Bumper Mount Grill

[richie t]

Has anyone purchased a bumper mount grill when they ordered their trailer through their dealer? I did so and am not happy with the product at all. It was manufactured by a company called DDR. They are located in Indiana. Just purchased it early June and already it is beginning to rust. The flame plate is rusted and the cooking rack is also doing the same. The rest of the interior body is starting to become pitted with rust also. Even though I clean it and wipe it down after each use. I just sent a nast gram to the manufacturer. Wonder what they'll say?

[BuddyRay]

I ordered one - didn't do my research first. If I had read previous posts here I probably wouldn't have.

Mine isn't rusting or anything yet, and it cooks OK. I just noticed that it's not well made - the flame plate is crooked (and I can't seem to bend it into the right position). But it works. I'm going to use it out and then replace.

I remember a post (searched for it but didn't find) where someone discovered another stainless steel grill that was exactly the same width as the DDR. I Think it was the small NextGrill. They drilled the rivets out of the side of the DDR that was holding the brackets that mount it to the bumper mount. They then used stainless steel bolts to mount the same brackets to the NexGrill and found that it fit perfectly.

I plan to try that when my DDR wears out.

[jal0710]

When did you buy this, it may still be under some kind of warranty. I would suggest you take a look at your manuals to see if you got one for this grill. If so, it may contain warranty information. If not, call the dealer and he/she should be able to help you. Sending nasty grams may not be the greatest way to solve this problem.

[richie t]

I think we'll be replacing it before we know it!

[richie t]

I suppose you're right, but it certainly made me feel good. You just get tired of purchasing something and the workmanship and quality is so poor. I swear they make products to break down quicker so uou have to replace it.

[Rustysocket]

If sending nasty emails makes you feel good and is your approach to conflict resolution.... good luck.

[richie t]

No it's definitely not my usual way of dealing with things, but sometimes you have to be a little more adamant and not a pushover. Remember, the sqeaky wheel gets the oil.

[Rustysocket]

Originally Posted by richie t

No it's definitely not my usual way of dealing with things, but sometimes you have to be a little more adamant and not a pushover. Remember, the sqeaky wheel gets the oil.

.....and sometimes it just gets ignored.

What happened in your initial interaction with the company that made you feel it was necessary to escalate the situation?

I guess what I'm getting at is why go in trying to piss off the only people who can help you right out of the gate?

Me, I prefer to get my problem resolved quickly and many times come out slightly ahead on the deal. I've done it both ways and the one that consistently works more often than not is the calm and professional approach with a proposed solution that is reasonable.

At the end of the day, the BBQ is cheap chinese made garbage (Welcome to America). It's not going to be fixed by being nasty to a customer service rep, nor are their manufacturing processes going to be changed in the short term. However I'm certain the margins on the product are more than large enough for you to get a replacement grill if you ask appropriately. Not going to fix your problem long term... nope. But short of a Weber solution I can't see any of these things lasting for more than a couple of seasons... so having a new one will at least extend that lifetime a bit for you.

On a different note: @buddyray I am interested in the solution you came up with and will try to do some searching for it as well. That is a great idea for the future after the DDR grill is no longer serviceable. I do wonder about the regulator setup on that Nexgrill and what it would take to swap it out or if it would work as is.

[norty1]

Mine was a $200 option and I did not know any better. When I ditched it, I did save the brackets, the rest was just junk.

[richie t]

Hi Rusty, I do agree with you. I didn't yell or scream at anyone in particular. I just sent an email telling them that I wasn't happy with their product and that it shouldn't start rusting after several uses. I haven't received a response from them yet. It will be interesting to see what their response is.

[Rustysocket]

Originally Posted by richie t

Hi Rusty, I do agree with you. I didn't yell or scream at anyone in particular. I just sent an email telling them that I wasn't happy with their product and that it shouldn't start rusting after several uses. I haven't received a response from them yet. It will be interesting to see what their response is.

I certainly apologize if I jumped to a conclusion and I do hope that the situation is resolved to your satisfaction.

My inclination would be to suggest that somehow I possibly got a defective grill that hadn't been properly coated at the factory and would they consider replacing it for me. If they know what will make you happy and it is reasonable, it makes it that much easier for them to resolve rather than guess at what you want.

In any event I do hope it works out for you and that maybe this thread leads to a possible aftermarket solution that we can all benefit from.

[North of 49°]

When we were ordering our trailer, our dealer talked about the bumper-mounted grill. They said it's poor quality and they don't even offer it as an option on their build lists, but they could get one if we wanted. We decided not to, and instead put our money toward a Weber Q1000.

[Cosmik Debris]

Originally Posted by BuddyRay

I remember a post (searched for it but didn't find) where someone discovered another stainless steel grill that was exactly the same width as the DDR. I Think it was the small NextGrill. They drilled the rivets out of the side of the DDR that was holding the brackets that mount it to the bumper mount. They then used stainless steel bolts to mount the same brackets to the NexGrill and found that it fit perfectly.

I plan to try that when my DDR wears out.

Could this be the post? I posted in this that my brother in law modified the mount arm to accept a bbq we bought at Costco (and still use).
http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f3...der-17579.html

[Bobx2]

I prefer a free standing grill. That way you get to choose exactly the grill you want, and can position it to where ever you want, to suit your needs. You can lengthen your hose to whatever length you want/need.

[bansai]

I didn't knowingly order one for our new trailer this year, but it came with one. In addition to the bumper mount that was already installed, they also threw in the mounting bracket that attaches to the outside wall on a rail, interestingly enough, there is no rail on my camper for it... I kept tripping over the thing in the garage for the last several months so it's now in the land fill.

I'm still using the bumper mount, and that 'China' grill that they threw in. I have 3 Webers here at home, one of their big gas grills, a charcoal 'little joey', and the Q Grill, which is the one that I plan on using starting next season.

To be fair, the cheap grill that came with the camper isn't really that bad. I have pretty high standards with these things... it cooks food just fine, I just prefer something with better grates, heat control, weight, etc.. The bumper mount was showing rust before I even took delivery of the camper. I would not have ordered it as an option on purpose, it must have come with the 'outdoor kitchen' or the Elite package or something because it's nowhere on my invoice as a line item. Assuming I can keep the mount serviceable, I will try and fabricate something that will allow my QGrill to attach to it. I like having the grill right next to the outdoor kitchen without needing to setup a separate table, or worse, have it eat up 30% of the space on the tables that are usually provided at the camp.

[bankr63]

Jeez Bansai,


Based on the number of posts on here looking for that mount, you probably could have got some serious $$$ for it. Most trailers seem to come with the rail, and no mount.

[Danjo61]

Originally Posted by BuddyRay

I ordered one - didn't do my research first. If I had read previous posts here I probably wouldn't have.

Mine isn't rusting or anything yet, and it cooks OK. I just noticed that it's not well made - the flame plate is crooked (and I can't seem to bend it into the right position). But it works. I'm going to use it out and then replace.

I remember a post (searched for it but didn't find) where someone discovered another stainless steel grill that was exactly the same width as the DDR. I Think it was the small NextGrill. They drilled the rivets out of the side of the DDR that was holding the brackets that mount it to the bumper mount. They then used stainless steel bolts to mount the same brackets to the NexGrill and found that it fit perfectly.

I plan to try that when my DDR wears out.

It was me who swapped out the DDR grill - Had to go to Home Depot for adapters to use the propane that was on the TT....

[BuddyRay]

DanJo61,

THANK YOU -- I knew I had seen that post.
Here's the original POST.

I need to bookmark this so I can find it when my DDR finally gives up the ghost.

[richie t]

I haven't heard from the manufacturer yet. If email doesn't work I'll try calling. Maybe use a little sugar instead of vinegar, and maybe they'll replsce it! Which would be nice

[bansai]

Originally Posted by bankr63

Jeez Bansai,


Based on the number of posts on here looking for that mount, you probably could have got some serious $$$ for it. Most trailers seem to come with the rail, and no mount.

I had no idea... Would have given it to someone free if I had known there was interest in it. Guess I haven't seen the threads where people are looking for it...

I'll post here next time before I toss something.