I am in my 3rd week of searching for the right camper for our 2.5 family. Daughter is almost 10.I am trying to stick to needs vs wants and am in need of advice.Both the EC 1160 and Lance 1172 are dual slides. I really just need either a full couch across the back and a typical dinette, or a typical dinette and a smaller couch across the back. I cannot see spending a ton for either the OLDER Chalet TS116 or the Host Everest....both have FULL couch across the back. Host is too much money Chalet is too **** old and not currently produced past 2013So, that puts me to Eagle Cap 1160Lance 1172I have to admit, I am terrified to end up with problems with a slide mechanism. Now that we are into 2019/2020, are the Schwintek slide systems better? It seems EVERYONE uses them? If I've read 25 horror stories, I have yet to see some shinning light.I think the weight on these units will be close enough for me, so I'm out for a system that last for a while!Do any of the EC 1160 owners on here have any input?Do any of the Lance 1172 owners have any input?

I travel with 2 kids and the 1191 fills the need, might even be able to find one with the rear tent option if you do summer camping only.

I really only want info about the models I posted. Thanks anyway.

When I was shopping for ours the Host and the Eagle Cap were pretty much same cost for equal units. Of course sticker price and what you should pay are different numbers. The Schwintek slides and the issues people were having with them at that time was a big determination in our choice. Lance is now owned by REV group. I have heard some grumblings about quality. That would be my research on the Lance. Lance has a good reputation but now that they are owned by a conglomerate has quality and service changed? Might be good to spend some time in one of the lance owners groups (and EC as well)I did a fair amount of my research between the 2 you are looking at. Functionally the Eagle Cap would be my choice with Host out of the picture. EC has a more wide open floor plan, bigger tanks, bigger fridge, more storage than the Lance.

work2much wrote:When I was shopping for ours the Host and the Eagle Cap were pretty much same cost for equal units. Of course sticker price and what you should pay are different numbers. The Schwintek slides and the issues people were having with them at that time was a big determination in our choice. I did a fair amount of my research between the 2 you are looking at. Functionally the Eagle Cap would be my choice with Host out of the picture. EC has a more wide open floor plan, bigger tanks, bigger fridge, more storage than the Lance.You pretty much nailed what I know so far...Man, there really isn't squat in the EC forums on ANYTHING newer than 2015.The Lance (I own one now...I really rather get the EC for the tanks and fridge alone!Have the slide issues been tamed?I really like the Azdel (no water issues that will rot) in the Lance. REALLY wished EC did that too.Thanks for your input.Eagle Cap 1160 Lance 1172

JTLance wrote:work2much wrote:When I was shopping for ours the Host and the Eagle Cap were pretty much same cost for equal units. Of course sticker price and what you should pay are different numbers. The Schwintek slides and the issues people were having with them at that time was a big determination in our choice. I did a fair amount of my research between the 2 you are looking at. Functionally the Eagle Cap would be my choice with Host out of the picture. EC has a more wide open floor plan, bigger tanks, bigger fridge, more storage than the Lance.You pretty much nailed what I know so far...Man, there really isn't squat in the EC forums on ANYTHING newer than 2015.The Lance (I own one now...I really rather get the EC for the tanks and fridge alone!Have the slide issues been tamed?I really like the Azdel (no water issues that will rot) in the Lance. REALLY wished EC did that too.Thanks for your input.FWIW; We are on our 2nd AMLRV camper. Both have been great and trouble free. Forget which mechanism our slide has...but no troubles.Good luck, Bill

Eagle cap 1160 & Lance 1172 owners.... | Good Sam Community

bighatnohorse
Explorer II
Aug 15, 2019
Bedlam wrote:
I’m not sure about installations, but I just helped a Lance owner synchronize his slide motors last weekend. It appears they wander off the when slide is not fully opened and closed. Luckily I found the link for him so he could bookmark it and we had Internet access to get guidance.

The Schwintek slide instructions state to fully open and fully close it to prevent motor de-sycnronization. Yet, we've met people that repeatedly only open their Schwintek slide half-way and never had a problem.

The motor re-sync process is very simple once you know what to do - enough so that we too open it partially whenever we want.
wnjj
Explorer II
Aug 15, 2019
bighatnohorse wrote:
Bedlam wrote:
I’m not sure about installations, but I just helped a Lance owner synchronize his slide motors last weekend. It appears they wander off the when slide is not fully opened and closed. Luckily I found the link for him so he could bookmark it and we had Internet access to get guidance.

The Schwintek slide instructions state to fully open and fully close it to prevent motor de-sycnronization. Yet, we've met people that repeatedly only open their Schwintek slide half-way and never had a problem.

The motor re-sync process is very simple once you know what to do - enough so that we too open it partially whenever we want.

Are those systems as unsophisticated as they sound? You just deadhead them all to keep them “in sync”? It sounds like they just rely on them turning the same speed. Why don’t they have shaft rotation sensors so they know how far each motor has travelled then they would never be out of sync?
JTLance
Explorer
Aug 15, 2019
Bedlam,

What size is the rear sofa (if you have one) or at least the area it goes in.

I'm getting to where I feel like the Host is the only way to get exactly what I want without the fear if the dreaded F'ing slide issues.

I wasn't impressed with the Everest...NO room for food anywhere. I didn't like the lack of exhaust fan for the kitchen.

Tell me the Mammoth is better setup. I'm getting concerned about the small aft sofa. I need it to either extend down and out for a descent taller person of wide enough for a person. I am not going to take my dinette down every single night.
Bedlam
Moderator
Aug 15, 2019
The Mammoth jack knife loveseat is a little over 5’ wide and flips down to make a bed for a pre-teen but is too small for anyone larger. We have the U-shaped dinette and it coverts to a twin sized residential bed quickly. There is also room on the floor in front of the fireplace for a twin size inflatable mattress. The Everest rear couch is better for additional sleeping arrangements.

The Hosts do not come with stove vents. You turn on the living room fan to blow in and open the kitchen window. There is not much counter space for kitchen preparation - We use the dinette table for prep when not cooking outside.
JTLance
Explorer
Aug 15, 2019
I just can’t figure out why someone cannot/won’t just make a couch that folds out to a twin style bed. All I need is a couch that turns into an bed.

I toured a Host unit (2018) with the full size couch and side door. It seemed extremely inadequate for food storage. The lack of a stove vent was really really odd.

I wouldn’t be afraid to get my own bed/couch if someone made one. At that rate the Mammoth would work.

Is the lack of stove vent as lousy, for real cooking, as it would seem?
mike_kellie
Explorer II
Aug 15, 2019
I just completed a pretty detailed cleaning of our Mammoth last week. The biggest meals are probably breakfasts as we tend to cook for the kids and friends when together. When my kids through-hiked the PCT last year, we fed their trail friends (7-8 total) 3 meals a day probably 5 different times.
I took a wipe and simple green to the underside of the microwave cabinet and expected to see a lot of gunk and surprised how clean it was.
I did notice some units are coming with the flip-up counter extension that matches the light weight material used in the countertops. That is my wife's biggest "must have".
JTLance
Explorer
Aug 15, 2019
What procedure did you use to keep the smoke and grease out?
work2much
Explorer
Aug 15, 2019
JTLance wrote:

I wasn't impressed with the Everest...NO room for food anywhere. I didn't like the lack of exhaust fan for the kitchen.

Although not as large as the mammoth the pantry on the Everest is still way more than most truck campers and especially Lance. This is the pantry on the Everest now.
work2much
Explorer
Aug 15, 2019
You could also use this for pantry space if needed.
JTLance
Explorer
Aug 16, 2019
Thanks for the pics!

We do 2-3 week vacations and find food as a big issue. The 8cu’ refer is a huge thing too and extra space is paramount.

We currently have a Lance 09’ 1191 and it’s huge, but no extra bed is now making it a must to upgrade. I get up super early and have no where to sit and relax before the girls get up. 2-3 hours of sitting on the floor is silly.

The Lance aft sofa MAY be all I need. The Host units definitely weigh more.

The Host has the better slides, but Lance has the Azdel (no moisture rotting wood inside).