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Lippert is the root cause of all the chassis issues as well, they try to blame the RV manufacturer for the chassis cracking but at the end of the day the RV manufacturer didn't source the steel, do the welding or design the chassis build. Maybe the Dept of Justice needs to take a good hard look at Lippert under Ant-Trust since they have a clear monopoly over the RV industry.
So what you are saying is that it is okay for Lippert to make a frame that they knowingly make to bad specs and design? It's a Lippert problem, you hear more about Grand Design BUT there are NUMEROUS other makers having the same exact issue.
@liferedesigned I'm just saying it's the way gd design the frame..I'm sure lippert know it's going to fail but it's all a money game and doubt they're going to turn down a contract from 1 of the biggest manufacturers..There should be some sort of standard put in place on every rv seeing they are towed on major interstates...Should have to pass a dot inspection or something..Automobiles have a standard they have to pass don't see the difference
The 1095 knife blade metal is brittle and works , cracks and breaks faster than 4130 Chrome molly Steel. Lippert needs to use Chrome Molly Steel where these breaks are happening . And there will be no additional weight . It will cost more but the customer will pay that , not Lippert .
COVID had nothing to do with crap rv's. They have been crap for years before that. I can tell they didn't search for Grand Design TH-cam complaint videos. They have been on here way before they made the purchase.
I'm retired, and my wife is a traveling nurse. We've owned three Grand Designs down through the years. Grand Design has always taken care of our issues. You bring up good points about dealers and Lippert. We enjoy watching your channel every week!
When did you purchase your units? Winnebago Industries boughtf Grand Design on November 8, 2016, and it takes a few years for corporate "quality" to replace private owner quality.
The "old" Grand Design isn't the same company as today (the founders sold it a few years ago). The "new" GD failed us miserably and didn't stand by our failed unit. We owned it for 2 years and got to use it three (3) times. GD didn't care and just left it sit on the dealer's lot. (The dealer couldn't rectify their twisted structure that destroyed slideout hardware & more.) They were the worst purchase experience in my life. I'm so glad we got prevailed with them.
We bought a used fifth wheel and I replaced my own black tank. I knew it was bad because the previous owner had the tank pumped while boondocking which will split the tank every time, they are not built for that kind of suction pressure. They were upfront about the leak also. I did it in the RV park in February when the park was nearly empty. It cost me about $800 which included all new valves for black and grey since I had the belly off, floor insulation and a new plastic underbelly to a third of the length. Nobody even noticed anything but after I told my neighbors they thought I was insane doing my own work. I told them I saved $2,000. They all have a lot more money than we do.
I have had my tanks pumped several times with no issues, in fact This is the first time I ever heard of someone saying it’s a problem , guess I need to look into it .
I’ve had a service pump out out my black tank several times. We’ve never had an issue, but the guy that owns the waste truck said you need to stand in there hold the flap open inside the toilet or block it open, because if you don’t, the suction will be so great it’ll collapse your tank. He was very clear about that. I did exactly what he said and I’ve never had a problem.
Sorry to hear about all your issues.. We have a 2022 Grand Design 2500RL and we've only had a couple issues. Dealership and Grand Design/Lippard quickly fixed them all. Very satisfied with our RV.
Great, honest, video. Not what i expected initially so I'm pleasantly surprised. Glad to hear Grand Design was also so willing and quick to help. Once again dealer service is the root of the hold ups.
We are on our second Grand Design, who have been awesome. Anytime I’ve called Customer Service, they’ve been super helpful. Luckily, we haven’t had any problems with either unit. I’m sorry to hear about your troubles, but glad GD stepped up to make it right. BTBRV has covered the “quality” topic a few times. You’re right, Lippert either needs to step up or other vendors need to get in the game. I’m sure RV prices will reflect better craftsmanship.
Wow, I've heard over and over again how new RVs these days have so many problems... Due to our finances AND knowing that an older class C in decent condition would be a better bet on the crazy roads in central Mexico we shelled out $9K for a 28' 1989 gulfstream conquest. Solar cells had been added aftermarket. We don't use the shower or water heater or on gas heater but we do use the gas stove, AC and of course the toilet/sinks. We DID have about $1000 of work done before we moved in a left....the front end bushings were totally disintegrated.... Had work on the brakes too. I have to say, you've had WAY more problems crop up than we have, even after days of shaking the hell out of everything on bad roads. We've heard of more than one person with a brand new RV coming down those roads and literally, there were cracks in their walls and their cabinets literally fell off the walls! Our rig might be an older girl but no paper laminate junk and the cabinets are solid wood. Engine has gotten us up and down to 8-9000' mountain passes just fine (it's a ford econoline base but the biggest long block 8 cylinder that ford ever made). Even if I had the cash rolling around somewhere to burn I'd never buy a new RV!
I have a 2018 GD fifth wheel and I agree that these newer rigs are not made like older ones. And yes, Lippert is a Payne, I mean pain. Can you say "monopoly"???😱 I hate the fake wood cabinets and peeling fake leather (which we did replace). I miss our 2013 model Forest River Rockwood for the Flexsteel sofas and beautiful woodwork. Today's RVs don't compare. But these newer rigs do have a lot of great features and are made just as "solid" as in past - one difference is more outsourced foreign suppliers and more units cranked out for more demand. But the price of brand new is crazy now. In 2012 our new 2013ym trailer was $30,000. Comparable unit today is in the $45-50,000 range. Dealers are also hard to work with. Accountability is a rare thing these days.
Man, your experience from Grand Design is making me want to buy one of their units!!! Appears Grand Design was very accommodating. Way to go Grand Design team!!!
IIRC, Grand Design used to be one of the top-quality RV makers. Then well-known crap-maker Thor bought them. Wonder if there is any connection. Same for Thor buying Airstream some years back...and if "Airstream quality" hasn't been compromised as well. But yes, just like in the auto-industry, the manufacture MUST deal with/discipline crap dealerships...but how many of them do. ANY? -- BR
Dealer service is definitely an issue. When we purchased our Grand Design Trailer (Imagine 2500RL), I asked about the salesman about some of the details about their service department. He admitted that they are currently short on staff and always trying to hire more employees. This says to me that there will be delays in repairs and the workers are possibly entry level (might not be the best workmanship). Therefore, I will do any repairs I can by myself (I like to do that anyway).
I had a manufacturing issue with my unit that took four trips and a total downtime of a month to resolve at my dealer, which is 115 miles away. I don't blame the manufacturer; the problem was with the dealer's dishonest and possibly understaffed team who didn't know what they were doing. I quickly learned to repair my own RV and now prefer using mobile technicians for the issues I can't fix. They are faster and more knowledgeable than the dealer. Now, with my second RV, a Class C, I love it and have had no issues.
We just took delivery of our brand new 2023 Forest River Wildwood 37 foot camper. On the way home the battery cover blew off because the dealer didn't strap down the battery. When we got it home the hot water didn't work, the stereo didn't work, the solar panel wouldn't charge the battery, the stove vent on the outside of the camper was broken, the right side slide was defective and we noticed several seams that need calking or sealing, screws were missing around 2 of the windows. We take it to the dealer on August 7th to have these issues resolved. Not impressed with the service department or the prep for delivery.
WOW. We bought our GD in March of this year. When we picked it up the dealership went into a 90 minute lesson teaching us in excruciating detail every aspect of the trailer, going over lights, heaters, A/C, TV, tanks, control panel, tire pressures, etc. and even went as far as giving us advice on how to set up the trailer brake. Sounds like you didn't get anywhere near the service with your dealer. As a side note, when we were packing the trailer and when we closed the door the window shattered. I called Grand Design and they simply said "yea, that's not supposed to happen" and gave me an authorization to give to the dealer to fix it under warrantee. All good now so no complaints about Grand Design support. By now I hope all of your problems have been repaired.
We bought a brand new 2023 grand design 350 toy hauler And we’ve had a few problems Our tanks were labeled wrong and it was the dealership that has done us wrong and didn’t fix things The dealership said they couldn’t fix it So I emailed grand design and we actually had a mobile repair come to the house and fix the issue. I sent grand design that receipt and they reimbursed it so for our issue it’s poor dealership taking care of or not taking care of people.
So many people dont know how to properly flush the black tank. Glad you figured that out and didnt flood your rv with black water. Label say to never flush with outlet valve closed, for a good reason. I know of 2 channels that sent black water into their unit, one covered his wife in the stuff. Big lesson learned, hopefully.
We have been fulltiming for 7 years. We have a 40 ft 2018 Winnebago Forza. We arent ambassadors for anyone but Winnebago has always been very receptive and helpful and have always fixed everything we needed fixed. We've been very fortunate that our class A has had very few problems, and anytime we found a problem, Winnebago always fixed it perfectly. We have met many people who quit fulltiming because of all the problems with their rig. I guess we are very lucky. We have no plans to quit this great lifestyle.
Lippert is a major problem I will agree but my experience this year with trying to get a non-working slide really showed me the dealerships/repair shop is 99% of the issue. Long story short- slide wouldn't go in and out, took it in, well after the 2 weeks they had it they still hadn't even looked at it! After hounding them and another 3 weeks of excuses they told me I was right in my diagnosis and would be another 2 weeks before they'd even get the part from Lippert and was gonna be $1300 dollars. Quick Amazon search found the part and had it in my hands before I could even pick the camper back up from the shop. 5 minute fix once I got it home. Lesson learned, dealerships and repair techs think they have us cornered because who else is gonna do the repair.
I stumbled upon this video today and found it quite enlightening. Thanks for calling out Lippert. We are on the maiden trip with our new 2024 GD Imagine XLS 24 BSE. No issues yet, fingers crossed. I am looking forward to future videos from you guys.
Great channel Bob & Karri! I watched three of your videos and you are a good resource for the RV community. Keep up the good work, and I hope you both decide that while your relationship may be challenging, starting over again can mean never finding something as good as you left. I wish you all the best for your continued success on all fronts.
It's not just campers it's everything we buy today we as Americans need to get back manufacturing our own products and services and quality control bring the jobs back to America and the production of our parts and you're going to have better quality
We have a early 2021 imagine22reb that was bulit in winter of 2020. We absolutely love it and only had a few minor issues. Today the part of the arm of our awning broke called Lippert and you have to purchase the entire piece for 50.00 because they dont sell the little piece on its own. Well, we're going to try to manufacture our own little piece!!!!
We bought ours in 2017. I’m happy with it. We’ve had our share of problems too, but you gotta remember that these are like your homes and there’s going to be problems. Our biggest problem with the camper was our slide got wonky and wouldn’t come back in. We had to take it to get repaired at a dealership, but the service guy showed us how to reset it if we ever ran into that problem again.( which we have) Other than the slide thing, our repairs are pretty minimal. See ya on the road!
I'm glad that GD treated you two so well. We have the same model only a 2021 and GD took over a year to finally resolve our issues and treated us the exact opposite. GD has made videos bragging about how great their PDI is and as you have found out they miss a lot of things like your skylight and sink, we had a much bigger list. Regardless of how they respond to issues the point is there shouldn't be all these issues. We all pay a lot of money for these rigs and the quality control on all of them from what we have seen is lacking or nonexistent. We love the look and layout of our 22MLE but it's a rolling pile of junk.
Take anything you own and you will find good and bad experiences with that - Apple, Tesla, Ford, Dodge, BMW, Verizon, AT&T etc. all have issues, and all have loyal customers.
There is a balance in making something lightweight and durable at the same time. Some of the materials seem cheap but if they were made better and heavier then your cargo carrying capacity goes down. Imagine the weight increase if you had solid wood cabinets and wood plank floors. I agree there is room for improvement though.
We almost made that mistake back in 2017. For the same price as the side deck w garage deck model we bought a two bedroom house on two acres. Never been happier. We lived in an RV to decide and it's too expensive, to confining. We grow or ouw food and have chickens. Almost self sufficient about $1k per month to add power, and extra meats and sundries. Now we can fly anywhere 3x a year for a month. RV life was a good thing. Van life mentality is killing it.
What I got from this is it is not Grand Design but Lippert and dealers that are the problem. Each time you got in touch with Grand Design they responded positively.
I don't own an RV, and it seems like quality of parts and construction leave something to be desired. I did live/drive in Freightliner semi tractor for 12yrs driving OTR, and they're well made. Glad to hear that GD took care of ur needs. If I shop RV's some day, I will check out GD. Safe travels. From Florida.
I have a 2024 Intech Flyer Pursue. Aside from AC and Heat it is bear minimum. I have had several large travel trailers and they were all maintenance nightmares. Glad you have a good support with Grand Design.
I've been selling RV's since the summer of 2001 and I can say hands down, Grand Design is one of the Best in the Business when it comes to customer service after the sale. In my opinion, I will also say the issue with the Seat & Sink falls on the dealer doing the prep properly. All RV Dealers are not the same. Happy Camping.
Hey Paul! HUGE fans of yours and we are honored you stopped by our channel! We agree 100% with GD being at the top of customer service! Thanks again for chiming in, it means alot! Safe Travels Karri
you can fill time in them, keep in mind that's a narrow way of thinking. Lucky you bought a Jayco before the Pandemic hit the industry hard. Jayco are bottom tier now. They fall apart in a instant.
I am sincerely glad to see Grand Design actually cares about some of there customers. I had a fridge go out a month after my purchase took it to the dealer they sat on it for a month before I called Grand Design they told me they would find out going on and contact me back and never did another month went by and I went to the dealer made a scene on sales floor and had my trailer fixed within a week with no help from Grand Design
Grand Design has been awesome for us, We recommend calling them first when issues arise. Once a dealer gets involved it delays the process immensely. Of course, this is just our experience.
A business mentor once told me the biggest mistake in any transaction is an unmet expectation. With the post COVID boom in RV’s and RV living (we are a prime example), expectations are certainly not being met in too many cases. However, I believe that knife cuts both ways. It’s true that manufacturers of RV’s, RV components, and dealers/service departments have struggled with the demand. But the consumer needs to take more responsibility as well. RV’s are not cars. They aren’t homes on a foundation. They move, rattle around, can get overloaded, and are equipped with less expensive components than traditional living space. I think these realities get overlooked and the EXPECTATIONS of the consumer can be unrealistic. I appreciate that your RV had simply too many problems with its construction. That’s on the industry. I also appreciate your willingness to put some stake in the efforts to rectify the problems. Too often people want to simply apply blame and become victims. My encouragement to anyone still reading my rather long diatribe is to be persistent but patient when dealing with problems like these. Understand the person you are working with wants to get things right as well. Honey is always a better ingredient than vinegar. Most of all, happy camping! Those of us who are blessed enough to talk about these things are so much better off than people who are working a dead end job, are alone, sick, poor… We have it pretty good. Go enjoy your day!
☝️This! I always say this @Timmiller9965. The vibrations happening in these tt going down the road is ridiculous and causes stuff to fall off, break, loosen up, etc. These are “homes” for a lot of folks but they aren’t houses. We bought a new 2023 Forest River Surveyor in March of 2024 and the next month, I left NC to take my 80 year old Mom on a trip from OH to TX to see her family. This is where my rant begins. Over 4,000 miles later, I got home and my husband said it looked like I had been off-roading (thanks Indiana 😑). I had screws sticking out of the ext. molding. I was finding screws inside that I had no idea where they came from. Our retractable shower door broke because it was installed crooked at the factory. The best part? I had 2 of the 4 crappy Chinese tires blow at different times on our trip. I could go on and on. The decision had already been made to upgrade the tires when I got home so the expense was already planned the moment we chose the trailer that just happened to have crappy tires. The rest of it we just fixed so we could keep going out and making memories instead of parking it at the dealership for weeks to months. Now, don’t get me wrong; if something major comes up we will take advantage of our warranty without hesitation. I guess the point I am making is if you go into your RV purchase thinking you are picking up this brand new trailer and will have years before you have to deal with problems, I believe you are setting yourself up for a miserable experience because there is always some type of maintenance or repair needing to be done. It is the balance of keeping an RV lightweight without it crumbling to pieces while handling everything the highway does to it. Unless you are dropping some serious house money on your RV, it’s just not realistic to expect otherwise.
Thanks for the heads up re: Lippert. I didn't realize they owned so many different parts of some RVs. When you first mentioned the door had to go through them, I was like, WTF?
@@liferedesigned Lol... I was about to say, maybe Lippert should introduce their own line of RVs... but, then I realized, they'd have no one else to blame for the faults.
The entire RV manufacturing and dealer network has gone to hell. There is no excuse for poor quality control on a six figure rig. I tell people if you buy an RV be prepared to diagnose and repair almost everything yourself or you will really be an unhappy camper. You simply cannot depend on the manufacturer or dealer to do it right. Yes, it's a sad state of affairs and over the years it has gotten worse. Some of my friends are saying that unless you are full timing RENT and do not own anything having to do with RVing. I'm beginning to see the logic of such a statement.
I have been Rving for over 20 years, and yes, the quality of the Lippert supplied parts have dropped. BUT from Jayco Class Cs and then to Super C Senica and now a Brinkley G3500. I have seen the customer service has gotten better. I cant believe how great Brinkley has been for the few small items that have happened in the last 6 months.
When COVID hit and hotels closed my hiking partner and I bought an RV. A little Winnebago Minnie. Perfect for two of us to park her near hiking trails. After buying her, used, I read and saw a wave of RVs being made and bought. Campgrounds were stuffed with every kind, make and model. I can just imagine how the manufacturers cranked out those units as fast as they could to ride the big bucks money rocket before it flamed out. So quality was a joke for some of them. It's sickening. People's lives are at stake here, but the dollar is more important to greedy people. For the love of money is the root of all evil. Be careful everyone.
@@liferedesigned they would there are allot of smaller dealers that would love to have the chance. People that would invest in them the same as gd invested with organization.
had a 2012 keystone 29rtpr that I bought used. This was a solid camper, had zero issues so I wanted to stick with keystone when we decided to upgrade to a 5th wheel. In December we bought a new Montana 377fl from Camping world who delivered it to our seasonal campground a month later. Since we opened in May we have had a broken puck lite, broken Stereo, broken rear door lock and the hot and cold water hook ups for the washer leak, Camping world was useless. When my back door was broke they told me to bring it in. I explained that the stairs were our and it could not be moved so they pawned us off on a independent service company that wanted no part of Warranty work. I went directly to Keystone who so far have been great. Sent me a new lock within a day or two and gave me a new contact for a keystone authorized tech for the hookups. I replaced the puck light and found a fix for the stereo,
I can honestly say I’ve had a pretty positive experience with my 21 22MLE. (Knock on wood). I have noticed my wood grain paper on the side of the bed on the driver side has started to come off, and I plan to glue it back on and roll it out. It is solar prepped, gas/electric fridge, gas/electric water heater. No leaks yet. Hopefully my luck continues. Glad to know Grand Design is working with yall on some issues. Best of luck with future endeavors.
We purchased a new 2015 Grand Design Momentum 350 in 2015 for about $90,000. Amongst other repairs (too many to mention) and months in the shop, replaced A/C units 6-times (yes, six); furniture that never saw daylight started peeling like a bad rash just after a year old; refrigerator fan quit working at 1-year old (not only replaced, but added an additional fan); water heater would not work without being reset with a magnet; leaked on slide-out due to "no" caulk applied at factory; screws for ladder just screwed into fiberglass, not stud, and came loose; toilet would not hold water; axle had to be bent to lineup properly; main slide-out leaked and finally State Farm decided to "total" the unit...the best day of our life. Once you get passed the cosmetics, they're just as cheaply made as a cheap one. Since, we have purchased a 2021 Lance 1685 for a quarter of the cost and completely satisfied. I wouldn't have another Grand Design if they gave it to me and promised to repair at no costs for life!
Sorry to hear your problems with that 2015. Every make and model of every manufacturer has their loyal buyers and detractors. Even Apple, Tesla, Dodge, BMW. There is a make and model for everyone- sounds like you found yours! Safe Travels
You two are a hoot! 😂😂 I’m so happy I found you at a time where I’m going through a lot in my personal life & it’s nice to be able to laugh again… Thank you for sharing part of your adventure with all of us… 🙂🙃
Howdy Bob and Karri, Lot of good information in this video. It's a shame that there're no other manufacturers of rv parts to choose from for repairs or upgrades. You kids have fun and be safe.
I always flush my black tank with the valve closed.I let it fill up about 1/4 full then dump it to wash out the tank.Never had a problem. I own a 2019 Forest River GreyWolf.
I don't let anyone distract me while servicing the black/gray-water tanks anymore. It happened once and we wound up with the dreaded "poo pyramid" because the black-water tank valve was left open when my neighbor wanted to show me something. I had to use the "Magic Wand" to get rid of the pyramid. Now, when I flush, I close the valve and time no more than 30 seconds, then open the valve again to flush "leftovers" from the tank. It does require complete focus and your undivided attention. On our last trip out, my neighbor wanted to ask me about some points of interest we had visited. I told him that I would be happy to as soon as I had finished up my tank cleaning. He said "Sure thing!"
Thank you for being honest about Lippert products. I had a 1998 Dutchman classic. It was a great camper. I upgraded to a Keystone sprinter. It had a water pump problem, and I had to take apart the cabinet to replace it. I also had trim problems. 4 months down the road, and it is a great RV. And as far as I can tell, the only lippert product left is a sea land toilet. It won't hold water, even after replacing the seal. It's got to go, and be replaced. My only complaint otherwise is that the refrigerator is not 3 way. The 12 volt system is missing. Now it only is electric, 120volt, or propane. It works well till it gets above 80° then it just doesn't work., made by Dometic. And yes there is a fan behind the plastic inspection cover, and above inside the vent cover on the roof. A new 12volt only refrigerator, is very expensive, and won't have a propane option. And you-tube has helped me buy this unit, rather than new. The way I see things with newer RVs is all manufacturers that are less than 30 years of business, are using new floor plans that appeal to new customers, is they rattle apart because of those new flor plans are built with inferior products, because of inflation.
That is so sad to hear. We almost went with a Keystone Cougar instead of our 22MLE - but we heard the same complaints that the front windshield leaked for 3 model years in a row. Figured if a they never fixed the top complaint that they would have had other issues. Glad we didn’t go that route
Love you two doing what you do. In November of 2022 My wife and I bought a 2023 22MLE. We parked it at a friend's house uncovered connected to shore power. we kept a small heater at 45 degrees while gone. In January of 2023 we came out to use the trailer for the first night at our friend's house. When we opened the cabinet door under the bathroom sink, we found all of our paper products still in cellophane completely soaked with water and moldy. In the rain, I crawled up onto the roof to see where the water was coming from found the sealant had come unbonded above the bathroom at the edge of the rubber roof. It measured about 6 inches long. Monday morning, I called the dealer in Salem Oregon and told them our problem. Wednesday, I got it into the dealer, and they said it was under warranty. 2 weeks into them having the trailer we surprised them by just showing up. We walked out to the trailer and the 2nd in charge told us they were ordering all new cabinets for the bathroom. The worker was called away, so we looked to see what they were going to do to fix the trailer. We spotted they had removed the frame around the skylight, and we could see mold built up on 2 of the rafters and took pictures. The dealer was just going to seal the roof, replace the cabinets and then bleach the mold and call it good. (FYI bleach will not kill the mold completely) When all was said and done, we got a complete new roof, new cabinets in the bathroom, both trusses were replaced that had black mold on them, and the 4X8 plywood roof top replaced. we had it tested for mold spores and it passed inspection. Grand Design at first was dragging their feet on replacing the roof, but the NW regional manager Mr. Davis stepped up (big Kudos to him) and helped out to make the 2 months payments on our trailer while they had it and paid for my gas for having to travel 4 times to and from and hour away. We love our MLE!!! BTW I recommend you zip-tie your brake wires, so they don't rub and short out on your axle.
Great to hear that you got it all resolved. We find a lot of the issue comes down to dealers and how they relay info to GD. We will check out our brake wires :)
My black tank on a KZ exploded and they would only ship to a KZ dealer or Camping World. It was about 5 months before I got my tank installed. I had it shipped to the dealer I bought from in Portland since I would be traveling there. They would have installed it but it didn't arrive in time for my appointment! I carried it around in the back of the SUV for another three months until I got back to my winter home and had it installed.
Same problem with most camper manufacturers it's the parts they put in the camper . Same with house contractors it's the parts an appliance they use in setting out the room fixtures suppliers are not building good products .
Had a GD for a couple weeks. Traded that piece of crap for a Jayco. We were happy with the Jayco. We had an issue with one of the slides but once it was corrected it was problem free. Grand Design not so Grand!
We have a 2022 Imagine 2800BH. We’ve not had any issues other than with the vacuum breaker on the toilet. That didn’t keep it from working, just caused a small leak. I got the parts for around $20 and fixed it myself. We are not full timers but did spend two months living in it earlier this summer. We’ve enjoyed it.
We have a 2018 pacific coachworks 24ez. The furnace quit working on the last night of our trip. The service department found a bad igniter in the unit but it still didn’t work. Turns out there was a bad board up in the ac that was preventing the furnace from working. I once heard from an rv tech that they’re all pieces of crap, the only difference is how much do you want to pay for your piece of crap.
lol, I would have found a new tech. 1 million plus people living this lifestyle full time. Parks are at capacity with 11.25 million more owners part time.
Enjoyed your video. All RVs will have issues from time to time I have had good experiences with Grand Design and was fortunate enough to be able to purchase unit from a small town dealer with good service department. Nice to hear some positive comments rather than all the negative that seems to be posted now.
I am Soo glad you have had fairly good experiences with GD & lippert. I have two good friends that have Not At all had good experiences . . so far no frame flex issues but a Host of problems that are build issues & have cost both lots of $$ & much lost camping . . . Just saying but happy for you! Btw all issues were under warranty period . .
I am new to your channel and I am a fellow camper enthusiasts who has been camping for well over 25 years now. I just want to say that after watching this particular video, I to understand the headaches that we deal with when it comes to getting your RV fixed. I have a 2014 Passport Elite Grand Touring travel trailer. Now it is not a Grand Design model but I am sure most component's are the same manufacture. We had a ten year warranty on our camper when we bought it. It paid off in the end cause after ten years of use we replaced a lot of things. My point to all this is that we went through the Dealership for all our warranty work. In the beginning it was as you said a pain in the ass to get anything done. lots of phone calls and lots of pictures. What I did is actually contacted the owner of the dealership. Not going to mention who that dealership is cause like you said I do not want bad comments about this place. After I contacted this Gentlemen, he, well his wife, called me direct to find out what some of the issues were. I explained it to her and within a week my camper was at the dealership getting repairs made that are covered under the warranty. After all this work was completed, the dealership gave us a four day pass to any Thousand Trails campground. My point is, not all dealerships are the same. It just so happens that ours actually cares about what they sell to its costumers. I have gone to that dealership for every repair made thus far, major repairs that is. The small stuff I do on my own. Any ways, I love the videos so keep them coming. I live in Ohio so maybe if I am lucky enough I might see you guys out on one of your adventures. Safe travels for now.
Love your perspective on this. We have and are running into similar issues as well with our Alliance. The manufacture though needs to hold Lippert accountable and some of them have now started to look elsewhere for products to use on the RV that they are putting out.
We are seeing this across the board about Lippert. Hopefully more people look to move past the RV maker and look at exactly who is making the components. If it affects one brand, it will be on another!
With our first 2020 GD Imagine, hubby and I realized to deficiency in the RV industry. Grand Design customer service was great to us, and we have no issues with GD. Now, on our first fiver by Forest River, we've come to understand that even new RVs have issues. This isn't the automotive industry where you expect trouble-free years before requiring service. The best way to protect yourself as a consumer is to pay for an independent certified inspector. It is better to pay 2-3k that may save you from making a 100k mistake. Get the problems fixed before you drive your new baby across the curb. Expect small issues, and walk away from the rigs with big issues. Even on a first trip, expect little problems. Keep a sense of humor. We look at our rig as a rescue pup. It can surprise us with every trip, but we just fix it and love it more.
Thanks for info. I know I've heard of frame issues made by Lipert. They make a lot of junk. I try to stay away from big build companies. Thor, Forest Rivers.
Great points...Thanks for saying what others want to but wont. I really enjoy your videos each week. Have safe travels and hope to see y'all on the road
I'd be looking for RV's when it is hot and raining. have them walk you through every electrical switch and hot/cold water, AC and I want the bump outs in and out several times while it is raining really hard. The only way to buy one is to be there during the build and walk though all the inspections at each step of the way. in other words get a job with them to be able to watch them build the thing and know all the requirements. When your investing in this type of thing. treat it as if your building a home. check it out each step of the way. if you see something you dont like say something.
We get what you are saying but boy is that a lot of work. We literally walked on the lot and bought the one we wanted. Other than a couple of hiccups we live our RV and our full time life
I have a 2022 GD Imagine 22MLE and Love it! I have had a few campers over the last 30 years and all of them have their issues...the 22mle included. Over the last 30 years I have learned that you need to work on your own camper otherwise you're at the mercy of the dealership. I have only had to contact Grand Design customer service once in the last two years and found the customer service to be very pleasant. Luckily, I can weld, do electric and don't have an adversity to plumbing if needed. I highly recommend Grand Design and on the other hand...Lippert can kiss my Butt. Unfortunately, Lippert has their hands in a lot of RV products so you have to deal with it, be it Grand Design or any other RV company. Safe Travels Everyone! Luck!
I think you hit the nail on the head. Lippert is the LiveNation of the RV industry. They make a lot of defective products but deflect issues to manufacturers. They need a DOJ investigation on their monopoly in the RV industry. They do not have any relevant competition and that is always a bad thing.
I’m seeing the biggest problem is Lippart Corporation and just as responsible is Grand Design for lack of not making sure what the design has been road tested under many different situations
Good points and content. My RV experience has been good except for my bone head mistakes that have cost me greatly ie: an awning and set of steps(the motorized kind) . I have a 2018 Fleetwood Flair and I'm very pleased with the quality so far. Maintenance is key and pre and post trip inspections; due to the rough road system in this country 😳. Keep up the great content. 🎉
Boycott all of these large RVs companies. Don't buy! That is the only solution... until they implement a full no hassle warranty that covers everything like there is for cars!
Amen!!!! You hit the nail on the head. The problem isn't G.D. it's Lippert and I know firsthand about Lippert because back in 2013 my brand new 2012 Georgetown had power steps and they had a recall on the gearbox box and if you wanted to have it repaired on your dime of course they would send you out the new part well I got the part and installed it myself and it's been working ever since. And that, my friends, is the last time I ever heard of Lippert having a recall too. I think the people that have this ambassador status with these companies should stop sucking up and get the truth out about what is going on. People need to quit complaining like little children. Good job guys.
That is how we feel also, we watched a video by another couple that brought their 5 year old rig in and probably had over $10k in repairs done. We couldn't believe how much they did not know that was being done - because they got it all done for free.
Great video, you hit nail on the head with the issues. I have similar results with Grand Design in asking for help, and they have sent items in 2 days.
Stop watching TH-cam - as most of the hate for GD is because they are one of the top brands right now - apparently you also did not watch the second half of the video.
No issues with my Rv manufacturer. They build a great product. When I took a factory tour I noticed the slide out mechanism is a Lippert Schwintech 😢 and he said yeah, unfortunately that’s the only game in town for a small Rv slide. He is right. They were not pleased with that slide system. Luckily my slide is small with a sofa so it’s light and the manufacturer uses steel around the opening to make it stronger and avoid the twist that breaks the mechanism 😊. Yeah most if not all of Lippert is 🗑️
That’s good. I researched them and it seems the bigger, heavier ones fail a lot. Mine has a flashing red light sometimes but I think it’s voltage sensitive. It’s always worked too.
We have the '22 22MLE and fortunately haven’t had any of the issues you've mentioned, but we're not full-timer's either. I'm in the process of upgrading to Lithium, so thx for the tip on the CC. Our biggest issue has been the peeling of the faux wood finish on many 'wooden' edges. Overall, we really enjoy ours, hope you enjoy yours as well.
WOW, 👏👏🇨🇦Thanks for the info. Grand Design is what we wanted. Customer service is what I'm looking for . Mmmm We now have a better informed check list . Take care . Watching from Vancouver Island , BC Canada u
What you basically said is that you like GD customer service, they have been helpful to you, but their product decisions make for a poor product. Its not just Lippert although they are a major part of the problem, but the Nautilus water system, the Theirford toilet, Furrion, etc. In an effort to make their products lighter they are cutting corners. Your skylight was not a Lippert problem... Many others with build quality and roof problems. Many times when people complain about GD, I see that the real problem is Lippert, so good for you for pointing that out.
This we love to hear! So many TH-camrs jumping on the bandwagon of "ALL RV's are trash" that it makes those of us with little to no problems look like liars! Safe Travels Karri
The RV industry does need to be ripped down completely. Quality issues abound. Dealer network as well. Bought a new Thor CL C and there are tons of problems with it. Took it out for a week and Have a list of issues 20 points long. The Kitchen sink drain plumbing broke on the drive out and the Winegard antenna ripped of the roof on the way back.
Man I was confused at first where you were going with this, I was thinking "but GD stepped up every time". Then at 16 mins you made it clear. IMO, Lippert and every thing they own, influence, or have a connection with is junk. So many people get hang up on the way something in their camper looks, when it is all by the same manufacturer. Like lipstick on a pig. We went through the process of buying a new camper, sales guy was pitching all the upgraded components. I quickly stopped him saying it is all the same junk underneath the skin. Like when someone says I have this model, it's better... Ummm no not really, see the little sticker that says "Forest River".... Yeah buddy about 90% of what you see is all made by the same company. It is a shell game using your checkbook. I will say since most of the industry is owned by a few companies at the top, it has allowed them to sell the same junk for the past 50 years. Thankfully people like Grand Design came out on their own trying to make things better. However, they have the boat anchor of Lippert and a few others they are tied too. Need to point something out, in Grand Designs Warranty literature (I read every single word), it does state for a customer to call them on warranty repairs so they can help. Maybe they know what you are about to deal with and want to help upfront.
🛒 Want ideas for MUST have RV gear and accessories ? www.amazon.com/shop/liferedesigned 🛒 What has been YOUR experience with your RV manufacturer? Having a hard time getting something resolved? Let us know in the comments below - maybe we can help!
Am I the only Lippert lover left on this third rock from the sun?
NO ONE in America should ever be "silenced!" (Or anywhere else!)
Except we all are
NEVER!
@@lightwarrior432
Lippert is the root cause of all the chassis issues as well, they try to blame the RV manufacturer for the chassis cracking but at the end of the day the RV manufacturer didn't source the steel, do the welding or design the chassis build. Maybe the Dept of Justice needs to take a good hard look at Lippert under Ant-Trust since they have a clear monopoly over the RV industry.
Show me a Fuzion with as many frame issues as GD..it's GD 's specs and frame design
So what you are saying is that it is okay for Lippert to make a frame that they knowingly make to bad specs and design? It's a Lippert problem, you hear more about Grand Design BUT there are NUMEROUS other makers having the same exact issue.
@liferedesigned I'm just saying it's the way gd design the frame..I'm sure lippert know it's going to fail but it's all a money game and doubt they're going to turn down a contract from 1 of the biggest manufacturers..There should be some sort of standard put in place on every rv seeing they are towed on major interstates...Should have to pass a dot inspection or something..Automobiles have a standard they have to pass don't see the difference
@@Kevin-midmichiganyep, fuzion owner right here. had to have my frame straightened and reinforced due to a blowout last year.
The 1095 knife blade metal is brittle and works , cracks and breaks faster than 4130 Chrome molly Steel. Lippert needs to use Chrome Molly Steel where these breaks are happening . And there will be no additional weight . It will cost more but the customer will pay that , not Lippert .
Everything after convid is crap. Houses, cars, RV's, govt's.❤❤❤🤗🤗🤗
😂😂😂😂 well said
Keep in mind these issues are over 2 years as Full Timers - very minor issues and they were all handled great by Grand Design
That last one especially 😂
COVID is just as bad if not worse than it's always been. It's not "after COVID"....
COVID had nothing to do with crap rv's. They have been crap for years before that. I can tell they didn't search for Grand Design TH-cam complaint videos. They have been on here way before they made the purchase.
I'm retired, and my wife is a traveling nurse. We've owned three Grand Designs down through the years. Grand Design has always taken care of our issues. You bring up good points about dealers and Lippert. We enjoy watching your channel every week!
Thank You - Grand Design has been awesome and we would buy another in a heart beat!
Safe Travels
When did you purchase your units? Winnebago Industries boughtf Grand Design on November 8, 2016, and it takes a few years for corporate "quality" to replace private owner quality.
2022
The "old" Grand Design isn't the same company as today (the founders sold it a few years ago). The "new" GD failed us miserably and didn't stand by our failed unit. We owned it for 2 years and got to use it three (3) times. GD didn't care and just left it sit on the dealer's lot. (The dealer couldn't rectify their twisted structure that destroyed slideout hardware & more.) They were the worst purchase experience in my life. I'm so glad we got prevailed with them.
Keep in mind these issues are over 2 years as Full Timers - very minor issues and they were all handled great by Grand Design
Giving a toilet a hug, is something I haven't done in years. I control my drinking better as I got older. Haha
Been a few years for us BUT we do have a cruise coming up ... quite sure I will be making that a reality.
@@liferedesigned frisky whiskey lol
The big white telephone to God!
It’s always nice when a manufacturer takes care of your problems👍but the problem with that is that most of these problems should never have happened😮
BINGO
We bought a used fifth wheel and I replaced my own black tank. I knew it was bad because the previous owner had the tank pumped while boondocking which will split the tank every time, they are not built for that kind of suction pressure. They were upfront about the leak also.
I did it in the RV park in February when the park was nearly empty. It cost me about $800 which included all new valves for black and grey since I had the belly off, floor insulation and a new plastic underbelly to a third of the length. Nobody even noticed anything but after I told my neighbors they thought I was insane doing my own work. I told them I saved $2,000. They all have a lot more money than we do.
DIY is always the way to go if you can!
I have had my tanks pumped several times with no issues, in fact This is the first time I ever heard of someone saying it’s a problem , guess I need to look into it .
I’ve had a service pump out out my black tank several times. We’ve never had an issue, but the guy that owns the waste truck said you need to stand in there hold the flap open inside the toilet or block it open, because if you don’t, the suction will be so great it’ll collapse your tank. He was very clear about that. I did exactly what he said and I’ve never had a problem.
I do it always myself anyways, if you build it yourself you can do it better than someone on the clock and you know how to fix it
I pump black tanks. I can roll full throttle and not collapse a tank. If your tank is collapsing it's not vented correctly
It's about time...Finally someone who gives the Positive about the support..Glad they took care of ya..
Thank you for understanding the point of this video!
Safe Travels
Sorry to hear about all your issues.. We have a 2022 Grand Design 2500RL and we've only had a couple issues. Dealership and Grand Design/Lippard quickly fixed them all. Very satisfied with our RV.
Keep in mind these issues are over 2 years as Full Timers - very minor issues and they were all handled great by Grand Design
Great, honest, video. Not what i expected initially so I'm pleasantly surprised. Glad to hear Grand Design was also so willing and quick to help. Once again dealer service is the root of the hold ups.
Thanks for watching! You are absolutely correct!
We are on our second Grand Design, who have been awesome. Anytime I’ve called Customer Service, they’ve been super helpful. Luckily, we haven’t had any problems with either unit. I’m sorry to hear about your troubles, but glad GD stepped up to make it right. BTBRV has covered the “quality” topic a few times. You’re right, Lippert either needs to step up or other vendors need to get in the game. I’m sure RV prices will reflect better craftsmanship.
Wow, I've heard over and over again how new RVs these days have so many problems... Due to our finances AND knowing that an older class C in decent condition would be a better bet on the crazy roads in central Mexico we shelled out $9K for a 28' 1989 gulfstream conquest. Solar cells had been added aftermarket. We don't use the shower or water heater or on gas heater but we do use the gas stove, AC and of course the toilet/sinks.
We DID have about $1000 of work done before we moved in a left....the front end bushings were totally disintegrated.... Had work on the brakes too.
I have to say, you've had WAY more problems crop up than we have, even after days of shaking the hell out of everything on bad roads.
We've heard of more than one person with a brand new RV coming down those roads and literally, there were cracks in their walls and their cabinets literally fell off the walls!
Our rig might be an older girl but no paper laminate junk and the cabinets are solid wood. Engine has gotten us up and down to 8-9000' mountain passes just fine (it's a ford econoline base but the biggest long block 8 cylinder that ford ever made).
Even if I had the cash rolling around somewhere to burn I'd never buy a new RV!
Keep in mind these issues are over 2 years as Full Timers - very minor issues and they were all handled great by Grand Design
I have a 2018 GD fifth wheel and I agree that these newer rigs are not made like older ones. And yes, Lippert is a Payne, I mean pain. Can you say "monopoly"???😱
I hate the fake wood cabinets and peeling fake leather (which we did replace). I miss our 2013 model Forest River Rockwood for the Flexsteel sofas and beautiful woodwork. Today's RVs don't compare. But these newer rigs do have a lot of great features and are made just as "solid" as in past - one difference is more outsourced foreign suppliers and more units cranked out for more demand. But the price of brand new is crazy now. In 2012 our new 2013ym trailer was $30,000. Comparable unit today is in the $45-50,000 range.
Dealers are also hard to work with. Accountability is a rare thing these days.
Man, your experience from Grand Design is making me want to buy one of their units!!! Appears Grand Design was very accommodating. Way to go Grand Design team!!!
GD has been great! Nothing but good things to say
To add, many manufacturers get a bad rap because of poor/shoddy dealer service.
GREAT point!
IIRC, Grand Design used to be one of the top-quality RV makers. Then well-known crap-maker Thor bought them. Wonder if there is any connection. Same for Thor buying Airstream some years back...and if "Airstream quality" hasn't been compromised as well.
But yes, just like in the auto-industry, the manufacture MUST deal with/discipline crap dealerships...but how many of them do. ANY?
-- BR
Dealer service is definitely an issue. When we purchased our Grand Design Trailer (Imagine 2500RL), I asked about the salesman about some of the details about their service department. He admitted that they are currently short on staff and always trying to hire more employees. This says to me that there will be delays in repairs and the workers are possibly entry level (might not be the best workmanship). Therefore, I will do any repairs I can by myself (I like to do that anyway).
I had a manufacturing issue with my unit that took four trips and a total downtime of a month to resolve at my dealer, which is 115 miles away. I don't blame the manufacturer; the problem was with the dealer's dishonest and possibly understaffed team who didn't know what they were doing. I quickly learned to repair my own RV and now prefer using mobile technicians for the issues I can't fix. They are faster and more knowledgeable than the dealer. Now, with my second RV, a Class C, I love it and have had no issues.
If the manufacturers build something worth what they charge, there would be no need for poor/shoddy service.
We just took delivery of our brand new 2023 Forest River Wildwood 37 foot camper. On the way home the battery cover blew off because the dealer didn't strap down the battery. When we got it home the hot water didn't work, the stereo didn't work, the solar panel wouldn't charge the battery, the stove vent on the outside of the camper was broken, the right side slide was defective and we noticed several seams that need calking or sealing, screws were missing around 2 of the windows. We take it to the dealer on August 7th to have these issues resolved. Not impressed with the service department or the prep for delivery.
Oh no!
WOW. We bought our GD in March of this year. When we picked it up the dealership went into a 90 minute lesson teaching us in excruciating detail every aspect of the trailer, going over lights, heaters, A/C, TV, tanks, control panel, tire pressures, etc. and even went as far as giving us advice on how to set up the trailer brake. Sounds like you didn't get anywhere near the service with your dealer. As a side note, when we were packing the trailer and when we closed the door the window shattered. I called Grand Design and they simply said "yea, that's not supposed to happen" and gave me an authorization to give to the dealer to fix it under warrantee. All good now so no complaints about Grand Design support. By now I hope all of your problems have been repaired.
We bought a brand new 2023 grand design 350 toy hauler
And we’ve had a few problems
Our tanks were labeled wrong and it was the dealership that has done us wrong and didn’t fix things
The dealership said they couldn’t fix it
So I emailed grand design and we actually had a mobile repair come to the house and fix the issue. I sent grand design that receipt and they reimbursed it so for our issue it’s poor dealership taking care of or not taking care of people.
GD has been great - we would buy from them again in a heartbeat!
So many people dont know how to properly flush the black tank. Glad you figured that out and didnt flood your rv with black water.
Label say to never flush with outlet valve closed, for a good reason.
I know of 2 channels that sent black water into their unit, one covered his wife in the stuff. Big lesson learned, hopefully.
You are so right - We know better but all it took was a distraction (ironically from a viewer) and we blew it.
@@liferedesigned literally!
We have been fulltiming for 7 years. We have a 40 ft 2018 Winnebago Forza. We arent ambassadors for anyone but Winnebago has always been very receptive and helpful and have always fixed everything we needed fixed. We've been very fortunate that our class A has had very few problems, and anytime we found a problem, Winnebago always fixed it perfectly. We have met many people who quit fulltiming because of all the problems with their rig. I guess we are very lucky. We have no plans to quit this great lifestyle.
Sounds like our experiences are the same - Winnebago owns Grand Design so that explains alot.
safe travels.
Lippert is a major problem I will agree but my experience this year with trying to get a non-working slide really showed me the dealerships/repair shop is 99% of the issue. Long story short- slide wouldn't go in and out, took it in, well after the 2 weeks they had it they still hadn't even looked at it! After hounding them and another 3 weeks of excuses they told me I was right in my diagnosis and would be another 2 weeks before they'd even get the part from Lippert and was gonna be $1300 dollars. Quick Amazon search found the part and had it in my hands before I could even pick the camper back up from the shop. 5 minute fix once I got it home. Lesson learned, dealerships and repair techs think they have us cornered because who else is gonna do the repair.
Definingly issues on both ends.
I stumbled upon this video today and found it quite enlightening. Thanks for calling out Lippert. We are on the maiden trip with our new 2024 GD Imagine XLS 24 BSE. No issues yet, fingers crossed. I am looking forward to future videos from you guys.
Thank you and congrats on your 24BSE - great floorplan!
Great channel Bob & Karri! I watched three of your videos and you are a good resource for the RV community. Keep up the good work, and I hope you both decide that while your relationship may be challenging, starting over again can mean never finding something as good as you left. I wish you all the best for your continued success on all fronts.
Hello there! We appreciate the kind words! next time we are in the area, we will have to stop in :)
We just bought our 2nd rv, and we're so happy we went with Grand Design!
Good choice! We love ours!
It's not just campers it's everything we buy today we as Americans need to get back manufacturing our own products and services and quality control bring the jobs back to America and the production of our parts and you're going to have better quality
We have a early 2021 imagine22reb that was bulit in winter of 2020. We absolutely love it and only had a few minor issues. Today the part of the arm of our awning broke called Lippert and you have to purchase the entire piece for 50.00 because they dont sell the little piece on its own. Well, we're going to try to manufacture our own little piece!!!!
So refreshing to hear someone who’s seen good results for the problems they ran into.
Thank You
We bought ours in 2017. I’m happy with it. We’ve had our share of problems too, but you gotta remember that these are like your homes and there’s going to be problems. Our biggest problem with the camper was our slide got wonky and wouldn’t come back in. We had to take it to get repaired at a dealership, but the service guy showed us how to reset it if we ever ran into that problem again.( which we have) Other than the slide thing, our repairs are pretty minimal. See ya on the road!
Exactly! Well said!
Safe travels
I'm glad that GD treated you two so well. We have the same model only a 2021 and GD took over a year to finally resolve our issues and treated us the exact opposite. GD has made videos bragging about how great their PDI is and as you have found out they miss a lot of things like your skylight and sink, we had a much bigger list. Regardless of how they respond to issues the point is there shouldn't be all these issues. We all pay a lot of money for these rigs and the quality control on all of them from what we have seen is lacking or nonexistent. We love the look and layout of our 22MLE but it's a rolling pile of junk.
Take anything you own and you will find good and bad experiences with that - Apple, Tesla, Ford, Dodge, BMW, Verizon, AT&T etc. all have issues, and all have loyal customers.
There is a balance in making something lightweight and durable at the same time. Some of the materials seem cheap but if they were made better and heavier then your cargo carrying capacity goes down. Imagine the weight increase if you had solid wood cabinets and wood plank floors. I agree there is room for improvement though.
Cool. I like that Grand Design is doing their part. Thank you.
✌️😊
We almost made that mistake back in 2017. For the same price as the side deck w garage deck model we bought a two bedroom house on two acres. Never been happier. We lived in an RV to decide and it's too expensive, to confining. We grow or ouw food and have chickens. Almost self sufficient about $1k per month to add power, and extra meats and sundries. Now we can fly anywhere 3x a year for a month. RV life was a good thing. Van life mentality is killing it.
What I got from this is it is not Grand Design but Lippert and dealers that are the problem. Each time you got in touch with Grand Design they responded positively.
exactly!
I don't own an RV, and it seems like quality of parts and construction leave something to be desired. I did live/drive in Freightliner semi tractor for 12yrs driving OTR, and they're well made. Glad to hear that GD took care of ur needs. If I shop RV's some day, I will check out GD. Safe travels. From Florida.
Safe Travels to you as well
I have a 2024 Intech Flyer Pursue. Aside from AC and Heat it is bear minimum. I have had several large travel trailers and they were all maintenance nightmares. Glad you have a good support with Grand Design.
We have had a great experience. We also kept it as small as possible with as little "extras" as we could get away with.
I've been selling RV's since the summer of 2001 and I can say hands down, Grand Design is one of the Best in the Business when it comes to customer service after the sale. In my opinion, I will also say the issue with the Seat & Sink falls on the dealer doing the prep properly. All RV Dealers are not the same. Happy Camping.
Hey Paul! HUGE fans of yours and we are honored you stopped by our channel! We agree 100% with GD being at the top of customer service!
Thanks again for chiming in, it means alot!
Safe Travels
Karri
We had zero issues with our 2020 Jayco. Please note these are recreational vehicles and aren't built to be lived in daily.
Keep in mind these issues are over 2 years as Full Timers - very minor issues and they were all handled great by Grand Design
you can fill time in them, keep in mind that's a narrow way of thinking. Lucky you bought a Jayco before the Pandemic hit the industry hard. Jayco are bottom tier now. They fall apart in a instant.
I am sincerely glad to see Grand Design actually cares about some of there customers. I had a fridge go out a month after my purchase took it to the dealer they sat on it for a month before I called Grand Design they told me they would find out going on and contact me back and never did another month went by and I went to the dealer made a scene on sales floor and had my trailer fixed within a week with no help from Grand Design
Grand Design has been awesome for us, We recommend calling them first when issues arise. Once a dealer gets involved it delays the process immensely. Of course, this is just our experience.
A business mentor once told me the biggest mistake in any transaction is an unmet expectation. With the post COVID boom in RV’s and RV living (we are a prime example), expectations are certainly not being met in too many cases. However, I believe that knife cuts both ways. It’s true that manufacturers of RV’s, RV components, and dealers/service departments have struggled with the demand. But the consumer needs to take more responsibility as well. RV’s are not cars. They aren’t homes on a foundation. They move, rattle around, can get overloaded, and are equipped with less expensive components than traditional living space. I think these realities get overlooked and the EXPECTATIONS of the consumer can be unrealistic.
I appreciate that your RV had simply too many problems with its construction. That’s on the industry. I also appreciate your willingness to put some stake in the efforts to rectify the problems. Too often people want to simply apply blame and become victims.
My encouragement to anyone still reading my rather long diatribe is to be persistent but patient when dealing with problems like these. Understand the person you are working with wants to get things right as well. Honey is always a better ingredient than vinegar.
Most of all, happy camping! Those of us who are blessed enough to talk about these things are so much better off than people who are working a dead end job, are alone, sick, poor… We have it pretty good. Go enjoy your day!
Tim, this is the most honest and respectful comment we have seen on this video. You are 100% correct on all aspects.
Safe Travels,
Bob & Karri
☝️This! I always say this @Timmiller9965. The vibrations happening in these tt going down the road is ridiculous and causes stuff to fall off, break, loosen up, etc. These are “homes” for a lot of folks but they aren’t houses. We bought a new 2023 Forest River Surveyor in March of 2024 and the next month, I left NC to take my 80 year old Mom on a trip from OH to TX to see her family. This is where my rant begins.
Over 4,000 miles later, I got home and my husband said it looked like I had been off-roading (thanks Indiana 😑). I had screws sticking out of the ext. molding. I was finding screws inside that I had no idea where they came from. Our retractable shower door broke because it was installed crooked at the factory. The best part? I had 2 of the 4 crappy Chinese tires blow at different times on our trip. I could go on and on.
The decision had already been made to upgrade the tires when I got home so the expense was already planned the moment we chose the trailer that just happened to have crappy tires. The rest of it we just fixed so we could keep going out and making memories instead of parking it at the dealership for weeks to months. Now, don’t get me wrong; if something major comes up we will take advantage of our warranty without hesitation.
I guess the point I am making is if you go into your RV purchase thinking you are picking up this brand new trailer and will have years before you have to deal with problems, I believe you are setting yourself up for a miserable experience because there is always some type of maintenance or repair needing to be done. It is the balance of keeping an RV lightweight without it crumbling to pieces while handling everything the highway does to it. Unless you are dropping some serious house money on your RV, it’s just not realistic to expect otherwise.
Thanks for the heads up re: Lippert. I didn't realize they owned so many different parts of some RVs. When you first mentioned the door had to go through them, I was like, WTF?
surprised us as well - easily about 90 -95% of the RV
@@liferedesigned Lol... I was about to say, maybe Lippert should introduce their own line of RVs... but, then I realized, they'd have no one else to blame for the faults.
We’ve had 2 Grand Designs. Barely any issues with both, and GD sent us any parts we needed overnight.
The entire RV manufacturing and dealer network has gone to hell. There is no excuse for poor quality control on a six figure rig. I tell people if you buy an RV be prepared to diagnose and repair almost everything yourself or you will really be an unhappy camper. You simply cannot depend on the manufacturer or dealer to do it right. Yes, it's a sad state of affairs and over the years it has gotten worse. Some of my friends are saying that unless you are full timing RENT and do not own anything having to do with RVing. I'm beginning to see the logic of such a statement.
I have been Rving for over 20 years, and yes, the quality of the Lippert supplied parts have dropped. BUT from Jayco Class Cs and then to Super C Senica and now a Brinkley G3500. I have seen the customer service has gotten better. I cant believe how great Brinkley has been for the few small items that have happened in the last 6 months.
Keep in mind these issues are over 2 years as Full Timers - very minor issues and they were all handled great by Grand Design
When COVID hit and hotels closed my hiking partner and I bought an RV. A little Winnebago Minnie. Perfect for two of us to park her near hiking trails. After buying her, used, I read and saw a wave of RVs being made and bought. Campgrounds were stuffed with every kind, make and model. I can just imagine how the manufacturers cranked out those units as fast as they could to ride the big bucks money rocket before it flamed out. So quality was a joke for some of them. It's sickening. People's lives are at stake here, but the dollar is more important to greedy people. For the love of money is the root of all evil. Be careful everyone.
G.D.needs to come down on this crappy dealer and get them in line or get them out. It is there Reputation and brand.
If the RV makes came down on dealers - they wouldn't have anywhere to sell lol
@@liferedesigned they would there are allot of smaller dealers that would love to have the chance. People that would invest in them the same as gd invested with organization.
I must admit that on my TT, only Lippert items crapped out on me. Thanks for the perspective!
had a 2012 keystone 29rtpr that I bought used. This was a solid camper, had zero issues so I wanted to stick with keystone when we decided to upgrade to a 5th wheel. In December we bought a new Montana 377fl from Camping world who delivered it to our seasonal campground a month later. Since we opened in May we have had a broken puck lite, broken Stereo, broken rear door lock and the hot and cold water hook ups for the washer leak, Camping world was useless. When my back door was broke they told me to bring it in. I explained that the stairs were our and it could not be moved so they pawned us off on a independent service company that wanted no part of Warranty work. I went directly to Keystone who so far have been great. Sent me a new lock within a day or two and gave me a new contact for a keystone authorized tech for the hookups. I replaced the puck light and found a fix for the stereo,
Yep, we see similar stories all the time - glad to hear that Keystone treated you well. Highly recommend going straight to the RV maker
I can honestly say I’ve had a pretty positive experience with my 21 22MLE. (Knock on wood). I have noticed my wood grain paper on the side of the bed on the driver side has started to come off, and I plan to glue it back on and roll it out. It is solar prepped, gas/electric fridge, gas/electric water heater. No leaks yet. Hopefully my luck continues. Glad to know Grand Design is working with yall on some issues. Best of luck with future endeavors.
Thank You - safe travels!
Our 2022 Grand Design is awesome. Been out for 2 years since (2021) retiring. No major issues. Just the typical small stuff with every rv.
Nice to hear we are not the only ones :) Safe Travels!
@@liferedesigned you also!
We purchased a new 2015 Grand Design Momentum 350 in 2015 for about $90,000. Amongst other repairs (too many to mention) and months in the shop, replaced A/C units 6-times (yes, six); furniture that never saw daylight started peeling like a bad rash just after a year old; refrigerator fan quit working at 1-year old (not only replaced, but added an additional fan); water heater would not work without being reset with a magnet; leaked on slide-out due to "no" caulk applied at factory; screws for ladder just screwed into fiberglass, not stud, and came loose; toilet would not hold water; axle had to be bent to lineup properly; main slide-out leaked and finally State Farm decided to "total" the unit...the best day of our life. Once you get passed the cosmetics, they're just as cheaply made as a cheap one. Since, we have purchased a 2021 Lance 1685 for a quarter of the cost and completely satisfied. I wouldn't have another Grand Design if they gave it to me and promised to repair at no costs for life!
Sorry to hear your problems with that 2015. Every make and model of every manufacturer has their loyal buyers and detractors. Even Apple, Tesla, Dodge, BMW.
There is a make and model for everyone- sounds like you found yours!
Safe Travels
You two are a hoot! 😂😂 I’m so happy I found you at a time where I’m going through a lot in my personal life & it’s nice to be able to laugh again… Thank you for sharing part of your adventure with all of us… 🙂🙃
Best compliment ever! Thank you ❤️
Howdy Bob and Karri, Lot of good information in this video.
It's a shame that there're no other manufacturers of rv parts to choose from for repairs or upgrades.
You kids have fun and be safe.
Howdy Charlie!
That is our biggest pet peeve - the limited options for repairs and upgrades!
I always flush my black tank with the valve closed.I let it fill up about 1/4 full then dump it to wash out the tank.Never had a problem. I own a 2019 Forest River GreyWolf.
if we had stayed at 1/4 we would have been fine. Unfortunately we got distracted (by a viewer no less) totally was our fault
I don't let anyone distract me while servicing the black/gray-water tanks anymore. It happened once and we wound up with the dreaded "poo pyramid" because the black-water tank valve was left open when my neighbor wanted to show me something. I had to use the "Magic Wand" to get rid of the pyramid. Now, when I flush, I close the valve and time no more than 30 seconds, then open the valve again to flush "leftovers" from the tank. It does require complete focus and your undivided attention. On our last trip out, my neighbor wanted to ask me about some points of interest we had visited. I told him that I would be happy to as soon as I had finished up my tank cleaning. He said "Sure thing!"
Thank you for being honest about Lippert products. I had a 1998 Dutchman classic. It was a great camper. I upgraded to a Keystone sprinter. It had a water pump problem, and I had to take apart the cabinet to replace it. I also had trim problems. 4 months down the road, and it is a great RV. And as far as I can tell, the only lippert product left is a sea land toilet. It won't hold water, even after replacing the seal. It's got to go, and be replaced. My only complaint otherwise is that the refrigerator is not 3 way. The 12 volt system is missing. Now it only is electric, 120volt, or propane. It works well till it gets above 80° then it just doesn't work., made by Dometic. And yes there is a fan behind the plastic inspection cover, and above inside the vent cover on the roof. A new 12volt only refrigerator, is very expensive, and won't have a propane option. And you-tube has helped me buy this unit, rather than new. The way I see things with newer RVs is all manufacturers that are less than 30 years of business, are using new floor plans that appeal to new customers, is they rattle apart because of those new flor plans are built with inferior products, because of inflation.
That is so sad to hear. We almost went with a Keystone Cougar instead of our 22MLE - but we heard the same complaints that the front windshield leaked for 3 model years in a row. Figured if a they never fixed the top complaint that they would have had other issues. Glad we didn’t go that route
Love you two doing what you do. In November of 2022 My wife and I bought a 2023 22MLE. We parked it at a friend's house uncovered connected to shore power. we kept a small heater at 45 degrees while gone. In January of 2023 we came out to use the trailer for the first night at our friend's house. When we opened the cabinet door under the bathroom sink, we found all of our paper products still in cellophane completely soaked with water and moldy. In the rain, I crawled up onto the roof to see where the water was coming from found the sealant had come unbonded above the bathroom at the edge of the rubber roof. It measured about 6 inches long. Monday morning, I called the dealer in Salem Oregon and told them our problem. Wednesday, I got it into the dealer, and they said it was under warranty. 2 weeks into them having the trailer we surprised them by just showing up. We walked out to the trailer and the 2nd in charge told us they were ordering all new cabinets for the bathroom. The worker was called away, so we looked to see what they were going to do to fix the trailer. We spotted they had removed the frame around the skylight, and we could see mold built up on 2 of the rafters and took pictures. The dealer was just going to seal the roof, replace the cabinets and then bleach the mold and call it good. (FYI bleach will not kill the mold completely) When all was said and done, we got a complete new roof, new cabinets in the bathroom, both trusses were replaced that had black mold on them, and the 4X8 plywood roof top replaced. we had it tested for mold spores and it passed inspection. Grand Design at first was dragging their feet on replacing the roof, but the NW regional manager Mr. Davis stepped up (big Kudos to him) and helped out to make the 2 months payments on our trailer while they had it and paid for my gas for having to travel 4 times to and from and hour away. We love our MLE!!!
BTW I recommend you zip-tie your brake wires, so they don't rub and short out on your axle.
Great to hear that you got it all resolved. We find a lot of the issue comes down to dealers and how they relay info to GD.
We will check out our brake wires :)
How were you silenced? What did "they" do? I'm confused....
My black tank on a KZ exploded and they would only ship to a KZ dealer or Camping World. It was about 5 months before I got my tank installed. I had it shipped to the dealer I bought from in Portland since I would be traveling there. They would have installed it but it didn't arrive in time for my appointment! I carried it around in the back of the SUV for another three months until I got back to my winter home and had it installed.
Sounds like the Manufacturer was willing to work with you but dealers are not so willing.
Pretty much, we avoid dealers every chance we get
Same problem with most camper manufacturers it's the parts they put in the camper . Same with house contractors it's the parts an appliance they use in setting out the room fixtures suppliers are not building good products .
Had a GD for a couple weeks. Traded that piece of crap for a Jayco. We were happy with the Jayco. We had an issue with one of the slides but once it was corrected it was problem free. Grand Design not so Grand!
Every brand has its fans and detractors. We love our GD
All the reviews on GD in the past is why we will never purchase one,thank you for yours.
We absolutely love our Grand Design, If you find a better company let us know.
We have a 2022 Imagine 2800BH. We’ve not had any issues other than with the vacuum breaker on the toilet. That didn’t keep it from working, just caused a small leak. I got the parts for around $20 and fixed it myself. We are not full timers but did spend two months living in it earlier this summer. We’ve enjoyed it.
When we are ready. Going to buy. Grand Design. Thanks for the tips. 😊
GD has been great for us - enjoy!
Thank you for sharing your story 😊 this is a great help for people that are living in RV'S
Our pleasure!
We have a 2018 pacific coachworks 24ez. The furnace quit working on the last night of our trip. The service department found a bad igniter in the unit but it still didn’t work. Turns out there was a bad board up in the ac that was preventing the furnace from working. I once heard from an rv tech that they’re all pieces of crap, the only difference is how much do you want to pay for your piece of crap.
lol, I would have found a new tech. 1 million plus people living this lifestyle full time. Parks are at capacity with 11.25 million more owners part time.
Good to hear some better reactions from Grand Design.
Best wishes
Much appreciated!
Black tank problem…. Been there, done that…. Learned to never walk away when flushing tank out.
The funniest part about that was that it was because we were talking to a viewer - was our first brush with "fame" lol
Enjoyed your video. All RVs will have issues from time to time I have had good experiences with Grand Design and was fortunate enough to be able to purchase unit from a small town dealer with good service department. Nice to hear some positive comments rather than all the negative that seems to be posted now.
Thank You - we get extremely tired of all the negative stuff
Good video. I agree with everything you’re saying.
Thank you. It is unfortunate that it had to be said at all.
I am Soo glad you have had fairly good experiences with GD & lippert. I have two good friends that have Not At all had good experiences . . so far no frame flex issues but a Host of problems that are build issues & have cost both lots of $$ & much lost camping . . . Just saying but happy for you! Btw all issues were under warranty period . .
Keep in mind these issues are over 2 years as Full Timers - very minor issues and they were all handled great by Grand Design
@@liferedesigned I’m glad!! That’s awesome!
I am new to your channel and I am a fellow camper enthusiasts who has been camping for well over 25 years now. I just want to say that after watching this particular video, I to understand the headaches that we deal with when it comes to getting your RV fixed. I have a 2014 Passport Elite Grand Touring travel trailer. Now it is not a Grand Design model but I am sure most component's are the same manufacture. We had a ten year warranty on our camper when we bought it. It paid off in the end cause after ten years of use we replaced a lot of things. My point to all this is that we went through the Dealership for all our warranty work. In the beginning it was as you said a pain in the ass to get anything done. lots of phone calls and lots of pictures. What I did is actually contacted the owner of the dealership. Not going to mention who that dealership is cause like you said I do not want bad comments about this place. After I contacted this Gentlemen, he, well his wife, called me direct to find out what some of the issues were. I explained it to her and within a week my camper was at the dealership getting repairs made that are covered under the warranty. After all this work was completed, the dealership gave us a four day pass to any Thousand Trails campground. My point is, not all dealerships are the same. It just so happens that ours actually cares about what they sell to its costumers. I have gone to that dealership for every repair made thus far, major repairs that is. The small stuff I do on my own.
Any ways, I love the videos so keep them coming. I live in Ohio so maybe if I am lucky enough I might see you guys out on one of your adventures. Safe travels for now.
Very well said! if you see us out and about the next time we pass through Ohio do not hesitate to stop and say hello!
Love your perspective on this. We have and are running into similar issues as well with our Alliance.
The manufacture though needs to hold Lippert accountable and some of them have now started to look elsewhere for products to use on the RV that they are putting out.
We are seeing this across the board about Lippert. Hopefully more people look to move past the RV maker and look at exactly who is making the components.
If it affects one brand, it will be on another!
Fun fact: In Detroit and Chicango you can go Ba Boondocking!
Be glad you don’t have a broken frame
We don’t overload our RV
With our first 2020 GD Imagine, hubby and I realized to deficiency in the RV industry. Grand Design customer service was great to us, and we have no issues with GD.
Now, on our first fiver by Forest River, we've come to understand that even new RVs have issues. This isn't the automotive industry where you expect trouble-free years before requiring service.
The best way to protect yourself as a consumer is to pay for an independent certified inspector. It is better to pay 2-3k that may save you from making a 100k mistake. Get the problems fixed before you drive your new baby across the curb. Expect small issues, and walk away from the rigs with big issues. Even on a first trip, expect little problems. Keep a sense of humor. We look at our rig as a rescue pup. It can surprise us with every trip, but we just fix it and love it more.
That’s a perfect way to look at it! 😀
Thanks for info. I know I've heard of frame issues made by Lipert. They make a lot of junk. I try to stay away from big build companies. Thor, Forest Rivers.
Bob and Kerry thank you for the truth. Kerry I love the way you look at Bob. I see you adore him and that is so sweet. I wish you guys lots of luck.
Thank you! I think he’s okay, I’ll keep him! 😀
Great points...Thanks for saying what others want to but wont. I really enjoy your videos each week. Have safe travels and hope to see y'all on the road
Thank you! You too!
I'd be looking for RV's when it is hot and raining. have them walk you through every electrical switch and hot/cold water, AC and I want the bump outs in and out several times while it is raining really hard. The only way to buy one is to be there during the build and walk though all the inspections at each step of the way. in other words get a job with them to be able to watch them build the thing and know all the requirements. When your investing in this type of thing. treat it as if your building a home. check it out each step of the way. if you see something you dont like say something.
We get what you are saying but boy is that a lot of work. We literally walked on the lot and bought the one we wanted. Other than a couple of hiccups we live our RV and our full time life
I have a 2022 GD Imagine 22MLE and Love it! I have had a few campers over the last 30 years and all of them have their issues...the 22mle included. Over the last 30 years I have learned that you need to work on your own camper otherwise you're at the mercy of the dealership. I have only had to contact Grand Design customer service once in the last two years and found the customer service to be very pleasant. Luckily, I can weld, do electric and don't have an adversity to plumbing if needed. I highly recommend Grand Design and on the other hand...Lippert can kiss my Butt. Unfortunately, Lippert has their hands in a lot of RV products so you have to deal with it, be it Grand Design or any other RV company. Safe Travels Everyone! Luck!
Well said! We love our 22MLE also!
I'm selling everything now and getting a used rv to refurbish then move from Minnesota to Mississippi by my brother. Thanks for this video
Congrats and thank you!
I think you hit the nail on the head. Lippert is the LiveNation of the RV industry. They make a lot of defective products but deflect issues to manufacturers. They need a DOJ investigation on their monopoly in the RV industry. They do not have any relevant competition and that is always a bad thing.
I think you are going to see major changes over the next couple of years
I’m seeing the biggest problem is Lippart Corporation and just as responsible is Grand Design for lack of not making sure what the design has been road tested under many different situations
Lippert is a huge problem. Grand Design (in our experience) has been solid - great quality and awesome customer service.
Good points and content. My RV experience has been good except for my bone head mistakes that have cost me greatly ie: an awning and set of steps(the motorized kind) . I have a 2018 Fleetwood Flair and I'm very pleased with the quality so far. Maintenance is key and pre and post trip inspections; due to the rough road system in this country 😳. Keep up the great content. 🎉
Thanks Marty! Well said about pre trip checking!
Boycott all of these large RVs companies. Don't buy! That is the only solution... until they implement a full no hassle warranty that covers everything like there is for cars!
Have had more problems getting a new car fixed under warranty than we have ever had with our RV
Amen!!!! You hit the nail on the head. The problem isn't G.D. it's Lippert and I know firsthand about Lippert because back in 2013 my brand new 2012 Georgetown had power steps and they had a recall on the gearbox box and if you wanted to have it repaired on your dime of course they would send you out the new part well I got the part and installed it myself and it's been working ever since. And that, my friends, is the last time I ever heard of Lippert having a recall too. I think the people that have this ambassador status with these companies should stop sucking up and get the truth out about what is going on. People need to quit complaining like little children. Good job guys.
That is how we feel also, we watched a video by another couple that brought their 5 year old rig in and probably had over $10k in repairs done. We couldn't believe how much they did not know that was being done - because they got it all done for free.
@@liferedesigned You must be talking about Happily Ever Hanks.
Great video, you hit nail on the head with the issues. I have similar results with Grand Design in asking for help, and they have sent items in 2 days.
Exactly! Thanks Mike for backing us up :)
This was VERY informative! I didn’t know lippert produced so much in the rv.
Seems most people don't - to be fair neither did we until we started researching.
Who in their right mind would ever buy Grand Design after what we see all over TH-cam ? What a mess of a company
Stop watching TH-cam - as most of the hate for GD is because they are one of the top brands right now - apparently you also did not watch the second half of the video.
Soooo, that's why everyone is mad at us at the campground?!?! Ok fine, I'll get the leak fixed.... 😂 Great video! ❤️
That could be the problem lol
Hope you guys are doing well - when you get that bus finished we will have to come find you!
No issues with my Rv manufacturer. They build a great product. When I took a factory tour I noticed the slide out mechanism is a Lippert Schwintech 😢 and he said yeah, unfortunately that’s the only game in town for a small Rv slide. He is right. They were not pleased with that slide system. Luckily my slide is small with a sofa so it’s light and the manufacturer uses steel around the opening to make it stronger and avoid the twist that breaks the mechanism 😊. Yeah most if not all of Lippert is 🗑️
it is so funny, Our last RV and this one both have Schwintech slides and we have never had an issue with them
That’s good. I researched them and it seems the bigger, heavier ones fail a lot. Mine has a flashing red light sometimes but I think it’s voltage sensitive. It’s always worked too.
We have the '22 22MLE and fortunately haven’t had any of the issues you've mentioned, but we're not full-timer's either. I'm in the process of upgrading to Lithium, so thx for the tip on the CC.
Our biggest issue has been the peeling of the faux wood finish on many 'wooden' edges.
Overall, we really enjoy ours, hope you enjoy yours as well.
Keep in mind these issues are over 2 years as Full Timers - very minor issues and they were all handled great by Grand Design
Good Good Stuff!! Excellent points! Never knew they made all that type of components. Great job!
Thanks for watching!
North Carolina girl here!! Love u repping my state!!
WOW, 👏👏🇨🇦Thanks for the info. Grand Design is what we wanted. Customer service is what I'm looking for . Mmmm We now have a better informed check list . Take care . Watching from Vancouver Island , BC Canada u
Glad it was helpful! Hello to Vancouver Island! on our list :)
What you basically said is that you like GD customer service, they have been helpful to you, but their product decisions make for a poor product. Its not just Lippert although they are a major part of the problem, but the Nautilus water system, the Theirford toilet, Furrion, etc. In an effort to make their products lighter they are cutting corners. Your skylight was not a Lippert problem... Many others with build quality and roof problems. Many times when people complain about GD, I see that the real problem is Lippert, so good for you for pointing that out.
Thank you
You mentioned an inspection at the end... You recommended getting an inspection on a new RV before you buy?
Absolutely!
Our dealer has taken great care of us the biggest thing to happen was we had to replace the microwave
This we love to hear! So many TH-camrs jumping on the bandwagon of "ALL RV's are trash" that it makes those of us with little to no problems look like liars!
Safe Travels
Karri
The RV industry does need to be ripped down completely. Quality issues abound. Dealer network as well. Bought a new Thor CL C and there are tons of problems with it. Took it out for a week and Have a list of issues 20 points long. The Kitchen sink drain plumbing broke on the drive out and the Winegard antenna ripped of the roof on the way back.
👍🤩💝Good review and info. Thank you.
Thanks for watching!
Man I was confused at first where you were going with this, I was thinking "but GD stepped up every time". Then at 16 mins you made it clear.
IMO, Lippert and every thing they own, influence, or have a connection with is junk. So many people get hang up on the way something in their camper looks, when it is all by the same manufacturer. Like lipstick on a pig. We went through the process of buying a new camper, sales guy was pitching all the upgraded components. I quickly stopped him saying it is all the same junk underneath the skin. Like when someone says I have this model, it's better... Ummm no not really, see the little sticker that says "Forest River".... Yeah buddy about 90% of what you see is all made by the same company. It is a shell game using your checkbook.
I will say since most of the industry is owned by a few companies at the top, it has allowed them to sell the same junk for the past 50 years. Thankfully people like Grand Design came out on their own trying to make things better. However, they have the boat anchor of Lippert and a few others they are tied too.
Need to point something out, in Grand Designs Warranty literature (I read every single word), it does state for a customer to call them on warranty repairs so they can help. Maybe they know what you are about to deal with and want to help upfront.
The bug screen on the tankless water heater will void the warranty. It's so ridiculous.
I also bought from Campers Inn but in Raynam MA. They suck to put it mildly. Once you pull out of their yard they don't want to deal with you again.
That is the overall impression we got from Campers Inn
Thank you for the video. Good to hear some positive things about Grand designs good customer service. .
Our pleasure!