I am new and new to the world of buying a travel trailer... I need some advice from the pro's!!
We are looking to buy a trailer and have two we are going back and forth from.. the hearland or apex?? they are pretty much the same layout.. price is 2600.00 difference, with the apex being more...
Going to need more information. What will you pull it with. Which heartland and which Apex are you talking about? Are you using it with family? How many?
Are you using it for hunting? I know there are more questions people will want to know before they answer your question
It will be pulled with a 2005 Dodge Ram.. Our family is 6 people.. myself, hubby, and four boys.. 16, 11, 5, and 1yo.. not used for hunting.. the types of heartland and apex are in the subject line.. ty!!
The Coachmen 288BHS has 2 double sized bunks (a plus), the GVWR is 7000 lbs and 30'10" long. The tanks are all 30 gallon. The Apex has one option "package" with 9 items and 3 stand alone options. The Coachman has good R-11 insulation and Azdel Composit exterior walls..which is a light weight material. Coachmen is owned by Forest River, the #2 largest RV manufacturer in USA and has a 1 year warranty.
The Heartland 28BRS has a double and a single bunk, 6900 GVWR and 32' Long. The tanks are fresh 36 and waste 37 each. Heartland has 8 options. Heartland also has a one year warranty. The Heartland has an average R-7 insulated sidewalls. Heartland RV is a new division of Thor Industries, the #1 RV conglomerate in the USA.
Good luck...seems like the Apex is only a bit better for almost $3000.00 more...but I found in a national search some Heartland 28BRS trailers being on sale for as low as $19,990 with an average sale price of $23,500.00. The Apex were from $19,183.00 to $27,910.00. Good luck!
My posts shouldn't be taken for factual data. They are purely fictional, for entertainment purposes and should not be constituted as actually related to scientific, technical, engineering, legal, spiritual or practical advice. Amen.
wow... thats great info.. We are so new to this, that i can hardly understand what you are telling me.. what is GVWR? tanks?? options?? items?? Is there a big difference between r-7 and r-11 as far as insulation goes??
I have SOOOOO many questions, we have NEVER owned a RV, and have only been camping in a pop-up!! HELP!!
We have a Heartland North Trail and love it, it has been a reliable trailer for us. There customer support is said to be among the best which is important because not all dealers provide good support.
Are these new trailers you are looking at ?
Are they both at the same sales center ?
Does your Ram have a tow package and what is the wheelbase and engine size?
As for insulation (R7/R11) higher # will reduce running of air conditioner or furnace a bit. Our NT has R7 walls and R10 in the roof and floor and seems to be fine for us.
Tanks larger size enables one to go longer without having to dump dish water, toilet waste or find fresh water supply. This applies when not at a site with city style hook up.
4 kids may like more defined bedding found in a bunk layout like -
First of all, welcome to this whole idea of going camping in a new trailer !
There are going to be some who reply that the truck you have may not be strong enough to pull that big of a camper. I'll defer to some of the folks who are pulling with that specific truck to give to some real world input on it's suitability.
In another post, you mentioned that you are confused still about all this. My suggestion is that if you are still in that part of the learning curve, you may not be ready to actually buy. You are right there are many things to consider, and there are likely several dozen campers that could meet your desires and requirements. So, more homework needed !
This forum and others like it ( I hang out on and read a lot on the Airstream forum too, even though I do not own that brand ) have a wealth of information. Great place to start and to bounce ideas around before and after you buy whatever you decide on. For me, the most important part of the decision process was to actually go and look at the trailers, go in, sit down and spend a few quiet minutes. I would sit there and imagine how it would be in a real camping situation. For instance, I tried to imagine spending a day or two inside during some rainy days, etc. You'd be surprised how quickly you will cross certain specific campers off your list by doing this. Some of them just won't appeal to you. It might be the layout, the interior color choices, the windows, etc.
Of course, you will need to consider what you are going to do with it also. Close to home trips at campgrounds with full hookups vs maybe long trips that involve staying where there are no or limited hookups.
See what I mean ? All of these things will influence what works best for you and your family, and of course there is no one-size-fits-all.
Can't speak for service on the dealer level, but Heartland has some of the BEST customer service there is from a corporate standpoint. You will get a list of telephone numbers you can call regarding any component on your trailer. You can call those numbers and talk to a real person. If that isn't good enough you can contact the Corporate Brand Manager with any questions. There is a Heartland Owners' Club website you may enjoy as well.
B.O.
2011 Big Country 3250TS...2010 Ram CC Laramie 4wd Cummins
15k Super Glide, Firestone Ride Rite, TrailAir Tri-Glide
Michelin XPS Ribs. Just say no to Chinese tires.
Twin Cities Mn.
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