2017 GRAND DESIGN MOMENTUM Complaints

THE CURB SIDE ELECTRIC DRUM BRAKES ON BOTH AXLES OF OUR TANDEM AXLE FIFTH WHEEL RV ARE GREASED AND HAVE FAILED. THE ROOT CAUSE SEEMS TO BE THE FAILURE OF THE DOUBLE LIP INNER GREASE SEAL. IT ALLOWS GREASE INTO THE BRAKE ASSEMBLY WHERE IT IS FLUNG ABOUT SATURATING THE SHOES AND SPLATTERING ON FRICTION SURFACES. THE ATTACHED PICTURES SHOW THE SHOES AND ELECTROMAGNETS ARE COVERED IN GREASE AS IS THE WHEEL HUB, ARMATURE AND MISCELLANEOUS BRAKE COMPONENTS. THE RESULT WAS NEAR TOTAL LOSS OF TRAILER BRAKING ON THAT SIDE OF THE RV PLACING OUR LIVES AND THAT OF OTHERS IN DANGER IN BOTH HIGHWAY AND URBAN DRIVING. BOTH ELECTROMAGNETS ON THE CURB SIDE FELL OUT OF THEIR RESPECTIVE ASSEMBLIES WHEN THE HUBS WERE PULLED SUGGESTING THE RETAINERS HAD EITHER BEEN LEFT OFF OR HAD FALLEN OUT AT SOME POINT. NO RETAINERS WERE RECOVERED. IN GENERAL DRIVING AND BRAKING SCENARIOS IN THE CITY AND ON HIGHWAYS, WE HAVE EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT LACK OF ASSISTIVE BRAKING FROM THE RV TRAILER. IN REMOVING THE FACTORY BRAKE HUBS RECENTLY, WE DISCOVERED GREASE ALL OVER TWO OF THE FOUR BRAKE ASSEMBLIES. THIS FAILURE IS COMMON ACROSS THE RV INDUSTRY ACCORDING TO THE OWNER'S FORUMS. A POLL ON THE GRAND DESIGN OWNER'S FORUM LISTS 136 OWNERS AT THE TIME OF THIS WRITING THAT HAVE HAVE HAD SOME OR ALL OF THEIR FACTORY BRAKES FAIL DUE TO INNER GREASE SEAL FAILURES. HTTP://WWW.GRANDDESIGNOWNERS.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP/8531-POLL-HOW-MANY-OF-YOU-HAVE-HAD-YOUR-GREASE-SEALS-FAIL?P=104366#POST104366 SINCE THIS FAILURE IS HIDDEN FROM VIEW, WE CANNOT BE PRECISE AS TO WHEN THE FAILURES OCCURRED. OUR SEALS FAILED SOMETIME BETWEEN DELIVERY FROM THE FACTORY TO THE DEALER IN EARLY MAY 2016 TO MARCH 19TH OF 2017 WHEN WE PUT OUR RV IN STORAGE. WE HAVE DRIVEN IT ABOUT 5000 MILES OVER THAT TIME. THE FAILED BRAKE HUBS WERE PULLED BETWEEN MARCH 25 AND MARCH 26TH.

A KNOWN PROBLEM ON MANY GRAND DESIGN UNITS, TOLD BY BOTH THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER THAT PROBLEM HAS BEEN FIXED, AND THAT UPON DELIVERY, THE BRAKES ON MY NEW UNIT, DELIVERED ON 09/23/16, WERE CHECKED OUT, AND GREASE FREE. UPON ARRIVING AT MY HOME, ONE WEEK LATER, BRAKES ARE COVERED WITH GREASE AND MY RV SERVICE REPAIR CENTER SAID THE UNIT NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN DRIVEN AS IT IS UNSAFE. I AWAIT GRAND DESIGN'S RESPONSE, PHOTOS HAVE BEEN TAKEN, BUT AFTER REVIEWING ALL THE GREASED BRAKE COMPLAINTS ON THE GRAND DESIGN OWNERS FORUM, I DECIDED THIS PROBLEM IS LIFE THREATENING TO ALL OWNERS, NEW AND OLD, OF GRAND DESIGN RV'S, AND ALL SHOULD BE RECALLED.