Grand Design has taken a big dump. I would never ever buy one...

Best Advice: Buy NOTHING built during the Pandemic. The absolute worst quality control in the history of our industry. Unskilled unmotivated workers. Corporations that just wanted to get their product out at any cost, regardless of the labor problems. Wouldn’t even consider anything built from 2020 to 2022, and with reporting like you’re doing Liz, these companies are going to get held accountable for their shady business practices. Keep up the great work, Liz.!😀

Seeing how thousands of potential RV buyers will now hear this horror story, I'm willing to bet it will be cheaper for Grand Design to just tell this couple, "Sorry for all the trouble here's a new replacement trailer." Then you can do the happy follow-up and our collective faith in humanity will be restored!

I was in the market to buy new and with all the horror stories I was reading, I didn’t pull the trigger. So glad I didn’t. The RV market took advantage of the huge demand around 2020 and just slapped them together. I don’t know how they’re still in business with all the repairs! Shame on them!

AGREE WITH YOU! We had the same experience with our New Grand Design Trailer. In the shop so many times we stopped counting. The issue was with refrigerator install ( not actual refrigerator) , cabinets falling apart, left bed issue, shower broken twice. Our unit was in the shop more than we used it. We got rid of it. Our friends bought a new Jayco and had similar type of repairs with their unit in shop for months at a time. I DONT TRUST THAT THERE IS ANY QUALITY ANYMORE!

I’ve watched several of your videos, and it’s unbelievable how many RV’ers have so much aggravation, chaos, turmoil, and grief. And not to mention the massive amounts of money they spend and spend and spend. Apparently many must be fortunate to have an abundant supply of money. Life is to short. I’m 67, and I’ve been all about simplicity and happiness for a long time now. But that’s me.

My wife and I walked away from the literal signing of the paper work just yesterday. We were about to buy a 2020 Keystone residence. But after evaluating the total cost with trade in, site fees also are high here in Canada. It would have cost us around 2700 a month. So instead of doing that, we’re just gonna rent our current house out, and rent an apartment for a couple years.

They need to contact their state attorney general about this. They are there to assist you in this

Liz, outstanding video about quality of RV today. In 2017, We had our 2008 Prevost at a campground in Florida, (Camping on the Gulf, Miramar, Fl). One of our slide-outs on our 08 Country Coach Prevost wouldn’t retract. I called Prevost and they flew technicians down immediately to repair the slide at no cost to us. They told me they knew they were having issues with certain slides and responded immediately. The quality of the rvs today is very poor. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us.

Our 2022 Keystone Alpine 3790FK frame failed in just 5 months. The I beams rolled under and bent over 6 inches at the axles so bad that we had to abandon it in Illinois. Keystone blamed us by trying to say we had to have been hit, yet there was no body damage. Then they said that we had to have been hit at "axle level". They refused to honor the warranty and wouldn't/couldn't repair the damage. The front kitchen slide (Schwintek) failed after only 5 in and out cycles. The dealership determined that it had been built incorrectly and ordered a new slide, but before the new slide had come in, the frame had failed. We had put less than 10k miles on it and it was our home. We didn't get back any of the 11k down payment and lost part of the "extended warranty" and GAP insurance as well. NEVER AGAIN with any Keystone product!!!!

Sorry to hear of your experience, but we bought a brand new 2022 Solitude with a rear bedroom. We’ve had zero problems. I hope your troubles get fixed.

We bought our Grand Design two years ago and have had no problems that the fantastic dealership at Harper Camperland (Great Bend, KS) couldn’t fix. They also have their own campground while they do the repairs. It was amazing.

91.6K, with all your amazing content…I know 100K is right around the corner! Love your creation. Thank you!

The engineering calculations for most load scenarios are not complex. The problem may be that the design goes from the engineering dept to the “Lets Make it Cheaper” dept where girder specifications are changed to either thinner steel, steel to aluminum, forging to cast, or worst....cross section change from I beam or channel to C section.

Right on Liz. RV Manufactures MUST step up. Changing Lanes worked with Grand Design on a new unit. They picked it up and had a few issues. Who in the right mind knowing that they had been doing KZfaq videos about the process wouldn't at least make sure they got a perfect one? To their credit they did show what issues they had. Way back in the day the big three car makers were putting out some way below quality cars. They didn't care. Then Honda and others arrived on the scene and they lost big market share. Maybe we can get Honda to start building RV's. They would own the market. You look at various KZfaqrs adding batteries, solar and other electrical equipment and the quality job they do make the rats nest of wiring from the manufacture stick out like the lack of quality it is. Great video and everyone needs to step up the pressure on the manufactures. That couple deserves all their money back!!

Just a reminder of why I am glad I dont have slides. Make it well and make it simple.

great channel liz. you're right on the money about rv life. i'm a gambler who lived in an rv' for 7 years, parking at race tracks and casinos wherever i went in addition to the usual - walmart, truck stops, etc.. as you've stated numerously, rv life is what you make it.

Only little minor things on my 2022 Grand Design Solitude and they took care of it immediately and shipped out replacement sinks that did not work at 2nd time trying them. Faucets just quit. Vacuum also had an issue and sent a part to fix right away. So far very pleased with Our solitude but do know some of every manufacturer will have issues but it’s how do they take care and fix them for us. I’m very pleased so far!

We have a niche brand RV, Black Series, and I'm thankful for that decision. Everything more of less just works. We do have an LED light strip that blinks randomly if it is set to blue color, but no other faulty parts and we've taken it down to Padre Island (500 miles each way) several times just in the past 2 months for camping on the beach. The HQ21 is a sturdy beast.

I have heard so many stories about new RVs having problems and spend more time in the shop than on the road. We were fortunate to find a used 2006 23’ travel trailer and everything worked real well in it. We have enjoyed it for 5 years and it is still going strong.

I was just in the market for a "new" RV. I have done my research as well as talking to many people regarding the "COVID" models built between 2019 and 2023. I decided to go used so bought a very nice and rarely used 2015 and have been very happy with it so far. The build quality is far superior to what I walked through at the local dealerships....

I have heard a lot of people complain about Grand Design trailers that they bought during the pandemic. I hope this couple are still talking with GD about getting this resolved and I hope your video helps with a resolution. With that said, our 2016 Grand Design Reflection was made very well. Grand Design was formed from former Montana RV leaders. That impressed us when we made our purchase. They then sold to Winnebago and I am wondering if that is a contributor to the decline in manufacturing.

What a shame...Shame on Grand Design! I hope this nice couple gets what they are hoping for. Great informative video Liz. Hope you're having a wonderful summer! Safe travels!😎😊

Holy smokes!!! I hope that this couple got their RV fixed.

More good and real info. Thanks Liz! I hope they're able to get their beautiful RV repaired correctly and soon.

Thank you Liz for putting this information out there. I see brand new RV’s all the time with serious issues right from the start. As an inspector I look for things that appear out of alignment. There are problems when it comes to structure that may not be found right away but there are clues that something is off.

My wife and I purchased a 375-RES IN April 2021. This unit has the same structure as the 390 with the living room up in the back. Same body, same slide configuration etc… Right now, it is Florida and I hav sheen very diligent in checking the slide structures! After seeing this, I will really get in there and check. Thanks for posting this Liz.

We need to start writing our congressmen and extend Lemon law coverage to RV's. I've heard so many horror stories like this. Some people spend their life savings on these hoping to use it in retirement. This isn't right.

Hi Liz. I think the quality of a lot of things took a back set since COVID started and it seems to be the easy excuse. I hear of a lot of issues with the shwintech slides and if I was buying a new unit I’d avoid them like the plague. I hope your friends get some help and satisfaction soon. Keep well and stay safe.

Heck we bought a $500,000 Newmar Dutch Star ⭐️ NEW in January 2023-and we had a ton of BIG issues immediately-That shouldn’t be the case at all-And I don’t want to hear the excuses of an earthquake going down the road-This stuff at $500,000 should be built for that -Things falling apart immediately is not the earthquake it is just poor quality 🤷‍♀️🤯🤬

Thanks Liz for getting the word out. Good luck with your 5th wheel guys!

You just can't trust anyone these days for quality for the money... its what made us decide to forget about RVing altogether...

Grand Design uses pinch rolling for their sidewalls and still use Luan backer. Their floors are OSB. At the very fundamental level they are not using best practice. Grand Design has an outstanding marketing department that has people repeating the line "Grand Design builds quality RVs!", and historically they have been good about getting replacement warranty parts sent to owners instead of making them wait 4 months for a dealer repair. But, IMO, their actual construction is lower mid tier at best. ---- The rig in the video is stunning, one of my all time favorite fifth wheels. BUT, when I looked at it, my UNTRAINED eye saw the kitchen was elevated above the frame, the kitchen was full of very heavy equipment (island, fridge, stove, TON of cabinets, microwave, TWO LARGE SLIDES, etc) yet the aluminum skeleton that was supposed to hold all of that up and what it was tied to just didn't seem beefy enough. I'm not surprised it is all failing. I'm so sorry for the couple in the video, AND for all the other 390RK Solitude owners out there. Grand Design needs to come up with an over engineered solution to make these owners whole, and eat whatever cost it takes to make it right. THAT will make GD look incredible.

I've been looking at GD, specifically the 370FLS.. but EVERY ONE I've looked at has vastly substandard welds in the structure where you can see them (mainly the passthrough and the front storage. If your paying for a "premium" RV, I expect premium welds, not little burned blobs that won't hold very long.

We have a 2021 Keystone Cougar 368MBI. Went from NY to Tennessee and then up east coast. Midway down the side the header broke and split the siding of my camper. Camping world was baffled. Keystone had them do several measurements. Keystone then said it has to come back. September to March we had a whole new sidewall, structural enhancement and a completely new roof. I will say Keystone stood behind this and paid every dime. They also went thru and fixed some other punch list items while it was there.

Another great educational video to assist potential new RV buyers avoid being taken advantage of. Liz you are a very caring and compassionate person. Your videos are always educational and sincere. You are AMAZING. Great video and Great content 👍 Thank you for the great service that you are to the RV world.

We have a 2022 GD Reflection (travel trailer) as well as friends (theirs is a 2021)…neither of us have had ANY significant problems, thank goodness! We are super satisfied with our trailers. It’s so unfortunate to hear what these folks have gone through. GD needs to make it right for them. But we do believe that it’s an industry issue across the board for sure. Happy travels!

WOW! SPEECHLESS! Thank you for sharing this valuable information! They're off our list👍

Hi Liz, I just watched your follow up from this video and I have to Thank you for taking on the Challenge. We purchased a brand new Forest River Apex Ultra lite. After our first camping trip, discovered the shower pan was broken to the extent you could put your finder in the hole when you pushed on the crack. The bathroom door was beginning to split, the Fire exit window sounded like there was broken glass in the track and would not open. The cabinet wall in the kitchen on the end had so many staples in it, it would not stay fastened when lifting the side counter. There were scratches on the counters and the outside grill cabinet was pieced together with the broken parts. We emailed the Dealer, Campers Inn, Selma NC and provided the list of items we felt needed to be repaired or replaced. They were happy to put us on the schedule for Warranty work to be completed. They explained they would order all the parts and call us when everything was in. They did call about a month later so we drove the 1.5 hours to drop it off for the repairs. At this point we only had the camper 2 months. It sat with Campers INN for 5 months. When we had enough and wanted our camper back after multiple attempts to receive a progress report, we let them know what day we would be there to collect our Camper and tow it home. Let me tell you, we had more problems AFTER we picked it up because the Service Center did more damage attempting to repair. From scraping the ceiling and removing the paint and texture to reinstalling the valance over the window and window shade on backward and upside down. The bathroom door was replaced but missing parts to keep it secure. The kitchen cupboard wall side, well we just removed it and replaced it ourselves. There were more staples in it but not attached to anything. The Furrion Fridge went out so we had to order a new thermostat to fix it. The A/C ductwork was kinked and not functioning properly. It’s now been a year and we are still finding things but have the wherewithal to be able to make the repairs on our own. I can tell you that this has been the worst buy we have made. We have owned in the past, a Coleman Pop-up, Keystone 5th Wheel, Newmar Baystar Sport Class A, Monaco Monarch Class A, ALiner Explorer. So, we are not new to RV buying or Camping. I agree there needs to be more Accountability with the Manufacturers and the Dealers. What happened to customer satisfaction!

Wow. Grand Design seems to have reputation of quality. My wife & I have still a few years away from retirement/new RV, so hopefully their engineers figure the problem out and correct it in the future... and the couple is made whole again. Not much is more frustrating. Thanks Liz.

Hope you can do a follow up on this Liz. That's a very unfortunate situation to be in with so much money invested in that new RV. Great video!

There needs to be a vast improvement across All brands to improve quality & quality control!! And customer service!! I have been RV-less since spring of 2022 . . . I Do want another, but am Very hesitant considering the quality issues across the board!!

We bought a new Grand Design Solitude in 2017 and had so many issues from the get go. Every year we had to cancel many camping trips every year since. We had an extended warranty and would have spent way more than we paid for the warranty. Now we are out of warranty and had a water leak by the nautilus unit. So had to pay out of pocket for this. Not sure we want to buy another rv in the future. This year we have not been camping due to health issues so we will see what happens next year. Wish us luck for next year.

Well happy Friday Ms Liz...Great video as always. I too have a Grand Design that I bought in Sept of 22. I don't have any structural issues just a few trim repairs that I did myself. So far all is good but I am not rolling down the road every month. I believe that most RVs made after 2015 are of less quality in build and parts. The industry started to cut corners for profit and it shows in the poor build quality. I think the way you did your rig is the best way. Buy used and upgrade the systems as needed. Safe travels my dear...

Bought a 2012 Tiffin PHAETON CLASS A in 2012. Still have it and even though a new RV sounds nice, we keep up our 2012. We know what we have and repairs and cosmetic repairs are still less costly than buying a new one which would cost in excess of 500, 000. Even buying a pre-owned is unknown- I would rather keep ours.This video was scary and I feel terrible for this lovely couple.

I bought a new TT from grand design pre covid. It was slapped together back then. The support was crap for anyone that was full time. It was always "take it back to the dealer and they will fix it in 6-9 weeks". That is not acceptable when you are currently 2000 miles from the dealer and living in the trailer. They eventually sent a mobile mechanic that screwed up things even worse. Then GD said "well you should have brought it to the dealer". GD is just like the rest of them, rake in the cash and doesn't care after you buy.

I worked in RV sales once. If there was a problem unit, we would always say it must have been built on a Friday or Monday.

We bought a new Grand Design in 2021. We had no issues for a year and then a small issue with the handle on the fridge which Grand Design handles right away. Then this year one of our shades broke and even though it was out of warranty, Grand Design sent us a new one within two days, free of charge. We love our rig and Grand Design. I'm sorry this couple has had so much trouble and I hope they get all of them resolved soon.

Hi Liz! We love your channel. Especially that you’re not afraid to share the good,the bad, and the ugly! We’re headed to glacier in a few days too! How long will you be there?

We enjoy you videos and take your advice to heart. You are correct when you advised that manufacturing RV’s after 2007 are not quality built. Never again will we buy GD. They are no better than any other manufacturer. We lost all our records when we discovered a disconnect of the black tank. Human waste was on all our previous records and our IRS filings. We were audited for our 2018 taxes. Our accountant said ‘this is one for the record’. We couldn’t produce our donations records (which were in the 5 digit category) due to ‘permanent damage due to human waste’. I am not even kidding. I’m sure our audit had IRS and our accounts’ office check off that square on their Bingo card. Again we appreciate your informed videos packed with first-hand experience from you. Keep up the great work and safe travels 😊

I was “thinking” of this on your Airstream video. These big purchases seem to own us rather than us owning them. No expert here but it really does seem like , less is best. 😉🙂

I happen to have friends who have a GD travel trailer that was supposedly made extra robustly in order to live in it. The trailer is 7 years old and no major problems. I will say that they are about to replace the awning, because the material started to deteriorate over the past year.

Hi Liz! L 8:40 ove your stories. My wife and I have a Keystone Laredo we have had problems. Our trim coming off , the awning coming off. We got a washer dryer combo and the drain goes to the black tank. We had a mess. The tank is not fixed yet.

I did a video on my KZfaq Channel about the nightmare of a Grand Design Reflection 303rls 2021 model. Walls and floor separating. Kitchen sink falling through and drawers flying out on travel day. We got rid of it. We went with a another company and we couldn't be happier. We contacted Grand Design and they wouldn't help. We even went to a Grand Design rally and they told us to let a dealer work on it. They didn't want to see us or our RV at their place in Elkhart. Grand Design RVs are junk.

Keep up the good work your doing to show issues that need to be addressed.

I think new rv's should come with a warning some assembly might be required. The are going to settle just like a new house when pulled down the road.

I have heard the last couple years one of the big problem is they pay by the piece when manufacturing instead of by the hour. So there is incentive to rush through the builds. The manufacturer would rather pay for repairs instead of doing it right the first time. Sad situation. Maybe with sales slowing way down the manufacturers will slow down and do quality work vs quantity.

One of my favorite KZfaq channels bought this same 5th wheel trailer new, to live in while building their house. In less than 3 weeks they had similar problems as your guests. They were not moving it at all. But they had to get the DA involved and it went back and they were made whole. Thanks for letting people know.

We bought a brand new Keystone Cougar 357UMR fifth wheel. When we did the walk through, I noticed some very small things that needed fixing (screw plugs, top kitchen island drawer wouldn’t close, and a couple other minor things). I requested they fix all this before we took possession, they did. When we went to bring it home, the left front landing gear wouldn’t retract fully. Turns out it was bent just enough to prevent it from retracting. They said we could take it & bring it back once the part was in, but we opted to just leave it since we had time before our first planned trip. When we finally got it home, we realized the kitchen slide outlets weren’t working. Since they’re inverted outlets and we have the 600i-L solar package, they SHOULD work without being connected to shore power. This slide included the refrigerator, which is a 12 volt and should work just on battery power, but it wasn’t. I checked all other inverted outlets in our rig and they all worked, so it was just something with this slide area. We brought it back and they fixed it, or so we/they thought. Got it home and within a day, it wasn’t working again. Brought it back to the dealer a second time and they ended up re-wiring it and now it works great. Then, we were on a 5 night trip to the BWCA with a stop in Grand Marais, MN. Got into our spot and went to extend the slides and the bedroom slide would go off center and stop. Called Keystone & they were “closed for inventory” [it was Friday-early afternoon], so no help. Called Lippert as it is a Schwintek slide mechanism-that individual couldn’t help as he had no idea where the controller for it would be located. The young gal we’ve been working with in the service dept at our local dealer gave us a 1-800 tech line. Spoke with a young man there and he knew exactly what to do and walked us through it. Still could not get it to extend properly and was told we’d need to bring it in to our dealer. So I spent those 5 nights having to crawl over my hubby, 2 dogs, and 2 cats! 😂 (I can see the humor now) Our dealer tried to fix it once we got back, but realized the mechanism needed replacing. So they ordered the parts and we took it home since we’d already had another trip planned before it could be repaired. They fixed it and it is now working just fine. The teeth on the glides were so chewed up you would have thought it was several years old and not brand new! We’ve also had a couple other not-so-minor-but-not-so-major issues happen and they are working to fix them. Fortunately, Keystone has honored they’re warranty for our rig and we have paid ZERO out-of-pocket for these repairs. Our dealer’s service and parts people have been fantastic! Been having issues with our solar, too, and working to get that corrected. Have had 2 other Keystone rigs and never had issues, but things happen, whether new or old. And, yes, I believe the pandemic put many, if not all, manufacturers in a pickle and they put profit over product quality (which they always touted before) and it’s now biting them in the arse.

A Camper is a self contained unit that slides into the bed of a Pickup Truck 😅 That GD is definitely a 5th wheel 👌👍

I've heard this story before. My brother had travel trailer that had to go back the manufacture due to a design flaw that could not be repaired. When they offer him a full refund towards another trailer he made a step up. That trailer had a slide out water leak that was unable to be fixed... when stored and it rained it would flood the trailer... he gave up on camping after that one. I've got folks in my FMCA club that have pages of problems with their new rigs. One had to go from the west coast back east for major repairs at the factory! Almost half million dollars and pages of repairs. I've got a 2013 class A gasser with a few structual "issues" and thought about moving up to a new DP in a few years. I at the point that I will keep what I've got in place of going with the unknown. I think the only way to clean this up is do like the yachting world. No loan without a survey. Could you image what would happen if banks or cash buyers said - no deal without an inspection. Perhaps they would should stop putting out substandard products.

I have a pre-winnebago Grand Design, but 10 months old from someone who had already gone through it and corrected the problems. I sent pictures back to a VP at Grand Design of all the stupid work I found because of the RV industry in the way of their quality control is, I’ve really thought about getting out of the RV and just buying a vacation home after six years. Recently, we had an electrical fire underneath one of the slides one morning and almost burned through a propane line. It was electrical he caused.

One of the biggest problems is that weight factor RV manufacturing is trying to offer more while reducing weight and frames and outriggers are thinner and weaker wide body rigs put tremendous pressure on walls and slides if that unit was built with correct gauged steel you would need a semi tractor to tow it

I live in a vacation area and can’t go to the site without seeing at least 20 RV’s of all kinds. I’ll be careful to avoid these as best I can. I don’t want to drive anywhere near one. I had no idea how cheaply made they were. The fact that they let you drive around with an RV that wasn’t fit to be on the road. It’s unconscionable of them to put many lives in danger. Unbelievable.

Yes it is very important to have even a new RV inspected but the inspector needs to be very familiar with the brand that your buying and all it idiosyncrasies. We got an inspector but he was used to TTs and cheaper fifthwheels that when he looked at ours he was enamored and missed a lot of stuff. As soon as I got it home I spent the next two weeks fixing things that should of bee caught!

As always Liz a great video, very informative, hope you guys are staying safe out there!

I watch a lot of RV videos. I'm thinking a lot of people don't watch videos or read forums because there are so many horror stories. As you said even an inspection may not help because some problems don't develop on a new unit until it has been down the road. I would only buy used but only after an inspection. Liz you are a force for good. Knowledge is power.

The main issues with GD is the use of Lippert frames and axles! These structures are built to minimum standards and strength requirements. If your in the market for a new RV, do not purchase a unit that utilizes Lippert frames and axles. More RV’ers are experiencing major structural problems with these frames especially near the pin box. As always, before you sign on the dotted line make sure you get a quality inspection report from a NRVTA certified inspector so you have peace of mind in the unit that you’re purchasing!

Thank you for the information Liz! I've been to that campground in Welches! You might like Goldendale one day, it's beautiful in a different way. Have fun and stay away from PDX!

Great, informative video Liz. I hope the couple's issues are resolved to their satisfaction. You are getting closer to 100,000 subscribers!

Liz - I enjoyed your video. We had purchased brand new Montana 5th (over $100,000) and had constant electrical problems as well as some structural issues with it. With the amount of money that people pay for these RV's the RV industry needs to step up their game and offer a much better warranty for these vehicles!!!

This goes to show you that newer isnt always better. Liz, i know you had an age range in mind for when you bought your Alpha. I totally agree w your thinking. Too bad these poor people have this problem. It sounds like a significant one too 😢

I bought 2021 G.D. because they had good reputation at the time. Im single & had to have slide pushed in twice. Now I don't dare boondock.

OMG, perfect timing for me and finding this video. I was getting ready to purchase this same Grand Design unit and now I'm contacting the dealer and cancelling the deal. I could have been in the same position as these folks and I'm not in the mood to lose over $100,000. So thank you very much for this video. I will look at something else out there that will serve my needs.

I was looking into Grand Design because of their customer service reputation. I guess that's all gone out the window! I do know for sure that whatever RV I go with, I will be getting an inspection. I can't believe the structural issues this couple has had to deal with. I hope Grand Design does the right thing and takes care of this couple correctly. Very disappointing!

Thanks for sharing

I love your videos. They are very informative. Thank you.

These RV's are built very quickly. I was watching a program about Amish working in the modular housing market, they also build RV's. They work at a very fast pace so I can see how some things would be forgotten or left out.

Excellent video and informative piece. So frustrating to pay so much for so much initial aggravation. Until we stop purchasing these rigs in such high quantities, things won’t change. Why would they?

I’ve had my Grand Design since April 2021 and not a single major issue. A couple minor ones that I fixed myself nothing that you wouldn’t find in any RV at any price.

Good honest feedback. Thank you! The way I'm seeing things in the rv industry, it almost appears that if you purchased a used 2018 or 2019 unit, you're probably going to get a higher quality unit with less issues... Comments?

My sister and brother in law bought a brand new GD and it was in the repair shop for the slideout system also. And so much more I can't even remember.

I am in my second GD. I just had to weld two slide brackets on my Reflection. Grand Design needs new management from the ground up in every aspect of the buisness. Even their customer service has an attitude. I feel bad for those people. GD will keep them in their shop time and time again or try to pass the buck. Good job in reporting this Liz. Again after all these years no one at Grand Design understands inspection and welding procedures before you build.

The RV horror stories are endless. I bought a toy hauler but considered it just the start of a long project. What breaks I fix myself. That’s the only way I could justify owning it.

We bought a brand new 2017 GD RL27 5th wheel from Blue Dog RV in Post Falls ID. Amazingly enough we still own the rig! The repair list on this thing is unbelievable! Thank goodness we have a local RV repair man 15 minutes from our home who was able to do the warranty work. If it had gone into an RV dealer for the repairs we probably would not have seen our 5th wheel for the entire first year! We actually thought of trading it in thinking we bought a lemon. However, our RV repairman said our rig is so much better than the other new RV’s being currently manufactured. What a scary thought! As far as Grand Design they did pay for the repairs when it was under warranty. Two of our three slides are Swintek. That brand of slide should only be used on “maybe” a lightweight wardrobe slide. We have definitely had our problems with those slides! We love going camping at the beach and up in the Sierra’s in our 5th wheel and would not trade the outdoor experience for anything else.

We also had a GD 5th wheel (303RLS) that had a lot of problems, most of which were finally fixed under warranty over a two year period. We've since sold it and can't see us buying a GD again. We'll also never buy another RV without getting an independent inspection.

I would love to be a part of the RV or Small home community but the stories of terror after spending hundreds of thousands of dollars is a real draw back. Thank you for making people aware of these pitfalls.

Unfortunately, it's the entire RV industry. They couldn't make them fast enough late 2020 through late 2022. There was very little if any quality control. I ordered my Coachman Class B in 2020 and it had 4 significant issues right out of the gate. Ultimately went back to the factory twice for multiple repairs.

We currently have a similar set of problems with a big Jayco 334rts. We too found problems with the Dealer's repairs. Hope you are able to get the problems resolved.

Liz this is a great subject for your youtube channel and I hope these folks get some relief, it is such a shame and every new rv owners nightmare. What a disaster, Grand Design should just replace the rv. I will never buy another Grand Design, they're reputation is ruined. We're having significant slide problems on our GD Imagine XLS 22 MLE. In May one side got stuck in and refused to budge. Via a GD forum I belong to, I found that the slide parts manufactured in a specific date range are defective and Lippert offers a complete repair kit and will pay freight and labor. I opened a ticket with Lippert. Dealer service ignored my findings, ordered parts from GD via Warranty and delivered what they said was a complete rebuild. Now, 6 weeks later, we discover the dealer only repaired 1 side of the slide and we're now having problems with the other side. Of course we are, they're defective parts! Dealer has used the rest of the parts on other repairs, warranty won't pay for any more as it was supposed to have been completely repaired in June. Contacted GD, they won't get involved as it's a 'dealer issue'. Trying to work the Lippert ticket, they understand what's going on, unsure if they will honor TSB now as dealer repaired one side. Really don't want to work with the dealer any more! Regardless of the parts defect, I also think that the slide itself is too big and heavy for the system. Another design flaw, not so grand!! Sorry this is so long.

This is very bad news for the RV industry as a whole. Sounds like they knew about this issue before letting the units leave the lots. Thank you for sharing. Everyone stay safe, happy and healthy. From Henrico County Virginia

I had a 42ft solitude too. The issues i had was the hydraulic system failed 48hrs after picking it up, a rare freak, and was fixed. But that was lippert not GD. Then it was the fridge, that was Norcold, not GD. I dealt with the DM at the time and they were very good at trying to resolve the issues. The 5th wheel itself was manufactured fine. The components outside of their explicit control is another story. It does sound like the engineers who developed this model in the vid have constructed this unit minimally but be careful the engineers don’t have final say on what goes into production, so keep in mind who in the hierarchy is actually to blame. 🍻

So glad to see other rv owners sharing their experiences!! Everyone needs to know. Just so sad that these are not positive ones. My husband and I bought a brand new 2023 a few months ago. Our main water line to the water heater was not attached correctly and the dealership we bought it from TOTALLY abandoned us!! They have yet to return our calls or emails. We had the camper 5 days and over a quarter of the floor of the camper had water running across it. I have to say that Grand Design did reimburse us for a certified rv repair man to come on a Friday night to fix this flooded floor. The dealership is the worst we have ever dealt with and will never return there. Grand Design did inform us that before the camper left the dealership lot, they were to check that all connections were correct and tight. This was not done. We have other things that occurred and still ongoing. We love our camper, we ordered this one and we live in it full time. Problem is if you don't live close to the main manufacturer, then learn how to fix it yourself, unfortunate. All dealerships do not want to make any repairs from the factory- we were told directly- they don't get paid for that so they will not do it for free regardless of when you bought it. Warranties are useless. Good luck to all, stay safe!

I love when you wear that blouse, it's my favorite 😍

Like I said once before on your channel, "grand design indeed!" What I can't understand is how this continues for this long of a period? Yes I remember your problems as well Liz and find it ridiculous they can still get by with this, I consider it a safety problem as well for anyone near it on the highway. Maybe people should use trucker tie down straps to hold it together while traveling. Doing this would be great advertising.......😊

Grand design should keep it simple and get away from all the fancy stuff. Bottom line on their issue is you have to support your outside walls.I’m not an engineer but I’ve been around long enough to know you always support your outside walls .Outriggers are good but they will only support so much weight. Glad I kept it simple and just bought a cheaper travel trailer. Keep on camping!

Although most are building less than quality products, there are some very reputable RV manufacturers. After owning a conventionally-built Lance trailer constructed in the early COVID days and being severely disappointed in the product and even more so in the dealership, I ordered an Oliver travel trailer and took delivery of it in January 2023. Oliver is only available from the manufacturer in TN, and they are not mass produced. I drove it back to Arizona, and just recently completed a 3,000 mile roundtrip vacation to Oregon. I have had no issues with the trailer. Molded fiberglass trailers are superior in construction and design. They are smaller, and they are more expensive, but I decided the trade-off of space for superior quality and better overall ownership experience was worth it.

Ugh! So sad and very frustrating. We hear so many stories of folks going through this same situation . Thanks for sharing this story….. Lisa

Sounds like there are several issues with this model. Go directly to the manufacturer when you have repairs like this. As far as the Schwintek slide, during Covid the manufacturer (Lippert)wasn’t able to get the rails and had to outsource, turns out they were 1/100th off causing malfunctions. They are now aware of that issue and have been for awhile. Defective ones can be replaced by GD. We have had a Schwintek slide for 6 years with no problems to this point. I hope they are able to resolve all the troubles they are dealing with. So many RVs built during late 20-22 have defects, often due to substitution of parts and lost or unskilled labor trying to meet the demands of the industry.

Hey girl, Gary from Kansas here. Another great video to help those decide whether to buy one or not. I also noticed you are getting closer to 100,00 subscribers! You go girl! And pray for us here in Kansas ..we're boiling here its so hot!