More ‘Wow!’ windows—Heartland Bighorn 3820RKFB prototype

Last time we gathered around the review campfire we looked at the new Keystone Arcadia 264SLRK, and one of the highlights of that floor plan is the quantity of the camp-side windows. There was a very large fifth wheel shown at Open House that could take the camp-side window coverage of that unit and have a good laugh. Today we’re looking at the Heartland Bighorn 3820RKFB. 

The unit we’re looking at is another prototype and was shown at the Open House. That event is held both to get dealers to buy units but also to gauge interest. So, while most of what we see at Open House does show up at our local dealerships, not everything does. Though I’d be surprised if this didn’t. 

Heartland Bighorn 3820RKFB

What we have here is an enormous fifth wheel that is designed as a great full-time living model. Heartland has said in its own videos that the Bighorn models are really aimed at full-time living, and that would make sense. 

What’s clearly the most obvious aspect of this trailer are the gigantic camp-side windows. I think I know why so many RVs do not have big camp-side windows—they’re all here. Okay, not really. 

Over on the camp side in a very large slide room are four huge windows, each of which has a portion that opens for airflow. In some ways, this reminds me of some of the final offerings from Spartan trailers in the 1960s that featured big, multiple-window layouts. But these are on the side where, I suspect, they make more sense. 

When you go inside, what sits in the shadow of these windows, or in the glow from these windows, is … nothing. Okay, not quite nothing. 

But Heartland has done something very interesting here, where the portion of the slide room that has the windows doesn’t really have anything in it. I think it’s all about the kitchen and dining space. 

Heartland Bighorn 3820RKFB prototype

1 of 14

The kitchen

While the kitchen and the dining table are not physically in the slide, you’ll be able to enjoy those windows from this space. The kitchen is a large U-shaped affair that has the kinds of features, storage and appliances that you might expect in your own home kitchen. 

Along the back wall are a huge number of cabinets. Heartland has very cleverly made one of their dining chairs a stepstool, as well. I like this because one of the nice things about the high ceiling in this rig is the sheer size of the storage offered by the cabinetry. But even average-height people might have issues getting up to the higher cabinets—so that included stepstool is brilliant. 

There’s also at least one of the cabinets that has a household power outlet in it, so you could stuff a coffee maker or other appliance in there. Perhaps a crock pot and then challenge your guests’ sniffers to see who can figure out where that glorious smell is coming from. 

Though maybe it’s not a good idea to leave the cabinet door closed while you’re slow cooking your road-kill surprise. 

For all the RVers who insist that they have to have a residential fridge, I counter with this made-for-RV-living 18-cubic-foot Furrion model. Yep, two freezer drawers. Yep, an ice maker. And yep, fancy French doors. 

However, I wonder who, in France, is the originator of this style of refrigerator door and if they knew the consequences of their invention when they created it? Or are these doors as French as McDonald’s fries? 

Nous abordons ici les questions difficiles.

Of course, there’s a very large oven and three-burner stove, a very large residential-style microwave and a farm-style sink. 

Living spaces in the Heartland Bighorn

On the camp side of the U-shaped kitchen, a table extends from the countertop. That table does not extend into the slide room because, as I wrote moments ago, there’s nothing in this portion of the slide room. That means what you do with the space is up to you. 

The main center of this RV is a living space with three seating surfaces, all centered around a giant TV on the forward wall. 

There’s a hide-a-bed couch on the road side, a theater seat couch with its back to the kitchen, and then another set of theater seats in the slide room. Incidentally, the slide boxes are also enormously tall, which gives this space the feeling of openness. It’s quite dramatic. 

Something I noticed in Heartland’s other RV that I walked through was that the armrests on the sofas sort of tilt out. That’s where you’ll find the cup holders and USB charging ports. 

I recently gathered with three other couples and spent the weekend camping. Since it’s November, the weather got pretty chilly as soon as the sun went to bed for the night, and we ended up in one couple’s fifth wheel. But we would have been even more comfortable in something like this, although I wonder if we would have given the owner a hard time for having an RV this huge? 

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. 

Heartland 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. 

First and foremost is a standard anti-lock braking system in this trailer. This 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 keeping 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 14,000 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 crosswinds 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. 

Another good thing is that, while no cameras are included with this, they do have a provision to mount cameras on the back and along the sides so you could have a full observation suite should you wish to. I hope you wish to. 

Conclusions regarding the Heartland Bighorn

I had a chance to see the Heartland Corterra CT3.0 fifth wheel at Open House and, quite frankly, it had the most beautiful interior I have seen in an RV. But we all know that style is subjective. I wish I had wandered inside this unit (I have only seen the video from Myles, below), as it seems to be similar thinking but a different color palette. 

There are some other features I liked, including the very large bedroom upstairs with the little bench and his and hers storage. 

The closet on the upper deck is up in the nose and, while most larger RVs accommodate washer-dryer connections, this one doesn’t compromise closet space for those who don’t find this useful. I don’t like the little semi-closets for the washer-dryer as it just takes away storage space if you’re not all washed up. Per se. 

The example shown had a king-sized bed but no provision for all the noisy gadgets that we’re not supposed to have in the bedroom anyway. Perhaps this is a suggestion or just an oversight. 

Since the washer-dryer would consume water, it’s good to note that the water system in this rig incorporates a whole-house water filtration system, and someone put that in the wet bay rather than under the sink. Kudos to whoever you are, oh-smart-water-filter-placement RV designer. 

I also like the fact that there are no floor ducts for the furnace in here. This proves that you can have a large fifth wheel with a heated underbelly and not have floor ducts that collect “stuff” most of the year for that very special smell the first time you kick on the furnace. 

Some things I would change

There are a few things I would change, one of which is the worthless vent fan in the downstairs bathroom. Yep, there are two in here. On my most recent camping trip we served lots and lots of green chili (hello, we’re in New Mexico!) and it doesn’t always agree with everyone. Having a worthless bathroom vent fan is a real issue. 

The upstairs bathroom has a decent amount of counter space but also has two sinks. I wonder if any couple has dueling toothbrush wars or do they just yield to each other in terms of bathroom usage? I always find two sinks to be silly—but so are a lot of the sentences I use in my articles. 

Other than the fact that this thing is gargantuan, I don’t have specifications, pricing or even holding tank sizes for this beast.

I will leave you with a question. What would you use that open space in the slide room for? A desk? A bar? Just open space with huge windows? I like the thinking here and, as mentioned, Heartland seems to be really stepping up their game in design, features and build, so I like what I see here. 

I don’t have a chart, as this is purely a preproduction unit to gauge dealer interest.

*Oh, on that French up there—Google told me that means, “Here we tackle the tough questions.”

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. We receive 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.

Tony comes to RVtravel.com having worked at an RV dealership and been a life long RV enthusiast. He also has written the syndicated Curbside column about cars. He also works closely with a number of RV manufacturers to get an inside look at how things are done and is a brand ambassador for Rockwood Mini Lite with his wife, Peggy.

You can also check out his RV podcast with his wife, Peggy. 

Got an RV we need to look at? Contact us today and let us know in the form below. Thank you!

-form broken-

##RVT1131