Reflection concern

[bertschb]

The build quality of our 2019 Solitude (delivered last December) is slightly better than our 2016 Reflection which was already pretty good. Both workmanship and materials. Others may have different experiences but from our limited experience, build quality has improved a bit.

[svanarts]

That's good to know!

[dryfly]

As the OP I want to thank everyone for their comments. Certainly the positive comments make me feel better, and the issues that some have experienced seem manageable. Bottom line is that I've got to have a trailer and I doubt I can find anything better than GD.

I'm very appreciative of this forum, and all the fixes for various problems that are common.

I doubt we will ever see a return to the quality of 10 -15 years ago. I really wonder how far these cost cutting efforts can go. It's not just in the RV industry but in every aspect of our lives. We could have an entire thread on here about stuff we buy today that is junk, but we have no choice. Looks like eventually everything we buy will be "throw away".

[slauretani]

I am about to pull the trigger on a purchase of a 150 Series Reflection 5th wheel. I just sold my current 5th wheel, and after owning it for 10 years it never made one trip back to a dealer for service. A lot of small issues over the years but nothing I couldn't fix myself.

About a year ago when I started shopping for a new trailer, Grand Design seemed to stick out as one of the best for quality. Now after reading lots and lots of posts I'm really getting concerned about the many recurring issues, i.e. water leaks, slide problems, decals peeling, furniture cracking and peeling, etc.

I realize any brand of trailer can have problems, and we are living in a time of very poor quality control by the manufacturers. But, why after hearing these problems doesn't GD change their manufacturing to rectify these recurring issues? I read stories about folks who have trailers that spend weeks at the dealer awaiting repairs, and some that never seem to get them resolved.

I know some owners cannot replace a drawer/cabinet handle by themselves, or resolve any other small repair, and they get bent out of shape. But even with the many satisfied owners on this forum, I still am really getting concerned about a purchase. I do not have a GD dealer close by, so any repair would be hauling the trailer 100 miles.

Sorry for the rant, but after owning several trailers over the last 40 years, this will be the first time I've purchased one that I'm really unsure of.

We took five years to research our next RV. We knew we were switching to a 5th wheel. We went to the RV shows every year. GD stood out to us every year. We just purchased a 2019 303 RLS this past fall. We had an issue with the kitchen slide the first time opening it and our back window had a leak. We did not trust our dealer so we called GD. We just got back from GD in Indiana. They were amazing! The care and concern and treatment we received was above and beyond. Great service all the way. They repaired things we didn’t even see.
We are very happy with our decision.

[Wdkerek]

We have been out in ours only a few times with no issues at all.
However, what is interesting, is how there can be so many polar opposite experiences with GD service. Some folks have awful experiences and others fantastic.???

Just seems strange and inconsistent.

[WhittleBurner]

We have been out in ours only a few times with no issues at all.
However, what is interesting, is how there can be so many polar opposite experiences with GD service. Some folks have awful experiences and others fantastic.???

Just seems strange and inconsistent.

I think that all depends on who you get on the phone when calling GD service. If anyone has a bad phone experience with the service rep on the phone , don't hesitate to go over their heads to the next man/woman up the chain. They don't know if you don't tell 'em they hired someone either rude or non responsive.

[Likes to tow]

Grand Design is a decent company and takes good care of warranty issues. Build quality is a notch above other brands in my opinion. However you must thoroughly check out all systems and features before you leave the dealer's facility. Make them put water in the holding tanks and check out all systems. Nothing is checked at the factory!!! After going through several issues with our 2017 Reflection and 4 trips back to the dealer to fix leaks and other issues we have not experienced anymore problems. We have traveled twice into Utah/Colorado with no more issues. The grease seal problem was the biggest aggravation along with the fresh water holding tank leaking very badly when we filled it the first time. This tells me nothing is checked at the factory. I think Grand Design is about as good as you will find in quality unless you spend significant more money. RV's just require attention and proactive maintenance.

[Maddog55]

Some competitors use stick frame. Reflection uses aluminum. The manufacturing process of beaded welding aluminum frames vs screws used by competitors speaks volumes about engineering quality. My 297RSTS with twin axles is rated at 10,000 lbs with a GVWR of 9,995 lbs. Most competitors axle load rating will not exceed the GVWR. I’m sold on the structural engineering quality of Grand Design and the relative value over the competitors. I’v lived full time since since Feb 2019 with over 16,000 miles and pulled it Baltimore!D to South Carolina and now in St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. So far, no major issues (knock on wood).

[Chiefblueman]

I think that all depends on who you get on the phone when calling GD service. If anyone has a bad phone experience with the service rep on the phone , don't hesitate to go over their heads to the next man/woman up the chain. They don't know if you don't tell 'em they hired someone either rude or non responsive.

^^^^ This! I had a customer service rep that I had never seen mentioned here before this last go round that was unhelpful, unresponsive and rude. The guy above him was nicer but still unhelpful and unresponsive, just not rude. Think "salesman". After moving up to VP level things changed in a big way. I gave input as to the treatment I'd been receiving which I was asked to give and was thanked for. I was also told my complaint would be discussed with these individuals. That original CS rep has subsequently been mentioned on this forum as having provided excellent customer service. Coincidence?

[Brendak28]

We did a lot of research before purchasing our 2017 Grand Design Reflection. We loved the layout and the cabinetry in the 5th Wheel. However, we have now owned it for 26 months. It has been on 12 camping trips, and the wooden flooring is breaking apart in my kitchen and living room. My husband is an engineer and could fix the floor, but this was a large purchase and the flooring should last longer than 2 years. We have been in contact with Grand Design in April and May. Finally they told us that it may not be covered under the 3 year warranty and that we would need to take it to a repair shop to have it evaluated. Once the repair shop removed the vinyl flooring, they found no signs of water damage, but the particle board is breaking down in several spots. Now, we are trying to get in touch with J.Charles at Grand Design. My husband left messages last week and we haven't heard back from him. We emailed Customer Service at Grand Design on Sunday, and still have not heard back from anyone. I'm very frustrated with this. The other simple issues that were found at the one year inspections, but that we aren't trying to get fixed are that the end table is cracked, the convection oven cover is cracked. The rounded wall in the bathroom has buckled and now has a crease in it and the air conditioner in the living room has stopped working. When you spend this much on a NEW camper, you expect it to last longer than 26 months. Check things out thoroughly and be sure that the company will stand behind their product. I don't feel that Grand Design is doing us right as consumers.