HONEST 2 YEAR REVIEW OF OUR 2020 LANCE 1985 RV

We have owned our 2020 Lance 1985 RV travel trailer now for 2 years. In this video, we will discuss what we like about it, what we don't like about it, the issues we have had and whether we would buy another Lance product in the future. This trailer has been put to the test with over 30,000 miles on it and over 200 nights in it.

#lance #rv #travelswithdelaney
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Travels with Delaney
PO Box 83
Angola, Indiana 46703

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[jamespkuzman]

I think you were very fair in your review, Patrick. As previous NuCamp owners, we were drawn to Lance for the same reasons you were. All in all, we've been very pleased with our 2021 2285 and have had only minimal issues. We don't travel nearly as much or as far as you do, so things like tire wear due to bent axles will take much longer to reveal themselves for weekend warriors.

We've had a few issues in our first two years. The rollers under the slide had to be replaced with heavier-duty versions as the slide would "bump" at one point during its in/out travel, though it never got hung up. The dealer addressed that under warranty. Our "coffin" slide-out tray in the front storage compartment deformed, and Lance refused to cover that. The metal hardware (like the plates that latch the doors open) rusted in the first six months. The blank tank flush failed, which resulted in water spraying inside the trailer. The plastic internals of the bathroom faucet cracked, which caused a leak, necessitating the replacement of the fixture. We too had the Dometic stove recall, but the dealer was able to quickly source parts and address that. We've had a few screws come loose (Lance seems to under-size fasteners). The cheap propane regulator got dodgy after a year and finally failed. All of these are 100% on Lance in my opinion but are minimal compared to the horror stories I've seen and heard from people with other brands.

I think my biggest issue with your trailer is Lance's apathy. Sure, they didn't make the bent Dexter axles, but they chose to use them, and they were fully aware of the problem. They could also have easily checked for the bend at the time of manufacture and rejected those axles, but they didn't; they transferred that problem on to you as the consumer. By most accounts, Dexter has been pretty responsive in working with customers directly, but a customer shouldn't have to work with a component manufacturer. Lance should have immediately stepped up and handled the replacement of both axles, provided four new tires, and reimbursed you for the money you had to spend on tires along the way. 

Likewise with the slide. Once it was clear that it was installed wrong, Lance should have handled things for you without your dealer having to fight. Ditto on the slide pulling away from the wall, which is a design flaw, a manufacturing defect, and something Lance is very well aware of. If this were the automotive industry, they would have issued a Technical Service Bulletin at the very least, if not a recall.

I honestly believe your frustration would have been minimized and your satisfaction greatly increased had Lance stepped up and taken responsibility for these issues once you made them aware. I think the real question isn't whether or not you're satisfied with your trailer; it's more about whether or not you're satisfied with Lance as a company, and whether or not you would do business again with a company that doesn't appear very interested in customer satisfaction.

[scooter]

I am a proponent of buying quality things - cars, boats, etc., taking care of them and keeping them a long time. I expect to pay a premium for quality, and stuff happens and stuff breaks. But when you are paying this kind of money for an RV, you should be able to expect decent service, and it sounds like that is sorely lacking. Disappointing. Thank you for the balanced review.

[Idahovandalever]

Wow a lot of comments! We bought a 2020 Lance 2375 in November 2020; had to drive from Idaho to Colorado to get the one we wanted. Our family travels and camps with four other families, and all of us bought new RVs between 2018 and 2021. We've compared them, worked together to fix them, and bitched about little and big things we didn't like. One Lance, two Jaycos, one Grand Design and one Outdoors RV. I think the Lance and the Outdoors RV have the best workmanship, but they are the most expensive. Our Lance had the Dometic stove recall problem, but Lance just send a new stove(a bit nicer one) to the dealer of our choice for install. We haven't done much to our Lance other than multiple screw replacements with Gorilla glue for prevention. We all installed various upgrade components; from maxair/fantastic fans, solar panel/lithium bats stuff, etc. We pull our 2375 with 2020 Tundra with Roadmaster Active Suspension, with zero problems. The owners of Grand Design 26ft and Outdoor RV 24 foot pull with 3/4 ton pickups. I am pretty sure the Outdoor RV is the heaviest TT. Each of us has dealt with component issues. I have had excellent treatment by Lance customer service(Mary), but that was just the Dometic stove issue. The 2375 does not have the U-shaped dinette, so the slide is shorter and lighter. At first I would hear a bit of squeaking and minor grinding with the motor noise, but then I started lubing the rollers as well as the normal track maintenance. I have not seen the structural bolt problem yet. We've loved out Lance so far, and I can say that it is probably the most comfortable or the 5 TTs. Having a dinette and a couch makes for less cramped living.
Would I buy a Lance again? 50/50 not because of problems, but just because you are paying a $10K premium over all but the Outdoor RV, which you might get back in resale value. The Outdoor RV would be my first choice if I had a bigger truck, because that beast pulls a heck of a lot harder than the Lance, even tho they are the same length.
Basically, the components are getting to be junk and we expect the manufacturer to solve that problem. They shift the problem to the dealers, who can't get good technician/workers, if they can get workers at all. If you absolutely cannot accept the myriad of problems related to owning an RV, put your money into a good tent.

[mcclernonck]

Great review! Yes, Lance blatantly lies about their vehicle weights. I owned two Lance campers that were grossly over weight from their advertised specs. The first one I took straight to the scales after purchase, and it wasn't anywhere close to the advertised empty weight. After months of fighting with Lance, they took it back in exchange for a lighter model.

[patrickmckowen]

Great update 👍
Can't believe Lance can get away with not posting the numbers properly.
Cheers

[henrymorgan]

After nearly two years of full time travelling the US in our 2021 Lance 1985, we had to replace under warranty our AC unit, furnace, microwave trim (which has broken again) and the rear center clearance light. Timing of the failures were ok season wise, but the wait for the parts was horrendous! As in months! As far as being full time RVers, I must say that our unit stood up mostly to the smart design of the RV and the quality of parts and materials. As far as buying another? I got what I wanted and when I look to my left then my right, I just smile! Aloha Patrick!

[andywegner]

The tongue weight in the lances documents is dry weight. Dry weight means no batteries, no propane tanks and no water/waste in the tanks. The dry tongue weight of our 2021 2185 was spot on at 755 lbs.

The picture in your video of a tire replacement appears to show the technician lifting the trailer by putting the jack on the axle. Placing the jack on the Dexter axle will bend it every time. The lifting location is behind the dual axles on the frame.

The only issue we have had with our 2185 has been the propane o rings in the stove top and a sticky slide out. The slide out was my issue by not properly lubrication. I was not applying lubrication in the correct area.

[floydlarken]

I believe that manufacturers should be holding dealerships more accountable for the BS that is going on with service. And Lance should be listening to their customers and fixing all of these issues. They are way too expensive to be having all these problems. Turns me off to go out and lay out $50, 000 for problems.

[marshaspringer]

Thanks, Patrick, for the great review. Unfortunately, you only began to experience the problems we had with our 2020 Lance Model 1985. Within our 1st year of ownership, we received the same certified recall letters from Lance and Dometic regarding the propane leak issue in the stove. That notice advised us not to use the stove, oven or ANY GAS appliance, i.e. furnace, (or fridge, hot water heater if boondocking), so we did not use them which made the camper nearly useless in the fall of 2020 and early 2021. Then, in the spring of 2021 our slide out quit working - just like yours. Unlike your situation with Lippert, we were under warranty and took it to the dealer. The dealer's Service Manager said the slide out itself was " out-of-square" and would "never work properly unless it was replaced". The dealer put me in the middle of a contest/battle between them and Lance. By the fall of 2021, Lance won the battle and sent the dealer a new slide out mechanism which the dealer installed. Next, just days before the slide out quit working, I went to prepare the camper for our very first trip of 2021 on a rainy weekend. Both skylights were pouring water into the bathroom and onto the dinette. Keep in mind we could not use our 1985 all summer and fall due to the non-operable slide out. When I took the 1985 in to get the skylights replaced (late in the year of 2021), the dealer immediately called me to come back so that I could document all the damaged, rotten wood surrounding the 1st skylight they began to replace. Once again, I was placed between the dealer service department and Lance. Why, you ask? Because Lance would not let the dealer go beyond replacing the white PVC outer covering, as this became a "structural" issue. Lance instructed the dealer to put a new covering of Luan plywood over the rotted wood surrounding the skylights and to cover the new plywood with the new PVC. I said "hell no, you are not covering rotten wood with new plywood". The dealer also said "no, covering rotten wood with glue and screws is not a long-term solution" so my 1985 went back to the factory in CA. This all took place at the beginning of April of this year. It is August 7, and I still do not have my camper back so I have lost the bulk of the 2022 camping season. I wish I could tell everyone stories of my travels with my new Model 1985 but I was only able to pull it a few hundred miles after I bought it during the summer of 2020. Now, I am worried about the axles being bent once I get it back with the new roof. I could go on much longer but I have two more important issues. At the 1-year mark, I went to grease the bearings. One of the four wheels had gunk all over the outside of the drum. I took it in and discovered that Dexter had failed to install the seal in this drum during manufacturing process. I live in the mountains and learned that I was running on only 3 of my 4 brakes as the bad drum and brakes within it were engulfed in grease. Finally, (and no, I am still not done!) I bought a brand-new Toyota Tacoma to tow my 1985 Lance and was assured by the dealer that it was the perfect truck. The maximum tongue-weight capacity on the Tacoma is 640 lbs. Worried, like you, that when you add three, 45 lb. propane tanks, 2, 50 lb. batteries, all RVing accessories to the front storage compartment, a generator to the other front compartment and 45 gallons of fresh water that I might exceed my 640 lb. limit, I measured it with a scale. I got a similar reading as you did. I was exceeding my tongue weight by 300 lbs. - another very dangerous situation. I Immediately sold the Tacoma and bought another tow vehicle.

Finally, here is another interesting footnote... while the factory was installing my new roof, they installed the recall part(s) on my stove, (the dealer was never able to get the needed part after inquiring about it on over 6 warranty-related visits covering 18 months). So, I finally got the part installed nearly 2 years after receiving my recall notices from Lance and Dometic in November of 2020! At least now I don't have to worry about dying in a fiery propane-induced explosion in my camper if I ever get it back!

[CarolAnne]

I miss your tab! You did great videos with it.

[jb]

Great information, it keeps me on the airstream want list.

[windfall]

Very fair comments...We purchased a 2021 Lance 1995 as RV newbies... We've had the benefit of three good duration/long distance trips with it and have (generally) loved the coach...A couple of learnings from us...First, we initially did not appreciate the pounding and wear-and-tear that travel trailers undergo when they are being towed...Everything is moving and often moving in formation...Anything one can do to secure and stabilize the interior components is time well spent...A big example for us was installing adjustable stabilizing legs under the slide when its brought in as its a big slide most of which the interior "box" is unsupported when brought in...We can only imagine the leverage that box exerts when under tow with the drawers full! Second, there is no substitute for taking the time to inspect everything inside and out before pulling out... At the end of the day, we're very impressed by the materials that went into our trailer as well as the construction quality. That said, our decision to buy another (bigger) Lance will ultimately be based on the support and service of the dealer and the Manufacturer...I'd rather pay someone else more money secure in the knowledge that they are willing and responsive 'partners' in our RV experience. The smart industry leaders understand that the best marketing arm for new sales is existing owners who describe to others their experiences and transfer their passion for their units...

[TayeIm]

Great review! Thank you for your honest feedback!

[tallblonde]

Lance is one of my favorites- so nice, they look luxurious compared to others. I'm amazed at the weight discrepancy, how can that happen? And the axle and slide issues scare me -these campers are expensive! If I was you, never again!!

[RandisAdventures]

I can’t believe it has already been two years! Time goes by so fast. 😁
I love that your Lance is 4 season and the walk around bed.
It would be frustrating that the published weight numbers were so far off. 🥺
Great review Patrick!

[Stanf]

A very good and honest review. Seems like your trailer issues are far from unusual and very common if not worse with other brands. Overall I was attracted to Lance for the quality that I saw. I looked at the smaller Lance models but my champagne taste didn't reflect my beer pocket. A 20K price increase wouldn't be feasible for us.
We decided on a Gulf Stream Retro that we saw on sale at a the Hersey RV show. It fit the bill with the features that we wanted and the price was right.

[kimhutchison]

Excellent discussion on Lance quality. Our 1685 has held up very well, only minor issues--but we've only put about 10k miles on it. It was a bit of a wallet buster though! Our experience has been much better than yours, but since we haven't had to depend on their customer support, we're only seeing half of the story. Hope you have better luck moving forward my friend!

[philjudystabulousadventure]

Great review Patrick. Hopefully you’re not having electrical issues in the dinette at 7:58 mark. You either have a ghost playing with the light or Patty was playing with the switch!😂🦞

[tatomp]

We own a 2021 Model 2375 and feel pretty much the same things you expressed in this video. We traveled approximately 33, 000 miles during the 2022 and 2023 seasons and went through a full set of Goodyear Endurance tires due to inside tire wear. Lance customer services, I agree is substandard. I was referred to Dexter, which after a thorough evaluation of our situation, sent us two new axles. I had to pay to have the axles installed, but the problem was solved, and on our 2024 adventure, we did not experience any noticeable tire wear. I have been totally self reliant on maintenance and repairs. There have been a few other issues. I have learned that you almost have to have a handy person on the road with you. I can't say that I have met another travel trailer that could have made the almost 50, 000 miles we've traveled in 3 years. Our Lance had worn very well, and is ready to head out this Spring. Thank you again for the great videos.

[cookash]

Very good review, that really helps me to looks past Lance's marketing claims.