Grand Design Launches Open House with Reception, Unveiling – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
Dealers and Grand Design personnel congregate aroudn the new Serenova travel trailer. (Photos: Rick Kessler)
Grand Design RV Co. (GDRV) hosted hundreds of dealers Sunday night for a brief rundown of the company’s service initiatives as well as a sneak preview of the three new brands the Middlebury, Ind.-based OEM is unveiling for the 2024 model year.
Indeed, Grand Design is adding the Reflection 100 Series and the Influence – both fifth-wheels – and the Serenova travel trailer.
After having been in development for several years, Grand Design felt the time was finally right to unveil the Serenova, a single-axle unit whose most noticeable feature is a large panoramic front windshield. While retail pricing and weights were still TBD, the lengths of the three initial floorplans range from just under 19 feet, 11.75 inches feet long to 20 feet, 1.75 inches long. Tank capacities were reported at 39, 30 and 30 gallons for fresh, gray and black, respectively.
The Serenova debuts with three floorplans: the rear bunk 150BH, the rear bath 155MS that also offers a streetside slideout, and the rear queen bed 160LG. All three models feature a 35 by 40 dinette up front, a cozy but functional campside galley, 12-foot exterior awning, tankless water heater, high efficiency air conditioner, universal docking station, 200-watt solar panel, 30-amp charge controller and inverter prep, power entry step, three observation cameras, Goodyear Endurance tires and European polyvision windows with integrated privacy shades.
“We’re really excited about this product segment,” said GDRV National Sales Manager Peter Kinden. “When we researched this, a lot of dealers told us this is a market where people are at – some of our dealers refer to it as that younger market that’s bursted on the scene in the last few years, especially during COVID. This is what they’re asking for. They want easy to tow, lightweight, sexy, cool looking, and a little bit of status – but not the price of an Airstream, which this is not. So, we feel our guys have really nailed it on the head.”
The Reflection 100 Series also is making its debut with the 2024 model year.
Meanwhile, the Influence is an all-new fifth-wheel brand that’s designed to fit a gap in GDRV’s lineup between the highest priced Reflection and lowest priced Solitude. That gap, said GDRV National Sales Manager Rob Groover, is a price segment that represents about 9,000 units in the marketplace.
“This is an arena that we’ve never really played in,” Groover said. “We’ve dabbled in a little bit, but now we’ve gone all in all new unique floorplans, all new unique interiors, all new unique exteriors.”
The Influence hits the market with two configurations, the 38-foot, 3-inch 3803GK and the 40-foot, 4-inch 4003BH. Weights were TBD. Both offer an east-to-west queen bed slide in the up front bedroom. The upper level also features a three-piece bathroom. The 3803GK sports a familiar layout in the rear, with opposing slides housing a kitchen and entertainment center in the streetside, and free-standing dinette and theater seating in the campside slide. A sofa along the rear wall and a center island sink completes the layout. The 4003BH, on the other hand, includes the same living/dining/kitchen opposing slide configuration, but a more compact upper level and the additional two feet in length allows for a rear bunk room.
The Reflection 100 Series are lighter, smaller fifth-wheels. For example, the 22RK checks in at 26 feet, 11 inches long and 6,930-pond UVW. The hitch weight was reported ta 1,086 piunds, and the exterior height was said to be 11 feet, 9 inches. The 22RK is a single-slide rear kitchen model with a queen bed up front. Taking a step up from that is the 28RL, a 30-foot, 11-inch long two-slide model whose UVW is 8,362 pounds. The 27BH – a rear bunk model – is the longest of the three units at 32 feet, 3 inches, but its UVW is 8,038 pounds.
Additional features for both the Influence and the Reflection 100 Series include one-touch auto leveling, universal docking station, MORryde CRE 3000 suspension system, tankless water heater, 50-amp charge controller and inverter prep, motion sensor LED lighting and ductless “Evenflow” heating system. Tank capacities are 81, 106 and 106 gallons for fresh, gray and black, respectively. The Influence offers Cooper H-rated tires and a 330-watt solar panel, while the Reflection 100 Series checks in with Goodyear Endurance tires and a 180-watt solar panel.
Source: https://rvbusiness.com/grand-design-gives-dealers-a-sneak-peek-at-open-house/
