Our Imagine 2670MK Story

[CamperDiver]

One other issue to mention about our 2670MK. Our maiden camping trip was about 3 hours driving on paved roads all the way - no potholes or big bumps. Later that evening we tried to extend the TV and it wouldn't. Found that the TV extension bracket top-side mounts had pulled completely out from the wall (screws pulled out) and the whole TV/bracket assembly was able to flop back and forth in its below-counter storage cavity. The 4 small screws to hold the top-side of this big 40" TV and heavy metal extension bracket against the wall are way too few and too small. I contacted GD and they sent me the drawing for that slideout wall showing there's a big metal backing plate in that area, so I added a bunch of T-plates and corner braces over the original extension bracket's mounting flanges with sheet metal screws to hold it very securely against the wall. Wasn't easy (tight working space) but very unlikely it will ever pull free again.

The design with just the four small screws holding the top-side of the bracket against the wall (bottom side mounts to the floor) is ridiculous given the forces that heavy TV/bracket will experience as the trailer goes down the road.

[Rabbit]

Thanks a lot for this good information Easycamper, and thanks to everyone else for your replies.

I just now re-read through the GD owner manual provided with my trailer. Chapter on Slideout Systems says exactly this on page 131 with respect to operating the slideouts: "DO NOT hold the slide room switch past the point the room is fully extended/retracted or damage may occur."

So it seems there's a big disconnect between what Lippert says and what GD says. Another thing to call GD Customer Support about when I get a chance, if/when I do I'll post their feedback here.

Question: how would I find the correct Lippert technical documentation for my particular Schwintek slideout?

On another subject - there's a story I didn't tell about my other slideout (the big one with dining table & theater seats) - which is a Lippert Through Frame slideout. A key piece of information is that this slideout has automatic mechanical clutches that disengage the motor when the slideout reaches end of travel (out or in), making a clack clack clack sound until the user releases the switch. On my trailer the clutch doesn't release at the end of inward travel - so the motor stalls and pulls a lot of current (until switch released). Main room lights, if on, will dim to almost off while the motor is stalled. I called GD Customer Support about this and was told that it is entirely normal for the mechanical clutch to not release sometimes, and entirely normal for the motor to stall and dim the main room lights when this occurs. I pushed back hard on the GD support person asking how can it be OK for something that is designed to release to sometimes not release? He kept saying over and over that it's normal and I shouldn't worry about it. The longer story is that I originally thought this dimming of the main room lights was related to the clock time getting reset, but detailed measurements show that the voltage on the clock/radio circuit doesn't drop that much when the slideout motor stalls, because they are on different wiring circuits from the fuse panel. Hope this info proves helpful!

Regarding buying new axles and tires to get increased GVWR: I'm definitely not an expert but my understanding is that all of these things factor in to the GVWR and all need to be considered in any effort to increase it safely: the chassis (it's design/size and how the weight of the trailer is distributed on it and where the suspension is attached), the equalizers, the springs, the axles, the tires, (maybe the wheels), and the brakes. There's probably not much that can be changed about the chassis but if it's a limiting factor already then may not make sense to change other things. I think it's better to have an expert shop that knows how to assess all of these come up with plan that won't leave some part of the system as a dangerous weak point. I need to do more research on this but happy to take recommendations folks might have for good/expert suspension shops.

I’ve found that if I’m on shore power the clutch works and I get the clack sound. If only on battery it doesn’t. I suspect the battery alone doesn’t supply enough current to overcome the clutch mechanism.

[CamperDiver]

Mine works the same on battery (decently charged) or shore power - its more of a directional thing in my rig: clutch always releases in the out direction and never releases in the in direction. After the slide is in, I can usually press the IN button several more times (releasing the button for 5+ seconds between each press) and then the clutch will finally release with the clack clack clack sound. I don't do this all the time - was just during testing to try and figure things out. Normally I'll release the IN button as soon as the slide is firmly seated.

Still befuddled as to why GD (or their supplier) would spend the money putting a mechanical clutch in this slide and then tell me it's perfectly OK/normal for the clutch to not do its job.

[TJS1200]

We are in the process of narrowing down our first TT (see two days of research and I have the slang down), would you recommend this model, my wife seems set on it but what an adventure you had just attempting to put the travel in motion.

My first post and very confused, I was under the impression the GD, was a desirable manufacturer and good CS.

[CamperDiver]

We love the trailer in general, especially its floorplan which provides a very open and spacious feeling in the main area, along with tons of counter and storage space. Enough so that we could comfortably go full time in it.

The features, interior design/colors, fit, and finish are also great. Grand Design is a good brand, in our opinion a step above most of the other travel trailer brands in terms of quality and how well it feels put together inside and out.

Really the only thing we dislike about the trailer is its cargo carrying capacity. Already pretty low relative to its size, and made worse by our newbie mistake of adding a 2nd air conditioner, big (heavy) solar system, big/heavy inverter, and a slide-out awning on the left-side. For full-timing and long-ish trips we max out the GVWR with just our stuff (food, supplies, clothes, etc.) so we can't really carry any fresh water while moving, even to flush the toilet & wash hands a few times. This makes it complicated to go camping where there is no water supply nearby - we have to research/find a nearby water source, load up the fresh water then travel very carefully/slowly to the destination in order to be safe. We camp in areas without water a lot... So we wish the trailer had another 500 or more lbs of cargo capacity so we could travel within the trailer's GVWR with a full tank of water. If we hadn't added all those extras (AC, big solar, etc.) then the trailer would be just fine for shorter trips, and marginally OK for longer trips, in terms of its cargo capacity.

Most of the other mis-adventures I related were mistakes made by our dealer (incorrect hitch incorrectly installed), or general learning-curve issues anyone with a new trailer will end up going through. The two real Grand Design quality problems (TV mount, clock resetting) are relatively minor and probably par for the course with any new RV. We're living with the clock reset issue simply by being aware of how we raise/lower the TV, and the only reason I didn't have the dealer fix the TV mount issue is because they are about 1.5 hours drive away and I ended up deciding it would be easier to fix it by myself (turns out it took most of a day).

If you really like this trailer and won't be packing it totally full of cargo, then my recommendation is that it will be fine. If you don't want to have to be careful with cargo weight then you should look for models with higher cargo capacity ratings, but for sure I'd recommend Grand Design as one of the better manufacturers.

Hope this helps!

[TJS1200]

Thank you thank makes me feel comfortable shopping for a GD.

[Soundsailor]

We love the trailer in general, especially its floorplan which provides a very open and spacious feeling in the main area, along with tons of counter and storage space. Enough so that we could comfortably go full time in it.

The features, interior design/colors, fit, and finish are also great. Grand Design is a good brand, in our opinion a step above most of the other travel trailer brands in terms of quality and how well it feels put together inside and out.

Really the only thing we dislike about the trailer is its cargo carrying capacity. Already pretty low relative to its size, and made worse by our newbie mistake of adding a 2nd air conditioner, big (heavy) solar system, big/heavy inverter, and a slide-out awning on the left-side. For full-timing and long-ish trips we max out the GVWR with just our stuff (food, supplies, clothes, etc.) so we can't really carry any fresh water while moving, even to flush the toilet & wash hands a few times. This makes it complicated to go camping where there is no water supply nearby - we have to research/find a nearby water source, load up the fresh water then travel very carefully/slowly to the destination in order to be safe. We camp in areas without water a lot... So we wish the trailer had another 500 or more lbs of cargo capacity so we could travel within the trailer's GVWR with a full tank of water. If we hadn't added all those extras (AC, big solar, etc.) then the trailer would be just fine for shorter trips, and marginally OK for longer trips, in terms of its cargo capacity.

Most of the other mis-adventures I related were mistakes made by our dealer (incorrect hitch incorrectly installed), or general learning-curve issues anyone with a new trailer will end up going through. The two real Grand Design quality problems (TV mount, clock resetting) are relatively minor and probably par for the course with any new RV. We're living with the clock reset issue simply by being aware of how we raise/lower the TV, and the only reason I didn't have the dealer fix the TV mount issue is because they are about 1.5 hours drive away and I ended up deciding it would be easier to fix it by myself (turns out it took most of a day).

If you really like this trailer and won't be packing it totally full of cargo, then my recommendation is that it will be fine. If you don't want to have to be careful with cargo weight then you should look for models with higher cargo capacity ratings, but for sure I'd recommend Grand Design as one of the better manufacturers.

Hope this helps!

Couldn't you beef up the trailer's suspension? You don't say what truck you have, but another option would be a water bladder in the truck.

[CamperDiver]

Truck is fine, it's F-250 with 7.3L gas engine, 2800 lbs payload. Pulls the trailer just fine.

Beefing up trailer (for more cargo capacity) is more than just suspension - the frame has to be able to handle it, brakes need to be sufficiently strong, etc. There is a good shop in Denver that can assess all these things to determine what's possible, I may be paying them a visit later this year.

[NB Canada]

Truck is fine, it's F-250 with 7.3L gas engine, 2800 lbs payload. Pulls the trailer just fine.

Beefing up trailer (for more cargo capacity) is more than just suspension - the frame has to be able to handle it, brakes need to be sufficiently strong, etc. There is a good shop in Denver that can assess all these things to determine what's possible, I may be paying them a visit later this year.

The frame isn’t a weak link
It is a full i beam
And bigger brakes will come with your new bigger axles

[Bags4266]

I have found grand design to be a stand up company. I’ve had a few issues in the beginning and they fix them all. Also, you mentioned on repairs and how the repair shops are all boogered up. Grand design will honor Mobil techs to do the repairs when asked. They have also while out of warranty supplied parts free of charge while I do the work. Stand up company.