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  1. #1
    Seasoned Camper Cenerus's Avatar
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    Having serious second thoughts about a new 2021 310GK-R due to some strange issues

    Hey all,

    Wondering what folks think of what we saw today in a brand new 2021 310GK-R

    We ordered a new 2021 310GK-R in November and we got a call from our dealer that it arrived today. But after checking it out we decided to take a step back and consider backing out or asking for a different 310GK due to the stuff we saw at first glance.

    Here's the stuff we saw. Has anyone had this experience recently with a brand new 310GK-R?

    1. The theater seats didn't have the little drink tables anymore. No hole for them at all. But what's truly strange is that the theater seat now just has a single cup holder in the center armrest. So only my wife or myself gets a place to put a drink while we're watching a movie or relaxing on the theater seats. We asked the dealer what was going on and were told that GD decided to stop adding the little tables because people didn't like them. But they didn't add a second cup holder like Jayco and Keystone have in their 5th wheels if they don't have the little built in drink tables. This is so bad it's a reason not to buy a particular 5th wheel if you have nowhere to set your drink down.

    2. The shower fixture didn't match the rest of the bathroom fixtures. By this I mean that the new solitudes have black or perhaps dark brown shower trim, faucets and soap dish. The kitchen has the same look for the faucet of the sink. But the shower head itself, which is a big multi spray affair now was chrome in this solitude and looked nothing like the one on their website. If you look online at grand design, you'll see the new look for the shower fixtures. but in this solitude they used a completely different shower head that is bright chrome instead of the dark black/brown that everything else in teh bathroom and the kitchen faucet use. We asked them what the heck was going on and they told us that this is the way it used to be and that they hadn't quite switched over yet to the new fixture. However, we saw another solitude on the lot that had the new fixture that arrived a week earlier. So I call BS.

    3. The water heater was rusted. The anode rod was all corroded and the opening to the water heater was really rusty. The water heater looked old or like it had been sitting out exposed to the elements for weeks.

    4. The shades were black on the inside. The new 2021 solitudes are supposed to come with light colored shades to brighten up the interior. But this one had the dark ones you see in older solitudes.

    5. The door to the water hook up where the nautilus is located wouldn't latch. The latch was just plain badly lined up such that it could never engage. No way to miss this if they bothered to check at the factory.
    Jesse & Anita
    2021 Solitude S-Class 2930RL-R
    2020 Chevy Silverado 3500 long bed SRW, Duramax Diesel. B&W Companion hitch on B&W turnover goose ball

  2. #2
    Rolling Along RV Sailor's Avatar
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    Sorry bluntly 4 of these issues are really minor IMHO.
    Water heater and door latch or door Should be replaced before accepting it
    Color of shades ....I prefer the black . You can sleep or avoid peeping Toms.
    Shower head we changed ours to a chrome Oxygenic's the first few weeks.
    Cup holders is just picky.

    Sounds like you looking for a reason to back out. The positives in our case overwhelmed the negatives. The negatives were either fixable or we could work around.

    If you don’t want it someone will scarf it up quickly I’ll bet with the issues that need to be fixed.
    Last edited by RV Sailor; 02-09-2021 at 02:08 AM.
    Donna and Dave
    Annapolis, Maryland
    2021 Grand Design Imagine 2500RL / Dodge Ram Longhorn 2500 6.4 Hemi
    350 W Newapower Solar: 3000 Victron Inverter/ Charger: Firefly Oasis carbon foam AGM

  3. #3
    Seasoned Camper Cenerus's Avatar
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    Hi Dave,

    I understand what you're saying, but I want to clarify some of your response. Before I do that I want to clarify why I'm so disappointed with Grand Design as I'm a huge fan of the company and the products.

    The Solitude 310GK-R is a very expensive near luxury level trailer, and it's supposed to be the best that Grand Design makes. I've come to expect to get what I'm paying for from Grand Design and not have to compromise on losing useful features that they advertise and brag about as NEW. My imagine and reflection trailers before this came exactly as advertised with no compromises or shoddy components from the factory.

    Back to your response to my list of issues, here are a few clarifications:

    The shower head on the newest solitudes isn't like that nasty POS the older solitudes, reflections and imagines all have. This new one is a full body sprayer with multiple spray nozzles for the body, a rain shower head and a wand. You can't just replace it with an Oxygenics shower head and be good to go. I wouldn't be complaining if it was the old shower head as I would be replacing it right away. They new one is quite a large unit that cost a LOT of money to replace or modify. Putting in a chrome one of a different manufacturer and very different color looks really bad seeing as GD advertises this as their awesome new shower head. I suspect that this was done due to a supply issue and them wanting to make their quota for the day. They used a shower head they could find even though it's the wrong color and a different design. It looks so wrong that everything else in the trailer is done in dark bronze, but the very large shower fixture is chrome. It's not a simple and cheap thing to replace anymore, and it's something you'd really expect from a low end RV manufacturer, but not Grand Design on their highest end trailer.

    The shades are the same blackout style that you have. The newer Solitudes have the light color on the inside of the shade instead of black, but they are still blackout shades that don't let any light in. It makes the inside of the trailer look lighter at night. It's something they advertise and brag about on their site because it's new and meant to be a nice touch. Again it look slike they ran out of the new shades at the factory and just used older shades so they could make their daily quota.

    The rusty water header was just really strange. Not what I've seen from Grand Design in the past and made me wonder at first if the dealer was trying to sell me a used trailer as new.

    I know the theater seats sounds picky, but it's really odd that grand design would remove the little tables and leave you with just a single cup holder. There are no end tables to set your drink on, so you're left to just hold your drink constantly while sitting down. They don't do that on any of their other trailers for a reason. I'm not sure why they think this was ok.

    I've come to expect quality and consistency from grand design becasue I've owned 2 of them before. This was the first time I saw a grand design that appeared to be rushed out the door and slapped together. If this was a Transcend I might think it's a case of you get what you pay for. But a solitude looking like this just isn't cool. I'm sure some other person will happily buy this trailer. But not me. I hold grand design to a higher standard. Otherwise I could just go buy a keystone Montana or a Jayco Pinnacle and get more features for less money.
    Jesse & Anita
    2021 Solitude S-Class 2930RL-R
    2020 Chevy Silverado 3500 long bed SRW, Duramax Diesel. B&W Companion hitch on B&W turnover goose ball

  4. #4
    Fireside Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cenerus View Post
    Hey all,

    Wondering what folks think of what we saw today in a brand new 2021 310GK-R

    We ordered a new 2021 310GK-R in November and we got a call from our dealer that it arrived today. But after checking it out we decided to take a step back and consider backing out or asking for a different 310GK due to the stuff we saw at first glance.

    Here's the stuff we saw. Has anyone had this experience recently with a brand new 310GK-R?

    1. The theater seats didn't have the little drink tables anymore. No hole for them at all. But what's truly strange is that the theater seat now just has a single cup holder in the center armrest. So only my wife or myself gets a place to put a drink while we're watching a movie or relaxing on the theater seats. We asked the dealer what was going on and were told that GD decided to stop adding the little tables because people didn't like them. But they didn't add a second cup holder like Jayco and Keystone have in their 5th wheels if they don't have the little built in drink tables. This is so bad it's a reason not to buy a particular 5th wheel if you have nowhere to set your drink down.

    2. The shower fixture didn't match the rest of the bathroom fixtures. By this I mean that the new solitudes have black or perhaps dark brown shower trim, faucets and soap dish. The kitchen has the same look for the faucet of the sink. But the shower head itself, which is a big multi spray affair now was chrome in this solitude and looked nothing like the one on their website. If you look online at grand design, you'll see the new look for the shower fixtures. but in this solitude they used a completely different shower head that is bright chrome instead of the dark black/brown that everything else in teh bathroom and the kitchen faucet use. We asked them what the heck was going on and they told us that this is the way it used to be and that they hadn't quite switched over yet to the new fixture. However, we saw another solitude on the lot that had the new fixture that arrived a week earlier. So I call BS.

    3. The water heater was rusted. The anode rod was all corroded and the opening to the water heater was really rusty. The water heater looked old or like it had been sitting out exposed to the elements for weeks.

    4. The shades were black on the inside. The new 2021 solitudes are supposed to come with light colored shades to brighten up the interior. But this one had the dark ones you see in older solitudes.

    5. The door to the water hook up where the nautilus is located wouldn't latch. The latch was just plain badly lined up such that it could never engage. No way to miss this if they bothered to check at the factory.
    Cenerus,
    We bought a few weeks back a 310GK that had a build date of November 2020. (Possibly October 2020) We have the stone interior, and the little tables that attach to the theater seats. We also have the color matched shower head and the light colored shades. I didn't take out the anode rod to check that like you did. BUT, we must've looked at half a dozen 310's (all 2021 models) some came with light shades, some dark. Some had the crazy full body shower unit, others had a more conventional design, but those had the molded in shower seat. Some also had the older rounded corners to the island and the dark brown wood! Now, GD is outfitting the shower with a fold-up wood seat. All of these are supply issues, they are building so many fifth wheels they even eliminated travel trailer floorplans on the reflection to divert those resources to fifth wheels. My wife and I preferred ordering one, and were willing to accept the 4 month wait. What we were not willing to accept was that we would have NO WAY of knowing exactly how an ordered one would be outfitted. It's funny because the dealers have all kinds of 310's with the dark brown furniture, but they have almost NONE with the stone (like a light grey) furniture.
    But, between the pandemic destroying the supply chain, and mid year model changes, it is literally a crap shoot. Good luck on your decision! (FYI we had a reflection travel trailer (297rsts) I will always miss my outdoor fridge and TV, lol)
    2021 Solitude 310GK
    2021 F350 DRW 4x4 CC XL 176" WB 6.7L PSD

  5. #5
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    In mho,
    Most of this is normal, if you look hard, you will find rust on the frame, If it just came in and the anode was degraded, I would inspect the water heater in detail and check the manufactured date.
    The door to the basement is not a big deal, mine came that way.
    The shades and the shower is more than likely an availability issues (just like every other manufacturer these days, due to covid)
    The tables being removed does not surprise me, they were flimsy at best, I don't know this for a fact but I can see these breaking and being a huge warranty issue.
    To give you a reference line, I ordered a 2021 3540 GKR in August, when it came in FEB there were 13 things that were change from the unit I looked at when I ordered it. To be clear, I caught most of them on video and
    discussions with the factory before it arrived. Point being it's not like the auto industry. I will say so far I am extremely happy with everything.
    2021 Grand Design Solitude S Class 3540 GK-R
    2021 Ford Super Duty Crew Cab 4X4 DRW 6.7 LWB F350
    Curt A 20 Hitch

  6. #6
    Site Sponsor NB Canada's Avatar
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    Not that it matters here,or maybe it does but I noticed you purchased a 2600 RBC in August of last year and your signature says you have a 303 and now you are looking at a different trailer?

    I am completely confused


    2021 Imagine 2400 BH
    2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 crew 1840 payload
    2021 Imagine 2400 BH
    2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 Crew 1840lb payload

  7. #7
    Seasoned Camper Cenerus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by NB Canada View Post
    Not that it matters here,or maybe it does but I noticed you purchased a 2600 RBC in August of last year and your signature says you have a 303 and now you are looking at a different trailer?

    I am completely confused


    2021 Imagine 2400 BH
    2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 crew 1840 payload
    Great question NB,

    When we bought the 2600, we loved it. We'd never had an RV before, and decided to start with a reasonable sized TT to see if we liked. As it turned out we LOVE rv'ing. But we soon found that for us the 2600 was a bit small and we wanted a trailer with a sofa to go along with the theater seats so our dogs had a place to relax. We asked our dealer about the 303rls because it looked like the logical upgrade and a good beginner's 5th wheel. We were shocked to see that the dealer gave us what we paid for the 2600 in trade. 2600RB's are so popular that even a couple of months used they sell like new. So we thought, heck this is easy, no loss on the 2600. After we got the 303rls, we liked having a 5th wheel so much we started wondering about doing the same thing with the 303 and getting something larger with more bedroom space which is the one thing the 303rls has very little of. So we called our dealer an asked about the soliltude 310GK-R. Same thing again, we got almost what we paid for the 303rls in trade. So we decided to pull the trigger on a 310GK because everyone here raves about them, and it seemed to address our issue with the bedroom nicely. Who knows, if this continues my next post might be a questions about a 41' Momentum.
    Jesse & Anita
    2021 Solitude S-Class 2930RL-R
    2020 Chevy Silverado 3500 long bed SRW, Duramax Diesel. B&W Companion hitch on B&W turnover goose ball

  8. #8
    Site Sponsor NB Canada's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cenerus View Post
    Great question NB,

    When we bought the 2600, we loved it. We'd never had an RV before, and decided to start with a reasonable sized TT to see if we liked. As it turned out we LOVE rv'ing. But we soon found that for us the 2600 was a bit small and we wanted a trailer with a sofa to go along with the theater seats so our dogs had a place to relax. We asked our dealer about the 303rls because it looked like the logical upgrade and a good beginner's 5th wheel. We were shocked to see that the dealer gave us what we paid for the 2600 in trade. 2600RB's are so popular that even a couple of months used they sell like new. So we thought, heck this is easy, no loss on the 2600. After we got the 303rls, we liked having a 5th wheel so much we started wondering about doing the same thing with the 303 and getting something larger with more bedroom space which is the one thing the 303rls has very little of. So we called our dealer an asked about the soliltude 310GK-R. Same thing again, we got almost what we paid for the 303rls in trade. So we decided to pull the trigger on a 310GK because everyone here raves about them, and it seemed to address our issue with the bedroom nicely. Who knows, if this continues my next post might be a questions about a 41' Momentum.
    Are they giving you what you paid off of retail?
    Dealers are in the business of making money and lots of it
    It is your money but I would bet you are loosing thousands each time
    3 trailers in the span of 4 months ??
    I would cancel this deal if I were you

    Have a great day


    2021 Imagine 2400 BH
    2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 crew 1840 payload
    2021 Imagine 2400 BH
    2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 Crew 1840lb payload

  9. #9
    Commercial Member huntr70's Avatar
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    Sounds to me like your dealer pulled an old stock unit from somewhere.

    Can you get an offline date from the weight sticker on the side of it?

    I haven't seen the chrome fixtures in Solitudes for months. As for the furniture, the options are completely changed. Cotton is the new Linen, and no more Java. It is now Stone, which is what the Reflections are using.
    Steve- Inventory Manager at Tom Schaeffer's RV, Shoemakersville, PA www.tomschaeffers.com
    [email protected]
    2011 RAM 3500 SRW Outdoorsman Edition 4X4, 6.7 Cummins--TWEAKED!
    2021 Reflection 310RLS

  10. #10
    Seasoned Camper Cenerus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by NB Canada View Post
    Are they giving you what you paid off of retail?
    Dealers are in the business of making money and lots of it
    It is your money but I would bet you are loosing thousands each time
    3 trailers in the span of 4 months ??
    I would cancel this deal if I were you

    Have a great day


    2021 Imagine 2400 BH
    2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 crew 1840 payload
    They gave me what I paid with tax and everything on the 2600RB, so I didn't lose anything there. The price of the 303rls is obviously higher than an imagine, but it was just as good as any other Grand Design dealer in Texas for the discounted price, so no upcharge for the new unit. The solitude price is again right in there with the other dealers. The trade on the 303rls is a little less than I paid, but really close. So far I'm just moving up steadily without being totally ripped off.
    Jesse & Anita
    2021 Solitude S-Class 2930RL-R
    2020 Chevy Silverado 3500 long bed SRW, Duramax Diesel. B&W Companion hitch on B&W turnover goose ball

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