GRAND DESIGN Complaints

THE SUSPENSION HANGER, THE PIECE THAT HOLDS LEAF SPRING AND IS ATTACHED TO THE FRAME OF THE TRAILER, BROKE CLEAN THROUGH ON INBOARD REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE SUSPENSION FAILURE WAS DISCOVERED WHILE PARKED AND DURING ROUTINE LUBRICATION OF THE SUSPENSION WET BOLTS. THE COMPONENT IS AN INVERTED U BRACKET, THE TOP OF WHICH ATTACHES TO THE TRAILER FRAME, THE ARMS OF WHICH, IN CONJUNCTION WITH A WET BOLT PROVIDE THE MOUNTING LOCATION FOR THE REAR EYE OF THE LEAF SPRING. ONE LEG OF THIS U BRACKET, AND CONSEQUENTLY ONE END OF THE BOLT ATTACHING THE LEAF SPRING TO THE BODY COMPLETELY FAILED, BREAKING CLEAN AWAY FROM THE FRAME. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THE REAR DRIVER SIDE LEAF SPRING BRACKET HAS DEVELOPED A CRACK, BUT HAS NOT PROPAGATED THROUGH THE ENTIRE ARM OF THE BRACKET. FORTUNATELY THIS SUSPENSION FAILURE WAS DISCOVERED WHILE THIS 10,000LB VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND FAIRLY EARLY AS THE ARM OF THE SUSPENSION HAD NOT YET HUNG TO A HANGING POSITION. WITH THE OTHER HANGER BEGINNING TO FAIL, THIS VEHICLE WOULD POSE A SIGNIFICANT HAZARD TO PERSONS AND PROPERTY WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE IS LESS THAN 2 YEARS OLD, IT HAS BEEN TRAILERED LESS THAN 3000 MILES, HAS BEEN LOADED WITHIN GVWR LIMITS, HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, HAS SUSTAINED NO BODY DAMAGE. *DT CONSUMER CONTACTED MANUFACTURER OF THE FRAME AND SUSPENSION COMPONENTS. CARFAX CANNOT PROCESS THIS REQUEST. *JB

WE WERE IN ROUTE TO ASSATEAGUE FOR THE WEEKEND WHEN OUR AWNING SOMEHOW OPENED & DETACHED FROM OUR CAMPER WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON RT 50 IN MARYLAND. I BELIEVE IT FAILED DUE TO BEING BLOWN OPEN BY THE WIND, BUT I AM UNSURE. WHEN IT DETACHED, IT VIOLENTLY FLAILED AROUND DAMAGING THE EXTERIOR OF THE TRAILER. WE WERE ON THE CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE WHEN THE EVENT OCCURRED WITH THE AWNING FLAILING AROUND BY CARS & THE BRIDGE STRUCTURE. AS SOON AS I HEARD THE SOUND, I IMMEDIATELY DROPPED OUR SPEED TO A CRAWL & STARTED LOOKING AROUND AND SAW THE AWNING FLAILING AROUND VIOLENTLY ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CAMPER. WHEN IT BECAME DETACHED IT STRUNG OVER THE TOP OF THE CAMPER TO THE OTHER SIDE, NOW HANGING OVER ON BOTH SIDES. OTHER DRIVERS WHO WITNESSED WHAT HAPPENED GAVE US SPACE AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET OFF THE BRIDGE & OFF THE ROAD SAFELY WITHOUT HITTING ANY VEHICLES. WE ARE UNCLEAR WHY IT CAME DISCONNECTED FROM THE CAMPER. AS ALWAYS, WE PREFORMED OUR PRE-TRIP INSPECTIONS, AND EVERYTHING WAS CLOSED AND SECURE. AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE, WE HAD ALREADY BEEN ON THE ROAD FOR OVER 2 HOURS AND EVERYTHING WAS AS NORMAL. WE BELIEVE THERE WAS A FAILURE WITH THE DESIGN OR HARDWARE WHICH ALLOWED THE WIND TO OPEN THE AWNING CREATING A PARACHUTE LIKE EVENT AND THE SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE. IT IS A MIRACLE THAT NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE DAMAGED & THAT I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE TRUCK & TRAILER ON THE BRIDGE. AFTER WE REACHED OUR DESTINATION, WE SEARCHED THE INTERNET FOR ISSUES SUCH AS THIS & LOW & BEHOLD THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE. HTTPS://WWW.RV.NET/FORUM/INDEX.CFM/FUSEACTION/THREAD/TID/27277249/PRINT/TRUE.CFM. WE TOOK THE COACH THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY TO BECKLEY'S RV & WERE ADVISED BY THE SHOP FOREMAN THAT HE HAS SEEN THIS HAPPEN OVER 100 TIMES. WHAT!!! I FEEL THAT MY FAMILY, OR OTHERS COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT & OR KILLED WITH THIS EVENT. *DT*JB

THE BRAKE ASSEMBLIES MANUFACTURED BY LIPPERT COMPONENTS INC ON THIS RV AND MANY OTHER RV'S HAVE AN ISSUE KNOWN BY THE MAUFACTURER RELATED TO AXLE GREASE LEAKING PAST THE INNER LIP SEAL. THE EXCESS LEAKING GREASE CONTAMINATES THE BRAKE PAD AND DRUM CONTACT SURFACES RESULTING IN SEVERLY DIMINISHED BRAKING ABILITY, WHICH COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT IN EMERGENCY STOPPING SITUATIONS.

SPRINGS GOING FLAT OR FAILING. SEVERAL REPORTS ON GD FACEBOOK PAGE. I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO. CALLED GD FOR HELP BUT NO RESULTS. THEY CLAIM THEY HAD PROBLEMS WITH DEXTER AXLES BUT NOT LIPPERT AXLES. I CALLED LIPPERT AND THEY PRETTY MUCH SAID THERE HAS BEEN ISSUES BUT THEY SEND GD WHAT THEY ASK FOR. *DT CONSUMER STATED FLAT SPRINGS WERE REPLACED.*JB

I'VE HAD 2 WHEEL BEARING FAILURES ON THE SAME WHEEL. I'M WONDERING IF THE UNIT IS OVER WEIGHT FOR THESE BEARINGS. GVWR 9995 LB, 2 AXLES RATED 4400 LB EACH, 1536 LB HITCH WEIGHT. UNIT GVWR OF 9995 LB MINUS HITCH WEIGHT OF 1536 LB PUTS 8459 LB ON THE AXLES. TWO 4400 LB AXLES MEANS 8800 LB TOTAL AXLE STRENGTH MINUS 8459 LB TRAILER WEIGHT MEANS AXLES SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT. EXCEPT THAT IT RUNS ON RVD-H 65535 HUBS. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT "65535" TRANSLATES TO: 6 BOLT, 5.5 INCHES BETWEEN BOLTS AND THE 35 MEANS 3500 LB BEARINGS. IF THE STRENGTH OF AN AXLE IS LIMITED BY ITS WEAKEST COMPONENT THEN IT SEEMS THAT THE WEIGHT LIMIT OF THE AXLE SHOULD BE 3500 LB INSTEAD OF 4400 LB, AND IF THE WEIGHT LIMIT OF THE AXLES IS ACTUALLY 3500 LB INSTEAD OF 4400 LB THEN THE AXLES WOULD BE OVERLOADED BY 1459 LB, I.E. 8459 LB MINUS 7000 LB = 1459 LB WHEN THE WHEEL BEARING FAILED THE FIRST TIME IT WAS REPLACED WITH A 3500 LB. BEARING. AT THAT TIME I DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM. I AM NOT AN ENGINEER. MAYBE THE COMPONENTS ARE ADEQUATE FOR THE JOB. I KNOW THAT COMPONENTS ARE USUALLY RATED WELL BELOW WHAT THEY CAN TOLERATE BUT, ON THE OTHER HAND, IF THE MANUFACTURER IS USING SUB PAR COMPONENTS TO SAVE A LITTLE MONEY THEN MAYBE THEY SHOULD BE "ENCOURAGED" TO SAVE THE MONEY ON LESS STRATEGIC COMPONENTS. THESE BREAKDOWNS HAVE ALREADY COST ME OVER $1500. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AT MILE MARKER 400 ON I-25 IN NORTHERN NEW MEXICO. TRAVELING STRAIGHT, WARNING MESSAGE CAME ON DASH STATING THAT THE TRAILER BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED. *DT CONSUMER STATED HE IS NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER.*JB

DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY I-10 FROM NEW BRAUNFELS, TEXAS TO HOUSTON, TEXAS. THE FIRST TIRE BLEW OUT ON PASSENGER SIDE OF OUR NEW FIFTH WHEEL RV.

SUSPECTED DIMINISHED BRAKING ACTION WHILE TOWING MY 2016 GRAND DESIGN 313 RLTS 37 FOOT RV. WE TOWED FROM THE NORTHEAST TO THE SOUTHWEST THIS LAST SEPTEMBER. ONCE ARRIVING AT OUR DESTINATION AND PLACING THE RV IN STORAGE I BEGAN RESEARCHING THE BRAKE SET UP. THE MANUFACTURER OF THE AXLES LIPPERT COMPONENTS, INC HAD PUT OUT A NOTICE THAT AFFECTED MY RV. THE NOTICE DESCRIBED AN ANOMALY DURING THE ASSEMBLY PROCESS WHERE TOO MUCH WHEEL BEARING GREASE WAS INTRODUCED TO THE HUB ASSEMBLY. THIS CAUSED THE SEALS TO FAIL ALLOWING THE GREASE TO CONTAMINATE THE CRITICAL BRAKE COMPONENTS. MORE SPECIFICALLY THE BRAKE LININGS, ACTIVATION MAGNETS AND THE CORRESPONDING SURFACES OF THE BRAKE DRUM THE COME IN CONTACT WITH. THIS DIMINISHES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE BRAKING ACTION SEVERELY. UNDER THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES COULD PROVE DISASTROUS. EVEN FATAL TO NOT ONLY THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER OF THE TOW VEHICLE BUT ANY OTHER PEOPLE TRAVELING ON THE SAME HIGHWAY WITH THE RV IN CLOSE PROXIMITY. LIPPERT ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM WITH ME AND SENT REPLACEMENT BRAKE SHOE ASSEMBLIES AND SEALS FOR ALL (4) WHEELS. NOT INCLUDING THE BRAKE DRUM, OR BEARING ASSEMBLIES. OR LABOR TO INSTALL THE NEW COMPONENTS. THE WHEEL ASSEMBLIES HAVE NEVER BEEN REMOVED FROM THE RV SINCE NEW. UNTIL THE INSTALLATION OF THE NEW COMPONENTS BEGAN I HAD NEVER SEEN THE EXTENT OF EXCESS GREASE CONTAMINATION I WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WITH. PLEASE REFER TO THE ATTACHED PHOTOS. THIS MAY VERY WELL BE AN UNRESOLVED ISSUE ON OTHER RVS ON THE ROAD WITH THESE LIPPERT AXLE ASSEMBLIES. NO ONE EVER CONTACTED ME REGARDING THIS ISSUE. NOT THE RV MANUFACTURER OR LIPPERT. I HAD TO RESEARCH THIS ANOMALY ON MY OWN. PLEASE MAKE OTHERS AWARE OF THE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION ON THE BRAKES OF OTHER UNASSUMING RV OWNERS TRAVELING ON OUR HIGHWAYS.

MY 2016 GRAND DESIGN MOMENTUM 327M USES LIPPERT AXLES. THREE OF THE FOUR GREASE SEALS LEAKED AND WERE FOUND DURING A STATE INSPECTION. THE GREASE CONTAMINATED THE BRAKES. A 2018 STATE INSPECTION AGAIN SHOWED FAILED GREASE SEALS AND CONTAMINATED BRAKES. THE WARRANTY COVERED THE COST ON THE 2016 INSPECTION, BUT NOT THE 2018 INSPECTION. I CONTACTED GRAND DESIGN REGARDING THE ISSUE. I WAS TOLD THAT NEW MODELS WERE BUILT USING DEXTER AXLES TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. AS A REGISTERED PROFESSIONAL MECHANICAL ENGINEER, I AM CONCERNED THAT I HAVE A CAMPER WITH A 16,000+LB GVWR THAT HAS LEAKING SEALS AND POSSIBLY FAILED BRAKES. I REQUESTED NEW AXLES, BUT GRAND DESIGN DID NOT RESPOND. I AM REQUESTING THAT NHTSA ISSUE A RECALL TO REQUIRE THAT THE ISSUE IS FIXED BEFORE IT CAUSES AN ACCIDENT. I FOUND A CLASS ACTION SUIT ALREADY FILED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE SO IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM. THANK YOU.

I PURCHASED THIS RV NEW. I LOST A WHEEL BEARING BECAUSE OF A BAD WHEEL HUB. I WAS ABLE TO REPAIR THE AXLE ENOUGH TO STILL USE. IN 2017 ON MY WAY TO ARIZONA I LOST THIS SAME WHEEL BEARING AGAIN AND WAS ABLE TO REPAIR IT ONCE AGAIN TO CONTINUE MY TRIP. AFTER RETURNING HOME LAST SPRING I DECIDED TO REPLACE THIS AXLE. UPON REMOVING THE AXLE I DISCOVERED THAT THE AXLES ON THIS RV ARE 4400# AXLES. MY PAPERWORK ON THIS RV SHOWS THAT IT IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE 5200# AXLES. WONDERING WHY THIS IS SO.

GRAND DESIGN REFLECTION OPTIONS ASSEMBLED AT MANUFACTURER OR DEALER ARE NOT INCLUDED ARE NOT INCLUDED IN 9556# UVW OR SUBTRACTED FROM CCC LABEL OF 1379# AS REQUIRED BY AMENDED FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD (FMVSS) NOS. 110 AND 120 TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF MOTOR HOME AND RECREATION VEHICLE TRAILER OVERLOADING. THE FINAL RULE TOOK EFFECT ON JUNE 2, 2008. IF OPTIONS INSTALLED BY MANUFACTURER OR DEALER AT TIME OF SALE WHEN OPTIONS EXCEED 165# WHICH IS 1.5% OF 10,995 LBS GVWR THE CCC TAG NEEDS TO BE MODIFIED OR REPLACED. MANUFACTURER SHIPPED OPTIONS DINETTE WITH 4 CHAIRS, 2ND A/C, 2ND AWNING. DEALER ADDED 2 SLIDE TOPPERS, AUTOMATIC LIFT SYSTEM THE SUM OF EACH ITEM EXCEEDS 165# THRESHOLD, THUS PLACING OWNER AT RISK OF EXCEEDING 10,995# THUS OVERLOADING AXLE AND SPRINGS. GRAND DESIGN REQUIRES OWNER TO WEIGH TRAILER BEFORE WARRANTYING BENT AXLES OR SPRINGS AND DENY'S CLAIM IF IN EXCESS OF 10,995# BLAMING CUSTOMER FOR EXCEEDING THE CARGO WEIGHT. IN OUR CASE OUR TRAILER WAS OVER BY 280# WHICH RESULTED IN INSIDE TIRE WEAR, 2 BENT AXLES AND SPRINGS AFTER APPROXIMATELY 11,500 TRAILER MILES ACROSS US AND ALASKA BETWEEN 12/27/2017 THROUGH 8/20/2018. PURCHASE 2018 GRAND DESIGN 315RLTS ON 12/27/2017 THUS UNDER 1 YEAR WARRANTY. GRAND DESIGN CLAIMS ROADS IN ALASKA ARE DAMAGING TO RV WITH EXCESSIVE WEIGHT DUE TO PERMAFROST THUS DENYING THE CLAIM. CHALLENGING THE AMENDED STANDARD WAS NOT FOLLOWED AND WEIGHT ARE NOT PROVIDED ANYWHERE ON GRAND DESIGN WEBSITE OR DOCUMENTATION CUSTOMERS ARE UNAWARE TO SUBTRACT OPTIONS FROM CARGO WEIGHT AT TIME OF PURCHASE. GRAND DESIGN OFFERED HEAVIER SPRINGS, BUT I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR LABOR AND AXLES. GRAND DESIGN HAS NOT PROVIDED WEIGHT OF OPTIONS OR ORIGINAL WEIGHT CERTIFICATION TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS INCLUDED IN ORIGINAL CERTIFICATION. REPAIRED ON 8/20/2018 AT OWNERS EXPENSE. TIRE MANUFACTURER DID ACCEPT WARRENTY