GRAND DESIGN Complaints

GREASE LEAKING FROM AXLE SEALS WITH EXTENSIVE CONTAMINATION OF BRAKES ON 2 OUT OF 4 WHEELS. A 3RD WHEEL IS JUST STARTING TO SHOW SIGNS OF GREASE LEAKING PAST SEAL WITH ONLY THE START OF CONTAMINATION OF BRAKE PAD. LIPPERT AXLE AND BRAKE ASSEMBLIES. APPROXIMATELY 3,420 MILES SINCE MANUFACTURE OF TRAILER IN JUNE 2016. SAFETY CONCERN IS LOSS OF BRAKING ABILITY ON A TRAILER WITH A GVWR OF 11,995 LBS. CONTAMINATION NOTED ON OCTOBER 30, 2016 WHEN OWNER PERFORMED INSPECTION OF AXLE AND BRAKE ASSEMBLIES AFTER LEARNING OF NUMEROUS OTHER OWNERS WITH SIMILAR ISSUES ON THE ONLINE GRAND DESIGN OWNERS FORUM.

A KNOWN PROBLEM ON MANY GRAND DESIGN UNITS, TOLD BY BOTH THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER THAT PROBLEM HAS BEEN FIXED, AND THAT UPON DELIVERY, THE BRAKES ON MY NEW UNIT, DELIVERED ON 09/23/16, WERE CHECKED OUT, AND GREASE FREE. UPON ARRIVING AT MY HOME, ONE WEEK LATER, BRAKES ARE COVERED WITH GREASE AND MY RV SERVICE REPAIR CENTER SAID THE UNIT NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN DRIVEN AS IT IS UNSAFE. I AWAIT GRAND DESIGN'S RESPONSE, PHOTOS HAVE BEEN TAKEN, BUT AFTER REVIEWING ALL THE GREASED BRAKE COMPLAINTS ON THE GRAND DESIGN OWNERS FORUM, I DECIDED THIS PROBLEM IS LIFE THREATENING TO ALL OWNERS, NEW AND OLD, OF GRAND DESIGN RV'S, AND ALL SHOULD BE RECALLED.

MY 2016 357BHS HAS A STATED 7K GAWR. THE LCI AXLE IS 7K AND THE WESTLAKE TIRES ARE LISTED AT 3520 WHILE THE 6 LUG WHEELS ARE STAMPED WITH ONLY 3200 LBS WHICH GIVES ME 6400 GAWR AND NOT MEETING THE STATED 7K GAWR.

THE WHEEL BEARING AXLE SEALS FAILED AFTER ABOUT 1,000 MILES OF TOWING WHICH CAUSED GREASE TO COVER THE BRAKE SHOES RESULTING IN AN ALMOST COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKING. THIS IS A WIDELY KNOWN ISSUE WITH PARTS LIPPERT USES TO ASSEMBLE THE AXLES, WHEEL AND BRAKE ASSEMBLIES.

ON CURB SIDE WHEELS THERE WAS EXCESSIVE GREASE LEAKAGE INTO BOTH ELECTRIC BRAKE ASSEMBLIES. OBVIOUS SEAL/GREASE FAILURE. IN ADDITION ON REAR WHEEL, THE MAGNET ASSEMBLY WAS ALSO NOT SECURED AND "FELL OUT" WHEN HUB WAS TAKEN OFF. WAS ABLE TO CLEAN UP AND REPACK FRONT WHEEL, BUT REAR WHEEL WAS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR. PICTURES OF REAL WHEEL DAMAGE INCLUDED. PROBLEM IDENTIFIED DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, APPROXIMATELY 15,000 MILES ON RV. LIPPERT WAS THE MANUFACTURER OF THE AXLE/WHEEL ASSEMBLY THAT WAS INSTALLED ON THE SOLITUDE 379FL.

TRAILER WHEEL BEARING SEALS LEAKING GREASE, AND COATING BRAKE SHOES WITH GREASE. THREE OUT OF FOUR SEALS WERE LEAKING. REPLACED ALL GREASE SEALS AND REPACKED WHEEL BEARINGS.

AFTER READING ON THE GRAND DESIGN OWNERS FORUM ABOUT LEAKING GREASE SEALS ON THE WHEELS, I DECIDED TO DO AN INSPECTION OF MY BRAKES. I HAVE PUT ONLY 500 MILES ON MY TRAILER SINCE TAKING DELIVERY ON JUNE 8, 2016. I ASSUME THAT THE TRAILER WAS DELIVERED TO OREGON BY TOWING IT FROM THE FACTORY. I REMOVED THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE DRUM AND SURE ENOUGH FOUND A FAILED GREASE SEAL AND GLOBS OF WHEEL BEARING GREASE ON THE DRUM, BRAKE SHOES AND MAGNET.

4 GOODYEAR MARATHON WERE INSTALLED ON OUR REFLECTION FIFTH WHEEL CAMPER. THE ORIGINAL TIRES ON THE CAMPER WERE EXCHANGED FOR THE GOODYEAR TIRES. DOT 2VUN1LHR4213 THROUGH 4813. ON JULY 24,2016 THE TIRES WERE ADJUSTED TO 80 PSI. AFTER ABOUT 65 MILES INTO OUR TRIP THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT TIRE EXPLODED AND SHEARED THE TREAD FROM THE TIRE. THE EXPLODING TIRE CAUSED $3700 WORTH OF DAMAGE AS QUOTED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE TIRE WAS TURNED INTO AN AUTHORIZED GOOD YEAR DEALER AND A REPLACEMENT PROTOW TIRE WAS PURCHASED FOR $144. ON THE RETURN TRIP THE OTHER GOODYEAR MARATHON SAME SIDE SEPARATED. THIS TIRE WAS RETURNED TO GOODYEAR FOR EVALUATION. TIRE SIZE ST 235-80-16 LOAD RANGE E.DOT 2VUN 1LHR 4813 THE FIRST TIRE EXPLOSION WAS VIOLENT, THROWING FRAGMENTS INTO FOLLOWING TRAFFIC. ONE NEAR ACCIDENT WAS OBSERVED OF TRAFFIC TRYING TO AVOID THE SHARDS WITH THE CAR APPEARING TO GO SIDEWAYS. THE SECOND EXPLOSION WAS LESS VIOLENT BUT STILL LEFT LARGE CHUNKS IN THE HIGHWAY. STATE POLICE WERE CALLED FRO ASSISTANCE.

WHILE ROLLING DOWN THE HIGHWAY ALL FOUR OF THE WHEEL HUB SEALS LEAKED GREASE ALLOWING GREASE TO ESCAPE AND CONTAMINATE THE BREAKS DUE TO OVER FILLING AND POOR VISCOSITY GREASE. THIS ACCRUED OVER A PERIOD OF TIME TOWING THE TRAILER, THE ATTACHED PICTURE IS OF ONE OF THE HUBS ALL WERE THE SAME.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 GRAND DESIGN SOLITUDE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE SEAL ON THE AXLE SPREAD GREASE ON THE BRAKES AND CAUSED THEM TO MALFUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2,300.