Those that have followed us over the years or have read our books understand we have a Grand Design Travel Trailer.  I want to briefly talk about why you might want to consider Grand Design when you look for a travel trailer. We have owned eight travel trailers in the last 30 plus years:

1971 Jayco Jaywren

1990 Mallard Sprint

1992 Fleetwood Prowler

2001 RVision Trail Cruiser

2007 Coachmen Captiva

2015 Jayco 24RBS White Hawk

2015 Jayco 27RBOK White Hawk

2017 Grand Design Imagine 2950RL

We switched travel trailers based on changes in our camping lifestyle.  While you can see that we had three Jaycos, those decisions were based on floor plan changes that we desired, not brand loyalty.  However I have always maintained that the Jayco’s we purchased were pretty solid campers.

Then in January of 2017 we went to an RV show in Dallas and saw the Imagine 2950RL.  We loved the look of the residential interior and the floor plan which checked off a number of boxes for us.  So I went home and did my research on the company and was very impressed with their operating philosophy and the reviews of owners.

Based in that research we found a 2950RL about sixty miles from us and officially took possession of it on March 31st of 2017.  However before purchasing this particular trailer I climbed on the roof and had some concerns regarding the roof.  After sending pictures and texts to a corporate representative I received a guarantee from Grand Design that they would stand behind the roof. 

So our journey began with the Imagine 2950RL.

The First day with the 2950RL
The First day with the 2950RL

The Trailer was not without problems during the first two years (show me a new unit that doesn’t have issues) but Grand Design took care of every  problem we encountered.  I have never experienced a higher level of customer service from any other RV manufacturer.  

On one of our first trips they authorized a Mobil RV service to come to our campsite and repair a water leak caused by a screw rubbing on a water line.  They even recommended an RV repair place near them where we could get some warranty work performed on the trailer.  It was one of the best RV repair places we have visited.

In late 2019 I noticed what appeared to be some semi-serious issues with the roof which I reported to Grand Designs Customer Service Team.  True to their word, they told me they would replace the roof.  Since the roof wasn’t leaking we scheduled the repair to be done at the Grand Design repair facility in September of 2020.  The timing of the repair was mainly due to us being in the area.

There were a number of things that did not turn out correctly with the replaced roof done at the factory.  There is no need to detail the specifics here.  I understand people make mistakes, and that happens in any industry.  In addition Grand Design contacted me and made no excuses for what went wrong. They took responsibility for it, and that DOES NOT happen in every industry.  Really what more can a customer ask for?  

Now they are having my Imagines roof replaced at their expense at a facility near me.  This is about as good as it gets from an RV manufacturer.  Just look on-line and you’ll see there’s no better customer service organization in the RV Industry.  

If you read my blog, you know I call it the way I see it.  I don’t sugar coat the RV industries woes at all, or Grand Designs for that matter; and I give credit where credit is due.  Additionally, I am not a keyboard warrior spewing poison. Relationships or perspectives are not built on that kind of behavior.  I have always tried to be balanced in my approach in my blog and in my books.

When I say Grand Design has the best customer service in the industry it’s because I know it to be true based on my own personal experience.  I have never recommended a particular travel trailer nor would I.  All travel trailers have issues, even more in a boom year; like the one we are experiencing now.  That being said if customer service sells RVs, Grand Design is going to outsell the competition.  If customer service is high on your priority list, then you will want to, at the very least, consider Grand Design as a manufacturer.

I have always said that if trailers were made better you wouldn’t need customer service.  Let’s face it no one who buys a trailer looks forward to dealing with warranty repairs; they just want to camp.  However, when you look at the sheer volume of travel trailers coming out of Indiana right now (The first quarter of 2021 was the highest number of shipments on record) it would be wise to put stock in the customer service side of any purchase.

I’m typically not “Brand Loyal” with perhaps one or two exceptions.  As it stands right now I don’t see myself moving away from Grand Design. To learn more about Grand Designs Story click here.