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Old 06-05-2012, 10:25 AM   #1
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How Do You Compare TT?

We are shopping for our first TT and have read this forum and others, looked at YouTubes, and visited dealers. Each has their own line of snappy patter about their own. So how do you figure what is the better rig? Of the ones we've looked at in the 19-20 ft range we like the Kodiak and Lance lightweights (we'll tow with an older Tundra). I liked the Nash DLX series perceived quality, but not their floor plans-we want a walk around queen. I'm not asking for others to make a decision for us, but how can we make sure we aren't getting a low end trailer? I saw some nice Passport lights, went on a couple websites and owners were consistently trashing them.

Is their a quality rating poll or consumer repair rating system somewhere? What do you suggest? I seem to have buyer's remorse before buying!! Thanks.
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Old 06-05-2012, 07:50 PM   #2
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Hum let's see:

~ what will your tow vehicle tow?
~ how much $$$ you can afford to spend
~ what length tt are you comfortable pulling
~ for the most part your price point dictates quality / fit & finish
~ Slide / no slide
~ fresh water tank size
~ liveable / floorplan
~ the amount of counter space and cabinet space.

Your right, each dealer will say their brand of tt is the best. Yes, it might be the best for that "price point". For a 20' tt you can spend 12k of 40k....

To me I would never buy a tt or hybrid without a slide. A slide just opens up the whole unit. What the size of the fresh water tanks. One major brand of hybrids only had a 22 gallon fresh. The others are in the 35 range. Our new 2013' Aerolite hybrid has a 52 gallon fresh. Even when it is crappy weather I'll lay down on the coach and read or watch TV.

We had a 2005 Aerolite hybrid that held up very well for 380 nights of use over 7 seasons. That is why when a new floor plan came out in a 25' model we were all over it....In my opinion the fit & finish especially the cabinets are top notch for that price point. The Kodiak's & Aerolite's are the same thing (Thor / Dutchman)
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Old 06-05-2012, 08:22 PM   #3
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Are slides pretty reliable on smaller TTs these days? I do like the way they enlarge small living areas, but is there any trade off besides a bit of weight?
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Old 06-05-2012, 08:29 PM   #4
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"for the most part your price point dictates quality / fit & finish"
^That

Reconsider the walk around bed, it will consume about half of the TT. Do you really need it? Our bedroom is about one third of our TT's interior space.
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Old 06-05-2012, 09:28 PM   #5
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There were some good points raised by the posters above. I just purchase my first travel trailer after doing some extensive research both traditional travel trailers and molded fiberglass. Came oh so close to buying a 5er molded fiberglass.

I settled on my Lance 1885 for several reasons. I wasn't concerned so much with my TV. But I knew I wanted a quality built trailer with a slide and 4-season. The rest of this post then is purely slanted toward a Lance TT.

The Lance met those requirements. The price point was mentioned and the Lance comes in a a little higher than some and lower than some.

I like it because it's comfortable for me. I travel solo so no concerned about how much room I'll need for 2 people. The 1885 is actually 19.3 ft interior with a walk-around queen. I went with that over a 1685 because of the extra room.

There are other TT on the market which are very comparable and most likely would meet your need as well. I studied reviews, went on forums (as you did) and actually communicated with some owners. In the end FOR ME the Lance won out.

If you would care to have more information I'd be glad to share it with you (just send me a PM) and you might also want to visit the Lance Owners forum here: Lance Owners of America and check out the forums.

Good luck in your quest. Mine took 10 months before I decided. I'm happy with what I got. Doesn't mean it's right for you.
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Old 06-06-2012, 07:01 AM   #6
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Thanks, Nik,
I was looking at the 1885 and 1985 (?) on line about the time you were replying. A fellow at church bought a big Ford w/ Lance camper last year and totally loves it. I've talked to him a bit to see what his experiences have been. I have to journey about 60 miles to a mom and pop RV in Yakima to actually see one. I like the Kodiak, but they have to be longer than I want to get a slide. I'm thinking I'm wanting sub 20 foot for ease of parking and convenient pulling.

Appreciate the replies. I'm in a rural area and don't have a lot of opportunity to shop dealers much.
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Old 06-06-2012, 07:57 AM   #7
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Mark - The slides really open up the space. My slide goes in/out easily and I feel nor see any sagging or any more bounce than the trailer as a whole. Again I can only speak for the Lance but if you stick with the 1685 or higher the slides are very reliable but like everything else on a TT you do need to keep up with your maintenance.

The 1985 is a different floor plan than the 1885 as you can see on their website. I chose the 1885 over the 1985 mainly because of the placement of the door. The 1885 is actually a bit longer than the 1985 (old floor plan) but overall is a bit lighter.

The A/C keeps the trailer cool and the heater keeps it warm on these cool Oregon nights.

In my opinion you definitely want a 4-season but most likely if you purchase or order through the dealer in Yakima they probably already factor that in.

The Lance pulls very easily with my GMC 1500. Keep in mind the towing capacity of your Tundra as you continue shopping. Some shorter trailers can be quite heavy.

If you are seriously considering a Lance (or any other) then you need to make that trip to the dealer to check it out yourself. It's good that you're arming yourself with info before you make the trip though.

I did a checklist beginning with what I was going to use the trailer for and what features I needed/wanted. I then did a side by side comparison on paper of each trailer I considered and then the specs in as another side by side. That for me was very helpful.

So once again good luck and happy hunting.
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Old 06-06-2012, 08:04 AM   #8
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Be careful... I bought a Shadow Cruiser 185BFS about 3 years ago. I've already traded up to one that's considerably bigger. It's costly to play musical TTs... get big enough to begin with, and avoid my mistake.

Enjoy!

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Old 06-07-2012, 01:29 PM   #9
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As far as slides, our 05' Aerolite hybrid only had a small couch slide and it was mid way back or a little more towards the rear, thus the hitch weight dry was only 300 lbs for a 24' tt. Our new 2013 Aerolite hybrid the slide is the couch and the kitchen minus the frig and is more towards the front, thus the heavier 500 lb hitch weight in a 25' tt.

As in all trailers, keeping the slide gaskets nice and new looking I will silicon them once a month with Wal-Mart red can spray silicon...I also do all the other rubber seals around the tt including: roof vents, storage doors, bunk doors, doors and window seals.
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