Heartland VIN Decoder & VIN Check — Models, Recalls, Specs, MPG & Safety
“Heartland: A Family Built RV”
Heartland Recreational Vehicles, LLC is an American manufacturer of travel trailers and fifth-wheel RVs headquartered in Elkhart, Indiana, and a division of Thor Industries since 2010. Founded in 2003 by Brian Brady, a former Damon Corporation executive, Heartland grew rapidly in mid-market towable RVs and was acquired by Thor in October 2010 for $230 million.
Heartland produces fifth-wheel RVs (Big Country, Bighorn, Cyclone, Edge, ElkRidge, Gateway, Landmark, Sundance), travel trailers (Mallard, North Trail, Pioneer, Prowler, Sundance, Trail Runner, Wilderness), and toy haulers (Cyclone, Torque). Brand identity emphasizes value pricing and standard floorplans aimed at mass-market RV buyers. The Bighorn and Landmark are Heartland's premium fifth-wheel lines competing with Forest River Cardinal and Keystone Montana.
Heartland's parent Thor Industries trades on the NYSE under THO. Recall data for every Heartland VIN sold in the US is reported to NHTSA. ForCar.org decodes any Heartland VIN to surface trim, factory options, open recalls and original delivery price.
Heartland at a glance
- Founded
- 2003
- Founder
- Brian Brady
- Headquarters
- Elkhart, Indiana, USA
- Parent
- Thor Industries (NYSE: THO, since 2010)
- Acquisition price
- $230M (October 2010)
- Specialty
- Mid-market fifth wheels and travel trailers
- Premium fifth wheel
- Bighorn, Landmark
- Sister brands
- Jayco, Keystone, Crossroads (Thor)
- Basic warranty
- 1 year / 12,000 miles
- Powertrain warranty
- 3 years / 36,000 miles
Decode any Heartland VIN
Enter a 17-character VIN below to retrieve the trim, factory options, original window-sticker MSRP and any open NHTSA recall affecting that specific vehicle. ForCar.org pulls the same dataset that Heartland dealers use to notify owners of safety recalls.
VIN Decoder
Signature Heartland technology
Heartland heritage
Brian Brady founded Heartland Recreational Vehicles in 2003 after his tenure at Damon Corporation, with initial focus on fifth-wheel RVs. The company grew to 21 sub-brands and over $250 million in annual revenue within seven years. Thor Industries acquired Heartland in October 2010 for $230 million, with Brady continuing as president for several years post-acquisition before retirement. Heartland's rapid growth from 2003-2010 is often cited as a case study in mid-market RV market entry.
Market position
Heartland competes in the mid-market towable RV segment alongside Thor sister brands (Jayco, Keystone, Crossroads) and against Forest River sub-brands (Cherokee, Wildwood, Sandpiper). The Bighorn and Landmark fifth-wheels target mid-premium pricing competing with Keystone Montana and Forest River Cardinal. Heartland's positioning emphasizes value-for-money and standard floorplans rather than premium materials or unique design, suiting first-time and budget-conscious RV buyers.
New-vehicle warranty
HEARTLAND VIN Decoder — Free VIN Check Video Guide
Watch our quick HEARTLAND VIN decoder walkthrough. Learn how to decode any HEARTLAND VIN number to get full vehicle history, recall alerts, specifications, fuel economy (MPG), safety ratings, and known problems — completely free on ForCar.org.
All Heartland models (37)
Frequently asked questions
When was Heartland founded and by whom?
Heartland was founded in 2003 by Brian Brady and is headquartered in Elkhart, USA.
Where is the VIN on a Heartland vehicle?
The 17-character VIN appears in four standard locations: dashboard at the windshield base (driver side), driver-side door jamb sticker, the engine bay (firewall or engine block stamping), and the vehicle's title, registration and insurance documents.
How many Heartland models can ForCar.org decode?
ForCar.org indexes 37 Heartland nameplates. Any 17-character Heartland VIN is decoded against the NHTSA dataset to return trim, factory options, open recalls and original window-sticker MSRP.
What is the Heartland warranty?
Basic: 1 year / 12,000 miles. Powertrain: 3 years / 36,000 miles (chassis-dependent).
How to check Heartland recalls by VIN?
Enter your VIN in the decoder above. ForCar.org queries NHTSA's open-recall dataset for that specific VIN and returns any safety recalls or Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) that affect your vehicle.
Disambiguation: This page covers Heartland Recreational Vehicles (the Thor Industries division) — not Heartland Industries (a separate Indiana manufacturer) or any unrelated heartland trademarks.
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