Not a GD owner yet but considering buying one

[Arbee1962]

Hi everyone, I hope my post is in the correct area, I signed up for this Forum because I have been researching GD 5th wheels and really need some advice from true owners with real life experiences. My wife and I purchased a Forest River 5th wheel in 2016 and it has been the worst purchase / experience we have ever had in our entire lives but from what I have recently read elsewhere it sounds typical, I should have researched more before I purchased a FR and for that I take full blame. So now I am trying to see if there is any manufacture out there who takes quality control seriously and will stand behind their product, I realize that ANY product can have issues and the difference lies with the support from the dealer and manufacturer after the purchase, However in our case we are getting more finger pointing and feet dragging than anything else, but enough of that. Out of all manufactures that I have investigated recently that carry what we are looking for (5th wheel, Bunk House, Outdoor Kitchen etc...) Grand Design has the options and out of all reviews that I have found they get the least negative, or should that be the most positive? Regardless I would really appreciate feedback from the GD community before I consider this any further.

Thank you so much for any advice you are willing to provide.

[TucsonJim]

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

I've purchased two Grand Design units now. A 2014 337RLS fifth wheel, and a 2017 297RSTS travel trailer. Both units had some initial quality issues. I guess that is to be expected when all the manufacturers use pretty much the same component suppliers.

I've also owned a Keystone Cougar fifth wheel, Trail Bay fifth wheel and Skyline Nomad travel trailer. The fit, finish and customer support is so much better with Grand Design than it was from these other manufacturers. On the Cougar, it seemed like every trip cost me $500 in repairs. It was ridiculous. I never received any assistance from any of these manufacturers if I had a problem and the dealer wouldn't/couldn't take care of it. With Grand Design, if you are experiencing a problem that you just can't get resolved, you can call customer service and talk to a real person who can generally get you taken care of. If they can't get a dealer to help you, they'll even authorize a mobile repair service in some instances.

I can not stress enough finding a dealership with a competent service department. So many times you hear about great sales and financing only to have the dealership fall flat when it comes to service. In fact, my local dealership (Lazy Days - Tucson) has provided the worst customer service I've ever experienced. But fortunately, I can call GDRV and they have always been able to work something out for me as an alternative.

If you purchase a new unit, you can expect some initial problems that you'll have to work through. But GDRV will stand behind them and make sure you are satisfied with the rig. I wouldn't have purchased a second GDRV unit if my first experience had not been positive.

Jim

[Camper4871]

Jim
I have been looking at Grand Designs for months. I have friends who have 5th wheels and TT's. I keep reading about how much better 5th wheels tow, etc, but they require more truck than a TT. Since you had a 337 (one of the models I am considering) and elected to replace it with a TT, I wonder if you would say why you changed from 5th to TT.

thanks
John

[TucsonJim]

Jim
I have been looking at Grand Designs for months. I have friends who have 5th wheels and TT's. I keep reading about how much better 5th wheels tow, etc, but they require more truck than a TT. Since you had a 337 (one of the models I am considering) and elected to replace it with a TT, I wonder if you would say why you changed from 5th to TT.

thanks
John

No problem at all. I had an F350 for the 337 FW, and it worked well for us. I was within payload and towing capacity for that rig. But when we lost the truck and trailer in the fire in 2016, we had a clean slate and decided to look at all our options for replacement.

The number one factor was that I love to fish, and wanted a real boat to do so. With the travel trailer, I was able to mount a roof rack that could accommodate a 14 foot Aluminum boat on top of the truck. Here's a picture:


And here is the truck, boat and trailer:


There were a couple of other benefits for me with this rig. The trailer is not as long as the 337 so it is easier to get campsites from time to time. But there are other FWs about the same length. We also like to boondock. Since a TT is about two feet shorter, I can make it under tree branches a little easier.

Jim

[Camper4871]

Thanks for the explanation. I am having a time trying to decide. This will be my first RV. While I read its best to buy used, the used GD units I see are priced at the cost of new (with discount). Since I will apparently have to buy new, I want to get it right if I can.

Thanks again.
John

[Sandi]

Since you have found that used ones are priced close to new that says they are holding value pretty darn well and sometimes hard to get your hands on!! We are on our second one and can't imagine owning another brand. No one stands behind their product like GD does!! As Jim said, having a perfect unit is unheard of. Their will always be an issue here or there. GD will do everything they can to make it right. Let us all know what you decide to do!!

[ajohnsouza]

I owned a Forest River Cardinal until 2 years ago and we now have a Solitude. Love it and would never consider anything else but a Grand Design product because of the quality of the unit and the Customer Service that comes with it. (Along with the friends you make at the rallies :-) )

[sbarlag]

It has been my experience that GD goes to extraordinary lengths to deliver a quality unit to their dealers. No one is perfect and once in awhile a hiccup will get through. But, GD also does the right thing for their dealers and customers. Read their story on Pre-Delivery Inspection.

Scott
Product Specialist
Camp-Land RV
[email protected]

[Second Chance]

Jim
I have been looking at Grand Designs for months. I have friends who have 5th wheels and TT's. I keep reading about how much better 5th wheels tow, etc, but they require more truck than a TT. Since you had a 337 (one of the models I am considering) and elected to replace it with a TT, I wonder if you would say why you changed from 5th to TT.

thanks
John

John,

Since you're looking at a 337, I'll throw my two cents in, here. We're full-timers and started out with our 337 and a 2013 3/4-ton diesel truck. The 337 - despite being billed as a "mid profile" fifth wheel - is a fairly heavy unit. It's not uncommon to find members on the forum who have scaled pin weights at 3,000 lbs. or more. Ours ranges between 2,900 and 3,200 (we hit the scales at least once or twice a year to keep "weight creep" under control). While you will find a good number of folks out there pulling 337s with 3/4-ton trucks, we were not comfortable in the long run and moved to a 1-ton truck (DRW in our case) when we could. RV sales people are notorious for telling you that, "...your truck will pull anything on our lot." While a modern 3/4-ton diesel truck can pull a house off its foundation, you can't put the weight of the house on the rear axle. The difference in cost between similarly equipped 3/4- and 1-ton trucks (both SRW) is minimal. The biggest expense is going to be the diesel option - which I would not tow the 337 (or anything the same size/weight or larger) without.

Rob

[danny d]

i like you had a 16 keystone traded for 17 reflection 5th wheel