2015 GRAND DESIGN REFLECTION Complaints

THE 5TH WHEEL WAS 2 1/2 MONTHS OLD. AFTER RETURNING FROM A 250 MILE TRIP WE ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE BEDROOM SLIDE AND IT WOULDN'T OPEN. I PLUGGED IN THE ELECTRICAL PLUG AND OPENED THE SLIDE IN ORDER TO UNLOAD THE REMAINING CLOTHES, THEN I CLOSED THE SLIDE. THIS WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 8:00PM. AT 10:45PM MY GIRLFRIEND HEARD THREE LOUD EXPLOSIONS AND WE RAN OUTSIDE TO FIND THE 5TH WHEEL TOTALLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. I BELIEVE NOW THE EXPLOSIONS WERE THE TIRES ON THE 5TH WHEEL. THE FRAMES (BOTH OF THEM) THAT RUN THE LENGTH OF THE 5TH WHEEL WERE BENT APPROXIMATELY 18" TOWARD THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE TRAILER. IN ADDITION BOTH AXLES ARE BEND DOWNWARD. I DON'T IF THIS A RESULT OF THE HEAT OR NOT.

VIN STICKER ON SIDE OF FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER STATES "6000 LB AXLES" BUT TRAILER HAD UNDERSIZED AXLES RATED AT 5200 LB AXLES! GRAND DESIGN RV OWNERS PLEASE CHECK YOU AXLES BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT!

SHORTLY AFTER DELIVERY OF A BRAND NEW 5TH WHEEL TRAVEL TRAILER I BEGAN TO NOTICE GREASE LEAKING FROM THE DRUM. AFTER PULLING THE BRAKE DRUMS I FOUND DARK GREASE HAD MIGRATED PAST THE SEALS AND IN TO THE DRUMS COATING THE INSIDE OF THE DRUMS, BRAKE PAD SURFACES AND MAGNET. THE BRAKE SYSTEM ON MY TRAILER ARE MANUFACTURED AND ASSEMBLED BY LIPPERT COMPONENTS, IND.

I WAS RETURNING FROM A TRIP, WHEN THE ELECTRIC BRAKES ON MY 5TH WHEEL TRAILER STARTED NOT WORKING. EVEN WITH THE BRAKE CONTROLLER GAIN TURNED TO MAXIMUM, THERE WAS LITTLE TO NO BRAKING. I INSPECTED THE BRAKES WHEN I GOT HOME AND FOUND THAT GREASE WAS LEAKING FROM ALL 4 WHEEL BEARING GREASE SEALS COATING THE BRAKE SHOES. THIS WAS ONLY THE 3RD TRIP I HAD TAKEN WITH THIS UNIT AND HAD TOWED IT LESS THAN 2500 MILES TOTAL SINCE PURCHASE IN AUGUST 2014. STOPPING DISTANCE WAS MUCH MORE THAN NORMAL WITH NO TRAILER BRAKES. AN ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED HAD THERE BEEN AN UNUSUAL SITUATION REQUIRING A SUDDEN STOP. MANUFACTURE IS CORRECTING THE PROBLEM UNDER WARRANTY WITH TOTAL BRAKE AND SEAL REPLACEMENT.

THIS IS A NEW TRAILER THAT HAD GREASE ON ALL FOUR BRAKES DUE TO GREASE PASSING THROUGH THE SEALS. THE MANUFACTURER IS THE ONLY ONE THAT HAD PACKED THE WHEEL BEARINGS. THE HUBS WERE FILLED WITH GREASE INDICATING THAT THE "EASY-LUBE" FEATURE HAD BEEN USED TO PACK THE BEARINGS. I DON'T BELIEVE THE SEALS ARE BAD, I BELIEVE THE PROCEDURES ARE FLAWED. FIFTH WHEELS OF THIS WEIGHT SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS TYPE OF AXLE. THERE AREN'T ANY SEALS THAT ARE GOING TO CONTAIN THE GREASE FROM A GREASE GUN THAT IS FILLING THE HUB .

LIPPERT BRAKE SHOES AND MAGNETS CONTAMINATED WITH GREASE. GREASE SEAL BLEW OUT WITH EXCESSIVE GREASE AND/OR FAULTY SEALS. STOPPING ABILITY OF VEHICLE EXTREMELY IMPACTED AND DANGEROUS