2016 Grand Design Reflection Recalls & Complaints

Incident: December 19, 2018 · Filed: March 21, 2019

I'VE HAD 2 WHEEL BEARING FAILURES ON THE SAME WHEEL. I'M WONDERING IF THE UNIT IS OVER WEIGHT FOR THESE BEARINGS. GVWR 9995 LB, 2 AXLES RATED 4400 LB EACH, 1536 LB HITCH WEIGHT. UNIT GVWR OF 9995 LB MINUS HITCH WEIGHT OF 1536 LB PUTS 8459 LB ON THE AXLES. TWO 4400 LB AXLES MEANS 8800 LB TOTAL AXLE STRENGTH MINUS 8459 LB TRAILER WEIGHT MEANS AXLES SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT. EXCEPT THAT IT RUNS ON RVD-H 65535 HUBS. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT "65535" TRANSLATES TO: 6 BOLT, 5.5 INCHES BETWEEN BOLTS AND THE 35 MEANS 3500 LB BEARINGS. IF THE STRENGTH OF AN AXLE IS LIMITED BY ITS WEAKEST COMPONENT THEN IT SEEMS THAT THE WEIGHT LIMIT OF THE AXLE SHOULD BE 3500 LB INSTEAD OF 4400 LB, AND IF THE WEIGHT LIMIT OF THE AXLES IS ACTUALLY 3500 LB INSTEAD OF 4400 LB THEN THE AXLES WOULD BE OVERLOADED BY 1459 LB, I.E. 8459 LB MINUS 7000 LB = 1459 LB WHEN THE WHEEL BEARING FAILED THE FIRST TIME IT WAS REPLACED WITH A 3500 LB. BEARING. AT THAT TIME I DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM. I AM NOT AN ENGINEER. MAYBE THE COMPONENTS ARE ADEQUATE FOR THE JOB. I KNOW THAT COMPONENTS ARE USUALLY RATED WELL BELOW WHAT THEY CAN TOLERATE BUT, ON THE OTHER HAND, IF THE MANUFACTURER IS USING SUB PAR COMPONENTS TO SAVE A LITTLE MONEY THEN MAYBE THEY SHOULD BE "ENCOURAGED" TO SAVE THE MONEY ON LESS STRATEGIC COMPONENTS. THESE BREAKDOWNS HAVE ALREADY COST ME OVER $1500. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AT MILE MARKER 400 ON I-25 IN NORTHERN NEW MEXICO. TRAVELING STRAIGHT, WARNING MESSAGE CAME ON DASH STATING THAT THE TRAILER BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED. *DT CONSUMER STATED HE IS NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER.*JB

Incident: October 19, 2018 · Filed: November 23, 2018

SUSPECTED DIMINISHED BRAKING ACTION WHILE TOWING MY 2016 GRAND DESIGN 313 RLTS 37 FOOT RV. WE TOWED FROM THE NORTHEAST TO THE SOUTHWEST THIS LAST SEPTEMBER. ONCE ARRIVING AT OUR DESTINATION AND PLACING THE RV IN STORAGE I BEGAN RESEARCHING THE BRAKE SET UP. THE MANUFACTURER OF THE AXLES LIPPERT COMPONENTS, INC HAD PUT OUT A NOTICE THAT AFFECTED MY RV. THE NOTICE DESCRIBED AN ANOMALY DURING THE ASSEMBLY PROCESS WHERE TOO MUCH WHEEL BEARING GREASE WAS INTRODUCED TO THE HUB ASSEMBLY. THIS CAUSED THE SEALS TO FAIL ALLOWING THE GREASE TO CONTAMINATE THE CRITICAL BRAKE COMPONENTS. MORE SPECIFICALLY THE BRAKE LININGS, ACTIVATION MAGNETS AND THE CORRESPONDING SURFACES OF THE BRAKE DRUM THE COME IN CONTACT WITH. THIS DIMINISHES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE BRAKING ACTION SEVERELY. UNDER THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES COULD PROVE DISASTROUS. EVEN FATAL TO NOT ONLY THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER OF THE TOW VEHICLE BUT ANY OTHER PEOPLE TRAVELING ON THE SAME HIGHWAY WITH THE RV IN CLOSE PROXIMITY. LIPPERT ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM WITH ME AND SENT REPLACEMENT BRAKE SHOE ASSEMBLIES AND SEALS FOR ALL (4) WHEELS. NOT INCLUDING THE BRAKE DRUM, OR BEARING ASSEMBLIES. OR LABOR TO INSTALL THE NEW COMPONENTS. THE WHEEL ASSEMBLIES HAVE NEVER BEEN REMOVED FROM THE RV SINCE NEW. UNTIL THE INSTALLATION OF THE NEW COMPONENTS BEGAN I HAD NEVER SEEN THE EXTENT OF EXCESS GREASE CONTAMINATION I WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WITH. PLEASE REFER TO THE ATTACHED PHOTOS. THIS MAY VERY WELL BE AN UNRESOLVED ISSUE ON OTHER RVS ON THE ROAD WITH THESE LIPPERT AXLE ASSEMBLIES. NO ONE EVER CONTACTED ME REGARDING THIS ISSUE. NOT THE RV MANUFACTURER OR LIPPERT. I HAD TO RESEARCH THIS ANOMALY ON MY OWN. PLEASE MAKE OTHERS AWARE OF THE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION ON THE BRAKES OF OTHER UNASSUMING RV OWNERS TRAVELING ON OUR HIGHWAYS.

Incident: December 11, 2017 · Filed: January 8, 2018

IN AUGUST OF THIS YEAR, I PURCHASED A 2016 GRAND DESIGN REFLECTION 313RLTS TRAVEL TRAILER (USED) FROM A GRAND DESIGN DEALER (PALM BEACH RV, WEST PALM BEACH, FL). VIN: [XXX]. I HAVE DRIVEN THIS TRAILER APPROXIMATELY 2,000 MILES. I NOTICED THAT THE TRAILER WASN'T BRAKING AS GOOD AS IT SHOULD BE, SO I TOOK IT IN TO A LOCAL RV REPAIR SHOP (RVTECH, FT. MYERS, FL) TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. UPON INSPECTION, THEY DISCOVERED THAT ALL FOUR OF MY GREASE SEALS HAVE FAILED, AND THAT THE BACKING PLATES AND BRAKES WERE SPLATTERED WITH GREASE, THE DRUM ASSEMBLIES WERE SCORED, THE BRAKE PADS WERE DAMAGED AND NEEDED REPAIR. HE ALSO SAID IT APPEARED THAT THE MAGNETS WERE ACTUALLY DIGGING INTO THE METAL, CREATING FURTHER SCORING. I'M NOT A MECHANIC, BUT THEIR EXPLANATION OF THE DAMAGE THAT WAS DONE WAS THAT IT WAS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE GREASE SEALS FAILING. AFTER RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET I DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS INDEED A VERY WELL KNOWN PROBLEM - THE GRAND DESIGN OWNER'S FORUM HAS 92 PAGES ON A SINGLE THREAD ABOUT IT. I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT THIS APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN A KNOWN PROBLEM, AND I'VE BEEN DRIVING A 10,000 LB TRAILER WITH BASICALLY NO BRAKES. WHY DIDN'T GRAND DESIGN NOTIFY THEIR DEALERS OF THIS PROBLEM, AND HAVE THE DEALERS CHECK TO SEE IF ANY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS HAD THIS PROBLEM? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

Incident: August 16, 2017 · Filed: August 29, 2017

OVER PACKED WHEEL BEARINGS FROM FACTORY CAUSING GREASE TO BE FORCED PAST REAR WHEEL BEARING SEALS AND CONTAMINATING ELECTRIC BRAKES. BRAKE EFFECTIVENESS SEVERELY COMPROMISED CAUSING DIFFICULTY IN STOPPING 5TH WHEEL TRAILER. PROBLEM SHOULD HAVE BEEN FOUND BY SELLING DEALERSHIP DURING IT'S FIRST WARRANTY INSPECTION BUT WAS IGNORED OR OVERLOOKED. (TOM STINNETT'S CAMPERS INN RV IN LOUISVILLE KY) FIRST CONTACT WITH COMPANY, DEALERSHIP DENIED WORKING ON THE RV AT ALL, THEN LATER SAID THEY DID IN APRIL OF 2017. THEN CLAIMED THAT THEY ONLY LOOKED AT ONE WHEEL. THAT WHEEL AND THE OTHER THREE WERE BADLY CONTAMINATED WITH GREASE. WE TRUST THAT FACTORY TRAINED SERVICE TECHS WILL KNOW WHAT TO DO AND PROTECT THE GENERAL PUBLIC FROM SAFETY ISSUES BUT IN THIS CASE THEY IGNORED THE BLATANTLY OBVIOUS PROBLEM. HEAVY GREASE ACCUMULATION ON THE WHEEL RIMS IS A DEAD GIVE AWAY OF THE PROBLEM AND DOES NOT REQUIRE ANY EFFORT TO INSPECT, YET NOTHING WAS DONE. (FIRST DETECTED DURING TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP TO ME ON 8/16/2017)

Incident: July 13, 2017 · Filed: July 13, 2017

AFTER LESS THAN 200 MILES OF TOTAL TRAVEL, WE ARE INFORMED THAT THE WHEEL BEARINGS AND "BACKING PLATES" NEED TO BE REPLACED TO THE TUNE OF NEARLY $1,000. MY BRAKES ARE GETTING GREASE ON THEM. THIS IS AN OBVIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET - THE WEB IS FULL OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUES. THE MANUFACTURER, SO FAR, IS AVOIDING RESPONSIBILITY WITH A LIST OF BS EXCUSES ABOUT OWNERS DOING THEIR OWN MAINTENANCE ETC. BRAKES, BEARINGS, AXLES, BACKING PLATES, SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE ON A NEARLY NEW TRAILER WITH LOW MILES AND JUST NOW GETTING IT'S FIRST MAINTENANCE. IN THE WORDS OF MY SERVICE MANAGER "THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE". SO WHY IS LIPPERT OR GRAND DESIGN NOT DOING THE RESPONSIBLE THING??

Incident: July 1, 2015 · Filed: June 7, 2017

LIPPERT BREAK COMPONENTS. THE GREASE SEALS FAILED ON THE DRUM BREAKS ON MY DOUBLE AXLE TRAILER. THE TRAILER WAS MANUFACTURED 4/2015 AND I NOTICED THE FAILURE BY 7/2017. ALL FOUR BREAK ASSEMBLIES HAD GREASE ON THE DRUM, PADS AND OTHER PARTS. ENTIRE ASSEMBLY HAS BEEN REPLACED AT ALL FOUR WHEELS.

Incident: May 2, 2017 · Filed: May 16, 2017

LEAKING AXEL SEALS CAUSING GREASE TO COVER BRAKE SHOES, BRAKE MAGNETS AND DRUMS.

Incident: April 2, 2017 · Filed: April 6, 2017

GREASE GETTING PAST THE SEALS FROM THE BEARINGS. THIS WAS PRESENT ON ALL OF THE WHEELS ON 5TH WHEEL AFFECTING THE BRAKES. UPON INSPECTION GREASE WAS PRESENT ON ALL THE BRAKES AFFECTING THE STOPPING EFFECTIVENESS. TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE THIS COMPANY KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND HAS NOT CORRECTED IT.

Incident: November 5, 2016 · Filed: March 1, 2017

AXLE BEARING GREASE LEAKED PAST THE AXLE GREASE SEALS AND COATED THE BRAKE DRUMS AND BRAKE SHOES CAUSING A LOSS OF BRAKING ABILITY.

Incident: May 30, 2016 · Filed: February 28, 2017

AT ABOUT 2000 MILES I NOTICED AN OILY SUBSTANCE LEAKING ONTO OUR WHEELS OF OUR TRAVEL TRAILER. AT THE SAME TIME THERE WAS A NOTICEABLE DECREASE IN THE BREAKING ABILITY WHEN PULLING THE 5TH WHEEL. UPON INSPECTION OF THE WHEELS AND PULLING OFF THE BREAK DRUMS, THERE WAS LEAKING SEALS AND THE BREAKS WERE CONTAMINATED WITH GREASE. OBVIOUSLY THIS WAS A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO YOUR ATTENTION.