NHTSA Complaint #11016116 — 2017 GRAND DESIGN REFLECTION

THE BRAKES, SEALS AND BEARINGS ON MY 5TH WHEEL TRAVEL TRAILER WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED FOR THE THIRD TIME DUE TO THE SEALS LEAKING GREASE ONTO THE BRAKES. ALL FOUR BACKING PLATES, THE FRONT TWO HUBS AND ALL FOUR GREASE SEALS AND BEARINGS WERE REPLACED ON OUR FIRST TRIP AFTER TAKING POSSESSION OF THE FIFTH WHEEL IN MAY 2017. THIS WAS DONE AT A CAMPING WORLD DEALERSHIP IN NORTH CAROLINA AND RESULTED IN BEING WITHOUT THE USE OF OUR TRAILER FROM MAY 18 ' 23. ON OUR SECOND TRIP, STARTING ON JULY 9, 2017, THE BRAKES AGAIN BEGAN PERFORMING POORLY. RAY DUFFY, OF GRAND DESIGN, ARRANGED TO HAVE THEM INSPECTED IN WEST YELLOWSTONE, MONTANA ON JULY 14, 2017 AT JAKE'S AUTOMOTIVE. HE PRE-SHIPPED REPLACEMENT PARTS IN ANTICIPATION OF BAD SEALS. THE TECHNICIAN AT JAKE'S AUTOMOTIVE FOUND GREASE CONTAMINATION ON THE RIGHT FRONT, RIGHT REAR AND LEFT REAR BRAKES. HE ALSO FOUND THAT THOSE SEALS AND BEARINGS HAD SEPARATED FROM THE HUBS AND REMAINED ON THE SPINDLE WHEN THE HUBS WERE REMOVED. THE RECEIPT STATES, 'HAD TO REPLACE 3 OF FOUR BACKING PLATES AND HARDWARE DUE TO WHEEL SEALS BLOWING OUT.' THE FOURTH WHEEL, THE LEFT FRONT, WAS NOT REMOVED OR INSPECTED BY THE REPAIR FACILITY SINCE THEY DID NOT HAVE REPLACEMENT PARTS AVAILABLE AND THEY WERE CONCERNED THAT REMOVAL OF THE WHEEL COULD DAMAGE THE GREASE SEAL. I REMOVED ALL FOUR HUBS TODAY. THE INTERIORS OF THE TWO LEFT HUBS WERE COMPLETELY COATED WITH GREASE. THE LEFT FRONT WAS WORSE THAN THE LEFT REAR. THE TWO RIGHT HUBS DID NOT HAVE AS MUCH GREASE ON THEM AND WERE EVIDENTLY DOING THE MAJORITY OF THE BRAKING. THE INSIDE OF BOTH HUBS WERE PRETTY SEVERELY SCORED BY THE MAGNETS AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. ALL FOUR GREASE SEALS AND THE INNER BEARINGS STAYED ON THE SPINDLES WHEN THE HUBS WERE REMOVED. SINCE THE SEALS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PRESSED IN, I FOUND THEIR REMAINING ON THE SPINDLES PROBLEMATIC.