RVlivingfulltime.com says:
Morning Jeff,
I have been doing some research on Grand Design Products. A couple of things:
1. They have been around since 2012 and were independently owned until 2016
2. In 2016 they were bought by Winnebago
3. Winnebago does not have a great reputation for Quality, in my estimation. As an example, Newmar was recently acquired by Winnebago and a lot of motorhome RVers shuttered as they felt that the well established Newmar quality as a high end motorhome would suffer. I am not sure that has come to fruition as yet, but the acquisition was not looked upon favorably.
4. The roofs on Grand Design Fifth Wheels are TPO fabric material. In my experience this type of roof covering is very common in the RV industry but is not of the level of quality as a fiberglass roof.
5. They appear to have good insulation quality and the primary construction material in terms of beams and supports is aluminum. The roof trusses are wood.
6. This link is a couple years old but gives a lot of detail on the construction characteristics. https://familyrvingmag.com/2018/12/01/grand-design-solitude/
It is a pretty favorable review.
7. I don’t know, at this point, where you are planning to go in your fifth wheel and how extreme the climates are going to be. The answers to these questions are pretty important as they should dictate how important things like insulation R factors and dual pane windows are. In the “Choosing Your RV/trailers” section in the Blog, i have a link to an article on RV insulation. If you haven’t done so, i would read the entire section on trailer “Budget and Construction” then do some comparison to the Grand Design.
In conclusion:
1. After doing some research and general reading, I think that I would rate the Grand Design Fifth Wheel Product as “upper middle of the road”. It is not top quality, but neither is it near the bottom.
2. As with any RV a lot of the reviews mention issues with the dealership that sold them. I would suggest that you do some research on any dealership that you are contemplating using. As about their warranty service, time frames for repair, delivery process etc.
3. As with any RV, you are bound to find groups of owners who are thrilled with their purchase and those that are very disappointed. It is always a challenge to walk away from reading articles and reviews with your own meaningful opinion.
I hope that I have given you some things to think about as you contemplate your decision. As you have some time, I would look at alternatives and do a lot of comparisons. I give you some really specific pointers on what to look for and compare in the Blog articles on “Choosing an RV”
Best regards,
Lee
RV Living Full Time