Airstream or Lance?

[eeltinge]

Greetings, Everyone! This is my very first post. I own a 2014 Toyota 4Runner that can tow 5,000 lbs. max. I want to buy a new Airstream 22-foot Sport or a Lance 23-foot 1985. Both weight about 3,800 lbs. dry. The Airstream is about $15,000.00 more expensive. Any recommendations? Thank you.

[CBailey28462]

Did you decide on which one you wanted?

[way2roll]

Not sure if you noticed but you are responding to a post that's almost 10 years old. The OP hasn't been on here since. If you had a question about comparisons, you may want to start a new thread in order to get more traction. 

[CBailey28462]

I noticed the 2015 date, but I wanted to try anyway! 🙂 Thanks, Jeff, I'm brand new so I will take your advice! Have a great day and a wonderful weekend! 

[way2roll]

Sure thing! We see responses on old posts quite a lot. I assume from Google searches etc. The new format sorts new responses to old posts in a weird way. Posting a new question should get you more responses. Cheers!

[4X4Dodger]

eeltinge wrote:
Thank you everyone for your comments regarding the 22-foot Airstream Sport versus the 23-foot Lance 1985. I have received approximately 20 replies from Good Sam RV Net, 30 replies from Air Forum, and 60 replies from Lance Owners. Wow! The consensus seems to be the Airstream will tow better and last longer, and the Lance will camp better and is a much better value. I am going to rent 2 more trailers next month at the 3,800lb. dry weight for better evaluation of the capabilities of my 2014 Toyota 4Runner. I will camp at a Coast Guard Channel Islands station inspection and at The Good Sam Rally in Phoenix, AZ. At this point, I am strongly leaning toward the Lance and will start soliciting prices from dealers. Thank you all again for your most helpful input!

Renting the trailers is a great idea. I personally would put much more stock in the experience of towing the trailer than I would in all the "numbers nay sayers" that tell you "oh you must have a bigger TV"

You got the right idea...just go do it.

The airstream is wonderful in my book. But as so many on here made the very good point too...the old wood and tin well constructed trailers such as the Jayco...which has a two year warranty) are reaaly good too.

Have Fun.

[2012Coleman]

WOW! - the anti - Woodglue!

I have never seen an RV that deserves a 10.

HERE is one I'd consider a 10 - comparing to US built models.

I'ts always good to hear differing opinions regarding Lance. Now, if I look at one, I'll have the benifit of conflicting opinions and therefore will look more keenly.

Then, I'll form my own opinion.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

🙂 Hi, WOW; Usually everyone on this forum does their best to bash Airstreams, mostly because they are much different than your ordinary square box trailer and un-affordable to those who bash them the most.

I go to RV shows and look at everything. Same as when I go to car shows. Whether I'm buying or not, I still like to look. You believe what you want to believe, but from what I've seen, Lance trailers don't have the same quality of materials or workmanship that Lance puts into the truck campers. I'll give Lance truck campers a (7) and Lance trailers a 5 1/2. I will give Airstream 8 or 9, but I have never seen an RV that deserves a 10.

[NinerBikes]

My Roadtrek wrote:
Obviously you haven't seen the new Lance TT's
They have 15,000 BTU AC's, , you can get them with no decals if that's what you want, and I won't comment on the rest of your bs.
And I don't need to insult your intellegent, you do a good job of that by yourself.
Time to get out of the time warp your living in.
I think your just a Troll, and I will not waste any more of my time on you.

I decided it was far better for me to put my money in a nice very limited part time tow vehicle that I'd use every day, in the form of a VW Touareg AWD Sport TDI SUV, and use occasionally for towing, that still gets about 33 MPG most of the time I drive it, and still gets 17 to 19 mpg towing my 21 foot throw away travel trailer. Hence, I didn't ever find or see the added perceived value in the Lance version, versus an Eclipse, built in Riverside, or a Fun Finder X, though I did consider and almost bought a Jayco rear model pushout.

My consideration was the cost of living here in So Cal makes the cost of labor prohibitive in the TT market, compared to the cost of living of cheap labor in the Midwest, and then still having to add in the trucking charges from most of the RV industries in IN to the west coast. Even with no shipping charges and Lance being local to me, they were not a value added proposition, not when I was retired and could go pick a new TT up in the Midwest on a vacation trip and about $800 in diesel round trip, and save about $4000 on the shipping bill. So picking it up myself, a $21,000 list TT that was selling for $18.8k locally, at a blow out year end sale, ended up being $13,300 out the door, FOB Indiana.

In my opinion, Lance is riding on their name and coat tails from their camper days, but it does not translate into their Travel Trailer line.

YMMV, perhaps I am blind and don't know what I am talking about, or perhaps I have a quality perception problem. I failed to see the Value Added in a Lance TT. Not for what they are asking. Is a Nash or an Artic Fox built better too? I can't say I've seen their production line.

[My_Roadtrek]

Obviously you haven't seen the new Lance TT's
They have 15,000 BTU AC's, , you can get them with no decals if that's what you want, and I won't comment on the rest of your bs.
And I don't need to insult your intellegent, you do a good job of that by yourself.
Time to get out of the time warp your living in.
I think your just a Troll, and I will not waste any more of my time on you.

[NinerBikes]

My Roadtrek wrote:
Lance does not use staples in their cabinets. Hate them if you must but don't make false statements. Are you sure you were at the Lance factory? Maybe you were smoking some of the green stuff. :B

This is from 2010
"RV PRO: When did Lance make the business decision to expand its line into travel trailers?
Jacobson: Actually, it took place a little over a year ago with the Düsseldorf RV show in Germany. There we saw the methods of construction that the Europeans were using, and we felt they were a lot more advanced than what we were using. We did some inquiring into what was done and how it was done, and we started to import not just the CNC machinery, but also materials. The cabinet material that we now use in both our trailers and our campers is made in Spain. It has a very lightweight core, looks like wood, and it is finished on both sides. By using it, we eliminate the use of wood sticks and staples in cabinets."

Questions & Answers with Norm Jacobson

Re read, mention of 2012 was on LED's in lights and no SD cards in radio entertainment center. I've looked at cabinets in Lance campers, pre 2010 also. I've looked at the whole product line. At the time, they were trying to get a new rear push out design on a camper ready for an up and coming RV show.

Been using adjustable Euro hinges on custom red oak or paint grade cabinets, since, oh, 1990, as well as screw and glue on stiles and rails. Please don't insult my intelligence. Lovely that Lance gets into the game 20 years later.

IMHO, not worth the money, and yes, it's still a throw away camper... still putting little 9000 Btu Coleman Polar Bear AC's in the unit back then also, instead of a 13.5Btu Dometic. About as aerodynamic as a Brick, and the hugest decal lettering saying LANCE front and rear, that I've ever seen, in 1970's airbrushed chrome styled lettering... something I found rather vain on a TT.

[My_Roadtrek]

Lance does not use staples in their cabinets. Hate them if you must but don't make false statements. Are you sure you were at the Lance factory? Maybe you were smoking some of the green stuff. :B

This is from 2010
"RV PRO: When did Lance make the business decision to expand its line into travel trailers?
Jacobson: Actually, it took place a little over a year ago with the Düsseldorf RV show in Germany. There we saw the methods of construction that the Europeans were using, and we felt they were a lot more advanced than what we were using. We did some inquiring into what was done and how it was done, and we started to import not just the CNC machinery, but also materials. The cabinet material that we now use in both our trailers and our campers is made in Spain. It has a very lightweight core, looks like wood, and it is finished on both sides. By using it, we eliminate the use of wood sticks and staples in cabinets."

Questions & Answers with Norm Jacobson

[NinerBikes]

avoidcrowds wrote:
"Also, you say not to get input from owners of a brand of TT, but to get it from people who haven't owned one. So your saying I should listen to people like you that formed an opinion from a factory tour, and ignore owners who have owned one"

Oh, come on My Roadtrek, that's the new American way! Don't listen to people with experience in a subject, listen to people who have a superficial awareness of a subject, but haven't done in-depth research.

While a tour of a factory can be enlightening, I would venture to say that most people, if they watched their house being built, would be appalled and say it was shoddy workmanship. But, once all the nails are in, siding on, etc, the house is stable, and is pretty good. Granted, not as good as a custom home at a much higher rate for the labor, but it still is a good house. But, unless we buy a very-high-end custom trailer, most are built with about the same level of care and quality control.

To bash a brand that one has not owned is irresponsible. It is like people on this forum bashing a poster based on a few comments. We don't know the posters as individuals, so we really can't say if someone is good, bad, educated, ignorant, or just trying to incite a discussion. All posts should be viewed as someone's opinion, and taken with a grain of salt.

Buy whatever you like... I was a general contractor for years here in CA, built custom homes, did remodels, kitchens, bathrooms, custom cabinetry installs, etc. I would not spend my money on a Lance TT, as I don't see the quality justifying the premium price. YMMV. I could not find the added value in the construction process. I looked inside the cabinets, and saw staples, not glue and screws. Looked at how the valences were attached to the walls around windows. Looked at the bathroom door jambs and latches and how they engaged. When I was watching 2013's being built in Oct of 2012 on the production line, Lance STILL was not using LED's for lighting on the production line. Their radios and sound system, STILL were not taking SD cards for storage and playback of music, something even my old 2008 Honda CRV had as a feature in the infotainment center.

Outdated components at the time.

Yep, I'm an @sshole, and of course, I don't know what I am talking about. Whatever...

[avoidcrowds]

"Also, you say not to get input from owners of a brand of TT, but to get it from people who haven't owned one. So your saying I should listen to people like you that formed an opinion from a factory tour, and ignore owners who have owned one"

Oh, come on My Roadtrek, that's the new American way! Don't listen to people with experience in a subject, listen to people who have a superficial awareness of a subject, but haven't done in-depth research.

While a tour of a factory can be enlightening, I would venture to say that most people, if they watched their house being built, would be appalled and say it was shoddy workmanship. But, once all the nails are in, siding on, etc, the house is stable, and is pretty good. Granted, not as good as a custom home at a much higher rate for the labor, but it still is a good house. But, unless we buy a very-high-end custom trailer, most are built with about the same level of care and quality control.

To bash a brand that one has not owned is irresponsible. It is like people on this forum bashing a poster based on a few comments. We don't know the posters as individuals, so we really can't say if someone is good, bad, educated, ignorant, or just trying to incite a discussion. All posts should be viewed as someone's opinion, and taken with a grain of salt.

[Snowman9000]

Don't push so close to your tow limits. As others have said, you'll be sorely disappointed by the resulting strain on the SUV and on you. BTDT.