Excessive frame flex in pin box area of fifth wheel. Forward left cargo door unlatching while towing. Vehicle is currently at Lazydays dealer in TN for inspection and TSB for excessive frame flex. Inspection has revealed major structural cracks and structural failure in upper deck steel frame structure. Vehicle has been deem…
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Excessive frame flex in pin box area of fifth wheel. Forward left cargo door unlatching while towing. Vehicle is currently at Lazydays dealer in TN for inspection and TSB for excessive frame flex. Inspection has revealed major structural cracks and structural failure in upper deck steel frame structure. Vehicle has been deemed unsafe to transport and must be repaired in place or partially repaired for transport to factory. We noticed excessive deformation of the pin box and substantial rubbing of internal cabinets, etc upon return from a recent trip. Based of the damage, it would have been possible for the RV structure to separate from our tow vehicle putting us and others on the road at significant risk of injury or death. We saw indications of interior movement of cabinets and rubbing on walls for several thousand miles, but no indication of significant pinbox deflection until recently. Manufacturer has provided no guidelines or communication to owners to be aware of potential problems or to indicate things to look for that may indicate the vehicle poses a serious risk/hazard. Initial signs of rubbing inside the vehicle, and a loose latch and flapping of cargo door were observed in January 2024. We have video of substantial gap opening and movement of interior cabinets when taking vehicle off of stabilizer jacks and loading onto fifth wheel hitch of truck. Unable to get additional pictures currently as the RV is at the dealer for repairs. Will attempt to get photos of internal frame damage early next week if possible.
NHTSA ODI #11636284
Mileage unknown · Jan 15, 2025
Latches/locks/linkagesStructureUnknown Or Other
Side compartments opening while towing unit on highway…items in compartment flying out …hatches won’t closed properly to much gap…big gap also on top cap where it connects to wall in front..unit taken to lazdays Tampa for frame flex recall…inspection revealed major cracks in frame everywhere as a result causing major frame flex…
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Side compartments opening while towing unit on highway…items in compartment flying out …hatches won’t closed properly to much gap…big gap also on top cap where it connects to wall in front..unit taken to lazdays Tampa for frame flex recall…inspection revealed major cracks in frame everywhere as a result causing major frame flex…lots of welding is being done…by grand design mechanic ..slide system also damaged as a result of frame flex …unit is currently still at lazdays Tampa being welded together…they keep finding more and more damage …. You guys should send an inspector to inspect it to see major frame damage from poor frame build I believe unit is unsafe to be roadworthy with the amount of welding and repairs to frame the keep doing
NHTSA ODI #11636185
Mileage unknown · Dec 30, 2024
Structure
I am experiencing major frame failure. My propane doors on both sides have opened while towing. Gotten so bad i had to duct tape them shut. Not safe pulling over to do this. The main cause of this happening is Frame Flexing which i can confirm with a video i took. I can also see my frame flexing while hitching and unhitching tra…
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I am experiencing major frame failure. My propane doors on both sides have opened while towing. Gotten so bad i had to duct tape them shut. Not safe pulling over to do this. The main cause of this happening is Frame Flexing which i can confirm with a video i took. I can also see my frame flexing while hitching and unhitching trailer. My top floors are squeaking badly which is indicative to my frame bending and breaking welds. Doing research I have seen pictures of other trailers the same year with broken and cracked frames. This poses a safety issue while towing as i feel the trailer can break away from the tow rig and cause some serious damage.
NHTSA ODI #11633267
Mileage unknown · Dec 29, 2024
Structure
I own a 2021 Grand Design Momentum 381m. In august of this year we found broken welds and bolts in our RV frame. The dealer we took it to told us grand design has known about the issue for several years but refuses to issue a recall, instead they issued a service bulletin. GD told us on the phone, there have been no catastrophic…
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I own a 2021 Grand Design Momentum 381m. In august of this year we found broken welds and bolts in our RV frame. The dealer we took it to told us grand design has known about the issue for several years but refuses to issue a recall, instead they issued a service bulletin. GD told us on the phone, there have been no catastrophic failures yet, so there is no need for a recall. Blue Compass RV in Prescott, AZ, at the direction of GD, welded the frame and told us it was good to drive back home to Florida. Once back in FL, we took the RV to the dealer we purchased it from to have the cabinets repaired, the frame flexing caused damage to the cabinets in the front of the RV. The dealer told us the frame was not fixed and needed to go to the factory in Indiana for repair. We have been unable to use our RV for 3 months now. We are currently waiting for our RV to be transported to the GD factory on 8 Jan 2025.
NHTSA ODI #11632960
Mileage unknown · Nov 6, 2024
StructureUnknown Or Other
I had noticed the Pin Box flexing, especially over bumps or any rough road or bridge approach. As it got worse I could tell we a lot of flex in the frame area where the Pin Box is located. I contacted the dealer and they examined our RV and determined the frame was flexing due to the bolts connecting the chassis to the actual …
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I had noticed the Pin Box flexing, especially over bumps or any rough road or bridge approach. As it got worse I could tell we a lot of flex in the frame area where the Pin Box is located. I contacted the dealer and they examined our RV and determined the frame was flexing due to the bolts connecting the chassis to the actual frame of the RV body being to small and working loose/broke. The dealer replaced the bolts with larger bolts and advised the flex is now within specifications. It is better but it's not great by any means. I'm concerned as the RV gets older the condition will get worse and could even become hazardous. This condition has already affected the value of the RV and when it's out of warranty I'll have no recourse other than to fix it myself.
NHTSA ODI #11623904
Mileage unknown · Sep 26, 2024
StructureUnknown Or Other
Frame failure! Driving down the road and noticed the kin box moving up and down into the Rv! I do not feel comfortable towing this Rv I feel it is going to cause a serious accident.
NHTSA ODI #11616633
Mileage unknown · Sep 10, 2024
StructureSuspension
Our 2021 Grand Design 395ms has FRAME FAILURE. The upper body of the frame has multiple broken welds and has separated during road use. If the welds continue to fail I have been told the lower half of the 5th wheel will fall to the pavement. If this were to occur during travel it could be catastrophic. This issue was iniitally r…
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Our 2021 Grand Design 395ms has FRAME FAILURE. The upper body of the frame has multiple broken welds and has separated during road use. If the welds continue to fail I have been told the lower half of the 5th wheel will fall to the pavement. If this were to occur during travel it could be catastrophic. This issue was iniitally repaired in thermopolis by a mobile welder. This initial repair failed and we had to contact the manufacturer. They initially told us it would be a couple months before their SRT team could repair. After multiple days we were connected with another mobile repair man from Montana Mobile Repair (Shawn) who stated "This is the worst frame repair he has had to make". After many hours he added extra bracing and support. Grand Design stated we needed to get it home. Approx. 1700 miles back to Michigan and we would need to setup an appointment for service repair. We are concerned with the fact that they are requiring owners to drive such defective units so far and putting the owners and others in harms way. We had no choice but to make the drive. We were denied any other forms of help such as flying the family home or paying for the extended stay until SRT arrived on site for the repair. Our final communication says once we arrive in Michigan to contact Grand Design and they will send someone to pick up our rig and transport it Grand Design.
NHTSA ODI #11613696
Mileage unknown · Jun 7, 2024
Service BrakesStructure
This is an updated report with additional detail. Sorry for any confusion this may have caused. * Baggage door routinely open while travelling. A number of items may have been sucked out of the RV while moving down the road. We try to be hypervigilant and pull over as soon as we notice the door flapping open, and we secure loose…
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This is an updated report with additional detail. Sorry for any confusion this may have caused. * Baggage door routinely open while travelling. A number of items may have been sucked out of the RV while moving down the road. We try to be hypervigilant and pull over as soon as we notice the door flapping open, and we secure loose items in drawers. * RV doors routinely open. The front door always opens, even though we use the 'deadbolt'. It's usually held in place by a hand rail that folds over the door, but this occassionally comes open, as well. This damages the door, and we're concerned that the metal stairs could fold out. The rear door has recently started openning on travel days. It's hard to tell when this happens, but we have had to pick things up off the ground after making a left turn at low speeds. * Brake eletrical issue. We had the RV in for repair at the manufacturer's service center. They reported that some of the brakes weren't receiving the proper voltage and were thus non-functional. * Front bedroom Schwintek slide mechanism came loose. Slide was partially inoperable, and would start to extend out of the unit during travel. When noticed, depending on how far out it had started to come, we would have to go back into the unit and pull it back in to complete travel day. This was repaired by the manufacturer. * Broken welds on frame. The manufacturer service center replaced the rear steps. They did not identify the broken welds that were causing the floor (immediately above the steps) to sag, and thus allow water intrusion. This lead to the rotting of the floor of the RV. The manufacturer provided an estimate of ~$20k to repair the floor, but didn't include repairing the broken welds. * RV is unlevel / lists to the passenger side. The RV has a lot of heavy items on one side, and nothing heavy on the other side to counter balance it: shower, refrigerator, oven, microwave, and side deck/patio. The tops of the tires are clearly visible when looking a
NHTSA ODI #11593059
Mileage unknown · Jun 4, 2024
StructureSuspensionUnknown Or Other
Our frame is showing signs of excessive flex, when we hook up our trailer to the tow vehicle.
NHTSA ODI #11592358
Mileage unknown · May 28, 2024
Exterior LightingStructureSuspension
We are victims of frame failure. First sign was a creaky floor in the bedroom. Screws worked their way out of the wood flooring and pushed up underneath the linoleum. The movement of the nose cap pushed screws out of the trim and seal piece on the underside of the front cap. We reseated screws, upgraded screws, resealed this at …
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We are victims of frame failure. First sign was a creaky floor in the bedroom. Screws worked their way out of the wood flooring and pushed up underneath the linoleum. The movement of the nose cap pushed screws out of the trim and seal piece on the underside of the front cap. We reseated screws, upgraded screws, resealed this at least 5 times and now use gorilla tape to avoid water intrusion. The underbelly has fallen down while traveling so we had to reinforce this ourselves. Our driver side bay door will fly open when traveling. It locks but the locks will not hold it closed when the rig starts to flex. We now gorilla tape the door every time we travel to avoid objects flying out of our bay into traffic. The partition between the wet bay and the storage bay has bent. Our front driver side jack is not straight, it points outward. There is rubbing of the shelving and trim in the bedroom. The board that has the slide rollers under the main bed has failed. We have pinched decals on the exterior of the nose cap. The pin box sinks up into nose cap when hitched up. We have a toy hauler however we do not haul any vehicles or toys in our rig. We have had to replace both back leaf springs due to them failing. The main lighting panel has been damaged in transit so that the exterior accent lights will no longer turn off. This is an electrical hazard as well as an annoyance to anyone that camps near us. The roof seal that attaches the roof membrane to the front cap is elevated and not flush. When traveling from TX to Indiana for our frame failure appointment, the roof membrane completely shredded and fell back over the air conditioner. We had to gorilla tape the remaining roof to make it the rest of the way. Grand Design is not issuing a recall yet. Our rig is dangerous for us and anyone on the road with us. Our rig is in the shop right now and we have the highest hopes that it is properly fixed, and we do not have to return like so many others are.
Grand Design RV, LLC (Grand Design) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Momentum and 2022-2024 Solitude Fifth Wheel trailers. The U-bolt may become loose due to inadequate preload and preload losses, causing the axle to move out of position.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An axle that moves out of position can cause a loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the axle attachment components, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 15, 2026. Owners may contact Grand Design customer service at 1-574-825-9679. Grand Design's number for this recall is 910054. This recall supersedes NHTSA Recalls 23V490 and 24V193.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Suspension:rear:springs:leaf Spring ASSEMBLY:U-BOLT, Leaf Spring To Axle
Grand Design RV, LLC (Grand Design) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Momentum and 2022-2024 Solitude Fifth Wheel trailers. The U-bolt may become loose due to inadequate preload and preload losses, causing the axle to move out of position.
Consequence: An axle that moves out of position can cause a loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the axle attachment components, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 15, 2026. Owners may contact Grand Design customer service at 1-574-825-9679. Grand Design's number for this recall is 910054. This recall supersedes NHTSA Recalls 23V490 and 24V193.
Suspension:front:springs:leaf Spring ASSEMBLY:U-BOLT, Leaf Spring To Axle
Grand Design RV, LLC (Grand Design) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Momentum and 2022-2024 Solitude Fifth Wheel trailers. The U-bolt may become loose due to inadequate preload and preload losses, causing the axle to move out of position.
Consequence: An axle that moves out of position can cause a loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the axle attachment components, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 15, 2026. Owners may contact Grand Design customer service at 1-574-825-9679. Grand Design's number for this recall is 910054. This recall supersedes NHTSA Recalls 23V490 and 24V193.
Grand Design RV, LLC. (Grand Design) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Momentum and Solitude fifth wheels, equipped with certain CURT 7000 and 8000 lb axles. The U-bolts may have been improperly tightened, which can cause the axle to move out of position.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An axle that moves out of position can cause a loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the U-bolts, as necessary. Any damaged components will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 16, 2023. Owners may contact Grand Design customer service at 1-574-825-9679. Grand Design's number for this recall is 910039.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Suspension:rear:springs:leaf Spring ASSEMBLY:U-BOLT, Leaf Spring To Axle
Grand Design RV, LLC. (Grand Design) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Momentum and Solitude fifth wheels, equipped with certain CURT 7000 and 8000 lb axles. The U-bolts may have been improperly tightened, which can cause the axle to move out of position.
Consequence: An axle that moves out of position can cause a loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the U-bolts, as necessary. Any damaged components will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 16, 2023. Owners may contact Grand Design customer service at 1-574-825-9679. Grand Design's number for this recall is 910039.
Suspension:front:springs:leaf Spring ASSEMBLY:U-BOLT, Leaf Spring To Axle
Grand Design RV, LLC. (Grand Design) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Momentum and Solitude fifth wheels, equipped with certain CURT 7000 and 8000 lb axles. The U-bolts may have been improperly tightened, which can cause the axle to move out of position.
Consequence: An axle that moves out of position can cause a loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the U-bolts, as necessary. Any damaged components will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 16, 2023. Owners may contact Grand Design customer service at 1-574-825-9679. Grand Design's number for this recall is 910039.
Grand Design RV, LLC (Grand Design) is recalling certain 2013-2021 Momentum, Solitude, and Reflection recreational vehicles. A 110-volt wire in the refrigerator cabinet may be improperly secured, which could result in the wire contacting the refrigerator cooling unit, causing an electrical arc.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An electrical arc increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace any damaged wiring, and properly secure the wires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 21, 2022. Owners may contact Grand Design customer service at 1-574-825-9679. Grand Design's number for this recall is 910026.
Grand Design RV, LLC (Grand Design) is recalling certain 2016-2021 Imagine, Transcend, and Momentum travel trailers. The LP regulator that controls the LP gas pressure may fail, allowing excessive gas pressure that causes the appliance flame to increase.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Excessive gas pressure and a larger than intended appliance flame can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the LP regulator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 24, 2021. Owners may contact Grand Design customer service at 1-574-825-9679. Grand Design's number for this recall is 910023.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1
PE24029 · 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.
2021 Grand Design Momentum Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year