32 of the
207 complaints filed about the Grand Design Reflection
are about the other systems —
15% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2022.
2023 RV unit experienced front cap cracking through complete cap. Grand Design stated it was a paint issue and would not warranty the damage. 2025 RV unit experienced exact same front cap cracking throughout the cap, side corners of cap and front side seam separation of RV. Interior seam and trim separation greater than reasonable and customary for an RV of this age and quality build. Repair shops, experts, RV dealers have stated these are certain symptoms of frame flex and pin box inadequacy. The potential exists for further frame damage and catastrophic failure, especially while in motion. The damage continues to broaden and manifest to greater degrees as time progresses, from front cap to now seam separation and interior wall/trim separation.
NHTSA complaint #11723245 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
This is a Fifth wheel RV a 2021 Grand Design Reflection 303RLS. The Steel "I" Beam frame is developing cracks in the I Beam in the area of the spring hangers for the axles. This is yet to actually case an accident but may very well lead to one if the cracking worsens and the frame fails. Frame failure at highway speed is an obvious concern. This is something I believe is caused by defective parts made by LCI (Lippert) Corp. and used by Grand Design. This frame failure is not uncommon and based on my continuing research is happening on hundreds if not thousands of these RV's. Raising awareness and requiring Grand Design to recall and repair / replace these defective frames is the ultimate goal. Please zoom in on the pictures to see one of the cracks in the frame.
NHTSA complaint #11677222 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
1. EXCESSIVE FRAME FLEX / FAILURE: Symptoms include: Bowing of walls; Trim coming loose; Cracks in fiberglass wall by slide (occurred a 2nd time after side wall repaired by factory) ; crack in interior wall; crack in roof; Main door opening during transport; Sawdust repeatedly appearing in cabinets; Failure of the attachment point between the frame and walls 2. STRUCTURAL ISSUES: Slide repaired twice at the factory and currently under warranty repair by dealership for a 3rd instance 3. Repairs done at factory in IN documents issues with both Grand Design and dealership acknowledging the failures were covered by warranty. 4. Inspected by both GD factory & dealership with documented failures falling under the warranty NOTE: Too many emails between Grand Design cust service and McClain's dealership to attach; working to put them all in a single PDF to send.
NHTSA complaint #11674066 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Cargo Bay doors open while driving. The skirting screws along the wheel wells have become loose and started flapping while driving. refrigerator doors opened spilling contents while driving. The table lock failed and the table came loose while driving. water leaks in the undercarriage. front jacks and brackets are bent or broken. Have found sawdust on the counters and floor after driving.
NHTSA complaint #11652359 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
We purchased the coach fall 2022. First major trip was in summer 2023. The main slide out failed (stopped working halfway out and would not extend or retract) the second night of camping. There was not a local repair facility available. A mobile repair person was able to get the slide out retracted. He informed us there was only one screw holding the main slide out frame in place. We wrapped a ratchet strap around the coach to hold the slide out in so we could at least continue our trip. A remote repairman at out next stop reported this is a common occurrence on this coach and it would need to be completely rebuilt. We noted that during transport there was sawdust on the cabinets and floors which we have been informed is evidence of excessive frame flexing. We took the coach back to the dealer from which we purchased the unit. The slide out had to be completely rebuilt (new rails, new slide blocks, new motors). We have little confidence that the slide out will not fail again. We noted that the rear tires were wearing at a rate of more than 4 times faster than the front tires. The excessive wear was accompanied with concern that we would blow a tire on the road and cause an accident and/or injury. A Lippert representative was consulted who advised that the front axle was defective and had to be replaced. Our extended warranty did not cover the cost of the axle. The next major trip was in summer 2024. The main slide out failed again. A repairman noted that the motors and rails needed to be replaced again and that the frame was at the limit of being within specs and may have contributed to the problem. During that repair the repairman noted cracking in the roof seams at the major junction at the front of the camper and around AC units and vents. Each of those areas had been resealed just 5 months earlier. We were informed that this was also evidence of excessive frame flexing. The repair facility diagnostician reported that the roof needed to be scraped and resealed.
NHTSA complaint #11649791 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I purchased a 2021 Grand Design Reflection 28BH fifth wheel in December 2024. Within the first year, I faced multiple warranty issues, including a $5,000 slide-out repair I had to cover out of pocket. Last summer, Grand Design’s CEO, Don Clark, stated in an email that the frame warranty had been extended to five years. However, my RV soon developed serious structural issues. The pin box and surrounding areas creaked and popped when hitching and unhitching. Stress cracks formed on the fiberglass front cap and above the main slide-out. The upper deck floor became spongy and creaky. The shower made excessive noise when walking near it. Cabinet doors in the bedroom opened while driving, and lag screws in the upper deck stripped out of the wall. Concerned for my safety, I took my RV to Busted Knuckle RV & Trailer Repair, a certified repair center, and filed a warranty claim with Grand Design. Their inspection revealed severe damage, including missing and stripped lag screws, a broken pin box, failing sill plates, broken floor supports, and multiple cracked or missing welds. The repair shop filed a claim, expecting coverage under the five-year frame warranty. To my disappointment, Grand Design denied the claim, stating the issues were “within spec.” They only covered six hours of labor for the inspection and refused repairs. Grand Design issued TSB 24-001 for Solitude and Momentum models but won’t acknowledge the same defects in Reflection models. With my RV unsafe to tow, I had no choice but to pay $5,400 out of pocket for partial repairs. Completing the remaining work is estimated at over $17,000. Despite their claimed five-year frame warranty, Grand Design refuses to cover these failures. Others face similar denials, making this a pattern of neglect. I am extremely disappointed in Grand Design’s failure to honor its commitments. I urge them to take responsibility, stand behind their product, and do the right thing.
NHTSA complaint #11649593 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2021 Grand Design Reflection 268bh Slide out opens about 1" - 2" during transport Rear wall separating from back main frame (1"-2") Wall pulling away from roof at the front of RV Outriggers bent in the back of RV (2)
NHTSA complaint #11643766 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Excessive front nose cap/upper deck movement during travel (bouncing), suspect welds holding the riser wall and upper deck may be broken. Bottom flange of I-beam buckled over two foot span. Both diver and passenger side walls have pulled away from structural support. Floor dropped on both sides (bowing). Living room floor has slope to the back left since I purchased it new. Kingpin or pin box is not centered and shifted to where philon trim hung up on pin box. Passenger side wall appears to have shifted forward during transport. Bedroom doors no longer align with the jam/catch. Decal on passenger wall where the wall meets the front cap are distorted suggesting frame flex. Grand Design Service Response Team welded an 8 foot bead along the upper I-beam to "adjust" camber however when SRT performed measurements to diagnose he found the passenger side camber to be within spec yet he performed the camber adjustment to this side anyway by welding an 8 foot bead as well. Extended floor joists are bent down. In light of all these issues we feel towing this rig would be a danger to my family's lives as well as any other life on the road around us. Currently the pin box alone has excessive movement.
NHTSA complaint #11641092 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
We are experiencing a serious frame issue on our 2021 GD Reflection 367BHS 5th wheel. We normally do not unhitch when overnight boondocking. Last evening we noticed that the floor in front of the bedroom closet seemed to rise up slightly. Didn't think much of it until we noticed at the next campground that the hallway wall by the bedroom door moved up about an inch and the bedroom door was jammed and would not open. Once we unhitched and put the weight on the landing gear the hallway wall moved back into position as did the bedroom floor and the bedroom door was again free to open. After hitching back up, taking the weight off the landing gear, and investigating further, we noticed that the entire frame had separated in the compartment where the propane is on the passenger side of the RV. On a recommendation I was told to check the bolts behind the bedroom dresser that secure the sides to the frame and they were snapped off. Frame flex is a know issue by the manufacture for the past year or so.
NHTSA complaint #11638373 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Possible frame flex on 5th wheel, had nose cap replaced in June and was told nothing else was wrong, then why did my nose cap crack. Just want it on record with all the issues with GD trailer failures..
NHTSA complaint #11630383 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While returning from a recent camping trip my wife while following the trailer home noticed the house structure was swaying and bouncing too much. She had thought the rig would fall apart. We arrived home and notice that the slide was out 2-4 inches, the cabin door had opened, an interior wall had separated from exterior wall and a side wall had flexed 2 or more inches out by another slide. There was bends and creases in the exterior metal side skirting that needed to be secured for travel. on approximately 11/04 we turned in the rig for repairs to Happy Daze RV. They Have since made us aware of frame cracks through out the trailer. We have not been notified of who or how the repairs will be handled.
NHTSA complaint #11628876 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Both sidewalls on my 5th Wheel have broken frames at the top of the walls and the walls need replaced. The side doors and compartment doors come open going down the road. The large side window exploded going down the road from the frame twisting. The RV has to be sent back to the factory to be repaired and have the walls replaced
NHTSA complaint #11626441 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In 2021, we began noticing wall movement in the interior of the RV, fasteners, paneling and interior walls getting loose and moving. After more trips we noticed scratches in the flooring and wood chips laying on the interior floor when we would push the main slide out. We also began noticing the large slide didn’t seem to be closing tight to the outside wall on one end. After more inspection we noticed large roller marks appearing on the underside of the main slide. We scheduled our unit into the dealership for review. The Dealership identified bent frame rails, twisted spring hangers, frames cracks, bent outriggers on the frame supporting the outside walls. The dealership contacted the manufacturer and the manufacturer sent one of their service repair technicians (SRT) to my dealership for an inspection. Because we have heard and seen issues with broken springs, spring hangers and the risk they create from losing springs, wheels and axles etc. the dealership advised that using the RV was not an option until the manufacturer approved it for use. As a result, several trips were cancelled for potential safety reasons. The SRT and the dealership believed that the unit had to go back to the factory for inspection and proper repairs. The unit has gone back to the manufacturer and the frame manufacturer where major frame work has been completed. Now we have a reworked, modified, weak frame and based on the report I’ve seen from the frame manufacturer I’m concerned that they didn’t go far enough and only worked on adding support to 4 of the 6 spring hangers and the related frame areas. It appears that the work done to fix the frame has raised the overall height of the unit 2 -3 inches and added weight to the unit which affects the weight sticker on my RV. I have asked but still haven’t received an engineering specification that dictated the work done to the frame to help build confidence and make this a safe and reliable RV.
NHTSA complaint #11625771 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Awning has started to detach from roller. There is a recall on the awning but Grand Design says my trailer doesn't fall within the recall date. Obviously the issue started before the dates they listed and the recall should be extended.
NHTSA complaint #11609223 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
-Baggage compartment doors, when latched securely and locked with key, would open during travel down the highway at random. Luckily no cargo was lost (I take turns very slowly and noticed flapping baggage doors in my side view mirrors pretty quickly). This has happened on multiple occasions, and continued to happen after multiple dealership service visits that supposedly rectified the issue. This issue first appeared within 100 miles of purchasing this travel trailer brand new. -Yes, Adventure RV of Cheyenne, WY (now Blue Compass) verified the issue and eventually replaced under warranty the baggage door latches, and then after issue persisted and I complained, replaced the baggage doors entirely. -The issue persisted, contacted Grand Design corporate to open a complaint ticket. I requested permission to have trailer inspected and issue resolved at Windish RV in Longmont, CO as the Cheyenne dealership was incompetent and dishonest. Windish RV was fantastic, but Grand Design refused to authorize anything else for the baggage doors issue. Windish RV suggested I should upgrade the latches/locks to a high quality replacement, as the factory latches are mostly plastic junk, all the locks are keyed the same, and issues with them are almost guaranteed. On my own dime I replaced all of the baggage door latches with RV Lock (Utah, USA small business) replacement handles and locks (nearly $500 plus labor). This resolved the issue (around 5k mi since install). This was very expensive and time consuming but the safety and peace of mind is priceless. If items from the open baggage compartments fell out onto the roadway it could have caused massive property damage, injuries, and loss of life to my occupants and anybody else on the same road at the same time as me. -I can provide the warranty repair attempts documentation at a later date, as that paperwork is currently inside the trailer at a repair facility for other issues currently.
NHTSA complaint #11595245 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
-Entry door of travel trailer opens during travel even with both deadbolt & handle locks in locked positions. -This could allow items inside travel trailer to be sucked out onto roadway. That could lead to property damage, injuries, & even death to myself, my passengers, & any other vehicle on the same roadway as me. Potentially making impact with road signs, other vehicles, bicyclists, or even pedestrians on side of roadway. This has also allowed diesel exhaust soot to be sucked inside the travel trailer, coating the ENTIRE interior. Created slip/fall hazard (I nearly fell) as it made the vinyl flooring incredibly slick. Harmful to health (covered the toilet seats, furniture, cookware, etc. I had to clean EVERY surface of the trailer interior to prevent harm to myself & my labradoodle (began to lick himself to remove soot picked up from interior surfaces). Multiple albuterol inhalations required during cleanup due to my asthma. -Multiple occurrences even after multiple dealership service visits. Issue first appeared within 100mi. of purchasing travel trailer brand new. -Adventure RV Cheyenne, WY (Blue Compass) verified issue & replaced under warranty entire entry door. -I contacted Grand Design to open a complaint ticket. I requested permission to have trailer inspected and issue resolved at Windish RV in Longmont, CO as the Cheyenne dealership was incompetent, dishonest, & failed to fix this. Windish RV was fantastic, but Grand Design refused to authorize further action for the issue. Windish RV suggested I should upgrade the door handle to a high quality replacement, as the factory handles are mostly plastic junk & same keys as every other trailer (not very secure). On my own dime I replaced the handle for $300+ labor with USA made RV Lock V4. -Appears door frame is separating from trailer wall, trailer currently at Windish RV for another repair attempt.
NHTSA complaint #11595267 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
-Stabilizer leveling powered scissor jacks front and rear collapsed during first trip ever; at a level campsite (Lippert LCI brand) on brand new travel trailer. -Rear stabilizer failed the worst, with the metal arms deforming so much that the jack could not be retracted fully via power or manual with backup tool and best arm strength (in shape [XXX] at the time). -Called dealership (Adventure RV Cheyenne, WY now Blue Compass RV Cheyenne, WY) and was told it would probably not be covered under warranty, but they would need to inspect it in person and then submit claim to Grand Design RV and Lippert LCI. -Searched for LCI MODEL # 337199 and best price was on Amazon (figured I could relax after at least knowing how much I was potentially going to have to shell out to replace these out of pocket). Reading the reviews (some with photos) showed a TON of these have failed just like mine (manufacturing defect, or metal quality defect suspected), so it is a decently common issue. I have attached screenshots I took that evening of these reviews and photos. -Dealership service said the claim was denied by Grand Design. I pushed back hard, showed them the screen shots of the other failures, and told them to contact Lippert. -Dealership gave me different answers, but basically front unit was not replaced or repaired because the failure was not yet significant enough to keep the jacks from fully retracting (or at least within an inch of fully retracting. The rear unit was replaced with what to me looks to be a used replacement (motor housing cover cracked and faded, sticker with serial and model number faded and barely attached). -This is a major safety concern because I was only able to retract the rears up enough to get maybe 4" of ground clearance. The feet kept scraping on dips in highway the entire trip home. Could have easily got caught and ripped the whole unit from trailer, creating a major safety hazard for anybody on the road behind me. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U
NHTSA complaint #11595281 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
-Fresh water tank 54gal capacity leaking after being filled, began as a small leak and over time has become decently extreme (but only leaks when trailer is in motion/traveling down road). It is now to the point that when I followed behind travel trailer in another vehicle, I had to use my windshield wipers for the first 30 minutes due to the amount of water spray coming up from road. When the leaking issue first started, it would stop leaking after about 1/4 of the tank had emptied, now it continues until about 3/4th of the tank has emptied! -Issue started after picking up trailer from initial repair visit after purchase (Adventure RV Cheyenne, WY now Blue Compass RV Cheyenne, WY had trailer for over 10 months!). -Trailer is currently at Windish RV Longmont, CO for warranty inspection/repair for this issue and others. -Water leaking like this creates an unecessary safety and visibility risk to motorists traveling behind this travel trailer (even at a great following distance). This is especially dangerous to motorcycles, as when I followed my own trailer it was sunny and 80F out, so you would not expect that kind of water spray back on the interstate.
NHTSA complaint #11595314 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.