Lance Travel Trailer v. Grand Design Imagine Travel Trailer

[Gene_and_Doris]

We're trying to decide between getting a Lance Travel Trailer and a Grand Design Imagine Travel Trailer. This would be our first travel trailer. Looking for opinions, suggestions, anything at all that would help us with our decision. We're in our 60's and for the most part, it will be only the two of us and our dog camping. We plan on quite a few trips a year, each one being around one to three weeks. Like to keep things simple. Thank you in advance.

[trailer_newbe]

Grand Design are very nice, but Lance is in kinda the next level of quality. If this is you’re first rodeo in camping travel trailer style, make sure you pick a floor plan that works for you. Take your time walking through them. Second thing is understand the weight ratings of the trailer you are interested in and make sure it aligns with the tow vehicle. Spend some time understanding what hitch weight and cargo carrying capacity means for both the trailer and tow vehicle. I wouldn’t proceed with anything until you fully understand what each weight number means. Plenty of U-Tube videos out there to make is easy.

[propchef]

Seems Lance is experiencing sagging suspensions in the non-lifted versions of the 1575 and 1475, with some TTs experiencing rubbing when the TT is loaded and with water (not over the published capacities).

The problem as I see it with lighter frames is capacity. The capacity of the Lance 1985 is just over 1900 lbs, the carry capacity ORV 22FQS is 3800 lbs. That's where your heavy frame comes in and is a big plus in my book. YMMV

[goducks10]

Vintage465 wrote:

goducks10 wrote:
I own an ORV and no way is the quality on par with Lance. I've walked around and through many Lance products and while they have some quirky ideas the overall fit and finish is above ORV.

Walk on an ORV roof and it will flex too. 3/8" ply is not that strong.

Lance roofs are now slightly crowned and have no attic where mold can grow. They also use Azdel and are less susceptible to delam and mold in the walls.
Lance uses GY tires but has torsion axles.

They're not apples to apples. ORV is designed for a different clientele.

Off the subject a bit....but Lance does have a nicer fit and finish than and ORV. And Lance's roof instills a lot of confidence walking on it compared to the ORV, though I've had no issues with my roof.....and I think Azdel is the way to go in the future.....having said that I think at the end of 20 years my ORV will still be more solid than my brothers Lance because the ORV frame is quite a bit stronger than the Lances. Just IMHO............

ORV's frame is stronger but Lance is a lighter TT so it doesn't need a thicker stronger frame.
You only need the thicker heavier frame if your trailer is made with heavy components and has a high CCC.
I bet you brothers Lance is still as good as your ORV in 20 years.
If you both do a lot of off road travel then I would think your ORV might fare better.

[propchef]

kellem wrote:
Just get a functional floorplan that you both like and keep a mobile RV tech on speed dial.

I'm also retired and just the wife and I camping with our Border collie.
We actually upsized our trailer for longer excursions and extra comforts.

Lance makes a quality trailer but their floorplans were on the small side for us but could make perfect sense for someone with little towing experience and wants to travel more compact.

Hope you find something you both enjoy.

Thanks.

As others note, the Lance, while probably the best from interior materials and wall construction standpoint, the layouts are cramped (for us). We really like a lot of things about the Lance, but it likely won't be the one we go with. I just can't justify spending that kind of money and not getting a layout we like.

All of these manufacturers use the same equipment: heaters, refrigerators, electronics (Furrion or Jensen), water heaters, etc. and they're all barely adequate showing the same issues across all major brands of TTs.

While we're new to modern TTs, I'm not starting from zero. When my kids were small we had a Coleman pop-up we loved, and as a working chef I towed a 32' x 8' commercial kitchen trailer with two AC units, 2- 100lb propane tanks and a generator on the tongue, freezer, fridge, 3-compartment sink, commercial stove, oven, grill, etc. It was a heavy beast that I pulled with a Ram 2500 Hemi. I took that trailer all over Florida and brought it to CA when we moved. It now resides in Hawai'i. It was my experience with that trailer that taught me a lot about trailer suspensions and loading.
I simply won't own a 7-9k lb TT with only leaf springs and no dampers. Just the shackle design alone makes me run away, which is why we like the Lance and the ORV.

[Vintage465]

goducks10 wrote:
I own an ORV and no way is the quality on par with Lance. I've walked around and through many Lance products and while they have some quirky ideas the overall fit and finish is above ORV.

Walk on an ORV roof and it will flex too. 3/8" ply is not that strong.

Lance roofs are now slightly crowned and have no attic where mold can grow. They also use Azdel and are less susceptible to delam and mold in the walls.
Lance uses GY tires but has torsion axles.

They're not apples to apples. ORV is designed for a different clientele.

Off the subject a bit....but Lance does have a nicer fit and finish than and ORV. And Lance's roof instills a lot of confidence walking on it compared to the ORV, though I've had no issues with my roof.....and I think Azdel is the way to go in the future.....having said that I think at the end of 20 years my ORV will still be more solid than my brothers Lance because the ORV frame is quite a bit stronger than the Lances. Just IMHO............

[Vintage465]

I have experience with all three of these units. My brother has a Lance and it is a fine quality rig with little to be unhappy about. The Frame is sort of iffy in my opinion as is the torsion axles as I like to be able to take the coach off road regularly. Lance's Frame is not a real rugged unit in my observation. As far as comparing a Grand Design to a Lance, they are in two different levels and aren't apples for apples. Lance is a step or two above the Grand Design....at least I'd be comfy say a 2017 Lance and a 2017 Grand Design aren't on the same level. If I was picking one of the two it would depend on if I do mostly hwy driving or mostly boon docking off road. Hwy...Lance, Off road, prolly the Grand Design as it has an I-beam frame and conventional axles....as of 2017 that is.

[goducks10]

propchef wrote:

goducks10 wrote:
I own an ORV and no way is the quality on par with Lance. I've walked around and through many Lance products and while they have some quirky ideas the overall fit and finish is above ORV.

Walk on an ORV roof and it will flex too. 3/8" ply is not that strong.

Lance roofs are now slightly crowned and have no attic where mold can grow. They also use Azdel and are less susceptible to delam and mold in the walls.
Lance uses GY tires but has torsion axles.

They're not apples to apples. ORV is designed for a different clientele.

Fair points, especially about the lamination process but I'm not sure I agree with the last sentence. How do you think the market demographic varies? We're looking for a couples TT that has good counter space (eliminates Lance right away) and is under 30 ft.

The suspension is another big seller for me, since we will be pulling long distances on a regular basis. Yes, the torsion setup is far better than the cheap leaf springs that come on most TTs, but it's still suspension tech from the 50's. I think Hyundai was one of the last major manufacturers to use it in modern cars (in the Elantra).

The downfall to most TTs is the suspension. The constant harsh jarring is terrible for everything from the leaf spring hangars to the exterior door. I want to mitigate that as much as possible.

We're still considering the Lance, but we like the interior layout of the ORV much better.

ORV really pushes the off grid part of camping compared to Lance. ORV's have much larger tanks, 16" tires and higher CCC's.
They're also roomier inside because they are as a whole bigger with bigger slides.
Some come with built in gens.
Agree about the suspensions of both. ORV's are far from 4x4 rated like the sticker says. All they really are is a 60's frame with shocks and big tires. Anyone could do that to their TT's if they have the room. Over-hyped IMO.
Guessing you've looked online at them to know most of that.
IMO lance is geared more towards the average camper that will not take their TT off the road as much or dry camp as long.
Just my speculative opinion.

We just find Lance TT's to feel a little cramped inside or we'd own one.

[kellem]

Just get a functional floorplan that you both like and keep a mobile RV tech on speed dial.

I'm also retired and just the wife and I camping with our Border collie.
We actually upsized our trailer for longer excursions and extra comforts.

Lance makes a quality trailer but their floorplans were on the small side for us but could make perfect sense for someone with little towing experience and wants to travel more compact.

Hope you find something you both enjoy.

[propchef]

goducks10 wrote:
I own an ORV and no way is the quality on par with Lance. I've walked around and through many Lance products and while they have some quirky ideas the overall fit and finish is above ORV.

Walk on an ORV roof and it will flex too. 3/8" ply is not that strong.

Lance roofs are now slightly crowned and have no attic where mold can grow. They also use Azdel and are less susceptible to delam and mold in the walls.
Lance uses GY tires but has torsion axles.

They're not apples to apples. ORV is designed for a different clientele.

Fair points, especially about the lamination process but I'm not sure I agree with the last sentence. How do you think the market demographic varies? We're looking for a couples TT that has good counter space (eliminates Lance right away) and is under 30 ft.

The suspension is another big seller for me, since we will be pulling long distances on a regular basis. Yes, the torsion setup is far better than the cheap leaf springs that come on most TTs, but it's still suspension tech from the 50's. I think Hyundai was one of the last major manufacturers to use it in modern cars (in the Elantra).

The downfall to most TTs is the suspension. The constant harsh jarring is terrible for everything from the leaf spring hangars to the exterior door. I want to mitigate that as much as possible.

We're still considering the Lance, but we like the interior layout of the ORV much better.

[goducks10]

I own an ORV and no way is the quality on par with Lance. I've walked around and through many Lance products and while they have some quirky ideas the overall fit and finish is above ORV.

Walk on an ORV roof and it will flex too. 3/8" ply is not that strong.

Lance roofs are now slightly crowned and have no attic where mold can grow. They also use Azdel and are less susceptible to delam and mold in the walls.
Lance uses GY tires but has torsion axles.

They're not apples to apples. ORV is designed for a different clientele.

[propchef]

OP should look at Outdoors RV. They're on the same level of quality as Lance but (IMO) have better floor plans and standard features. The fact that ORV comes standard with MorRyde suspension and Goodyear tires sets them apart and is a huge plus for me. Several models come standard with solar and are prepped to easily add more.

The Lance has better options with interior choices and galley equipment. I don't like the Lance roof because it's flat and thin and is prone to flex when you're up there working on it. I really don't see how 1.5 of compressed foam is better than a truss system with pink insulation. Neither is really "4 season" and each has positives and negatives. The Lance is certainly lighter. The ORV, like their sister company Artic Fox, are some of the heaviest modern TTs out there because ORV assumes some use off of paved roads.

The Transcend is the "entry-level" at GD with aluminum sides and the Imagine is the upper-end model with laminated walls and full walk-on roofs (all the GDs have the same roof structure). For the money, the GD is a great value. We've compared the GD, the Forest River and the Lance all at the same time. I don't see how anyone spends money on anything by FR, the fit and finish is terrible.

My rankings: ORV Titanium>Lance>GD>anything by Forest River dead last

[bob213]

I think Grand Design has suffered since Winnebago bought them. We are looking and if Lance had a floorpan I liked it would be my first choice.

[goducks10]

Lance hands down. Imagines are entry level type TT's Lots of bling but basic components.
Lance TT's are made with better materials. Azdel for the exterior and no batt insulation in the ceilings. Dinettes as much nicer too. The lance will be easier to heat or cool. Resale value should stay higher.
Nicer fiberglass finish on the outside.
I'd own one but they don't make a layout that works for us.

[Sandia_Man]

Hard to compare the two since the Imagine line from Grand Design is a lower tier RV and is not in the same class as Lance TTs, the Reflection and Solitude lines would be more comparable. That being said both are good choices, and both will have issues like any new RV. Grand Design and Lance do a decent job of getting issues resolved under warranty from what I have heard and read, we know people who own both, and for the most part they are happy.

I like the floorplans from Grand Design a smidge better, primarily because I prefer bigger RVs for those longer excursions where extra living space is always a good thing. As mentioned above, particularly if this is your first RV, buying slighty used will save you the depreciation, along with the frustration of dealing with warranty issues since most of them occur during the first year of ownership. Happy RV hunting, here's hoping you enjoy the RVing lifestyle as much as we do.