Disappointment with options when ordering new Reflection Travel Trailer

[Sbrunk21]

Don't be downhearted about a lack of a fireplace. They have a very high incidence of not working long. Rather, it's the norm that they die soon. It's not GD, but the manufacturers of such poor quality items. I plan to do something with a big hole in my cabinetry this Winter where my non-working furnace used to be.

I can understand the fireplace to a point.....they clearly at one time had one placed below the tv in the living room and then decided to not have it. They could have left it as an option? We will be wintering in Florida with this travel trailer and the fireplace would have been all that is needed on those cooler nights. Now with no fireplace we will have to run the furnace and I didn’t want to have to do that. Minor thing that could be fixed with a furnace or space heater, I get that. I guess all of the frustrations have added up and I’m just really disappointed and those minor things(like the fireplace) are now major. I was really hoping someone was going to reply that “oh no GD will add all kinds of these options for you off the books”

[Aridon]

Oh the salesman did try and get us to purchase most of those things from the dealership and they would install. However, it seems like most after market products do not hold up as well as oem with all of the seals, wholes drilled in walls, etc etc. I don’t want a dealer necessarily on my roof drilling holes for a WiFi Ranger, or drilling holes in my frame for automatic leveling. Would much rather have all of that done while in the factory so it can be done properly and with one seal job etc. I can’t describe to you how excited we were to finally be ordering the ONE RV we can spend years in and learning that the things we really want are not even available as a special order option. I really thought that was not going to be an issue since they offer so many of those things on other brands that GD offers. I’m still really upset about it because we LOVE the 300RBTS and want nothing more than to order it. I also think the ongoing disappointment while in it without those things would be greater. The one positive change is we loved the roller shades and is an option we would have to add aftermarket on most other brands.

Holes are holes. The hole is the same and the sealant is the same. There are like two competing fan products in like 90% of the RV's I've seen. There isn't much different between doing it at the factory or after the fact.

[geotex1]

There are NO mass production manufacturers that offer off the book adds. That's just not a business model.

You have a very certain list, and it's time to simply rule out GD or settle on aftermarket adds. That's all you have. Purchasing from mass production models will ALWAYS have compromises. They're designed to suit the majority demand, and GD isn't seeing the demand for those things in that line. That's ok and just about any floorplan is repeated across all major brands. Likely one will be a better fit for you.

I would have loved all the creature features of the Northpoint versus our Solitude, but our compromise was simply value per dollar and the GD easily won that!

Good luck in your quest! Happy camping is our universal goal!

[Keebler]

I would not be afraid of aftermarket adds. This is where choosing a strong dealership is key. The dealer can do things just as well, and even better at times, as compared to the factory.

I had my dealer install a washer and dryer, and slide-toppers. The dealer did an excellent job. This included cutting a pretty significant hole in an exterior wall of the camper to vent the dryer; it looks great and even the quality of the vent used is top notch.

I agree with you making these options "deal breakers"; some are things you will absolutely love having. That said, as mentioned in an earlier post, I would tell the dealer these are deal breakers and have them price the unit with them doing the adds. Use that to compare with the other manufacturers that do include the features, and then decide.

Not to send the wrong message, I am happy with my GD product, but they don't have the "secret sauce" when it comes to quality. They are comparable for the price range. Yes, I would recommend them to a friend, but I would advise to shop around and get the features/floor plan you want; whether it is GD or not.

[Schiefswret]

i empathize with your frustration but i’m having trouble understanding how after a year of research (considering the unbelievable amount of information on GD’s website and numerous similar data packed resources) you would not have found the answer to pretty much every question or concern you had before heading out to the dealership. I’m not suggesting 100% but surly most all of the major issues or concerns that were important to you. If i was not sure of the answer to a very important concern of mine regarding a high dollar expenditure, i would not rule out the use of the good ole telephone. I hope you find the RV that best suits your needs.

[Wolfyukon]

We had the dealer install on demand hot water heater, slide toppers, extra battery, W/D combo unit, - they did an excellent job and we were able to work a price that was even better. Dealership has their profit margin on the parts and on the labor to play with, factory price is factory price. One other consideration, dealership, if a good one, will stand behind the work their mechanics do and not pass the buck onto "the factory did it" ....JMO.

[cookinwitdiesel]

I had the dealer install 2x Fantastic Fans (plus 3 maxxair fan covers), Slide Toppers (4 slides), and Onan Generator (already had the prep) before we took delivery. They did good work (I only had to tweak the fan covers a little) and were able to be very competitive with the pricing and roll the cost into the loan. There is no reason to be scared of having the dealer do work on your unit, just get comfortable and familiar with them and their service department as part of your shopping process. People try harder and want to help people they like

If anything, take comfort in the fact that the dealer is there to get the job done to your satisfaction with you being able to participate in and oversee the process - when things happen at the factory, they have an assembly line and a quota and have to slam those things out as quick as they can while maintaining quality standards for the brand.

[Skiddy]

Rockwood and Cougar are solid units, compare very well IMO to GDRV Reflection line. They do offer many of the features you describe. Also, take a walk on the roof of the units. Friends Rockwood is ultra solid, my Imagine has some spots with at least 32” between the trusses. Toppers standard.

Grand Design is now a Winnebago company so maybe in a year or two.........

[Sbrunk21]

Thank you all for the replies. My frustration mostly comes from I LOVE the new 300RBTS floor plan but just am surprised they are still so lacking on the options. Before I started researching GD I had my heart set on a Jayco Eagle. Those trailers are beasts so I decided against them for that reason. But when researching there were some options here and there that I wanted but they didn’t offer on their website. Well they would DO those options at factory they just don’t advertise it. Same exact same thing with cougar, they would do some “off the books” options as well but decided against the floor plans. Then I found the Reflection 300RBTS.....didn’t think it would be an issue to add some options not listed as the prior 2 manufactures would do it. So when it came to order time I was really surprised they wouldn’t do it.

I can understand not having so many standard features BUT it’s the 2020 model year and it’s a Reflection series so I would think auto level would be an option if not standard? A control panel where we could run everything via smartphone should be standard in a 2020 model year in one of the most premium travel trailers out there. The “solid steps” standard on Imagine travel trailers, NOT standard or even an option on Reflection series???? There are more examples of this but that’s just to name a few.

Again I would NOT be so upset if the 300RBTS floor plan wasn’t so perfect for us. We haven’t decided yet, we are going to go look at the cougars and rockwoods again tomorrow. I really think ultimately we will decide against GD only because of those options. GD is supposed to be the leader in travel trailers but they are almost last when it comes to technology and options (Among the top tier) and I hope they catch up sometime soon or would have caught up some by the 2020 model year.

[Trailmaster]

I share some of your frustration. When I compared side-by-side at the Hershey show, I found the Jayco Eagle (not Eagle HT) travel trailers to be a step above the Reflection line in terms of appearance, features, and available options. I will probably still go with the Reflection due to lower cost and better customer service after the sale. I've read some horror stories about getting help from Jayco when something goes wrong after the sale.