Filling Out the Family Tree

Entering the motorized segment of the RV industry has always been part of Grand Design’s vision since the company’s inception in 2012.

That plan picked up steam in recent years and has come to fruition this summer as the innovative RV builder debuts the Lineage — a uniquely equipped Class C packed with European influences.

“We have looked at this for the better part of five years,” says Tommy Hall, general manager of Grand Design’s motorized division. “With the changes in the motorized segment and the way some classes are evolving, we felt it was the right time to develop our motorized division. Our plan was always to enter this market, but we were unsure of which segment. We aim to be a player and, hopefully, a market leader in all segments of Class Cs.”

Winnebago Industries’ — the parent company of Grand Design — CEO Michael Happe announced the brand’s move into motorized last October, saying Grand Design’s new product will be a “differentiated and complementary” offering to the company’s Winnebago and Newmar motorized lines.

Grand Design management chose the Class C segment as its first foray into the motorized sector because it is a relatively stable market with some growth. Hall describes Class Cs as a strong sector with a robust customer base.

“We expect a lot of owners who traditionally went into Class As will be moving into the Super C segment,” he says. “That’s why we chose to be players in the C and B markets.”

The name “Lineage” is the brainchild of Hall and Grand Design’s marketing department. “Lineage is rooted in family history,” Hall says, “and it fits with the company’s next step.”

Danie Antonelli, Grand Design’s vice president of marketing, adds, “History is what you look back on. Lineage is what you pass forward. It ties back to our family of customers.”

European aesthetic is the dominant theme in Lineage’s interior. This includes a dark ceiling, a neutral palette, recessed hardware on cabinets and square fixtures. “Lineage will be the first Class C to offer these design traits,” Hall notes.

Other features include a 70-inch-by-80-inch king bed, which is bigger than those used by most competitors, and dedicated air conditioning in the bunk over the cab. It also includes an aerodynamic front cap with custom interior molded plastics and a MORryde steel chassis conversion, custom exterior luggage doors and hydraulic leveling jacks.

The end result is a product based largely on customer feedback. The emphasis was on building something unique.

“We wanted to avoid features Class Cs had in the past but also include things that differentiate our product from the competition,” Hall says.

European styling offers a different look for the Class C segment in the U.S., which Hall says generally looks the same.

“Dark ceilings are the big thing in European motorized RVs. I don’t want to say the Class C segment of the industry has become stale, but it has become very traditional over the last few years.”

When deciding on the chassis for Lineage, availability was a key factor. Chassis have been challenging to obtain in recent years due to supply chain issues post-COVID. Ultimately, another European influence prevailed.

“When we started planning that phase of the build, we were easily able to partner with Mercedes and get the Mercedes chassis cutaway for our first Class C,” Hall says. “Traditionally, everyone builds on a 3500, but we will go to market on a 4500. It gives us roughly 1,000 pounds more carrying capacity than a lot of competitors in the Sprinter Class C market. We are excited about that.”

The Mercedes Sprinter Cab chassis, produced in Germany, is a four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel/12,125 GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating). Hall says Grand Design is open to using other platforms such as Ford or RAM, as long as they fit the line of products the company wants to build.

Hall is in the process of building a dealer network for Lineage. The focus will be on the top 40 to 50 markets in the U.S., with possible eventual expansion into Canada. The early reaction is one of excitement among dealers.

“My phone is constantly ringing. We have a good start in identifying some partners, although we have not made a ton of commitments yet. The resounding feedback I have been getting is that they are looking for a quality Class C and B van they can add to their lot without a lot of service issues.”

Units were scheduled to begin rolling off the production line in mid- or late July with shipping in August. They will start hitting dealer lots in late August. The public got its first glimpse of Lineage at a glamping event in New York City’s Bryant Park in June. The model will make its consumer show debut at Pennsylvania’s Hershey RV Show Sept. 11-15. It will also be on display later in September at the Open House in Elkhart, Indiana, before making the rounds of consumer shows during the first quarter of 2025.

Something for Everyone

So, who are the target customers for Lineage? Hall says it can be anyone.

“I am someone who believes that anyone who has the desire and likes the look of our product is a potential customer. That is especially true for someone who wants to be part of the Grand Design family. We are coming out with different segments that I think will hit each demographic of customers. This first product can be for a single individual, or a couple, or a small family who wants to use it for its off-grid capabilities or weekend trips to visit the grandparents.”

Hall says Lineage is not for customers heavy into towing, nor is it for those interested in extreme off-roading — but the product is being developed in a way that meets the demands of a wide customer base.

The MSRP range on the Lineage Series M starts at $189,000 up to $225,000. Grand Design plans to build a few hundred Lineage units during the second half of 2024. All will be built at the company’s Plant 15 at its Middlebury, Indiana, campus. As the company expands its motorized effort to include Class B vans, another plant on the campus will be used.

Over the next 18 to 24 months, Grand Design plans to grow its presence in the Class C market and will touch on Super Cs and traditional gas Cs. Hall says the company hopes to enter the B van market with a couple of models and price segments sometime next year.

“We will have a pretty good lineup of products that can compete in the marketplace,” Hall says.