Another Grand Design Podcast - pretty cool.

I know 2 people with Grand Designs and they have done zero-zip to advance their RV's since they started except more floor plans...STILL 10in frame,same Cheap Stereo,DVD"Suround Sound" ,No central vacuum's, no ceiling fans ,no back cap,ETC.....Etc... they are NOT bad rv's but besides their good customer service there is nothing special about them, both of my friend's Solitudes have been back to the Dealer many times for repairs just like every other brand,I think Every brand puts out these Podcasts and Videos on there Quality and their vision for the Future etc...they are all the same Blah Blah Blah ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

topjimmy wrote:
I know 2 people with Grand Designs and they have done zero-zip to advance their RV's since they started except more floor plans...STILL 10in frame,same Cheap Stereo,DVD"Suround Sound" ,No central vacuum's, no ceiling fans ,no back cap,ETC.....Etc... they are NOT bad rv's but besides their good customer service there is nothing special about them, both of my friend's Solitudes have been back to the Dealer many times for repairs just like every other brand,I think Every brand puts out these Podcasts and Videos on there Quality and their vision for the Future etc...they are all the same Blah Blah Blah ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Couldn't agree more!! Have looked at many, not the least bit impressed...

At 1st when GD started producing their trailers they seemed like a great startup company. Then when they got going full tilt like very other company the normal ness stated to creep thru. I was interested in them as they seemed like something different with the way they were doing customer service, so I joined their forum. After spending a year or longer reading it, it's pretty obvious they are no better or worse than the rest. And all that pre startup hype was nothing more than hype.
One thing I noticed was that early on they had one or two customer reps that would read the forum and respond to help those with issues. It was pretty easy to keep up with customer issues as GD was in the early stages and wasn't producing large numbers of trailers yet. Now that they are pumping them out in greater numbers I no longer see the rep on the site. Overwhelmed I guess.
I agree with the above comments that they lack a few things to really set them apart. One for instance is the lack of interior choices. Only one cabinet and material trim choice and no fiberglass rear cap for the Solitudes.

There is no better company in this industry at responding to customer issues.

Try to get your other main line manufacturers to overnight parts to a customer when they are broken down somewhere.

Will never happen...

2008Wildcat wrote:
There is no better company in this industry at responding to customer issues.

Try to get your other main line manufacturers to overnight parts to a customer when they are broken down somewhere.

Will never happen...

I agree. I was most impressed with the fit and finish when we bought ours but the materials used are pretty standard for the price range (surprise). As a result, they do have their issues but are very pro active when it comes to looking after their customers. They are also quick to make production changes based on their feedback. There are some significant changes to the 2016's compared to my early 2015. All of which were a result of comments on the owners forum.

I've haven't broken down but they have sent me parts to deal with a known problem on the strength of just one email. I've even had call backs from their reps to make sure Attwood and Lippert were looking after issues I've had with their stuff.

If I had a complaint when we bought ours it was the absence of factory options. Fantastic fans, central vac etc, which I had to buy and install myself. Don't know if that has changed.

2008Wildcat wrote:
There is no better company in this industry at responding to customer issues.

Try to get your other main line manufacturers to overnight parts to a customer when they are broken down somewhere.

Will never happen...

It did with Northwood. Never had any issues with them sending me parts. Only needed 2 parts during my 1 year warranty. None since, going on 3 years. I don't have a dealer near me, so Northwood set me up with a local independent shop for the only repair needed under warranty. I never contacted my dealer for parts or warranty work. I called Northwood directly.

Not slamming GD but they're not the only company that offers great service. After reading on the GD forum for a year I see a normal amount of disgruntled owners. Just like any other brand forum.

Those that own a GD product will look back at this period of time as the "golden years". As GD gets bigger (they just built their 10,000 unit) I'm thinking that one-on-one customer service will go away. Like Forest River, Thor and the rest of them, there will be just too many customers to support in the way the company is doing now. And like the rest of them the weak link is the lack of dealer support to the customer and the old "you didn't buy it here so we won't work on it."

2008Wildcat wrote:
There is no better company in this industry at responding to customer issues.

Try to get your other main line manufacturers to overnight parts to a customer when they are broken down somewhere.

Will never happen...

Heartland will!

B.O.

I would rather have a unit that did not need parts sent overnite.

colliehauler wrote:
I would rather have a unit that did not need parts sent overnite.

When you find the manufacturer that makes them perfect every time with perfect parts that don't fail, let us all know who it is.