Lance Travel Trailer v. Grand Design Imagine Travel Trailer

Two of the better manufacturers IMO. Pick the one with the best floor plan for you.

Gene and Doris wrote:
We're trying to decide between getting a Lance Travel Trailer and a Grand Design Imagine Travel Trailer. This would be our first travel trailer. Looking for opinions, suggestions, anything at all that would help us with our decision. We're in our 60's and for the most part, it will be only the two of us and our dog camping. We plan on quite a few trips a year, each one being around one to three weeks. Like to keep things simple. Thank you in advance.

I have no knowledge about the Grand Design models. I have 3 friends who have Lance Trailers who highly recommend them and the quality of the workmanship. Lance also offers a greater variety of sizes i.e. 17',20', 24', 28'. The plant that produces the Lance is located in Lancaster Calif. I would , if possible, go and tour the factory to watch them construct a trailer.

You should buy something used, to see if you even like hauling around a trailer. If you find you do not like it, you are going to take one hell of a beating trying to unload it.

Make sure your tow vehicle can handle the pull weight and the payload weight.

Lance makes a pretty good quality truck camper and trailer; they were at the top of our list. So was Bigfoot and Arctic Fox, but new inventory here is almost none.
We’ve already owned two truck campers and two travel trailers in the last 30 years or so. Were also 60’s no kids and a small dog, it’s just for traveling not full time. So we had no need for a monster fifth wheel or something with three or four slides.
We ended up buying a very nice seven year old Airstream this time around. But I think we would have been just as happy with the other brands I mentioned.

Hard to compare the two since the Imagine line from Grand Design is a lower tier RV and is not in the same class as Lance TTs, the Reflection and Solitude lines would be more comparable. That being said both are good choices, and both will have issues like any new RV. Grand Design and Lance do a decent job of getting issues resolved under warranty from what I have heard and read, we know people who own both, and for the most part they are happy.

I like the floorplans from Grand Design a smidge better, primarily because I prefer bigger RVs for those longer excursions where extra living space is always a good thing. As mentioned above, particularly if this is your first RV, buying slighty used will save you the depreciation, along with the frustration of dealing with warranty issues since most of them occur during the first year of ownership. Happy RV hunting, here's hoping you enjoy the RVing lifestyle as much as we do.

Lance hands down. Imagines are entry level type TT's Lots of bling but basic components.
Lance TT's are made with better materials. Azdel for the exterior and no batt insulation in the ceilings. Dinettes as much nicer too. The lance will be easier to heat or cool. Resale value should stay higher.
Nicer fiberglass finish on the outside.
I'd own one but they don't make a layout that works for us.

I think Grand Design has suffered since Winnebago bought them. We are looking and if Lance had a floorpan I liked it would be my first choice.

OP should look at Outdoors RV. They're on the same level of quality as Lance but (IMO) have better floor plans and standard features. The fact that ORV comes standard with MorRyde suspension and Goodyear tires sets them apart and is a huge plus for me. Several models come standard with solar and are prepped to easily add more.

The Lance has better options with interior choices and galley equipment. I don't like the Lance roof because it's flat and thin and is prone to flex when you're up there working on it. I really don't see how 1.5 of compressed foam is better than a truss system with pink insulation. Neither is really "4 season" and each has positives and negatives. The Lance is certainly lighter. The ORV, like their sister company Artic Fox, are some of the heaviest modern TTs out there because ORV assumes some use off of paved roads.

The Transcend is the "entry-level" at GD with aluminum sides and the Imagine is the upper-end model with laminated walls and full walk-on roofs (all the GDs have the same roof structure). For the money, the GD is a great value. We've compared the GD, the Forest River and the Lance all at the same time. I don't see how anyone spends money on anything by FR, the fit and finish is terrible.

My rankings: ORV Titanium>Lance>GD>anything by Forest River dead last

I own an ORV and no way is the quality on par with Lance. I've walked around and through many Lance products and while they have some quirky ideas the overall fit and finish is above ORV.

Walk on an ORV roof and it will flex too. 3/8" ply is not that strong.

Lance roofs are now slightly crowned and have no attic where mold can grow. They also use Azdel and are less susceptible to delam and mold in the walls.
Lance uses GY tires but has torsion axles.

They're not apples to apples. ORV is designed for a different clientele.