GRAND DESIGN Complaints

We have signs of excessive frame flex in a Grand Design Reflection RV. We have allowed them 2x to inspect and they have botched both inspections. We keep being told there is no TSB or frame flex in reflections, which is not accurate as there are owners who have had cracked welds and major frame failure in reflections units. Grand Design needs to step up and support all customers not just momentum and solitudes because they are under investigation. I urge the NHTSA to expand their investigation to all Grand Design Models. Here is the list of signs of upper desk frame flex we have in our unit: 1. Lag bolts were backing out in bedroom (these have been replaced during the 2 botched inspections) 2. Graphics slightly bunching near trim 3. Screws backing out that hold on philon trim (we have been having to keep tightening them). 4. Philon trim had shifted significantly since it was just replaced (after 1 hr drive home from shop where my husband confirmed there were not gaps). 5. We also do have some noise hitching and unhitching like a creaking. We had 1st inspection in early 2024. It was botched. GD dealer did not follow procedures. We had 2nd late 2024. This too was botched. We have requested a GD SRT be sent to do a proper inspection and repair with us being able to observe the inspection. This request still unresolved going on a month. We have had our main door fixed multiple times because it does not close properly (could result in door opening while in motion). This could be due to frame flexing. We had a major issue on a trip in Nov 2023 in which both of our axles “bent” and we almost blew our 2 tires. This could have been catastrophic and we believe this may be due to under designed components or frame flexing. We also have frame cracks (at least one on each side of the ibeam main frame) that have been confirmed and are scheduled for repair 1/22/25. 1. Frame - yes 2. See above 3. See above 4. See above 5. Not specifically other than noted above

-Movement at the kingpin when lowered on tow vehicle along with door side wall and upper cap separations, major concern especially while traveling for us and other traffic -bedroom slide not coming all the way in remaining several inches out from where it’s suppose to this is the most recent issues added to our growing list) this is a major concern for us and other traffic while traveling -both exterior main doors and 2 cargo doors do not shut properly and pop open major concern while traveling (shifting door frames) -grease cap on same wheel has come off 3 times the first before we pulled out of the dealership and the 2nd within a couple hours after leaving the dealership also a big concern being part of the traveling part of this vehicle -water leaks in the upper deck, we don’t know where it’s coming from and found water dripping out from back side of kingpin and other places in the camper

The steel Frame of the 5th wheel trailer developed broken welds and cracked metal tubing. This information should be included in the following current investigation. ODI PE24029

After reading of other owners of similar and identical models like mine having frame cracks, I made a point to inspect my trailer’s I beam chassis and I discovered horizontal cracks within the I beam, one on each side, over the suspension area. Every picture I have seen looks just like mine, a rusty L shaped crack adjacent to a crossmember welded on the backside of this area. You can see the shape of this crossmember through the surface of the I beam, indicating the metal is quite thin. It took me only a couple minutes to find, as I knew exactly where to look, based on the numerous stories I’ve read about. Upon further inspection, I also found suspect welds that look burned through the frame, leaving a hole behind. This makes me question the quality of the rest of the trailer’s frame. There is also a crossmember at the front of the trailer with a distinct bend in it at the bottom, where the top remains fairly straight. This, to me, is another indication that the frame is flexing and causing this member to fold as a result. After discovering this, I later learned many other owners have the same issue, and one had a complete A frame failure in that area. Also, I have discovered that all four of my trailer’s leaf springs are flattening out, and they remain this way with all personal items removed from the unit. As it sits now, it is within a handful of pounds of the original purchase weight, and the leafs have not sprung back. We have an appointment scheduled directly with the manufacturer in Indiana to have these issues repaired, among a laundry list of less safety related issues we’ve experienced since ownership. We’ve known of these major issues since August of 2024 and have waited 6 months for our appointment for repairs. We have declined from using this trailer during this time as we don’t have confidence that it can safely be towed. I am to understand, the wait time is due to a large influx of other trailers being brought in for major repair.

We have excessive Frame Flex. Cargo doors and entry doors open on the road spilling storage contents on road. Axle Equalizer welds breaking. Doors Binding. Vehicle is overweight from factory, over specified weight placard on sticker. This is an on-going problem with Grand Design's larger 5th wheel trailers. They are unsafe on the roads.

The Driver side rear outer wheel bearing seized and the wheel including drum came off the axle while driving about 30mph. The wheel rolled down the road but fortunately did not hit any other vehicles. The RV was towed to RV dealership. Dealership could not determine root cause of failure. The RV had approximately 10,000 miles on the trailer before incident. The bearings has been inspected and repacked prior to trip by certified RV tech. Before trip started RV was weighed at CAT certified truck scale and combined rear axle weight was 9200 lbs. Each axle is rated at 5200 lbs. Owner of RV contacted Dexter Axle, the manufacturer of the axle. As a second owner, warranty was no longer valid. Dexter representative did state that the replacement 5200lb axle outer bearing has been changed to a larger bearing. The representative stated that the reason for change was not due to reported failures but consolidation. The owner had both axles replaced with 6000lb axles and has driven 1250 miles since incident.

I am experiencing major frame failure. My propane doors on both sides have opened while towing. Gotten so bad i had to duct tape them shut. Not safe pulling over to do this. The main cause of this happening is Frame Flexing which i can confirm with a video i took. I can also see my frame flexing while hitching and unhitching trailer. My top floors are squeaking badly which is indicative to my frame bending and breaking welds. Doing research I have seen pictures of other trailers the same year with broken and cracked frames. This poses a safety issue while towing as i feel the trailer can break away from the tow rig and cause some serious damage.

The contact owns a 2022 Grand Design Momentum. The contact stated that there was sawdust in the trailer and the frame was sinking. The contact stated that the cabinets were loose and were detaching from the frame. There was evidence that the frame was flexing. The contact noticed a lot of movement and bending with the frame. The contact stated that the front hitch and furniture were detaching from the walls. The screws were not properly torqued. Additionally, there was water entering through the slides. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The RV was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.

I own a 2021 Grand Design Momentum 381m. In august of this year we found broken welds and bolts in our RV frame. The dealer we took it to told us grand design has known about the issue for several years but refuses to issue a recall, instead they issued a service bulletin. GD told us on the phone, there have been no catastrophic failures yet, so there is no need for a recall. Blue Compass RV in Prescott, AZ, at the direction of GD, welded the frame and told us it was good to drive back home to Florida. Once back in FL, we took the RV to the dealer we purchased it from to have the cabinets repaired, the frame flexing caused damage to the cabinets in the front of the RV. The dealer told us the frame was not fixed and needed to go to the factory in Indiana for repair. We have been unable to use our RV for 3 months now. We are currently waiting for our RV to be transported to the GD factory on 8 Jan 2025.

Upon inspection of the frame based on other complaints of frame cracking, I found approximate 2" cracks in the steel I beam frame rail above the leaf spring hangers. I read that this is indicative of frame flex and compromised or wrong steel thickness of the I beam. Im currently working with the manufacture to resolve this, but I'm concerned of the quality of the entire frame rails and the safety/integrity of possible repairs.