Grand Design Lineage
RV manufacturer Grand Design rolls into the motorized market, with the debut of the Series-M 25FW Class C motorhome leading the way.
By Bruce W. Smith
July/August 2024
It’s rare that an RV manufacturer dedicated solely to trailers expands into building motorhomes and camper vans. So, when Grand Design RV did just that earlier this year, I had the privilege of interviewing Tommy Hall, general manager of the company’s new Lineage motorized division — and got a sneak preview of the first product in the lineup, the Series-M 25FW Class C motorhome.
A year ago, Grand Design celebrated the production of its 250,000th towable since the company’s founding in 2012. At the time, president and CEO Don Clark said, “We are committed to continuing to innovate and to produce RVs that exceed our customers’ expectations.”
Lineage features include stylish side mirrors.
Clark’s promise has come to fruition this summer in the form of the 2025 Lineage Series-M 25FW Class C motorhome — the Indiana-based company’s first motorized RV. All the Lineage units are being built at the same Middlebury, Indiana, manufacturing campus as Grand Design’s travel trailers, fifth-wheels, and toy haulers. The 25FW is the first of a whole suite of Class C motorhomes and B-series camper vans the company will be rolling out this year and into next.
SEVERAL INDUSTRY FIRSTS
Measuring 25 feet 11 inches long, the Series-M 25FW sits atop the popular Mercedes-Benz 170-inch Sprinter 4500 cutaway chassis. It is powered by the company’s 208-horsepower four-cylinder turbodiesel engine, backed by the wide-ratio 9G-Tronic automatic transmission.
Innovation has been a big part of the Grand Design DNA, and the Lineage 25FW floor plan shows that off with a king-size bed in the rear, “an industry first in a Sprinter Class C,” Tommy Hall said. But that’s not the only interesting aspect of this new model.
“The 25FW’s full-wall slide is the deepest in the Class C market, too, and it has the largest 12-volt refrigerator (10 cubic feet) in this market. It also incorporates an advanced A/C system with linear slot diffusers (for quieter, more efficient operation), and we built in direct airflow into the bunk area above the cab instead of forcing air in from the living room,” Hall noted.
Externally, the first Lineage Class C model sports a blackout package with smoked tail and marker lights that look almost invisible until they are in use. It also incorporates a black base around the baggage doors, as well as a black wheel package that gives the Series-M 25FW a certain sportiness about it, distinct from other Class Cs.
SOLID FOUNDATION
Hall told us another area the Grand Design engineering team paid considerable attention to is how the body connects to the chassis. Most RV builders rely solely on shorter/less structural “outriggers” attached to the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 4500 chassis to support the body. The Lineage isn’t built that way.
Grand Design goes a step further by using a “halo” chassis support, he said. “In addition to sturdy outriggers, we weld on a full steel halo to the chassis that wraps both under and around the perimeter of our floor. This design gives the coach considerably more strength and stability, while reducing sway and road noise — all huge benefits to our owners.”
The coach comes with an automatic step.
Mercedes-Benz Sprinters are known for good driving and handling qualities straight from the factory. But some buyers who travel a lot in the mountains or along winding highways may want to improve those traits. To that end, Hall said that further along in the production process, Lineage Class C motorhomes and Class B vans may be available with an optional suspension upgrade package, or packages, to increase the level of handling and performance — similar to what Grand Design’s parent company, Winnebago, offers for the Revel camper van.
FAMILIAR BUILD QUALITY
Over the past dozen years, Grand Design has built a reputation centering on high standards of craftsmanship and quality components within the company’s fifth-wheels and travel trailers. Those traits have carried over into the Lineage Class C motorhome line, Hall noted. “We’ve integrated many of the interior design features that customers praise in our towables,” he said. (Hall previously oversaw Grand Design’s Solitude trailers as general manager.) “We are still utilizing the same suppliers as used in our towables for the Lineage interiors, but with new looks and colors based off of their latest products.”
A nice carry-over feature included in the 25FW is the absence of floor vents. The air from the furnace runs through upgraded ducting that extends through cabinets and sidewalls, instead of cutting into the floor. Hall said this design ensures owners will not see gaps, open spaces, or gimp moldings (used to hide areas of imperfections) in the Lineage Class C interiors.
INTERIOR CREATURE COMFORTS
The full-wall slideout really opens up the interior of the 25FW. Like many popular Class Cs, the Lineage will be available with a dinette or theater seating to make the most of the lounge area.
The cockpit seats swivel toward the rear to become part of the living space. A movable pedestal table is available. This arrangement is much the same as that found in the Winnebago View and Vita models.
Another nice feature in the Lineage Series-M 25FW is a built-in tilt-out drawer for the trash can and a slide-out drawer at ankle height for pet dishes. Lineage designers have also incorporated a heavy-duty drawer under the galley counter to hold heavier pots and pans.
COMFORTABLE OFF-GRID CAMPING
RVers looking for a suitable Class C motorhome for extended off-grid, dry-camp excursions into the boondocks will find the 25FW up to the task. Hall said the Lineage Series-M models will come standard with both a 3,600-watt propane-powered generator and a basic solar system.
“The Series-M 25FW will come solar-equipped with a 200-watt panel feeding a 12-volt 600-amp-hour Lithionics lithium-ion battery coupled to their Advanced NeverDie BMS V9 battery management system,” Hall explained.
And if a consumer is looking for more juice to power appliances and electronics when camping off-grid, Grand Design will offer a solar upgrade package that replaces the generator with a second LiFePO₄ battery, adds a larger solar panel array, and places a second alternator on the engine to maximize charging performance driving down the road.
MORE LINEAGES ON THE HORIZON
Grand Design’s foray into the world of motorized RVs doesn’t end with the Lineage 25FW Class C. Quite the contrary. A full portfolio is scheduled to be unveiled over the next year, including at least two more floor plans to accompany the 25FW, along with a line of Class C motorhomes built on the Ford F-600 Super C and E-450 platforms, so buyers will have a choice between diesel and gas models.
The Lineage lineup will be expanded to include Class Bs motorhomes.
Hall shared that the Lineage brand will also include Class B camper vans in both four-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive versions based on Mercedes-Benz, Ford, and RAM 2500/3500 vans.
“Every product that we come out with, whether it’s a Class C or a B van, will carry the Lineage brand name,” Hall said.
At this writing, full production of the Lineage 25FW was slated to begin in mid-July, with shipments to dealers before the end of August and other Lineage models/floor plans following close behind.
Customers can stay up-to-date on all the information about the Lineage Series-M 25FW, and other Grand Design Class C motorhomes and Class B vans, by visiting granddesignrv.com.
Grand Design RV, 11333 County Road 2, Middlebury, IN 46540; granddesignrv.com; (574) 825-9679
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Source: https://familyrvingmag.com/2024/07/01/grand-design-lineage/
