Alternatives???

[JumboJet]

Originally Posted by boxcar 1

Lance ( all of them ) have had water intrusion problems . On the newer ones it has to do with the corner bonding system.
Aluminum frames are no exception. Delamination problems abound.
If you want a trouble free ( or as near as possible ) camper , look at Bigfoot or Northern light all fiberglass units.
Used they should be within your price range.
Be patient . This is a tough time of year to buy a TC.

Just makes you wonder how a company like Lance can even stay in business.

I have owned 4 Lances and your statement is just a little over the top!

When you use the term "all of them", you are painting with a broad brush.

How many Lance TCs have you owned?

[Scooter]

If you buy from a dealer not near your casa.....I would insist on a signed letter from the president of xxxxxx camper....saying you will be serviced promptly at any other xxxx camper dealer in the USofA.

You don't say what year your F350 is....hopefully it has a grade brake feature.

[boxcar 1]

I have owned several and have been in the repair and manufacturing side of this business for 40 years.

[laj]

with your vast experience which one would you choose? which one has better insulating for cold weather in the teens. looking at new. thanks.

[bighatnohors]

I bought a used 2014 Lance. It has one big major factory screw up that I could not detect during inspection. The slide out mechanism is not aligned properly. Repair mean having to remove the slide!
This Lance also had sloppy support under the shower pan - so that it was soft and flexed when stood on. I found missing supports under the shower pan.
I'm very disappointed in their product.

[laj]

i have found this type of shoddy workmanship in this and another popular brand. that is why i am only interested in NL and BF.

[gcsprayjr]

In August I traded my 2001 Lance 1010 for a new 2016 Travel Lite 1100 Illusion. I was looking at used clam shell designed units such as Bigfoot and could not locate anything close to what I was looking for in the south eastern side of the US. I checked out the Livin Lite brand, and they are of impressive quality, however I wanted an onboard generator like the Lance had. I found a couple of use clam shell campers for sale in this part of the country, however the owners had stored them outside in the elements. The gelcoat was dull and faded, with faded decals and trim. One Bigfoot had significant water intrusion issues where the escape hatch over the bunk had leaked over a period of time. Water had done some serious damage to this unit although none of it structural. Still costly to repair. So no camper is immune to neglect. The Travel Lite Illusion is the top of the line for Travel Lite, with standard features such as a gas furnace and electric heat strips in the AC unit. The units have LED lighting and top of the line Dometic appliances. A three way fridge is standard on the 1100. The company has an in house fiberglass department that makes beautiful fiberglass counter tops that look like granite. The roof structure is 2x4's arched cut with a plywood deck and the TKO roof which has a 15 year warranty. There is no place on the roof for a puddle of water, as it has a drastic slope rounding off on each side. The exterior fiberglass has a gelcoat finish that is shiny and easy to clean. The Illusion comes standard with a solar charging system, a gel battery and a number of other nice high end features. To clench the deal the dealer made me a year-end clearance deal that I did not think was possible and gave me a higher trade in allowance then my Lance was worth. Granted this coach will not compare to the build quality of a Bigfoot. I keep my camper inside of a shelter when not in use which extends the life of the camper significantly. My 15 year-old Lance shown very clean with zero water damage and no stains anywhere. Care does make a difference with any unit. The only real complaints that I have with the Travel Lite are minimal. One pet peeve of mine is the practice that some manufacturers mount the shower pan to the shower walls that are made out of paneling with vinyl covering over them. We used to see the same practice in mobile homes many years ago. The vinyl always leaks and the area always rots out. The shower in the Travel Lite is no exception. I made the decision to install an ABS shower wall kit in the unit before I purchased it. That was easy and not expensive. The ABS panels overlap the factory installed ABS shower base which is very sturdy and installed correctly on the vinyl covered floor of the coach. The natural overlap of the shower liner will insure zero water leaks damage the bathroom floor of the camper, and starting off with this mod in a brand new unit is the best way to tackle the issue. The rest of the coach appears to be on par with other coaches I have seen. I have owned nine TC's over the years and worked for a major RV manufacturer for several years handling warranty claims, so I have pretty much seen it all. The bedding is comfortable, the electronics are of good quality. The unit is balanced and hauls well on my F-350 crewcab dually. Dry weight is 2800 lbs. The dual 20 Lb LP tanks are handy with the tank exchange program that is widely available. Some features that the Lance had that this camper does not. The Lance had remote switches for lighting so that one could for instance, turn on the bathroom light from the hallway. The Lance had all of it's controls located on a central panel over the range hood. The TL is scattered all over the coach. The Lance had a one piece fiberglass shower stall. As for usability, the travel Lite 1100 Illusion fills the bill for my needs. It's a nice attractive looking camper with reasonable quality. The unit has all appearances of being well constructed and sturdy. Considering the price of the unit it was a good choice for me. Are there better campers? Certainly. Will the TL suffer weather damage if parked outside in the elements 365 days a year? Probably, however all of them will, even if it is only the gelcoat fading.

[laj]

sounds like a real nice unit. you're absolutely correct when you say they will all have issues if abused, or neglected. its the design flaws i'm trying to avoid. mine will be in my climate controlled shop when not being used right beside my mh. i hate to see people spend their hard earned money then not take care of something. makes no sense to me.

[gcakia]

My F350 is a 2012 Lariette.

[gcakia]

Appreciate everyone's input! Always good to hear from folks that have been through the alternatives and learn from the experience. We continue to look and learn. Hope to buy something after New Years.

[gcsprayjr]

When I made the decision to purchase the Travel Lite 1100, there was one other choice that this dealership offered to me at essentially the same deal as the one I purchased. The Illusion 1000 was sitting right next to my 1100. The 1000 is a 10 foot unit with a full slide-out wall on the passenger side of the coach. The slide-out makes the inside of the 1000 feel huge when opened up. I have always had some prejudice against slide-outs in RV's. I know some of you reading this are saying WTH? I worked in the RV industry when slide- outs were introduced and have seen some nightmare's. If you ever want to see something scary look at an RV with the slide-out removed. It is incredible what a giant gapping hole there is in the side of the unit. A hole that adds nothing to the structural integrity of the unit. A slide-out predisposes a unit to leaks and stress cracks. If you don't believe me, go and look really closely at some older units with slide-outs. That being said there are many owners who love what slide-outs do to enhance their camper. More power to those people. Still, I wanted to compare the two units side by side to see if I was missing anything. While the 1000 at 10 feet long feels significantly larger, compared to the 1100 at 11 feet long there is a noticeable decrease in the amount of storage. The storage space is lost in the space it takes to make the side structure in the slide out and the coach to accommodate the slide out. TC's have minimal storage anyway, and if you eliminate 12 inches on each side of a slide-out you have eliminated the equivalent of a closet. The other objection is that the slide-out has to be extended to allow access to the inside of the coach. Often there just isn't room outside to extend a slide out every time you need to get inside of your coach. On the non-slide model the coach floor is accessible at any time. I often travel with a few of my nine grandchildren. Some of them are as young as nine months. The oldest is 14 years. When we stop at a rest area I transfer each child to the coach and when everyone is inside, I go inside and close the door. The children take turns using the toilet and washing up. I can keep control of all of them where I can't in a public facility. Granted, as an adult I can go into a dirty public bathroom, do my business, wash up and not end up with the whole world's contaminates on me. it is more difficult with several small kids. It is so much more sanitary for the little ones to use the facilities in the camper. At least all of the germs belong to the family... I don't want to have to find a place to slide out the room every time we use the camper for a stop. Granted this does not apply to every TC owner, however to each their own. When camping at the lake we really use the camper to bath, dress, and such, so inside space is not the big issue. We spend our days outside, on the beach, in the boat, or cooking out as a group. The weight of the 1000 with a slide is several hundred lbs greater compared to the 1100 without a slide. After carefully assessing the benefits of each design, and also to satisfy my prejudice, I was all too happy to chose the 1100 over the 1000 with a slide, but at least I did compare the two. When I purchased my Lance, Lance in the early 2000's was having structural problems with the units that they offered with slide-outs. My 1010 being at 10 foot four inches with solid sides had none of those problems. Also on the 1010, laminated construction with filon siding was an option. My unit was equipped with wood framed construction and aluminum skin. Very much an old school design. One can debate the pros and cons of each design, however it is difficult to dispute the durability of a wood framed coach with aluminum skin. If part of it becomes damaged, the pieces can be removed, repairs made, new pieces placed, and the old undamaged pieces replaced. The unit can be resealed and is no worse for wear. It is simple and cheap. Water intrusion is not as big of an issue because any moisture that enters the unit can also find it's way out through the bottom. Laminated construction has no air spaces and will hold any moisture that enters it. With damage it can require that entire side wall be replaced to make repairs, which can exceed the value of the coach. The Travel Lite unit is unique in that it has wood framed construction with laminated gel coated fiberglass skin on the outside. I am not sure how I feel about this combination, however Travel Lite advertises it as an tough off-road rated design that can stand severe twisting and the vibration of dirt roads without damaging the unit. I don't plan to test mine in that manner.

[laj]

completely agree with all reasons listed. no slides for me either.

[Bedlam]

Arctic Fox builds a nicely finished and insulated camper although heavy for its size. We are going even bigger and heavier with the Host. The Host will max out a DRW F350/3500 and leave you no capacity for towing (other than flat towing) unless upsize the truck. If you don't mind not having a slide, Northern Lite has the best fit and finish I have seen in truck campers.

[gcsprayjr]

My favorite camper is the Northern Lite unit. Second is the Bigfoot. Third is Livin Lite. The issue for me is that a fully loaded Northern Lite brand new with all of the bells and whistles will chew up 45K. If one can afford them, they are definitely superior to most other makes available.