2021 Grand Design Imagine

Component failure : Left rear tire showed signs of wear. Replaced the tire and upon reinstalling checked the hubs and brakes. All good. Noticed a little deflection in the front of the left rear shackle. It was obscured by foam and underbelly material. Upon peeling it back, it was noticed that the shackle had torn completely away from the frame beam. RISK : This trailer had it been pulled down the highway another 10 miles would have experienced a catastrophic failure. This trailer at minimum would have lost the axle and torn apart the trailer. Worse it could have flipped the trailer or tow vehicle Reported Problem : Grand Design, the manufacturer, and Lippert the frame manufacturer have been notified. They sent me a "Customer Satisfaction Program" that identifies this issue. This is NOT Satisfactory. This is should be a total recall effort and they should be required to send out notices certified mail. Current : Working with the manufacturers to see if they will have the trailer towed to the nearest service center and if they will repair it.

The right side leaf spring hanger broke from the frame while traveling causing the trailer to lean heavily and pull to the right side nearly hitting an 18 wheeler that I was passing. I received a customer satisfaction campaign letter from Grand Design 3 days later in regard to cracks in the I beam frame above the spring hangers for all Imagine 2910BH models produced between 6/24/2020 and 6/14/2023. Grand Design said that they have concluded that condition does not present a safety hazard. Having a suspension component fail on a trailer is a safety hazard.

After reading of other owners of similar and identical models like mine having frame cracks, I made a point to inspect my trailer’s I beam chassis and I discovered horizontal cracks within the I beam, one on each side, over the suspension area. Every picture I have seen looks just like mine, a rusty L shaped crack adjacent to a crossmember welded on the backside of this area. You can see the shape of this crossmember through the surface of the I beam, indicating the metal is quite thin. It took me only a couple minutes to find, as I knew exactly where to look, based on the numerous stories I’ve read about. Upon further inspection, I also found suspect welds that look burned through the frame, leaving a hole behind. This makes me question the quality of the rest of the trailer’s frame. There is also a crossmember at the front of the trailer with a distinct bend in it at the bottom, where the top remains fairly straight. This, to me, is another indication that the frame is flexing and causing this member to fold as a result. After discovering this, I later learned many other owners have the same issue, and one had a complete A frame failure in that area. Also, I have discovered that all four of my trailer’s leaf springs are flattening out, and they remain this way with all personal items removed from the unit. As it sits now, it is within a handful of pounds of the original purchase weight, and the leafs have not sprung back. We have an appointment scheduled directly with the manufacturer in Indiana to have these issues repaired, among a laundry list of less safety related issues we’ve experienced since ownership. We’ve known of these major issues since August of 2024 and have waited 6 months for our appointment for repairs. We have declined from using this trailer during this time as we don’t have confidence that it can safely be towed. I am to understand, the wait time is due to a large influx of other trailers being brought in for major repair.

We were driving and went through a dip in the road and the whole front end of the A- Frame bent/buckled. We have not had any problems with this in the past, but it is a brand new trailer and we are learning it has happened to a few others all Grand Design XLS series. We wonder if the steel used is not of top quality and is too thin.