2016 GRAND DESIGN REFLECTION — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

I'VE HAD 2 WHEEL BEARING FAILURES ON THE SAME WHEEL. I'M WONDERING IF THE UNIT IS OVER WEIGHT FOR THESE BEARINGS. GVWR 9995 LB, 2 AXLES RATED 4400 LB EACH, 1536 LB HITCH WEIGHT. UNIT GVWR OF 9995 LB MINUS HITCH WEIGHT OF 1536 LB PUTS 8459 LB ON THE AXLES. TWO 4400 LB AXLES MEANS 8800 LB TOTAL AXLE STRENGTH MINUS 8459 LB TRAILER WEIGHT MEANS AXLES SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT. EXCEPT THAT IT RUNS ON RVD-H 65535 HUBS. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT "65535" TRANSLATES TO: 6 BOLT, 5.5 INCHES BETWEEN BOLTS AND THE 35 MEANS 3500 LB BEARINGS. IF THE STRENGTH OF AN AXLE IS LIMITED BY ITS WEAKEST COMPONENT THEN IT SEEMS THAT THE WEIGHT LIMIT OF THE AXLE SHOULD BE 3500 LB INSTEAD OF 4400 LB, AND IF THE WEIGHT LIMIT OF THE AXLES IS ACTUALLY 3500 LB INSTEAD OF 4400 LB THEN THE AXLES WOULD BE OVERLOADED BY 1459 LB, I.E. 8459 LB MINUS 7000 LB = 1459 LB WHEN THE WHEEL BEARING FAILED THE FIRST TIME IT WAS REPLACED WITH A 3500 LB. BEARING. AT THAT TIME I DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM. I AM NOT AN ENGINEER. MAYBE THE COMPONENTS ARE ADEQUATE FOR THE JOB. I KNOW THAT COMPONENTS ARE USUALLY RATED WELL BELOW WHAT THEY CAN TOLERATE BUT, ON THE OTHER HAND, IF THE MANUFACTURER IS USING SUB PAR COMPONENTS TO SAVE A LITTLE MONEY THEN MAYBE THEY SHOULD BE "ENCOURAGED" TO SAVE THE MONEY ON LESS STRATEGIC COMPONENTS. THESE BREAKDOWNS HAVE ALREADY COST ME OVER $1500. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AT MILE MARKER 400 ON I-25 IN NORTHERN NEW MEXICO. TRAVELING STRAIGHT, WARNING MESSAGE CAME ON DASH STATING THAT THE TRAILER BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED. *DT CONSUMER STATED HE IS NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER.*JB

I'VE HAD 2 WHEEL BEARING FAILURES ON THE SAME WHEEL. I'M WONDERING IF THE UNIT IS OVER WEIGHT FOR THESE BEARINGS. GVWR 9995 LB, 2 AXLES RATED 4400 LB EACH, 1536 LB HITCH WEIGHT. UNIT GVWR OF 9995 LB MINUS HITCH WEIGHT OF 1536 LB PUTS 8459 LB ON THE AXLES. TWO 4400 LB AXLES MEANS 8800 LB TOTAL AXLE STRENGTH MINUS 8459 LB TRAILER WEIGHT MEANS AXLES SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT. EXCEPT THAT IT RUNS ON RVD-H 65535 HUBS. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT "65535" TRANSLATES TO: 6 BOLT, 5.5 INCHES BETWEEN BOLTS AND THE 35 MEANS 3500 LB BEARINGS. IF THE STRENGTH OF AN AXLE IS LIMITED BY ITS WEAKEST COMPONENT THEN IT SEEMS THAT THE WEIGHT LIMIT OF THE AXLE SHOULD BE 3500 LB INSTEAD OF 4400 LB, AND IF THE WEIGHT LIMIT OF THE AXLES IS ACTUALLY 3500 LB INSTEAD OF 4400 LB THEN THE AXLES WOULD BE OVERLOADED BY 1459 LB, I.E. 8459 LB MINUS 7000 LB = 1459 LB WHEN THE WHEEL BEARING FAILED THE FIRST TIME IT WAS REPLACED WITH A 3500 LB. BEARING. AT THAT TIME I DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM. I AM NOT AN ENGINEER. MAYBE THE COMPONENTS ARE ADEQUATE FOR THE JOB. I KNOW THAT COMPONENTS ARE USUALLY RATED WELL BELOW WHAT THEY CAN TOLERATE BUT, ON THE OTHER HAND, IF THE MANUFACTURER IS USING SUB PAR COMPONENTS TO SAVE A LITTLE MONEY THEN MAYBE THEY SHOULD BE "ENCOURAGED" TO SAVE THE MONEY ON LESS STRATEGIC COMPONENTS. THESE BREAKDOWNS HAVE ALREADY COST ME OVER $1500. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AT MILE MARKER 400 ON I-25 IN NORTHERN NEW MEXICO. TRAVELING STRAIGHT, WARNING MESSAGE CAME ON DASH STATING THAT THE TRAILER BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED. *DT CONSUMER STATED HE IS NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER.*JB

SUSPECTED DIMINISHED BRAKING ACTION WHILE TOWING MY 2016 GRAND DESIGN 313 RLTS 37 FOOT RV. WE TOWED FROM THE NORTHEAST TO THE SOUTHWEST THIS LAST SEPTEMBER. ONCE ARRIVING AT OUR DESTINATION AND PLACING THE RV IN STORAGE I BEGAN RESEARCHING THE BRAKE SET UP. THE MANUFACTURER OF THE AXLES LIPPERT COMPONENTS, INC HAD PUT OUT A NOTICE THAT AFFECTED MY RV. THE NOTICE DESCRIBED AN ANOMALY DURING THE ASSEMBLY PROCESS WHERE TOO MUCH WHEEL BEARING GREASE WAS INTRODUCED TO THE HUB ASSEMBLY. THIS CAUSED THE SEALS TO FAIL ALLOWING THE GREASE TO CONTAMINATE THE CRITICAL BRAKE COMPONENTS. MORE SPECIFICALLY THE BRAKE LININGS, ACTIVATION MAGNETS AND THE CORRESPONDING SURFACES OF THE BRAKE DRUM THE COME IN CONTACT WITH. THIS DIMINISHES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE BRAKING ACTION SEVERELY. UNDER THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES COULD PROVE DISASTROUS. EVEN FATAL TO NOT ONLY THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER OF THE TOW VEHICLE BUT ANY OTHER PEOPLE TRAVELING ON THE SAME HIGHWAY WITH THE RV IN CLOSE PROXIMITY. LIPPERT ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM WITH ME AND SENT REPLACEMENT BRAKE SHOE ASSEMBLIES AND SEALS FOR ALL (4) WHEELS. NOT INCLUDING THE BRAKE DRUM, OR BEARING ASSEMBLIES. OR LABOR TO INSTALL THE NEW COMPONENTS. THE WHEEL ASSEMBLIES HAVE NEVER BEEN REMOVED FROM THE RV SINCE NEW. UNTIL THE INSTALLATION OF THE NEW COMPONENTS BEGAN I HAD NEVER SEEN THE EXTENT OF EXCESS GREASE CONTAMINATION I WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WITH. PLEASE REFER TO THE ATTACHED PHOTOS. THIS MAY VERY WELL BE AN UNRESOLVED ISSUE ON OTHER RVS ON THE ROAD WITH THESE LIPPERT AXLE ASSEMBLIES. NO ONE EVER CONTACTED ME REGARDING THIS ISSUE. NOT THE RV MANUFACTURER OR LIPPERT. I HAD TO RESEARCH THIS ANOMALY ON MY OWN. PLEASE MAKE OTHERS AWARE OF THE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION ON THE BRAKES OF OTHER UNASSUMING RV OWNERS TRAVELING ON OUR HIGHWAYS.

IN AUGUST OF THIS YEAR, I PURCHASED A 2016 GRAND DESIGN REFLECTION 313RLTS TRAVEL TRAILER (USED) FROM A GRAND DESIGN DEALER (PALM BEACH RV, WEST PALM BEACH, FL). VIN: [XXX]. I HAVE DRIVEN THIS TRAILER APPROXIMATELY 2,000 MILES. I NOTICED THAT THE TRAILER WASN'T BRAKING AS GOOD AS IT SHOULD BE, SO I TOOK IT IN TO A LOCAL RV REPAIR SHOP (RVTECH, FT. MYERS, FL) TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. UPON INSPECTION, THEY DISCOVERED THAT ALL FOUR OF MY GREASE SEALS HAVE FAILED, AND THAT THE BACKING PLATES AND BRAKES WERE SPLATTERED WITH GREASE, THE DRUM ASSEMBLIES WERE SCORED, THE BRAKE PADS WERE DAMAGED AND NEEDED REPAIR. HE ALSO SAID IT APPEARED THAT THE MAGNETS WERE ACTUALLY DIGGING INTO THE METAL, CREATING FURTHER SCORING. I'M NOT A MECHANIC, BUT THEIR EXPLANATION OF THE DAMAGE THAT WAS DONE WAS THAT IT WAS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE GREASE SEALS FAILING. AFTER RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET I DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS INDEED A VERY WELL KNOWN PROBLEM - THE GRAND DESIGN OWNER'S FORUM HAS 92 PAGES ON A SINGLE THREAD ABOUT IT. I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT THIS APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN A KNOWN PROBLEM, AND I'VE BEEN DRIVING A 10,000 LB TRAILER WITH BASICALLY NO BRAKES. WHY DIDN'T GRAND DESIGN NOTIFY THEIR DEALERS OF THIS PROBLEM, AND HAVE THE DEALERS CHECK TO SEE IF ANY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS HAD THIS PROBLEM? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

IN AUGUST OF THIS YEAR, I PURCHASED A 2016 GRAND DESIGN REFLECTION 313RLTS TRAVEL TRAILER (USED) FROM A GRAND DESIGN DEALER (PALM BEACH RV, WEST PALM BEACH, FL). VIN: [XXX]. I HAVE DRIVEN THIS TRAILER APPROXIMATELY 2,000 MILES. I NOTICED THAT THE TRAILER WASN'T BRAKING AS GOOD AS IT SHOULD BE, SO I TOOK IT IN TO A LOCAL RV REPAIR SHOP (RVTECH, FT. MYERS, FL) TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. UPON INSPECTION, THEY DISCOVERED THAT ALL FOUR OF MY GREASE SEALS HAVE FAILED, AND THAT THE BACKING PLATES AND BRAKES WERE SPLATTERED WITH GREASE, THE DRUM ASSEMBLIES WERE SCORED, THE BRAKE PADS WERE DAMAGED AND NEEDED REPAIR. HE ALSO SAID IT APPEARED THAT THE MAGNETS WERE ACTUALLY DIGGING INTO THE METAL, CREATING FURTHER SCORING. I'M NOT A MECHANIC, BUT THEIR EXPLANATION OF THE DAMAGE THAT WAS DONE WAS THAT IT WAS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE GREASE SEALS FAILING. AFTER RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET I DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS INDEED A VERY WELL KNOWN PROBLEM - THE GRAND DESIGN OWNER'S FORUM HAS 92 PAGES ON A SINGLE THREAD ABOUT IT. I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT THIS APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN A KNOWN PROBLEM, AND I'VE BEEN DRIVING A 10,000 LB TRAILER WITH BASICALLY NO BRAKES. WHY DIDN'T GRAND DESIGN NOTIFY THEIR DEALERS OF THIS PROBLEM, AND HAVE THE DEALERS CHECK TO SEE IF ANY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS HAD THIS PROBLEM? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR