Lance frames

I do not own now and never have owned a Lance. But if I wanted to go lighter and they had the floorplan I liked, they would be on my short list. Where is Wood Glue on this one?

Properly designed and built cutouts in the webs of structural members are not an issue if the members were adequately designed for the loads the manufacturer decides to specify. Aircraft structural sections are full of lightening holes and they work just fine.

You should also note that the box of an RV provides strenght to the unit as a whole and reduces the flexure in the frame. It is the flexure that causes failure.

I think it is a good frame. There is almost zero welding on it and it uses huck bolts instead. You can't weld anything to it. I seem to recall some restrictions or cautions to do with installing a WDH.

Bal/Norco Ultraframe

Jayco is using the frame but it does not have openings in the beams like the Lance ones do. It has been used on a few other makes and models in the past but I've only seen it on Lance and Jayco TTs at RV shows in the past couple of years.

There were problems with this frame about 10 years ago but I can't find any more recent reports of issues. You might want to go to the Lance forum and either search or ask. Perhaps looking at the Jayco frames to see how they differ would help.

These types of BAL/Norco frames had issues with flexing and breaking years ago in Kodiak, Aerolite, Jayco, as discussed on this forum. But IIRC that was with trailers longer than 28'. Since then some manufacturers no longer use them (Kodiak) or just use them on trailers 28' or less (Jayco).

We looked at the largest Lance trailer which is about 28' long and has a very wide slide-out. I was concerned that the flexing especially with that big a cut-out in the shell.

But I think the shorter Lance's would be fine. Jayco still uses these frames in their lighter, shorter trailers and I haven't heard of any problems recently.

It's also possible that BAL/Norco has modified their design since the earlier failures, I dunno.

Lance didn't make Travel Trailers 10 years ago. They only started making TT's since 2009!

WoodGlue

Thanks for your valuable opinions...I appreciate them..

Steve,

When I was looking at trailers about four years ago, I was also concerned about the Lance frame. So I mentioned this concern to a competing manufacture when I toured their factory and they sad "follow us". They took us out to their bone yard where there was the exact frame that was on the Lance trailers at the time. Without decking on the frame, it was easy to twist the frame in my hands. Since I anticipated using the trailer on unpaved roads, it was an easy decision for me to not get any trailer that used that type of frame. Yes, the frame will stiffen up considerably when it has a deck on it, but, IMO, the frame is the most important part of any trailer and I was not willing to skimp on it.
Perhaps their frames have been improved in the past four years. I don't know. But if I was to do it again and the frame was still that "wimpy", I would make the same choice.

Hope this helps,
Steve

p.s.; I apologize to all the Lance owners out there as I know you are likely happy with your unit and don't want to hear of possible frame issues. But this was my experience and the engineer in me just wouldn't let me compromise on this aspect of a very expensive purchase.

SooperDaddy in another thread wrote:
Every time you see long train on the railroad tracks pulling tons and tons of freight down the tracks on the railway cars, transport trailers, auto transport trailers and boxcards...virtually every one of those trailers are made with huck bolted frames. Stronger than welded, simpler to build and much lighter

WoodGlue

Thanks Steve
It's possible I would take my new TT off paved road at some point, so I'm thinking, if all other things being equal, I would opt. For a stronger frame, like what I have seen on the Nash 23 D.
Steve

Steve 911 wrote:
Thanks Steve
It's possible I would take my new TT off paved road at some point, so I'm thinking, if all other things being equal, I would opt. For a stronger frame, like what I have seen on the Nash 23 D.
Steve

Funny how those of us concerned about weak frames and off-road traveling, often end up with a Northwood frame.