Looking for owners opinions on their GD TT

[SJMaye]

I am doing my research for my first travel trailer. The RV industry is scary by anyone's account. From what I read, two names stand out for quality and customer support; Grand Design and Winnebago. I would like to hear from some of you owners. Give me your real world view of GD TT.

Something I read a lot about are TT that may be only a year or so old and the owner has replaced or changed so many things. Water heaters, AC units, furnaces, faucets,...... From what I am reading these posts are not unique. What gives? How could these things go out in a year or two? Are these travel trailers in some stage of decay the moment they come off the assembly line?

As Grand Design owners, how would you rate your campers against other brands? Would you buy another? If not, what brand and why?

Lastly, of the GD TT floor plans several of them have the frig in a slideout. I read in another forum that a frig in a slideout is not recommended. When I asked why it was explained like this, "Because propane needs airflow over the rear coils .. easier done with a lower side vent and a roof vent not two side vents. Just doesn’t naturally convect the air as well. Also I would avoid weight in the slide out .. the cheap slide tracks on the outside of the slide are not the best design for any heavy slide imo Lots of failures "

Can someone with a frig in a slideout tell me what they think?

[WhittleBurner]

Hi, welcome to the forum, you'll find all your questions answered and then some if you spend a little time reading the forums here. There is no shortage of opinions and info to be found. Darn near any RV is going to have issues, if it's perfection you're looking for in any trailer good luck finding it.

[[email protected]]

We have covered our entire journey with our 2016 Grand Design Momentum 385TH at http://www.rvhome.school/Our-RV.html

We have a lot of details about the good and the bad. The really good is that Grand Design, so far, has really stood behind their products. I really hope that continues.

[FT4NOW]

In case you were unaware, GD is now owned by Winnebego. I use to have the same thoughts on a fridge in the slide. My slides are hydraulic and I've owned my Momentum for almost 3 years and have lived in it since we purchased. I have not seen any negative effects of the fridge in the slide. We have the slide out 24/7 except for travel days obviously and we dont use any slide supports or anything. I would stay away from the "super slide" models that have slides that cover almost the entire length of the RV. Our last TT had a slide like that and eventually the slide had issues retracting without pushing on it from the outside. I also havent had any issues with having an upper and lower vent on the fridge vice the lower and roof vent. Some people have put fans in the rear to help with airflow, but I havent found this necessary.

On a side note, I dont think GD is much different from other manufacturers in the same price range. The main difference is their customer support which is what made us go with GD. If I had to purchase another one, I wouldn't be opposed to looking at other brands, especially with the lack of options GD offered, mainly in the suspension area.
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[Oliver]

On our way from Carolina’s to Maine in our 2800BH. Purchased for the floor plan and fit/finish. 2nd season of use. We have been extremely pleased with the TT as well as the responsiveness of GD.

[Skiddy]

Having gone through what you are going through, I can understand. Had a TT over 20 years ago, so it was all new when we purchased Im-a-gene last year. Once you decide on the size based on needs, storage space, tow vehicle etc... floor plans usually result in narrowing down the choice. Families can adapt to a coach but getting most of what you want and need are critical. I would not hesitate to recommend or buy another Grand Design product (providing that Winnie doesn’t change them substantially).
Appliances across the industry are pretty much the same, ie fridges are either Norcold or Dometic. Suburban or Atwood for water heaters, Furrion etc... Check the appliances on your unit during PDI, make sure they function and look new. Friend had a water heater in a brand new Rockwood that looked like it had been either under water or left outside during the winter. Dealer fixed but did not replace. That is troublesome.
GD TTs have a control/connection panel under the street side front stow hatch. This means no water hose hanging off the side of your rig and for security you can even lock your water filter inside the hatch - the pressure regulator has to be in front of the hose to avoid high pressure on the hose itself. This also allows filling your onboard fresh water (I always carry about 1/3 of a tank) before hitting the road from a full service site. GD also has spray ports on both sides and a black tank spray inlet - all very useful.
Fridge in slide is not a big deal as far as ventilation goes. GD adds a stainless deflector above the top vent to deflect air flow. Secondly the addition off a DC or AC powered muffin fan will aid in air flow and most serious RVers have fridge vent fans even if they have roof mounted fridge vents. Weight of a fridge with respect to slide capability is irrelevant IMO.
Most rigs today excel at putting lipstick on a pig, some do it better than others. GD is no different.
GD does not have floor vents in their rigs, floor vents are dirt and, if you have pets, hair catchers. Kitchen taps with sprayer is basically the same in the Imagine as it is in the Solitude, good quality.
Features I don’t like include lack of frameless windows and the build garbage inside and behind the walls.
Only used warranty service once and it was excellent. Bath drawer front, solid wood, split. Dealer processed and it was fixed inside three weeks.

Good luck!

[Chiefblueman]

I am doing my research for my first travel trailer. The RV industry is scary by anyone's account. From what I read, two names stand out for quality and customer support; Grand Design and Winnebago. I would like to hear from some of you owners. Give me your real world view of GD TT.

Something I read a lot about are TT that may be only a year or so old and the owner has replaced or changed so many things. Water heaters, AC units, furnaces, faucets,...... From what I am reading these posts are not unique. What gives? How could these things go out in a year or two? Are these travel trailers in some stage of decay the moment they come off the assembly line?

As Grand Design owners, how would you rate your campers against other brands? Would you buy another? If not, what brand and why?

Lastly, of the GD TT floor plans several of them have the frig in a slideout. I read in another forum that a frig in a slideout is not recommended. When I asked why it was explained like this, "Because propane needs airflow over the rear coils .. easier done with a lower side vent and a roof vent not two side vents. Just doesn’t naturally convect the air as well. Also I would avoid weight in the slide out .. the cheap slide tracks on the outside of the slide are not the best design for any heavy slide imo Lots of failures "

Can someone with a frig in a slideout tell me what they think?

IMHO, GDRV has probably the best customer service out there. The trailers they build are no better or worse than others at similar price points. Their construction techniques are average at best. They use the same Lippert components throughout as most others. The Lippert chassis and suspension, whether Lippert or Dexter, are pretty poor. I've had flat springs, bent axles, misaligned spring hangers, prematurely worn tires, greased brakes, worn out bushings on delivery. Cosmetically GDRV does a good job but behind the walls and under the floors utility execution is poor but probably on par with their competition. Wiring and plumbing issues are not uncommon. The slides with tracks on the outside are Schwintek slides and can be problematic. For a bed or closet they are ok. I wouldn't want a 12 or 14 ft heavily loaded Schwintek if I could help it. I have a bed slide and still have issues with it's operation, even after having been to the factory for repair.

We have a refrigerator in a slide, a Norcold 4 door. So far it works adequately but we don't camp in 100 deg temps much.


You may be able to tell I've had significant issues with my GDRV product. The latest was having both sidewalls replaced due to delamination. I consider this to be a relatively rare occurrence. What I didn't expect was having to remedy issues left behind by the repair itself. It seems the company stands behind their product but their work force just doesn't have their heart in it.

This is where customer service comes in. It is what sets GDRV apart. GDRV has taken care of most issues on this rig, it's just been too many issues for me. I'd estimate they have spent 50% of what I paid for this trailer to make it right and they're still mailing me checks. I shudder to think where I'd be if this was a different brand. I am aware that my trailer is an exception just as the perfect trailer is an exception. Most fall somewhere in the middle IMHO. I will say that if you aren't too handy and are looking for a carefree experience..... Let's just say I'd recommend a PDI be done by a hired pro before putting your cash down to help ensure you get a good example of the product.


On the positive side, GDRV has great floorplans. My wife and I were attracted to the overall fit, finish and floorplan.

This, IMHO, is the current state of the RV/TT industry. They can't make them fast enough to satisfy demand. Customer service, while not perfect, is the #1 reason to buy Grand Design.

[SJMaye]

You both are making me feel better about a frig in a slide. At this point among others I am looking at the Imagine 2500RL.

[Beachnut]

Hello SJMaye! Welcome to this forum.
I am like you,, new to this forum, & LOOKING at many multiple RV's and TRYING to choose one. Let me start out saying we have camped 432 days in the last 9+ years on 65 trips in our 2010 Keystone Outback 230RS! Were now both retired, so we expect to use our new trailer even MORE! Maybe my observations of what I am seeing out there might help you. We like WINDOWS! We camp to SEE the outdoors, and be in the outdoors. We have found most all trailers with side slides have you sitting in a couch or dinette - staring at a wall of kitchen stuff, a TV, and maybe a tiny 2' window to look out of. (Unless you look behind you out the big windows). Where the Toy Haulers have massive window's on both sides to look through. So in GD - we like the Momentum 25G and maybe 28G, but probably would never use it as a toy hauler - but we want two available beds, without folding or converting something into a bed, and we want large capacity tanks! Positives on those two Momentum's are I love the 3 step folding stairs UP into the trailer as this means it has better ground clearance, (than the more usual 2 step stair's up trailers). We love to dry camp in the National Forest and BLM lands - and I have not found another 3 step toy hauler trailer out there (other than Outback, Winnebago, and 5th wheels that we do not want). Please if you know of some, tell me! I also like all the great shelved cabinets, and drawers for the kitchen and bedroom storage in these GD's. (The Bathroom could use some better towel storage - but I like curved showers which these don't have). However, the single Momentum outdoor storage "locker" is ridiculous as its 9' tall, x about 2'x2' wide / rectangular - straight up with no real way to make shelving, or hang anything in it as its sides are very thin paneling.
I love the "kitchen & refer slide" however I am VERY concerned about all that weight on the Schwintek slide (think ALL your food, beer in refer, kitchen pots pans, etc.). Also the side vented refer Vs. a straight up roof vented one, as well as all the plumbing / electrical / propane lines moving every time the slide does - over years of use?? The good, is you get all the floor space, the bad, all the other concerns. The side bedroom slide is also a big issue... The front queen bed, actually folds in half and the mattress is physically taller on one side, than the other, making it more difficult to dump the stock mattress, and put in a much better "normal" mattress. I would MUCH prefer a forward facing bed, with no slide at all. The Generator UNDER the bed, is also a huge WHAT for me! Certainly NOT a Grand Design. Can you imagine trying to sleep on a bed, over a revving Gen - trying to keep up with the (possible dual) A/C electricity demands? I guess you could try and hum along with it, or consider it a "magic fingers vibrating massage", or would you lie there, and question the wisdom of ever buying that trailer? The other is the stated tongue weight Vs. one dealer stated upon delivery set up, they weighed a 28G and found that "it was over 1500 IBS"! (I wonder how much over 1500?) 1500 + ibs requires a MO heavy duty load leveling hitch than standard, costing between $500 - $800 and my 2018 2500 Chevy Diesel truck, says it has a 1500 Ibs tongue weight max rating??? So I am not even sure I should be considering these trailers. (GD Stated tongue weights are dry weights, 25G &28G are stated to be 1150 and 1300 ibs, but then add 2 full propane tanks, 2-12vdc batts, 100 gallons of water and all the camping gear stored forward of the trailer axle and your sure to be over 1500Ibs!) The "Euro seats" and folding couches in these trailers sure look cool, but sit down on them, and oh no they are NOT comfortable for a 6'2" 250 Ib guy! We would need to buy some comfy recliners, and table n chairs, and sell or junk the rest... (GD - HINT - copy the "Genesis Supreme" as it has much more comfortable toy hauler furniture, at about $10K less price, for a similar sized trailer!) Oh, then there IS the $ticker, $NICKER SHOCK! Seriously? I know you take 25 - 30% off of those ridiculous MSRP figures to get real, but really??? Add all that up it makes the G.D. Momentum "Buy ride" even harder. I know "they say" its a "Grand Design"! But on the 25G & 28G Momentum's ---> I think they could have done much better. It still has what looks like the best construction going for it. But price + poor design options + uncomfortable furniture sure makes it a hard pill for me to swallow.... I know this all sounds so negative, but the 25G is still at the top of our list. If I could find a 3 step Genesis Supreme 25 FS I would buy it - Maybe a Winnebago Spyder 23FS?? I would love to hear about what you are seeing out there. What is your favorite trailer so far? What are Your "observations?

[Skiddy]

Liked the 2500RL it was our 2nd choice. You can get to the fridge and pantry with the slide ins making it easy to load adult beverages and food while on the road. The bathroom is "available" via the bedroom. From a build perspective the tanks and hence the weight are all over the axles, something I wanted but didn't get. Always fun to go car/truck or RV shopping.