talked to GD rep about the axle grease problem and 15" tires

[MaryL.]

Hi everyone,

We're scheduled to take delivery of a new 303RLS next week. Reading the many comments of the forum members about the axle grease problem, I asked my dealer about the problem. He had the GD rep call me.............here's what he said in a nutshell:

The grease problem has been a big issue for GD and also other manufacturer's of RV's for the last several years. The grease problem is not due to an inferior type of grease, it's due to using "too much grease" which causes overpacking and friction when the wheels are in motion... then the overpacking causes the failures and eventually drains into the brakes. He said that the fix was done this past fall (September, 2016) so units manufactured after that time "shouldn't" have this problem. He said that GD will facilitate the repairs with owners through Lippert....and that Lippert's customer response time is very fast and owner's need to be sure they're calling the right number for Lippert customer service.

Ok, I also asked about the 15" tires on the 303RLS. The rep said they did the fix to add 2" to the height of the unit as they did see there was a problem with people having difficulty in leveling their units for towing. He said they don't recommend going to a 16" tire because of the very mimimal clearance issues. He said that GD now has a 5 year warranty of the tires, and a 1 year "no excuses" warranty to replace the tires for any reason. He said GD uses an E rated tire which is an update in comparison to their competition.

Anyway, I'm just passing this along....don't shoot the messenger....

[steve gravelle]

The word shouldnt is a great way of avoiding the reality that current units are having the issue in about the same proportion as the older units!

[jas67621]

I have a new 321 solitude and trying to make a decision to go ahead and replace the grease and seals on my own before it gets into the brakes or wait till it happens and then contact GD and Lippert. I will be doing the work myself so maybe lippert throws in some self adjusting brakes since they will not have to pay labor??

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

[fishkiller1]

all of my seals, brake assemblies and regulater were just replaced by grand design I think. I pick it up Friday and will see if the dealer did the work...2+ months later

[D2Reid]

We are on the verge of ordering a new 376TH. I am not a big fan of Lippert suspensions systems, but I have drunk the magic Kool-Aid and will have faith that the system will work. I have been through the replacement procedure on my old RV. Hoping for the best, planning for the worst.

[Mr Lucky]

I was at the Boston RV Show this past weekend and talked to a GD Rep. He told me Lippert uses a robot to fill the seals now. Just saying what he told me. Also how many frames are still left over from the old way. So the fix was done in September 2016. When will these trailer frames start going on the production line?

[Cate&Rob]

I was at the Boston RV Show this past weekend and talked to a GD Rep. He told me Lippert uses a robot to fill the seals now. Just saying what he told me. Also how many frames are still left over from the old way. So the fix was done in September 2016. When will these trailer frames start going on the production line?

Having been through the GDRV assembly plants a few times . . . they run close to JIT (just in time) material supply. I don't think they would have more than a couple of days supply of axles on property. Axle stock piling at LCI is unknown. Based on reports on this forum, it seems reasonable that there are post-September axles with grease on the brakes.

Rob

[MaryL.]

jas67621, I wouldn't hold out hope that Lippert will throw in some self adjusting brakes (good idea though.) Most manufacturers are liable to correct the defect but nothing more... :0
I don't think I would do the work myself (nor could I) because if you have a failure, Lippert could claim that the work was not done to their specifications and you might run the risk of a bigger problem.
Just my humble opinion.

It was the GD dealers sales rep who called me today. He sounded very knowledgeable and was very professional and personable. He gave me his cell number and said to call him if I had any other questions.

I only asked him about the axle grease problem and the 15" tires. I didn't ask anything about the frames. So, again, he said the fix was done in September, 2016......so I'm going to make sure the manufacturing date on my unit is after the date, and as someone else suggested; I'm still going to have the dealer pull the hubs and inspect the seals before I take possession.

Best to everyone!

[Mr Lucky]

Having been through the GDRV assembly plants a few times . . . they run close to JIT (just in time) material supply. I don't think they would have more than a couple of days supply of axles on property. Axle stock piling at LCI is unknown. Based on reports on this forum, it seems reasonable that there are post-September axles with grease on the brakes.

Rob

Good to know. Thanks I am thinking of ordering a 2017 303. I also wondered about this.

[MaryL.]

That's a very good point Rob. I can call the rep tomorrow and ask how the fix was implemented.....if they purged all existing inventory with the problem?..... and what was the date they began using the "fixed" Lippert axles, manufacturing date of the 1st GD RV that used the corrected axles, etc. I don't know if the axles have a manufacturing date stamped/tagged on them but I will ask that too. I don't know how much he'll tell me................but it never hurts to ask.
Anything else I should ask about?