GRAND DESIGN Complaints

Bolts going thru frame to exterior walls were broken, missing and or loose. While driving down the road the whole front of our trailer was loose and made our tow vehicle feel like it was not in control at some points. The problem started sometime around March or April of 2023 we think. We reported it in May 2023 and took it to the dealer in June 2023. At that time we were told they tightened up the bolts and we were safe for travels. We took it back to the dealer in July of 2023 and still the same comments from the dealer and nothing from the manufacturer. Finally in November 2023 we had had enough and between being in front of the dealer and calling the manufacturer it went back to the shop in January of 2024 to get fixed. After lots of research and talking to fellow Grand Design owners this appears to be a regular occurring issue and the manufacturer has not done anything to make good on it unless you fuss a little bit. The main issue is the bolts going thru the frame into the walls are to small. Putting 3/8” bolts in an 1/2” hole and they were about a 1/2” short into the wall with no type of fasteners or something to hold them in place or keep them from loosing up. When they made the repairs they put in 1/2” bolts and added some cyberbond to hold them in place and then added a thru bolt in the frame close the the end of the wall under the cap.

Structural Frame Failure. We found frame damage at a rest stop while traveling down the interstate. We observed side wall separations and multiple cracks in the welds around the pin box. The 5th wheel trailer was taken to a commercial truck frame repair shop in Florida and after opening up the panel underneath the pin box we discovered multiple breaks/cracks in the structural frame. We filed and insurance claim and an adjuster came out and photo documented all the frame damages along with documenting the overall build construction of the frame. The insurance company denied the claim primarily due to “manufacturing defects” and they clearly documented this in their report. We attempted to repair the visible damage to the frame. However, we suspected there was likely additional frame damage behind the walls and front cap which we could not visually see without removing. This was not done due to the large expense required just to remove and insurance and the manufacture denied our claim. We have discovered that there are many other people who have or are experience the exact same frame issues we have experienced and decided to file a claim with NHTSA as a result since the manufacture is denying any liability except for new units within their 2 to 3 year manufacture limited frame warranty. Our 5th wheel was only about 5 years old when frame failure occurred.

Frame Failure: Welds broke, and walls separated. The dealer and manufacturer acknowledged the issue and repaired the issue.

As we were driving down the road, the frame had a catastrophic frame failure where the frame was split in half ,and almost departed from the entire towing portion of the trailer. The trailer is not in our possession any longer because the insurance company deemed it totaled . Thankfully, we were not driving fast and we were able to pull over safely dragging the entire RV along the highway. The Rv was inspected by the insurance company . There was no warning prior to the incident, however it has come to light that this is happening amongst many RV trailers and 5th wheels.

Broken frame where the pin box is the hitch part that connects to the truck very very unsafe

The frame has failed on our rv it is flexing when being pulled and we are afraid it may fail completely and break free from the pull vehicle. They are calling this frame flex and seems to be common please don't wait until a complete failure happens and people get hurt to address this issue.

The contact owns a 2021 Grand Design Momentum 397 Fifth Wheel. The contact stated that there were tears in the metal of the subframe. While driving at unknown speeds, the RV was bouncy. After connecting to a truck and towing the truck, the RV became unsteady. The local dealer was not contacted. The RV was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the frame manufacturer. The contact called the Lippert manufacturer and was informed about measuring the distance of the subframe. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.

VIN: [XXX] 2022 Grand Design Momentum 395ms has frame failure and welds are breaking, cabinets slowly dislodging from interior walls. Also, not in my case yet but many have their pin boxes coming loose while driving down U.S. roadways. This is a danger to owners and others on the road if they finally break. Grand Design's Service Response Team came out to verify our frame failure and said it is just within tolerance but it is happening and that we needed to take it back to Grand Design to get it repaired as soon as possible. I have an [XXX] appointment to get it fixed but this is a much bigger problem for others with more serious frame failure. There are also people that have taken their RVs back a second time because repairs were not done correctly. They apparently are trying to get people to sign Non-Disclosure Agreements before repairs are made. The parent company Winnebago and Grand Design know this happening to other Grand Design 5th wheel owners people with 5th wheels. The bolts holding the walls to the frames are coming loose. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

We have frame failure on our trailer, we have not taken it apart yet to give all the details on the welds broken but metal is starting to come out from the fiberglass, and our cabinets inside came part. We contacted Grand Design and they stated as second owners there is no warranty, we contacted Lippert they said to reach out to GD and our insurance said they do not repair manufacturing issues. We will be taking to a shop at the end of February and will have a better understanding of all the issues.

Frame started to flex excessively in the king-pin area and on the inside, above the king-pin area. Issue was confirmed by independent RV dealer. The movement exceeded Lipperts stated limits for the frame to flex. After consulting with Grand Design and Lippert, instructed to take RV to local Grand Design dealer for further inspection and repair. Dealer found broken welds on the frame, broken bolts attaching side wall to frame, and missing bolts intended to attach wall to frame. After authorization by Grand Design and Lippert, Lippert send repair tech Onsight to repair. Broken welds were repaired with additional steel added to frame and missing/broken bolts replaced.