GRAND DESIGN Complaints

WE JUST PULLED ONTO HIGWAY FROM CAMPGROUND STARTED TO SEE SMOKE AND SOMETHING FLEW OFF THAT CAUGHT MY EYE OFF OR THE REAR MOST AXEL ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. PULLED OVER ONCE IT WAS SAFE, DOWSED AXEL, RIM & TIRE WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHER. NO FIRE AT THIS TIME, BUT WAS VERY HOT & SMOKEY. HAD TO PULL OVER 4 MORE TIMES WITH IN 5 MILES TO DO THE SAME THING. MADE IT TO OUR HOME WHERE WE HOSED AXEL, RIM & TIRE UNTIL IT WAS COOL TO THE TOUCH. BACKED 5TH WHEEL INTO DRIVEWAY AND RIM SNAPPED COMPLETELY OFF OF AXEL. CONTACTED MANUFACTURE THAT EVENIN VIA E-MAIL. MANUFACTURE SAYS THEY ARE GETTING NEW AXEL & SHACKLES MADE, SHOULD BE SHIPPED TO US BY 7/14/17 TO REPLACE. GUESSING BARRING SIEZED AND LEAK AT REAR BACKING PLATE

WE WERE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN WE SAW SMOKE COMING FROM OUR MOST REAR AXEL ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. A PASSING CAR INDICATED WE HAD A FIRE. WE PULLED OVER WHEN IT WAS SAFE TO. USED 4 FIRE EXTINGUISHERS AS WELL AS CALLED 911 WHEN FIRE DEPARTMENT SPRAYED AS WELL. FOUND THAT THE BARING SIEZED UP IN THE AXEL. WE HAD LOCAL TIRE SHOP ASSIST WITH GETTING US BACK ON THE ROAD. CONTACTED MANUFACTURE. THEY AUTHORIZED REPAIRS. REPAIRS WERE DONE AT PURCHASING DEALERSHIP.

ALL 4 ELECTRIC DRUM BRAKES ON THE REFLECTION FIFTH WHEEL CAMPER TRAILER WERE CONTAMINATED WITH GREASE FROM THE AXLES. AFTER CHECKING BRAKES BECAUSE OF POOR TRAILER BRAKING WHILE TOWING THE FIFTH WHEEL TRAIL, I FOUND THAT ALL 4 BRAKE'S SHOES WERE BARELY WORN AFTER 2 YEARS OF USE. THE BRAKE SHOES HAD GREASE ON THEM AS WELL AS THE ELECTRIC MAGNET THAT ACTIVATES THE BRAKES. THE GREASE CONTAMINATION CAUSED FAULTY OPERATION OF THE BRAKES. NUMEROUS OTHER PEOPLE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER LIPPERT HAS SUPPOSEDLY AFTER SEVERAL YEARS MADE SOME CHANGES, BUT STILL BRAND NEW CAMPER TRAILER ARE BEING FOUND WITH BRAKE GREASE CONTAMINATION.

THE AXLES/BRAKE ASSEMBLIES HAD DEFECTIVE INTERIOR SEALS. THE SEALS FAILED AND CONTAMINATED THREE OUT OF FOUR BRAKES WITH GREASE. THIS NEARLY CAUSED ME TO HAVE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT DUE TO UNABLE TO STOP THE TRAILER TO AVOID VEHICLE THAT PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME. I HAD TO RUN OFF ROAD TO AVOID ACCIDENT. THIS IS A KNOW ISSUE WITH LIPPERT COMPONENTS THAT THEY CONTINUE TO TRY TO DENY. I ATTACHED TWO PHOTOS OF WHAT I FOUND IN THREE OUT OF FOUR BRAKE HUBS UPON INSPECTION.

JUST PICKED UP A BRAND NEW 2018 GRAND DESIGN SOLITUDE 310GK 5TH WHEEL TRAILER AND NOTICED THAT THE BRAKES DON'T WORK VERY WELL. TOWED THE UNIT HOME 400 MILES AND DECIDED TO CONTACT LIPPERT, THE MANUFACTURER OF THE AXLES AND BRAKES. I WAS GIVEN A CLAIM NUMBER TO INSPECT THE BRAKES. DUE TO OWNING A TIRE REPAIR SHOP, I WAS ALLOWED TO PERFORM THE INSPECTION MYSELF. WHAT I FOUND WAS NO ISSUE ON THE TWO HUBS AND BRAKES ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE UNIT, BRAKES CONTAMINATED WITH GREASE ON THE TWO RIGHT HAND HUBS. GREASE WAS ON THE MAGNETS, INSIDE OF THE DRUM BRAKING SURFACES AND MAGNET SURFACE. LIPPERT AGREED TO SEND ME 2 NEW BACKING PLATES WITH BRAKES, AND TWO NEW GREASE SEALS, PLUS PAY TWO HOURS OF LABOR. ALL OF THIS IS GREAT, BUT IF I HAD BEEN IN A PANIC STOP SITUATION, I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STOP THIS VEHICLE.

I PURCHASED A NEW GRAND DESIGN MOMENTUM 350M AT HOLIDAY WORLD KATY, TEXAS. AFTER TAKING DELIVERY OF THE CAMPING TRAILER & CHECKING HOOK-UP TO TRUCK, LIGHTS & BRAKES IN THE PARKING LOT, I TOWED THE 350M ABOUT 50 MILES ACROSS HOUSTON. I WAS QUITE CONCERNED WITH THE POOR BRAKING QUALITY OF THE CAMPING TRAILER, EVEN AFTER INCREASING THE TRUCK BRAKE CONTROLLER GAIN TO 9.5 (OF POSSIBLE 10). I THOUGHT MAYBE THE BRAKES NEEDED MORE 'BREAK-IN TIME' SO A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER I SLOWLY TOWED THE CAMPING TRAILER 400 MILES TO MY HOME IN S. TEXAS. I BECAME VERY CONCERNED WITH THE BRAKING QUALITY OF THE 350M AND CONSIDERED IT A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. ONCE HOME, I WOULD NOT TOW THE UNIT ANY FURTHER WITHOUT MAKING SERIOUS IMPROVEMENT TO THE TRAILERS BRAKING CAPABILITY. AFTER JOINING GRAND DESIGN OWNER FORUMS WE REALIZED THAT MANY OTHER OWNERS ALSO HAD BRAKING ISSUES. I HAD A CERTIFIED MECHANIC PULL WHEELS & HUBS. LIKE MANY OTHER OWNERS, ALL 4 ELECTRIC/MAGNETIC BRAKES (DRUMS, MAGNETS, SHOES & ALL INSIDE THE DRUMS) WERE COATED WITH A HEAVY FILM OF GREASE. UNDERSTANDABLE WHY THE 350M & LIPPERT'S SELF ADJUSTING, ELECTRIC, MAGNETIC BRAKE SYSTEM WAS EXHIBITING VERY POOR QUALITY, UNSAFE BRAKING CAPABILITY. LIPPERT (LCI) SEMI-ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE IN JANUARY 2017 BUT WOULD NOT ADMIT ANY FAULT ON THEIR BEHALF. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM WITH THEIR BRAKE SYSTEM THAT NEEDS ATTENTION FROM THE NHTSA BEFORE THERE IS A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. ATTACHED IS A PICTURE SHOWING SOME OF THE GREASE CONTAMINATION UPON REMOVING THE WHEEL HUB FROM THE AXLE. THESE BRAKES DEPEND ON THE MAGNETIC FORCE AGAINST THE ROTATING HUB TO 'APPLY BRAKE SHOE PRESSURE TO THE DRUM'. UNDERSTANDABLE WHY THE BRAKES DO NOT WORK EFFECTIVELY WITH A GREASE FILM ON THE MAGNET, ALL INSIDE THE DRUM AREA & ALSO ON BRAKE SHOES. SHAMEFUL WHY A LARGE COMPANY LIKE LIPPERT WILL NOT "OWN UP" TO & CORRECT THE PROBLEM ! CAN THE NHTSA HELP ?

WHILE DOING A ROUTINE INSPECTION WHILE TRAVELING FOUND I HAD LEAKING WHEEL SEALS WHICH ARE KNOWN BY MANUFACTURER TO LEAK. IMMEDIATELY TOOK TO REPAIR SHOP DURING TRAVEL FEARING GREASE WOULD GET ON MY BRAKES AS MANY OTHERS HAVE REPORTED. THE VERY NEXT DAY WHILE TRAVELING, UPON ARRIVING AT RV SITE REALIZED I HAD A BROKEN SPRING ON THE RIGHT REAR AXLE. VEHICLE COULD NOT BE MOVED UNTIL REPAIRS WERE MADE. THESE TWO ITEMS ARE NOT ONLY UNSAFE FOR THE DRIVER AND OCCUPANTS BUT COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT AND DEATH. I FEEL THE SPRINGS AND AXLES ARE OF VERY POOR QUALITY AND UNDERSIZED FOR WEIGHT OF VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTION OF BROKEN SPRING FOUND THAT THE SECOND LEAF HAD BEEN BROKEN FOR SOME TIME CAUSING THE TOP SPRING TO BREAK.

GREASE LEAKING FROM AXLE SEAL ONTO BRAKE DRUMS ON ALL FOUR WHEELS CAUSING INEFFECTIVE BRAKES. LIPPERT AXLES

WHEEL BEARING GREASE TOO THIN AND LEAKS PAST SEALS CONTAMINATING BRAKE MAGNETS AND BRAKES. MANY CUSTOMERS IMPACTED BASED ON FACEBOOK GROUP POSTS.

LIPPERT BREAK COMPONENTS. THE GREASE SEALS FAILED ON THE DRUM BREAKS ON MY DOUBLE AXLE TRAILER. THE TRAILER WAS MANUFACTURED 4/2015 AND I NOTICED THE FAILURE BY 7/2017. ALL FOUR BREAK ASSEMBLIES HAD GREASE ON THE DRUM, PADS AND OTHER PARTS. ENTIRE ASSEMBLY HAS BEEN REPLACED AT ALL FOUR WHEELS.