GRAND DESIGN Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 GRAND DESIGN REFLECTION RV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL PROPANE FUEL ODOR EMITTING FROM THE RV. THE RV WAS INSPECTED BY A SERVICE TECHNICIAN WHO STATED THAT THE FUEL LINE SHOWED EVIDENCE THAT A RODENT CHEWED THROUGH THE PROPANE FUEL LINE, WHICH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE RV WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60.

THIS NEW VEHICLE, A 9000 LB UVW, WAS DELIVERED WITH BRAKES CONTAMINATED WITH GREASE RENDERING THEM INEFFECTIVE AND CREATING AN UNSAFE CONDITION. NO ACCIDENT OCCURED. THE BRAKES ARE GOING TO BE REPLACED. WHEEL BEARING GREASE BREACHED THE HUB SEALS, CONTAMINATING THE BRAKE DRUMS AND BRAKE SHOES.

GREASE SEALS ON INNER HUB AND CAP ON OUTER HUB LEAKED GREASE INTO BRAKE SYSTEM AND CONTAMINATED THE BRAKES. COULD BE THE GREASE WAS TOO THIN, OVER PACKED OR GREASE SEALS DEFECTIVE. I HAVE CLEANED AND RESEALED MY BRAKES TWICE. LIPPERT WHO SUPPLIES THE AXLE AND BRAKE ASSEMBLIES TO GRAND DESIGN SENT ME NEW GREASE SEALS ONCE BUT DID NOT AGREE TO PAY FOR MY TIME AND OTHER SUPPLIES. I WAS ABLE TO CATCH IT QUICK ENOUGH THAT THE BRAKE SHOES HAD NOT BEEN CONTAMINATED YET. WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURS THERE IS NO BRAKING ACTION ON THE TRAILER DUE TO THE CONTAMINATION THAT INCLUDES GREASE ON THE BRAKE MAGNETS WHICH DOES NOT ALLOW THE BRAKE TO WORK. THIS CONTAMINATION OCCURRED SOMETIME WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP. SINCE I HAVE REPLACED THE SEALS AND USED A GOOD WHEEL BEARING GREASE I HAVE NOT HAD A RECURRENCE OF BRAKE FAILURE. THIS CONDITION CAUSES BRAKING LOSS ON THE TRAILER BRAKES THAT RESULTS IN AN UNSAFE CONDITION THAT CAN LEAD TO PROPERTY DAMAGE AND INJURY OR DEATH. GRAND DESIGN AND LIPPERT ARE BOTH AWARE OF THIS CONDITION BUT HAVE ONLY OFFERED TO PROVIDE PARTS TO CORRECT THE CONDITION BUT BASED ON OTHER OWNERS REPORTS OVER THE LAST 3 YEARS HAVE DONE NOTHING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. DATE BELOW IS APPROXIMATE

JUST PURCHASED AN NEW TRAVEL TRAILER. MANY, MANY REPORTS OF LCI AXLE SEALS LEAKING AND DISPERSING GREASE ON BRAKE ASSEMBLIES. SURE ENOUGH, DEALER HAD TO REPLACE TWO OF FOUR BRAKE ASSEMBLIES, AS WELL AS ALL FOUR SEALS AS THEY ALL HAD LEAKED (TRAILER WAS NEW, JUST DROVE TO DEALER FROM FACTORY). THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED BEFORE SOMEONE IS HURT.

A JUST PURCHASED NEW REFLECTION 337RLS THAT HAS A 11/30/16 DATE IN THE VEHICLE INFORMATION SHEET AND 11/24/16 DATE ON THE SERIAL NUMBER DATA SHEET. THE ONLY MILES ON THE UNIT WERE THE DELIVERY MILES FROM THE PLANT TO THE DEALER IN COLORADO AND THE ~400 MILES ADDED TO THOSE. ON THE TRIP HOME (THE 400 MILES), THE ELECTRIC BREAKS BECAME SIGNIFICANTLY LESS EFFECTIVE TO THE POINT WHERE THE BRAKE CONTROLLER GAIN HAD TO BE SET TO ITS MAXIMUM LEVEL RESULTING IN LIMITED 5TH BREAKING. THE DISCOVERY WAS SIGNIFICANTLY NERVE-RACKING AS DISCOVERY HAPPENED WHEN EXITING THE INTERSTATE AT 65MPH AND A DOWN HILL RAMP! AT THAT TIME, THE GAIN ON THE BRAKE CONTROLLER WAS SET TO THE PREVIOUS SUFFICIENTLY WORKING LEVEL OF 5 (50% OF MAX). AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THE GREASE SEALS WHERE DISCOVERED TO BE BAD ON BOTH AXELS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE AS DISCOVERY OF A LACK OF BRAKES ON THE TOWED VEHICLE CAN OCCUR AT ANYTIME WITHOUT WARNING.

MY RV IS ONLY 9 MONTHS OLD AND IT IS ON CITY POWER. LIGHTS WITH MOTION SENSING- THE LIGHT IN THE MOTION SENSING POSITION, STARTED TO SMOKE AND INDICATE FIRE WITHIN THE LIGHT ITSELF. MODEL #SD1510-PIR 12V DC, 4W SMD LED. ON GRAND DESIGNS WEB SITE IT INDICATES NOT TO USE THE LIGHT PICTURED AND TO USE A DIFFERENT PART NUMBER. THEY ARE NO LONGER WANTING TO INSTALL THE ORIGINAL PART FOR SOME REASON. THE POTENTIAL FOR FIRE AND A DEATH ARE HIGH IF WE DON'T REMEDY THIS ISSUE. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE PRESENT WHEN IT FAILED. I STILL HAVE 4 MORE OF THE SAME LIGHTS IN MY RV.

ALL FOUR AXLE SEALS WERE LEAKING ON THE TRAILER. THE LEAKING GREASE WAS SPRAYED ON THE WHEELS AND ALSO TWO HAD COATED THE BRAKES. THIS APPEARED AFTER I HAD TOWED THE TRAILER FOR 200 MILES AFTER TAKING IT NEW OFF OF THE DEALER LOT.

LOSS OF BRAKING ABILITY WHILE TRAVELING, WHEN INVESTIGATING THE PROBLEM FOUND GREASE ON ALL FOUR BRAKE SETS. AXLE AND BRAKES ARE LIPPERT BRAND

GREASE SEALS FAILING CAUSING AXLE GREASE TO COVER WHEELS AND BRAKE PADS. DEALER HAS REPLACED BOTH SETS OF SEALS ON BOTH SIDES OF BOTH TANDEM AXLES DUE TO THIS ISSUE. ONE SIDE WAS REPLACED IN JAN 2016, THE OTHER SIDE WAS REPLACED IN SEPT 2016.

AT 1,850 MILES, THE BRAKES ON THIS UNIT WERE COMPLETELY SATURATED IN WHEEL BEARING GREASE CAUSING THEM TO BECOME INEFFECTIVE AT EVEN THE HIGHEST BRAKE CONTROLLER SETTING. ALL FOUR BRAKES WERE AFFECTED. A TRAILER OF THIS SIZE IS REQUIRED TO HAVE FUNCTIONING BRAKES. THE BRAKES ARE DESIGNED THAT THEY WILL STOP THE VEHICLE IF THE TRAILER BREAKS AWAY FROM THE TOW VEHICLE BY ACTIVATING A BATTERY CONTROLLED BREAK AWAY SWITCH. HOWEVER, SINCE THE BRAKES ARE CONTAMINATED WITH GREASE, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO STOP IN A SAFE DISTANCE. THIS IS MY SECOND GRAND DESIGN VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH LIPPERT MANUFACTURED BRAKES THAT ARE CONTAMINATED WITH GREASE.