Lance trailer quality

[jmacpolo]

We are torn between a Jayco X213 and a Lance 2285. I was leaning toward the Lance even though it is much more $$ but then I ran across several reviews that really bashed the quality of the Lance trailers. I always thought Lance were high quality trailers but now I am unsure. Does anyone own Lance, and what say you about their quality?

Thanks,
John

[Tequila]

mogman wrote:

NewTTcamper wrote:
My husband I looked at the trailers as we bought a new Lance camper in 1996. Lance was great quality back then and the new ones look nice. However, my husband did not like the way the axle was built. It was not a standard set up. He's been around the block when it comes to vehicles and such. He walked away because of this issue. Anyone else notice this?

I bought my Lance because of this very reason.
Torqflex axles= 4 wheel independent suspension, ride is very smooth, no springs to break, no plastic bushings to wear out quickly.

Plus, I was, and still am, very impressed with the way the interior is constructed. Mine has had two trips across the U.S. to Florida, two trips to Southern Ca.,(a lot of the highways are less than smooth) numerous local(ish) trips, nothing has fallen off, nothing is loose, other than the original cr*p tires it's been and continues to be a great trailer.
I also changed the mattress, but that seems to be an industry-wide issue.

I found the lance a bit sloppier on interior finishing than the Northwood I eventually ended up buying, but I was down to one of those 2 brands simply because of the frames. I RV mainly in Mexico, the land of Topes.

My main complaint was no HDMI cable between the TV & DVD player (opposite wall), they used an A/V cable which picks up interference from florescence lighting (I stay in Wal marts a lot). Fortunately my brother is a telephone man and with his arsenal of magnets & glow rods & fish tapes, we managed to fish an HDMI cable over. It was not easy.

[My_Roadtrek]

NewTTcamper wrote:
My husband I looked at the trailers as we bought a new Lance camper in 1996. Lance was great quality back then and the new ones look nice. However, my husband did not like the way the axle was built. It was not a standard set up. He's been around the block when it comes to vehicles and such. He walked away because of this issue. Anyone else notice this?

He should have done some research. This is from the review in TL.
"The heavy-duty, rubber torsion-bar suspension axles feature EZ-lube bearings that are practically maintenance free. The completely self-contained axle and suspension design offers an extremely smooth and stable ride over just about any road surface, allowing the trailer to follow the Jeep Cherokee used as a tow vehicle for this review with no bouncing and hopping no matter where we took it."

[jmacpolo]

Thanks for the advice. We like the inside of the Lance more but since we tend to camp in small places the shorter length of the Jayco is appealing. We have teenage sons who have always camped with us so the bunks would be nice, but I know it is only a matter of time before they will probably not want to go.

Thanks,
John

[mogman]

NewTTcamper wrote:
My husband I looked at the trailers as we bought a new Lance camper in 1996. Lance was great quality back then and the new ones look nice. However, my husband did not like the way the axle was built. It was not a standard set up. He's been around the block when it comes to vehicles and such. He walked away because of this issue. Anyone else notice this?

I bought my Lance because of this very reason.
Torqflex axles= 4 wheel independent suspension, ride is very smooth, no springs to break, no plastic bushings to wear out quickly.

Plus, I was, and still am, very impressed with the way the interior is constructed. Mine has had two trips across the U.S. to Florida, two trips to Southern Ca.,(a lot of the highways are less than smooth) numerous local(ish) trips, nothing has fallen off, nothing is loose, other than the original cr*p tires it's been and continues to be a great trailer.
I also changed the mattress, but that seems to be an industry-wide issue.

[SilverEscape]

goducks10 wrote:
I'd take the Lance over the Jayco any day. Walk around queen is way easier to navigate than the slide out Jayco bed. Think about how you're going to put sheets on the slide out bed. No where to get dressed except in the kitchen/dinning area. You can use the inside of the Lance if you need to get a bite to eat while on the road. Better suspension on the Lance. Way bigger tanks. Nicer entertainment center. Less chance for wood rot with the Lance. JMO but the Lance would probably hold it's value better.

We don't have any issues with the king slide. I guess it depends what you like and what you are used to. We prefer having a king size bed over a queen as we typically have a kid in bed with us at some point. The space is awesome. I find making the bed easy, haven't had a problem yet. You get on the bed and do the top corners then get off and do the bottom.

We get dressed in front of the bed. No issue with this at all. But, we've never had a walk around bed when camping so needing an official bedroom would never have come to mind for me.

We also have eaten on the road. Someone can do the slide and pop up the dinette if necessary while someone else is making lunch.

Anyway, just thought I'd mention that for some people, those issues aren't issues at all. It depends on your needs and priorities.

I do think the Lance trailers look nice though. The 2185 was the one I wanted to look at but the dealer that had Lance didn't have it and wasn't giving deals if it was ordered in. For the price of the trailer though, I would hope it had a nicer fit and finish inside because it was quite a bit more than our Jayco.

[NewTTcamper]

My husband I looked at the trailers as we bought a new Lance camper in 1996. Lance was great quality back then and the new ones look nice. However, my husband did not like the way the axle was built. It was not a standard set up. He's been around the block when it comes to vehicles and such. He walked away because of this issue. Anyone else notice this?

[kincade]

I've owned a bunch of trailers, and currently own a Lance 2185. We love it, and it's the best built and highest quality trailer we've ever owned. Zero complaints. That said, I haven't owned a Jayco - but we bought this over the Jayco and it was visibly nicer in terms of finish work, fit and finish. There are many happy owners of each on the forums.

[goducks10]

I'd take the Lance over the Jayco any day. Walk around queen is way easier to navigate than the slide out Jayco bed. Think about how you're going to put sheets on the slide out bed. No where to get dressed except in the kitchen/dinning area. You can use the inside of the Lance if you need to get a bite to eat while on the road. Better suspension on the Lance. Way bigger tanks. Nicer entertainment center. Less chance for wood rot with the Lance. JMO but the Lance would probably hold it's value better.

[Tequila]

hohenwald48 wrote:
Just look at them and make up your own mind. Remember that all manufacturers use the same appliances, axles and other components so those will likely be equal among brands.

We looked at both and went with the Jayco. Jayco is not perfect and neither is Lance. It's just a matter of what you want. Be aware that Lance has an almost cult following so sometimes you get opinions from Lance owners that are simply repeating the mantra.

you gotta' look and decide for yourself.

Not really axles & frames differ. i would for eg avoid anything on a Lippert Frame. Lance does not use them.

[SilverEscape]

Those are totally different floor plans. I'd go with whichever one suits what you need. Do you have more than 2 people camping? If so, you may like the bunks in the X213. Or look at the Lance 2185 if you need bunks.

The Jayco is shorter when closed up. For us, that meant we could park it on the driveway all summer and not have to store it in between trips. I appreciate not having to unload the fridge for a week if I don't want to. 🙂

If you do need bunks, compare the width on both models. The X213's are 38" wide which is basically a single bed size. It's decent. Narrower and my kids would complain. Lance doesn't seem to mention the width on their site.

We do like that the bottom bunk on our X213 flips up. That and the access door to that area has made it a great way to haul bikes.

[hohenwald48]

Just look at them and make up your own mind. Remember that all manufacturers use the same appliances, axles and other components so those will likely be equal among brands.

We looked at both and went with the Jayco. Jayco is not perfect and neither is Lance. It's just a matter of what you want. Be aware that Lance has an almost cult following so sometimes you get opinions from Lance owners that are simply repeating the mantra.

you gotta' look and decide for yourself.

[finz04]

We have been very happy with our 2015 Lance 1985. I've been all over and all through this thing and I was very impressed with the quality difference between this and other trailers we considered. My opinion (for what it's worth) it's head and shoulders above those we looked at (including Jayco).

Having said that, I'll offer up two things. First, just like there are Chevy people and Ford people and each can be fiercely loyal and biased, trailer people are much the same. It's important to solicit the opinion of the loyalist because they'll know things about their favorite trailer make that non owners won't know or consider. So listen to all.

The second thing is that your opinion will matter the most. These things are all more or less mass produced grabbing pre-cut, pre-assembled stuff off the shelf and put together. Listen to all, but the most important thing you can do is carry a flashlight and be prepared to crawl into every reachable nook and cranky. Both as you are shopping and before you take delivery. Be sure to satisfy yourself that all is right.

[coolbreeze01]

I like the Lance but bought here: http://www.pacificcoachworks.com/ Also built in Ca and good customer service.

[AirForceAngler]

jmacpolo wrote:
We are torn between a Jayco X213 and a Lance 2285. I was leaning toward the Lance even though it is much more $$ but then I ran across several reviews that really bashed the quality of the Lance trailers. I always thought Lance were high quality trailers but now I am unsure. Does anyone own Lance, and what say you about their quality?

Thanks,
John

Keep in mind that it's usually the people that have problems that write a review. People that are happy with theirs just go on their way and enjoy their company. So, you're seeing a very concentrated and skewed amount of opinions. No TT out there has great quality, but Lance and Jayco are generally better than most.