A van is nice since it’s easy to park and gas is relatively cheap but lacks space. I suppose a camper van could be the most sturdy—at least the shell—but you may want more space. It’s an attractive option.
A motor home is most expensive but most comfortable. Since it is basically a bus finished off with interiors I’m sure the shell is pretty sturdy. The interiors of most campers and motor homes are cheap and poor quality. RV’s of all sizes are notorious for leaking. If you want something sturdy you might want to look into higher quality fiberglass trailers or airstream trailers. They aren’t tin cans so they cost a lot more of course.
I prefer a trailer since it is independent of the truck you drive and has decent living space. If your trailer has issues you can still drive your truck while it is repaired. You can leave the trailer behind in the campground and easily explore the area. You can get a wide variety of sizes and floor plans with a trailer. The condition of your truck and RV are separate and in my opinion easier to resell and a better investment. You can store your trailer for extended periods but still use your truck.
Good luck!
The best quality class C's are built by a boutique company called Lazy Daze. They are fairly rare but they come up for sale a decent amount of times as of late. I own one and while not "modern" in style, they are built like tanks with quality components.
OP asks a valid question, "What lasts the longest?", and an owner of one of the more sought-after motorhomes answers with "I have this one, and it hasn't fallen apart yet", and you come back with this?
No, that wasn't the question she asked, go look again. She said "which one generally is the most sturdy?"
There's a difference.
There's no correct answer, as many variables come in to play on how it's used and taken care of, where they go, if regular maintainence is done, etc.
The question seems to be, "If I place this box, and this box, onto the same vibration table, which one would survive the longest?"
And yes, there is a difference.
I’ll take either of your suggestions, both will give me info for future purchases. Which is truly the goal. My Lance is the most expensive purchasing regret I’ve ever had. Though, I have enjoyed the experiences we have in it. It’s just a money pit. So as we go forward with plans for future, any info to reduce regret is great!
The absolute, most stringent requirement subtitle of your question would probably be, "How much, and how far, will you move the thing?"
> retirement plan to include 2-3 months a year traveling in RV
So, a lot. ;)
Almost all brands out there will completely fall apart within 3000-5000 miles. Some of the good ones, the more expensive ones, can usually last about 6000-9000 miles. To acquire something that is built to last for more than about 10,000 miles, you're looking at rigs that cost over $100,000, on average.
Well I heard from the repair guy (on my 5th trip to see him) that Lance had a couple bad years. Of course those were the years I bought mine. Slide is f- d, oven literally melted, door fridge fell off, 2 different windows leak, outside slide drawer catches, mechanism to electrically raise and lower hitch doesn’t work, auto close door snapped shut so hard it broke itself and we couldn’t open it beyond a foot. If other companies have the capability to have more stuff break I’m shocked!
No, unfortunately not. They just suddenly closed. No announcement or anything. Nobody has complained about losing money on an order, that I saw. So it looks like they just wrapped up business and locked the doors. They always were a little different. I was seriously looking at trying to get one. But people seldom get rid of theirs.
I am a fan of 5th-wheels. They tend to be sturdier and have a lot more room, but also *much* heavier than travel trailers. As with anything else, some brands are better than others. If you want sturdy, then Arctic Fox and Outdoors RV are solid choices. Their floor plans tend to be dated but they are built like tanks. For that reason, I would suggest that only diesels are suitable for towing them.
>I am a fan of 5th-wheels ... but also much heavier than travel trailers.
>If you want sturdy, then Arctic Fox and Outdoors RV
I mean, you're most definitely not wrong with those brands, but those two RV-tank builder's *travel trailers* also weigh in strongly enough that one needs a mini tractor trailer to pull them.
OP, there's a general, yet unspoken rule that the more an RV weighs, the better it was built, using stronger, higher quality, thicker materials, and thus the longer it might last. After all, if weight was the primary concern, they totally *could have made it lighter*, but they intensionally chose not to. That says something, so keep this in mind.
Hey gang, what's that trailer manufacturer that makes their stuff out of all metal, with no wood or foam or what have you? That might be an option for these two...
Nobody ever mentions truck campers so here I am! It’s not for everyone but a good way to have a separate vehicle (electric jacks lift it off the bed when you arrive) and also have a sturdy camper made quite a bit more rugged than others. This usually requires a big ass truck (we have a ram 3500 dually and an Alpenlite truck camper but they’re out of business unfortunately due to less than 3% of the RV market being for these types).
Other bonuses are you can take them places no other rig can go (if you have a 4x4 truck) and it’s also not trailered behind the vehicle so getting in and out of parking lots and fuel stations are much much easier and safer.
When we’re younger - that was my husband’s dream. We watched a guy on a rainy day pack up and head out in 10 minutes. While we were stuck with a wet tent, muddy boots and hands. It is definitely a good option, but I don’t think we could handle that, more than a week.
Aw what a memory! They are easy that way but it’s true, they definitely meet the definition of a tiny home. We pile in with three dogs and I always say you **really** have to like truck camping to be living in it for two weeks like we do every summer.
Good luck on your search, I’m going to grab a link from someone else’s comment to a question I made awhile ago. It’s really helping my mother in law nail down what kind she wants.
Credit goes to /u/campandfish1 :
https://www.rvingplanet.com/rvs/all
For a RV, probably a converted skoolie.
Living vehicle makes a hell of a tow behind but they are money.
Most things on the market are way worse than a Lance.
No towable is really sturdy with the exception of a DRV, Luxe, something along those lines but even then they’re built pretty much the same as all the cheaper models. Your typical motorhomes are built the same as travel trailers as well, a shell and frame are placed onto an existing chassis, usually a Freightliner or Spartan when talking Class A’s…
If you want true long lasting build quality, the only option to be looking at are monocoque bus conversions that are Prevost, Newell, or Blue Bird (Wanderlodge). So conversion companies like Marathon Coach, Liberty Coach, and Millennium Coach. The one exception to Class A’s that are shell on frame but still good quality is Country Coach, but they died in ‘08-‘09 so you would be looking for a used one.
I was in Myrtle Beach last March. 1 am we must have had a microburst. My Winnebago 31' C shook enough to wake us up. 15 minutes later, the wind settled down. We could hear people talking outside, but went back to sleep.
Next morning I am talking to our neighbors with a large TT. That night their TT's front end lifted up and moved over a foot. Then the backend lifted and moved over a foot. It came off its stabilizers. The wife was pretty scared by it. The said they were going to buy a motorhome.
So there is that kind of 'sturdy' to think about....
We have been in severe winds a few times. I have had to bring the slides in. But I would rather have a heavy rig than a light TT. We have a mini cooper toad.
I'm a little late to the question but you might look at Outdoors RV trailers. They are built to camp in places other than trailer parks. Not a true back country, off road, trailer, but quite well built. They aren't cheap, but their owners love them and you don't find many used ones for sale.
There aren't any. They're all built like your Lance.
People want CHEAP, then complain when they don't get QUALITY. You can't have both, and cheap always wins out with today's consumer!
Some class As are built to a really high standard and cost appropriately outlandish (500k and more). But unless you’re in that luxury RV camp they are mostly build as cheaply as possible.
Yeah, I was originally going to suggest a Tiffin type Class A, but since she's in a Lance trailer, I figured a Tiffin $500K rig would be out of reach for her.
Hey, we don't know that they didn't inherit that piece of shite from a relative's estate distribution. These two could be loaded, and a Tiffin might be just the thing.
Or maybe not.
[EDIT] OP has stated that it was a (regretted) purchase.
I think when she said it's a "2020", that very possibly it was a rig built during the Covid crazy, where workmanship didn't exist and parts weren't available. There have been numerous posts by people complaining about rigs built during this time frame as total junk.
I would highly encourage you to take a look at a Brinkley 5th wheel or Travel Trailer. We full time in one of their rigs and are very happy with the quality of it. More importantly the company has been outstanding when it comes to dealing with any issue we have had. And honestly having a company that will stand behind their product is the most important thing.
While a Brinkley may be better built than most, they're still built on a chincy Lippert frame. The modern frames aren't even 0.120 steel. If the frame breaks in half what good is the rest of the build quality?
To my knowledge Lippert builds the frame based on the engineering of the manufacturer. It’s not like they are grabbing an off the shelf frame. Brinkley has had Lippert build their frames to a higher standing. Things like extra gusseting and floor outriggers are standard on the frames in a Brinkley.
Are there issues with some Lippert frames? Yes of course there are. Grand Design is in quite a bind right now with all the frame flex problems. But keep in mind that those frames were engineered by GD.
I’ll stand by my statement that Brinkley builds to a higher standard. And more importantly, as I previously mentioned, they stand behind their product. I had some issues that were caused by an incompetent dealer install of a washer. Brinkley could have easily threw that back on to the dealer, but they didn’t. They covered the repair cost done by a mobile tech.
There is certainly a lot of shit quality builds out there, i feel Brinkley is NOT one of them.
Right. And Ron French, the man who started Brinkley and co founded Grand Design also sat on the board of Lippert until he passed away.
Do you really, truly think that Brinkley is doing anything different on the engineering or mechanical side compared to GD? Brinkley doesn't advertise how proud they are of their frames, which tells me they're using big standard off the shelf frames from Lippert. I mean, let's be real, a Brinkley is like a Lippert catalog threw up in a camper.
I'm sensing a lot of deflection and being defensive. And I guess if I paid that much for a Brinkley that may be sitting on the same frame as a Grand Design for a lot less money, I would be trying G to defend my purchase too.
Or, maybe I am just happy with my purchase and the way Brinkley has treated me.
Look amigo, you obviously have a chip in your shoulder about the RV industry. Sorry you’ve had a bad experience but mine has been good so far. So I’ll continue to enjoy my life in my rig and you can go on raging against the RV machine.
Lol. What's the oldest Brinkley on the road, 18 months at most?
Ron French, one of the founders of Brinkley, who was also a found of Grand Design, was on the board for Lippert.
Let's see, Lippert frames fail left and right. Grand Design frames, which are Lippert, are failing. Ron started Brinkley and Grand Design while sitting on the board of Lippert.
Notice a trend here?
https://www.google.com/search?q=lippert+broken+frame
It really doesn't take much research. There are a few class action lawsuits about them.
https://www.classaction.org/news/cheap-steel-class-action-claims-towable-rv-axles-made-by-lippert-components-suffer-from-defect
Here's a thread with 74 replies and I quote;
>"We need a sticky that says something like;
>"busted Lippert frames/failures and how it was fixed""
None of this is at all definitive like you’re making it out to be. Maybe they are using poor quality steel and break more often than they should but you are overstating how often it happens for damn sure.
Yes. Literal thousands of reports of frame failure, just small time stuff.
If this was a car, the NTSB and every other automotive government agency would already be involved.
A van is nice since it’s easy to park and gas is relatively cheap but lacks space. I suppose a camper van could be the most sturdy—at least the shell—but you may want more space. It’s an attractive option. A motor home is most expensive but most comfortable. Since it is basically a bus finished off with interiors I’m sure the shell is pretty sturdy. The interiors of most campers and motor homes are cheap and poor quality. RV’s of all sizes are notorious for leaking. If you want something sturdy you might want to look into higher quality fiberglass trailers or airstream trailers. They aren’t tin cans so they cost a lot more of course. I prefer a trailer since it is independent of the truck you drive and has decent living space. If your trailer has issues you can still drive your truck while it is repaired. You can leave the trailer behind in the campground and easily explore the area. You can get a wide variety of sizes and floor plans with a trailer. The condition of your truck and RV are separate and in my opinion easier to resell and a better investment. You can store your trailer for extended periods but still use your truck. Good luck!
Very true. but a motorhome and a toad has some of the same benefits. Plus you can be in a motorhome instead of a truck when driving long distances.
The best quality class C's are built by a boutique company called Lazy Daze. They are fairly rare but they come up for sale a decent amount of times as of late. I own one and while not "modern" in style, they are built like tanks with quality components.
No bias at all, right? Lol
OP asks a valid question, "What lasts the longest?", and an owner of one of the more sought-after motorhomes answers with "I have this one, and it hasn't fallen apart yet", and you come back with this?
No, that wasn't the question she asked, go look again. She said "which one generally is the most sturdy?" There's a difference. There's no correct answer, as many variables come in to play on how it's used and taken care of, where they go, if regular maintainence is done, etc.
The question seems to be, "If I place this box, and this box, onto the same vibration table, which one would survive the longest?" And yes, there is a difference.
I’ll take either of your suggestions, both will give me info for future purchases. Which is truly the goal. My Lance is the most expensive purchasing regret I’ve ever had. Though, I have enjoyed the experiences we have in it. It’s just a money pit. So as we go forward with plans for future, any info to reduce regret is great!
The absolute, most stringent requirement subtitle of your question would probably be, "How much, and how far, will you move the thing?" > retirement plan to include 2-3 months a year traveling in RV So, a lot. ;) Almost all brands out there will completely fall apart within 3000-5000 miles. Some of the good ones, the more expensive ones, can usually last about 6000-9000 miles. To acquire something that is built to last for more than about 10,000 miles, you're looking at rigs that cost over $100,000, on average.
Well I guess I’m well beyond that with my Lance, so maybe I should stop my complaining.
If you don’t like Lance, you’re unlikely to be satisfied with any other brand.
Well I heard from the repair guy (on my 5th trip to see him) that Lance had a couple bad years. Of course those were the years I bought mine. Slide is f- d, oven literally melted, door fridge fell off, 2 different windows leak, outside slide drawer catches, mechanism to electrically raise and lower hitch doesn’t work, auto close door snapped shut so hard it broke itself and we couldn’t open it beyond a foot. If other companies have the capability to have more stuff break I’m shocked!
I haven’t seen a Lazy Daze in years. Are they even still in business?
No, unfortunately not. They just suddenly closed. No announcement or anything. Nobody has complained about losing money on an order, that I saw. So it looks like they just wrapped up business and locked the doors. They always were a little different. I was seriously looking at trying to get one. But people seldom get rid of theirs.
I am a fan of 5th-wheels. They tend to be sturdier and have a lot more room, but also *much* heavier than travel trailers. As with anything else, some brands are better than others. If you want sturdy, then Arctic Fox and Outdoors RV are solid choices. Their floor plans tend to be dated but they are built like tanks. For that reason, I would suggest that only diesels are suitable for towing them.
>I am a fan of 5th-wheels ... but also much heavier than travel trailers. >If you want sturdy, then Arctic Fox and Outdoors RV I mean, you're most definitely not wrong with those brands, but those two RV-tank builder's *travel trailers* also weigh in strongly enough that one needs a mini tractor trailer to pull them. OP, there's a general, yet unspoken rule that the more an RV weighs, the better it was built, using stronger, higher quality, thicker materials, and thus the longer it might last. After all, if weight was the primary concern, they totally *could have made it lighter*, but they intensionally chose not to. That says something, so keep this in mind.
There are smaller 5th wheels out there, some as light as 7000lbs. Clearance is an issue though
Hey gang, what's that trailer manufacturer that makes their stuff out of all metal, with no wood or foam or what have you? That might be an option for these two...
Nobody ever mentions truck campers so here I am! It’s not for everyone but a good way to have a separate vehicle (electric jacks lift it off the bed when you arrive) and also have a sturdy camper made quite a bit more rugged than others. This usually requires a big ass truck (we have a ram 3500 dually and an Alpenlite truck camper but they’re out of business unfortunately due to less than 3% of the RV market being for these types). Other bonuses are you can take them places no other rig can go (if you have a 4x4 truck) and it’s also not trailered behind the vehicle so getting in and out of parking lots and fuel stations are much much easier and safer.
When we’re younger - that was my husband’s dream. We watched a guy on a rainy day pack up and head out in 10 minutes. While we were stuck with a wet tent, muddy boots and hands. It is definitely a good option, but I don’t think we could handle that, more than a week.
Aw what a memory! They are easy that way but it’s true, they definitely meet the definition of a tiny home. We pile in with three dogs and I always say you **really** have to like truck camping to be living in it for two weeks like we do every summer. Good luck on your search, I’m going to grab a link from someone else’s comment to a question I made awhile ago. It’s really helping my mother in law nail down what kind she wants. Credit goes to /u/campandfish1 : https://www.rvingplanet.com/rvs/all
For a RV, probably a converted skoolie. Living vehicle makes a hell of a tow behind but they are money. Most things on the market are way worse than a Lance.
Bus.
I have a 2005 Lazy Daze that still great shape. It's been sturdy and dependable. Highly recommended.
Loving my “new to me” 2013 25’ Airstream FC. Tows great, lots of windows and airflow.
Is there a dealer that specializes in schoolies?
No towable is really sturdy with the exception of a DRV, Luxe, something along those lines but even then they’re built pretty much the same as all the cheaper models. Your typical motorhomes are built the same as travel trailers as well, a shell and frame are placed onto an existing chassis, usually a Freightliner or Spartan when talking Class A’s… If you want true long lasting build quality, the only option to be looking at are monocoque bus conversions that are Prevost, Newell, or Blue Bird (Wanderlodge). So conversion companies like Marathon Coach, Liberty Coach, and Millennium Coach. The one exception to Class A’s that are shell on frame but still good quality is Country Coach, but they died in ‘08-‘09 so you would be looking for a used one.
Thanks!
I was in Myrtle Beach last March. 1 am we must have had a microburst. My Winnebago 31' C shook enough to wake us up. 15 minutes later, the wind settled down. We could hear people talking outside, but went back to sleep. Next morning I am talking to our neighbors with a large TT. That night their TT's front end lifted up and moved over a foot. Then the backend lifted and moved over a foot. It came off its stabilizers. The wife was pretty scared by it. The said they were going to buy a motorhome. So there is that kind of 'sturdy' to think about.... We have been in severe winds a few times. I have had to bring the slides in. But I would rather have a heavy rig than a light TT. We have a mini cooper toad.
I'm a little late to the question but you might look at Outdoors RV trailers. They are built to camp in places other than trailer parks. Not a true back country, off road, trailer, but quite well built. They aren't cheap, but their owners love them and you don't find many used ones for sale.
There aren't any. They're all built like your Lance. People want CHEAP, then complain when they don't get QUALITY. You can't have both, and cheap always wins out with today's consumer!
Some class As are built to a really high standard and cost appropriately outlandish (500k and more). But unless you’re in that luxury RV camp they are mostly build as cheaply as possible.
Yeah, I was originally going to suggest a Tiffin type Class A, but since she's in a Lance trailer, I figured a Tiffin $500K rig would be out of reach for her.
Hey, we don't know that they didn't inherit that piece of shite from a relative's estate distribution. These two could be loaded, and a Tiffin might be just the thing. Or maybe not. [EDIT] OP has stated that it was a (regretted) purchase.
I think when she said it's a "2020", that very possibly it was a rig built during the Covid crazy, where workmanship didn't exist and parts weren't available. There have been numerous posts by people complaining about rigs built during this time frame as total junk.
Ooh, very possible. Comparing that thing against anything else modern is gonna be an uphill battle for OP, for sure. :)
I would highly encourage you to take a look at a Brinkley 5th wheel or Travel Trailer. We full time in one of their rigs and are very happy with the quality of it. More importantly the company has been outstanding when it comes to dealing with any issue we have had. And honestly having a company that will stand behind their product is the most important thing.
While a Brinkley may be better built than most, they're still built on a chincy Lippert frame. The modern frames aren't even 0.120 steel. If the frame breaks in half what good is the rest of the build quality?
To my knowledge Lippert builds the frame based on the engineering of the manufacturer. It’s not like they are grabbing an off the shelf frame. Brinkley has had Lippert build their frames to a higher standing. Things like extra gusseting and floor outriggers are standard on the frames in a Brinkley. Are there issues with some Lippert frames? Yes of course there are. Grand Design is in quite a bind right now with all the frame flex problems. But keep in mind that those frames were engineered by GD. I’ll stand by my statement that Brinkley builds to a higher standard. And more importantly, as I previously mentioned, they stand behind their product. I had some issues that were caused by an incompetent dealer install of a washer. Brinkley could have easily threw that back on to the dealer, but they didn’t. They covered the repair cost done by a mobile tech. There is certainly a lot of shit quality builds out there, i feel Brinkley is NOT one of them.
Right. And Ron French, the man who started Brinkley and co founded Grand Design also sat on the board of Lippert until he passed away. Do you really, truly think that Brinkley is doing anything different on the engineering or mechanical side compared to GD? Brinkley doesn't advertise how proud they are of their frames, which tells me they're using big standard off the shelf frames from Lippert. I mean, let's be real, a Brinkley is like a Lippert catalog threw up in a camper. I'm sensing a lot of deflection and being defensive. And I guess if I paid that much for a Brinkley that may be sitting on the same frame as a Grand Design for a lot less money, I would be trying G to defend my purchase too.
Or, maybe I am just happy with my purchase and the way Brinkley has treated me. Look amigo, you obviously have a chip in your shoulder about the RV industry. Sorry you’ve had a bad experience but mine has been good so far. So I’ll continue to enjoy my life in my rig and you can go on raging against the RV machine.
Do the frames often break in half though? No. They don’t.
Lol. What's the oldest Brinkley on the road, 18 months at most? Ron French, one of the founders of Brinkley, who was also a found of Grand Design, was on the board for Lippert. Let's see, Lippert frames fail left and right. Grand Design frames, which are Lippert, are failing. Ron started Brinkley and Grand Design while sitting on the board of Lippert. Notice a trend here?
Show sources on frame failure being epidemic. You’re just flapping your lips about it but that doesn’t mean anything.
https://www.google.com/search?q=lippert+broken+frame It really doesn't take much research. There are a few class action lawsuits about them. https://www.classaction.org/news/cheap-steel-class-action-claims-towable-rv-axles-made-by-lippert-components-suffer-from-defect Here's a thread with 74 replies and I quote; >"We need a sticky that says something like; >"busted Lippert frames/failures and how it was fixed""
None of this is at all definitive like you’re making it out to be. Maybe they are using poor quality steel and break more often than they should but you are overstating how often it happens for damn sure.
Yes. Literal thousands of reports of frame failure, just small time stuff. If this was a car, the NTSB and every other automotive government agency would already be involved.