Considering a 22RBE

[rocketjam]

We had a Lance model 1995 that we bought late last year and were living and traveling in it full time until we had a crash at the beginning of August this year. The crash totaled our tow vehicle and trailer. We were pretty happy with the Lance trailer but had a few things we thought we'd like to improve on when the day came to upgrade. We bought the Lance largely on their reputation for making reliable trailers. We were happy with the quality but really wanted a bit more space and especially a bit more storage.

We've gotten our insurance money from our wreck and are beginning to seriously look for a replacement trailer. We've been kind of focused on the Imagine XLS 22RBE. We like the size and the bedroom with a door as well as having more counter space and storage than our Lance did. I'm wondering if any 22RBE owners might want to give their opinion of their trailer. Are you happy with it? Have you had many problems with it and would you recommend this model to others?

Thanks for any feedback!

 

[Soundsailor]

We had a Lance model 1995 that we bought late last year and were living and traveling in it full time until we had a crash at the beginning of August this year. The crash totaled our tow vehicle and trailer. We were pretty happy with the Lance trailer but had a few things we thought we'd like to improve on when the day came to upgrade. We bought the Lance largely on their reputation for making reliable trailers. We were happy with the quality but really wanted a bit more space and especially a bit more storage.

We've gotten our insurance money from our wreck and are beginning to seriously look for a replacement trailer. We've been kind of focused on the Imagine XLS 22RBE. We like the size and the bedroom with a door as well as having more counter space and storage than our Lance did. I'm wondering if any 22RBE owners might want to give their opinion of their trailer. Are you happy with it? Have you had many problems with it and would you recommend this model to others?

Thanks for any feedback!

First off, welcome to the forum. The 22RBE is a popular floor plan, I've heard a lot of good comments here. Let us know what you end up going with, this forum is a good place to learn from other GD owners.

 

[Tigger1]

[MENTION=50772]rocketjam[/MENTION]

Welcome to the forum!

We don’t have the 22rbe but we sat in one for awhile at the Hersey RV Show in 2019 before deciding to go with the 22mle. Since you are experienced travelers you probably already know that everything has its trade offs.

When we sat in the 22rbe we really liked the good size bathroom, the color and finish quality, and the counter space. Although the bedroom has a door it felt a little tight for us but that is subjective. We really wanted two seating areas too. And while this is probably a minor thing, we felt that having the slide on the entrance side might take up some outside awning seating space. Again, these are subjective and each person/couple has their likes/dislikes.

If you like a private bed, good counter space, and find that two seating areas is preferable, check out the XLS 23LDE if it’s not too big for your needs, 28’ 5”.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[alias100]

My wife and I (and 2 small dogs) have a 22RBE and have spent about 30 nights in it so far. Love the big bathroom, all the storage and the counter space. The bedroom is a bit tight, but certainly manageable. We have been out for 7 nights in a row and still have not used up all the storage.The build quality has been good, not great or perfect, on ours, it was built around April/May of 2021. It pulls easily with our 2021 Ram 2500 with the 6.4 Hemi and an Anderson hitch. You know it is back there, but very stable.
I get up before my wife so the private bedroom allows her to get some more sleep. The slide being on the camp side has not been an issue for us, so far at least. We seldom put out the awning so we don't hang around just outside the camper where the slide would be in the way. I suppose on a very small campsite it could be an issue but we have always been either boon-docking or on bigger sites so we can spread out.
Having two seating areas would be nice, but it was a low priority for us. The recliners have worked fine and are very comfortable, and face the television.
We had a minor issue with the sliding door to the bedroom, had to re-attach the track to the ceiling. The small door stops mounted on the floor to prevent the doors from swinging (as opposed to sliding) also had to be replaced.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any followup questions. I would definitely recommend the 22RBE to others.
Good luck with your decision.

 

[FL-Guy]

My wife and I have a 2021 22RBE. So far it's been a pretty good trailer for us.
Pluses for us:
There is plenty of room in the kitchen to work because the counter is pretty big.
Plenty of storage too. We've been out a week at a time and still had empty storage spaces.
Upgraded the bed to a memory foam mattress so nice and comfy now.
Tows easily with my F150 with the powerboost engine (haven't tried "real mountains" yet just ones in Georgia) We just got back from a non-camping trip to Colorado and I'm not sure the truck would handle those mountains.
Theater seating is comfortable.
Wife likes the bedroom door but I could care less about it (I'm always up earlier)
AC works great and cools the unit down fast, even here in FL
Theater seating is comfortable but we unplugged the vibration and cup lights (controls too sensitive)
There is plenty of grey water holding due to the 2 tanks.

Negatives:
I don't really like the awning side slide because its always touching the awning and it cuts down on usable awning space.
To us, the big bathroom is a waste of space because we don't usually shower in the trailer but use the campground showers instead. We don't boondock (yet).
The bathroom sink is almost unusable because its so small.
The supplied "kitchen table" is terrible. Its wobbly and you have to sit side by side. We just took it out and use a folding table and chair. No dining/work area for computer use.

Overall its a good unit for 2 people. My preference would be the 22MLE if I could convince my wife that she doesn't need a bedroom door. Its always open anyway I like the layout of the 22MLE because it has a dining/work area, but happy wife....

 

[Capt Bob]

I waited till some RBE members chimed in but I tend to agree with FL-Guy (Fla. native withstanding). We looked at both models (RBE and MLE) and went with the MLE for most of the same reasons. We like the dinette. We like the open bedroom as it makes the inside feel bigger. We spend minimum time in both the kitchen and bath so the reduced size is not a factor. Both have a lot of on board storage and towability is the same. Our friends purchased a used RBE (looked like it have never been used) and love it so...
Either model should fit your needs and like our friends, you'll be happy with the RBE.

 

[rocketjam]

Thanks [MENTION=43166]Soundsailor[/MENTION]! I will!

 

[rocketjam]

Sorry to be slow responding to everyone. We took off a couple days to drive to Little Rock to get our new tow vehicle.

Thanks to everyone for the input. I really appreciate it and it's all very helpful. The concerns expressed about the RBE by some of you are the same things we have thought about. Particularly the slide on the awning side and I'm not sure how I would like the table. We've also considered the MLE so we will look at both of them in person before we decide which one we'd like to go with.

I will update after we make a decision!

 

[Hitsman3]

We have had our 22RBE for 3 years now & are very happy w/our decision. We like the separate bedroom & bigger bathroom. Wife loves all the storage & counter space inside. Only complaint I have is I wish the pass thru storage was a little bigger. We don't mind the slide out being on the camp side as it allows us to back or pull our trailer in & hug the non-camp side & give us as much space as possible to utilize. Only issue we've had is the recall on the propane regulator.

 

[rocketjam]

[MENTION=26274]Hitsman3[/MENTION],
Thank you for the feedback! A very positive recommendation. I wondered about the pass thru storage a bit too as our Lance also had an outside storage bay at the bottom of our slide out and I kept our hoses and electric cables in there as well as leveling blocks and some other outside items.

We went and looked at a new one earlier this week and we're pretty sure that's the direction we're going to go although we're going to find a used one rather than buying new.

 

[Cbsqrd]

We have a 2019 22RBE. We downsized from a 5th wheel and like the 22RBE. Love the bathroom size and the recliners even though the switches are sensitive. We had a problem with the water heater heating up the counter and sink in the bathroom but replacing thermostats cured that. Outside speakers weren't hooked up so had to take out the radio and connect the wires. Propane detector kept signaling it was bad. Finally convinced Grand Design to let me replace it since it would take months to schedule the local Grand Design service dept. Exactly one year and two days after the warranty expired the A/C went belly up. A year ago I noticed a leak in the underbelly when we were out camping. Scheduled a service and the dealer could not find a leak. Went camping and the leak reappeared. It was coming from behind the panel where th water connection is. I had to crawl in the storage area to remove a side panel and found one of the connections to the outside shower was leaking. Its Sunday and the closest RV store is 20 miles away. Fixed that and tightened up the other connections. In August I noticed it was leaking again. Real pain to go through the storage are so I removed a panel in the bedroom to expose all the connections. Called in a plumber and we removed all the Sharkbite thingies. Nice and tight. We then went on a twelve day trip through Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico with no water leaks. Don;t understand why Grand Design would make that panel so hard to access. Before we left the big drawer under the sink was having problems sliding in and out. I removed it to check the slides and was stunned at the poor quality of work in the cabinets and drawers. The rails were stapled on to the wood it looked like they would come part. Some staples were not even all the way secured. The rails were sagging so I propped them up with some wood and screwed them to the wood. We also had problems with the sliding door stops and the ceiling track. Its a great RV and we think we got the problems ironed out. During our twelve day trip I told the wife that if the water leaked again behind the panel I was driving to a dealer to trade it in.

 

[Beam57]

We had a Lance model 1995 that we bought late last year and were living and traveling in it full time until we had a crash at the beginning of August this year. The crash totaled our tow vehicle and trailer. We were pretty happy with the Lance trailer but had a few things we thought we'd like to improve on when the day came to upgrade. We bought the Lance largely on their reputation for making reliable trailers. We were happy with the quality but really wanted a bit more space and especially a bit more storage.

We've gotten our insurance money from our wreck and are beginning to seriously look for a replacement trailer. We've been kind of focused on the Imagine XLS 22RBE. We like the size and the bedroom with a door as well as having more counter space and storage than our Lance did. I'm wondering if any 22RBE owners might want to give their opinion of their trailer. Are you happy with it? Have you had many problems with it and would you recommend this model to others?

Thanks for any feedback!

We have owned Lance trailers and appreciated the build quality and features, but two things the models we had lacked (1475 and 1985), were decent sized bathrooms and comfortable seating, which is why we now have a 22MLE. We looked at the RBE as well but the door to the bedroom was not important to us and just liked the more open feel of the 22MLE. While issues we have had have so far been minor and not required a return to the dealer, I would prefer this layout built by Lance, and would be willing to pay for it. The overall design, build quality and attention to detail in the Lance product is superior in my opinion. But no regrets so far with our MLE either, and sure you’ll be happy with the RBE and the overall Grand Design experience.

 

[rocketjam]

We have owned Lance trailers and appreciated the build quality and features, but two things the models we had lacked (1475 and 1985), were decent sized bathrooms and comfortable seating, which is why we now have a 22MLE. We looked at the RBE as well but the door to the bedroom was not important to us and just liked the more open feel of the 22MLE. While issues we have had have so far been minor and not required a return to the dealer, I would prefer this layout built by Lance, and would be willing to pay for it. The overall design, build quality and attention to detail in the Lance product is superior in my opinion. But no regrets so far with our MLE either, and sure you’ll be happy with the RBE and the overall Grand Design experience.

[MENTION=25083]Beam57[/MENTION]
We had a 1995, so very similar size-wise to your 1985. There really isn't a Lance of comparable size to the 22RBE or MLE. Maybe the 2075 but those have no slide out and also exceed our budget. Appreciate your comments.

 

[rocketjam]

[MENTION=21961]Cbsqrd[/MENTION]
Appreciate the comments. I really hope we get a bit luckier with whatever we get as far as the problems you've had.

 

[jjradtech]

We like ours. Bought it new May 2021. We had the AC replaced under warranty June 2022. Refrigerator quit working end of July, dealer repaired. We would like a outlet near the bathroom sink and
more light above the bathroom sink

 

[alias100]

We would like a outlet near the bathroom sink and
more light above the bathroom sink

Does yours not have a 120 volt AC outlet in the bottom of the cabinet above and to the right of the bathroom sink? You will never see it, have to know to look there.

 

[jjradtech]

Just looked,you are right. Would have never
thought to look there. It must be a really thin
outlet. Thanks, feel like a dummy now.

 

[alias100]

Would have never
thought to look there.

I think the designers were at a bar and played a game of, "Hide the Outlet". Whoever came up with that location was the winner!

 

[Happy Imagine Campers]

Greetings!
We've had the 22RBE since July 2020, putting more than 10,000 miles on it and visiting 19 states. We frequently take it on extended weekend trips of 4 to 5 days and have taken several long trips in it -- from Northern New England to Texas and to the Great Smoky Mountains. Since it was just the two of us, we thought having a kitchen that was friendly to food preparation and a comfortable bathroom were essential to our being happy with it and using it often. We have not been disappointed -- for us, it was the right choice. We have the theater seating instead of the dinette and found that, again for us, it is better than having a dinette (we'd rented a couple of similar sized trailers before deciding on the 22RBE that had the dinettes -- those were good for eating, but not at all comfortable for relaxing after either a day of traveling or a day of enjoying the area in which we camped). Often, in warmer weather, we had our meals outdoors, using either the campground provided table or our own chairs and table for meals. In addition, the larger refrigerator -- which can be kept cold using propane (with the addition of "Gas Stop" valves for safety) while underway -- also added greatly to the convenience and resulted in many fewer stops just for "supplies". In cooler weather or for an early morning breakfast, the heated seats are most welcome! We've had a couple of minor issues -- the handle on the bathroom gray water tank drain became stuck -- some vegetable oil down the drain, and a good tug with a vise grip just behind the handle, freed it up (putting a 1/4 cup of vegetable oil and several gallons of water in the gray tank before we hit the road provides the lubrication it apparently needs to prevent further "sticky issues"); the "hot" wire on the electrical outlet on the street side of the bedroom worked itself loose (it is wired using a friction fit, not a screw, terminal) -- it is just down-stream of the GFCI in the kitchen and made outlets in the bedroom, in the slide, on the outside of the slide, and in the pass through, not work (have replacing those outlets with outlets with screw terminals and installing plastic "old work" electrical boxes on the "to do" list). We also found that the lighting in the kitchen and bath needed "improvement" -- so we installed LED ribbon lights under the overhead cabinets and added two additional LED lights over the sink. The LED ribbon lights can change brightness and color -- it's nice to have softer lighting while relaxing in the evening and watching some TV. Adding additional lighting over the sink, as well as a larger sink, in the bathroom are on the "to do" list. We spent almost a week camping on Cape Cod last November with overnight temperatures in the 30's and found the heating system to work very well. The A/C also handled the 100-degree weather in Texas without any problem. Our 2020 Chevy Tahoe - 5.3 - easily handles the towing job using an eaz lift ReCurve 3 sway control. There are quite a few mentions of "build quality" on the site -- overall, it is pretty good. As this is our first travel trailer, really can't compare it experience with other trailers or brands -- but feel that the overall value provided is quite good.

Hope this helps Any specific questions, please feel free to reply.

Best of luck with your choice and safe travels.

Regards,
Fred

 

[mbishop62]

Hide the Outlet

I think the designers were at a bar and played a game of, "Hide the Outlet". Whoever came up with that location was the winner!

Being a single traveler, I have never closed the bathroom door. When I did the other day, the surprise of a hidden outlet game continued. I have to wonder the purpose of this outlet, in the living room. It can't be used when the door is in the open position. I have lived in mine full-time for a year and a half and didn't know!