Lance 1685 vs. Kodiak 221 or comparable?

Both TT's are great. I was trying to decide between a Kodiak or a Passport. I was leaning toward the Kodiak, but then I discovered the Lance. I happened to be at the dealership when the factory rep. from Kodiak was there. He took the time to explain all the features to me. I was ready to buy when my wife popped her head in a Lance 1885. We started talking with our sales person about the various features on the Lance. After a substantial amount of time, we decided to get the Lance. You just can't compare with the build quality. The Kodiak seemed "nicer" inside, but the overall quality of everything was much better with the Lance. We didn't buy that day, we went home and searched online to see if we could find one for cheaper, and we did. Just a short drive up the coast we found a dealership where we could get a new 2014 for cheaper than my local dealer would go on his used 2012 model. I'll include a link to their website so you can see for yourself.
http://www.trailerhitchrv.com/rvs/lance/default.aspx

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Kodiak 221

I forgot to add:

1) A weird place for the water heater access (right above the rear light) Makes for an unsafe drain to say the least!
2) Wired for Cable jacks, but no Satellite?
3) Is the bathroom accessible with the slide in? On the 1685 it is.
4) No ducted heat

WoodGlue

The OP was looking for the differences between Lance Lance 1685 vs.Kodiak 221.

1) Build Quality on the Kodiak - not good imo
2) Hydraulic Slide on the Kodiak - not good imo
3) Outside clustering of hookups - not good imo
4) Quality of flooring - not good imo

There are a few other things I noticed that I didn't write down.

Sure, I'm a Lance owner. I wanted the best quality for my dollar.

WoodGlue

We bought a 2013 Lance model 1885 after looking at many different brands of TTs. Because of age inflicted physical limitations I had to switch from our beloved truck camper. I needed a walk around bed and minimal stairs.

For our needs, the Lance had the features and overall quality that attracted us.
The floor plan of the 1885 has a rear entry door which allows for easy access to the bathroom when on the road with the slide in. The storage cabinets near the rear door have great volume.

The dinette slide is large with under seat drawers. The slide uses the Schwintek-in-wall system which several manufacturers have found to be the most trouble free. We opted for a slide cover to minimize snow, ice, and tree stuff stopping the slide. The interior is useable with the slide in which is important if you have to "turtle-up".

The bed has big storage under it and cabinets on the forward wall. We definitely did not want an "entertainment wall" at the foot of the bed.

We looked at the Kodiak 221RBSL and found it to be a nice unit. It is a little longer than the 1885 but the storage was not as good. There was no option for a slide cover and that alone was a deal breaker. The tanks were not heated. The kitchen counter space was the same as Lance, tiny. My wife liked the kitchen storage better in the Lance.
As I recall, the Kodiak also uses the Schwintek slide system.

We are happy with the Lance after a couple of trips. However, there are some issues that I plan to deal with and modify. There is no such thing as a perfect RV.

Ron

BigPackFan wrote:
. . . says the Lance owner. :)

LOL

I own a Kodiak 200QB and I would buy another one.

Matter of fact most of the TT we owned have been Aerolite (Same Company)

From a Kodiak Owner...

. . . says the Lance owner. :)

The two are of completely different quality. There is nothing that compares to a Lance 1685.

WoodGlue

We looked at this floorplan in several models. Coachmen Apex has one that's the same. We ended up with a Coachmen Freedom Express 233RBS, mainly because of availability.