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  1. #1
    Long Hauler
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    Now officially a part of the Grand Design Family!

    Well, it's been an interesting ride. We picked up our 2021 320MKS, that we ordered back in August, from Northgate RV Center in Ringgold, GA yesterday. What a story it has been so far.

    History: back in August, we reached out to 3 different dealers that the good people on this forum recommended. I received 2 responses back. One from a Wyoming dealer and one from Northgate RV Center in Ringgold, GA. From both dealers, we asked several questions about ordering the 320MKS, Northgate was the only dealer that was patient enough with us to continue to answer questions. I requested a quote from both dealers, and Northgate was the only one to respond with one. It was approximately $50k, with everything we asked for. Dual pane windows, MorRyde pin box, GlowStep Revolution Steps, and the B&W hitch (we have a F350 crew cab with a 8' box, so no sliding hitch for us).

    I asked if they were open to negotiation, and Mike, our sales guy said no, because they try to offer the lowest price possible. (I wasn't going to argue with more than 20% of of MSRP with the add ons included!).

    On September 21, 2020, we started the financing through Good Sam RV Club. (Honestly, I'm going to recommend against doing financing that way, unless you are really familiar with the process.) With all the questions Essex Credit, a division of Bank of the West was asking, we eventually got Northgate and Essex to talk directly to each other (we got out of being the middle man, which was frustrating). Finally! We were approved and off we go!

    Towards the end of November, I called Grand Design to get the VIN and have a couple of questions answered. I then contacted Essex and gave them the VIN. More back and forth with them. Around December 19, Mike at Northgate contacts me with the rest of the paperwork that Essex needs. I email the loan officer and he finalizes the paperwork for then to send to us for signatures. Essex OVERNIGHTS the package on December 22. We don't get the package until 4:00 PM on December 23. We go to our credit union to get everything notorized on December 24. Keep in mind the loan paperwork says everything needs to be signed writing 3 days of the date on it, which is December 23. I thought it said it had to be back to them within 3 days! There was no way we were going to get it to UPS on time to get the paperwork back to Essex on the 26th. PANIC TIME! The wife reread the documents and said, "it says signed within 3 days, not returned to them in 3 days!". (I've been fired from dealing with the finance guy now. - Okay, that's just wishful thinking!)

    On Monday, we finally get the paperwork off. Essex doesn't get the check sent until January 4th! Thank goodness it's overnight because we leave to pickup the 320MKS on January 9!

    The drive out was uneventful, except that we did over 1300 miles in two days.

    On Monday morning, we performed our PDI, had 3 minor things, got hooked up and drug it out, around 13:30. On the way to the campground, about 10 minutes away, I managed to drop the rear left tires of the coach of the road, and broke the galley drain pipe and bayonet stop for it. Ugh. Northgate doesn't stock those parts and it would be Monday by the time they could get them in. I'll be dropping the Coroplast in the back when we get home and fixing it myself.

    Spent the first night in it last night. We love everything about this coach, except the mattress! I think it would have been better to sleep on the plywood under it instead! (Or so my back says.)

    I will included pictures as replies to this post.

    All in all, we really like this coach. It will become our permanent home in about 2 years, once my daughter goes off to college.

    Sent from my phone using Tapatalk
    Mark & Mary. Full-timing across the USA (and Canada)!
    Current Coach: 2021 Grand Design Reflection 320MKS
    Current Rig: 2019 Ford F350 SD Crew Cab, w/8' box, Lariat, SRW, 6.7l Diesel

  2. #2
    Site Team traveldawg's Avatar
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    Thanks for the story. Glad it all worked out for you. Everything seems like a long process and longer project these days. But patience pays off.

    My sister & BIL are in Fort Oglethorpe and have deals with Northgate RV Center in Ringgold. They seem satisfied.

    Welcome fo the 'family'.
    Larry KE4DMG
    2022 F-350 KRU SRW LB - Airlift 5000+, ForScan, 37 RDS Aux Tank,
    2019 310GK-R - Sailuns; MorRyde IS; Disc Brakes; 20K Reese Goosebox
    Search kalakamods for my mods


  3. #3
    Rolling Along OurNewEra's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MoonShadow_1911 View Post

    Spent the first night in it last night. We love everything about this coach, except the mattress! I think it would have been better to sleep on the plywood under it instead! (Or so my back says.)


    Sent from my phone using Tapatalk
    Congrats on the new rig! Yes, the bed. We told the dealer to keep the original mattress and we brought our own with us for pick-up and an overnight stay. When we got home the first thing I did was make the bed platform larger. The larger platform (same size as mattress) really makes a different as well. We can actually sit on the edge of the bed without falling off.

    Safe travels and welcome to the forum!
    Mike & Lisa
    Central Florida
    2021 Imagine 2970RL
    1996 Chevy K3500 Crew SRW 7.4L Gas

  4. #4
    Long Hauler
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    I think i should have said that we've been a part of the forum for the last 6 months or so. We've known which RV we wanted, wanted to wait to pull the trigger. We did our little 18' hybrid camper back in April, and with COVID, we have been going stir crazy to get out, so, here we are!

    Sent from my phone using Tapatalk
    Mark & Mary. Full-timing across the USA (and Canada)!
    Current Coach: 2021 Grand Design Reflection 320MKS
    Current Rig: 2019 Ford F350 SD Crew Cab, w/8' box, Lariat, SRW, 6.7l Diesel

  5. #5
    Setting Up Camp
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    Congrats! I'm staring at my Brooklyn Mattress right now that will immediately be replacing the queen mattress in the 31MB. Super comfy and pretty cheap. Highly recommend the upgrade.

  6. #6
    Long Hauler
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    Now, on to the things the PDI didn't catch. The track for the shower glass wasn't calked at the bottom, so, water ran onto the floor, under the wall, and got the carpet wet on the wife side of the bed. - We fixed

    The heat register in the bedroom wasn't putting out any heat. I pulled the vent cover off, snaked my bore scope down the vent, and it ended at... Nothing... Huh? I put my flashlight in the duct and tried using my phone camera. I expected to see a bright reflection... Nothing. Hrm... I keep the flashlight there, and went to look at the bathroom vent, behind the toilet expecting to see bright light. Just dim light... And some water pipes.. WTH? Grabbed the flashlight and looked down the bathroom vent, and it go directly into the basement! Well, gotta fix this while thing when I'm in there doing the Power Watchdog. - Fix in progress.

    More to come! (Hopefully not, but it's a new coach!)

    Sent from my phone using Tapatalk
    Mark & Mary. Full-timing across the USA (and Canada)!
    Current Coach: 2021 Grand Design Reflection 320MKS
    Current Rig: 2019 Ford F350 SD Crew Cab, w/8' box, Lariat, SRW, 6.7l Diesel

  7. #7
    Long Hauler Canyonlight's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MoonShadow_1911 View Post
    Now, on to the things the PDI didn't catch. The track for the shower glass wasn't calked at the bottom, so, water ran onto the floor, under the wall, and got the carpet wet on the wife side of the bed. - We fixed

    The heat register in the bedroom wasn't putting out any heat. I pulled the vent cover off, snaked my bore scope down the vent, and it ended at... Nothing... Huh? I put my flashlight in the duct and tried using my phone camera. I expected to see a bright reflection... Nothing. Hrm... I keep the flashlight there, and went to look at the bathroom vent, behind the toilet expecting to see bright light. Just dim light... And some water pipes.. WTH? Grabbed the flashlight and looked down the bathroom vent, and it go directly into the basement! Well, gotta fix this while thing when I'm in there doing the Power Watchdog. - Fix in progress.

    More to come! (Hopefully not, but it's a new coach!)

    Sent from my phone using Tapatalk
    Mark & Mary - first, of all, congratulations on getting your new 320. Quite the story but it makes for good campfire and beverage conversation !

    Amazing how many stories over 8 years of production that there have been and still are shower leaks. We were there too.

    Regarding your bathroom heat duct, generally the large heat register looking vent behind the toilet is a cold air return to the basement. There is nothing attached to that and seeing plumbing, wires, etc., is the norm. The small round vent in the cabinet to the street side of your toilet is is the heating vent. You may want to pull off the basement panel and check the duct work runs/connections from the furnace to the various vents. There have been a number of posts over the years of duct work loose or coming off.

    Dan
    Dan & Carol
    2014 303RLS Reflection #185 (10/2013 build)
    2012 Silverado LTZ Crew Duramax 2500HD
    2700/16K Pullrite Superglide

  8. #8
    Long Hauler
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    Quote Originally Posted by Canyonlight View Post
    Mark & Mary - first, of all, congratulations on getting your new 320. Quite the story but it makes for good campfire and beverage conversation !

    Amazing how many stories over 8 years of production that there have been and still are shower leaks. We were there too.

    Regarding your bathroom heat duct, generally the large heat register looking vent behind the toilet is a cold air return to the basement. There is nothing attached to that and seeing plumbing, wires, etc., is the norm. The small round vent in the cabinet to the street side of your toilet is is the heating vent. You may want to pull off the basement panel and check the duct work runs/connections from the furnace to the various vents. There have been a number of posts over the years of duct work loose or coming off.

    Dan
    Sending this from the belly... Yup. Just found that out. The heat duct to the bedroom was just taped on and it fell off. Got some sheet metal screws and more tape!

    Sent from my phone using Tapatalk
    Mark & Mary. Full-timing across the USA (and Canada)!
    Current Coach: 2021 Grand Design Reflection 320MKS
    Current Rig: 2019 Ford F350 SD Crew Cab, w/8' box, Lariat, SRW, 6.7l Diesel

  9. #9
    Long Hauler
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    Okay, bedroom heater vent fixed! That was the easy one. Power Watchdog installed, after almost 3 hours of futzing around with it and realizing I'm nowhere near as young and limber as I used to be!

    Using the bore scope, it looks like I didn't damage the bayonet valve on the galley grey tank after all! Just bent the push/pull rod a little bit. Straightened it out and it seems to work. Now, just need to repair the drain pipe I broke; with a new extension (I think it's a 3" pipe) and a new sewer connection since I shaved off one of the pins.

    While under the coach, I noticed there are wet bolts and the MorRyde CRE3000 shackles. While at Home Depot, I bought some grey foam sealant to seal some of the holes in the coroplast that were missed.

    Next update when I'm not as sore!

    Sent from my phone using Tapatalk
    Last edited by MoonShadow_1911; 01-16-2021 at 06:46 AM.
    Mark & Mary. Full-timing across the USA (and Canada)!
    Current Coach: 2021 Grand Design Reflection 320MKS
    Current Rig: 2019 Ford F350 SD Crew Cab, w/8' box, Lariat, SRW, 6.7l Diesel

  10. #10
    Long Hauler
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    Here are some photos I took of the wet bolts and shackle grease pointsClick image for larger version. 

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    Sent from my phone using Tapatalk
    Mark & Mary. Full-timing across the USA (and Canada)!
    Current Coach: 2021 Grand Design Reflection 320MKS
    Current Rig: 2019 Ford F350 SD Crew Cab, w/8' box, Lariat, SRW, 6.7l Diesel

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