New trailer

Whats really funny is going to the factory and walking over to a frame and pushing on it and watching it shake through the whole length of it!! You can't do that with a 40ft hotshot trailer or about any other trail that's similar. The RV industry relies to much on the floor and sides providing strength for their junky frames.

I have a 2018 Reflection 337RLS and so far not any major issues, only a couple of minor ones. However we are headed out on a 2 month trip with about 6K miles in a few days and I expect it to perform as well as the '05 Montana we traded in. So far we have used it for 18 days. Almost everything on this 5th is supplied by Lippert or one of the companies they own, frame, baggage doors, furniture. The Frig is a Norcold, the water heater and stove is Atwood. People have reported problems with all of it, more so than those who praise it. There is a Facebook page for the Grand Design products. Ask me again in mid Oct. how I like it.

jarata1 wrote:
Grand design great choice

X-2

v2k wrote:
Looking at getting a new 5th wheel. We are looking at the Grand Design Reflection and Solitude. Also looking at a Keystone Alpine and Avalanche.

Are the frames and axels the same on these trailers?

Grand Design=Lippert frame and Lippert axles.

Keystone=Lippert frame and Dexter.

A year or so ago I happened upon an online help wanted ad at an Indiana newspapers website just by chance, placed by Lippert. They were looking for welders, no experience necessary, $12.50 per hour.

I have checked, went over, and re-welded a few welds, along with adding reinforcement angles and gussets on our 17 Rockwood in some areas. The water tank supports failed due to the weight of the angles. Rockwood deferred me back to Lippert under the supplier/ component clause of the warranty. Lippert provided BS, denial, red tape, and ultimatly wanted us to take it to the dealer and leave it until a Lippert tech arrived to repair the supports. No time frame would be provided, it may have sat there for weeks/months. I fixed those myself also. I sent a detailed email to Lippert about the entire bad experience and they actually responded to it, said I voided the frame warranty by fixing their garbage myself LOL.

Sadly, If you "run away" from anything with a Lippert frame, or Lippert anything else for that matter, you'll be running away from about everything out there. When the next Industry downturn happens, which it will, Lippert is going to be the first to go belly up and I for one am looking forward to seeing it happen.

Run away if it has a Lippert frame!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!aDon't ask me how I know.

wing_zealot wrote:

donn0128 wrote:
Keystone uses Lippert manufactured components. I suspect GD does too. There are only a couple of mfgs that dont use Lippert. Northwood Mfg is one of them.

Are you so naive as to think Lippert is selling sub-standard frames to manufacturers and the manufacturer is oblivious? If the manufacturer wants a more robust frames they can certainly get them, all they have to do is be willing to pay for them. Who manufactures the frame of no importance, the only thing that is important is what the specs say is to be delivered.

Never said or implied that. Lippert components is a huge conglomerant building and selling parts to the RV industry. Most frames are designed by tge trailer builder, welded together by a Lippert plant and shipped to the customer. Weak frames, who to blame? Most folks tend to blame Lippert, and I will admit there has been some shoddy welding in the past. But I tend to blame the mfg for accepting sub standard product.

cmeade wrote:
Our 2014 Alpine has aluminum frame. Not sure if it is the main frame or the vertical ones. Got the sticker by the entry door. Montanas did not have the sticker that we saw when shopping.

Your thinking of the aluminum wall structure not the steel frame the unit is built on.

Moderator edit to re-size picture to forum limit of 640px maximum width.

Our 2014 Alpine has aluminum frame. Not sure if it is the main frame or the vertical ones. Got the sticker by the entry door. Montanas did not have the sticker that we saw when shopping.

donn0128 wrote:
Keystone uses Lippert manufactured components. I suspect GD does too. There are only a couple of mfgs that dont use Lippert. Northwood Mfg is one of them.

Are you so naive as to think Lippert is selling sub-standard frames to manufacturers and the manufacturer is oblivious? If the manufacturer wants a more robust frames they can certainly get them, all they have to do is be willing to pay for them. Who manufactures the frame of no importance, the only thing that is important is what the specs say is to be delivered.

had a visit at our local rv repair yesterday. I asked for a frame inspection during the wheel bearing work as I do every summer. I said I look but nice for your guys to look also and he said it is important now because the frames are junk and the worse he has seen in the many years of selling and repairing.

chevman