Grand Design refrigerator fires lead to recall

Three refrigerator fires mean some Grand Design fifth wheels are being recalled. Grand Design RV, LLC (Grand Design) is recalling certain 2023 Solitude fifth wheels. Loose or missing fasteners on the refrigerator cooling unit can allow excessive movement of the unit, possibly causing the propane line to crack and leak. A propane leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect the refrigerator and repair or replace it as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 12, 2024. Owners may contact Grand Design customer service at 1-574-825-9679. Grand Design’s number for this recall is 910043.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Grand Design refrigerator fires background

From June 2023 until January 2024, “Grand Design received 3 complaints of thermal events in the refrigerator compartments.” Thermal events? We checked with a representative from NHTSA, who told us that phrase translates to “fires.”

Grand Design checked their records and determined that all three fires were related to a single shipment of Norcold 2118SST model refrigerators. These are four-door, two-way refrigerators. All three of the refrigerators were built on the same day.

In February, Grand Design and Norcold representatives met to discuss the issue. Then, in March, Norcold reported back that they hadn’t received complaints from any other RV manufacturers on the topic. In May, Grand Design determined to go ahead with a recall.

Grand Design’s official report to NHTSA says, “There are no known injuries or accidents associated with this issue.” They also report, “The defect involves a shipment of Norcold 2118SST where the cooling unit was not secured, or loosely attached to the refrigerator housing. This defect may allow excessive movement of the cooling unit, creating the potential for cracked propane gas lines that are part of the refrigerator cooling unit.” Additionally, they state, “There is no evidence of missing fasteners on the refrigerators received outside the affected shipment.”

What more you need to know

How might you know there’s a problem with your refrigerator? If you smell propane or ammonia odors, there could be a problem. Common sense dictates if you get a whiff of either of these odors, SHUT DOWN THE REFRIGERATOR IMMEDIATELY AND SEEK HELP.

Have you had an LP leak or refrigerator fire? Do you know of an RVer who has? We’d like to hear about it. Write russ atsign rvtravel dot com.

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