Recreation by Design 5th Wheel reviews

We had a 42 foot Alpine, and traded it in on this one, as we planned to travel more and the ease of smaller unit appealed to us. We are retirees, and hoped this would be our 6th and final RV. What a mistake!!! Nothing but problems from the start. First trip (end of September) my feet froze while doing Dishes....the wind was very noticeable under the sink and cabinets. The dealer said the furnace needed a fresh air intake from inside the trailer.... but, the wind was coming in when we were NOT using the furnace! They fixed with spray foaming all the "holes". The sliding door in the bedroom continued to come off the rails every time we moved. There was a freezer tray missing, and the fridge made a God awful noise every time it kicked in! We were told all these noises were normal, yet, never experienced in the 5 other Brand new units we owned! Also, the flimsy little plastic bar that was to hold the fridge doors closed, just bent, and allowed the door to open several times. They offered to "sell" us a latch (are you kidding me!?) We finally fixed it ourselves with a latch used to babyproof cupboard doors!Although equipped with a solar panel, the hot water on demand makes it difficult to boon dock as you use a half tank of water for it to get warm depleting water supply, and filling tanks! There was a screw under the lino in the bedroom, that we fortunately caught soon enough that a hole was not created. Although our vehicles receive radio reception - the indoor radio does not receive anything! Our next trip was to Southern USA in February. We had been on the road for over a week, but it was when we got to California that it was warm enough to just have the screen door open. That s when we noticed the door was falling apart. It was progressively getting more and more difficult to close, and at times it took two of us to actually close it! The bottom corner of the door was cracked, peeling was being hid behind the plate of the screen door. Long story short it took THREE (3) doors before they finally got it right.....and it still is giving us grief. Doesn't close properly. The table had to be replaced because it started cracking.....obviously they stained it prior to it being properly dried. Grand Design finally, in good faith, gave us an additional 6 months warranty - but as this was granted in October, it would run out before we actually got to use the trailer again, so really, was it in good faith? Not! I know there are law suits regarding the frames of some of the models....although our unit isn't listed in the law suit yet, I'm sure it is the problem with the door not closing properly. In any case, I know it wont be our last RV, but will steer very clear of Grand Design, and really any dealership that sells them as our experience with the dealer was about as good as with the manufacturer. Good luck! Show less

Save your money and buy a different brand, I understand things fall apart while your towing your camper, but for them to use 1/8” staples to attaché trim moldings and self taping screws to hold in the fuse box that completely fell apart while towing is a joke. We are now dealing with roof leaks and dry rot, woke up to a puddles of water in the bedroom, called an RV repair guy and he went up on the roof and there are bubbles everywhere, the roof is separating from the membrane, by the way the roof was serviced by the dealer 5 months ago, and they said its all good, now certain spots your foot will go through if you stepped hard enough! Should have bought the Jayco, the $8K difference is well worth it! We’ll see what’s next! But what a lemon. And no customer service department will not do a damn thing. Show less

This camper is three years old! The bedroom window frame is falling in, it isn't covered by the warranty, the refrigerator died over the weekend, this is the second refrigerator in this rig. They did replace the bathroom faucet for customer service reasons. I am so disappointed with this company. This is my second Grand Design, I upgraded from a 2017 Reflection because of the quality. This one is pure crap and I am so disappointed. I spent a lot on this and every weekend I wonder what next? Show less

After having a great 9 years with my grand design reflection I made the mistake of trading it in on a new solitude. They are allowing lippert to put sub par equipment in their RV's. The tankless water heater(Furrion) had to be replaced at 6 months, I have been without a fridge(12 volt furrion) for 2 months. Dealerships don't even want to mess with them, Lippert is holding them up for getting parts now that I finally got it in . Also having problems with the tank valves which I never had in 9 years with the reflection. I bought a $147,000. lemon, never again. Grand design has went downhill and is no longer deserving of their previous reputation Show less

If you're thinking about buying a Grand Design RV—don’t. I trusted this brand, and by extension, Winnebago Industries. I believed I was investing in quality, reliability, and peace of mind. Instead, my Momentum 397 has been a constant source of frustration—frame flex, upper deck separation, and a manufacturer that refuses to take real responsibility. The “repairs” they offer are nothing more than temporary patches. The problems keep coming back. I’ve tried escalating—respectfully, professionally—even CC’ing Grand Design CEO Don Clark. They didn’t help. They blocked my emails. And now, they’ve blocked me on Facebook too—because they don’t want real customers telling the truth. Saturday, I refused delivery of my camper. It’s already on its way back to Indiana. I was explicitly clear: the unit was to return spotless. Instead, it came back in worse condition than when it left. Here’s the reality: Paint: More defects than before, especially in the phylon area. Phylon: Scratched beyond belief—it was flawless before Grand Design touched it. Cleanliness: Metal drill shavings on the floor, sawdust throughout the unit (even in the rear sink), and someone stood on our mattress with shoes. TV & Mounting: The main TV was loose during transit, bouncing around and damaging the mount. Caulking: Sloppy, rushed, and careless. Missing in spots, globbed in others, smeared all over. Water Intrusion: Water in the front compartment near the batteries—clear negligence. This is appalling. I trusted Grand Design with my camper, and instead of being repaired to a higher standard, it was returned in a condition that’s flat-out insulting. If this is the level of detail on visible items, how can I trust that the actual repairs were done correctly? I’ve taken extensive photos documenting every issue and will be sending them in multiple emails. At this point, we have a serious problem. I expect a conference call Monday with every responsible party—including Don Clark and, if necessary, the CEO of Winnebago. No excuses. And to top it off, a Grand Design dealer offered me $49,000 on trade for a unit with an MSRP of $185,000. That’s how little they value their own product. This isn’t just my story—it’s happening to others too. Grand Design knows it. Winnebago knows it. But they’re not stepping in. We deserve better. Show less

Overall have been very disappointed with the quality of our Reflection 303 RLS. We have had drawers fly out when we are driving, the refrigerator doors open on numerous occasions, the shower wheels brake and the worst is our sofa couch. You cannot sleep on it without a wedge. I was very fortunate to find Otis Bedding that was able to make me a wedge where my family can now sleep comfortably. I highly recommend reaching out to them if you have this travel trailer. Show less

We have owned one of these for 6 years and never had an issue, only 4 stars on factory warranty because never used that service. We traveled around the western states every winter and truly enjoyed living in this model. We brought our bicycles and my husband's motorcycle and were able to enjoy them many places. Show less

I absolutely love this unit. It is the second Fifth Wheel I have owned and I like everything about it. The Floor Plan is perfect for our needs. The quality is generally quite good and it is extremely comfortable. Hooking up and unhooking for either a short or extended stay is very easy and without stress. It generally drives as if it were not even there but I do maintain lower speeds in compliance with the 65 mph speed limitation for RV tires. Show less

Although I was able to purchase thd rv, the seller was respectfull, direct and punctual. The rv was emaculate insidd and out. The tires and tow package are in great condition. I fealt at home inside with quality furniturd and aplliances. I would recommend it to anyone thats able to buy it. Take a look for yourself. Show less

We have owned this camper since November 2021 and bought used. We have used this camper 12 times now and had a different issue but once on each trip. First trip, the fridge had a bad wire so could not use. A trip this year, they ran the volume meter wire directly into the grey tank and a screw just outside the tank went into the tank causing a leak. Where i live there is only one grand design dealer so I'm stuck buying parts from them. Ordered a new garage door and ir comes without a lock. No where online could I find details about that. The lock cylinder from the old door is not usable so now I'm forced to order another. I would not recommend buying any camper but especially a grand design. Expensive and not built well at all. Show less