Maiden voyage issues - Bighorn 3570RS

[Speedy]

If the mount is the same as mine you need to remove a trim piece from the TV cabinet (top) prior to removing the TV. The TV is just hanging on the mount but held down by the trim piece.

 

[JanAndBill]

I'm sorry but I had to laugh with you on your frustrations on the maiden trip. We are just finishing our maiden trip in our 3260. We've been Rv'ing in tents, motorhomes, travel trailers and now a 5th wheel for over 20 years. I know that you can't get cable to work with the antenna booster on. What I didn't know is WHY they put the switch in the very back corner of the closet. I only discovered it after an hour of searching for it on the first night when in frustration I decided to go to bed. When I opened the closet door I saw a faint little red light in the very back. Most of the switches and the other little things operate somewhat the same as our other units, but we pretty much had to muddle through on a push it and see what happens mode. Our previous units had decent owners manuals in that they told you enough that you could figure it out. Heartlands is sadly lacking.

 

[danemayer]

Another issue. I want to connect a DVD player to the BR TV. But I can't reach the HDMI connection at the back of the TV. Should be simple but I can't get it off the mount and there's not enough room to get at it without doing so. The mount is on a black board which is, in turn, mounted to the wall. Am I going to have remove that black board or is there some kind of a release on the actual RV mount?

Nothing's easy.

My bedroom TV is on an articulating arm that lets the TV swing away from the board that the arm is mounted on. If the pivot is tight, it may not move easily.

But maybe you have a fixed mount. In that case, I'd look at the sides of the mount to see if there are mounting screws that can be loosened to lift the TV away from the mount. Basically, the installer had to screw the mounting plate to the back of the TV and then attach the plate to some type of receiver that's mounted on the wall. Try to imagine how they connected the two parts on your unit and maybe you'll see how to dismount it.

 

[StevieWonder]

Fixed mount in BR. Articulating mount in the LR.
I'll have to remove that black panel where the metal bracket is attached. Lots of work to attach a silly HDMI cable.

 

[jbeletti]

Fixed mount in BR. Articulating mount in the LR.
I'll have to remove that black panel where the metal bracket is attached. Lots of work to attach a silly HDMI cable.

Only you will know if it's worth the effort. Personally, I'd do it. Only have to go through the work once and you're done. Feel under the TV in about the center for some sort of release lever. If you can't find one, then remove the black board. There are usually 2 screws per side at the outer edges. Look/feel carefully in the felt for them. They will likely be square drive heads.

Good luck!

 

[JohnDar]

Depending on the bedroom TV and where it's mounted, you might WANT to replace the fixed mount with an articulating/tilting model. Ours sat on a shelf near the ceiling. Easy to access, but unviewable if you were laying flat on the bed and too top heavy to shim at an angle. When I ordered two Jensen TV's to replace the ones that were stolen, I also ordered two of their MAC-40 mounting arms. For the bedroom, I made a plywood attachment insert to attach a tilting bracket to and we can now angle the screen down to be able to see it (no standing base on the TV). Did a similar modification to the LR TV, which articulated, but did not tilt.

 

[StevieWonder]

Just to keep it rolling, sat on one of the 2 folding chairs and it collapses like a cheap suitcase. Pulled all the screws from the piano hinge on the underside of the chair bottom. Three of the four screws were overtightened and "stripped" the wood, leaving nothing to hold the screw in the wood so it was effectively a single screw holding it together. And I weigh 190 lbs so it wasn't like Fat Albert sat on it. Luckily I wasn't hurt. Other folding chair seems to be secure and solid.

A comedy of errors.

 

[jbeletti]

No excuses on the chairs. Two coaches ago, I fixed mine by using longer screws. That's going to be your fix too. By you or your dealer - at your election.

 

[StevieWonder]

No issues with the longer screws coming through the wood bottom and the upper cushion?

 

[jbeletti]

My screws came out of the frame at the back of the chair. The frame is tall - so no issue with a longer screw. I did not have a hinge to seat failure - but yeah, gotta watch the length there. Maybe time for a warranty replacement. Take pics and send to your dealer so they can submit it for warranty consideration.

 

[mobilcastle]

Only you will know if it's worth the effort. Personally, I'd do it. Only have to go through the work once and you're done. Feel under the TV in about the center for some sort of release lever. If you can't find one, then remove the black board. There are usually 2 screws per side at the outer edges. Look/feel carefully in the felt for them. They will likely be square drive heads.

Good luck!

Mine is set up this way. When I removed it(it was easy)to work on the antenna wire I also used my hole saw to cut a hole into the rear of the cabinet next to it to run wires through for components-you might want to do that if you plan to put in a DVD, DVR or stereo while it is out. My TV is on a good solid mount at an angle with a good view. The screws are square head. Good luck!

 

[wdk450]

For more details than are in the Heartland 5th Wheel manuals click on the "Tools" tab at the top of any forum page, then click on the "Manuals" item in the menu. Follow the submenus onward to the item you want. It is a good idea just to explore this manuals area to see what is there.
Lippert also has manual online on the slides, frame, landing gear, etc. They can be found here:
http://www.lci1.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=54&Itemid=66

 

[StevieWonder]

Again, this all works great as long as you are in a spot where you have an Internet connection. The issue is compounded by problems where you don't have that luxury or at weird hours when the forum isn't highly populated (except by vampires).

 

[NWILSON]

I downloaded and printed all the manuals that applied to my rig.
If you want to get fancy, you can download them to a thumbdrive and take it to an OfficeMax or Office Depot or anywhere with printing service. For a very reasonable price they will print them (with all the original detail) and spiral bind them in one book or individually whichever you prefer.

 

[danemayer]

I download the manuals and then store them in Evernote. Everything is then accessible on all of my devices whether I have an Internet connection or not. You can do the same with Dropbox.

You realize that if Heartland agreed with you and decided to start creating the kind of manual you want, by the time it was available you'd already have all your questions answered.

You might consider setting an appointment with your dealer to get the walk thru that would also answer many of your questions.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[JanAndBill]

Most of our dealings with the dealer were good but the dealer walk through was sadly lacking, primarily because they didn't have detail knowledge of the unit. This may have been because it was a new model??? I agree that detailed instructions on everything might be hard, but what about the general operations instructions such as what switch turns on what, switching the lp tank valve, or the question here about the tv booster. I guarantee that if you buy a 70k car you will find a pretty detailed "operation" manual in the glove box. The access to the detailed pdfs is good, but there are times when it just isn't practical, and the suggestion of paying to print out my own manuals just rubs me the wrong way. The other brands we've owned in the past all had pretty decent owners manuals & the internet access to detailed instructions. Just surprised that Heartland has overlooked something so simple.

 

[StevieWonder]

You realize that if Heartland agreed with you and decided to start creating the kind of manual you want, by the time it was available you'd already have all your questions answered.

That is one of the most ludicrous statements I've seen on this forum. What about the next guy and they guy after that and ...

Do you believe that with your TV, your car ... almost anything else you buy? There is NO excuse for not having a comprehensive, model-specific manual in every unit Heartland sells. Expensive ??? Really ???

When you get a walk-through, there's a myriad of information about a myriad of items. And they might forget an item or two. A buyer needs a reference he can use a month, six months, a year and more down the road. Just like that car manual that contains info on ALL of the options even if your car isn't equipped with it.

Other manufacturers seem to have much better manuals. My coaches' in the past always had extensive and comprehensive manuals.

So, as I'm signing my purchase agreement for what is supposed to be an upscale 5th wheel, when I ask about where the owner's manual is located, he says "look it up on the Internet" and "print it yourself". Wow. Just wow. Geez ... hire a manuals writer, put him to work and increase the price of the unit by $25 if you have to. There are huge liability issues ... not jacking the trailer in the proper spot or in the proper manner while fixing a flat is just one obvious one. Being on the side of the road or in a remote location (think about all those toy haulers) and not having good information is stupid, maybe dangerous ****************

 

[danemayer]

Hi Stevie,

Most of us got a large zippered pouch full of hardcopy manuals including the Heartland Manual. Sounds like maybe you didn't get yours, or maybe it's tucked away somewhere you haven't looked yet. Why don't you call your dealer and ask where it is.

Downloading softcopy isn't an alternative, it's to augment availability of the hardcopy for times when you don't have the manuals at hand. Some people find doing so to be helpful. Others maybe not so much.







You have a

 

[StevieWonder]

Yes, I got a full pouch of manuals for many of the appliances and a few subsystems on the trailer. Is that what you get when you buy the cheapest car GM or Ford or Chrysler makes? Do you get a pouch of manuals from the transmission mfr, the radiator mfr, the radio mfr, the power window mfr? Of course not. You get a fully information how-to on ALL features and accessories of EVERY car they build and it's loaded with lot's of safety or other operational "don't do's" to prevent damage to the system or injury to the operator. There's probably a supplemental manual for the gee-whiz GPS unit operation but you won't need to go to the Internet and print a reference on how to operate the sunroof or the power seats or other items that might not be on your particular car.

I fully understand the "we didn't build it, we just installed it" stuff like the TV, the fridge, the microwave, the AC unit, etc. But there are many items that need to be addressed in a functional manual. What about the 2nd or 3rd owners that don't get a "walk through" that's supposed to apparently last the lifetime of the trailer? There is NO manual that covers switch functions/locations or how the porch light has two modes that functions one way or the other depending on how you cycle the on/off switch. Or anything at ALL on the remote fob functions or how to turn off the "welcome home" function of the overhead light in the trailer by the entry door or a multitude of other daily-use functions. My microwave manual alone has more detailed information than ALL the Heartland manual.

The expectation by Heartland that I should "just know" this stuff or get it off the Internet is a pathetic excuse for the safe, efficient and proper use of the features of the trailer. I almost bought a Landmark unit and I assume the generic, highly simplified manual is what you get with that unit. Really? For $75K?

There is NO excuse for not having a proper manual. Have a generic one and then supplement it with model-specific details. It can be on copy paper, 3 hole punched in a $1.99 binder from OfficeMax but Heartland NEEDS to put this out and get it on every unit. *****************************

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

xxxxxt ...

StevieWonder, I wasn't able to view your post before edit but I've read your other recent posts and to a point, I agree with you. While it won't help you now or any time soon, this is something that can/will be brought up for discussion during the Heartland Owners Rally in June.