RV preview – 2024 Heartland Corterra CT3.0 fifth wheel with safety features

Today’s RV (p)review is of a new offering from Heartland RVs with the company’s first offering in the “mid profile fifth wheel” category—the Heartland Corterra. Specifically, I had a chance to wander through the Corterra CT3.0 fifth wheel at the RV Open House recently.

This offering is 34’ 9 1/2” inches long, 96 inches wide, and comes in at about 10,719 pounds with a gross vehicle weight of 12,500 pounds. 

I have also written that this floor plan is probably the most common floor plan in the fifth wheel realm. It is a good opportunity to see how one company differentiates from another. Being a new offering from Heartland, this might take some looking to find out there in the wild. But there is at least one reason why I would suggest you make the effort. 

Safety first

One of the things I have often written is that you should look at how an RV is built and what goes into the underside of the RV before you ever step inside. While many RV companies make nice interiors, not everybody pays close attention to where the rubber meets the road and, truthfully, that’s the part of the RV that is likely going to make the biggest difference in the long run. 

So the Corterra line is the first place I have seen some new technology by Dexter Axle in the U.S. that is in partnership with the German company Bosch. 

Anti-lock braking system

First and foremost is a standard anti-lock braking system in this trailer. It could be one of the most significant features in a towable RV in terms of keeping you on the road. If you have a modern pickup truck or almost any vehicle, you already have anti-lock braking technology. 

What’s important isn’t so much to keep the brakes from locking up as it is keeping you in control in the event of a panic stop. Imagine how much more important that is when you take a truck and have hung 12,500 pounds off the hitch. This feature alone is at least worth checking out.

Heartland isn’t the only company that’s putting this type of technology in a towable RV. Lippert has a competing system which you’ll presently find in some Grand Design products. 

Anti-sway feature

Another component of this system is an anti-sway feature, another thing most vehicles that tow this trailer will also have. This can be helpful in situations such as in some cross-winds or when passing semitrucks on the road. 

Or, more likely, when semitrucks pass you at well over the speed limit. 

One last feature of this system is the ability to track your mileage with a phone app. My own pickup will do this as well. But this is a good feature for keeping on top of maintenance items, particularly wheel bearings and the maintenance thereof. 

Heartland has also shod this with Goodyear Endurance tires. 

Heartland Corterra CT3.0 - preview

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Other features worth considering

I think Heartland did a good job with what they chose to include in this model. The kitchen features a large enough oven that you can actually legitimately use it for baking. And there’s a large enough refrigerator that you can actually get a bunch of food in there. This is a 16-cubic-foot refrigerator, which is as large as many residential refrigerators. It has French doors and two freezer compartments. 

Many people I’ve talked with prefer the residential fridges in fifth wheels, with the argument that 12-volt models don’t have the space. Wait ‘til they see this big beauty. 

I’m not a big fan of residential fridges in fifth wheels—no matter how many of you tell me you’ve had one for years and have had no issues with it. Appliance repair people don’t usually work on them in RVs, and RV repair people don’t often understand them. So, you’re stuck between two organizations pointing fingers at one another. 

Interior of the Heartland Corterra has an upscale feel

While we all have our own taste and style, and I don’t like to comment on this since it’s so subjective—but I really liked the interior colors and materials in this rig. It had a very upscale feel to it and didn’t seem like the “typical RV interior.” 

For example, on the arm rests of both the couch and the theater seats there were fold-out cup holders and USB power ports. This was nice because, when you don’t want to use these, they hide in the armrest. 

Another hidden gem is the storage behind the fireplace and TV. You’ll find a generous pantry back there in this hidden compartment. 

I also like the freestanding chairs and wall-mounted table in this rig. 

The upstairs bathroom and bedroom are also nicely proportioned with a king-sized bed being standard fare here. 

A few nice details include the shoe garage under the steps and the space for small appliances and wine bottles on the front wall of the interior. 

This fifth wheel also incorporates strips of light across the ceiling which provide a really bright interior but also one which can be dimmed. I also like that the controls for everything are more traditional. Another nice touch is the fact that all the buttons and controls, with the exception of the thermostat, are behind a cabinet door. That means those little lights don’t bug you while you’re trying to enjoy some peaceful “dark” time. 

Boondocking and travel access

While I wasn’t able to close this unit up, I suspect that you are limited in what you can access with the slides in. But you can still get to the bathroom on the upper deck, though I suspect the fridge is a different story. 

Talking to a lot of folks in the RV space, it seems that they don’t find that many customers for fifth wheels do a lot of boondocking. As such, this is only available with a minimal 190 watts of solar, but there are more and more aftermarket companies who can provide solar solutions of all sizes.

Conclusions

One of the individuals who has absolutely made a name for himself in the Industry is William Miller. Through a very strong social media presence and a podcast, William has really gotten his name out there. I got to finally meet him in person at the Heartland display and it was like meeting an old friend. 

One of the things William showed me was an air duct from this unit. It has a component in the design that is intended to force air downward out of the vent, thereby bringing more cooled air into the body of the rig. The company calls this their TRIO Airflow system. 

I have said in the past that I have a rather strong bias against Heartland products simply because I handled warranties at our dealership when they were being taken over by Thor. Their warranty folks were, shall we say, quite challenged by this change. It made it quite difficult to service our customers at the dealership. 

Knowing this, William introduced me to their internal warranty manager, who seemed quite competent and well-versed at what we spoke about. Perhaps it’s about time I realize that that transition in ownership has now been conquered and that the company has a handle on things. 

In fact, the things we talked about gave me a lot of confidence in how Heartland handles warranty claims. But, of course, I’m always eager to read your feedback on any issues, including this one. 

You might have a tough time finding one of these right now simply because they’re a new offering from Heartland. But I was really impressed with the chassis safety features they include. As I also wrote, interior design is purely subjective but, boy, did I ever like the way this looked and felt. 

More about these RV reviews

These RV reviews are written based on information provided by the manufacturers along with our writer’s own research. They are based on information from a single unit and may not reflect your actual experience. Shop your RV and dealership carefully before making a buying decision. RVtravel.com receives no money or other financial benefits from these reviews. They are intended only as a brief overview of the vehicle, not a comprehensive critique, which would require a thorough inspection and/or test drive.

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