Tweet
We are arriving at the GDRV campground today May 11, 2021 in the nick of time. Our 2021 Solitude 390rk is litterally giving out on us after less than 11 months of use. The warranty repair list is BIG and includes some dangerous issues. At the recommendation of GDRV we attempted to utilize mobile techs for a number of issues with unsatisfactory results. We felt our only safe option was to bring the rig back nearly 2000 miles across country to have the problems corrected directly by GDRV in Middlebury IN over the coming weeks at our great expense.
Our rig, for lack of a better term, is a "Covid Coach". Not due to the illness, we never contracted the virus and are fully vaccinated. Our rig was on the Solitude production line when covid hit and when GDRV had their shutdown our rig sat idle on the production line somewhere around the halfway completed point for over 2 months. It seems that the end result after production was finally completed was a less than ready to roll rig. It appears quality checks may have been missed when production resumed.
We traveled to Elkhart IN back in June 2020 to take delivery of our rig and unfortunately GDRV utilized a 3rd party for the PDI since their internal PDI was temporarily inactive due to covid. The 3rd party did not stand behind the committment they had with GDRV and we have been paying the price ever since. The 3rd party refused to correct the bigger issues and told us to get them fixed somewhere else or at the dealer. After we took possession of the rig we came to realize over time a quality PDI may have never actually occured.
Fast forward to today...literally! After innumerable emails, phone calls and many, many, many hours waiting on hold on the GDRV customer service line over the past 10 months we have amassed the below laundry list of warranty cases. Our CSR Jennifer was super helpful. Yes, GDRV customer service is a very good thing. Unfortunately, whether due to covid or otherwise the production and quality checks of our rig fell far short of expectations.
At this point in time our rig is very nearly unusable (and we are full-timers). We are interested in knowing if anyone else has had similar experiences with their GD Solitude rigs. And as far as the below list goes we would be extremely grateful if anyone can suggest any quick fixes so we can get by over the next 3 days until our GD service appointment. And finally if you are still reading after my long winded rant - Thank You!
Here's the outstanding warranty repair list...
1. Stove/oven propane line chafes and cuts open when slide out is operated. Propane gas fills RVs living space. Repair attempted by mobile tech unsuccessfully.
2. Propane line and regulators replaced at front of rig due to propane leaks in regulators and lines - to be safety inspected by Grand Design
3. Living room slide outs leave black marks and impressions on linoleum floor
4. Stove/oven Schwinn Tech slide out misaligned and operating extremely slowly and leaving impressions on linoleum floor. Microwave slide now showing signs of same issue.
5. Bubbles in paint on outside of rig, top rear behind/adjacent to stove slide out. Possible delamination.
6. Refrigerator not cooling properly on AC power (warms to +50 degrees when changed from lpg to electric)
7. Windows to be replaced (2) - over kitchen bar and over bedroom dresser drawers with knob issue
8. Replace window over bed which was scratched during production (customer has part)
9. Microwave fails to heat food sporadically.
10. Foreign object [possible screw from production] under linoleum on right side of bed.
11. LCI Jack's pop violently and system loses level sporadically not corrected after addition of antistiction fluid.
12. Shade for living room window needs replacement with identical style of shade (no silver coating on outside surface of shade) Original has holes in it from production.
13. Oven drawer(ball bearings fell out) needs replacement drawer or glide hardware replacement
14. 2nd from bottom pantry drawer, ball bearings fell out. Needs replacement hardware
15. Vent cover in kitchen ceiling defective
16.Under bed pull out drawer, out of alignment, won't close.
17. LCI jack pads bent (4 jack pads)
18. Strong Propane odor Inside rig everytime a Propane tank gets close to empty. Seems to only happen when the furnace is on. The propane odor appears to come in through all of the heater vents. Checked the outside heater exhaust vents and only one of them is blowing exhaust.
19. Stove slide failure: The stove slide out completely failed. Facing the stove from inside the kitchen the left side of the slide does NOT move when attempting to slide it out. Attempted manual override which did not fix.
20. Electrical Problem: Possible short somewhere related to the main control panel. No fuses appear blown. Many switches DO NOT function as follows:
1. Front awning
2. DS flood light
3. Awning light
4. Interior light
5. Porch light
6,7 & 8. All 3 tank heaters
9 & 10. Gas and electric water heaters
All panel monitor lights
All switches and monitor lights functioned properly prior to the 8 hr drive on 5/10/21.
Note: all switches that DO NOT function cause the water pump light to go out when they are switched or toggled to the ON position.
The only switches that DO function are as follows:
11 - 14. All 4 Slide room switches
15. Water pump switch
Our rig, for lack of a better term, is a "Covid Coach". Not due to the illness, we never contracted the virus and are fully vaccinated. Our rig was on the Solitude production line when covid hit and when GDRV had their shutdown our rig sat idle on the production line somewhere around the halfway completed point for over 2 months. It seems that the end result after production was finally completed was a less than ready to roll rig. It appears quality checks may have been missed when production resumed.
We traveled to Elkhart IN back in June 2020 to take delivery of our rig and unfortunately GDRV utilized a 3rd party for the PDI since their internal PDI was temporarily inactive due to covid. The 3rd party did not stand behind the committment they had with GDRV and we have been paying the price ever since. The 3rd party refused to correct the bigger issues and told us to get them fixed somewhere else or at the dealer. After we took possession of the rig we came to realize over time a quality PDI may have never actually occured.
Fast forward to today...literally! After innumerable emails, phone calls and many, many, many hours waiting on hold on the GDRV customer service line over the past 10 months we have amassed the below laundry list of warranty cases. Our CSR Jennifer was super helpful. Yes, GDRV customer service is a very good thing. Unfortunately, whether due to covid or otherwise the production and quality checks of our rig fell far short of expectations.
At this point in time our rig is very nearly unusable (and we are full-timers). We are interested in knowing if anyone else has had similar experiences with their GD Solitude rigs. And as far as the below list goes we would be extremely grateful if anyone can suggest any quick fixes so we can get by over the next 3 days until our GD service appointment. And finally if you are still reading after my long winded rant - Thank You!
Here's the outstanding warranty repair list...
1. Stove/oven propane line chafes and cuts open when slide out is operated. Propane gas fills RVs living space. Repair attempted by mobile tech unsuccessfully.
2. Propane line and regulators replaced at front of rig due to propane leaks in regulators and lines - to be safety inspected by Grand Design
3. Living room slide outs leave black marks and impressions on linoleum floor
4. Stove/oven Schwinn Tech slide out misaligned and operating extremely slowly and leaving impressions on linoleum floor. Microwave slide now showing signs of same issue.
5. Bubbles in paint on outside of rig, top rear behind/adjacent to stove slide out. Possible delamination.
6. Refrigerator not cooling properly on AC power (warms to +50 degrees when changed from lpg to electric)
7. Windows to be replaced (2) - over kitchen bar and over bedroom dresser drawers with knob issue
8. Replace window over bed which was scratched during production (customer has part)
9. Microwave fails to heat food sporadically.
10. Foreign object [possible screw from production] under linoleum on right side of bed.
11. LCI Jack's pop violently and system loses level sporadically not corrected after addition of antistiction fluid.
12. Shade for living room window needs replacement with identical style of shade (no silver coating on outside surface of shade) Original has holes in it from production.
13. Oven drawer(ball bearings fell out) needs replacement drawer or glide hardware replacement
14. 2nd from bottom pantry drawer, ball bearings fell out. Needs replacement hardware
15. Vent cover in kitchen ceiling defective
16.Under bed pull out drawer, out of alignment, won't close.
17. LCI jack pads bent (4 jack pads)
18. Strong Propane odor Inside rig everytime a Propane tank gets close to empty. Seems to only happen when the furnace is on. The propane odor appears to come in through all of the heater vents. Checked the outside heater exhaust vents and only one of them is blowing exhaust.
19. Stove slide failure: The stove slide out completely failed. Facing the stove from inside the kitchen the left side of the slide does NOT move when attempting to slide it out. Attempted manual override which did not fix.
20. Electrical Problem: Possible short somewhere related to the main control panel. No fuses appear blown. Many switches DO NOT function as follows:
1. Front awning
2. DS flood light
3. Awning light
4. Interior light
5. Porch light
6,7 & 8. All 3 tank heaters
9 & 10. Gas and electric water heaters
All panel monitor lights
All switches and monitor lights functioned properly prior to the 8 hr drive on 5/10/21.
Note: all switches that DO NOT function cause the water pump light to go out when they are switched or toggled to the ON position.
The only switches that DO function are as follows:
11 - 14. All 4 Slide room switches
15. Water pump switch
Comment