2017 Grand Design Momentum

THE BRAKE ASSEMBLIES MANUFACTURED BY LIPPERT COMPONENTS INC ON THIS RV AND MANY OTHER RV'S HAVE AN ISSUE KNOWN BY THE MAUFACTURER RELATED TO AXLE GREASE LEAKING PAST THE INNER LIP SEAL. THE EXCESS LEAKING GREASE CONTAMINATES THE BRAKE PAD AND DRUM CONTACT SURFACES RESULTING IN SEVERLY DIMINISHED BRAKING ABILITY, WHICH COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT IN EMERGENCY STOPPING SITUATIONS.

I PURCHASED A NEW GRAND DESIGN MOMENTUM 350M AT HOLIDAY WORLD KATY, TEXAS. AFTER TAKING DELIVERY OF THE CAMPING TRAILER & CHECKING HOOK-UP TO TRUCK, LIGHTS & BRAKES IN THE PARKING LOT, I TOWED THE 350M ABOUT 50 MILES ACROSS HOUSTON. I WAS QUITE CONCERNED WITH THE POOR BRAKING QUALITY OF THE CAMPING TRAILER, EVEN AFTER INCREASING THE TRUCK BRAKE CONTROLLER GAIN TO 9.5 (OF POSSIBLE 10). I THOUGHT MAYBE THE BRAKES NEEDED MORE 'BREAK-IN TIME' SO A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER I SLOWLY TOWED THE CAMPING TRAILER 400 MILES TO MY HOME IN S. TEXAS. I BECAME VERY CONCERNED WITH THE BRAKING QUALITY OF THE 350M AND CONSIDERED IT A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. ONCE HOME, I WOULD NOT TOW THE UNIT ANY FURTHER WITHOUT MAKING SERIOUS IMPROVEMENT TO THE TRAILERS BRAKING CAPABILITY. AFTER JOINING GRAND DESIGN OWNER FORUMS WE REALIZED THAT MANY OTHER OWNERS ALSO HAD BRAKING ISSUES. I HAD A CERTIFIED MECHANIC PULL WHEELS & HUBS. LIKE MANY OTHER OWNERS, ALL 4 ELECTRIC/MAGNETIC BRAKES (DRUMS, MAGNETS, SHOES & ALL INSIDE THE DRUMS) WERE COATED WITH A HEAVY FILM OF GREASE. UNDERSTANDABLE WHY THE 350M & LIPPERT'S SELF ADJUSTING, ELECTRIC, MAGNETIC BRAKE SYSTEM WAS EXHIBITING VERY POOR QUALITY, UNSAFE BRAKING CAPABILITY. LIPPERT (LCI) SEMI-ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE IN JANUARY 2017 BUT WOULD NOT ADMIT ANY FAULT ON THEIR BEHALF. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM WITH THEIR BRAKE SYSTEM THAT NEEDS ATTENTION FROM THE NHTSA BEFORE THERE IS A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. ATTACHED IS A PICTURE SHOWING SOME OF THE GREASE CONTAMINATION UPON REMOVING THE WHEEL HUB FROM THE AXLE. THESE BRAKES DEPEND ON THE MAGNETIC FORCE AGAINST THE ROTATING HUB TO 'APPLY BRAKE SHOE PRESSURE TO THE DRUM'. UNDERSTANDABLE WHY THE BRAKES DO NOT WORK EFFECTIVELY WITH A GREASE FILM ON THE MAGNET, ALL INSIDE THE DRUM AREA & ALSO ON BRAKE SHOES. SHAMEFUL WHY A LARGE COMPANY LIKE LIPPERT WILL NOT "OWN UP" TO & CORRECT THE PROBLEM ! CAN THE NHTSA HELP ?

THE WIRING FOR THE ELECTRIC TRAILER BRAKES ARE NOT IN ANY PROTECTIVE COVER AND ARE IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE SUSPENSION, FREE TO MOVE AND CHAFE. WHEN ANY OF THE 12 VOLT POWER WIRES RUBS THROUGH AND THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED IT WILL CREATE A DEAD SHORT, BLOWING THE FUSE IN THE TOW VEHICLE AND LEAVING THE DRIVER WITH A 15,500 POUND TRAILER WITH NO BRAKES TO AID IN STOPPING. THE ATTACHED PICTURES ARE OF THE DRIVERS SIDE.

THE CURB SIDE ELECTRIC DRUM BRAKES ON BOTH AXLES OF OUR TANDEM AXLE FIFTH WHEEL RV ARE GREASED AND HAVE FAILED. THE ROOT CAUSE SEEMS TO BE THE FAILURE OF THE DOUBLE LIP INNER GREASE SEAL. IT ALLOWS GREASE INTO THE BRAKE ASSEMBLY WHERE IT IS FLUNG ABOUT SATURATING THE SHOES AND SPLATTERING ON FRICTION SURFACES. THE ATTACHED PICTURES SHOW THE SHOES AND ELECTROMAGNETS ARE COVERED IN GREASE AS IS THE WHEEL HUB, ARMATURE AND MISCELLANEOUS BRAKE COMPONENTS. THE RESULT WAS NEAR TOTAL LOSS OF TRAILER BRAKING ON THAT SIDE OF THE RV PLACING OUR LIVES AND THAT OF OTHERS IN DANGER IN BOTH HIGHWAY AND URBAN DRIVING. BOTH ELECTROMAGNETS ON THE CURB SIDE FELL OUT OF THEIR RESPECTIVE ASSEMBLIES WHEN THE HUBS WERE PULLED SUGGESTING THE RETAINERS HAD EITHER BEEN LEFT OFF OR HAD FALLEN OUT AT SOME POINT. NO RETAINERS WERE RECOVERED. IN GENERAL DRIVING AND BRAKING SCENARIOS IN THE CITY AND ON HIGHWAYS, WE HAVE EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT LACK OF ASSISTIVE BRAKING FROM THE RV TRAILER. IN REMOVING THE FACTORY BRAKE HUBS RECENTLY, WE DISCOVERED GREASE ALL OVER TWO OF THE FOUR BRAKE ASSEMBLIES. THIS FAILURE IS COMMON ACROSS THE RV INDUSTRY ACCORDING TO THE OWNER'S FORUMS. A POLL ON THE GRAND DESIGN OWNER'S FORUM LISTS 136 OWNERS AT THE TIME OF THIS WRITING THAT HAVE HAVE HAD SOME OR ALL OF THEIR FACTORY BRAKES FAIL DUE TO INNER GREASE SEAL FAILURES. HTTP://WWW.GRANDDESIGNOWNERS.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP/8531-POLL-HOW-MANY-OF-YOU-HAVE-HAD-YOUR-GREASE-SEALS-FAIL?P=104366#POST104366 SINCE THIS FAILURE IS HIDDEN FROM VIEW, WE CANNOT BE PRECISE AS TO WHEN THE FAILURES OCCURRED. OUR SEALS FAILED SOMETIME BETWEEN DELIVERY FROM THE FACTORY TO THE DEALER IN EARLY MAY 2016 TO MARCH 19TH OF 2017 WHEN WE PUT OUR RV IN STORAGE. WE HAVE DRIVEN IT ABOUT 5000 MILES OVER THAT TIME. THE FAILED BRAKE HUBS WERE PULLED BETWEEN MARCH 25 AND MARCH 26TH.

A KNOWN PROBLEM ON MANY GRAND DESIGN UNITS, TOLD BY BOTH THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER THAT PROBLEM HAS BEEN FIXED, AND THAT UPON DELIVERY, THE BRAKES ON MY NEW UNIT, DELIVERED ON 09/23/16, WERE CHECKED OUT, AND GREASE FREE. UPON ARRIVING AT MY HOME, ONE WEEK LATER, BRAKES ARE COVERED WITH GREASE AND MY RV SERVICE REPAIR CENTER SAID THE UNIT NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN DRIVEN AS IT IS UNSAFE. I AWAIT GRAND DESIGN'S RESPONSE, PHOTOS HAVE BEEN TAKEN, BUT AFTER REVIEWING ALL THE GREASED BRAKE COMPLAINTS ON THE GRAND DESIGN OWNERS FORUM, I DECIDED THIS PROBLEM IS LIFE THREATENING TO ALL OWNERS, NEW AND OLD, OF GRAND DESIGN RV'S, AND ALL SHOULD BE RECALLED.