GRAND DESIGN Complaints

The vehicle is experiencing severe frame flex causing the 2 passenger side entry doors to open while traveling down the highway in addition to rubbing the interior cabinetry against the side walls of the interior and causing the furnishings to be damaged. When the doors are wide open items can easily fly out of the vehicle while traveling making my personal items projectile hazards. The vehicle has been diagnosed for frame issues by an authorized repair facility "Busted Knuckle RV" in Las Vegas Nevada. Grand Designs did not authorize the repair facility to perform the necessary inspection work and Informed the shop that I would be liable for the cost of the initial tear down inspection that can average $5,000.00 The unit has had saw dust and rub marks on the interior since we first purchased the unit and transported it from Texas to our home in Arizona. We were not sure what caused this rubbing of the furniture on the interior and were later informed that this is caused by extreme frame flex or failure. The pinch style moldings that cover the seams on the front cap of the rv have loosened while driving and flap in the wind while traveling down the highway, I have since been forced to apply silicone to keep these in place. This style of molding is designed to stay in place without having to apply any adhesive to them. The doors have opened while on the highway on several occasions causing great concern considering we only use the vehicle approximately 6 trips per year.

Frame failure. We had a fixed window fall off. Grand Design sent me a replacement window but I had to pay to have it installed. Then I had a trim piece fall off of the front-side and the identical piece on the opposite side was starting to come off. We also had sawdust appearing upfront when we would arrive to our destination and the front floor was starting to make noise when we walked. I also noticed the under-covering around the rv hitch going up into the rv when I hooked it up to my truck. Several screws have sheared in the compartment door frames. GD had the dealership take measurements/do test to confirm frame issues. GD sent a tech to Great American Rv, dealership in Hammond, Louisiana, to repair my camper along with several others. Supposedly the frame has been repaired, but the GD tech noted extra damages on the off door side of the RV. They said the relief cut on that side is still flexing and that there is a broke weld in the wall. GD stated that the broke weld falls outside of the structural warranty, but will only pay 1/2 of labor. Great American RV said there is another rv currently there with the same issue. It was dropped off at the dealership 12/19/2024 and is still being repaired.

FRAME & STRUCTURE FAILURE What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Frame failure - yes, it is available How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Structure failure during transport would cause obvious harm and possibly deaths Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No, this is our first step Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Not since the issue occurred. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No. Current symptoms are: Huge gap in filon (1 inch or greater) by pin box, sawdust and trim falling off in bedroom closet, doors opening during travel - pantry door, refrigerator door, laundry door in bedroom.

2019 Grand Design Momentum 397ms (VIN: [XXX] ) I am having to file this NHTSA (potential frame failure) complaint with assistance from Pete West, who is acting as my RV consumer advocate due to the fact that my husband, who was unarmed snd violently shot and killed on [XXX], by an off-duty Ft. Lauderdale police officer, right in front of me in our RV park over an RV park management dispute. I have reached out to Pete West ([email protected]) for his assistance with this. Our/my RV was purchased “used” from General RV in June 2024. There are a wide variety of other non-related issues to this complaint that will be addressed with the dealership and Grand Design directly. Front main door comes open during transport Cargo doors have also come open during transport and had to resecure them. Slide-outs do partially come out during transport Upon hitching truck up to the pin box noticing pin box movement up into the upper deck (unclear about amount of pin box movement). We have also noticed electrical outlets (kitchen island and bedroom) got burned out for no foreseeable reason (inoperative) and concerned about potential fire. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

My unit has had multiple frame failures. this is where the frame is literally breaking due to being under engineered by the manufacturer. There are many things that happen due to this. walls don't line up floors squeak, doors wont close. But the worst problem of all is the danger of towing. With a broken frame many things can happen including loss of life. This is what I fear the most. I have had this repaired once already by the factory and it is doing the same things again. I feel unsafe in and towing my unit.

In 2024 Grand Design repaired cracked welds and separated wall structures related to frame flex. One year later, the unit is back in the shop at Grand Design for the same symptoms, they updated there is a crack near pinbox and separation at bulkheads.

The upper deck portion of the 5th wheel frame has been moving independently of the walls which is commonly referred to as "frame flex" or "frame failure", as evidenced by the following: a gap between the wall and floor in the bedroom above the upper deck, pin box receding into the trailer, loose, bent, and missing lag bolts which connect the upper deck to the frame, irregular slide operation in the bedroom above the upper deck, man doors in the trailer being out of square, cargo doors opening during travel, separation of the seam between the filon and "nose", squeaky flooring in the bedroom above the upper deck. The manufacturer has offered to transport the trailer to their manufacturing facility and perform what they are calling a "super" inspection if we agree to sign a release and non-disclosure agreement. The structural components of the trailer are covered by a 5 year warranty which should not require a release and NDA. The trailer is not safe and would be irresponsible to use in its current condition. The "super inspection" repair scope is vague, and the required legal agreement should not be required because the trailer is within the warranty period. The trailer spent almost 10 months at an authorized repair facility. The work done at the repair facility did not resolve or fully and correctly address the frame related issues. The repair facility has in its possession approx 400 pictures of the work performed on our trailer which they will not release to us. The work orders associated with the work done during the 10 months that the trailer was in the repair facility are vague and do not detail what was or was not done.

Frame tore/broke at welds where upper deck(living room) attaches to frame. Fiberglass on exterior tore as a result.

Frame failure in front end of fifthwheel. Reported and rewarded at factory. Failure to install all lag bolts holding front of frame to structure. Four baggage doors damaged from movement.

My fifthwheel was installed with improper lag bolts, causing frame flex issues. I lost my roof going down the highway last year, pass-through storage compartment doors coming open during transit. Along with that, interior damage became apparent early on after the purchase of the RV, indicating a much greater problem than anticipated. Grand Design sent out an SRT to repair my unit; however, they failed to pull the pylon down off the front of the unit to inspect the frame welds. I may have an impending disaster going down the roadway in the future. All but one lag bolt was being held in under tension. The unit could have become detached from the tow vehicle, and the safety braking mechanism likely wouldn't have engaged. If my roof came completely off, or items would have fallen out of the pass-through compartments, this could have easily caused a major accident leading to fatalities on the highway.