GRAND DESIGN Complaints

AXLE BEARING GREASE LEAKS ONTO BRAKE SHOES AND ELECTRIC BRAKE MAGNET MECHANISM, MAKING BRAKES LESS EFFECTIVE INCREASING BRAKING DISTANCE SUBSTANTIALLY, THIS OCCURS WHENEVER USING THE BRAKES, THE BRAKES ARE ADJUSTED PROPERLY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 GRAND DESIGN REFLECTION RV. THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE PARKED. A FIRE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY THE FIRE MARSHALL THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN.

GRAND DESIGN TRAVEL TRAILERS/5TH WHEELS USING LIPPERT AXLES. WHEEL SEAL FAILURE LETTING WHEEL BEARING GREASE CONTAMINATE THE BRAKE SHOES/PADS & ELECTRO MAGNETS. ALMOST COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKING. EMERGENCY ACTIVATION COULD NOT STOP UNIT WITHIN 150 FEET AT 10MPH. SEALS WERE HARD WHEN REMOVED.

TOOK MY 5TH.WHEEL TO GENERAL RV TO HAVE WHEELS REPACKED WITH GREASE. RIGHT SIDE,BOTH WHEELS BRAKES FULL OF GREASE,NO BRAKES ON RIGHT SIDE . PHOTOS TAKEN AND SENT TO GRAND DESIGN SERVICE BECAUSE LESS THAN 1 YEAR OLD.

THE 5TH WHEEL WAS 2 1/2 MONTHS OLD. AFTER RETURNING FROM A 250 MILE TRIP WE ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE BEDROOM SLIDE AND IT WOULDN'T OPEN. I PLUGGED IN THE ELECTRICAL PLUG AND OPENED THE SLIDE IN ORDER TO UNLOAD THE REMAINING CLOTHES, THEN I CLOSED THE SLIDE. THIS WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 8:00PM. AT 10:45PM MY GIRLFRIEND HEARD THREE LOUD EXPLOSIONS AND WE RAN OUTSIDE TO FIND THE 5TH WHEEL TOTALLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. I BELIEVE NOW THE EXPLOSIONS WERE THE TIRES ON THE 5TH WHEEL. THE FRAMES (BOTH OF THEM) THAT RUN THE LENGTH OF THE 5TH WHEEL WERE BENT APPROXIMATELY 18" TOWARD THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE TRAILER. IN ADDITION BOTH AXLES ARE BEND DOWNWARD. I DON'T IF THIS A RESULT OF THE HEAT OR NOT.

BEARING GREESE IS MIGRATING THROUGH INNER GREASE SEAL AND CONTAIMENATING BRAKE SHOES AND DRUM SURFACE RESULTING IN A LOSS OF BRAKING EFFECTIVENESS. UPON INSPECTION ALL FOUR WHEEL HAD CONTAIMENATED BRAKES.

VIN STICKER ON SIDE OF FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER STATES "6000 LB AXLES" BUT TRAILER HAD UNDERSIZED AXLES RATED AT 5200 LB AXLES! GRAND DESIGN RV OWNERS PLEASE CHECK YOU AXLES BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT!

GREASE SEALS FOR WHEEL BEARINGS ON 3 OUT OF 4 WHEELS FAILED AT UNDER 2000 MILES. GREASE LEAKED ONTO BRAKE MECHANISMS, MAKING THEM SPONGY. 1 OUT OF 4 BRAKE ASSEMBLIES TOTALLY FAILED. GREASE SEALS AND WHEEL ASSEMBLIES ARE MANUFACTURED BY LIPPERT.

WE PURCHASED A NEW GRAND DESIGN REFLECTION 5TH WHEEL IN APRIL OF 2014. WE HAVE HAD CONSIDERABLE PROBLEMS WITH IT, BUT NEVER EXPECTED TO FIND THAT THE BRAKES, GREASE SEALS, AND WHEEL BEARINGS WERE IN INSTALLED CORRECTLY. I BECAME AWARE THAT THERE WERE MANY REPORTS OF PROBLEMS WITH THE GREASE SEALS AND WHEEL BEARINGS. I WAS IN TEXAS AND WE HAD THE GREASE SEALS AND WHEEL BEARINGS SERVICED. I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE THAT ALL OF THE GREASE SEALS WERE LEAKING AND THE BEARINGS WERE NOT ADJUSTED CORRECTLY. I HAD ALL OF THE GREASE SEALS REPLACED AND THE BEARINGS PACKED CORRECTLY AND INSTALLED CORRECTLY. I AM AMAZED THAT WE HAD NOT HAD A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE IN THE 15,000 MILES THAT WE HAD TRAVELLED. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

SHORTLY AFTER DELIVERY OF A BRAND NEW 5TH WHEEL TRAVEL TRAILER I BEGAN TO NOTICE GREASE LEAKING FROM THE DRUM. AFTER PULLING THE BRAKE DRUMS I FOUND DARK GREASE HAD MIGRATED PAST THE SEALS AND IN TO THE DRUMS COATING THE INSIDE OF THE DRUMS, BRAKE PAD SURFACES AND MAGNET. THE BRAKE SYSTEM ON MY TRAILER ARE MANUFACTURED AND ASSEMBLED BY LIPPERT COMPONENTS, IND.