Grand Design Solitude reviews

Review of My 2023 Grand Design Solitude 378MBS: Buyer Beware I purchased my 2023 Grand Design Solitude 378MBS in February 2023 from General RV in Huntley, Illinois. Initially, I noticed minor issues like trim pieces falling off the slides, which I considered typical for an RV. However, by May 2023, significant problems began to surface. My bedroom door frame came completely unhinged from the passenger side wall, and the front bedroom slide started rubbing the floor, leaving wood shavings behind after each trip. I naively thought these issues were normal. As summer approached, I noticed excessive rust on the frame and treated it with Rust-Oleum. Later in 2023, the mid-deck screws began to self-tap out of the passenger side wall. I screwed them back in, again thinking this was normal. By January 2024, my entire slide mechanism failed. When I contacted Grand Design's warranty department, they dismissed my claim. However, a mobile tech in Camp Verde, Arizona, confirmed the motor wasn’t installed properly from the factory and that my bedframe was falling apart. While the tech replaced the slide rails and motors under warranty, I have yet to be reimbursed for the labor expense, despite providing receipts. In March 2024, while traveling from Camp Verde, Arizona, to Mississippi, I lost my roof on the highway. The front membrane separated from the front cap despite my regular maintenance and inspections. Grand Design's warranty department initially gave me the runaround, requesting details down to the brand of lap-sealant used on the roof. It wasn’t until I posted pictures on their social media page that I received a response. Jessica from their social media department helped cover the roof repair under warranty, and I had a Flex Armor roof installed in June 2024. However, I am still waiting to be fully reimbursed for my nearly $1,000 hotel stay during the repair. At the end of June 2024, I discovered a Facebook page discussing Frame Flex and Failure. Upon investigating my Solitude, I found symptoms of frame flex, including front slide failure, roof delamination, and interior damage. Testing revealed over a half-inch deflection of the mid-deck. Further inspection showed that two of the three lag bolts on the passenger side were loose, and the bolts used were the wrong size—3/8 instead of 1/2 inch. Despite notifying Grand Design and requesting an SRT unit to meet me in South Dakota, I was told my unit was safe to tow. After discovering the lag bolt issue, I lost all faith in Grand Design. Lippert, the chassis designer, failed to properly coat the frame, leading to excessive rust far beyond what should be expected in a 2023 model. Despite my efforts to maintain the frame, the rust continues to spread, suggesting a very thin layer of paint was applied over an already rusting frame from the factory. To make matters worse, my front slide is beginning to fail again. There is a crack down the side wall internally, directly underneath the slide, and it makes a lot of cracking sounds when pushing the slide in and out. When the slide is fully retracted, it rubs along the floor, exacerbating the damage. An SRT unit is scheduled to come out in August, but given the numerous negative reports, I have little faith in their ability to address the root cause. I paid over $131,000 for this RV and strongly advise others to reconsider all their options before purchasing a product from Grand Design. Show less

Highest quality and livability. Construction of the 5th wheel is second to none. Lots of storage and lots of comfort. This camper travels well over the highway and isn't bothered by gusts of wind. The braking system is excellent giving great peace of mind. Show less

2020 Grand Design Solitude was perfect for our full-time living with kids. Large living room with 2 slide-outs and giant windows, large kitchen with island, 2 bedrooms (one fits a king size mattress) the other we converted to a bunk room, lots of storage, washer & dryer, large fresh water and gray tanks - all these made it comfortable for full time living and traveling. We got a nice solar setup and a generator and were able to boondock for over a week at a time. Lots of great memories! The 2020 model is also great because it is fairly new but still pre-pandemic so the quality is there. Show less

We purchased a 2021 ST382WB-R full paint, generator, disk breaks. Trailer looks great but that unfortunately is not the story. Window in living room shattered and then window in entrance door shattered. Both replaced by Grand Design. The trailer springs after 1 year became flat - took months to get replacements then GD only sent enough springs for one Axel. Took months to get from GD, these are Dexter Axels and I found them within 100 miles from my home - no good needs to come from GD. First trip out converter failed - we were parked in RV Park and I had to pay service call and I did get paid back for repair and unit. Front floor squeaks horribly and have been trying for all 3 years to get this fixed. Slide in bedroom floor had water damage and took in for repair and dealer sent pictures but I am out $2400 - this trailer is covered with RV Cover when not in use - less than 6,000 miles on trailer. Prior trailer I had almost 20 years without water damage. Now wood over dining slide fell off - damaged center island - nailed in with less than 1/4 of nail holding wood. All 3 trims over other slides are lose. This trip window in entrance door fell out on highway - hope no one was damaged or injured - seems dealer did not install replacement with inside bracket. Oh, microwave not working properly. Forgot switch that runs inverter that has rubber like cover has failed. Best part, call GD you will get a very nice person but be prepared to wait an hour of so. Guess I am not the only unsatisfied customer trying to get issues handled. This trailer cost well over $100,000 so not bottom basement trailer. I will not purchase another GD! Show less

This 5th wheel was very easy to pull with a F350 Diesel. The design with front living room is able to support 6 people. The couches make out into queen beds with a large curtain separating the front living area from the rest of the trailer. The half bath makes it nice for the people in the front and not disturb the people in the rear. The 5th wheel has solar panels, generator, residential size refrigerator, ice maker and washer and dryer. Show less

This model has exceptional storage capability. I like the distinct separation of each of the rooms especially separating the kitchen from the living area. The 5 slide-outs are deep and wide which is what makes a 5th wheel so much better than a motorhome. Show less

Beautiful rig, lots of storage very nice kitchen. Zero mechanical issues and maintenance is simple to work. This is an exceptional rig for a couple and for fun for families out for any occasion. A four season rig ready for full time living or weekend trips. It’s a home on wheels!!! Show less

This RV is very spacious, homely, and kid friendly. It has a large living space, great storage inside and out. The kids love having their own space and storage. The outside storage is very large and spacious for traveling with the whole family and pets. Show less

We bought this coach after selling our home. We split our time between locations that included this RV. The layout is amazing and very comfortable for two people and a pet. You can have privacy, but you can also entertain comfortably. We added a dishwasher in the spacious kitchen and a washer/dryer in the bedroom, making all the difference. Regardless of the season, the Arctic package made it comfortable, and the quality of the construction gave us confidence that we were safe. We never had issues with towing or the weather. The windows and in-kitchen dining overlooking the living room made it feel like you were watching sports at a stadium. We set up two offices, and that worked great! We would keep it, but we're headed to our next adventure by boat! Show less

I bought this rv for living. It was two years old when I bought it. I had it maybe a year when the black tank fell. At the time I was not traveling, good thing. It cost me $1500 to fix it. Not even a year it fell again. More money to fix it. This time the tech put angle iron under it to hold it up. So far that worked. But he left it open under there to come back and check on it. Good thing because every now and then it leaks just a little. Now that’s not even all of it. The smell is horrible. We have tried everything we can to keep the smell down. We have to flush the tank every three days. My bath room closet always smells. The only thing that hasn’t been checked is the vent. Needless to say, I will never buy a Grand Design trailer. So disappointed in this trailer. Grand design is supposed to be the top of the line. Never again Show less