Lance 1685 vs. Kodiak 221 or comparable?

[Danpaine]

Hi, Folks. We're looking at purchasing a smaller TT with one slide. So far, the Lance and the Kodiak seem to have the features we're looking for.

Any pros/cons of the two you can share? Or perhaps there's another small/one-slide TT you think is comparable or even better?

It has to have one slide, though, or my wife will not even give it a second look.

Thank you!

[bcsslc]

I am a owner of a kodiak 276bhsl and have had great success with it. We must have walked through over 60 different trailers and brands (2yrs of rv shows) for our family the kodak has been a solid all around trailer. We have had it out in boondocking camps between 20 - 30 nights via rough washboard roads in Utah's backcountry. The only down side I can honestly come up with is I wish that it had a higher payload (has not been a problem so far), and I wish it had two fantastic fans.

Everyone will tweak and mod in some way. Just like a truck or car.

[kendive]

Enjoy your 200QB. We looked around to get a different one with a slide and couch but all in all the 200QB is perfect for us also.

(There is no prefect RV) Everyone has different tastes

I guess you could build the perfect RV (TT) yourself. Then you would have everything perfect?

[jt48324]

We looked at a ton of trailers and bought a 2013 Kodiak 200QB this spring. Four trips so far and the only problem we have had is the touch stereo/DVD is junk and the CD/DVD doesn't work. Everything else has been perfect. For a 20' trailer with no slide it is really roomy, and has a larger kitchen/counter/drawers than most trailers. The walk around bed is great and something we would never be without (after an RPOD for our last trailer).
The basement storage is also huge.
For us it has been a great unit, and lives large for a 20'.

[Seattle_Lion]

We have a new, somewhat larger Kodiak 279RBSL. Horrible problems with plumbing leaks when we got it. The dealer fixed them and all else is well. Initial quality is not wonderful. There is a footprint on the ceiling (no kidding) and one cabinet facing is not tight to the cabinet.

Otherwise, we have had it out three times so far and it has turned out to be a great way to vacation. It tows very nicely (we have a Ford F150 with Ecoboost and a weight balancing hitch). Setup and takedown are easy. Most important, the space is perfect for us. The bed is the usual "short queen" which is too short for me (moved the mattress out 6" on the platform and wedged pillows in the void). Our kitchen has tons of counter space (we have an island) and storage is excellent.

We looked at some of the smaller campers, but realized that the luxury of extra kitchen space and two slideouts makes life much nicer. FYI, my trailer does not have schwintek or hydraulic slides. One is cable with a motor, the other uses a gear mechanism. What my wife loves most of all is the bathroom. It is the largest we saw. We have a 5' long shower, plenty of space for the toilet and a nice sink. It truly feels like a real bathroom!

FYI, Dutchmen has been very helpful through the initial problems. They are good people to work with. Too bad their QC is so poor.

[mogman]

I have a 1685 and love it, put over 20,000kms. on it last year. It suits me perfectly.
You need to buy the trailer with the floor plan that suits you and, perhaps more importantly,your significant other.

[APT]

WoodGlue wrote:

But everyone is different, and there is a trailer, a manufacturer and a price that will fit anyone who is looking for whatever their heart desires. That's what's great about RV's!

Perfect!

[WoodGlue]

APT wrote:

WoodGlue wrote:
There is nothing that compares to a Lance 1685.

Airstream owners disagree. Lance makes higher than average RVs. Not everyone wants to pay for that.

I do not like the Lance 1685 floorplan. Limited counter space and climb over bed. The Kodiak 221 is similar to the Lance 1985. And there are 15 other brands offering a similar floorplan between $12k and $40k.

I read a lot of good things about Cruiser RV's Funfinder. There are 4 21' models with front walk around queen and dinette slide.

I was wondering it the OP made a typo when comparing the 1685 instead of the 1985. In any event, The 1685 is an ideal trailer for a single traveler w/ a occasional guest along, so it's a floorplan that suits me very well, especially the length (20' 9")

Personally, I like and dislike Airstreams. They're great to look at but not so easy to stay in. Total lack of storage, etc (I used to have a Victorinox Edition Bambi) that had a wetbath, etc)

But everyone is different, and there is a trailer, a manufacturer and a price that will fit anyone who is looking for whatever their heart desires. That's what's great about RV's!

WoodGlue

[APT]

WoodGlue wrote:
There is nothing that compares to a Lance 1685.

Airstream owners disagree. Lance makes higher than average RVs. Not everyone wants to pay for that. Woodglue, you do write as if your stuff is better than everyone else. Can't you just state that you have the Lance 1685 the OP is interest in and have XX nights with it and love it!

I do not like the Lance 1685 floorplan. Limited counter space and climb over bed. The Kodiak 221 is similar to the Lance 1985. And there are 15 other brands offering a similar floorplan between $12k and $40k.

I read a lot of good things about Cruiser RV's Funfinder. There are 4 21' models with front walk around queen and dinette slide.

[WoodGlue]

Congrats on the new 2014 1885! You've got a 2 year warranty not that you'll ever need it!

Come on over and join us at LOA (Lance Owners of America. It's linked from the Lance website or here:

Lance Owners of America - LOA

WoodGlue

[Markiemark32]

Any pros/cons of the two you can share?

Since Woodglue pointed out in her opinion Kodiak Cons, here may be some Lance cons.

Lance Cons:

Lance main bed is not walk around, are you prepared to come & go, crawling over each other.

Lance - Slide out has big step-up, great for stubbing you toes & feet.

Lance kitchen sink, is single & small.

Lance shower, is not hard walled.

Lance TV placement is not optimal for watching both in living area and bedroom.



Kodiak Pro’s:

Walk around bed.

Non-step up slide

Kitchens sink 2 sided and big.

Hard walled shower

More Bathroom space.

TV optimally placed, so it can be used both in bedroom and living area.

Outside coloring and graphics outstanding elegant & breath-taking.

BTW: All newer Kodiak’s I have seen do have both cable and satellite wiring.


Visit your local dealers, and spend some time with the units.

Also investigate, the support / service from your local dealer, a lot of times this is key to happy RV owner & usage, with any & many RV’s.

Good Luck and get out Make some adventures!
Markiemark

[erikprice]

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

[WoodGlue]

.

[WoodGlue]

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

[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