GRAND DESIGN Complaints

WITH LESS THAN 3000 MILES, THE WHEEL GREASE SEALS HAVE LEAKED CONTAMINATING THE TRAILER BRAKES. RESULTED IN REDUCED BRAKING ABILITY. POTENTIAL SAFETY PROBLEM REDUCING TRAILER BRAKES EFFECTIVE STOPPING POWER.

WE WERE ON A TRIP FROM CALIFORNIA TO TEXAS AND THE GREASE SEALS ON ALL 4 WHEELS FAILED AND CONTAMINATED THE BRAKES. I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE FOR 1 MONTH AND IT HAD LESS THAN 1,200 MILES ON IT.

AXLE BEARING GREASE LEAKED PAST THE AXLE GREASE SEALS AND COATED THE BRAKE DRUMS AND BRAKE SHOES CAUSING A LOSS OF BRAKING ABILITY.

AT ABOUT 2000 MILES I NOTICED AN OILY SUBSTANCE LEAKING ONTO OUR WHEELS OF OUR TRAVEL TRAILER. AT THE SAME TIME THERE WAS A NOTICEABLE DECREASE IN THE BREAKING ABILITY WHEN PULLING THE 5TH WHEEL. UPON INSPECTION OF THE WHEELS AND PULLING OFF THE BREAK DRUMS, THERE WAS LEAKING SEALS AND THE BREAKS WERE CONTAMINATED WITH GREASE. OBVIOUSLY THIS WAS A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO YOUR ATTENTION.

WHEEL GREASE SEALS ARE LEAKING ON THE NEW TRAILER (2 OF 4 SEALS). THIS IS A NEW TRAILER AND I HAVE ONLY PUT ON ABOUT 50 MILES. THERE HAS BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE WITH GRAND DESIGN TRAILERS.

PURCHASED NEW IN 2015. FOLLOWING 4000 TO 5000 MILES OF TRAVEL, I EXPERIENCED BRAKE FAILURE ON TWO OF THE FOUR WHEELS ON THIS FIFTHWHEEL RV TRAILER. WENT TO MECHANIC AND REVEALED ALL FOUR SETS OF BRAKES SATURATED WITH GREASE FROM FAILED WHEEL BEARING GREASE SEALS. TWO OF THE BRAKE MAGNETS WOULD NOT FUNCTION DUE TO A HEAVY LAYER OF GREASE. THIS IS ALL FACTORY INSTALLED PARTS THAT WERE NOT DUE FOR SERVICE FOR ANOTHER 6000+ MILES. THIS TRAILER WEIGHS 15000 POUNDS. I WAS FORTUNATE TO CATCH THE PROBLEM BEFORE DESCENDING A STEEP GRADE WHERE DISASTER WAS SURELY WAITING.

LEAKING GREASE SEALS ON BOTH PASSENGER SIDE AXLES CONTAMINATING BRAKE SHOES. I HAD DEALER PULL THE BRAKE DRUMS PRIOR TO DELIVERY OF OUR NEW TRAILER AND WE FOUND GREASE CONTAMINATION. THE TRAILER ONLY HAD BEEN TRANSPORTED FROM INDIANA TO FLORIDA DEALER.

BRAND NEW 2016 NEVER TOWED BY ME. TRAILER DELIVERED BY DEALER. ALL 4 BRAKES COVERED IN GREASE. WELL KNOWN PROBLEM. NO ACTION BY MANUFACTURE

BRAKES WERE CONTAMINATED WITH WHEEL BEARING GREASE, EITHER DAMAGED/FAULTY REAR WHEEL BEARING SEAL OR/AND SUBSTANDARD GREASE THAT LIQUEFIES. THE CAVITY IN THE HUB IS FILLED TO MAXIMUM CAPACITY WITH GREASE WHICH IS UNNECESSARY WHICH IS ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTORY. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AND HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR AT LEAST 6 YEARS. SUSPENSION ITEMS ARE PROVIDED BY LIPPERT (LCI). MY 2011 HEARTLAND SUNDANCE 5TH WHEEL HAD THE SAME ISSUE. GREASE ON THESE BRAKES MAKES IT NEARLY NON FUNCTIONING AND A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE.

I PURCHASED THIS 5TH WHEEL RV NEW IN APRIL OF 2016. I HAVE TOWED IT APPROXIMATELY 800 MILES. I FIGURE THAT BETWEEN DELIVERY FROM THE FACTORY TO THE DEALER IN RAYNHAM, MA AND MY PERSONAL USE THAT THERE IS ABOUT 1700 TOTAL MILES ON THIS RV. I HAVE BEEN MONITORING THE GRAND DESIGN OWNERS FORUM AND FREQUENTLY AN ISSUE WAS DISCUSSED ABOUT GREASE APPEARING ON THE BRAKE SHOES. BEING I OWN ONE, I DECIDED TO INSPECT THIS AREA TO SEE IF GREASE WAS GETTING ON MY BRAKES. I FOUND THAT THE GREASE FROM THE WHEEL BEARINGS WAS GETTING THROUGH THE REAR SEAL AND HAD STARTED SPREADING THROUGHOUT THE BRAKE SYSTEM. GREASE ON THE BRAKES OF A 15,000 LB TOWED VEHICLE WILL HINDER THE ABILITY STOPPING, PARTICULARLY IN THE EVENT OF A SUDDEN OR EMERGENCY CONDITION. THE COMPANY THAT MANUFACTURES THE AXEL AND ASSEMBLES THE COMPONENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE GREASE AND BRAKES ARE LIPPERT. WHEN I CONTACTED THE DEALER THAT I PURCHASED THE RV FROM THEY STATED THEY WERE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND THAT GRAND DESIGN, RV MANUFACTURER ALONG WITH LIPPERT WERE VERY WILLING TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM. THE REAL ISSUE I FEEL IS THAT IF THIS IS A WELL-KNOWN PROBLEM, AND THE COMPANY IS WILLING TO FIX IT, IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT OWNERS RV'S WITH THE LIPPERT AXEL SYSTEM MAY NOT KNOW THERE IS A PENDING PROBLEM IF THEY DON'T HAVE FORUM ACCESS OR HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED BY THE RV MANUFACTURER OF THIS PROBLEM. WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO "ENCOURAGE" THE MANUFACTURER TO MAKE A SINCERE RECALL NOTIFICATION SO THERE DOES NOT HAVE TO HAVE A DEATH OR LAWSUIT INVOLVED. I WAS NOT OTHERWISE INJURED BY THIS CONDITION, JUST INCONVENIENCED.