The Heartland Mallard M260 is the perfect luxury couple’s trailer. The king-size bed, power jacks, and huge rear bath make this trailer one of a kind. If you’re looking to make some upgrades so your Mallard feels more like home, check out our must-have gear for your next trip.
Technician Tip: If you don’t feel comfortable making these upgrades yourself, you can always reach out to your local Camping World Service Center.
Mattress
One of my favorite features of the M260 is the massive king bed. There’s plenty of room for you and your spouse, as well as a pet or child. However, the mattress is not the most comfortable as I’m sure you will agree. To help you get the best night’s sleep so you wake up refreshed for a full day of camp activities, you’ll want to upgrade the mattress for one with more at-home feels.
I recommend the Brooklyn Bedding Medium 11.5″ Signature Hybrid Mattress. The Brooklyn Bedding Signature Mattress features a quilted top for breathability and a memory foam layer that adjusts to your body each time you move.
Technician Tip: The bedroom mattress is an RV King, which measures 70” wide x 80” long.
Other Mattresses to Consider
Backup Camera
One of the most popular upgrades, if not the most, is a backup camera. A backup camera is essential because it helps you get to your destination safely. The camera is powered on any time you have the running lights active, so it can be used for more than just backing into your campsite. They can give you a clear view of what’s behind, even while driving on the highway.
The M260 is prepped for a backup camera which makes installation super simple. The Trailer Life Pathway 5″ Wireless Backup Camera System is my recommendation because it has a color monitor and built-in camera lights.
Technician Tip: To install, remove the rear cover plate on the camper held in place with four screws. Once these screws are gone, attach the camera to the pre-wired plug and secure it using the same holes as before. Plug the monitor in and that’s it!
Other Backup Cameras to Consider
Portable Generator
A portable generator allows you to use your RV’s electronics without being hooked up to shore power. This means powering your air conditioner on hot summer nights and your coffeemaker in the morning, even when you’re away from the campground. If you ever plan to venture off into the wilderness, you’ll need one of these.
The Cummins Onan P4500i Inverter Portable Generator is a great option for the M260 with enough power for all the essentials. It even comes with a wheel kit to make it easy to move around your campsite and measures 24.5” L x 18.25” W x 20.5” H so you can account for how much storage space you’ll need in your tow vehicle.
Other Portable Generators to Consider
Solar
Solar power has become increasingly popular in the RV industry. It offers many benefits such as freedom from overcrowded campgrounds, reduced generator fuel costs, and increased battery life. Heartland has made it incredibly easy to add solar to your RV. They’ve included a port on the roof for you to plug a panel into and the solar controller needed to regulate it. Therefore, all you must do is pick out a panel.
We recommend the Go Power! 200-Watt Overlander Expansion Kit which offers up to 200 watts and can be bridged together with a second or third panel for even more power.
Other Solar Panels to Consider
Surge Protector
The unspoken heroes of the campground are surge protectors. If you don’t know what these are, I highly recommend you take the time to learn about them. Ideally, every RV owner who uses park power should have one and use it each time they hook up.
Surge protectors guard your camper from wiring issues at the power pedestal. If not caught in time, these issues can send voltage spikes through your camper and into your appliances. If the surge is large enough, it can fry your entire camper and cost you thousands in repairs.
I won’t say this is a common occurrence, but do you want to take the chance? If not, we recommend upgrading to the Hughes Autoformer Power Watchdog RV Surge Protector, which is an industry-leading surge protector that’s built to last.
Other Surge Protectors to Consider
Shore Power
If safety is your utmost concern, you’ll want to take a closer look at your power cord. Not only are the twist-lock style connectors hard to use but they also pose a safety risk as they wear. The more you use your power cord, the looser the contacts get inside the plug. This leads to heat buildup and increases the potential for fires.
If you’ve ever seen a partially melted plug, you now know what likely caused it. To prevent this from happening to you, upgrade to the SmartPlug 30 Amp 30′ Cordset and Inlet to eliminate the loose contact issue and the hard-to-use twist-lock design. The SmartPlug has a much simpler auto-lock system that easily plugs straight in.
Bike Rack
Whether you bring them to exercise or explore, bikes and RVs go hand in hand. The only problem is space, there’s usually not a lot of room for them. No one wants to lug them in and out of the camper each time and they take up too much valuable room in the truck bed.
This leaves you with only a few other options. Thankfully, there are some innovative ways to haul bikes now on your camper such as the Stromberg Carlson Platform-Mount Two-Bike Rack, which mounts to your rear bumper and keeps them out of the way, but is easy to access when you need them.
Toilet
If you’re anything like me, I absolutely do not like plastic toilets. Unfortunately, that’s what most RVs come with nowadays. They are great because they don’t weigh much and are cost-effective. However, the main drawback is that they stain very easily, and these stains hold smell.
If this is an issue you don’t want to deal with, you can swap yours for the Dometic 320 Series Gravity RV Toilet. The Dometic 320 has a residential-height seat for easy up and down, an elongated bowl for comfort, and a ceramic base that cleans quickly.
Technician Tip: The Dometic 320 Series requires a rough-in (distance from the wall to the center of the toilet flange) of 11” or more.
Other Toilets to Consider
Explore some other possible upgrades for your Heartland Mallard M260:
- Everything You Need to Upgrade Your RV Shower
- The 25 Best RV Upgrades by Price and Value
- RV Bedroom Accessories for Better Sleep
If you feel like we have missed any must-have upgrades, let us know in the comments!
