2017 GRAND DESIGN REFLECTION Complaints

THIS NEW VEHICLE, A 9000 LB UVW, WAS DELIVERED WITH BRAKES CONTAMINATED WITH GREASE RENDERING THEM INEFFECTIVE AND CREATING AN UNSAFE CONDITION. NO ACCIDENT OCCURED. THE BRAKES ARE GOING TO BE REPLACED. WHEEL BEARING GREASE BREACHED THE HUB SEALS, CONTAMINATING THE BRAKE DRUMS AND BRAKE SHOES.

JUST PURCHASED AN NEW TRAVEL TRAILER. MANY, MANY REPORTS OF LCI AXLE SEALS LEAKING AND DISPERSING GREASE ON BRAKE ASSEMBLIES. SURE ENOUGH, DEALER HAD TO REPLACE TWO OF FOUR BRAKE ASSEMBLIES, AS WELL AS ALL FOUR SEALS AS THEY ALL HAD LEAKED (TRAILER WAS NEW, JUST DROVE TO DEALER FROM FACTORY). THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED BEFORE SOMEONE IS HURT.

A JUST PURCHASED NEW REFLECTION 337RLS THAT HAS A 11/30/16 DATE IN THE VEHICLE INFORMATION SHEET AND 11/24/16 DATE ON THE SERIAL NUMBER DATA SHEET. THE ONLY MILES ON THE UNIT WERE THE DELIVERY MILES FROM THE PLANT TO THE DEALER IN COLORADO AND THE ~400 MILES ADDED TO THOSE. ON THE TRIP HOME (THE 400 MILES), THE ELECTRIC BREAKS BECAME SIGNIFICANTLY LESS EFFECTIVE TO THE POINT WHERE THE BRAKE CONTROLLER GAIN HAD TO BE SET TO ITS MAXIMUM LEVEL RESULTING IN LIMITED 5TH BREAKING. THE DISCOVERY WAS SIGNIFICANTLY NERVE-RACKING AS DISCOVERY HAPPENED WHEN EXITING THE INTERSTATE AT 65MPH AND A DOWN HILL RAMP! AT THAT TIME, THE GAIN ON THE BRAKE CONTROLLER WAS SET TO THE PREVIOUS SUFFICIENTLY WORKING LEVEL OF 5 (50% OF MAX). AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THE GREASE SEALS WHERE DISCOVERED TO BE BAD ON BOTH AXELS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE AS DISCOVERY OF A LACK OF BRAKES ON THE TOWED VEHICLE CAN OCCUR AT ANYTIME WITHOUT WARNING.

AT 1,850 MILES, THE BRAKES ON THIS UNIT WERE COMPLETELY SATURATED IN WHEEL BEARING GREASE CAUSING THEM TO BECOME INEFFECTIVE AT EVEN THE HIGHEST BRAKE CONTROLLER SETTING. ALL FOUR BRAKES WERE AFFECTED. A TRAILER OF THIS SIZE IS REQUIRED TO HAVE FUNCTIONING BRAKES. THE BRAKES ARE DESIGNED THAT THEY WILL STOP THE VEHICLE IF THE TRAILER BREAKS AWAY FROM THE TOW VEHICLE BY ACTIVATING A BATTERY CONTROLLED BREAK AWAY SWITCH. HOWEVER, SINCE THE BRAKES ARE CONTAMINATED WITH GREASE, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO STOP IN A SAFE DISTANCE. THIS IS MY SECOND GRAND DESIGN VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH LIPPERT MANUFACTURED BRAKES THAT ARE CONTAMINATED WITH GREASE.

GREASE LEAKING FROM AXLE SEALS WITH EXTENSIVE CONTAMINATION OF BRAKES ON 2 OUT OF 4 WHEELS. A 3RD WHEEL IS JUST STARTING TO SHOW SIGNS OF GREASE LEAKING PAST SEAL WITH ONLY THE START OF CONTAMINATION OF BRAKE PAD. LIPPERT AXLE AND BRAKE ASSEMBLIES. APPROXIMATELY 3,420 MILES SINCE MANUFACTURE OF TRAILER IN JUNE 2016. SAFETY CONCERN IS LOSS OF BRAKING ABILITY ON A TRAILER WITH A GVWR OF 11,995 LBS. CONTAMINATION NOTED ON OCTOBER 30, 2016 WHEN OWNER PERFORMED INSPECTION OF AXLE AND BRAKE ASSEMBLIES AFTER LEARNING OF NUMEROUS OTHER OWNERS WITH SIMILAR ISSUES ON THE ONLINE GRAND DESIGN OWNERS FORUM.