Solitude with wrong suspension from factory causes major damage

[Bobcat304]

I have a 2014 Solitude. I was traveling in the North East United States this summer on some really rough Interstates in Massachusetts, looked in my mirror and part of the side of the trailer was sticking over in the other lane. Thinking I had blown a tire I immediately pulled over. I hadn’t blown a tire but the drivers side front tire and wheel had completely broken off and really tore up the side of the trailer when it came out. (Never did find tire and wheel). To make a 4 month process of getting it fixed ($4000.00 body damage alone). Lippert had me take many pictures and measurements and even made me take it to a spring manufacturing company for them to look at it. The ends of the springs that attach to the Equi-Flex were going up and bottoming out against the frame which stopped the spring flex and because of this the wheel and tire completely broke off on one of the hard bumps. Lippert decided that the Springs and Equi-Flex’s on this 3yr old trailer were Worn Out and that Grand Design had put the wrong length Shackles on it, they were too long. After all this stuff plus the back plates and brake drums were replaced which they did on their own, the springs are no longer hitting the frame. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT ANYONE WITH A GRAND DESIGN LOOK AT THE FRAME BETWEEN THE WHEELS AND MAKE SURE THEIR SPRINGS ARENT HITTING THE FRAME AND THEY BREAK OFF A WHEEL AND POSSIBLY KILL SOMEBODY!!!!!!!

[dacotah]

I have a 2014 Solitude. I was traveling in the North East United States this summer on some really rough Interstates in Massachusetts, looked in my mirror and part of the side of the trailer was sticking over in the other lane. Thinking I had blown a tire I immediately pulled over. I hadn’t blown a tire but the drivers side front tire and wheel had completely broken off and really tore up the side of the trailer when it came out. (Never did find tire and wheel). To make a 4 month process of getting it fixed ($4000.00 body damage alone). Lippert had me take many pictures and measurements and even made me take it to a spring manufacturing company for them to look at it. The ends of the springs that attach to the Equi-Flex were going up and bottoming out against the frame which stopped the spring flex and because of this the wheel and tire completely broke off on one of the hard bumps. Lippert decided that the Springs and Equi-Flex’s on this 3yr old trailer were Worn Out and that Grand Design had put the wrong length Shackles on it, they were too long. After all this stuff plus the back plates and brake drums were replaced which they did on their own, the springs are no longer hitting the frame. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT ANYONE WITH A GRAND DESIGN LOOK AT THE FRAME BETWEEN THE WHEELS AND MAKE SURE THEIR SPRINGS ARENT HITTING THE FRAME AND THEY BREAK OFF A WHEEL AND POSSIBLY KILL SOMEBODY!!!!!!!

Bobcat304, I have a Solitude /369RL. When Greasing my suspension I noticed it was hitting frame also. Called both Lippert & Grand Design to see if Recall was issued on Suspension Shackles. Found out my shackle length is 1 in longer than other Solitudes of same year. Both Lippert & Grand Design seemed little concerned. Can you tell me length of your shackles ? I have been having problem with shackles camming over. Thanks

[TucsonJim]

Bobcat - Thanks for the heads up. I assume you have a 2014 369RL with 7,000# axles? Were the shackles 3-1/8" or 2-1/4"?

Jim

[Bobcat304]

Bobcat304, I have a Solitude /369RL. When Greasing my suspension I noticed it was hitting frame also. Called both Lippert & Grand Design to see if Recall was issued on Suspension Shackles. Found out my shackle length is 1 in longer than other Solitudes of same year. Both Lippert & Grand Design seemed little concerned. Can you tell me length of your shackles ? I have been having problem with shackles camming over. Thanks

I don’t know the length of the correct shackles but I can tell you that Lippert told me that they only make two lengths. The ones that came on mine were the long ones and I had also had some trouble with the springs camming over. Lippert said that when the trailer is setting level the shackles between the equi-flex and the end of the spring should look like a “W”. Mine were almost horizontal. They gave me the short shackles plus two new equi-flex, plus four new sets of leaf springs. They also replaced all four back plates complete with brake shoes and four new brake drums (the old drum grease seals were notorious for the grease seals leaking on the brake shoes. I BET YOURS ARE). I didn’t have to pay for any of this stuff!!! I don’t know for sure but have been told that grand design as of Jan. 1 is now using Dexter Axles. After I installed all this stuff I pulled the trailer up on a real big bump and stopped when front axle was right on top and the back axle was almost off the ground and the front spring was still 1 1/2” to 2” from hitting the frame. Part of the stuff Grand Design sent and the rest Lippert sent. PUT YOUR BOXING GLOVES ON YOU MIGHT NEED THEM dew to the fact that both of them at first assumed they were dealing with someone without any mechanical knowledge, but soon figured out that I didn’t fall off the turnip truck yesterday and decided to work with me. GOOD LUCK

[Bobcat304]

My trailer is a 305RE with #7000 axles. By the way I put it on a set of certified scales empty, unhooked the truck and moved it off so I could get the true weight of it empty and it weighted #15300 certified.

[dacotah]

Thanks bobcat & Tucson Jim for getting back so quick. My shackles are 3.25 in ,Lippert passed the buck and said we just send the parts. GRAND DESIGN DID say they are supposed to be 2.25 in ,but tried to hint somebody might have changed them. Told them by looking at bolts nobody ever touched them. I blew a tire outside of El Pass fortunately not on Interstate. WHEN heading back on interstate camper flagged me down and said tires were smoking when I hit a bump
LIMPED IT IN TO trucks top and that's where I noticed shackles had cammed over.Surprised Grand DESIGN hasn,t stepped up,because they were excellent to me in past

[Bobcat304]

Lippert informed me that they send the axles, springs, shackles and equi-flex to Grand Design separately and Grand Design puts all the components together and its up to them to put the right parts that are designed for the different trailers. They said they have no control over what they put on each trailer after they get the parts. I can tell you that even Lippert told me that if a leaf spring is bottoming out on the frame that you are destined for a major disaster like what happened to me. I am so lucky that I didn’t kill someone when my wheel and tire broke off.

[TucsonJim]

Bobcat - I am sitting here shaking my head about your failure. It's nerve racking enough to tow these big RVs down the highway. I can only imagine your frustration that the unit was built with the wrong suspension components. Dacotah - I think if I were in your shoes, I'd hit GDRV up again and escalate up the management chain. Now we have two examples of the wrong components being installed in those units.

Jim

[jim1521]

I'm at a Winnebago rally here in Tampa, FL today and was mentioning to a couple of members about this, as well as the grease seals problems that are happening. One guy summed it up pretty well: "Never forget that the cheapest built unit to the most expensive built unit are all being assembled by guys making minimum wage."

That's really all it is, I guess. :banghead:

[Bobcat304]

One bad thing I forgot that a Manager at Lippert told me during my ordeal was that he has seen their leaf springs loose their arch and go flat in a year and that is one reason why they agreed to replace them for free. I feel sure that there has to be a lot of Grand Design campers running up and down the road and their springs are bottoming out on the frame. All it takes is to look between the wheels up at the frame where the end of the springs could hit the frame and if the black stuff that covers the bottom of the trailer has a smashed place and the eye of the spring is shinny,then your springs are hitting and you are headed for disaster.