Grand Design owners forum

riven1950 wrote:
I can't speak for before, but we bought a new 2019 Fall of 2018. We had several problems immediately and were on a deadline to go to the Keys. The customer service was great, authorized a mobile tech, sent out parts, and promptly refunded my expenses for labor. We had a couple of small issues later that I could repair. I emailed pictures of the parts and they sent them directly to me. We have been impressed so far with GD. The Forum hopefully will be as good. Time will tell.

Yes, the service is good, but there are also many other manufacturers that will do the same things you mention.

There is a distinct difference however since the buyout. Having owned a 2014 prior to the 2020 we have now, I have experienced it from many angles. If they will do things such as THISon the Transcend line, they will also cut corners on others, and they do cut those corners. Unfortunately it turns out they're just another RV manufacturer, nothing special.

Manufacturer sponsored forums suck. The moderators typically drink the corporate Kool-Aid and will be biased towards the brand.

I can't speak for before, but we bought a new 2019 Fall of 2018. We had several problems immediately and were on a deadline to go to the Keys. The customer service was great, authorized a mobile tech, sent out parts, and promptly refunded my expenses for labor. We had a couple of small issues later that I could repair. I emailed pictures of the parts and they sent them directly to me. We have been impressed so far with GD. The Forum hopefully will be as good. Time will tell.

2012Coleman wrote:
The original guy that owned the URL and created the subscription site approached the company and got their buy in and support. The company was an active participant in the forum with over two thousand posts. Then the original owner was approached by RV Life Network and promptly sold it. If you don't know what the RV Life Network is, it's a conglomerate of similar brand based web sites - mostly subscription based.

Grand Design no longer was interested in participating and pulled out, demanding that the new corporate owned web site infringed on their trademarks - don't blame them one bit.

Of course, they wanted to keep a web presence and continue helping their customers. READ I have been on the receiving side of their customer support - even after my warranty expired and it is outstanding. So some of the mods there were offered gigs moderating a new web site where GD is again an active participant.

It's all about money, and no one here would do anything different. The new site is a great tool to get technical help and they don't tolerate bad behavior. Those that behave badly are not welcome, and that makes the site more enjoyable to use as you don't have to wear your flame suit like on other RV boards. There are plenty of critical posts to be found, but those posters are willing to discuss calmly and open to suggestions from others.

Not sure where you get your information, but the original Grand Design owners forum was not sold to RV Life Network, which is actually a company called Social Knowledge LLC. It was sold to another person. Grand Design still participated for a time until they were acquired. The entire fiasco was initiated by Grand Design shortly after the acquisition by Winnebago, by Winnebago Attorneys. I have been a member there since the beginning,joined shortly after buying one of the first GD products to roll off the line. RV Life Network was never mentioned throughout the dispute. It was nothing more than corporate legal departments doing what they do. A lot of things have changed at Grand Design, none of them for the better.

A RV-building company screwing people? Say it isn't so!

"...no one here would do anything different...". Do you really have that dim a view of EVERYONE here? I'm sorry to hear that.

GD was no longer “interested” because they want to control the narrative. Just like what they did with the many FB GD pages; brought all the moderators to Elkart on the companies dime, wine and dined them and sent them home in new shirts, hats and coffee mugs. Immediately, owners with problems with their GD rigs started to be banned from the FB pages. Coincidence? i think not.

The original guy that owned the URL and created the subscription site approached the company and got their buy in and support. The company was an active participant in the forum with over two thousand posts. Then the original owner was approached by RV Life Network and promptly sold it. If you don't know what the RV Life Network is, it's a conglomerate of similar brand based web sites - mostly subscription based.

Grand Design no longer was interested in participating and pulled out, demanding that the new corporate owned web site infringed on their trademarks - don't blame them one bit.

Of course, they wanted to keep a web presence and continue helping their customers. READ I have been on the receiving side of their customer support - even after my warranty expired and it is outstanding. So some of the mods there were offered gigs moderating a new web site where GD is again an active participant.

It's all about money, and no one here would do anything different. The new site is a great tool to get technical help and they don't tolerate bad behavior. Those that behave badly are not welcome, and that makes the site more enjoyable to use as you don't have to wear your flame suit like on other RV boards. There are plenty of critical posts to be found, but those posters are willing to discuss calmly and open to suggestions from others.

their crappy workmanship. Those mods are nothing more than Grand Design Kool Aid drinkers and basically a bunch of rump rangers.

can't imagine why you might get kicked off a site

jdb7566 wrote:

riven1950 wrote:
Not sure if this has been posted before or not but there is a fairly new Grand Design owners technical forum in which GD participates. I just joined so not sure of the details but a nice gesture on part of GD I would think.

https://gdrvowners.com/AboutUs

There is also a different GD owners forum which has been around a while. Not supported by GD.

I got booted from the supported GD forum for having the audacity to criticize the workmanship of my GD Solitude. Words like "clown" and "infinite wisdom" are grounds for banishment. I have no problems with My Grand RV Forum.

Join the club. I was on the original forum also since it's inception, then joined the new one, and was promptly banished also.

Hence the issue with manufacturer specific forums. Even worse as we've found out, is when it's a manufacturers specific forum sponsored by said manufacturer. It's their sandbox and they determine who plays in it. The moderators at the new one swing the only hammer they have when it comes down to defending Grand Design and their crappy workmanship. Those mods are nothing more than Grand Design Kool Aid drinkers and basically a bunch of rump rangers. That's reflected in the low post count.

I bought in to all the Grand Design hoopla back in 2013. Ultimately when the effects of the Kool Aid wore off, I realized they're no better than plenty of others in all regards, and in some areas a lot worse, such as their use of LCI and Furrion junk.

riven1950 wrote:
Not sure if this has been posted before or not but there is a fairly new Grand Design owners technical forum in which GD participates. I just joined so not sure of the details but a nice gesture on part of GD I would think.

https://gdrvowners.com/AboutUs

There is also a different GD owners forum which has been around a while. Not supported by GD.

I got booted from the supported GD forum for having the audacity to criticize the workmanship of my GD Solitude. Words like "clown" and "infinite wisdom" are grounds for banishment. I have no problems with My Grand RV Forum.

minnow wrote:
I have not gone to the GD sponsored forum. The original (non supported) forum is just fine. Been a member there for several years. I found it very off putting the way those former moderators pulled a fast one going behind the backs of the original forum owner getting GD fully paid for trips to Indiana to meet with GD to plot the launch of the GD sponsored forum. Then GD threatened legal action against the original forum as GD wanted to steal their forum name(which they did get). Once everything was in place, all the original moderators resigned en-mass to moderate at the GD sponsored forum leaving no moderators at all at the original forum. Very unseemly and those guys sold their respect for some free trips and a GD hat & shirt. I used to have a lot of respect for those guys as to the way they oversaw the forum. Was blown away how some corporate bling and fancy titles can corrupt.

Yup... That's how I saw it too. I went there once recently and saw all the guys who used to do a great job moderating the old forum all jumped ship.

Im sure there's two sides to the story, but your summary, I believe is much more correct than anything the other side could come up with. It's a shame really. I still enjoy the old forum.

Mike