What was Grand Design Thinking? Or, The Little Thngs Wrong That Just Add Up!

[WhittleBurner]

Read an article today talking about quality. GD is not the only one. Their recommendation was buy older products made years ago. Appliances for an example, they said products made years ago would last for years. Products made now only last a few months. Doesn't mean we shouldn't complain. We should, otherwise things will never change. Problem is so long as people keep buying cheaper made products to save money instead of the better made products that is the way everything will be built. That is why walmart does so well. That is the mentality of consumers. Especially the younger crowd. The only thing they brag about is how much money they saved. Even though they really didn't, because they will have to keep buying that same product over and over, instead of just once. They cannot grasp that idea and keep buying cheaper. They doom all of us making us into buying cheaper too, because that's how everything is made now. The almighty dollar always rules. What a shame.

[gordofuchs]

Here is an interesting video on a court case out of Illinois. It was on the Irv2 forum.





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iub0v_wjGlg

[Chiefblueman]

I've often thought GD should offer a "Gold Star" option for about $1k. For this amount you get the crew that will drive screws straight, use screws where needed instead of 100 staples such as drawer slides. Take an extra hour to seal the exterior thoroughly and to use a top sealing product besides silicone. Save 5 cents on the cheap low point plugs and spend a couple bucks on a valve. Take 5 minutes and run the drains to the perimeter of the trailer so you don't need a creeper to get to them. Use 5 minutes and 50 cents worth of extra screws to attach coroplast without gaps and sags. Install the bathroom faucet that costs $2 more and doesn't squawk when used. Take the extra 30 seconds to align cupboard door catches. Provide a wiring diagram to help troubleshoot the very top secret proprietary wiring. Pay to train somebody to make proper electrical connections and pay him a bit more. Throw an extra $25 at better electrical termination products. Those 25 cent terminals on the battery cables are embarrassing. Use a properly drilled and tapped ground connection at the frame. Take 5 - 10 minutes and $1 worth of furnace tape and seal the furnace duct connections. Take the time to correct 4 out of five defects seen on the line. Use 10 or so cable ties to tidy wiring. Install correctly sized brake wiring. Insulation that actually covers the area intended rather than almost.

Maybe they should call it the "Good enough isn't good enough" option.

Our new 2020 shows improvement over our 2017 but there's still silly corners being cut.

[Wicked ace]

I've often thought GD should offer a "Gold Star" option for about $1k. For this amount you get the crew that will drive screws straight, use screws where needed instead of 100 staples such as drawer slides. Take an extra hour to seal the exterior thoroughly and to use a top sealing product besides silicone. Save 5 cents on the cheap low point plugs and spend a couple bucks on a valve. Take 5 minutes and run the drains to the perimeter of the trailer so you don't need a creeper to get to them. Use 5 minutes and 50 cents worth of extra screws to attach coroplast without gaps and sags. Install the bathroom faucet that costs $2 more and doesn't squawk when used. Take the extra 30 seconds to align cupboard door catches. Provide a wiring diagram to help troubleshoot the very top secret proprietary wiring. Pay to train somebody to make proper electrical connections and pay him a bit more. Throw an extra $25 at better electrical termination products. Those 25 cent terminals on the battery cables are embarrassing. Use a properly drilled and tapped ground connection at the frame. Take 5 - 10 minutes and $1 worth of furnace tape and seal the furnace duct connections. Take the time to correct 4 out of five defects seen on the line. Use 10 or so cable ties to tidy wiring. Install correctly sized brake wiring. Insulation that actually covers the area intended rather than almost.

Maybe they should call it the "Good enough isn't good enough" option.

Our new 2020 shows improvement over our 2017 but there's still silly corners being cut.

A few items to add value to the "Gold Option" would be suspension bolts tightened and properly torqued. Grease in the wet bolts and equalizers, not smeared around them. Add a drain valve to the heater. Train personnel to properly install shower stalls. Have windows and doors that fit, function and are intact.
But then again for the $44k + MSRP my trailer was listed at you would think all this would be a given. GD RVs are priced at a premium to others.

[JohnJCES]

A "Gold Option" would be great in a lot of things manufactured these days! BUT...

I'd kind of like to get back to my original request in this post. Please, let's see your, "what were they thinking" build items in your new trailer.

John

[Wicked ace]

What were they thinking installing the POS landing gear switch? This morning I was trying to get hitched when the switch stuck at first then quit working altogether. This is the second switch in six months that fell apart internally. The first lasted three weeks.

[Brewhedd]

A "Gold Option" would be great in a lot of things manufactured these days! BUT...

I'd kind of like to get back to my original request in this post. Please, let's see your, "what were they thinking" build items in your new trailer.

John

How about the "option" of GD living up to their claims (paraphrasing here) of a superior workforce and great workmanship? My list is more of a WTH list, which I won't go into detail explaining, suffice it to say I have had over 20 "issues" which is waaaay too many. I'm not even going into what I think of their 288 point PDI. The major ones I will touch on are:

The master bdrm door was an absolute joke, never should have left the factory. It had a cracked jamb and trim. In addition it wouldn't close against the stop and had a gap horizontally also. Dealer replaced cracked trim and jamb but didn't correct the installation. I pulled the jamb and shimmed it plus moved it in to correct the opening and wall "issues".

The end of the shower door track was not caulked properly which caused a leak onto the floor.

The shower enclosure walls are not attached properly and bow out away from the walls, actually has caused a gap at the top rear where water could penetrate and run down the wall.

The awning does not retract straight back.

The blinds are too short and stiff, they are losing their creases at the top. Looks like crap.

Water is penetrating between the gutter and roof running down the wall in a couple places, annoying to say the least.

The equalizers have a couple fittings that can't be greased, meaning they never have been greased.

[huntr70]

But then again for the $44k + MSRP my trailer was listed at you would think all this would be a given. GD RVs are priced at a premium to others.

I have Keystone Outbacks on my lot that have MSRP's of over $50k...

Several manufacturers are over the $50K mark on trailers now.

We also all know that MSRP means nothing in the RV world.

[Wicked ace]

I have Keystone Outbacks on my lot that have MSRP's of over $50k...

From what I see these are much larger travel trailers (bumper pull) with more features so likely they would cost more.

Several manufacturers are over the $50K mark on trailers now.

We also all know that MSRP means nothing in the RV world.

Yea, but if you are going to quote me..... lets keep it an apples to apples comparison. Find another half ton towable the same size and weight that cost more then your credible. BTW.....if your sales department was more willing to work with me instead of pushing the Grand Design "premium" I would be one of your happy family!

[huntr70]

Cougar half-ton 5th wheels have virtually the same exact MSRP as 150 series Reflections....Rockwood/Flagstaff is pretty close also.

Especially if you figure the 2020 upgrades and no price increase.

As far as being part of our family, I have no control over Sale's.....we can't make every deal happen.