NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Unknown Or Other complaints
15 reportsClear category filterMileage unknown · Apr 15, 2026
Unknown Or Other
Our camper has frame flex. We opened a claim in October 2025 with Grand Design. Received a letter stating they would cover any repairs. It's been in the shop now for over a month and they keep telling us the claim is "in review". Our upper deck frame is cracked/broken, our walls are separating, the door opens when we are trav…
Read full complaint
Our camper has frame flex. We opened a claim in October 2025 with Grand Design. Received a letter stating they would cover any repairs. It's been in the shop now for over a month and they keep telling us the claim is "in review". Our upper deck frame is cracked/broken, our walls are separating, the door opens when we are traveling down the road. The roof is falling apart, bubbled and cracking. Side walls are cracked. We've sent pictures, the shop has sent pictures and we are getting no answers. The newest they are telling us is that it's now out of warranty. The camper isn't safe to tow and they aren't fixing it or providing the shop with details on how to fix it.
NHTSA ODI #11731344
Mileage unknown · Apr 15, 2026
StructureUnknown Or Other
My Momentum 5th wheel is experiencing frame flex and wall separation . This condition is causing damage to the interior side wall adjacent to cabinets in the bedroom wall. Frame and or wall assembly is excessively moving in transport and during hooking and unhooking from the unit. Unit will be inspected in the near future by a…
Read full complaint
My Momentum 5th wheel is experiencing frame flex and wall separation . This condition is causing damage to the interior side wall adjacent to cabinets in the bedroom wall. Frame and or wall assembly is excessively moving in transport and during hooking and unhooking from the unit. Unit will be inspected in the near future by a Grand Design authorized service agents. The condition is further degrading the safety of the unit with each use in transit.
NHTSA ODI #11731307
Mileage unknown · May 25, 2025
StructureUnknown Or Other
The frame of my trailer sustained damage due to flexing from poor design. I was lucky and noticed some loud noises when transitioning weight to the king pin on the truck. A lot of creaking and groaning. Because of all of these noises and what I had read online, I had the trailer inspected. The inspection found the frame moving w…
Read full complaint
The frame of my trailer sustained damage due to flexing from poor design. I was lucky and noticed some loud noises when transitioning weight to the king pin on the truck. A lot of creaking and groaning. Because of all of these noises and what I had read online, I had the trailer inspected. The inspection found the frame moving within the structure when the weight transitions from the stabilizers to the king pin. Additional damage was a crack in the structure that holds the wall to the frame and many bent gussets that are designed to give the structure strength. This design is substandard. I understand the whole thing is designed to work as a whole to provide strength, but there are weak areas in this design. First is the use of lag bolts into a soft wood as a method of connecting the frame to the wall structure. This needs to be into metal or aluminum allowing the use of bolts and a thread locking compound to prevent loosening. Lag bolts into wood on a structure designed to withstand dynamic movement of towing is inadequate. This will always loosen over time transferring the load to other areas of the structure and the damage many are seeing. My trailer has been repaired, but I'm not sure if the new gussets and additional lag bolts will be enough because they are still using wood as a structural component. My trailer is a 2020 and the 5 year warranty will expire in September. I'm not sure where I will be after that when the next repair comes. I don't have a lot of pictures because I was out of town when they did the inspection. You can see the break in the wall support showing that the wall was moving after is separated from the frame. The pictures show how this bent the gussets that are designed to give the structure support. Like I said, I saw this problem online and asked for in inspection before I had real problems. If I had waited, the damage would've been much worse.
NHTSA ODI #11663007
Mileage unknown · Mar 25, 2025
StructureUnknown Or Other
Frame issues with the gooseneck area of the RV. We've got lots of movement with the RV in these areas where it connects with the towing vehicle. We have had lots of movement in the front nose area of the RV causing substantial movement evidenced by interior and exterior cracks and noises when pulling. We have taken the RV to …
Read full complaint
Frame issues with the gooseneck area of the RV. We've got lots of movement with the RV in these areas where it connects with the towing vehicle. We have had lots of movement in the front nose area of the RV causing substantial movement evidenced by interior and exterior cracks and noises when pulling. We have taken the RV to a repair facility and the manufacturer has denied making repairs to make the RV safe.
NHTSA ODI #11650645
Mileage unknown · Jan 7, 2025
Latches/locks/linkagesSuspensionUnknown Or Other
Roof Membrane separating from nose cap, nose cap separating from roof membrane. 5th wheel pin box sinking up into rv upper deck when lowering onto the truck. Cargo and main doors open during transport. Sawdust on dresser in nose of the RV. Lag Screws unscrewing and/or loose in the upper deck. Stress fractures in fiberglass on th…
Read full complaint
Roof Membrane separating from nose cap, nose cap separating from roof membrane. 5th wheel pin box sinking up into rv upper deck when lowering onto the truck. Cargo and main doors open during transport. Sawdust on dresser in nose of the RV. Lag Screws unscrewing and/or loose in the upper deck. Stress fractures in fiberglass on the cap of RV. Pinch molding coming loose from underside of 5th Wheel skin. Screws backing out and/or breaking underneath the upper deck nose cap. Insulation underneath the front of the RV is falling off. Back Patio bubbling. Rear axle leaf springs bolt and bushings coming out during transport. Screws on top of the upper deck by rain gutters keep coming loose.
NHTSA ODI #11634643
Mileage unknown · Dec 12, 2024
StructureUnknown Or Other
2020 Grand Design 395M I am writing this with concerns over possible Frame or Structure issues in our unit, the following is a list of objects of concern. 1.Screws attaching underside of nose cap to upper deck breaking 2.Wall next to stairs entering the upper deck showing signs of movement and wearing on wallpaper. 3.Support …
Read full complaint
2020 Grand Design 395M I am writing this with concerns over possible Frame or Structure issues in our unit, the following is a list of objects of concern. 1.Screws attaching underside of nose cap to upper deck breaking 2.Wall next to stairs entering the upper deck showing signs of movement and wearing on wallpaper. 3.Support uprights on left and right side between night stands and upper cabinets are moving and wearing on wall. 4.After a day of travel sawdust is appearing on tops of nightstands. 5.Wallpaper and wall wear on right side of bedroom floor behind entry door near carpet that covers lag screws. 6.Excessive creaking coming from bedroom slide wall when coupling and uncoupling from tow vehicle. 7.Exterior entrance door will not stay closed unless deadbolted (including cargo door) doors have opened during travel. 8.Interior door jams are widening. 9.Pin box is sinking into frame when put in load position on vehicle (suspect frame failure)
NHTSA ODI #11630352
Mileage unknown · Nov 8, 2024
StructureUnknown Or Other
We have been living full time in our RV since Nov, 2022. We just brought our Grand Design Momentum M-381 in for the front cap replacement as there was frame flex over the past several months that we didn't realize was happening and there were cracks in the top of our cap. Let me explain, we saw evidence of "something" happening…
Read full complaint
We have been living full time in our RV since Nov, 2022. We just brought our Grand Design Momentum M-381 in for the front cap replacement as there was frame flex over the past several months that we didn't realize was happening and there were cracks in the top of our cap. Let me explain, we saw evidence of "something" happening like the bedside tables rubbing against the wall and saw dust, the outside cap moldings/weatherstripping flapping in the breeze as we drove down the road, squeaking of our bedroom floor and eventually a separation of the wall at the floor by our bedroom door. We youtubed these issues and came up with several videos and realized we needed to remove the carpeting and see if we had the lag bolt issues and boy did we! We had 2 that were rusted and half way out, one that was sheared off and one that was hanging loosely. We took it into a dealership in LA where they did the frame flex evaluation for Grand Design and it was determined to change out the lag bolts for 1/2 inch ones on both sides of the superstructure. Long story short, the lag bolts worked their way out after one short trip and we were told to bring it into the dealership where they were told by Grand Design to epoxy the lag bolts in, that was in July 2024. At the same time we ended up with cracking in the front cap by the roof and that was scheduled to be replaced. When we brought the RV in for the cap replacement on Nov 7th we mentioned one lag bolt was working back out and Grand Design asked for another frame evaluation and that's when they found out that the lag bolts they epoxied in just 3 months ago were tearing through and the frame. After further testing and removal of the under cap area there was evidence of complete crack of the superstructure frame on the drivers side and evidence of welds in other areas of the superstructure that had cracks in the steel and aluminum. We're waiting to hear back from Grand Design how we are to move forward.
NHTSA ODI #11624240
Mileage unknown · Nov 7, 2024
StructureUnknown Or Other
Frame failure issues diagnosed on the camper in 2023. We were not apprised of how serious the frame failure was or provided photos of the issues, so we are not sure how extensive the issue was. Repairs were performed by a Grand Design dealer prior to the Technical Service Bulletin being released by Grand Design. The repairs bein…
Read full complaint
Frame failure issues diagnosed on the camper in 2023. We were not apprised of how serious the frame failure was or provided photos of the issues, so we are not sure how extensive the issue was. Repairs were performed by a Grand Design dealer prior to the Technical Service Bulletin being released by Grand Design. The repairs being performed prior to the TSB leaves us somewhat skeptical that they were performed according to Grand Design engineer specifications. Post repairs, we have had some of the same symptoms recurring again (sawdust after every trip, furniture movement, garage wall separation, front cap filon separation, door opening during travel (previously reported to NHTSA), indicating that perhaps the frame issues are persisting or recurring.
NHTSA ODI #11624047
Mileage unknown · Oct 18, 2024
StructureUnknown Or Other
11/15/2023: Kitchen slide of the RV partially opened while traveling down the road. My husband does have video of this occurring as we have a camera system installed on our RV. 6/25/2024: Kitchen slide of RV "raised up" and landed on an island drawer pull while traveling down the road. The slide could not be "lifted off" of the …
Read full complaint
11/15/2023: Kitchen slide of the RV partially opened while traveling down the road. My husband does have video of this occurring as we have a camera system installed on our RV. 6/25/2024: Kitchen slide of RV "raised up" and landed on an island drawer pull while traveling down the road. The slide could not be "lifted off" of the drawer pull and we were forced to activate the slide and allow it to travel out, causing damage to the drawer pull and drawer rails.
NHTSA ODI #11620697
Mileage unknown · Oct 18, 2024
StructureUnknown Or Other
Back door of RV came opened while driving down the road. The door is always locked (dead bolt included) and the entry-assist arm folded over the door during travel. Upon parking for the evening, it was noted that the back door of the RV had popped open during travel.
NHTSA ODI #11620693
NHTSA investigations
1PE24029 · Frame Flex On Grand Design Fifth Wheel Recreational Trailers
Opened Oct 9, 2024 · No close date supplied
Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Structure
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received twenty-three complaints alleging excessive frame flex on model year 2017-2023 Grand Design fifth wheel recreational trailers, models Momentum and Solitude. Twenty-two of the complaints allege that excessive frame flex resulted in a cargo or entry door opening while in transit, some with objects lost on roadways, while six complaints also state that slideouts extended out partially. ODI has been in contact with both Grand Design and Lippert, the frame manufacturer. Grand Design believes that some frame flex, generally considered to be vertical movement in the upper deck area of the fifth wheel, is normal. However, Grand Design has developed a technical service bulletin (TSB), to evaluate concerns of excessive frame flex, defined as vertical movement greater than 3/8 inch. Per Grand Design, the frame flex is only occurring in the upper deck area of the fifth wheel and is resulting in cosmetic defects such as moving sidewalls, damage to cabinets, binding doors, etc. However, Lippert believes that the effects of frame flex may also extend back to the front axle of the trailer.While Lippert provides frames for multiple trailer manufacturers, the majority of complaints are for these Grand Design products. Cargo and entry doors that open and slideouts that extend while in transit increase the risk of injury or a crash. ODI is opening this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to evaluate the severity of the potential problem and to determine whether an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety exists. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.