2021 Grand Design Momentum
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Structure is the leading concern among 57 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the highest complaint count among 11 Momentum model years with reports.
Of the 2021 reports, 1 involved a crash.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Suspension, front, springs, leaf spring assembly, u-bolt, leaf spring to axleJan 26, 2026
Grand Design RV, LLC (Grand Design) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Momentum and 2022-2024 Solitude Fifth Wheel trailers. The U-bolt may become loose due to inadequate preload and preload losses, causing the axle to move out of position.
An axle that moves out of position can cause a loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the axle attachment components, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 15, 2026. Owners may contact Grand Design customer service at 1-574-825-9679. Grand Design's number for this recall is 910054. This recall supersedes NHTSA Recalls 23V490 and 24V193.
Campaign 26V044000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, front, springs, leaf spring assembly, u-bolt, leaf spring to axleJul 17, 2023
Grand Design RV, LLC. (Grand Design) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Momentum and Solitude fifth wheels, equipped with certain CURT 7000 and 8000 lb axles. The U-bolts may have been improperly tightened, which can cause the axle to move out of position.
An axle that moves out of position can cause a loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect and tighten the U-bolts, as necessary. Any damaged components will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 16, 2023. Owners may contact Grand Design customer service at 1-574-825-9679. Grand Design's number for this recall is 910039.
Campaign 23V490000 on NHTSA.gov
Equipment, appliance, refrigeratorJan 28, 2022
Grand Design RV, LLC (Grand Design) is recalling certain 2013-2021 Momentum, Solitude, and Reflection recreational vehicles. A 110-volt wire in the refrigerator cabinet may be improperly secured, which could result in the wire contacting the refrigerator cooling unit, causing an electrical arc.
An electrical arc increases the risk of a fire.
Dealers will inspect and replace any damaged wiring, and properly secure the wires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 21, 2022. Owners may contact Grand Design customer service at 1-574-825-9679. Grand Design's number for this recall is 910026.
Campaign 22V038000 on NHTSA.gov
Equipment, recreational vehicle/trailer, lpg systemsMay 26, 2021
Grand Design RV, LLC (Grand Design) is recalling certain 2016-2021 Imagine, Transcend, and Momentum travel trailers. The LP regulator that controls the LP gas pressure may fail, allowing excessive gas pressure that causes the appliance flame to increase.
Excessive gas pressure and a larger than intended appliance flame can increase the risk of a fire.
Dealers will replace the LP regulator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 24, 2021. Owners may contact Grand Design customer service at 1-574-825-9679. Grand Design's number for this recall is 910023.
Campaign 21V393000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
57 reports, newest first.
Other or unspecified, Structure, Latches/locks/linkages, Jan 16, 2025
Excessive frame flex in pin box area of fifth wheel. Forward left cargo door unlatching while towing. Vehicle is currently at Lazydays dealer in TN for inspection and TSB for excessive frame flex. Inspection has revealed major structural cracks and structural failure in upper deck steel frame structure. Vehicle has been deemed unsafe to transport and must be repaired in place or partially repaired for transport to factory. We noticed excessive deformation of the pin box and substantial rubbing of internal cabinets, etc upon return from a recent trip. Based of the damage, it would have been possible for the RV structure to separate from our tow vehicle putting us and others on the road at significant risk of injury or death. We saw indications of interior movement of cabinets and rubbing on walls for several thousand miles, but no indication of significant pinbox deflection until recently. Manufacturer has provided no guidelines or communication to owners to be aware of potential problems or to indicate things to look for that may indicate the vehicle poses a serious risk/hazard. Initial signs of rubbing inside the vehicle, and a loose latch and flapping of cargo door were observed in January 2024. We have video of substantial gap opening and movement of interior cabinets when taking vehicle off of stabilizer jacks and loading onto fifth wheel hitch of truck. Unable to get additional pictures currently as the RV is at the dealer for repairs. Will attempt to get photos of internal frame damage early next week if possible.
Structure, Other or unspecified, Latches/locks/linkages, Jan 15, 2025
Side compartments opening while towing unit on highway…items in compartment flying out …hatches won’t closed properly to much gap…big gap also on top cap where it connects to wall in front..unit taken to lazdays Tampa for frame flex recall…inspection revealed major cracks in frame everywhere as a result causing major frame flex…lots of welding is being done…by grand design mechanic ..slide system also damaged as a result of frame flex …unit is currently still at lazdays Tampa being welded together…they keep finding more and more damage …. You guys should send an inspector to inspect it to see major frame damage from poor frame build I believe unit is unsafe to be roadworthy with the amount of welding and repairs to frame the keep doing
Structure, Dec 30, 2024
I am experiencing major frame failure. My propane doors on both sides have opened while towing. Gotten so bad i had to duct tape them shut. Not safe pulling over to do this. The main cause of this happening is Frame Flexing which i can confirm with a video i took. I can also see my frame flexing while hitching and unhitching trailer. My top floors are squeaking badly which is indicative to my frame bending and breaking welds. Doing research I have seen pictures of other trailers the same year with broken and cracked frames. This poses a safety issue while towing as i feel the trailer can break away from the tow rig and cause some serious damage.
Structure, Dec 29, 2024
I own a 2021 Grand Design Momentum 381m. In august of this year we found broken welds and bolts in our RV frame. The dealer we took it to told us grand design has known about the issue for several years but refuses to issue a recall, instead they issued a service bulletin. GD told us on the phone, there have been no catastrophic failures yet, so there is no need for a recall. Blue Compass RV in Prescott, AZ, at the direction of GD, welded the frame and told us it was good to drive back home to Florida. Once back in FL, we took the RV to the dealer we purchased it from to have the cabinets repaired, the frame flexing caused damage to the cabinets in the front of the RV. The dealer told us the frame was not fixed and needed to go to the factory in Indiana for repair. We have been unable to use our RV for 3 months now. We are currently waiting for our RV to be transported to the GD factory on 8 Jan 2025.
Other or unspecified, Nov 30, 2024
Due to excessive frame flex, multiple welds have broken and the trailer walls are coming apart from the main frame. Vehicle is currently in for repair, but if the hitch had broken while towing, or if the walls had completely separated while towing, the result would have been a serious, and potentially fatal, accident.
Suspension, Other or unspecified, Nov 25, 2024
The frame and suspension on our 2021 Grand Design is failing. The frame on the upper deck has broken welds and there is visible movement in the upper deck when hitching and unhitching. The furniture inside the main bedroom move when hitching and unhitching. The side walls have started to detach from the frame as evidenced by screws backing out or breaking. The suspension has bent components. The frame is also bending in the right front. The hitch visibly moves into the upper deck when hitching.
Structure, Other or unspecified, Nov 6, 2024
I had noticed the Pin Box flexing, especially over bumps or any rough road or bridge approach. As it got worse I could tell we a lot of flex in the frame area where the Pin Box is located. I contacted the dealer and they examined our RV and determined the frame was flexing due to the bolts connecting the chassis to the actual frame of the RV body being to small and working loose/broke. The dealer replaced the bolts with larger bolts and advised the flex is now within specifications. It is better but it's not great by any means. I'm concerned as the RV gets older the condition will get worse and could even become hazardous. This condition has already affected the value of the RV and when it's out of warranty I'll have no recourse other than to fix it myself.
Structure, Other or unspecified, Sep 26, 2024
Frame failure! Driving down the road and noticed the kin box moving up and down into the Rv! I do not feel comfortable towing this Rv I feel it is going to cause a serious accident.
Suspension, Structure, Sep 10, 2024
Our 2021 Grand Design 395ms has FRAME FAILURE. The upper body of the frame has multiple broken welds and has separated during road use. If the welds continue to fail I have been told the lower half of the 5th wheel will fall to the pavement. If this were to occur during travel it could be catastrophic. This issue was iniitally repaired in thermopolis by a mobile welder. This initial repair failed and we had to contact the manufacturer. They initially told us it would be a couple months before their SRT team could repair. After multiple days we were connected with another mobile repair man from Montana Mobile Repair (Shawn) who stated "This is the worst frame repair he has had to make". After many hours he added extra bracing and support. Grand Design stated we needed to get it home. Approx. 1700 miles back to Michigan and we would need to setup an appointment for service repair. We are concerned with the fact that they are requiring owners to drive such defective units so far and putting the owners and others in harms way. We had no choice but to make the drive. We were denied any other forms of help such as flying the family home or paying for the extended stay until SRT arrived on site for the repair. Our final communication says once we arrive in Michigan to contact Grand Design and they will send someone to pick up our rig and transport it Grand Design.
Suspension, Other or unspecified, Aug 30, 2024
5th wheel with frame flex issues. Compartment doors and entry/exit doors open while traveling down the road. The underlying issue is frame flex.
Electrical system, Aug 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Grand Design Recreational Momentum. The contact stated that while having maintenance work completed on the RV, the dealer removed the nose cap and noticed that the insulation and the mylar tarp near the rear of the RV was burned. The contact was informed that the wiring on the nose cap had been overheating and causing the burn. The dealer had reconnected the wiring but had not repaired the RV. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000.
Structure, Service brakes, Jun 7, 2024
This is an updated report with additional detail. Sorry for any confusion this may have caused. * Baggage door routinely open while travelling. A number of items may have been sucked out of the RV while moving down the road. We try to be hypervigilant and pull over as soon as we notice the door flapping open, and we secure loose items in drawers. * RV doors routinely open. The front door always opens, even though we use the 'deadbolt'. It's usually held in place by a hand rail that folds over the door, but this occassionally comes open, as well. This damages the door, and we're concerned that the metal stairs could fold out. The rear door has recently started openning on travel days. It's hard to tell when this happens, but we have had to pick things up off the ground after making a left turn at low speeds. * Brake eletrical issue. We had the RV in for repair at the manufacturer's service center. They reported that some of the brakes weren't receiving the proper voltage and were thus non-functional. * Front bedroom Schwintek slide mechanism came loose. Slide was partially inoperable, and would start to extend out of the unit during travel. When noticed, depending on how far out it had started to come, we would have to go back into the unit and pull it back in to complete travel day. This was repaired by the manufacturer. * Broken welds on frame. The manufacturer service center replaced the rear steps. They did not identify the broken welds that were causing the floor (immediately above the steps) to sag, and thus allow water intrusion. This lead to the rotting of the floor of the RV. The manufacturer provided an estimate of ~$20k to repair the floor, but didn't include repairing the broken welds. * RV is unlevel / lists to the passenger side. The RV has a lot of heavy items on one side, and nothing heavy on the other side to counter balance it: shower, refrigerator, oven, microwave, and side deck/patio. The tops of the tires are clearly visible when looking a
Suspension, Structure, Other or unspecified, Jun 4, 2024
Our frame is showing signs of excessive flex, when we hook up our trailer to the tow vehicle.
Suspension, Exterior lighting, Structure, May 28, 2024
We are victims of frame failure. First sign was a creaky floor in the bedroom. Screws worked their way out of the wood flooring and pushed up underneath the linoleum. The movement of the nose cap pushed screws out of the trim and seal piece on the underside of the front cap. We reseated screws, upgraded screws, resealed this at least 5 times and now use gorilla tape to avoid water intrusion. The underbelly has fallen down while traveling so we had to reinforce this ourselves. Our driver side bay door will fly open when traveling. It locks but the locks will not hold it closed when the rig starts to flex. We now gorilla tape the door every time we travel to avoid objects flying out of our bay into traffic. The partition between the wet bay and the storage bay has bent. Our front driver side jack is not straight, it points outward. There is rubbing of the shelving and trim in the bedroom. The board that has the slide rollers under the main bed has failed. We have pinched decals on the exterior of the nose cap. The pin box sinks up into nose cap when hitched up. We have a toy hauler however we do not haul any vehicles or toys in our rig. We have had to replace both back leaf springs due to them failing. The main lighting panel has been damaged in transit so that the exterior accent lights will no longer turn off. This is an electrical hazard as well as an annoyance to anyone that camps near us. The roof seal that attaches the roof membrane to the front cap is elevated and not flush. When traveling from TX to Indiana for our frame failure appointment, the roof membrane completely shredded and fell back over the air conditioner. We had to gorilla tape the remaining roof to make it the rest of the way. Grand Design is not issuing a recall yet. Our rig is dangerous for us and anyone on the road with us. Our rig is in the shop right now and we have the highest hopes that it is properly fixed, and we do not have to return like so many others are.
Structure, Other or unspecified, May 20, 2024
There was excessive frame Flexing in the nose section of our 5th wheel. I inspected the lag bolts in the front section of our 5th wheel that hold the wall to the frame and found 4 bolts missing of the 12 that are supposed to be installed. Also, the bolts that were installed were undersized. I also have damage to the inside wall and cabinets from over-flexing during travel. I have not contacted a dealer of the manufacturer but have been following many other individuals on forums who have had similar issues. I have not had my unit inspected yet, but plan to start the process with Grand Design. The warnings were trim pieces falling off after travel days and damage to the interior wall. I also replaced screws on the outside cap that loosened, and some fell out.
Suspension, Structure, May 18, 2024
There are hairline cracks in the frame / Axle hanger(s), throughout the entire inside floor there are drops / gaps when a level is put down of a minimum of 1/8" - showing symptoms of frame flex / failure. On the road, the trailer produces excessive sway, bounce, and movement at speeds of 45 mph and above to the point where control has almost been lost on the roadway. It has been towed and tested with 3 different vehicles (2019 F250 Diesel, 2022 F450 Dually Diesel, and 2023 F250 Gas). documentation, video proof, Multiple witnesses, and different drivers all with over 7+ Years up to 30+ years' experience have tested this and have come up with the same results. Upgrades were made to both tow vehicle(s), Hitch(es), and trailer as suggested by Grand Design RV. Grand Design has stated after investigation that the axles on this unit were installed 5" out of the normal manufacturing of a Momentum 31G and there is a 1/2" difference between the driver's side front axle hanger and rear passenger side axle hanger. Trailer has been weighed multiple times with various loading procedures to make sure everything was evenly distributed side to side and front to rear. The trailer has not been overloaded yet the leaf springs were flat before upgraded to heavier weights. Tires have shown uneven wear patterns. Hitches have been set up in various positions per manufactures requests without any success. Grand Design has not taken responsibility nor attempted to fix the issues with the unit even with the proof submitted to them. Instead, they have been combative, dismissive, and try to bully their way out of their responsibilities. I've invested my own funds over the course of 3 years to attempt at rectifying the issue with no success. My family will not even travel in the same vehicle as me because they fear for their safety as I do as well as the safety of everyone on the roadway. This, however, does not concern Grand Design as they've unprofessionally stated to me consistently.
Other or unspecified, Structure, May 15, 2024
Our 5th wheel RV has had frame flex (frame failure) 4 separate times. The manufacturer has "fixed" it 3 times unsuccessfully. We have just owned this for 3 years and due to the length of time in between reporting to the manufacturer and waiting for repairs, the RV has been broken more than not during ownership. The pinbox is currently flexing due to broken welds on the frame and causes interior and exterior damage to the unit each time it is towed.
Suspension, Structure, May 12, 2024
Frame flexing issues. Storage compartment doors opening while towing and loosing belongings.
Suspension, Structure, Other or unspecified, Apr 22, 2024
In february 2023 we noticed several internal (sawdust, exposed finish nails, floor noises, broken trim, pinched wall coverings) and external (multiple locked doors opening in transit)signs that our RV frame was experiencing excessive flexing, more than what is expected and necessary for a nearly 42' metal vehicle frame. The frame has since failed, the suspension is underrated for the weight of the vehicle. The manufacturers UVW and GVWR sticker knowingly contained incorrect OEM information with proof from a CAT scale leading to me as the owner believing the vehicle could have been loaded with more OEM item weight from the manufacturer than what was accounted for and annotated. Despite understanding the allowable weights and keeping this RV well under the advertised GVWR, the 6 separate leafsprings of the suspension are all flattened. The upper deck frame failed under normal on-road (and very little) use. A 2024 TSB was issued on my RV for "upper deck flex". .5" of movement at the pin box was the "within limits" passing grade. My unloaded and empty RV's measurement taken by an authorized service center by the manufacturer in keeping with the TSB, measured 1.5" of flex at the pin box. This failure was so great it led to the manufacturer instructing the Service center to not move it or release it to me out of safety concerns. It has been at the service center since 4/10/2024 ti present without any instruction or communication from the manufacturer on how to proceed either under warranty or otherwise.
Structure, Other or unspecified, Apr 6, 2024
Signs of frame flex/failure Lag boats through frame beam into exterior walls, are protruding and coming out. Countertop and cabinet, rubbing against the walls, lots of cracks in the Front Cap. The RV as less then 5000 miles on it and only used maybe once a month during summer months. Per my research these are signs of frame flex/failure.
Structure, Other or unspecified, Mar 26, 2024
We have a 2021 Grand Design 353G Momentum fifth wheel RV. We have experienced frame failure with the upper deck of the RV. It has been inspected and repaired by the manufacturer recently, but I wanted to let you know about this issue that seems to be prevalent in the RV industry. It seems that the manufacturer has under engineered the chassis that Lipper has produced for them. I feel that this repair will not be sufficient for the life of the RV. I believe this is extremely unfair due to the cost of these and the cost my wife and I have incurred during this ordeal. Frame failures seem to be at the forefront of issues currently and things need to change. We saw signs of failure up to a year before we had it repaired but did not know what we were dealing with. The welds on the chassis are poor and the quality control of these units are very, very poor. If these were to fail on the highway, lives are at risk.
Suspension, Other or unspecified, Mar 6, 2024
Frame failure causing the vehicle to be unsafe to tow given the failure is in the PIN area. If the PIN box fails that could cause a catastrophic accident resulting in great harm or death to the driving public. Grand Design has failed to take full ownership of this issue with 100's of their large 5th wheel. On inspection welds are weak or missing leading to these RV's becoming unsafe to tow down the road. While GD has approved some work to remediate the broken welds, it's minimum effort and not a full fix. It will still be unsafe to tow with root cause in their upper deck walls not being addressed.
Structure, Mar 4, 2024
We had the frame flex issue and the work was completed by the shop.
Other or unspecified, Structure, Feb 23, 2024
Frame Failure: Welds broke, and walls separated. The dealer and manufacturer acknowledged the issue and repaired the issue.
Structure, Feb 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Grand Design Momentum 397 Fifth Wheel. The contact stated that there were tears in the metal of the subframe. While driving at unknown speeds, the RV was bouncy. After connecting to a truck and towing the truck, the RV became unsteady. The local dealer was not contacted. The RV was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the frame manufacturer. The contact called the Lippert manufacturer and was informed about measuring the distance of the subframe. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.