Customize Your Grand Design RV: Our Experience With Factory Ordering
Have you considered custom ordering your RV? In this post, I’ll share why we went that route and guide you through our Grand Design Momentum build sheet. I’ll walk you through each step, explain which factory upgrades we opted for, which ones we didn’t, and the process we followed to submit our custom order to Grand Design’s factory team.
In case you missed it, I’ve discussed in earlier videos our decision to go with a 5th wheel RV, why we were drawn to the Grand Design brand, and our choice of the 397TH floorplan. You can catch up by watching those videos here.
Why custom order an RV?
Have you ever shopped for a brand-new RV only to find that it already looked worn out? That was one of the reasons why we chose to custom order ours. By doing so, we knew we were getting a freshly produced rig straight from the factory, instead of one that had been sitting on a dealer lot for an unknown period of time.
This way, we could avoid any potential wear and tear from foot traffic, as well as weather damage from an issue like a leaking roof that might have been missed during inspection. We wanted our RV to be in pristine condition, and custom ordering was the best way to ensure that.
Another benefit of custom ordering was that we could pick and choose our desired features and options. This allowed us to avoid paying for anything extra we didn’t need, while making sure we didn’t miss out on anything we actually wanted. We needed our RV to be tailored to our specific needs, and custom ordering gave us that flexibility.
Placing a custom RV order
To order a Grand Design unit that’s tailored to your needs, the first step is to contact a Grand Design dealer and request an official order sheet. We did this by emailing multiple dealers, and all of them provided us with the same one-page document.
Filling out the Grand Design RV Order Sheet
Model & interior color
We started by choosing the 397TH floor plan. We opted for the Mocha interior color, which is darker than the lighter Oakley color.
Third awning
Choosing the third awning on the living room slide was an easy decision for us. We wanted to keep the heat at bay during summer, and this slide had the most windows.
Garage screen wall
We passed on the pull-down screen wall for the garage since we knew we wanted the Gen II three-season glass wall, which was further down the list.
Generator
We opted for the Onan 5500 gas generator to ensure we had full off-grid power capabilities for our Grand Design right from the start.
Climate control
We added a third air conditioning unit in the garage to maintain a comfortable temperature in that space, and as a redundancy for the other AC units. Plus, having three units provided the best cooling performance for the entire RV.
To provide an additional heating option, we added a heat pump to the main A/C unit in the living room, which pulls in heat from the surrounding exterior air. If we’re at a campground with electricity included, we can also save money by using the heat pump instead of propane. We decided on dual pane windows as they offered insulation against extreme temperatures and noise reduction.
Interior
As I’m 6’3″ and need lots of room to sleep comfortably, we went with the king bed upgrade. We also added the Rockford Fosgate Speakers with the amps and subwoofers to enjoy music wirelessly and theater-quality sound when watching movies. We decided against the super sofa upgrade and instead went for the dining room table and smaller couch setup.
Garage
We opted for the Happi-Jac electric bunk system, which allowed us to convert our garage couches into spacious office desks that can be raised, lowered, or stowed away for travel. To add more living space to our RV, we selected the rear aluminum deck or patio system, which transformed our rear ramp door into a balcony with a built-in awning and light.
Considering we had front and back entry doors in this Grand Design, we skipped the rear patio steps, as we didn’t anticipate needing to enter or exit directly from the patio that frequently, and we didn’t want the added inconvenience of carrying around another bulky item on travel days.
Then, picking the Gen II sliding glass doors in the garage provided us with a full glass wall view, while also controlling temperature, bugs, and wind. We didn’t opt for the Momentum patio chairs, as we already had our own folding chairs and didn’t want to haul around additional RV furniture.
Exterior
We opted for slide-out toppers, which shield the slide-out roofs from the weather, helping to prevent damage and providing additional shade.
Full-body paint
For our Grand Design RV, we decided on full body paint in black and silver because it offers a sleek look and is more durable than plain white gelcoat when cared for correctly.
Codes & seals
As our RV was delivered during the summer in Florida, we didn’t need to winterize, and because we’re based in the US, we didn’t require any Canadian Standards or state seals.
Finalizing the order
I emailed the completed sheet to our Grand Design dealer, who then provided us with an initial quote. After we agreed to the pricing and placed a deposit, the order was submitted to Grand Design. During the spring of 2019, the lead time for a custom ordered unit with full body paint was roughly three months.
We were connected with a Grand Design Factory Rep when we initially reached out to local dealers about ordering a new unit. This representative was employed by Grand Design and is who provided me with lead time estimates and answered all of my rig specific questions. After placing our deposit in late April, we eagerly awaited the delivery of our rig. As predicted by our factory rep, it arrived at the dealer exactly 3 months later in late July.
By getting in touch with my Lazydays sales rep every month, I was able to keep up-to-date on the build’s progress. She was a great help in staying in contact with the factory and providing me with accurate updates. This gave me the opportunity to schedule our move-out date from our home with greater accuracy, finalize the necessary administrative tasks, and plan out all the essential modifications required for us to transition into the rig and start our nomadic lifestyle.
Finding the right truck
Our next step was to identify the appropriate truck we needed to safely tow a 20,000-pound trailer. To learn more, make sure to subscribe here because I’ll be covering that in my next post. I created a video playlist that covers each step we took in chronological order as we built our full-time setup, making it easier to follow along.
Custom order your next RV
Custom ordering an RV is an excellent option for those who want a new rig with specific features and options tailored to their needs. It allows you to avoid paying for any unnecessary upgrades and ensures your RV is in pristine condition.
By following the steps mentioned above, you can order a Grand Design unit that meets all your requirements. From selecting the floor plan to picking out the interior and exterior features, custom ordering is a fun and exciting process. So, why wait? Start customizing your RV today!
Chris and his wife travel and work full-time in their fifth wheel, creating informative content and interesting revenue streams for digital nomads and remote workers. Subscribe to their YouTube channel and find them on all of these platforms:
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