We are looking into buying a 5th wheel. Looking at floor plans we found the one that we are looking for. The solitude375RE by Grand Design. The livingroom is the main attraction. 2 fold out couches and theater seats. Being in the back the ceiling and slides are taller which is another feature we prefer. However this floor plan seems to be uncommon . The following have it:
1. GD Solitude 375RE
2. Evergreen Bayhill 375RE
3. Heartland Big Country 4010RD
So the questions i have are how do they rank in quality and reliability? Which manufacture has best customer response to issues/warranty claims? Which would u pick and why? Also are there any others w a similar floor plan i have missed?
Thanks in advance!
Second Chance said
10:11 AM Sep 24, 2015
I can't speak to other brands of fifth wheels, but we like our Grand Design Reflection 337RLS very much. (Already having a 3/4 ton diesel truck, we didn't have enough payload capacity to go with the heavier Solitude series - but would have loved too!). Grand Design builds a very good unit and, at this point, their reputation for customer service is one of the best in the industry. As with any brand of RV, though, your dealer is as important as the manufacturer. We purchased our unit the first of August and went full-time three weeks later. We have had zero problems that required dealer intervention (if you don't count the time I inadvertently switched off the battery disconnect in the basement and my dealer had to help me figure out why I didn't have battery power... but we won't go there...). If GD has a floor plan you like, I wouldn't hesitate to pursue it - especially if you have the truck to handle the pin weight of a Solitude. PM me if you want to know more.
Rob
PS - head over to the Grand Design Owners' Forum - a lot going on there.
-- Edited by Second Chance on Thursday 24th of September 2015 10:12:38 AM
jbean said
11:08 AM Sep 24, 2015
Thanks for the reply. I'm curious what year make and model is your truck? Mine is a 2011 diesel f250 srw. Maybe I need to research the truck situation to. Hmm
BiggarView said
12:15 PM Sep 24, 2015
Absolutely, I'd be wary of overloading the truck rear axle in the configuration your are describing. The old saw round these parts (and it's just plain common sense) pick the trailer you like then find the right vehicle to tow it. Good luck.
Second Chance said
03:55 PM Sep 24, 2015
jbean wrote:
Thanks for the reply. I'm curious what year make and model is your truck? Mine is a 2011 diesel f250 srw. Maybe I need to research the truck situation to. Hmm
jbean,
Our truck is a 2013 GMC Sierra 2500HD with the DuraMax diesel and Allison transmission. Search this forum and RV.net - there are numerous threads on gathering the data and doing the calculations to determine what your truck can do and whether it can handle the trailer you're contemplating. I don't know the details, but I doubt an F250 has the reserve payload capacity to handle the pin weight you will find in a loaded Solitude. 3/4 ton trucks will run out of payload capacity (the weight you can put on the rear axle) LONG before they reach their limit for "towing capacity" or GCVWR (gross combined vehicle weight rating). PM me your regular email if you want a step-by-step on finding the information and doing the calculations.
Rob
jbean said
04:26 PM Sep 24, 2015
Thanks for the feedback. J and I share this profile. Im gonna start another post about 3/4 ton diesels and their tow capabilities.
Thanks Rob for sharing your experience with GD. Ive read good things about Heartlands customer service being good as well. Bayhill looks nice but not much out there. What i did wasnt very positive quality wise.
Hopefully there are others who will chime in. I was looking to post a poll but didnt see an option for that?
Bean
marianne57 said
05:44 PM Sep 24, 2015
jbean,
We have the Solitude 305 by Grand Design, which isn't the layout you are looking at but it is the same company that you're asking about, and without a doubt their customer service is amazing. They practice what they preach! We had AC issues this summer and they sent a tech and covered all repairs for us and followed up with a call after it was done. We are on the forum for Grand Design owners which is run independent from them but it gives you all the good, the bad and the ugly and the CEO and President of Marketing both respond to any customers not getting resolutions quickly from their service depts. It would be hard to find a company offering better right now in our opinion.
jayc said
07:08 AM Sep 25, 2015
The Heartland Big Country is rated and warranted for full time use and is a very popular brand. Heartland has an outstanding reputation for customer service and the Heartland Owners forum is very informative with many other owners that are willing and able to help with any questions that you may have. The club has chapters in many states with rallies that you can attend for free, once you join. I have never met a friendlier and more helpful group of people.
el Rojo and Pam said
07:55 AM Sep 25, 2015
We are in our second Grand Design product. The first was a Solitude 369RL and the second a Momentum 380, both RV’s are great. We are currently in the Momentum and this is RV #13 for us. We have RV'd our entire married life and I can say without a doubt the Momentum is the best quality rig we ever bought.
On another note, we just came from the Grand Design Rally in August at Elkhart IN. Grand Design had at least 6 tech's, 2 customer service reps, a parts rep and the VP over service at the camp ground for 4 days making any repairs needed....matter of fact JD, one of the lead CR reps showed up 2 days early to go rig to rig checking on repair request so the parts would be on hand when the techs arrived. To my knowledge, all repairs were made at Grand Designs expense. No one knows if they will keep doing this in the future, but my bet is yes.
I can't speak to other brands of fifth wheels, but we like our Grand Design Reflection 337RLS very much. (Already having a 3/4 ton diesel truck, we didn't have enough payload capacity to go with the heavier Solitude series - but would have loved too!). Grand Design builds a very good unit and, at this point, their reputation for customer service is one of the best in the industry. As with any brand of RV, though, your dealer is as important as the manufacturer. We purchased our unit the first of August and went full-time three weeks later. We have had zero problems that required dealer intervention (if you don't count the time I inadvertently switched off the battery disconnect in the basement and my dealer had to help me figure out why I didn't have battery power... but we won't go there...). If GD has a floor plan you like, I wouldn't hesitate to pursue it - especially if you have the truck to handle the pin weight of a Solitude. PM me if you want to know more.
Rob
PS - head over to the Grand Design Owners' Forum - a lot going on there.
-- Edited by Second Chance on Thursday 24th of September 2015 10:12:38 AM
Absolutely, I'd be wary of overloading the truck rear axle in the configuration your are describing. The old saw round these parts (and it's just plain common sense) pick the trailer you like then find the right vehicle to tow it. Good luck.
jbean,
Our truck is a 2013 GMC Sierra 2500HD with the DuraMax diesel and Allison transmission. Search this forum and RV.net - there are numerous threads on gathering the data and doing the calculations to determine what your truck can do and whether it can handle the trailer you're contemplating. I don't know the details, but I doubt an F250 has the reserve payload capacity to handle the pin weight you will find in a loaded Solitude. 3/4 ton trucks will run out of payload capacity (the weight you can put on the rear axle) LONG before they reach their limit for "towing capacity" or GCVWR (gross combined vehicle weight rating). PM me your regular email if you want a step-by-step on finding the information and doing the calculations.
Rob
Thanks Rob for sharing your experience with GD. Ive read good things about Heartlands customer service being good as well. Bayhill looks nice but not much out there. What i did wasnt very positive quality wise.
Hopefully there are others who will chime in. I was looking to post a poll but didnt see an option for that?
Bean
jbean,
We have the Solitude 305 by Grand Design, which isn't the layout you are looking at but it is the same company that you're asking about, and without a doubt their customer service is amazing. They practice what they preach! We had AC issues this summer and they sent a tech and covered all repairs for us and followed up with a call after it was done. We are on the forum for Grand Design owners which is run independent from them but it gives you all the good, the bad and the ugly and the CEO and President of Marketing both respond to any customers not getting resolutions quickly from their service depts. It would be hard to find a company offering better right now in our opinion.
The Heartland Big Country is rated and warranted for full time use and is a very popular brand. Heartland has an outstanding reputation for customer service and the Heartland Owners forum is very informative with many other owners that are willing and able to help with any questions that you may have. The club has chapters in many states with rallies that you can attend for free, once you join. I have never met a friendlier and more helpful group of people.
On another note, we just came from the Grand Design Rally in August at Elkhart IN. Grand Design had at least 6 tech's, 2 customer service reps, a parts rep and the VP over service at the camp ground for 4 days making any repairs needed....matter of fact JD, one of the lead CR reps showed up 2 days early to go rig to rig checking on repair request so the parts would be on hand when the techs arrived. To my knowledge, all repairs were made at Grand Designs expense. No one knows if they will keep doing this in the future, but my bet is yes.