage compartment doors have been fully insulated and heat from the furnace can be distributed here. On the street side of the unit, one compartment holds the connections for the water inlet, telephone, cable, and satellite systems. Also in the section is a stainless-steel clean up station with sani-flush system to clear the holding tanks after dumping, and a spray hose to flush away dirt from your hands, wash your pet or clean fish. This spray hose can also be moved to the curb side with a quick disconnect fitting. A porthole in the bottom of this compartment allows all hoses and cables to exit the RV with the compartment doors closed. When you are hooking up to the utilities in the campground, you might need a 20-foot sewer hose as the dump valves are just in front of the tandem wheels. One nice touch is the diamond plate box on this side to store any tools you might need during hooking up or leaving the campsite. The exterior is smooth fibreglass with one piece molded front and rear caps. On the rear, there is a ladder to the roof that includes an extra step fro those of us with short legs. The walls, roof, and slideouts are constructed with double-welded aircraft aluminum for strength, with studs on 16-inch centres and insulated with R-16 formaldehyde free material. The front cap has been engineered for short bed trucks allowing for more than 30 percent increased turning radius, and there are security lights on each side near the top of the wall that come in handy when setting up camp at night. Our test unit came with the 22-foot A&E awning for protection from the sun and rain. The trailer rides on 16-inch E-rated tires with the optional aluminum rims mounted on the multi-leaf suspension system with hydraulic shock absorbers. The Ultra-Lube hubs where rated at 6,000 pounds each with 12-inch brakes for sure stops. Some of the other options on our test unit were the double glazed windows for all season use, topper awnings on the slideouts, electric front and rear stabilizer jacks, an electric furnace, and a central vacuum system. One option that would be good to order would be the Trail-Air hitch that helps cushion the ride over bumpy roads. All in all, the Bighorn 3200RL is very well equipped and very nicely finished. I would not be surprised to see more of these units on the roads before long. SPECIFICATIONS Length: 34’7” Dry Weight: 10,500 lbs GVWR: 13,257 lbs Pin Weight: 2,290 lbs Cargo Capacity: 2,836 pounds Refrigerator: Dometic Americana RM2862 Hot Water Heater: SW100E 10 gal DSI Fresh Water: 72 gal Gray Tank: 90 gal Black Tank: 45 gal LP Gas: 60 lbs (2x30) Range: Magic Chef Microwave: Apollo AC10B1B Furnace: Suburban SF35 Roof Air: Duotherm 13,500 BTU Price as tested: $58,900. Price provided by Globetrotter RV. (Page Top)
Heartland RV Moves,
Expands Operations
By RV Business Editor
RV Business
Friday, October 29, 2004
Heartland RV Moves, Expands Operations RV Business Friday, October 29, 2004 Newcomer Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC is moving operations to a larger facility, according to a report in the Elkhart Truth. Elkhart, Ind.-based Heartland, which began production of its high-end Landmark fifth-wheel series early this year, is purchasing a 50,000-square-foot facility that formerly housed park-model manufacturer Palm Aire Inc. The company hopes to take possession of the 2-year-old building, which sits on eight acres, in two weeks and move within 45 to 60 days. Previously, Heartland was leasing a facility. "This move will allow Heartland to accommodate our phenomenal growth and enable us to accelerate our very aggressive two-year roll-out campaign," said Brian Brady, president and CEO of Heartland. Brady said the success of Heartland's Landmark fifth-wheel has led to further product development and the company will be unveiling a new product line at the 42nd National RV Show in Louisville next month.
Factory Tour
We always enjoy touring factories and watching how things are made. Over the years we have toured a teddy bear factory, Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream factory, the Tabasco factory, a whiskey distillery, and a cheese factory, to name a few. Since Elkhart is the center of the RV industry, we decided to tour an RV factory.
Heartland Recreational Vehicles is a new advertiser in the Gypsy Journal, and Scott Tuttle in their marketing department had invited us to stop by and take a look at their operation, so we called Scott and arranged a tour while we were in town.
Heartland is a new company formed by some veterans of the RV industry who had a vision to do things differently, and Scott told me they were committed to building a quality fifth wheel that was built for the needs of fulltime RVers. During our telephone conversations, I had repeated to Scott the statement I have made in these pages and during my seminars at RV rallies across the country, that the biggest problem with the RV industry is the poor quality of most of the RVs on the road. Call me idealistic if you will, but I just feel that when you pay $100,000 or more for a recreational vehicle, the darned thing should not fall apart going down the highway! Scott assured me that Heartland’s new Landmark fifth wheel was a different breed of animal than RVers have been used to.
We arrived late in the afternoon and spent a couple of hours touring the plant. Having built our bus conversion from the shell up, and having lived on the road in both a production motorhome and now a bus, we have some idea of what goes into today’s RVs. I came away from the Heartland factory impressed by what I saw. These guys have some good ideas that the rest of the industry has overlooked.
The first thing that we noted was that the exterior wall frames are structurally stronger. Instead of just using a hollow metal channel, Heartland fills the channels with wood for extra strength.
Another big step forward is the frame design that, coupled with a unique front cap, gives the trailer 30% more turning radius with a short bed pickup with an extended cab, eliminating the “crunch zone,” where so many fifth wheel owners have damaged their trucks and trailers by turning too sharply. This design makes backing and parking the Landmark fifth wheel easier and safer. Maneuvers that would jack knife another rig are a simple task with the Heartland design.
The rear fiberglass cap is also a brand new design, with recessed LED tail lights and LED running lights that give it a handsome automotive look. Overall, the Landmark is a very good looking rig.
But looks alone don’t make a quality recreational vehicle. Scott showed us a lot of other new concepts that I think fulltimers are really going to appreciate. The rig is built to hold up under the rigors of fulltime use. It’s not going to fall apart like our Fleetwood motorhome did after a short time on the highway. The floors are solid, welds are top quality, it’s built on a strong frame, and they don’t cut corners to get one more unit out in a day. The electrical system and plumbing are well designed, with a water manifold that allows the owner to shut down any line in the event of a problem. But with direct runs and quality components and installation, a lot of the problems people see in RVs should be eliminated right from the start.
Inside, they have included a lot of good ideas. Drawers and storage are well thought out, the furniture is well above the standards for the RV industry, interior design is attractive and comfortable, and the unit is roomy inside with its three slides. All models are prepped for washer/dryer installation, have hard maple bedroom furniture with cedar lined closets, residential sized drawers, and 6’4” ceilings in the bedroom. A lot of the things that are an option on the competitors’ RVs are standard equipment on the Heartland.
Down below, storage is fantastic, with what Heartland calls its “Texas Storage” compartment, over 141 cubic feet accessible on three sides by 48” wide insulated doors. The bay has a flat floor with no obstructions for complete pass thorough access. The bay also has large sliding access panels for utility maintenance. The bays are floored with thick rubberized mats to resist stains and tears. A door side power center features a non-corrosive dual slide-out battery tray and quick battery disconnects. One nice touch is that all compartment doors are specially keyed, instead of using the generic keys other RVs use, so owners don’t have to worry about anyone in the campground being able to unlock their storage bays.
Throw in a host of other neat features, including a black water flush system, exterior security lights, a satellite TV hookup, CAT-5 high speed wiring for computer Internet access, a safe in the bedroom closet (not in the floor, but in the side where it can be easily accessed), blackout day/night shades, and Corian countertops and the result is a recreational vehicle that I believe fulltimers will really appreciate, and one that I think is definitely several steps above most of what is on the market today.
Here is another article, from last summer:
Factory Tour
In over eight years of publishing the Gypsy Journal, we have accepted advertising from only one RV manufacturer, Heartland Recreational Vehicles. This is not because other manufacturers have not approached us, but we’ve seen very few whose quality and customer service meet our own standards. If I would not personally do business with a company, I cannot in good faith accept their advertising. In my view, doing so would be an endorsement of that company.
I will admit that I was skeptical of Heartland when they first contacted us, but Scott Tuttle, their Vice President in charge of marketing, convinced me that they are a company dedicated to producing top quality products, and we have enjoyed a good working relationship for several years now.
We have watched Heartland grow from a small company of 50 or so employees to a major contender in the towable RV market, with a workforce of over 600 people. RV Business magazine reported in their May 2007 issue that in a recent Statistical Surveys, Inc. survey of the top 45 fifth wheel brand names, 30 lost market share. Of those who showed a gain in market share, most were small, or single digit gains. However, three brands achieved triple digit gains, and all three were Heartland products. Folks, that only happens when a company is committed to putting out top quality products and providing top quality service after the sale.
Recently Scott Tuttle took me on a tour of their newest production facility, where they are producing their new North Trail travel trailers. I was very impressed! The construction methods, standard features, and Heartland’s attention to detail are first rate. The North Trail features many things you’d expect to find in an upscale fifth wheel, including a crowned roof that promotes water and debris run off, to keep the roof free of standing water that can lead to mold; extra large outside pass-through storage, a laminated roof with all aluminum trusses that is the strongest in the business; two inch think aluminum framed sidewalls (as much as twice as thick as the competition); and dual axles that are positioned far enough apart to provide maximum stability, not only when parked, but on the highway as well. And these are just a few of the reasons why Heartland continues to grow and to enjoy such a great reputation for owner satisfaction. If I were ever going to have a towable RV, be it a travel trailer, toy hauler, or fifth wheel, my first, last and only choice would be a Heartland product.
I was so impressed with the new North Trail line that I asked Scott to loan us one of their trailers for a trip to Alaska one of these days. Wouldn’t that make for a nice trip north?
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