Heartland, Lance, Jayco, Coachmen?

[bluesfan14]

I am looking for a quality, light-weight 25'-30' travel trailer and I have my choices narrowed down to the list above (depends on your definition of narrow I guess). I know Jayco has a long history and great warranty, Lance is known for great quality (but looks a little pricey for the size), Coachmen (Apex) is nice, and Heartland (North Trail) seems to be pretty new but offers a lot for the money.

This unit would sit outside in the elements so I don't want anything cheap that is going to fall apart, but I also don't want to overpay for perceived quality. Any personal experience to steer me away from one or more of these brands? Thanks!

[cougarfan]

I know this thread is a month old but thought I would comment on the Coachmen.

I just purchased a leftover 2014 Coachmen Freedom Express 246RKS. It has the Azdel walls like the Lance and I think the quality is comparable. The one thing the Coachmen has over the Lance is ducted a/c. That was important to me but may not be important to others. The unloaded weight on mine is about 4800 and GVWR is 7000. It is a 50th Anniversary Edition so it has all LED lighting inside and other extras. The best part is there is no OSB anywhere on the unit.

Rear kitchens usually have very heavy tongue weights but the trailer has the spread axles so the tongue weight is closer to 10% empty.

I tow with a 2014 Regular Cab Chevrolet 1500 2WD Z71 with 5.3L and 3.42. The truck does great even though the trailer is 28' bumper to ball. The payload on my truck is nearly 1900 lbs so I barely needed any weight distribution when I picked it up. I'm sure that will change when I load it for camping.

I looked at a new Jayco 24FBS but to be honest, and not to offend any Jayco owners as I know they make a good product, the fit and finish was terrible on the one I looked at. The valances were installed crooked, the trim on the walls in the bathroom were crooked or falling off, the bathroom door wasn't square, the trim piece around the edge of the dinette table was coming off, etc. I decided against the Jayco and went with the Coachmen.

The interior in the Coachmen is very nice although the fabric on the sofa and dinette is a little thin. It has incredible storage both inside and out.

I think the Coachmen is worth a look. I believe the Apex also has the Azdel walls and they both have several floor plans to suit anyone's needs.

Laura

[RobertRyan]

FrankShore wrote:
Lance - they're sturdy and made with CNC routers to assure a perfect fit every time. Here is a Lance Factory Tour Video:

Lance Factory Tour

They also don't have wood in the walls, they have something called Azdel so your walls don't rot, mold or mildew.

Nash - Arctic Fox (Northwood Mfg) also make excellent trailers! I had one but traded up to a Lance

A lot of Aussie Caravans are now CinC and Composites, sounds like something similar is happening in the US

[bluesfan14]

The Prime Time unit I looked at on Friday was a new 2014 which had wall covering peeling near the bed and the caulk was almost gone around the outside door...definitely out. So, with nice weather, I invested my gas money yesterday to check out the Lance and the Heartland units. I was very impressed by the Lance units (1985 and 1995 models) in-stock...you can see where the money goes with all the nice touches. I do agree with the folks on here that they are small, but the care used to construct them is evident in the awning covers, slide out plastic storage tub, plastic fasteners along the wall to keep the interior in place, and the sturdiness (didn't creak when my 215 pound self marched around inside). With that said, at $29k it likely exceed my means...I am not quite 34, single/divorced, of mid-middle class income, and I will get out 10-14 days a year in this unit. It gives me pause but I know the dealership is going to murder me on my trade-in which doesn't help.

The Heartland 22FBS was quite nice but the varying stories on here worry me, despite the price point being much closer to where I want to be. I do have a couple of Jayco units that spark my interest, plus I have a couple of friends at work who swear by them, so those will be my last look before I decide what to do as they are closer to my budget's desires. I should mention I have a 2012 FR Rockwood A124 I feel I overpaid for (rookie purchase with a more limited tow vehicle at the time), so I will lose money there which doesn't help. All the advice so far has been very helpful, so any more is appreciated. At the end of the day, I may just keep what I have and save up for a Lance since I keep missing on the Powerball!

[BubbaChris]

CommuterCruiser wrote:
Love our Lance ... headed out for our first cross country trip March 17, 2015. Cannot wait!

What parts of Southwest Utah are you planning to visit? Should still be cool at altitude here in late March and early April, but comfortable everywhere else.

[TrailerTravele1]

Love our Lance ... headed out for our first cross country trip March 17, 2015. Cannot wait!

[GaryWT]

I will add that when we traded the North Trail for the Premier Bullet the guys in the shop said we would enjoy towing a lot better. In addition to the small axles, they are also closer to the hitch to lower the tongue weight which does not help with sway.

[jthomasinslo]

Thanks for the info, everyone! Very helpful! Hope it's helping the person who started the thread as much as it's helping me.

[goducks10]

After owning a North Trail 26LRSS for 2.5 years I would never buy another North Trail. Worst POS towing trailer ever and yes it was dialed in correctly. The front filon bubbled. Upper door hinges came loose, cheap finishes inside. I've looked at Lance and while I don't care for their floor plans (too small) they're made way better than the Heartland. You won't have delam or dry rot issues with a Lance. JMO but with proper maintenance the Lance will be in better shape after 8-10 years. You get what you pay for.

[GaryWT]

We owned a North Trail for 2 years. It was not a king slide but a smaller slide model. Loved the trailer but it was low to the ground and bottomed out a lot and we needed to put out boards to get it in and out of the driveway. The axles were undersized and the power corner stabilizers were useless. Just my 2 cents.

[My_Roadtrek]

You have to realize, Lance uses expensive building materials, full 4 season package dual pane windows, etc, etc. You may not think they are worth the price, but there are a lot of very happy Lance owners who would disagree with you.

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[bluesfan14]

My local dealership is asking $32k for the Lance 2285...not even worth my gas to go see it. I am not cheap, but that is well over $10k more than the competition. I am on a road trip tomorrow and am going to stop and look at a 2014 Prime Time Tracer Air 252, but I appreciate all the feedback so far. I guess lots of choices beats too few!

[BubbaChris]

Our final three for consideration were the Lance, Bullet Premier, and the North Trail.

The North Trail won by being 1.5 years old (big $$$ savings) and had much more space than the "similar" floorplan ID implied (26-ft box for a 22FBS model). However the extra size and weight meant buying a bigger TV so that negated the savings.

Last year was our rookie camping season and we managed to spend 30 nights in the TT. Having spent that much time with it we're happy with the combination of how well it fits our needs and how we've adapted to it's layout and features.

[Clockman]

The new Lance have a Plastic window so they don't need a rockGaurd

[bluesfan14]

Thanks for all the advice. Two questions about the Lance 2285 that I like:

(1) Should I worry about the design with the front window with no rock guard? I see two designs online and the units coming to my local dealer have yet to arrive, but should I avoid one without the rock guard? (I took a rock to my last vehicle's windshield frame so I know that stuff happens.)

(2) What sounds like a fair price range (I live in southern Ohio)? I know options can run things up but should I be looking at $20-25k? "List price" says $39k but I know how that is always BS.

I am admittedly a bit price-sensitive but a little more quality is worth the money. Thanks!