Buy a goose neck 5th wheel trailer and remount the living quarters on top. But no matter what you have as an RV the 7 to 10 year life is standard. Older than that no RV Parks want you. Though some top quality motor homes are good for 15 years. I rent a 7 bedroom/5 bath house with 4 car garage on 23 acres in Costa Rica for $153 a month. Any problems are the responsibility of the landlord.. Such a good deal I paid the taxi driver that found this $500. Best view of anywhere I ever lived. Great neighbors so travel Internationally 6 months a year with no fears. I haven't used a teaspoon of gas in 12 years. House is all electric. And with the minimum temperature of 54F and high of 87 no heating or air conditioning needed. Electric is $12 to $15 a month which includes charging my 2 electric scooters. Water/sewer/ trash is $5 a month, WIFI $12, cellphone $6. Health insurance paying 100% is $60 a month for both wife and self, so to hell with Medicare B that pays only 80% and only for myself. Far more Freedom and better lifestyle here than anyone living in the US could imagine.
Clearly, you guys are more knowledgeable about these things than I am. However, I feel that these issues are not totally unexpected. After all, you did buy a Grand Design; in my opinion, a company operated by hucksters and duplicitous bait and switch manipulators. In researching my next RV purchase, I called its customer service department several times. It's regrettable that I never received a straight answer on any of those occasions. Needless to say, I bought from a different manufacturer; my 5thW hasn't been perfect, but it has never failed to the extent your GD has. You folks seem like good people. I wish you the best of luck getting things sorted out and repaired.
What did you end up with? It seems like every brand is either the worst or the best depending on who you talk to. To be fair GD has a lot of units out there so obviously your going to see more issues.
Roger, many people have said GD is not what it used to be - we bought in 2019 and had great customer service. What brand did you buy? And thank you for the compliment and well wishes, Alice
Thanks guys for sharing all of this. Our first 5th wheel we had was totaled 7 yrs ago due to hail damage. With our 2nd 5th wheel it’s been “so far, a okay”. Have a great New Years🎉🎉
Within 30 days we got a brand new trailer! When we had to turn in the old trailer for salvage, we did not take our upgrades off the "salvage". They sold our old trailer for "parts salvage" and we regret not taking some of our upgrades off before we let her go.
Hey man understand let it be gone you going to buy new shitt for your new one so what is the difference I mean yeah well my husband could have installed it let the professionals install . Most companies in America been doing the same thing for many many years it's the ones that are just opening up business that's how you figure out life.
Buy a lot, buyvit back from insurance, park that rig on blocks, making it a non movable home base, cash out the insurance and buy a driving rv of your dreams, best of both worlds. 😊
It's unfortunate, but trying to fix it and then having to deal with it again later, is worse. I have a class A CDL, so to me, it doesn't matter what I drive. Someday, it might matter to us. But for now, if our rig was totaled, I would get the same thing. More than likely, another Montana. It's not perfect, but none of them are. And sadly, Grand Design has also suffered since it was sold. I hope 2024 is a Happy New for you guys.
It has been a hassle for sure. Ours is a 2017 so pre-pandemic built. But still, looked nice but stuff fell off our first trip. Thank you. We hope you have a great New Year, Alice
Thank you again for sharing! Living in these full time definitely puts them to the test! You are helping a lot of people by posting these (hopefully that is some small comfort). We have had every RV there is (pop ups, 5th Wheel, TT, Van). While we haven't gone for more than a few weeks at a time we, like everyone out there, have an opinion. We loved our driveable and tried to get a high quality unit. Our experience was great....however.....adding in drive-train and other automotive issues into the normal mix of RV experience was too much for us. Since we lost our tow vehicle as a back up we returned to the towable world. I don't want to start a firestorm but we went with an Airstream (our second). They tow great, have no slide outs, are repairable (everything in there went in via the door and can come out)......and an Airstream lasting 40 years is routine. Anyways more great content!!! We wish you the best on all fronts and hope the new year is the best yet for you!!
Thank you. Yeah. Airstreams have a loyal following. Slides do have issues , but give you more room. Live in it for a few months , it may seem to small then 😉 Again, thanks for sharing your thoughts. Happy New Year, Alice
its funny to say , but i purchased at auction in oklahoma last month a MPG 2700 toy hauler for the auction, and it had the same damage as your trailer, ! got the trailer for 4500.00 . and went to work on the repairs, took it home to az. on a low boy truck , (friends rig) , place it on a reline frame strengther, and pulled it down back to original position, . welded the crack, installed a flat iron inside the channel of the frame , to strengthen the frame. the major thing to do next is im moving the axle position on the trailer. the front axle will stay there in same position but the 2nd axle is being moved back 3 feet. its going to be alot of work , but this is what is wrong with trailers with a large overhang on the trailer, and this is why, your trailers frame cracked, LONG OVERHAND OF THE REAR AXLE, ! VERY BAD DESIGN! ALSO THE REFRIGERATORIS BEING UPGRADED TO A 20 CU.FT.S/S HOUSE UNIT WITH FRENCH FREEZER. INSTEAD OF THE 10CU.FT.
Interesting. We definitely believe the frames on RVs are poorly designed. Our RV was termed “extended stay” which means months of extra weight. But they didn’t upgrade the frame. Plus, the loaded it with unnecessary heavy wood features. The whole industry needs an overhaul, Alice
Don’t go to a tv place to fix it. Go to a recommended welder let them take the axles of and straighten the rail then ad a 1/4 inch strip on the rail. It will double the forche it can handle while driving through potholes and off road. Everytime I go out with my rv when on side I check the rail just in case but I have already reengineered the rail for heavier use so no problems there. And yes the frames or rails get lighter every year when using the rv full time up grade the rv and yes it can be expensive but the end is better pay for it now before your rv gets totaled by insurance and they only pay 40% of new one
Ben, thanks for the advice. However, we took it to Texas Trailers. They build custom trailers for big rigs and are expert welders. It was NOT and RV place. But it’s a moot point. Insurance marked our RV “salvage” Alice
After much research I decided against buying a RV trailer. I decided on a GMC Denali 1/2 ton and a cargo trailer. Trailer holds an ATV and motorcycle, tools etc. We stay in upscale hotels while traveling and resorts when we get to our destination. We enjoy traveling the country and my wife doesn't mind driving. It allowed us to keep our two homes so we have a place to come back to when we feel the need. It works for us.
My son was selling tools and had an account at a very large family owned RV dealership. One day, the owner shows up in the tool truck and my kid starts asking about buying a small travel trailer. The owner say, "do yourself a favor. Buy the best cargo trailer you can afford and build the inside to whatever you need it to be. Don't buy one of these pieces of crap. It is waste of money". After a 1/4 century of RVing, I LOLed when he told me the story.
I have Progressive Insurance and travel 6-8 months of the year. I look forward to more information on proper insurance coverage. Your videos are informative, real life and experiences. Look forward to more videos. Also, I am considering a property with a tiny house and selling my current residence.
Our friend Marc from Grand Adventure did a video about insurance. He said that if you travel more than 150 days, you are considered full time? So, I would look into it. We are hunting for property and mobile homes now
We had a “cabin” in Colorado. It was a 399 sq ft park model that had a 400 sq ft addition built on it. It had 1.5 bath and had a Murphy bed in the built on Colorado room and a dedicated laundry room. We lived in it 5-6 months every year. It was perfect for the 2 of us. We had sold our 40 ft fifth wheel and our cabin was perfect. I wouldn’t hesitate to have that setup again. The only thing we would need for full time living there would be a big shop for my husband’s piddling. We had a 10x16 storage/shop but that wasn’t big enough. New park models are beautiful. We sold last year for a Class C. We won’t go back to a fifth wheel.
We have a similar size Grand Design (2021 Solitude S2930RL). I added the cross member that goes between the center hangers a couple of years ago. I thought about Sumo springs but never purchased them. Since we don’t full time the only upgrade I may do is MorRyde independent suspension (if we ever decide to travel to Alaska). This is our 3rd 5th wheel and definitely the beefiest frame/running gear, but given the roads in the US, likely still barely adequate. I do my own work on it (wheel bearings, brakes, etc.) and inspect it many times a year. It does have the V-braces in the axle hangers - thinking this will help with preventing bent hangers). MorRyde adds additional steel box under the frame before mounting their independent suspension. Thinking this combination would be much stronger and less prone to bending. BTW - my parents have a 2018 class C (Forrester 32 foot) that has a very nice layout and has been fairly easy to keep up (I do their repairs as well for them). Besides cabinet issues, fixing the top of their slides where a bolt was letting in water (fixed with removing bolts, sealing bolt areas with dicor and running a strip of eternabond - fixed for life) everything else has been solid. Driving a class C is not as relaxing to meas towing our 5th wheel with our Diesel 1 ton - lack of power (6.8L V10 vs our 6.7L diesel), steering is not as confident past 60mph (known issues with all the van chassis - can be corrected somewhat with add-on stabilizers, and it is loud and noisy - always going to be an issue since everything happening in the box can be heard from the driver’s seat. Consider that when making a decision - my parents are in their 80’s and the class C for them is easier to maneuver and park, plus they drive slow and don’t drive long distances on travel days …. And their hearing is not great.
Mark, we can’t afford MorRyde. Larry did the new tires, bearings, oil and filter change - he does it all. He loves his 3500 Cummins longbed dually 😁He says it tows like nothing is behind him. Unfortunately, our priority has become getting a homebase for many reasons. Thank you so much for the detailed information, Alice
Unfortunately, several models of RVs are suffering frame failures. Manufacturers are putting heavy bodies on very lightweight frames to save money. They hope customers are weekend warriors and don't travel much. Well, that is silly, but it happens. Full-time travel is where things go horribly wrong. Now your RV is a future hunting cabin and not safe for the road. Going into 2024, the industry is changing. Now they are starting to warranty for full-time living. Definitely consider Brinkley for your next RV as they warranty for full-time living.
Great insight. 👍 We have heard of Brinkley. But we are actually going to become half timers due to Larry’s Neuro disease. Luckily, we had insurance for full timers.
@@DownsizingMakesCents First of all, I apologize if come across as over critical or judgemental, just putting in my 2 cents after watching your other videos of how much/often you tow your rig. I own a 2023 GD 310GK and am interested in how this model holds up over time. With that said, I can tell exactly what caused the frame to bend. The Sumo bag didn't allow for full travel of the stock suspension, at some point, excessive downward (possibly blunt or repetitive) force was introduced to the left rear suspension, the Sumo bag acted as a stop, compromising the lower I-Beam plate......causing a weakness in the overall beam's integrity. Something similar happened on my tow vehicle (2021 F350 SRW). The 7500lb rear airbag experienced excessive force, bending the lower mounting bracket, pushing it into the rear assembly holding the brake lines. It eventually caused the brake line to fail and leak......lost my brakes going down the freeway in New Mexico. Thankfully I wasn't towing at the time and nursed it to the side of the road. I think the lesson here is that aftermarket suspension parts that are designed to add or enhance towing/handling characteristics can (and do) have adverse affects. Best of luck with your next unit, glad Progressive stepped up and covered the replacement cost. I also carry full comprehensive through Progressive so this is good to know. Happy and safe travels!
Your Sumo brings were a large part of the issue. Grand Design is having a huge 5-wheel frame issue on all it's models. Just watch other full time youtubers... They are ALL breaking. Grand Design in huge trouble. Stay away from Grand Design.
It's not just Grand Design, they all have had similar issues. A LOT of you tubers have Grand Design products so naturally you may see more of them with issues vs other brands. It's not they are any worse It's just there are more of them.
Unfortunately, most are built on frames not meant for the weight - even before an owner puts a glass in it. Most manufacturers use the same frame. It’s almost a monopoly.
Make sure it isn’t a lippert frame ever again. You will miss your 5th when you downsize. You will miss your nicer bathroom. Look at Northwood trailers. You will find they make trailers, fifth wheels and camper vans from the ground up. They are made in Oregon.
Dewey, You are so right. We do need to make that. But Larry is so picky about videos like that - lots of research - and we have been so busy looking for an RV and land. And we really want to wait until the insurance process is complete - do we really get the amount they said? Sorry we haven’t been able to get that out yet, Alice
Oh man guys! I am so sorry for the major trouble you are having with your home! I hope all goes smoothly with the insurance and you find a new home you are happy with. ❤
Hey Cat, wow we were blown away when we saw this comment. You were an inspiration when we embarked on our full time journey 4 years ago, Alice and I watched tons of your hikes in beautiful locations. I used your videos to help me convince Alice that selling everything, quitting our jobs to travel was a good idea. When we are at awesome locations like this last summer in 5 utah national parks, I tell Alice to do the CAT, pose and she knows exactly what I want. Thank you so much for your kind words an encouragement. Our journey on youtube has been a roller coaster, but now that we have over 50K subs, we are starting to hit our stride in figuring out what we want out of youtube. Thanks again, and hope to run into you on some awesome hike someday. Larry
@@DownsizingMakesCents I went from fifth wheel to bumper. Use new B&W continuum hitch. Pulls amazing without the wind resistance of the monster 5th wheel and weight. As you get older the monster is tougher to handle.
Do the Class C! A truck base makes a huge difference and the federal government has safety standards that apply to these types of vehicles that don't apply to TTs. We had major issues with our TT and switched to a class C. I would never consider another TT unless I built it myself from the ground up. Not to mention that you can get a smaller, more fuel efficient vehicle to tow along.
Get a Leisure Travel Van... We down sized from a 37 ft fiver, to a LTV, no slide, twin bed, and have never looked back... Also one of the best Quality Class C's.
I will buy it as salvage. Please let me know if you are interested. I supply temporary homes for those in need until they get on their feet, so it won't be going down the road other than to my lot. Thank you
Jay, We have no control over that. Once we move completely out of it, Progressive takes over. I think you would have to talk to them. I wish we could make it easier because it sounds like you are doing a lot of good 🤗 Alice
Yes it'll still make a very worthy home for someone that's not going to be traveling in it , just staying put. Whenever an insurance company totals these, they usually send them to insurance Auto auction. IAA.
Glad you got this looked at and at least now you know where you stand. I am with Alice on this one. I would go Class C, A, or B. After having both side we prefer drivable all the way. It really is a personal choice though. In the end they are all built the same. Good luck.
So sorry about your situation. We originally got our RV so we could take our 5 dogs with us on our many vacations. My boyfriend got 7 weeks and I became disabled and he said my new job was vacation coordinator. Anyhow we knew we could not retire in the current house he had so on our travels we searched for where we'd like to live. We went all over the country and chose the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas. Cost of living was low and we purchased our land several years ago while he was working full time. 7 Wooded acres with a view of the valley below, farmland and pastures with mountains in the distance. When he retired he sold his house. We had a steel building 100 xy 40 two story so we could fit our trailer and all the cars in our garage. We've been living in the camper so far two years since my BF is building the inside of our home himself. A little more than half is the house. The rest is garage. We don't plan on finishing the upstairs but we both love trains and saved all of our sons model train sets and scenery and we'll use the upstairs to play and build train sets when we can no longer travel far. In the two years we've been here we just love it and know we made the best decision of our lives to move and build here. We can travel whenever we want to and we're so happy in our little town of Yellville, Arkansas. We live a life with no traffic and no stress. Lots of land but such friendly neighbors in our little community where everyone knows everyone and loves it here as much as we do. You could buy land here reasonably low cost. You can put a tiny home on it and electric or do a steel building and live in our RV till you get the house part finished. Cost of living is so low here that we can live on our social security checks without having to dip into our retirement funds. One thing I would suggest is a travel trailer or smaller fifth wheel because occasionally we've been on trips when our diesel van broke down and Good Sam towed the trailer to a campground so we could stay comfortably in our own home while they towed the van to a diesel mechanic to fix. I wish you good luck. If you would like to contact me further you can visit my facebook page by Norma Peters in Yellville, Arkansas. We'd be happy to tell you all about where we live and how wonderful it is here and and how low the cost of living is. Plus it's in the middle of the country. We can go North, South, East and West from here. My son lives in Idaho Falls, he visits often and My BF's son lives in North Georgia. So we're kind of equal distance between the two. I wish you good luck with your situation. It's really nice to have a home base but be able to leave whenever you want too. In this part of Arkansas you are allowed to live in a camper. If the property you buy does not have electric already you just need to tell them that you need temporary electric on the property while you build your house.
Norma, thank you so much for your story. We really appreciate it. However, we need to stay near Gainesville, Florida. Larry has a rare Neuro condition and few drs specialize in it. So we need to be near UF Shands Hospital It sounds like you have a little slice of heaven there. Enjoy and Happy New Year, Alice
Personally being a welder, I would've went for the challenge of frame reinforcement, but I would've went overkill and used 4 in x 2 ft x 1 in steel plate and welded it to that entire section where it got bent after I bent it all back, however, if it's insured and you can get out of that old one that obviously has issues, then the only thing you need to do is figure out a good choice on the next RV, except, I can see the benefits with a class C being able to jump right in and go, but also keep in mind you would need to get a tow behind vehicle like a jeep wrangler to go anywhere in town, whereas, you already have the truck that is more than capable of towing a 5th wheel trailer and I can see why he would rather just buy the new 5th wheel. Personally I would side with him, because if I have to buy a new class C, you will also have to sell the truck and get the jeep and the truck is in my opinion a much better option.
Uh,oh. Another vote for Larry, a fifth wheel, and keeping his dually 😁 All great reasons. However, the reason I want a Class C is because of Larry’s health. Alice
Please see our very popular video on the importance of weighing at a Cat Scale. Also, the experts that had actually hands on the frame clearly stated what they thought happened. It wasn’t weight. It seems all too common to blame the RVer without all the facts
Our 2018 travel trailer was totaled by Progressive Insurance last year. We were rear-ended by a hit & run pickup truck while traveling down the highway at 60 mph. It happened so fast & he never got caught, so our Progressive policy took care of us. They were excellent in processing our claim!
I’m glad your insurance is covering it and I hope you come out on top, but I’m calling BS on not being repairable. I was a welder and log truck driver for almost 50 years. My 1991 Kenworth truck frame broke completely in half on one side and cracked the other side and was repaired for $5000 (not by me by a truck repair shop)and back on the road hauling 86,000 pounds loads in one week. That there could be straightened welded and inserted, just like they do semi trucks (like mine), and be way stronger than it was originally .
They said it could be fixed, but it would be cost prohibitive But that doesn’t matter - Progressive Insurance made the call. We can not tow it anywhere and it still be under insurance We do wish it was a different outcome. All our plans have changed. Thank you so much. Have a great New Year, Alice
The frame that you have on your truck the repair were made out of rivets you have to look through two doors you're looking through the door they're showing you you got to turn around and go behind them in the video and think okay if I'm there I'm going to look what's all this stuff here we only put it in there to travel so if this if this coach is flexing from all the weight that they're overloading this trailer with who knows. Here's what I want to know go take the trailer to a place where they can weigh the trailer and the truck and you in it and it shows it up on the wall how much at all weighs write it down go park your trailer take all the stuff out and then everything take out and bring it back to that same way yourself the truck and the dry trailer you'll be amazed on how much weight you've been driving around with just don't make a left hand turn and not judge your trailer going across a waterway and it falls off on one side that can that can screw it all up
I've seen so many stories of trailer frames cracking or breaking. There is nothing inherently wrong with the frames. The frame manufacturer builds them to the specs that the RV company provides. The RV manufacturers are just cutting costs by going with lighter frames, or putting more and more on the same frames, when they should be going with heavier ones. I wish a heavier frame was an option when you buy an RV.
There is most definitely something wrong with the frames or they wouldn't Crack. The specs need to be changed. RV manufacturers are like every other manufacturer, they are building everything with cheaper, poor quality materials and charging the consumer more.
14 years RVing, 158 years combined age old couple, not full timers. After 3 gas MH, a 31’ class C- no storage, 36’ class A dumped it @ 27K miles for six years of slide problems, a used 24’ class B+, ok rig. I just got sick of dual wheels slamming up & down on bridge abutment’s & listening to it creak, crack & pop all day long. A diesel air ride MH might take care of the noise & rattling ??. A MH means you have to buy a toad, 40k+ for new one, plus 5K to flat tow it. Bought two. We bought a new (2018) GD 36’ TT as snowbird nest, never towed it, too big. In 2022 bought a new one ton single axle Ford truck & a new 30’ TT (Flagstaff with torsion axles) tows like a dream. A new 26’ TT is now order now. Age says rig # 7 is last one & down sizing again is where we need to be now. Why not a 5th wheel for us? New knees & our safety said we didn’t want to climb stairs all day & height (wind resistance while towing). We now just talk in the truck & can hear each other with the music on. Let us know if you need anymore experiences. Safe travels. D & C We are going to go as long as health says we can’t!
D & C, wow. That’s a lot of experience and great info. We have owned a small travel trailer and a class B Travato in the past. Larry loved the feel of towing a fifth wheel so we shall see. But unfortunately, we need to focus on a homebase Have a great New Year, Alice
Harold, looks like we are leaning towards another fifth wheel. But the priority now a homebase so we have a place to vacate the RV. Then we get the check. Yes. Lots of comments about the insurance. We are waiting until we get confirmation about the money and give factual information, Alice
Denise, thank you. We try to “bounce back” before we video. Lots of channels might have filmed me crying in the truck 😁 but I try to hide that. We are looking at land and are excited for this new adventure- being half timers, Alice
I know you mentioned a class C on the video, but you may want to look at the smaller 5th wheels from Outdoors or Artic Fox trailers. My wife and i's next trailer will be an Artic Fox.
I agree with Alice. Larry a 30 ft. Class C on a Freightliner frame with a Cummins engine would be the smart choice. Freightliner frames are vastly superior to Class C's built on one ton chassis. Plus Alice could drive it.
If you get another 5th wheel get a Montana. My Uncle sells trailers and RVs for a living and said they are the most well made. Hope you guys find a new home or two soon! 💕
Jonny, thanks for the inside tip. We don’t know what will come first, the RV or the homebase. Thanks always for being along this craziness with us 🤗 Alice
This shows another RV failing that is not built to be repaired. No excuse, that given frequency of frame failures, that they can not be economically replaced. Probably a capable commercial truck repair facility could straighten and reinforce the frame. I would never trust an RV repair shop, and neither would Progressive trust such a repair. Regarding your replacement, "downsizing makes (cents)sense." Look at Ekko or Thor/Coachman copy. Sell your truck while there is a decent market left.
We didn’t go to an RV repair shop - they are custom trailer builders. Experts. But Progressive made up their minds that it will not be towable as soon as we said “bent and cracked frame.” We have no choice. Thanks for the new RV ideas. Have a great New Year, Alice
I'll be honest, I try hard to NOT poo in our RV. I use available campground and rest stop toilets. The reason is several, I don't think my husband should have to see poo when he empties the tanks and I don't want to smell poo inside the RV that I sleep in. It's a brand new RV and hasn't been used by others. Of course, if none are available then I will but prefer not to. Happy New Year!
Thank you, Patty, for explaining your view. I prefer my own toilet, my own bed, etc. hate using other toilets or staying at hotels. I don’t think Larry does a lot of watching while emptying the black 😁 Happy New Year, Alice
You ever weighed your RV the framework of most of these RVs are to light for the weight that they carry , it can be fixed I’m a welder and I have fixed a lot of steel frames so more than likely it can be fixed!
Insurance would not allow it be fixed. And yes. We weigh often. But frankly, those frames aren’t even meant to hold an empty RV. The Solitude had a lot of useless solid wood decorative pieces.
We had a 2019 Solitude 310 for four years and loved it. But I was always worried that the sides would quit working. This summer we traded for an Airstream 28 foot Pottery Barn and we have much less stress. We love your channel and have been watching from the start. I can attest that downsizing for us has been great.
That's a major adjustment.. I wondered why you capitalized Barf in the earlier video. Living up to his name now.. I would have tried some JB Weld on that cracked frame.. I'll lend you my trailer for a couple months.. Swing by California anytime for it. 😊 Good luck DMC
😁 Barf will be someone else headache as soon as we move out. Larry loves his JB Weld 😉 We will be right over - so clean the sheets 😆 Thanks for always making me laugh - especially when I need it 🤗
I'm so sorry for y'all. Am glad y'all are safe though! It's hard to believe that your grand design is in this bad of shape. Not including the bent and cracked frame. But I sure hope everything works out in your favor! Look forward to your next video. Wishing y'all a Happy New Year 🎉🥳😊
Donita, thank you so much. We are disappointed that so much is wrong with our rig. We really appreciate the well wishes - we need it 😁 Wishing you and yours the same for 2024, Alice
Raymin, RV manufacturing needs to get with the times and build full time rigs. Thanks for your input on the Super C - a bit out of our price range 😁, Alice
Tina, I wish we could avoid the island. But to get most of the other features we want, we are stuck with an island. All we can do as consumers is force the industry to get better. If it breaks, make them pay for it. They will only improve if it makes them money, Alice
I'm not a full-timer but we have a small travel trailer. For our vacation rig, I never want one with slides. All the extra room looks nice, but seeing all the sticking, leaking, and broken slide videos on RUclips make me think it may not be worth it. I've been with Progressive for my cars, motorcycle and RV for many years. I get junk mail from other insurers all the time trying to get my business but I'm happy with Progressive. (I got rear-ended once, and Progressive got there before the cops did!)
Progressive adjuster heard the words “cracked frame” over the phone and he was 99 percent sure it would be totaled. Why it broke? Cause and effect is complicated. It’s a combination of frame too weak for a heavy RV - before you even put a glass in it, the Sumos, the ditch (maybe because we didn’t see damage until after thousands of miles of bad roads) Alice
I have a 5th wheel and have the sumo springs. After watching your video it looks like they may have caused more damage than good. Just wondering if you ever contacted them and shared any photos with them. I’m second guessing myself now whether I should remove them or not. I would like your advice on this and good luck.
Larry spent an hour on the phone with Sumo people. We shared tons of pics. They said the location was a “coincidence” 🤔 But the experts who build custom trailers said it was definitely Sumo. We would have had less damage without them We can’t give advice, just share what happened to us
I live in the northeast so when it gets warmer I will be looking at my frame where the sumos ride and go from there. They have been on for 2 years but we are weekenders so probably 1000 miles with them. Thanks again
Good Mornig. Good Luck. PS I have the same switch and yes it does not turn off everthing. Does the Ins cover most of the things that go wrong. I had a RV that was totaled and the out come SUCKES. Jack
Jack, we got a more expensive policy and we are soo glad we did. This is the only time we have gone through the insurance. And it worked out great, Alice
There might be an answer in one of your previous videos but have you ever pulled your rig over a scale to measure how much cargo you are carrying? I’m just thankful this catastrophic frame failure didn’t cause you or anyone else injury. I wish you all the best in the New Year!
So sorry about your loss. After, I had a Frame Flex issue on my Montana 5th wheel, I started doing a little research and was blown away with how many Grand Design (solitude mostly) and Keystone (Montana) premium 5th wheel frame / flex failures are being reported on You Tube and on user forums. The frames, walls and suspensions are just not being engineered and / or built to handle these heavier trailers for real life use. In my case, I caught the issue early and repair was under warranty, but I constantly worry about it happening again and out of warranty. All the best on your next home on wheels.
Excellent point. Our GD is supposed to be for “ extended stay” which should mean it can carry more weight than a weekender. But frankly many of them can’t handle weight empty. There needs to be a complete overhaul of the industry Good luck with yours. Safe travels. And thank you. Alice
I would have like for you to elaborated more on what the insurance guy said about what should be in the insurance policy. Maybe make a separate video on that?
25 years ago I was offered a job from Progressive (I owned a couple insurance brokerage firms and camped 45-60 days a year). Progressive was to supply a Class A for me to travel to RV and Motorcycle Rally’s. I had younger children and the travel schedule was intense so I didn’t take the job but I would do it today in a heartbeat! Progressive totaled our 36’ rv in 2020 when a Derecho rolled our trailer a few times. Good luck on your next chapter!
Hey guys, I’m interested in the Solitude 310GK to travel around America. I’ve been watching all your frame problems and was wondering if it’s a problem with the Solitude line of 5th wheels?
I found this very helpful as we have been planning our retirement and full time RV travels for some time now. We did take the first step in acquiring a home base which is a deeded lot in a gated RV community on top of a ski resort that is really affordable. It's very quiet and almost empty during the 3 seasons there is no snow but also really fun when the ski resort is open. We have built some additional living space on our property and have our current RV covered with a steel structure that will accommodate anything up to 45' Lx 18' Wx 15.5' T. We have learned a ton about RV living in the winter ;-). Our plans are to own at least one more piece of property, hopefully 2 so we can triangulate our travels across the country when the time is right but finding property zoned for recreational use with utilities on premise has been difficult. Thanks for sharing!
Wow. You are definitely ahead of us. And we will be happy if we find ONE homebase 😁 You guys have it made. Enjoy all the fun. And thank you for watching and sharing your experience, Alice
Well I can tell you what happened if you pulled thing into a ditch or across anything it's on level you're going to twist a frame there's no way out of it I've been dealing with the stuff for 47 years and I know what happened You've got nothing off level You cannot get those fifth wheels off level it will twist a frame
Great information on your travels and unfortunately the end of the 5th Wheel. Would be great information if you post a video about RV Insurance. I have a Class A Diesel Pusher that is Mid-Range. Same issues as everyone else when first purchased with warranty issues. Majority fixed but still have those mystery screws show up or minor glitch with something. I am also insured with Progressive as I have a good friend who also works as an Adjustor for Boats/RV/Motorcycles. I added extra insurance as needed just in case to make sure if this is every a total loss that I can purchase another one. I think that is one of the biggest overlooked items on insurance is to have Gap insurance to cover for a replacement model if totaled. By far Progressive has been the best so far. Keep up the great videos and information. I agree with the Hubby. Rent something and try it out for several weeks. This will help greatly on making that decision. don't
Jose, a lot of comments wanting an insurance video - we are putting it together. Progressive so far is great - don’t have the agreed amount in writing yet 😁 I’d love a Class C, but we really need a homebase. Then hopefully get a new RV to travel this summer, Alice
Solitude can mean uninhabited! Lol That’s just the kind of RV they build nowadays. I downsized to a tiny home and a small RV . Less hassles than hauling a home around in my opinion. Thanks for sharing your up’s and downs . 😁👍
It was great discussing your trailer's situation with you, and we're glad to have clarified the misunderstanding regarding the SumoSprings. As we saw from the boondocking incident you referenced again in this video at 1:29, where you got your trailer stuck in a ditch, the damage was unrelated to our product. Thank you for posting that video and showing when the damage occurred: ruclips.net/video/6De4mk2zJwY/видео.html At SSI we are committed to ensuring the best experience with SumoSprings and are here to support our community. Our products are rigorously tested to ensure they do not cause harm to trailer frames. In fact, SumoSprings are designed to reduce g-force and vibration by nearly 70%, which typically helps in extending the lifespan of trailers by preventing premature wear. The material we use, microcellular urethane, is specifically chosen for its shock-absorbing properties, and it's highly unlikely to exert the kind of force that could damage steel trailer frames. Thanks for bringing this to our attention and allowing us to address it together. -Justin
Justin, Sorry for late reply. You attached a link to your comment - which I have set for going into the “spam” folder. So I just found it. I am surprised you watched and commented on our video since in our hour long phone call with you, you basically told us to go ahead and make the video about the situation. You felt confident in your product? The expert welder/ custom frame builders saw the same video you “claim” is “evidence”. THEY were also hands on the frame - unlike you. They stated in the video - sorry you missed that? - that in their expert opinion, Sumo Springs caused the problem. Now, we are not the only RVers that feel Sumo Springs caused damage. Did they all have the exact rig as us, exact situation as us? I don’t think so. Someone in the comments said Grand Design was voiding warranty if you install Sumo Springs? Is that true? But thanks for watching and commenting. Alice
@@DownsizingMakesCents Alice, We watch a lot of videos that are posted about our products as we like to stay in tune with the market and how our customers are using our products. The conversation myself and our engineering manager had with you guys concluded with both parties under the understanding that there is no physical way the SumoSpring could have had anything to do with the damage on your trailer frame. You and your husband explained to us the severe bind the trailer was exposed to when it was accidentally stuck in the ditch while on the way to your boon-docking site. We pointed out to you how there was zero damage to the SumoSpring and continued to explain to him the failure point that is engineered into the product - the mounting bracket. As you will recall, under extreme load, they are engineered to buckle before causing further damage. Your photos indicated there was zero stress to the brackets or the SumoSpring which clearly reveals the frame was buckled under pressure and twist from the situation it was put in and not from a force provided by the SumoSpring. I would caution loosely throwing around "expert opinion" when the said expert has zero proof, nor has done any testing to arrive at this conclusion, we didn't miss that. It doesn't require hands on observation to see exactly what happened with the evidence you have provided. Understanding the make up of SumoSpring product, microcellular urethane foam, which we explained to you guys does not have the ability to exert enough pressure to bend steel. Feel free to share my contact with your expert so we can speak a little more about the product and how he may be mistaken. To date, there has been zero proof, nor have we been told directly from Grand Design that our product will void a warranty. Our product has been through rigorous testing, and is even been installed on another manufacturer's trailer from the factory without issue. It doesn't take more than a quick search online to see this issue persists whether or not RVers are using aftermarket suspension enhancements. -Justin
Just watched your video, and it was very educational, and I am sorry for your loss. May I make a suggestion for your next RV? Look at the Thor Axis small class A on a C type chassis. Thank you for sharing your misfortune, but know that it will help many other RV'ers.
Rick, we really appreciate it. And thank you for the compliment and the suggestion For now, a homebase is first. Then the new RV for summer travel, Alice
Might consider a buy back from Progressive if your buying land to build on. Tow it back to your new property, set it up to live in while building to live in.
If it was just the frame bent, then I might would question the Sumo Springs, but if the hangers got bent that caused by something else. It had to take a side load at the axles and that's what warped the frame and bent the hangers. Sumo Springs will compress to over half of their original height before they become deformed or tear apart and that's usually within 500 to 600lbs. They are just cushions, not payload aids.
If someone buys it as “salvage” then it could be put on a permanent site. (See our video about Progressive) We are looking for land for a homebase but not in an area that allows permanent RVs ( see that video) Alice
The metal that Lippert uses is along the same lines as Chrome Moly Steel but it is more brittle . If it is 1095 ( KNIFE BLADE STEEL) its hard and brittle . Chrome Moly Steel is more expensive though . The frame breaks are from too thin an alloy and too brittle . Work hardening causes cracks . That is the worst cracking I have seen in the lower rails . Its time to sell it as a perminant set up .Riverstone specs heavier steel especially in the areas where Grand design cracks . Check out all the videos on Grand Design and Lippert frame failures . You are just getting started with frame failures especially in the Pin Box and upper deck to lower deck structire.
Rvs usex to last 20 30 year, it must be the steel they are using now but grand design seens to have the most problems. My wife and i went full time in 1987 we bought a 1980 HRC. Around people with all kinds of rvs moving every week or 2 all spring summer fall setting for two mounts around christmas. No frame problems.
Howard, we have heard problems with frames across manufacturers. What’s a HRC? Glad to hear yours is doing great. We have some time to look - homebase is priority now, Alice
@@DownsizingMakesCents haliday rambler corp. Were in busness sence the 50s sold out to harley davidson i think in 89. Then harley sold it to monaco coach they also made the lacota brand. Whitch was a second product just like HR they contuned to cheepen the product till they killed it. Some one bought the name a few years ago and now making motor homes. But they were great before monaco got them. I used to be a vender at shows all over the us. Was a silver an gold smith wife and i made jewelry. Christmas was in williamsport pa. Muncy, Lycoming mall. It would get to -4 nothing ever froze floor in kitchen was tyle. You could walk barefooted on tyle and it was warm when it was -4 out side. The trailers were great. Then monaco ruined them. Drv, moble suits is probly the least exp trailer now that has that quility. And they are heavy and expsive. My wife passed away and i retired my current wife and i have a Rockwood now it is made a lot better than Grand Design. I looked at all of them as i have been a vender at Elkhart 4h fair in Goshen in. Been there 33 years last year. So i could go to all the manufacters i sugest that anybody that is looking to spend a lot of money on an rv go there stay a while go to factorys and see how they are made. Right now the best low priced trailer made is Rockwood/Flagstaf they are the same thing made side by side in the same room. The one my wife and i have is 32 foot 5th wheel they make one now that 29 ft but i dont think it would be enough storage for fultime. Ours is a bunk house modle we bought it used its a 2016 we got it in 2020 just before covid. We paid 22000. Its 8ft wide and bed runs nan s. This trailer is great. But i would want somthing different if full time. You dont want any wood in trailer grand design, and the new traler brands have wood trusses on sealing. Rock/flag is auminum box they have started using an new to usa product i forget what its called but water does not bother it. If u deside to go motorhome rought get one thats steel frame not wood ther is a good one on 19 truck in elkheart dont remember the name but good brand. I would not get diesel because of EPA has ruined them and cost of operation. Get new developed gas designed to compete with EPA diesel.
@DownsizingMakesCents so I take you won't be using them again . I have them on our alliance 340 paradigm and I am a bit worried. Thanks for your reply.
@@sreed3203don’t want to get Super Springs after us 😁but we won’t spend $600 on them again But if you have them, Texas Trailers said you need support above them. Maybe give them a call for details.
I FEEL SORRY FOR YOU,ALL OF THE RV;S ARE JUNK,NOT MUCH YOU CAN DO,BEING 80 MYSELF YOU DON'T NEED TO BE CAMPING BY YOURSELF UNLESS YOU ARE ARMED AND FULL AWAKE,SO YOU GOT LIFE DANGERS PLUS YOR RV IS JUNK
So sad, you sold your appreciating asset that beautiful home to buy a depreciating asset like an RV. Well, I guess if you got a dump truck full of money you can do what you want!
🤣 we wish we had a dump truck full of money. We would buy a home and buy another RV. This lifestyle isn’t for everyone-we made it clear in our last video. We have seen some amazing things in the last 4 years and wouldn’t trade those memories for anything 😃, Alice
Gary, the tow car would definitely be needed because we almost always venture out. Larry doesn’t like the idea of dealing with two engines. We shall see. Thank you for sharing your experience, Alice
I, on the other hand, lived in one for 5 months this summer. I did not want to go home. Homes are a time and money suck. Home base has it's place, but I would rather be on the road.
Over loading help cause the problem? It's called frame failure not frame flex. Recently got a Class C. So glad not to be towing. So much easier to drive. No white knuckling. That would make someone a great stationary home.
Bill, we weigh often - one of our most popular videos is about using the Cat Scale Larry loved his dually and fifth wheels. So no Class C - for now. We just bought another fifth wheel- several videos out about it. Yes. That’s what Progressive said - or a hunting camp spot. Alice
Most Is pre manufactured home builders offer land packages the land is cheaper though them sometimes B) the totaled rv police are not going to Chace you down if you tow it to your new land and or a towing company can tow it there without issue
We are worried about the insurance company - especially if something happened when we move the RV The point of buying separate is to get exactly what we want in land then get the home we want. But thanks for the info Alice
I 100% understood that but they buy land for years and don't have it in the market they will let it set 10-15-20 years till they find someoe that wants all of it or a chunck of it
NO, if your Rv fails a safety inspection it will be red tagged as unsafe to operate. You will be given these options- -fix the discrepancy's -scrap the vehicle & surrender the title -sell the vehicle to another party. !
It has been tagged for salvage by the insurance company. So now in Florida it is not allowed to be towed. It can only be transported to sit permanently somewhere
Most RV's are very low quality. Your problem is just one example of the fundamental quality problems built into rigs by manufactures. How much WEIGHT did you add to your RV? Did you ever WEIGH your unit and compare to GVW rating?
As with anything, overuse for the intended purpose will result in premature failure. As far as the frame goes, it was subjected to excessive stress, and driving it off the road through a ditch would damage pretty much anything.
there is trailer repair places that tied to semi trailer service! they repair frames to meat DOT regulations (my camping trailer was damaged in the spring area I was home so i called a semi trailer repair place i knew with in a 100 miles of my home) i took it to the place over night they fixed it in a few hours in the morning as i stood there and watched! ( the owner of the place wanted to how & why i knew of them I told him the company i used to wash trucks for he was shocked I hear because you do good repairs!
Grand Designs was supposed to be the pinnacle of RVs. WOW… I’m not wanting to buy a new RV. I’m going to see what it will cost to rebuild a 1998 Lance Squire Lite 165S. I saw a 2017 Lance 650 for 23,000. Plus. The lease expensive lowest price I’ve seen. That’s still a lot of money.
Check out this playlist of what led up to this
ruclips.net/p/PLTSSVhr0HOzigidMBV0lijdrVE3UsTilv&si=e_5q3fi0ZSSNugER
Buy a goose neck 5th wheel trailer and remount the living quarters on top. But no matter what you have as an RV the 7 to 10 year life is standard. Older than that no RV Parks want you. Though some top quality motor homes are good for 15 years.
I rent a 7 bedroom/5 bath house with 4 car garage on 23 acres in Costa Rica for $153 a month. Any problems are the responsibility of the landlord.. Such a good deal I paid the taxi driver that found this $500. Best view of anywhere I ever lived. Great neighbors so travel Internationally 6 months a year with no fears.
I haven't used a teaspoon of gas in 12 years. House is all electric. And with the minimum temperature of 54F and high of 87 no heating or air conditioning needed. Electric is $12 to $15 a month which includes charging my 2 electric scooters. Water/sewer/ trash is $5 a month, WIFI $12, cellphone $6. Health insurance paying 100% is $60 a month for both wife and self, so to hell with Medicare B that pays only 80% and only for myself.
Far more Freedom and better lifestyle here than anyone living in the US could imagine.
Clearly, you guys are more knowledgeable about these things than I am. However, I feel that these issues are not totally unexpected. After all, you did buy a Grand Design; in my opinion, a company operated by hucksters and duplicitous bait and switch manipulators. In researching my next RV purchase, I called its customer service department several times. It's regrettable that I never received a straight answer on any of those occasions. Needless to say, I bought from a different manufacturer; my 5thW hasn't been perfect, but it has never failed to the extent your GD has. You folks seem like good people. I wish you the best of luck getting things sorted out and repaired.
What did you end up with? It seems like every brand is either the worst or the best depending on who you talk to. To be fair GD has a lot of units out there so obviously your going to see more issues.
Roger, many people have said GD is not what it used to be - we bought in 2019 and had great customer service.
What brand did you buy?
And thank you for the compliment and well wishes, Alice
Good point. There are some hard core GD fans that love their units 😁Alice
We have a $50,000 portapotty on wheels, we most definitely use its facilities.
🤣 we are with you
Thanks guys for sharing all of this. Our first 5th wheel we had was totaled 7 yrs ago due to hail damage. With our 2nd 5th wheel it’s been “so far, a okay”. Have a great New Years🎉🎉
Lisa, wow - hail? Crazy. We are going through a lot for sure - lots of videos to come.
Happy New Year to you, too, Alice
Within 30 days we got a brand new trailer! When we had to turn in the old trailer for salvage, we did not take our upgrades off the "salvage". They sold our old trailer for "parts salvage" and we regret not taking some of our upgrades off before we let her go.
Good point. We are pulling every upgrade off we can 😁Alice
Hey man understand let it be gone you going to buy new shitt for your new one so what is the difference I mean yeah well my husband could have installed it let the professionals install . Most companies in America been doing the same thing for many many years it's the ones that are just opening up business that's how you figure out life.
Buy a lot, buyvit back from insurance, park that rig on blocks, making it a non movable home base, cash out the insurance and buy a driving rv of your dreams, best of both worlds. 😊
Unfortunately, where we need a homebase, RVs can’t stay unless there is a home on it.
But great idea, Alice
It's unfortunate, but trying to fix it and then having to deal with it again later, is worse. I have a class A CDL, so to me, it doesn't matter what I drive. Someday, it might matter to us. But for now, if our rig was totaled, I would get the same thing. More than likely, another Montana. It's not perfect, but none of them are. And sadly, Grand Design has also suffered since it was sold. I hope 2024 is a Happy New for you guys.
It has been a hassle for sure.
Ours is a 2017 so pre-pandemic built. But still, looked nice but stuff fell off our first trip.
Thank you. We hope you have a great New Year, Alice
Thank you again for sharing! Living in these full time definitely puts them to the test! You are helping a lot of people by posting these (hopefully that is some small comfort). We have had every RV there is (pop ups, 5th Wheel, TT, Van). While we haven't gone for more than a few weeks at a time we, like everyone out there, have an opinion. We loved our driveable and tried to get a high quality unit. Our experience was great....however.....adding in drive-train and other automotive issues into the normal mix of RV experience was too much for us. Since we lost our tow vehicle as a back up we returned to the towable world. I don't want to start a firestorm but we went with an Airstream (our second). They tow great, have no slide outs, are repairable (everything in there went in via the door and can come out)......and an Airstream lasting 40 years is routine. Anyways more great content!!! We wish you the best on all fronts and hope the new year is the best yet for you!!
Thank you. Yeah. Airstreams have a loyal following. Slides do have issues , but give you more room. Live in it for a few months , it may seem to small then 😉
Again, thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Happy New Year, Alice
its funny to say , but i purchased at auction in oklahoma last month a MPG 2700 toy hauler for the auction, and it had the same damage as your trailer, ! got the trailer for 4500.00 . and went to work on the repairs, took it home to az. on a low boy truck , (friends rig) , place it on a reline frame strengther, and pulled it down back to original position, . welded the crack, installed a flat iron inside the channel of the frame , to strengthen the frame. the major thing to do next is im moving the axle position on the trailer. the front axle will stay there in same position but the 2nd axle is being moved back 3 feet. its going to be alot of work , but this is what is wrong with trailers with a large overhang on the trailer, and this is why, your trailers frame cracked, LONG OVERHAND OF THE REAR AXLE, ! VERY BAD DESIGN! ALSO THE REFRIGERATORIS BEING UPGRADED TO A 20 CU.FT.S/S HOUSE UNIT WITH FRENCH FREEZER. INSTEAD OF THE 10CU.FT.
Interesting. We definitely believe the frames on RVs are poorly designed.
Our RV was termed “extended stay” which means months of extra weight. But they didn’t upgrade the frame.
Plus, the loaded it with unnecessary heavy wood features.
The whole industry needs an overhaul,
Alice
Don’t go to a tv place to fix it. Go to a recommended welder let them take the axles of and straighten the rail then ad a 1/4 inch strip on the rail. It will double the forche it can handle while driving through potholes and off road. Everytime I go out with my rv when on side I check the rail just in case but I have already reengineered the rail for heavier use so no problems there. And yes the frames or rails get lighter every year when using the rv full time up grade the rv and yes it can be expensive but the end is better pay for it now before your rv gets totaled by insurance and they only pay 40% of new one
Ben, thanks for the advice.
However, we took it to Texas Trailers. They build custom trailers for big rigs and are expert welders. It was NOT and RV place.
But it’s a moot point. Insurance marked our RV “salvage”
Alice
Attitude is everything and that's why you two will be successful no matter what life throws at you. Good luck with your new RV.
Thank you so much. We try to make the most out of whatever comes, Alice
After much research I decided against buying a RV trailer. I decided on a GMC Denali 1/2 ton and a cargo trailer. Trailer holds an ATV and motorcycle, tools etc. We stay in upscale hotels while traveling and resorts when we get to our destination. We enjoy traveling the country
and my wife doesn't mind driving. It allowed us to keep our two homes so we have a place to come back to when we feel the need. It works for us.
Glad it works for you.
We stayed one night in a hotel and I missed my bed, my stuff 😁
Maybe because “upscale” does not happen for us 😉
Alice
My son was selling tools and had an account at a very large family owned RV dealership. One day, the owner shows up in the tool truck and my kid starts asking about buying a small travel trailer. The owner say, "do yourself a favor. Buy the best cargo trailer you can afford and build the inside to whatever you need it to be. Don't buy one of these pieces of crap. It is waste of money". After a 1/4 century of RVing, I LOLed when he told me the story.
I have Progressive Insurance and travel 6-8 months of the year. I look forward to more information on proper insurance coverage. Your videos are informative, real life and experiences. Look forward to more videos. Also, I am considering a property with a tiny house and selling my current residence.
Our friend Marc from Grand Adventure did a video about insurance. He said that if you travel more than 150 days, you are considered full time? So, I would look into it.
We are hunting for property and mobile homes now
We had a “cabin” in Colorado. It was a 399 sq ft park model that had a 400 sq ft addition built on it. It had 1.5 bath and had a Murphy bed in the built on Colorado room and a dedicated laundry room. We lived in it 5-6 months every year. It was perfect for the 2 of us. We had sold our 40 ft fifth wheel and our cabin was perfect. I wouldn’t hesitate to have that setup again. The only thing we would need for full time living there would be a big shop for my husband’s piddling. We had a 10x16 storage/shop but that wasn’t big enough. New park models are beautiful. We sold last year for a Class C. We won’t go back to a fifth wheel.
We have a similar size Grand Design (2021 Solitude S2930RL). I added the cross member that goes between the center hangers a couple of years ago. I thought about Sumo springs but never purchased them. Since we don’t full time the only upgrade I may do is MorRyde independent suspension (if we ever decide to travel to Alaska). This is our 3rd 5th wheel and definitely the beefiest frame/running gear, but given the roads in the US, likely still barely adequate. I do my own work on it (wheel bearings, brakes, etc.) and inspect it many times a year. It does have the V-braces in the axle hangers - thinking this will help with preventing bent hangers).
MorRyde adds additional steel box under the frame before mounting their independent suspension. Thinking this combination would be much stronger and less prone to bending.
BTW - my parents have a 2018 class C (Forrester 32 foot) that has a very nice layout and has been fairly easy to keep up (I do their repairs as well for them). Besides cabinet issues, fixing the top of their slides where a bolt was letting in water (fixed with removing bolts, sealing bolt areas with dicor and running a strip of eternabond - fixed for life) everything else has been solid.
Driving a class C is not as relaxing to meas towing our 5th wheel with our Diesel 1 ton - lack of power (6.8L V10 vs our 6.7L diesel), steering is not as confident past 60mph (known issues with all the van chassis - can be corrected somewhat with add-on stabilizers, and it is loud and noisy - always going to be an issue since everything happening in the box can be heard from the driver’s seat. Consider that when making a decision - my parents are in their 80’s and the class C for them is easier to maneuver and park, plus they drive slow and don’t drive long distances on travel days …. And their hearing is not great.
Mark, we can’t afford MorRyde.
Larry did the new tires, bearings, oil and filter change - he does it all.
He loves his 3500 Cummins longbed dually 😁He says it tows like nothing is behind him.
Unfortunately, our priority has become getting a homebase for many reasons.
Thank you so much for the detailed information, Alice
Unfortunately, several models of RVs are suffering frame failures. Manufacturers are putting heavy bodies on very lightweight frames to save money. They hope customers are weekend warriors and don't travel much. Well, that is silly, but it happens. Full-time travel is where things go horribly wrong. Now your RV is a future hunting cabin and not safe for the road.
Going into 2024, the industry is changing. Now they are starting to warranty for full-time living.
Definitely consider Brinkley for your next RV as they warranty for full-time living.
Great insight. 👍
We have heard of Brinkley. But we are actually going to become half timers due to Larry’s Neuro disease.
Luckily, we had insurance for full timers.
Our 25ft Airstream frame bent too. It was totaled. They are putting weak frames on Airstreams too.
Can't blame the frame on this one, they basically drove the rig through a ditch.
@@driveman6490sorry you missed the section of the video that the expert that actually was hands on explained what bent the frame
@@DownsizingMakesCents
First of all, I apologize if come across as over critical or judgemental, just putting in my 2 cents after watching your other videos of how much/often you tow your rig. I own a 2023 GD 310GK and am interested in how this model holds up over time. With that said, I can tell exactly what caused the frame to bend. The Sumo bag didn't allow for full travel of the stock suspension, at some point, excessive downward (possibly blunt or repetitive) force was introduced to the left rear suspension, the Sumo bag acted as a stop, compromising the lower I-Beam plate......causing a weakness in the overall beam's integrity.
Something similar happened on my tow vehicle (2021 F350 SRW). The 7500lb rear airbag experienced excessive force, bending the lower mounting bracket, pushing it into the rear assembly holding the brake lines. It eventually caused the brake line to fail and leak......lost my brakes going down the freeway in New Mexico. Thankfully I wasn't towing at the time and nursed it to the side of the road.
I think the lesson here is that aftermarket suspension parts that are designed to add or enhance towing/handling characteristics can (and do) have adverse affects.
Best of luck with your next unit, glad Progressive stepped up and covered the replacement cost. I also carry full comprehensive through Progressive so this is good to know.
Happy and safe travels!
Your Sumo brings were a large part of the issue. Grand Design is having a huge 5-wheel frame issue on all it's models. Just watch other full time youtubers... They are ALL breaking. Grand Design in huge trouble. Stay away from Grand Design.
It's not just Grand Design, they all have had similar issues. A LOT of you tubers have Grand Design products so naturally you may see more of them with issues vs other brands. It's not they are any worse It's just there are more of them.
Unfortunately, most are built on frames not meant for the weight - even before an owner puts a glass in it.
Most manufacturers use the same frame. It’s almost a monopoly.
I agree. Most manufacturers use the same products - mostly Lippert.
@@dank8017good point
If you carried the "Replacement Cost" option on your Progressive Policy, you will get a "big check"! Progressive RV Insurance is great!
Not more than what we paid - which is what we got.
We are happy with progressive
Make sure it isn’t a lippert frame ever again. You will miss your 5th when you downsize. You will miss your nicer bathroom. Look at Northwood trailers. You will find they make trailers, fifth wheels and camper vans from the ground up. They are made in Oregon.
Thanks, but we have very specific wants. And we’re downsizing,
Alice
I really, really want to see the video on insurance. I believe most people miss this badly and I don't want to.
Dewey,
You are so right. We do need to make that.
But Larry is so picky about videos like that - lots of research - and we have been so busy looking for an RV and land.
And we really want to wait until the insurance process is complete - do we really get the amount they said?
Sorry we haven’t been able to get that out yet,
Alice
Oh man guys! I am so sorry for the major trouble you are having with your home! I hope all goes smoothly with the insurance and you find a new home you are happy with. ❤
Hey Cat, wow we were blown away when we saw this comment. You were an inspiration when we embarked on our full time journey 4 years ago, Alice and I watched tons of your hikes in beautiful locations. I used your videos to help me convince Alice that selling everything, quitting our jobs to travel was a good idea. When we are at awesome locations like this last summer in 5 utah national parks, I tell Alice to do the CAT, pose and she knows exactly what I want. Thank you so much for your kind words an encouragement. Our journey on youtube has been a roller coaster, but now that we have over 50K subs, we are starting to hit our stride in figuring out what we want out of youtube. Thanks again, and hope to run into you on some awesome hike someday. Larry
Sorry to hear this. Look forward to see what you get next. I damaged my Solitude and Progressive was great!!
George,
Thank you. Still looking for land and a new RV
We are very pleased with Progressive so far,
Alice
Get a bumper pull travel trailer that is easy to pull and manuver. 27 feet max. One slide. Trim down the stuff. Take care
Thanks for the advice.
Larry prefers the feel of towing a fifth wheel 😁
But we are going smaller for sure, Alice
@@DownsizingMakesCents I went from fifth wheel to bumper. Use new B&W continuum hitch. Pulls amazing without the wind resistance of the monster 5th wheel and weight. As you get older the monster is tougher to handle.
@@bparkinson1234 I like the idea of a travel trailer - not as tall.
We are first getting a homebase
JUST FOUND YOU Class C baby. It's better than towing ,less flat tires etc ,Good luck.
Glad you found us. I would love to have a Class C 😁Alice
Do the Class C! A truck base makes a huge difference and the federal government has safety standards that apply to these types of vehicles that don't apply to TTs. We had major issues with our TT and switched to a class C. I would never consider another TT unless I built it myself from the ground up. Not to mention that you can get a smaller, more fuel efficient vehicle to tow along.
I love everything you wrote here. Unfortunately, Larry loves his dually and towing a fifth wheel. We shall see.
Thanks for the input, Alice
Get a Leisure Travel Van... We down sized from a 37 ft fiver, to a LTV, no slide, twin bed, and have never looked back... Also one of the best Quality Class C's.
Thank you for the recommendation. How many months do you travel in it? Do you feel cramped? Alice
I will buy it as salvage. Please let me know if you are interested. I supply temporary homes for those in need until they get on their feet, so it won't be going down the road other than to my lot. Thank you
Jay,
We have no control over that.
Once we move completely out of it, Progressive takes over.
I think you would have to talk to them.
I wish we could make it easier because it sounds like you are doing a lot of good 🤗
Alice
Yes it'll still make a very worthy home for someone that's not going to be traveling in it , just staying put. Whenever an insurance company totals these, they usually send them to insurance Auto auction. IAA.
Could you buy a lot somewhere and set it up on a permanent basis and sell the land with the trailer? Just a thought.
Deborah, where we need a homebase, they do not allow RVs on land without a home.
So we are looking to buy land and put a mobile home on it, Alice
Glad you got this looked at and at least now you know where you stand. I am with Alice on this one. I would go Class C, A, or B. After having both side we prefer drivable all the way. It really is a personal choice though. In the end they are all built the same. Good luck.
Thanks for having my back, but Larry is winning once again 😁
Looking at land, mobile homes, and RVs. Soooo stressed
So sorry about your situation. We originally got our RV so we could take our 5 dogs with us on our many vacations. My boyfriend got 7 weeks and I became disabled and he said my new job was vacation coordinator. Anyhow we knew we could not retire in the current house he had so on our travels we searched for where we'd like to live. We went all over the country and chose the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas. Cost of living was low and we purchased our land several years ago while he was working full time. 7 Wooded acres with a view of the valley below, farmland and pastures with mountains in the distance. When he retired he sold his house. We had a steel building 100 xy 40 two story so we could fit our trailer and all the cars in our garage. We've been living in the camper so far two years since my BF is building the inside of our home himself. A little more than half is the house. The rest is garage. We don't plan on finishing the upstairs but we both love trains and saved all of our sons model train sets and scenery and we'll use the upstairs to play and build train sets when we can no longer travel far. In the two years we've been here we just love it and know we made the best decision of our lives to move and build here. We can travel whenever we want to and we're so happy in our little town of Yellville, Arkansas. We live a life with no traffic and no stress. Lots of land but such friendly neighbors in our little community where everyone knows everyone and loves it here as much as we do. You could buy land here reasonably low cost. You can put a tiny home on it and electric or do a steel building and live in our RV till you get the house part finished. Cost of living is so low here that we can live on our social security checks without having to dip into our retirement funds. One thing I would suggest is a travel trailer or smaller fifth wheel because occasionally we've been on trips when our diesel van broke down and Good Sam towed the trailer to a campground so we could stay comfortably in our own home while they towed the van to a diesel mechanic to fix. I wish you good luck. If you would like to contact me further you can visit my facebook page by Norma Peters in Yellville, Arkansas. We'd be happy to tell you all about where we live and how wonderful it is here and and how low the cost of living is. Plus it's in the middle of the country. We can go North, South, East and West from here. My son lives in Idaho Falls, he visits often and My BF's son lives in North Georgia. So we're kind of equal distance between the two. I wish you good luck with your situation. It's really nice to have a home base but be able to leave whenever you want too. In this part of Arkansas you are allowed to live in a camper. If the property you buy does not have electric already you just need to tell them that you need temporary electric on the property while you build your house.
Norma, thank you so much for your story.
We really appreciate it. However, we need to stay near Gainesville, Florida. Larry has a rare Neuro condition and few drs specialize in it. So we need to be near UF Shands Hospital
It sounds like you have a little slice of heaven there.
Enjoy and Happy New Year, Alice
Personally being a welder, I would've went for the challenge of frame reinforcement, but I would've went overkill and used 4 in x 2 ft x 1 in steel plate and welded it to that entire section where it got bent after I bent it all back, however, if it's insured and you can get out of that old one that obviously has issues, then the only thing you need to do is figure out a good choice on the next RV, except, I can see the benefits with a class C being able to jump right in and go, but also keep in mind you would need to get a tow behind vehicle like a jeep wrangler to go anywhere in town, whereas, you already have the truck that is more than capable of towing a 5th wheel trailer and I can see why he would rather just buy the new 5th wheel. Personally I would side with him, because if I have to buy a new class C, you will also have to sell the truck and get the jeep and the truck is in my opinion a much better option.
Uh,oh. Another vote for Larry, a fifth wheel, and keeping his dually 😁
All great reasons. However, the reason I want a Class C is because of Larry’s health.
Alice
I would say with all the stuff that you have inside, you exceeded the weight of the frame
Please see our very popular video on the importance of weighing at a Cat Scale.
Also, the experts that had actually hands on the frame clearly stated what they thought happened. It wasn’t weight.
It seems all too common to blame the RVer without all the facts
Our 2018 travel trailer was totaled by Progressive Insurance last year. We were rear-ended by a hit & run pickup truck while traveling down the highway at 60 mph. It happened so fast & he never got caught, so our Progressive policy took care of us. They were excellent in processing our claim!
We are very happy with them.
Sorry to hear what happened to you
I’m glad your insurance is covering it and I hope you come out on top, but I’m calling BS on not being repairable. I was a welder and log truck driver for almost 50 years. My 1991 Kenworth truck frame broke completely in half on one side and cracked the other side and was repaired for $5000 (not by me by a truck repair shop)and back on the road hauling 86,000 pounds loads in one week. That there could be straightened welded and inserted, just like they do semi trucks (like mine), and be way stronger than it was originally .
They said it could be fixed, but it would be cost prohibitive
But that doesn’t matter - Progressive Insurance made the call. We can not tow it anywhere and it still be under insurance
We do wish it was a different outcome. All our plans have changed.
Thank you so much. Have a great New Year, Alice
I can see exactly why they didn’t want to repair it ! The steel in those frames are inferior steel ! Your truck was a different story .
The frame that you have on your truck the repair were made out of rivets you have to look through two doors you're looking through the door they're showing you you got to turn around and go behind them in the video and think okay if I'm there I'm going to look what's all this stuff here we only put it in there to travel so if this if this coach is flexing from all the weight that they're overloading this trailer with who knows. Here's what I want to know go take the trailer to a place where they can weigh the trailer and the truck and you in it and it shows it up on the wall how much at all weighs write it down go park your trailer take all the stuff out and then everything take out and bring it back to that same way yourself the truck and the dry trailer you'll be amazed on how much weight you've been driving around with just don't make a left hand turn and not judge your trailer going across a waterway and it falls off on one side that can that can screw it all up
I've seen so many stories of trailer frames cracking or breaking. There is nothing inherently wrong with the frames. The frame manufacturer builds them to the specs that the RV company provides. The RV manufacturers are just cutting costs by going with lighter frames, or putting more and more on the same frames, when they should be going with heavier ones. I wish a heavier frame was an option when you buy an RV.
I agree with everything you wrote. Well put, Alice
There is most definitely something wrong with the frames or they wouldn't Crack. The specs need to be changed. RV manufacturers are like every other manufacturer, they are building everything with cheaper, poor quality materials and charging the consumer more.
@@richardbyrd7268 Richard, 💯
We need a complete overall of the RV world - manufacturers, sellers, service centers
Alice
@@richardbyrd7268 they are building them for weekenders. Full timers, who put a lot of miles on them, should be made aware of that.
Yet they're looking to buy another money pit?
14 years RVing, 158 years combined age old couple, not full timers. After 3 gas MH, a 31’ class C- no storage, 36’ class A dumped it @ 27K miles for six years of slide problems, a used 24’ class B+, ok rig. I just got sick of dual wheels slamming up & down on bridge abutment’s & listening to it creak, crack & pop all day long. A diesel air ride MH might take care of the noise & rattling ??.
A MH means you have to buy a toad, 40k+ for new one, plus 5K to flat tow it. Bought two.
We bought a new (2018) GD 36’ TT as snowbird nest, never towed it, too big. In 2022 bought a new one ton single axle Ford truck & a new 30’ TT (Flagstaff with torsion axles) tows like a dream. A new 26’ TT is now order now. Age says rig # 7 is last one & down sizing again is where we need to be now. Why not a 5th wheel for us? New knees & our safety said we didn’t want to climb stairs all day & height (wind resistance while towing). We now just talk in the truck & can hear each other with the music on. Let us know if you need anymore experiences. Safe travels. D & C We are going to go as long as health says we can’t!
D & C, wow. That’s a lot of experience and great info.
We have owned a small travel trailer and a class B Travato in the past.
Larry loved the feel of towing a fifth wheel so we shall see.
But unfortunately, we need to focus on a homebase
Have a great New Year, Alice
Coming from a TT to a Class C is a world of difference and we don’t regret it.
Looking forward to the insurance vid. Happy new year!
Harold, looks like we are leaning towards another fifth wheel.
But the priority now a homebase so we have a place to vacate the RV. Then we get the check.
Yes. Lots of comments about the insurance. We are waiting until we get confirmation about the money and give factual information, Alice
Great attitude for going thru tough times. Prayers for smooth sailing.
Denise, thank you. We try to “bounce back” before we video. Lots of channels might have filmed me crying in the truck 😁 but I try to hide that.
We are looking at land and are excited for this new adventure- being half timers, Alice
They should just make a couple of paid charging stations and if you get caught charging your car at the site you get kicked out with no refund
I know you mentioned a class C on the video, but you may want to look at the smaller 5th wheels from Outdoors or Artic Fox trailers. My wife and i's next trailer will be an Artic Fox.
Our original choice was an Artic Fox, but hard to find in Florida or close by. Plus, we haven’t found a plan we like with them, Alice
I agree with Alice. Larry a 30 ft. Class C on a Freightliner frame with a Cummins engine would be the smart choice. Freightliner frames are vastly superior to Class C's built on one ton chassis. Plus Alice could drive it.
Thank you, Brad. But Larry may win this one - again 😉
Y’all living the dream 👍
We were. 😁but we will again
If you get another 5th wheel get a Montana. My Uncle sells trailers and RVs for a living and said they are the most well made. Hope you guys find a new home or two soon! 💕
Jonny, thanks for the inside tip.
We don’t know what will come first, the RV or the homebase.
Thanks always for being along this craziness with us 🤗
Alice
Interesting situation. Looking forward to your next move. Good luck. Take care.
Thanks. It’s something every full timer needs to think about
This shows another RV failing that is not built to be repaired. No excuse, that given frequency of frame failures, that they can not be economically replaced.
Probably a capable commercial truck repair facility could straighten and reinforce the frame. I would never trust an RV repair shop, and neither would Progressive trust such a repair.
Regarding your replacement, "downsizing makes (cents)sense." Look at Ekko or Thor/Coachman copy.
Sell your truck while there is a decent market left.
We didn’t go to an RV repair shop - they are custom trailer builders. Experts.
But Progressive made up their minds that it will not be towable as soon as we said “bent and cracked frame.” We have no choice.
Thanks for the new RV ideas.
Have a great New Year, Alice
I'll be honest, I try hard to NOT poo in our RV. I use available campground and rest stop toilets. The reason is several, I don't think my husband should have to see poo when he empties the tanks and I don't want to smell poo inside the RV that I sleep in. It's a brand new RV and hasn't been used by others. Of course, if none are available then I will but prefer not to. Happy New Year!
Thank you, Patty, for explaining your view.
I prefer my own toilet, my own bed, etc. hate using other toilets or staying at hotels.
I don’t think Larry does a lot of watching while emptying the black 😁
Happy New Year, Alice
Oh man! There’s at least a silver lining! Can’t wait to see what y’all end up doing!
Thanks. You guys will probably know before we post it 😉
Have a great New Year, Alice
You ever weighed your RV the framework of most of these RVs are to light for the weight that they carry , it can be fixed I’m a welder and I have fixed a lot of steel frames so more than likely it can be fixed!
Insurance would not allow it be fixed.
And yes. We weigh often. But frankly, those frames aren’t even meant to hold an empty RV. The Solitude had a lot of useless solid wood decorative pieces.
Should get a real bus conversion not some rv that falls apart day one
Me Again. I was hit my a Freeway lawn mower. And was luck we did not kill him when he slide wright in fron of us. Jack
Jack, wow. That sounds scary
We had a 2019 Solitude 310 for four years and loved it. But I was always worried that the sides would quit working. This summer we traded for an Airstream 28 foot Pottery Barn and we have much less stress. We love your channel and have been watching from the start. I can attest that downsizing for us has been great.
Thanks so much for your support for so long 🤗
We are definitely downsizing our RV when we get one.
But first, a homebase, Alice
Our 25ft Airstream frame bent too. It was totaled. They are putting weak frames on Airstreams too.
@@shermanc8768Sherman, sorry to read this. So many people recommend Airstreams,
Alice
That's a major adjustment.. I wondered why you capitalized Barf in the earlier video. Living up to his name now.. I would have tried some JB Weld on that cracked frame.. I'll lend you my trailer for a couple months.. Swing by California anytime for it. 😊 Good luck DMC
😁 Barf will be someone else headache as soon as we move out.
Larry loves his JB Weld 😉
We will be right over - so clean the sheets 😆
Thanks for always making me laugh - especially when I need it 🤗
@@DownsizingMakesCents Happy New Year. Clean sheets and a stocked fridge.. Got it 😄
@@SevenBears1 😉
I'm so sorry for y'all. Am glad y'all are safe though! It's hard to believe that your grand design is in this bad of shape. Not including the bent and cracked frame. But I sure hope everything works out in your favor! Look forward to your next video. Wishing y'all a Happy New Year 🎉🥳😊
Donita, thank you so much. We are disappointed that so much is wrong with our rig.
We really appreciate the well wishes - we need it 😁
Wishing you and yours the same for 2024, Alice
All travel trailers and fifth wheelers aren't made for the riggers of FT RV life. I would recommend a Super C by Renegade.
Raymin, RV manufacturing needs to get with the times and build full time rigs.
Thanks for your input on the Super C - a bit out of our price range 😁, Alice
Grand design is crap. We looked at a new one and the island moved like that and they said it was “ok”.
Thor is a horrible manufacturer
Tina,
I wish we could avoid the island. But to get most of the other features we want, we are stuck with an island.
All we can do as consumers is force the industry to get better.
If it breaks, make them pay for it.
They will only improve if it makes them money,
Alice
Did you add the airbags?
Get on Copart and get a new one with Hail Damage
Thanks for the suggestion- why hail damage specifically?
Alice
I'm not a full-timer but we have a small travel trailer. For our vacation rig, I never want one with slides. All the extra room looks nice, but seeing all the sticking, leaking, and broken slide videos on RUclips make me think it may not be worth it. I've been with Progressive for my cars, motorcycle and RV for many years. I get junk mail from other insurers all the time trying to get my business but I'm happy with Progressive. (I got rear-ended once, and Progressive got there before the cops did!)
The slides definitely have pros and cons. Being full time, we do like the room.
And Progressive has been awesome, Alice
Did progressive total it based on the frame failure do to your latest ditch event or just a frame failure do to poor design?
Progressive adjuster heard the words “cracked frame” over the phone and he was 99 percent sure it would be totaled.
Why it broke? Cause and effect is complicated. It’s a combination of frame too weak for a heavy RV - before you even put a glass in it, the Sumos, the ditch (maybe because we didn’t see damage until after thousands of miles of bad roads)
Alice
I have a 5th wheel and have the sumo springs. After watching your video it looks like they may have caused more damage than good. Just wondering if you ever contacted them and shared any photos with them. I’m second guessing myself now whether I should remove them or not. I would like your advice on this and good luck.
Larry spent an hour on the phone with Sumo people. We shared tons of pics. They said the location was a “coincidence” 🤔
But the experts who build custom trailers said it was definitely Sumo. We would have had less damage without them
We can’t give advice, just share what happened to us
I live in the northeast so when it gets warmer I will be looking at my frame where the sumos ride and go from there. They have been on for 2 years but we are weekenders so probably 1000 miles with them. Thanks again
@@donm722let us know how it goes. 🤞 🤗, Alice
Class C sounds cool or even better a Super C 👍🇺🇲
Wish we could afford a Super C 😁
My first time watching you two, but i like your style, like how you brought it all together with the events 🎉.
Thank you so much. Glad you found us
Our 23 year old 19’ Bambi (that we bought a few months old) has an 8 gallon poop tank so we only do #1’s to make it last 7 days. We don’t mind 😂
Joe, I get it if you have small tanks, Alice
Good Mornig. Good Luck. PS I have the same switch and yes it does not turn off everthing. Does the Ins cover most of the things that go wrong. I had a RV that was totaled and the out come SUCKES. Jack
Jack, we got a more expensive policy and we are soo glad we did. This is the only time we have gone through the insurance. And it worked out great, Alice
Who’s the foiler? Wing or kite? Looks like wing.
Larry has been kiting since 2003 - windsurfed before that. Just started to learn to foil
Alice
There might be an answer in one of your previous videos but have you ever pulled your rig over a scale to measure how much cargo you are carrying?
I’m just thankful this catastrophic frame failure didn’t cause you or anyone else injury.
I wish you all the best in the New Year!
We weigh often - one of our more popular videos 😉
Yes. We are lucky we made it back to Florida.
We wish the same for you in 2024 🤗
I would love to see how you go on truck scale on u tube
So sorry about your loss. After, I had a Frame Flex issue on my Montana 5th wheel, I started doing a little research and was blown away with how many Grand Design (solitude mostly) and Keystone (Montana) premium 5th wheel frame / flex failures are being reported on You Tube and on user forums. The frames, walls and suspensions are just not being engineered and / or built to handle these heavier trailers for real life use. In my case, I caught the issue early and repair was under warranty, but I constantly worry about it happening again and out of warranty. All the best on your next home on wheels.
Excellent point. Our GD is supposed to be for “ extended stay” which should mean it can carry more weight than a weekender. But frankly many of them can’t handle weight empty.
There needs to be a complete overhaul of the industry
Good luck with yours. Safe travels. And thank you.
Alice
I would have like for you to elaborated more on what the insurance guy said about what should be in the insurance policy. Maybe make a separate video on that?
Yes. We mentioned we learned so much, it needs to be a separate video.
But you can email us for the highlights
25 years ago I was offered a job from Progressive (I owned a couple insurance brokerage firms and camped 45-60 days a year). Progressive was to supply a Class A for me to travel to RV and Motorcycle Rally’s. I had younger children and the travel schedule was intense so I didn’t take the job but I would do it today in a heartbeat! Progressive totaled our 36’ rv in 2020 when a Derecho rolled our trailer a few times. Good luck on your next chapter!
@@wannastayfree8115 Thank you so much. We appreciate hearing about your experience, Alice
Hey guys, I’m interested in the Solitude 310GK to travel around America. I’ve been watching all your frame problems and was wondering if it’s a problem with the Solitude line of 5th wheels?
I found this very helpful as we have been planning our retirement and full time RV travels for some time now.
We did take the first step in acquiring a home base which is a deeded lot in a gated RV community on top of a ski resort that is really affordable. It's very quiet and almost empty during the 3 seasons there is no snow but also really fun when the ski resort is open. We have built some additional living space on our property and have our current RV covered with a steel structure that will accommodate anything up to 45' Lx 18' Wx 15.5' T. We have learned a ton about RV living in the winter ;-).
Our plans are to own at least one more piece of property, hopefully 2 so we can triangulate our travels across the country when the time is right but finding property zoned for recreational use with utilities on premise has been difficult.
Thanks for sharing!
Wow. You are definitely ahead of us.
And we will be happy if we find ONE homebase 😁
You guys have it made. Enjoy all the fun.
And thank you for watching and sharing your experience,
Alice
Well I can tell you what happened if you pulled thing into a ditch or across anything it's on level you're going to twist a frame there's no way out of it I've been dealing with the stuff for 47 years and I know what happened You've got nothing off level You cannot get those fifth wheels off level it will twist a frame
I agree, but it wasn’t that bad of a ditch and didnt seem like it was putting that much pressure on the frame. Larry
Great information on your travels and unfortunately the end of the 5th Wheel. Would be great information if you post a video about RV Insurance. I have a Class A Diesel Pusher that is Mid-Range. Same issues as everyone else when first purchased with warranty issues. Majority fixed but still have those mystery screws show up or minor glitch with something. I am also insured with Progressive as I have a good friend who also works as an Adjustor for Boats/RV/Motorcycles. I added extra insurance as needed just in case to make sure if this is every a total loss that I can purchase another one. I think that is one of the biggest overlooked items on insurance is to have Gap insurance to cover for a replacement model if totaled. By far Progressive has been the best so far. Keep up the great videos and information.
I agree with the Hubby. Rent something and try it out for several weeks. This will help greatly on making that decision.
don't
Jose, a lot of comments wanting an insurance video - we are putting it together.
Progressive so far is great - don’t have the agreed amount in writing yet 😁
I’d love a Class C, but we really need a homebase. Then hopefully get a new RV to travel this summer, Alice
Solitude can mean uninhabited! Lol That’s just the kind of RV they build nowadays. I downsized to a tiny home and a small RV . Less hassles than hauling a home around in my opinion. Thanks for sharing your up’s and downs . 😁👍
Ralph,
Thanks for the chuckle 🤭
We share to help others NOT go through what we did 😉
Alice
It was great discussing your trailer's situation with you, and we're glad to have clarified the misunderstanding regarding the SumoSprings. As we saw from the boondocking incident you referenced again in this video at 1:29, where you got your trailer stuck in a ditch, the damage was unrelated to our product.
Thank you for posting that video and showing when the damage occurred: ruclips.net/video/6De4mk2zJwY/видео.html
At SSI we are committed to ensuring the best experience with SumoSprings and are here to support our community. Our products are rigorously tested to ensure they do not cause harm to trailer frames. In fact, SumoSprings are designed to reduce g-force and vibration by nearly 70%, which typically helps in extending the lifespan of trailers by preventing premature wear. The material we use, microcellular urethane, is specifically chosen for its shock-absorbing properties, and it's highly unlikely to exert the kind of force that could damage steel trailer frames.
Thanks for bringing this to our attention and allowing us to address it together.
-Justin
Justin,
Sorry for late reply. You attached a link to your comment - which I have set for going into the “spam” folder. So I just found it.
I am surprised you watched and commented on our video since in our hour long phone call with you, you basically told us to go ahead and make the video about the situation. You felt confident in your product?
The expert welder/ custom frame builders saw the same video you “claim” is “evidence”.
THEY were also hands on the frame - unlike you. They stated in the video - sorry you missed that? - that in their expert opinion, Sumo Springs caused the problem.
Now, we are not the only RVers that feel Sumo Springs caused damage. Did they all have the exact rig as us, exact situation as us? I don’t think so.
Someone in the comments said Grand Design was voiding warranty if you install Sumo Springs? Is that true?
But thanks for watching and commenting.
Alice
@@DownsizingMakesCents Alice,
We watch a lot of videos that are posted about our products as we like to stay in tune with the market and how our customers are using our products. The conversation myself and our engineering manager had with you guys concluded with both parties under the understanding that there is no physical way the SumoSpring could have had anything to do with the damage on your trailer frame. You and your husband explained to us the severe bind the trailer was exposed to when it was accidentally stuck in the ditch while on the way to your boon-docking site. We pointed out to you how there was zero damage to the SumoSpring and continued to explain to him the failure point that is engineered into the product - the mounting bracket. As you will recall, under extreme load, they are engineered to buckle before causing further damage. Your photos indicated there was zero stress to the brackets or the SumoSpring which clearly reveals the frame was buckled under pressure and twist from the situation it was put in and not from a force provided by the SumoSpring.
I would caution loosely throwing around "expert opinion" when the said expert has zero proof, nor has done any testing to arrive at this conclusion, we didn't miss that. It doesn't require hands on observation to see exactly what happened with the evidence you have provided. Understanding the make up of SumoSpring product, microcellular urethane foam, which we explained to you guys does not have the ability to exert enough pressure to bend steel. Feel free to share my contact with your expert so we can speak a little more about the product and how he may be mistaken.
To date, there has been zero proof, nor have we been told directly from Grand Design that our product will void a warranty. Our product has been through rigorous testing, and is even been installed on another manufacturer's trailer from the factory without issue. It doesn't take more than a quick search online to see this issue persists whether or not RVers are using aftermarket suspension enhancements.
-Justin
Just watched your video, and it was very educational, and I am sorry for your loss. May I make a suggestion for your next RV? Look at the Thor Axis small class A on a C type chassis. Thank you for sharing your misfortune, but know that it will help many other RV'ers.
Rick, we really appreciate it.
And thank you for the compliment and the suggestion
For now, a homebase is first. Then the new RV for summer travel, Alice
Might consider a buy back from Progressive if your buying land to build on. Tow it back to your new property, set it up to live in while building to live in.
We considered that, but you have limited time on property in an RV while building in the counties we are looking at
That’s exactly what I was telling my wife they should do. Great idea!
@@jstokely2see my answer above
Was it because of the Sumo springs? I’ve heard, but not sure I believe it, of lots of fifth wheels that have frame flex because of sumo springs.
If it was just the frame bent, then I might would question the Sumo Springs, but if the hangers got bent that caused by something else. It had to take a side load at the axles and that's what warped the frame and bent the hangers. Sumo Springs will compress to over half of their original height before they become deformed or tear apart and that's usually within 500 to 600lbs. They are just cushions, not payload aids.
We aren’t experts, but Texas Trailers are experts. So I trust them, Alice
buy frame off corpart 300 to 450
Can't the unit be put on a permanent sight somewhere , no scrapped ?
If someone buys it as “salvage” then it could be put on a permanent site. (See our video about Progressive)
We are looking for land for a homebase but not in an area that allows permanent RVs ( see that video)
Alice
The metal that Lippert uses is along the same lines as Chrome Moly Steel but it is more brittle . If it is 1095 ( KNIFE BLADE STEEL) its hard and brittle . Chrome Moly Steel is more expensive though . The frame breaks are from too thin an alloy and too brittle . Work hardening causes cracks . That is the worst cracking I have seen in the lower rails . Its time to sell it as a perminant set up .Riverstone specs heavier steel especially in the areas where Grand design cracks . Check out all the videos on Grand Design and Lippert frame failures . You are just getting started with frame failures especially in the Pin Box and upper deck to lower deck structire.
Rvs usex to last 20 30 year, it must be the steel they are using now but grand design seens to have the most problems. My wife and i went full time in 1987 we bought a 1980 HRC. Around people with all kinds of rvs moving every week or 2 all spring summer fall setting for two mounts around christmas. No frame problems.
Howard, we have heard problems with frames across manufacturers.
What’s a HRC? Glad to hear yours is doing great.
We have some time to look - homebase is priority now, Alice
@@DownsizingMakesCents haliday rambler corp. Were in busness sence the 50s sold out to harley davidson i think in 89. Then harley sold it to monaco coach they also made the lacota brand. Whitch was a second product just like HR they contuned to cheepen the product till they killed it. Some one bought the name a few years ago and now making motor homes. But they were great before monaco got them. I used to be a vender at shows all over the us. Was a silver an gold smith wife and i made jewelry. Christmas was in williamsport pa. Muncy, Lycoming mall. It would get to -4 nothing ever froze floor in kitchen was tyle. You could walk barefooted on tyle and it was warm when it was -4 out side. The trailers were great. Then monaco ruined them. Drv, moble suits is probly the least exp trailer now that has that quility. And they are heavy and expsive. My wife passed away and i retired my current wife and i have a Rockwood now it is made a lot better than Grand Design. I looked at all of them as i have been a vender at Elkhart 4h fair in Goshen in. Been there 33 years last year. So i could go to all the manufacters i sugest that anybody that is looking to spend a lot of money on an rv go there stay a while go to factorys and see how they are made. Right now the best low priced trailer made is Rockwood/Flagstaf they are the same thing made side by side in the same room. The one my wife and i have is 32 foot 5th wheel they make one now that 29 ft but i dont think it would be enough storage for fultime. Ours is a bunk house modle we bought it used its a 2016 we got it in 2020 just before covid. We paid 22000. Its 8ft wide and bed runs nan s. This trailer is great. But i would want somthing different if full time. You dont want any wood in trailer grand design, and the new traler brands have wood trusses on sealing. Rock/flag is auminum box they have started using an new to usa product i forget what its called but water does not bother it. If u deside to go motorhome rought get one thats steel frame not wood ther is a good one on 19 truck in elkheart dont remember the name but good brand. I would not get diesel because of EPA has ruined them and cost of operation. Get new developed gas designed to compete with EPA diesel.
Wow. Thanks for all the great info
so thay can fix it it so it to a extent why did the it fail on the frame
Im not sure exactly why they wont fix it, i think they just dont want the liability of fixing it then it fails, then they get sued. Larry
Yes, C class with one through frame slide would be best. Thanks Don
Don, Looks like it’s leaning towards Larry and another fifth wheel 😁,Alice
what do you think of sumo springs now?
I’ll let what the experts at Texas Trailers speak for us. They answer it in the video 😁, Alice
@DownsizingMakesCents so I take you won't be using them again . I have them on our alliance 340 paradigm and I am a bit worried. Thanks for your reply.
@@sreed3203don’t want to get Super Springs after us 😁but we won’t spend $600 on them again
But if you have them, Texas Trailers said you need support above them. Maybe give them a call for details.
I FEEL SORRY FOR YOU,ALL OF THE RV;S ARE JUNK,NOT MUCH YOU CAN DO,BEING 80 MYSELF YOU DON'T NEED TO BE CAMPING BY YOURSELF UNLESS YOU ARE ARMED AND FULL AWAKE,SO YOU GOT LIFE DANGERS PLUS YOR RV IS JUNK
Your biggest mistake was buying grande design.
Randall,
There are pros and cons to every brand,
Alice
Thanks Larry, very helpful videos, I have a Sumo set and you need 7 leaf springs instead of 5 or 6 which is 7k bls per axel.
You can't just change suspension components willy nilly. They must all match in capacity. Springs, shackles, axles, hardware, tires, wheels.
So sad, you sold your appreciating asset that beautiful home to buy a depreciating asset like an RV. Well, I guess if you got a dump truck full of money you can do what you want!
🤣 we wish we had a dump truck full of money. We would buy a home and buy another RV.
This lifestyle isn’t for everyone-we made it clear in our last video.
We have seen some amazing things in the last 4 years and wouldn’t trade those memories for anything 😃, Alice
Grand Design are nice RV but what good is a 150K 5th wheel if its gonna break under normal use. Geez Kinda a scary thought.
Stan,
We paid $50,000 - it was hardly used. I don’t know anyone that has paid $150,000 for a Solitude 310 GK
I have a class C motor home. Wife and I love it. Only downside is needing another vehicle should we need to leave the campsite.
Gary, the tow car would definitely be needed because we almost always venture out.
Larry doesn’t like the idea of dealing with two engines.
We shall see. Thank you for sharing your experience, Alice
After living in an RV for three and half months I can safely say - NEVER EVER AGAIN. it was awful and I hated every min.
It's definitely not for everyone, for sure.
I, on the other hand, lived in one for 5 months this summer. I did not want to go home. Homes are a time and money suck. Home base has it's place, but I would rather be on the road.
It’s not for everyone 🤗, Alice
@@diann546Diann, I get it. We loved our last 6 month trip. But Larry’s illness makes a homebase near the specialist hospital top on the list, Alice
Keep your hands still.
Over loading help cause the problem?
It's called frame failure not frame flex.
Recently got a Class C. So glad not to be towing. So much easier to drive. No white knuckling.
That would make someone a great stationary home.
Bill, we weigh often - one of our most popular videos is about using the Cat Scale
Larry loved his dually and fifth wheels. So no Class C - for now.
We just bought another fifth wheel- several videos out about it.
Yes. That’s what Progressive said - or a hunting camp spot.
Alice
Most Is pre manufactured home builders offer land packages the land is cheaper though them sometimes
B) the totaled rv police are not going to Chace you down if you tow it to your new land and or a towing company can tow it there without issue
We are worried about the insurance company - especially if something happened when we move the RV
The point of buying separate is to get exactly what we want in land then get the home we want.
But thanks for the info
Alice
I 100% understood that but they buy land for years and don't have it in the market they will let it set 10-15-20 years till they find someoe that wants all of it or a chunck of it
NO, if your Rv fails a safety inspection it will be red tagged as unsafe to operate.
You will be given these options-
-fix the discrepancy's
-scrap the vehicle & surrender the title
-sell the vehicle to another party.
!
It has been tagged for salvage by the insurance company. So now in Florida it is not allowed to be towed. It can only be transported to sit permanently somewhere
Most RV's are very low quality. Your problem is just one example of the fundamental quality problems built into rigs by manufactures. How much WEIGHT did you add to your RV? Did you ever WEIGH your unit and compare to GVW rating?
See one of our more popular videos about the importance of weighing. See the pinned comment
As with anything, overuse for the intended purpose will result in premature failure. As far as the frame goes, it was subjected to excessive stress, and driving it off the road through a ditch would damage pretty much anything.
Interesting. The experts that actually were hands on blamed the Sumos,
Alice
👍👍😎✌️🤟 Super “C” 😊😊😊😊😊
Thanks for the vote for me 😉,Alice
there is trailer repair places that tied to semi trailer service! they repair frames to meat DOT regulations (my camping trailer was damaged in the spring area I was home so i called a semi trailer repair place i knew with in a 100 miles of my home) i took it to the place over night they fixed it in a few hours in the morning as i stood there and watched! ( the owner of the place wanted to how & why i knew of them I told him the company i used to wash trucks for he was shocked I hear because you do good repairs!
Thanks for the info - that’s great for others
However, our insurance company declared the RV unfixable.
Alice
Grand Designs was supposed to be the pinnacle of RVs. WOW… I’m not wanting to buy a new RV. I’m going to see what it will cost to rebuild a 1998 Lance Squire Lite 165S. I saw a 2017 Lance 650 for 23,000. Plus. The lease expensive lowest price I’ve seen. That’s still a lot of money.
The whole industry needs an overhaul. The older ones do seem built to last
Good luck. Love Lance, but pricey
Alice