Todayās RV review is of the new-for-2024 Grand Design Imagine XLS 24BSE. What we have here is a true couple’s camper that has quite a bit of seating space and also a very large countertop. You could hold those rainy-day get-togethers here quite easily.Ā
Grand Design, more than any other company, seems to be good at coming out with floor plans ahead of the pack that really break new ground and serve buyers well. The company does a great job with this along with keeping in contact with and serving buyers. Thereās a reason theyāre very popular.Ā But I also feel that they cut some corners that buyers should be aware ofāsome of which arenāt that big of a deal and others really are, to my way of thinking.Ā
What I liked about the Grand Design Imagine XLS 24BSE
What might capture your attention first in this floor plan, depending on which of the two entry doors you come through, is a large U-shaped dinette that takes up the front of this trailer. This large seating area can easily accommodate five adults and would be a great place to sit if the weather turns lousy and you all want to sit around drinking IPAs and playing Cards Against Humanity. Or whatever you do.Ā
In addition to the dinette, thereās also a three-seat sofa that just happens to be theater seats with a center fold-down armrest. The two outboard seats feature a recliner but also heat and massage, as well as cup holders with USB A charge ports.Ā
In addition to a good deal of seating, thereās also a very long countertop that extends across much of the camp side of this RV. As you would expect, thereās a three-burner stove and a sink, but then there’s also plenty of counter space.Ā
I just hosted an RV rally and we could have used a rig like this on one of the nights when it got rainy in the Quartzsite desert. The rest of the time, though, we were grilling and chilling in the warm desert air. Apologies to all the people who are currently suffering from rain and snow.Ā
More to like in the Grand Design Imagine XLS 24BSE
The way the bathroom in this rig is situated is much like youāll find in some Class C rigs. In fact, the whole back of this travel trailer is quite like a Class C.Ā
The bathroom is on the camp side and takes up about one-third the length and one-third the width of this trailer. Itās a long, skinny bathroomābut not so skinny that itās not spacious. Further, thereās a door to the bathroom from the outside, which is the ultimate travel access solution. Also, itās neat that thereās a towel bar on the back of the interior sliding door of this trailer.Ā
And, on the subject of travel access, this trailer mercifully does not use those dumb āsolid steps.ā I realize theyāre solid and stable, but they have so many inconveniences including flipping dirt or rain into the trailer. Theyāre next to impossible to deploy in a tight situation such as in a storage facility. If these steps arenāt stable enough for you, you could always use this step stabilizer to make them more so but retain the flexibility of this design.Ā
The bedroom in this features a traditional queen-sized bed but, and this might be a big but, it has to be able to fold to accommodate the slide room coming in. This is also how many Class C RVs are designed. There are mattress upgrades that might work for you, if you choose to upgrade the mattress.Ā
Big safety feature in the Grand Design Imagine XLS 24BSE
Potentially, the best thing about this trailer is that it incorporates Lippertās anti-lock braking system. This is pretty much universal in any modern vehicle but not typically seen in trailers. Well, that has changed as Grand Design and Keystone are making this new towing safety advance a standard feature in their offerings. I couldnāt be more overjoyed about this.Ā
In a nutshell, this type of technology can help you maintain control while towing in a challenging braking situation, including one where the road is less than ideal. For example, think of rain or snow and then hit your brakes. Hard.Ā
Whatās not to like about the Grand Design Imagine XLS 24BSE
As much as I want to really like this trailer, there are things I donāt like but which are such very simple remedies. The first is the dreaded 17ā RV oven.Ā
At the same rally I talked about, we had a bunch of Rockwood trailers and then a few Grand Design trailers. Universally, the Rockwood owners used their RV ovens, but the Grand Design owners did not and had to spend their own money on something like a toaster oven or other way to bake.Ā
Come on, Grand Design. This aināt grand at all. Itās cheap. Charge $100 more and put in something that isnāt worthless.Ā
Two connections to dump holding tanks
Also, there are two connections for dumping the holding tanks on this trailer. I really like that the gate valves are enclosed in the heated underbelly, but then there are two connections. If people can remedy this after the fact, you can do it at the factory. Trust me on this.Ā
Further, at least Grand Design finally stopped using the “MayPop” brand of substandard tires and went with Goodyear Endurance. However, they still use the cheapest leaf spring suspension available. I guess this is okay if youāre not doing much towing but, again, same gathering, and all the Grand Design owners were talking about upgrading their suspensions and none of the Rockwood owners were. Coincidence? No.Ā
Lastly, I am seeing more and more of those strip lights across the ceilings of RVs, and I have a question for you. I know some highfalutin designers donāt like those as they seem less stylish. But I like them, and hereās why.Ā
Yes, the strip lights are dimmable. But the puck lights can be individually turned on and off to change the brightness. Am I overthinking things? Whatās your take?Ā
Oh, last thing. Thereās an odd step up into the dinette in the front of this trailer to get to the dinette and I see that as a trip hazard. It seems odd to me.Ā
Conclusions
Overall I really like this trailer and commend Grand Design on continually coming up with great floor plans that others then copy. But if youāre going to call your company Grand Design, how about not cheaping out on things that arenāt apparent to newer travelers but will become frustrations over time?Ā
Also, the same folks in my group were frustrated with their Furrion water heaters. Do you have one and, if so, what do you think?Ā
I value your input on these things and appreciate your time reading these stories.Ā
More about these RV reviews
These RV reviews are written based on information provided by the manufacturers along with our writerās own research. They are based on information from a single unit and may not reflect your actual experience. Shop your RV and dealership carefully before making a buying decision.Ā We receive no money or other financial benefits from these reviews. They are intended only as a brief overview of the vehicle, not a comprehensive critique, which would require a thorough inspection and/or test drive.
Tony comes to RVtravel.com having worked at an RV dealership and been a life long RV enthusiast. He also has written the syndicated Curbside column about cars. He also works closely with a number of RV manufacturers to get an inside look at how things are done and is a brand ambassador for Rockwood Mini Lite with his wife, Peggy.
You can also check out hisĀ RV podcast with his wife, Peggy.Ā
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It seems like there is a lot of weight toward the back of this trailer… I wonder how it tows?
For all their faults, most RV manufacturers are pretty good about this so that’s not something I would necessarily worry about.
The dump connection looks to be in a precarious position, prone to getting caught on ‘stuff’ if you’re off-roading. Those recliners are notoriously uncomfortable for the portion that folds out and your calves rest on. Almost no noticeable padding. I do like the stairs for the same reason Tony does. Those stabilizers Tony mentions are not universally fitting. We ordered one and had to ship it back. It would not attach to our stairs.
I want to see what the two unprotected walls look like after frying up a load of bacon for breakfast.
How about saving a hundred $ or more and skip a conventional oven all together. Just have a nice sized conv/micro.
I’ll be watching the road for that sewer pipe that will be ripped off with the first road gator they can’t avoid. š
For a while ovens were an option among some brands and that’s how I’d prefer to see it done today. But the 17″ model is just worthless.
As for ceiling fans, I didn’t see any point of reference but, based on Grand Design’s typical MO, I would guess they’re also as worthless as the oven.
This trailer would be a HARD no…. The CCC is just about a 1000 lbs. By time you put fresh water, which is on the small size for any extended stay with out hook ups, propane and batteries there won’t be much room left for the normal camping/trailer stuff.
Also there was no mention of the ceiling fans…. Max Air or just the little useless ones. AND no mention of solar either.
On the 2 different dump connections….. Really? It doesn’t take but 1 minute to disconnect and move the hose to reconnect it to the other valve. By having it this way you gain an extra 40 gallons of gray water capacity. That’s a win in my book.
I’ve owned a Rockwood Mini Lite and now I own a Grand Design Reflection. In between I owned a low-end Mesa Ridge. The reason we bought the Rockwood was because of the high quality of the materials and systems. Unfortunately, those materials and systems must have been installed the Monday morning after the Super Bowl because so many things were installed incorrectly and would break/fall apart. That trailer was a nightmare! The Mesa Ridge was built 10 X better than the Rockwood but had cheap materials. The Grand Design is built really well. We have had problems with the Schwintek slide and Furrion solar charge controller. However, Grand Design has been great to work with to fix things.
Winnebago solved the problem of the gray tank on the opposite side of the axle from the black tank in our small Class C. They used a macerator pump just on the gray tank. Dump the black tank, close black valve, open gray valve, turn on macerator, empty gray tank, turn off pump, close gray valve. One RV dump, not two! So simple even a child (but not most RV manufacturers) can do it!
I like it, but wouldnāt buy with the Schwintek Slide. Would be nice if the floorplan was reversed so the dinette was against the back wall. Fresh water tank too small. Duel sewage outlets would be a pain, especially if itās pouring rain out. Would be nice for a front window by the dinette. Wouldnāt like the folding mattress because it would probably be difficult replacing with a comfortable mattress.
Thank you, Tony, for your typically thorough review. Thank you for taking advantage of being among so many owners of the two manufacturers to draw comparisons and highlight the differences. No, we haven’t the heating system that you asked about. Safe travels! š
With the 37 gallon freshwater tank capacity, it’s clear GD’s intention for the Imagine was as a camp ground jester. Why else would there be 119 gallons for waste water except for a city water hook up. I am a vocal opponent of Grand Design. Virtually without exception, I have found its products to be thinly disguised cut-rate engineering. Keystone’s Innovation Lab seems to provide GD’s inspiration as it follows the Lab’s creations in lockstep. Anti-lock brakes are great, but do nothing for livability once you reach your destination; the whole purpose of the trip.
Can we check to see if we might be related? I feel the same way.
Tony, I totally agree with your assessment on the steps and oven. Keep beating the drum and maybe the manufacturers will listen.
Let’s hope. Actually I wrote an article elsewhere about RVs being a ticking time bomb plumbing-wise and one company reached out and said they had NO idea that this was such an issue. Turns out most of the plumbing repairs are done by owners in the field which didn’t trigger warranty claims.
So, you bet I’ll keep harping on these things and hope prospective buyers let dealers know that, yes, they do matter.
I liked learning about trailer anti-lock braking. It seems it would eliminate any trailer brake controller set too high, even on dry pavement. Besides reducing jack knife situations. However, trailer owners will still have to remember to loosen their friction sway controls if driving on wet, snowy, or icy roads.