DRV vs Landmark - RV-Dreams Community Forum

jcordar2 · RV-Dreams Family Member

DRV vs Landmark

53 Merc · RV-Dreams Family Member

Sure, tires and axles will increase your CC. But, you can put a lot of lipstick on a pig and it is still a pig. I do not know the frame construction of the Landmark. The DRV has a substantial frame, ergo a substantial CC. If you can get the construction details of each, it will give you a better idea of the real carrying capacity. In other words, the more steel in the foundation, the better off you will be.

Glenn West · RV-Dreams Family Member

The frame on the Landmark is adequate for it. Now increasing the cc is questionable. It is a typical 12" Lippert frame. The DRV is made by Lippert but by DRV standards, which is stacked box tubing. It is very strong. I had a 32TK3 Mobile Suites we full timed in. Had dry weight 12kish and we tipped scales at 17,000 and still had 1k more we could load on it. Rated for 18k. The infrastructure on the Landmark is no where close to the DRV. We seriously considered the Landmark when we were shopping for a larger unit. We dismissed for the very reason you are concerned about. Being we were full time we knew we would overload it. Also there has been frame issues with Landmarks. They were corrected under warranty but we didn't want to chance it even if we knew Heartland would fix it.

Ann-Hank · RV-Dreams Family Member

We have a 2005 DRV and upgraded tires, wheels, axles and springs. One of the new Dexter 8000 axles was so out of alignment that it was very expensive to have it straightened. We were fortunate to only have to drive about 2 miles from the shop that installed everything to the alignment shop. We had been forewarned to have them checked before leaving town. You can eat up a $400+ tire real fast.

Love our DRV. Good luck

Jack Mayer · RV-Dreams Family Member

Not many New Horizons around for $60K and they will be older ones, perhaps without the amenities you are looking for. Add $100K and now you are talking...you can get a fully customized NH in that area.

BiggarView · RV-Dreams Family Member

It seems to me that DRV's Tradition line of 5ers would be a better apples to apples compare to the Landmarks. We saw a Tradition 385RSS this week along side a DRV Mobile Suite 38RSSA. The latter is now our bar by which we are holding others to. The Traditions and Landmarks appear to be similarly priced.

kb0zke · RV-Dreams Family Member

The only number that matters is the one you put on the check. Consider a new coach with an MSRP of $100,000. Dealer A will take 20% off and give you $20,000 for your old coach. Dealer B will take 30% off but will give you only $10,000 for the old coach. Which is the better deal? A former dealer on another forum mentioned that he once had a customer come in and ask that the deal be written up with a higher price for both the new coach and the trade-in. The difference was the same, but the customer wanted to show his wife that they didn't lose much on their old coach.

RickandJanice · RV-Dreams Family Member

DRV Mobile Suite vs. Landmark is what I call a "case of getting what you pay for". The DRV Mobile Suites line (Mobile Suites, Estate, Elite Suites) are more expensive and heavier because they are a much stronger built unit. Landmarks cost less and are lighter because they are not built as strong. I do agree that if you compare a DRV Tradition with a Landmark, you are looking at more comparable units.

Now all that being said, unless cost is not an object, you really need to determine what is the best value for the cost based on how you plan on using the rig and how long you want to keep it. The lower cost units will not last as long, but may still suit your F/T or P/T lifestyle better if you do not plan on being on the road for many years or plan on buying a new one every few years. A heavier more expensive unit should last for many years for F/T and even longer if P/T if properly cared for. Just do not be fooled by appearances or what a salesman tells you, only you can answer what is the best value for you situation.

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

We had considered a Landmark until we saw a used one. When we were in our search process we found a dealer that specialized in high end used 5th wheels. They had a 3 year old Landmark on their lot and many DRVs, most of which were older than 3 years. The used Landmark looked horrible inside compared to the DRVs. Problems with cabinets, warped floors and delamination issues. It may have been just that one unit and perhaps the prior owners were harder than most owners, but it made us take it off our list of contenders.

kb0zke · RV-Dreams Family Member

Dale and Ruth, that's really the way to evaluate the quality of a brand. Probably even better is to look at one that would be the age of what you are considering at the time you are going to trade it in. In other words, if you are looking at a five-year-old coach and will keep it five years, look at a 10-year-old coach of that brand.

That's why you see so many older high-end coaches that have had some major upgrades done to them.

jcordar2 · RV-Dreams Family Member

OK, we're convinced! Sticking with the DRV, but will check out NH! Thanks everyone!

Glenn West · RV-Dreams Family Member

There are some used ones(NH) on their web site in very good condition. Save you some money.

theSherrif · RV-Dreams Community Member

We have a Mobile Suite 2012 36RSSB with ELECTRIC bedroom slides. Our advice: don't buy a 2012. The slides aren't reliable - designed incorrectly? too weak? can't stay in alignment? - and neither DRV nor Lippert will stand behind them. We have had major repairs the entire time we have owned the DRV (took delivery and spent 6 weeks in the dealer's lot having DRV/Lippert send multiple iterations of repair parts) and when the magic warranty period was up, DRV disowned us as though they'd never heard from us before. We would hesitate to spend as much as we did on something that falls apart in 3 years, so we wouldn't buy a DRV product again.

Most of our rig is well designed and nicely insulated, etc., and we really liked it, but when you can't get it closed up to travel, how useful is it as an RV?

Hope this helps. Have fun on the road! Safe travels.

The Sheriff

soos · RV-Dreams Family Member

theSherrif wrote:
We have a Mobile Suite 2012 36RSSB with ELECTRIC bedroom slides. Our advice: don't buy a 2012. The slides aren't reliable - designed incorrectly? too weak? can't stay in alignment? - and neither DRV nor Lippert will stand behind them. We have had major repairs the entire time we have owned the DRV (took delivery and spent 6 weeks in the dealer's lot having DRV/Lippert send multiple iterations of repair parts) and when the magic warranty period was up, DRV disowned us as though they'd never heard from us before. We would hesitate to spend as much as we did on something that falls apart in 3 years, so we wouldn't buy a DRV product again.
Most of our rig is well designed and nicely insulated, etc., and we really liked it, but when you can't get it closed up to travel, how useful is it as an RV?

Hope this helps. Have fun on the road! Safe travels.

The Sheriff
hmmmm, we had a totally different experience. We have the dreaded Schwintek bedroom slides but both DRV and Lippert stood behind it and since they have upgraded/ fixed it, it has been trouble free.
If it gets out of sync, it takes less than 2 minutes to get it back into sync, but even that hasn't been an issue.
Our rig has held up terrifically. Issues? yes, a few, but all in all, very happy with it.

PS I love the idea of looking at used rigs of the brands you like.

Sue

mds1 · RV-Dreams Family Member

What about the resale between the Landmark and DRV?

I'm getting a lot from this topic - appreciate it. Might go to the local larger dealer and compare a few of the used units myself. That was a good recommendation.

Although I don't own a 5th wheel yet, I've been researching for a year. If it was in my budget I'd go with the DRV Mobile Suites. We also like the Tradition but there are a lot in that class to compare against. Three people in the last month whom I trust and spoke with in person or on the phone have issues with their newer Elite Suite. This is concerning for the brand.

When at the shows my wife and I frequently compare other trailers against the Mobile Suite. I'm watching to see if Thor having bought them out changes anything.

-- Edited by mds1 on Tuesday 1st of September 2015 07:22:57 PM

jrzygrl64 · RV-Dreams Family Member

There's been a lot of Landmark bashing here. Bill and I have had our Landmark since 3/2014 and been full-time for a year and we have had no real issues at all. We truly feel we have an excellent value. We couldn't even consider a DRV b/c their cost was so much higher.

Someone else said it - you have to look at getting the best value for your budget and I believe we did just that.

We have friends that paid a lot more for a Lifestyles and they have been in the shop 6 or 7 weeks in their first year. They are supposedly well made rigs. Spending more money does not always translate into better quality.

Just my $0.02

2riker2go · RV-Dreams Family Member

jrzygrl64 wrote:
There's been a lot of Landmark bashing here. Bill and I have had our Landmark since 3/2014 and been full-time for a year and we have had no real issues at all. We truly feel we have an excellent value. We couldn't even consider a DRV b/c their cost was so much higher.

Someone else said it - you have to look at getting the best value for your budget and I believe we did just that.

We have friends that paid a lot more for a Lifestyles and they have been in the shop 6 or 7 weeks in their first year. They are supposedly well made rigs. Spending more money does not always translate into better quality.

Just my $0.02

I was going to say something similar. I think you can look at any brand and find people who have had no issues as well as people who had problems. We have had our Landmark since June 2011 and are three months away from three years fulltime. Yes, we have had some problems to be fixed over the past four years, but they were all non-structural - water heater, furnace control board, fridge etc.

We are happy with our fiver and feel that we got a quality rig for the money we spent.

Steve C · RV-Dreams Family Member

Take the time to go to the www.puppypaths.blogspot.com October 22, 2012 post, "The Start Of Our DRV Elite Suite RVing Journey" and read of our experience. I, too, had first-hand experience with the DRV/Lippert slide issues. Be sure to read the comments at the bottom of the October 22, 2012 post. There are many more first-hand accounts from other dissatisfied DRV owners. DRV was a nightmare and impossible to work with for them as well as for us.

Plus, don't look for any help from the Indiana Attorney General's Office of Consumer Affairs. At the time of our issues there was no "LEMON LAW" in Indiana. "BUYER BEWARE!!!!" of any brand in Indiana. Read the fine print on most RV Dealers sales contracts as to how issues are to be resolved. Most insure "home cooking" for the dealer and/or manufacturer.

As for the Landmark, I got to know a dealer that sold both and he said "no way" that he would personally own a Landmark. Just carried the line to offer an alternative. My wife and I toured both factories, Heartland and DRV, and Heartland was scary as to how fast they were building their product. DRV's "quality control" was done by the customer--after the sale. There were many other DRV issues: Brakes and wiring especially. We could have easily had a fire with both.

I asked the then DRV owner, David Fought, in a face-to-face meeting, to do a recall, he refused. I also asked the then DRV VP about the Lippert slide issue before I handed him our check and he lied and said the issue had been resolved. Naively, as many first or second time buyers do, we believed that if we paid more we would get more for our money. WRONG!!

Neither DRV nor Lippert could fix the slide and DRV reneged on their promise to replace the slide. After owning our DRV Elite Suite for thirteen months with over four months in Howe, Indiana at DRV or in the lot of one of their dealers for repairs, we took a huge loss and traded. And, "yes", I told the dealer we traded with about the post I mentioned above. He was not concerned.

I don't know what to suggest to you that you buy. I remember back in 2012 we were in the Florida Keys and parked close to us were two motorhomes that looked like twins--same year, make, model and color. One owner had experienced a few minor issues while the other owner had initiated a Lemon Law suit against the manufacturer. Demand for RVs at all price points is such that most manufacturers don't feel a need for quality control. Most dealers forget you once the sale is complete. As consumers we need to speak out and demand more. The full-time RV lifestyle has a lot of plus, dealing with the poor quality of most RVs and the lack of integrity of the makers and sellers is not one of them.

-- Edited by Steve C on Wednesday 2nd of September 2015 02:51:19 PM

-- Edited by Steve C on Wednesday 2nd of September 2015 02:55:07 PM

HighwayRanger · RV-Dreams Family Member

Steve, what did you end up trading for?

Roy

jayc · RV-Dreams Family Member

Here is an article from RV Daily Report today that is interesting. The Heartland Landmark 365 has become a market leader in the luxury fifth wheel pricing schedule.

We have been living in our 2011 Landmark Grand Canyon for over four years and love it!

Diana and Jim · RV-Dreams Family Member

I would highly suggest taking a factory tour before making a decision. We took a DRV tour last year and saw things we thought were great, along with things that were not so great. To their defense, I could find the same with any manufacturer. Ask lots of questions. If something looks cheesy, ask them about it. Also remember that many of the components in a high-end rig are the same components that go into the low-end models.

The biggest advantage of taking a tour is getting to see the bones of the rig. While I liked the DRV frame, I did not like that they used screws and L-brackets to connect the aluminum wall studs together, instead of welding. With all the flexing that happens as a unit moves down the road, mechanical fasteners tend to come loose. But that is just my opinion and my observation. Yours may be different. Again, I could find similar issues with any manufacturer.

Jim

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

DRV Suites was purchased by Thor Industries and placed under the Heartland brand, although you won't find DRV's at Heartland's website. Also, that article lists its source as a Heartland press release. I'd rather it had been an independent source.

Whether it be RV's or other types of manufactured goods, there will always be problems with every one of them. In addition, the perspective of one person's complaint about a product may be totally irrelevant to someone else, even with regards to construction, quality control, and even use of the product.

As for research on RV's, I've always suggested that one get on owner's forums and ask the question, "If you were to buy another RV today, would you buy the same brand name, and if not, why not." Forums have a tendency to "draw" people looking for the solution of a problem, so if one sees a lot of complaints on a forum about "X," one should ask the question I just posed. Otherwise, one could go away with an inaccurate "picture" of the product of interest.

Terry

Rob_Fla · RV-Dreams Family Member

To be honest, we get looked down on by some because we bought a Redwood 5th Wheel, many say it is a weekend unit and we wasted our money.
We looked at the DRV Mobile Suites, Landmark, Hitchhiker and a few other "Fulltime" units, for us the Redwood just felt like home and the floorplan we got worked for our lifestyle.
We have had our Redwood for a little over a year now, got a very good deal on it that fit our budget, wants and needs.
Have we had problems, sure a number of minor issues, some the dealer took care of, some I took care of as an improvement / upgrade.
Overall after a year fulltiming and traveling in our Redwood from South Florida to Texas to Northern Indiana and over to New York (we are currently in the Washington DC area) we are still very happy with our purchase and our home.
The dealer has been ok but the guys at Crossroads RV / Redwood have been great and very supportive of our needs, requests and are striving to do the right thing for their customers and product.
We do not sit stationary for very long with our Redwood, we typically move about every two weeks year round so our slides, suspension and all systems really get a workout and take quite a beating on the highways of our country.
Again the Redwood is more along the DRV Tradition and Heartland Landmark build / price but it worked for us and we have been very happy with our "Home on Wheels"

HighwayRanger · RV-Dreams Family Member

Glad you enjoy the rig you selected, Rob FLA. The Redwoods I have seen certainly do have nice curb appeal. Whenever any of us buys an RV, it is a crap shoot every time, no matter what brand. So, here's to having good luck, fair winds and following seas, good mojo, positive Karma, and anything else we can get to ensure we have a pleasurable time in these damn things! And, yes, all the new stuff in my signature has yet to be put to the test.....wish me luck!

Roy

-- Edited by HighwayRanger on Friday 4th of September 2015 08:44:02 PM

Rob_Fla · RV-Dreams Family Member

I would agree, seems like it is like the old saying you do not want to buy a car that was built on Monday morning or Friday afternoon applies to most manufactured items.
All manufacturers have a bad day from time to time and some new designs and concepts do not work out after going into production.
Some of the new component designs are to solve a problem and move a product forward, some are simply cost saving and wind up not being as reliable as the previous design.
Many components that started their manufacturing life in the US are moved offshore as the demand for the component goes up and the company works to maximize profits, sometimes at the expense of the consumer.
As many RVs grow larger, longer and heaver, some components used in / on the coaches are being stretched to their design limit or original intent and are failing prematurely or just never work correctly due to being miss applied or overloaded.
All manufacturers are in business to make money and turn a profit, warranty cost and unhappy customers are all a part of that and it seems some company's build a product to just survive the a warranty period and after that you are on your own.
There was a period of time when companies were expanding and extending warranty coverage but it seems here lately many are cutting their warranty and redefining their coverage trying to control costs associated with a warranty.
We have been fulltiming in our current 5th Wheel for a little over a year now and so far so good, what will it be like in 3 years, 5 years or even 10 years, since our manufacturer is only a little over 5 years old only time will tell.
As H & L have said, there is no right way to fulltime, some stay in locations for extended periods and do have the constant pounding of the road and opening and closing the slides frequently, some move North to South following the sun only a couple of times a year, some like us are on the move year round, some endure extreme cold and extreme hot temperatures.
The way we use and load our RVs had a impact on the service life and maintenance of many components and items used in the construction of our RVs.

soos · RV-Dreams Family Member

HighwayRanger wrote:
Steve, what did you end up trading for?

Roy

since he hasn't answered yet......

He moved to a motorhome :)

I forget what brand though.

mds1 · RV-Dreams Family Member

soos wrote:
HighwayRanger wrote:
Steve, what did you end up trading for?

Roy
since he hasn't answered yet......
He moved to a motorhome :)
I forget what brand though.

Talked to Steve on the phone a few weeks ago. Believe he traded out of his DRV Elite Suites to a Tiffin Class A. As I recall he is trading that for Newmar and going all electric.

He is a helpful guy and gave me some great advise.

Appreciate the original poster starting this thread. Got me looking a the Landmark again.

-- Edited by mds1 on Sunday 6th of September 2015 05:14:30 PM

Camr · RV-Dreams Community Member

We spent a week in the Elkhart/Goshen area in the in the spring of 2014 having warranty work done on our 2011 Open Range at the factory. We were afforded the luxury of time to tour almost every plant in the area. What I would suggest is to take factory tours of any manufacturers that you are considering. Pay careful attention to any plants that allow tours while the units are actually being built. Several will only allow tours after the plant has been shut down for the day. Others are proud of their staff and processes, and have little that they wish to hide. Q
Previous coaches that we have owned include a Heartland which we were very satisfied with. We are also very pleased with our current DRV.

kb0zke · RV-Dreams Family Member

Plant tours are wonderful opportunities to really learn how a coach is built. The more tours you go on, the more you know what to look for the next time. If you have some knowledge of construction you can learn a lot even by an after-hours tour. In fact, those tours can be the most telling. If the work areas are left clean and neat chances are that the coaches being built are also fairly clean and neat. If the work area is a mess chances are that the coaches are somewhat messy, too.

jayc · RV-Dreams Family Member

I don't know if taking a factory tour while the plant is in operation or closed makes a difference. To me, it is more about safety to both the visitors- noisier when in operation, moving equipment, etc.- and the employees being distracted by visitors, slow down of production answering questions, etc. Most of our trips have been with large groups with the plants closed but several friends have done tours while the plants were open.