Grand Design 5er's

[jim81147]

I have not seen a whole lot of talk about the Grand Design rvs . I know they are fairly new to the game . If you look at their site and read their literature , they look like very nice rigs. Does anybody have experience with them ? They look like they are worth further investigation.

[plasma800]

they are on my short list for replacing my class A with, that's for sure.

[jimcumminsw]

Here is a you tube video about the company and what they would like to do for their business plan.

Legacy | Grand Design RV | Don Clark | Ron Fenech | Bill Fenech

My DW and I are also looking at the Solitude 369RL model.

Jim W.

[Gsport]

We've got a 369RL, and love it. This is our 3rd 5th wheel, and by far the nicest. Had it for over a year and a half with about 10,000 miles so far..

[jim81147]

Originally Posted by Gsport

We've got a 369RL, and love it. This is our 3rd 5th wheel, and by far the nicest. Had it for over a year and a half with about 10,000 miles so far..

what are any of the shortcomings that you might be finding? Thanks for sharing.

[Cumminsfan]

Biggest short coming which is subjective is they only offer one color choice for interiors. No options for chair color, floor color or valance color. What you see is what you get.

[Gsport]

really, i have to sit here and think about whether there is any real shortcomings..
we are totally pleased with it. we went to an RV show last week, and i was telling my wife i didn't see anything new that i would trade my Solitude for.

[jim81147]

How are they as far as build quality goes? They make a big deal about their workforce being made up of a lot of Amish craftsmen . I have seen ( not with Grand Designs , yet anyways ) where a company will make a big deal about having an Amish workforce but that work ethic/quality does not really show in the finished product. It seems that companies use this as just a marketing tool in some cases.

[Bamaman]

Grand Design is really coming on as a major fifth wheel manufacturer. For now, they're sticking to their game plan and it's working. They delivered over 2000 units in their first 18 months in business.

They only have one dealer per city--and they're usually the leader of the pack. And that dealer sells all three models, and carries a decent inventory in most cases.

I would rate the quality of their trailers to be mid pack, however they're truly customer driven as a company. And they monitor just about all the RV Forums. The owners will often even answer questions online.

I ordered one of their Reflection 323BHS models with the SuperSofa option. That's a love seat/double wallhugger recliner with a right hand and left hand wallhugger recliner on each side. It's 12' of the most comfortable seating I've ever experienced. I'm thoroughly satisfied with my fifth wheel.

[SkiSmuggs]

I currently have a Cougar High Country fiver that we love, but thin, lightweight cabinetry is the biggest complaint. The same size Grand Design Reflections, their mid profile, light weight line weigh 1500-2000 lbs more in the same length which indicates a more solid build to me. We aren't ready to trade, but Grand Design has our attention.

[mo5er]

Originally Posted by jim81147

How are they as far as build quality goes? They make a big deal about their workforce being made up of a lot of Amish craftsmen . I have seen ( not with Grand Designs , yet anyways ) where a company will make a big deal about having an Amish workforce but that work ethic/quality does not really show in the finished product. It seems that companies use this as just a marketing tool in some cases.

The deal about the Amish craftsmanship is a bunch of crap. All of the manufactures in that area employ the Amish and Mennonite because they are a large part of the population. They don't make anything, just install what the manufacturer has purchased to build the rv. Earlier this year I did a tour of 2 different manufactures, both had Amish and Mennonite workers using the same parts as the Non-Amish workers. JMO

[Cumminsfan]

They have some of the most sensible floor plans out there. But they're like every other RV, they have their share of problems. Right now they have a good customer satisfaction record. We'll see how long that lasts. They could be like the rest in 3-4 years. At that point they've developed a reputation that will sustain sales even further that will carry them for several more years even if the level of customer satisfaction deteriorates.

Here's a good place to see what they're all about.
Grand Design Owner's Forum

[consolenut]

I looked at then and talked to the people at the factory. They are not rated below 28 degrees from what i am told. For me that aint even close to being enough. 0 degrees or better is what i look at. Just my opinion. Granted i have a newmar kountry aire. And have looked very throughly at an upgrade. Besides a custom new horizons there aint many others. If i was in a warm part of the country year around sure.

[chief02]

Excel is guaranteed to -10 degress.