Touring Grand Design RVs With the Guy Who Builds Them // Eric Landis // Product Manager of Imagine
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- čas přidán 27. 08. 2024
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“Perception is reality” is a phrase Grand Design needs to start paying attention to. 5 years ago they were considered a well built RV with good to excellent customer service. Today, all I see are serious complaints about shoddy quality and terrible customer service. I have no idea where the truth lies, but…the perception (appears) to not be in Grand Designs favor.
I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Suppliers, manufacturers, AND OWNERS need to do better. No one seems to have the integrity to hop on a video and tell everyone they’re overweight by 100’s or even 1000’s of pounds and that miiiight be the reason they’re having some issues. Grand Design weighed rigs for folks at a rally a few years back… 80% were overweight. Build a unit that can handle more weight? Sure, but don’t complain when dry weights, pin weights, and prices go up.
As Grand Design grows there are definitely more customers who slip through the cracks. It happens in every industry. Also , as they build more units inevitably more units will have issues. It would be interesting to see the percentage of units needing serious warranty work. **No doubt GDRV needs to continuously strive to improve, and I think they’re working on it.**
I’ll say it again, the solution lies somewhere in the middle between manufacturers, suppliers, and owners. Thank you for your constructive comment!! I really appreciate folks who respectfully get a conversation going. 🍻
Brand new unit with roof leak and flappy membrane have nothing to do with owners or weight. We did not even get a single camping trip without having issues. Other owners of the same model have reached out with the exact same issues.
@@RobRodriguez-nq1iv Curious if these owners had an inspection done prior to purchase. Not sure I'd buy any RV (entry level to top-tier) without having an independent 3rd party inspection. You simply don't know what you don't know. Seems like a cost effective way to avoid some (but not all) of the headaches of owning an RV.
I agree with you 100%. This issue should be resolved under warranty and if it isn't that is unacceptable.
It certainly wouldn't hurt. RV's are built by imperfect human beings. It is a 100% certainty those human beings will miss things, and sometimes even big things. This is where the warranty kicks in. Getting repairs done under warranty can sometimes be a nightmare but that is VERY rarely GDRVs fault. Dealers can't seem to get out of their own way in the service department. Service is a HUGE problem throughout the industry... maybe the #1 issue.
Great new floor plan! Let’s do breakfast or lunch sometime!
I know frame failure isn’t an imagine issue. But I’m going to say this in the hope that it makes a positive impact.
The rash of problems with 5th wheel frame failures is certainly a major issue. But a far far bigger issue is how poor grand Design’s Customer service has been in dealing with many of these cases. The frame of an RV should not fail period. You don’t design to margins so tight that a minor overload can break it. And many of the units with failures have been weighed and found to be underweight. The lack of transparency, the refusal to admit that a problem does exist, the lack of any willingness to simply stand behind their products in many cases, and a total silence on what if anything is being done to prevent this from happening again to new build units. It all combines to destroy trust in a company and their products. I love my Imagine and have had very few issues with it. But I honestly don’t know if I would buy from Grand Design again. Not because they’ve had frame issues. But because of how they are addressing it.
There is much more to this “issue” than you’ll see on CZcams. I’ve heard a bit of Grand Designs side. Grand Design IS also addressing this recently and you’ll be able to read between the lines a bit. It isn’t my story so I won’t go into more detail but there are two sides to every story. Here is the response I am seeing from Grand Design. Take it for what it’s worth.
**Grand Design is aware of the upper deck flex concerns being posted on social media and is addressing them on a case-by-case basis. We are unaware of any verified issues where the operating guidelines relative to Towing, Loading, & Weight distribution and post build modifications are followed.
If you have questions or concerns related to your Grand Design RV, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Customer Service team by phone at (574)825-9679 or by email at customerservice@granddesignrv.com. As always, thank you for your business.**
…and thank you for the constructive comment! I really do appreciate your engagement on the channel.
@@WanderingWeekends "We are unaware of any verified issues where the operating guidelines relative to Towing, Loading, & Weight distribution and post build modifications are followed. "
Weasel words. Demanding the unprovable from their customers is all you need to know about GD
… or they are finding many of these issues come from overloading, modifications that aren’t approved via Lippert specs, and even initially unreported accidents that were the owners fault.
Has your frame had issues?
I can say that I know of at least one Momentum that had front frame failure which GD took care of under warranty. That rig was weighed as a part of the claim process and was found to be underweight. I’ve heard reports of other rigs with failures that have also been weighed and found to be underweight none of which had been in accidents, modified etc. So I really question GD’s statement here.
And part of the problem is a lack of transparency and communication from GD on this issue. If they (for example) came out and said “out of 20,000 Momentum’s built in model year xxxx we have reports of frame failures in 125 of those units. Of that 125 75 were found to be overweight by 2000lbs or more and a further 25 were reported to have been in accidents. We have identified certain common areas of failure and out of an abundance of caution as a part of our program of continuous improvement we have implemented changes in new build units to strengthen these areas and ensure against potential future failures.” A statement like that would go a very long way towards restoring confidence in the product and GDs willingness to address issues.
GD has a voice too. They are the ones choosing virtual silence as the means of addressing this. If it was my company and I could prove that product failures were not my fault you better believe I’d be saying something.
I think it’s also worth noting that Lippert doesn’t even approve the installation of their own products. For example they sent one of their guys to BTBRV to install a rear cargo tray that mounted to the frame of his Brookstone so that they could feature their product on his channel. But when I called Lippert to ask about how I could get one installed on my own Lippert frame without voiding my warranty they were adamant that their was NO approved method for doing so, they advised against it, and doing so would void my warranty. This for a product that they sell and market and for which they happily installed on a CZcamsrs RV as a method of promoting that product.
Did you ask him about flex in the frame? I'm worried to buy a larger model due to the Flex frame issues. They do look great on the inside! Great floor plans but we need to feel good about the outside too. The frame?
I believe you’re referencing some of Lipperts 5th wheel frames. These are travel trailers. I haven’t heard of any “frame flex” issues with the Imagine line.
Please ask them to use porcelain toilet in AIM series and get rid of the sink with folding handle. Want a separate tall faucet and if they want round sink there are much better and deeper ones out there. I cant tell you how much I detest the sinks in most of the AIM series.
We’ve chatted about those sinks. I think they’re trying to balance space, weight, and function. Needs vs wants. Many times the “needs” category wins when dealing with a smaller floor plan. I appreciate the constructive criticism. It’s always good to hear others thoughts!! 🍻
good to see who it is that sends them out without required 2nd exit and cheap paper thin brass fittings on main propane service lines that fail Almost immediately , 
Imagine owners for 6.5 years… never had that issue. 🤷🏻♂️
Are they putting Azdel in the walls yet? I keep writing off GD b/c I don't want to deal w/ the potential for delamination.
GD and Lippert need need to put their heads together and figure out how to do a better job on the frames.
One thing I'd like to see is a smaller 390 RK R. Make it about 4 to 5 feet smaller or make one with a front office.
Eric only deals in travel trailers but I think the guys who build the 5’ers are working thru the “frame issues”.
I would have bought a transcend 297qb but I don’t have enough truck. We settled on a bullet crossfire. Anyone know how long it takes to order an rv?
After All the Frame issues and problems that Grand Design and the horrible customer service to the people that have these problems ( it’s all over CZcams and Facebook), why would anybody even think about buying something from them!!
I would wait until you hear the whole story. Making a decision only having heard one side is never a great idea. 👍
Since they're listening, please beg them to stop using solid steps and go back to folding steps.
Why? Solid steps are great.
We’re 50-50 on them. I’ve definitely filled them in on the pros and cons.
@@rossburnham24 Steps into a towable are normally dusty, wet and or muddy. These things inherently belong outside. My first trailer had them and they were always leaving a mess in the trailer, especially if it was raining.
All I hear is bluh bluh bluh
This guy responding to these comments is hilarious! Good god i hope Grand Design is paying you something man. The excuses you are making for them are astonishing. I cannot believe that you believe that Grand Design has not had a single frame failure that the unit hasn't been overweight or "modified", whatever that means as every single RVer i know has at least one modification including
yourself. If that were true, why are they repairing some of these units? We have seen multiple units actually be repaired on camera man. You think they are just doing it out of the goodness in their hearts?
Man I’m not sure which comments you’re cherry picking but you’re sounding a bit silly. I’ve repeatedly stated manufacturers (Grand Design included), suppliers (mainly Lippert), and owners need to do better. I have no doubt GD has found they were at fault for some of this and it sounds like they are stepping up in those situations. Grand Design’s lack of communication on this issue has been complete GARBAGE.
On an other note, we were once Lippert ambassadors and dissolved that relationship when we realized they had no hesitation about selling pure junk to their customers. Also, if you believe there aren’t tons of full timers running around overweight you’re smoking some good stuff. There are two sides to every story man. Don’t get sucked into the drama you see here on CZcams. Listen to all sides and then make a decision.
@@WanderingWeekends I'm "cherry picking" the comments where you are literally sharing that bs statement from them. Again, that's cool man, just hope you got paid for debasing yourself like that.
So you refuse to hear all sides. Gotcha.
@@WanderingWeekends no I heard it. You might have heard and believed confused.
Did not know about your relationship with GD.
Bye.
We certainly don't want anyone here who doesn't want to be here. With that said why does it matter to you that we have a relationship with Grand Design? My question is sincere. I am curious to hear your side of the story.
@@WanderingWeekends Ethics. If you are going to defend a company, you need to disclose whatever relationship you have with that company.
Oh goodness. We have advertised our Ambassadorship with Grand Design since 2018.
I appreciate your response. Valuable feedback.