2013 Heartland BIG Country Problems & Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 HEARTLAND BIG COUNTRY RECREATIONAL VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH DYNAMIC TIRES, SIZE: 235/80P16. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT A STOP, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE WAS MISSING. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE TIRE AND FOUND THAT PART OF IT WAS DISINTEGRATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AND THE TIRE WAS NOT REPLACED. THE RECREATIONAL VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE MILEAGE TO REPORT. THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

I WAS PARKED OVER NIGHT AT A CAMPGROUND AND UPON MAKING MY PRE-TRIP INSPECTION, NOTICED SEVERAL BUBBLES ON THE FRONT DRIVER-SIDE RV TIRE. HAD THE TIRE REPLACED AND STARTED OUT LATER THAT AFTERNOON ON MY TRIP. ABOUT TWO HOURS IN, HAD A BLOWOUT ON ONE OF THE OTHER TIRES ON THE RV WHILE TRAVELING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AT ABOUT 60 MPH. ROAD SERVICE PUT ON OUR SPARE AND WE WENT TO THE NEXT EXIT A FEW MILES DOWN THE ROAD THAT HAD A TIRE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALER SHOWED ME ON ONE OF THE TWO REMAINING ORIGINAL TIRES ON THE RV, THAT THE TREAD WAS PARTIALLY SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE BODY. I REPLACED ALL OF THE TIRES INCLUDING THE SPARE THAT WAS ALSO A TOWMAX ROAD KING ST23580R16 LRE. ONE BAD TIRE, CHALK IT UP TO THAT'S LIFE, THREE BAD TIRES AND $1500 DAMAGE TO MY RV, NOT GONNA ROLL THE DICE WITH MY FAMILY'S SAFETY! HEARTLAND AND DYNAMIC TIRES NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR MAKING AND INSTALLING THIS JUNK ON WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE AN EXPENSIVE ASSET. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 HEARTLAND BIG COUNTRY TRAILER. THE CONTACT STATED THE EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THE CONTACT HIRED A ELECTRICIAN TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE ELECTRICIAN STATED THERE WAS DEFECTIVE AND LOOSE WIRING UNDER THE CAMPER THAT WAS CAUSING SPARKING UNDERNEATH THE CAMPER. THE ELECTRICIAN ALSO STATED THE FAILURE WAS SO SEVERE THAT THE CAMPER COULD HAVE EXPLODED. ADDITIONALLY, THE SHOWER WAS LEAKING IN THREE DIFFERENT PLACES. THE CONTACT HIRED A CERTIFIED MECHANIC TO REPAIR THE FAILURE. THE MECHANIC STATED THE SHOWER WAS NOT SEALED CORRECTLY AND CAUSED EXTENSIVE WATER DAMAGE, INCLUDING A MOLD PROBLEM. THE TRAILER WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURE WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

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