Considering Buying Reflection 28BH - Looking for Opinions

[knl8229]

Hi All,

New member here looking at purchasing a Grand Design Reflection 28 BH. I don't know anyone who has owned a GD and was looking at the community for some assistance. My wife and I really like the 28BH floor plan and have been searching for the right 5th wheel for some time.

I'm looking for any advice or recommendations that anyone has on this particular model as we are close to finalizing a deal. I have seen that the wheel bearings tend to be a potential weak point, but is there anything else that I should be looking for?

Additionally, we are opting to add the 2nd AC (must for my wife) is there any other immediate replacements / additions we should do? Never towed with a 5th wheel and our dealer is recommending the Reeser hitch - any thoughts on this? I've seen some using the Andersen Ultimate hitch.

Greatly appreciate any and all feedback for us prospective buyers.

[TheLexx]

We like our 28bh. It's perfect for our triplet 6 y.o. boys. And we have the 2nd air, which we have found helps a lot when temps are 100 F out.

It's fairly simple to tow. I have the factory Ford Reese 27k hitch. A friend of mine has the B&W companion hitch which certainly seems to be a higher-quality unit. I would go with the B&W or the Anderson so long as you're comfortable with the fact that most trailer companies will not warranty a problem with the frame as a result of towing with the Anderson.

We do find that we wish we had a second bathroom for the kids, what that would add another 7 ft of length to the trailer.

Another wish would be to have a residential style refrigerator running off a bank of lithium batteries while we are traveling. Right now are Dometic refrigerator is dead in the middle of a 70 Day Road Trip. I hate how the absorption refrigerators take forever to cool back down once you open the door up for any appreciable amount of time. I would much rather have a residential style refrigerator for the convenience and reliability.

One other pet peeve is make sure you fit into the master bedroom well. In my case I am 6 feet tall and I end up hitting my head and bumping into things all too often. There is a little shelf on the back of the headboard which catches the back of my neck when I try to leave back and watch TV. So I simply unscrewed and removed the Shelf.

I also added some rubberized molding around the edges the cabinets over the bed so that I don't get a concussion everytime I try to set up back in bed to watch TV. There simply is not enough room over the mattress. A momentum series trailer will probably have more room in this area.


Otherwise it's a really great trailer. I like the Simplicity and the layout. You can get to the refrigerator even with the main slide closed. So if you're in the middle of a long drive I need to stop for lunch, you can get inside the trailer to the refrigerator and fix yourself something to eat.

[Txfivver]

I've had my 28BH for about two months and love it! I traded a 1 year old Imagine 2950RL trailer on it for more room and very happy with it. It's maiden voyage in May was a 200 mile pull in driving rain to a state park west of here. It was two days old and handled it like a champ, no leaks! I have had zero issues with it. Mine has the front a/c and I would say that's a must even though you live up north. Have them install the second battery up front for you as well. You will love how a fifth wheel tows, much more stable with the weight over the truck axle. Backing one up is a learned talent however haha, much different that a bumper pull trailer! It is a very popular model for Grand Design for a reason, good luck and let us know if you get it.

[TheLexx]

Mine has a 2nd lead acid battery as well. Funny thing is folks say the voltage should be 13+, but mine has always been 12.3V since new. I have not had issues with the bTteries yet.

[jasonl78]

I guess I will start by saying you're making a good choice by looking at Grand Design and the Reflection 28BH specifically. We bought our 2018 in October of 2017. It is our first camper ever but many of our relatives have owned many different brands of fifth wheels so we knew what other brands had to offer. We knew we wanted a bunk house model for our two young daughters. We considered Sprinter, Laredo, Cougar, Jayco Eagles, Rockwood Signature Ultra Lites and many others. We kept coming back to the Reflection. We debated for a while between the 311 BHS and the 28BH. Ultimately the 28BH won due to various factors. Factors being: Length, Weight, Double over Double bunks, U-shaped dinette and that long beautiful countertop! Price had a big impact as well.

We have taken the unit camping 4 times since we bought it. It remains parked in our driveway the rest of the time with the slides open and hooked to shore power. We have had a few minor issues. The first was with the underbelly cover piece. It appears someone cut a part out of it to access something underneath and then did a poor job of taping it up. Didn't see it at delivery but noticed it after getting home. Called the dealer and they said they would replace the whole panel when we bring the camper in. I used a bunch of Gorilla tape and taped it up really well. Hasn't caused any issues. We had a small water leak around the dinette window. I adjusted the rubber trim around the window and it has not leaked again. The one latch of the front compartment door didn't engage the lip on the door opening very well. Looks like the hole in the door was at least a 1/4" or greater out of place. Ended up adjusting the pawl and it works fine now. We used one of the Command strips to hang a clock on the wall. I took the clock down to replace the battery and saw that the weight of the clock (and probably traveling down rough, bouncy roads) caused the "wallpaper" to bubble and sag. Haven't done anything to address that issue yet. The biggest issue I had was just recently when my water pump went out. Electrical connections at the pressure switch were loose causing intermittent contact. I removed and replaced the water pump myself. I brought the old one to the dealer and they gave me a new one free of charge (under warranty). It was easy to replace. None of these issues are major issues in my opinion and I expect a few things like this to happen. Like I mentioned before, many of my relatives have owned campers for a number of years and the extent of their issues are much greater than this (replaced refrigerators, damaged slideouts, damaged fender skirts, major water leaks, etc.)

One of the big questions I do have for you is what kind of tow vehicle will you be using? The tow vehicle will play a big factor in towing performance and the type of hitch you choose. If you are also looking for a tow vehicle to pull this camper I would strongly encourage you to look at a one ton truck. Even though a three quarter ton will pull this unit just fine, you may find that you run out of payload capacity. This camper has a GVWR of 10,995 lbs. A realistic pin weight of 23% will put you at a hitch weight over 2,500 lbs. Some three quarter ton trucks are around that payload number. That doesn't mean you can't pull this camper but if you like to play it safe, a one ton truck will surely be a good fit for this camper and possibly any bigger campers you may step up to in the future. My intent isn't to create any wars over truck size and payload but to simply point out that if you're a person that likes to stay within the numbers, a one ton will do nicely (or in the case of Lexx, an F450!). As far as hitches go, there are so many factors to consider. Bed length, hitch capacity, hitch weight, ease of removal, hitch reputation and of course cost all play a factor. I personally chose an Andersen because it was one of the few hitches that claimed to work with my style truck. I could have gone an alternate route (Reese Sidewinder) but that alternate was much more costly. I was recently at the local camper dealership and was looking at fifth wheel hitches for my father-in-law and the salesman seemed pretty knowledgeable about hitches and he recommended the Pullrite Superlite hitch. Said it was the best bang for the buck and the hitch he'd go with personally. This hitch is basically an inverted version of the Andersen hitch. I don't know anyone that has one but he seemed to be pretty high on it. As for the Andersen, I am totally satisfied with this hitch. Does absolutely everything as advertised.

Recommendations for the unit: Very first thing I would do is go out and get a mattress topper or a new mattress. You can read all about mattresses on the forum if you use the search function in the upper right corner. Not much else to say about that. A few others have commented about the 2nd AC unit. I'm on the other side of the fence on this one. I really feel that the single AC unit on my camper does a terrific job cooling down the bedroom. Maybe that has something to do with living in MN. I haven't traveled to places where the temps are in the 90s day in and day out. MN summers can get warm and muggy but I really think the single AC unit has performed well. I personally was happy that I didn't pay extra for the 2nd unit. I also thought that if a single unit didn't work for me, I could add it later since it's already pre-wired. Also I am not sure how campgrounds are equipped in the areas you travel but many in MN only have 30A service. You can't run both units off a 30A circuit. You can alternate which unit you run but I personally didn't want that "hassle" when camping at campgrounds that only have 30A service. Just stating my opinion and not saying the 2nd AC isn't valid for some. Like Lexx, I am also 6' tall and I was worried about that shelf above the bed. Thought for sure I would bang my head on it. So far I have been lucky and haven't hit my head. I actually find the shelf quite useful. I set my electronic devices on that shelf at night when charging using the outlet or usb ports located by the bed. I haven't seen any issues with axles on my camper so I hope I am one of the lucky ones who won't have to deal with that. I would recommend putting together a checklist for camping. Both for things you will need and the process you will go thru each time you hook up and leave. I'm assuming that since you mentioned your wife in your post above that you'll be taking her with you so I can't stress enough about both of you working together as a team while preparing your camper and then for getting the unit into a campsite. Remember, camping is supposed to be fun. It makes it a whole lot less fun if you're screaming and yelling at each other. Maneuvering a camper can be stressful but working together will make it much easier. And don't worry if you backing up doesn't go smoothly the first time. Everyone here had to learn how to do it at some point. Take your time and don't rush it. Another recommendation is to take your time going thru the camper with the salesman at delivery. I know you will be excited to get it and get out of there but it's much better to have them walk you thru all the functions of the camper before you drive off the lot. Also use their lot to try some maneuvers before you ever leave the dealership. If something doesn't work right or feels wrong, have the dealer go thru it with you. You're spending big bucks here so make them earn it! There are a lot of posts on the forum about modifications that people have done to their campers. Use the search tool to find some things you can do. I would also highly recommend reading thru the owner's manual. Lots of really good information about the unit in that book.

I guess I have rambled enough about the camper. I could go on and on about the camper. Like the others have said, it's a great unit and you will enjoy it immensely. Get out and start making memories with your family!

[jasonl78]

Ok, so a little more rambling.....I have a few more quick recommendations. The tri-fold sofa is ok but I really wish I could have gotten the theater seating instead. The heated and massage theater seats require power so an outlet would need to be added. Instead, we bought a storage ottoman works pretty well. It's nice to have a place to put your feet up. Another one is the Furrion radio. Let's be honest this unit leaves a lot to be desired. I haven't looked for an alternate but it may be something I consider in the future. While I'm on the topic of electronics, I'd also like to replace the televisions. I don't care for the brand they use and will probably look to replace them with Samsung smart TVs. I didn't buy the camper to sit and watch tv but on those rainy days it's nice to have a good quality tv to watch. I did add a 24" Samsung smart tv to the bedroom so I can watch news/weather at night before bed. Those were just a few other quick things I thought of after my last post.

[knl8229]

Ok, so a little more rambling.....I have a few more quick recommendations. The tri-fold sofa is ok but I really wish I could have gotten the theater seating instead. The heated and massage theater seats require power so an outlet would need to be added. Instead, we bought a storage ottoman works pretty well. It's nice to have a place to put your feet up. Another one is the Furrion radio. Let's be honest this unit leaves a lot to be desired. I haven't looked for an alternate but it may be something I consider in the future. While I'm on the topic of electronics, I'd also like to replace the televisions. I don't care for the brand they use and will probably look to replace them with Samsung smart TVs. I didn't buy the camper to sit and watch tv but on those rainy days it's nice to have a good quality tv to watch. I did add a 24" Samsung smart tv to the bedroom so I can watch news/weather at night before bed. Those were just a few other quick things I thought of after my last post.

Thank you ALL for your helpful and quick replies to my questions. I really appreciate the information as we are evaluating our decision.

I especially appreciate the bedroom height comments as I am 6'3 and that's one area I'm hoping to gain from our current trailer, which I do believe will be better.

We've been inside 28BH once, but planning another walk through ASAP to ensure small details aren't overlooked before we finalize a deal.

Again, thank you to everyone. If there is any additional information you feel would be relevant as we are making our decision I'd greatly appreciate your feedback.

Thanks

[TheLexx]

FYI Costco has a great storage ottoman that's double wide for $24. It's just cheap cloth covered cardboard but it works great!

The TCL tv is not great but IMO it works fine with high def movies (720P, 1080P). We added a Samsung 32" tv in the bedroom which is decent. There are lots of way to watch movies and tv shows. In my case I have everything on portable hard drive and play them through an android box.

ALL the cheap pleather furniture is going to eventually peel and de-dond. Just keep that in mind and plan for it.

Ceiling speakers and Furion radio are cheap junk. If you plan on using them, I recommend you consider swapping them out.

Outdoor cooktop is cheap but it works. I use a Lodge iron grill pan to grill steaks and that works great.

The 6 gal hot water heater is woefully inadequate if you want long hot showers, even if you run combination propane and electric mode. We're going to swap ours out for a Truma AquaGo on-demand tankless heater next year.

OEM mattress is junk foam but nice and light. Get a good mattress topper and use the oem mattress as a base foam layer just like real memory foam mattresses do.

Get an InstantPot - they're great to cook all sorts of stuff when you're glamping.

Get a good 3 stage water filter system and a pressure regulator.

Good point about many campsites being only 30 amp. But for those times when you have 50 amps, the ac definitely cools better and faster when both units are run at the same time.

[SoccerDad]

We have been looking for almost 3 years and have pretty much decided on the 28BH. My wife retires in a few months so we will get a 2019 or wait for the 2020's. For 2019 GD has done away with the slam latch closers on the TV, Outside Kitchen and Rear Outside Storage. We recently went on a grand GD factory tour and complained a little about this downgrade. The tour guide said that he thinks that they are changing it back, he immediately called someone and verified they are change it back. He did not say when. Probably because of potential customers like us that notice things like that, and it really does make the Reflections look much cheaper on the outside. Hence, if you are buying now I suggest you get a 2018 or wait until they change the 2019 back to slam latch.

Though the A/C units are not super loud they are definitely not "whisper quiet". While in a sales lot with power connected we found a great solution to the A/C noise. Like JasonI78 already said you might not ever need to run two units. We live in Florida, so there may be a few time for us. But as for the A/C noice... since both A/C units are ducted we will only run the bedroom AC during the day when we are in the living room and at night will only run the living unit. It is much quieter that way and if one unit breaks we will still have AC.

Another opinion - we HATE the U-dinette. Granted we know others love it, but we found it very hard to get our feet around the posts and it was just very uncomfortable. We decided to get the optional 72" Theater seat in place of the U-dinette. They have a great photo of it on the GD website. LINK We then have comfortable seating directly across from the TV. It comes with a small free-standing table and when the children and grandchildren join us we will bring a larger fold up table and a few very very comfortable, black, plastic and light chairs that we found at Samsclub. LINK

Final Comment: We have a 13' inflatable boat and an Akorn Jr. Grill LINK that only take up about 50% of the outside rear storage area. (Yes, we did take them to a sales lot to see how they fit. ) Our 20hp Honda outboard will be carried in the truck or on a rear storage tray/platform that goes into the rear receiver and it will also carry our bikes (total weight is under the 300 lb receiver limit).

[Country Campers]

Just wondering where about in Pa. are you? And which dealer you are talking to?

Brian