Background: I currently have a 2001 Lance 820 and a 2007 megacab dually. We recently had our first child so now the size of the camper is being called into question. So it has me daydreaming about building my own so it better suits our needs (towing my flatbed +jeep, fitting 3 humans and a dog). I'd pilfer the 820 for all the wiring and parts and all.So a few questions for those in the know:-If you have a basement model, how tall is the basement?-If I wanted to make a slideout, what would I use for the slide mechanism?-What is used for insulation?I won't be camping in sub zero temps, I'm in Texas afterall. I also had planned on using 1" HREW tubing for the minimal main structure then using aluminum to fill in the structural gaps to keep weight down.Ideal goals would be to use a smaller freshwater tank since we rarely boondock, have a designated storage area for the Honda generators, easier ingress/egress for the wife, maximize usable hang out space inside and have reasonable storage.Right now I'm playing with layouts to even see if this if feasible for me to meet the goals or if I'd be better off fixing up and "remodeling" the 820.

Look up U Tube video on RV home made units. I remember seeing some a few years back.

Find a Lance 881 MAX...Problem solved and more time with the kid. We are 4 plus a 100lbs dog. (wife,me, 10 and 8 year old boys.)Untitled by MooringProduct, on Flickr

mooring product wrote:Find a Lance 881 MAX...Problem solved and more time with the kid. We are 4 plus a 100lbs dog. (wife,me, 10 and 8 year old boys.)Untitled by MooringProduct, on FlickrIf I win the lottery, I'd be all over that in a heartbeat.I'm also investigating a flatbed for the dually. That would certainly open up the floor enough to not need a slide and would simplify things a lot.

You might try looking at the floor plan of the Lance 830 or better yet the 1040. It is very similar to the $250K Earthroamer layout. I have had the standard camper layout before. And when I saw the floor plan and extra room of the Lance 1040 I was hooked. You owe it to yourself to take a look at the 1040 and change the little things to fit your needs. Let me say this about building your own. I priced out all of the material and equipment needed to go into a similar homemade model. I came up with $25K No labor. That is why I paid $24K for a factory built Lance. Now I just have to maintain it to keep it in good shape.

Capt Eddie wrote:You might try looking at the floor plan of the Lance 830 or better yet the 1040. It is very similar to the $250K Earthroamer layout. I have had the standard camper layout before. And when I saw the floor plan and extra room of the Lance 1040 I was hooked. You owe it to yourself to take a look at the 1040 and change the little things to fit your needs. Let me say this about building your own. I priced out all of the material and equipment needed to go into a similar homemade model. I came up with $25K No labor. That is why I paid $24K for a factory built Lance. Now I just have to maintain it to keep it in good shape. This is quite right. Although my TC was just a gut/rebuild (practically a build from scratch) I still invested over 10,000 , not including labor. considering we put in an entire year of work... I would guesstimate our time to be worth another 20 grand. It was more work than I could haver ever imagined.

Design stages of building my own camper | Good Sam Community

20 Replies

Jfet
Explorer
Oct 31, 2014
You won't really save money building your own camper but you will be able to do things the way you want them done. If there is something you just can't stand about typical campers, do it your way.

This is the great benefit of building it yourself. You need a lot of time. You need a lot of time. That wasn't a mistake, it just needs to be said twice.
GoinThisAway
Explorer
Oct 31, 2014
The basement in my camper is about 10" high inside.
rooney77
Explorer
Oct 31, 2014
So does anybody have any measurements on the height of their basement?
rooney77
Explorer
Oct 31, 2014
805gregg wrote:
Get rid of the mega cab. get a quad cab and long bed, problem solved

Why would I get rid of a truck that's paid off and in absolutely every other regard does exactly what I need plus some? The truck isn't the problem...at all. Not to mention that's probably the worst financial decision I could make.

Simply having a longer bed isn't going to solve the problem. Width is the problem. That's why the majority of slides are on the sides and not the back. A narrow hallway is still a hallway no matter how long you make it.
805gregg
Explorer
Oct 30, 2014
Get rid of the mega cab. get a quad cab and long bed, problem solved
Wagonqueen_Truc
Explorer
Oct 30, 2014
Capt Eddie wrote:
You might try looking at the floor plan of the Lance 830 or better yet the 1040. It is very similar to the $250K Earthroamer layout. I have had the standard camper layout before. And when I saw the floor plan and extra room of the Lance 1040 I was hooked. You owe it to yourself to take a look at the 1040 and change the little things to fit your needs. Let me say this about building your own. I priced out all of the material and equipment needed to go into a similar homemade model. I came up with $25K No labor. That is why I paid $24K for a factory built Lance. Now I just have to maintain it to keep it in good shape.

This is quite right. Although my TC was just a gut/rebuild (practically a build from scratch) I still invested over 10,000 , not including labor. considering we put in an entire year of work... I would guesstimate our time to be worth another 20 grand. It was more work than I could haver ever imagined.
Capt_Eddie
Explorer
Oct 30, 2014
You might try looking at the floor plan of the Lance 830 or better yet the 1040. It is very similar to the $250K Earthroamer layout. I have had the standard camper layout before. And when I saw the floor plan and extra room of the Lance 1040 I was hooked. You owe it to yourself to take a look at the 1040 and change the little things to fit your needs. Let me say this about building your own. I priced out all of the material and equipment needed to go into a similar homemade model. I came up with $25K No labor. That is why I paid $24K for a factory built Lance. Now I just have to maintain it to keep it in good shape.
rooney77
Explorer
Oct 30, 2014
mooring product wrote:
Find a Lance 881 MAX...Problem solved and more time with the kid.

We are 4 plus a 100lbs dog. (wife,me, 10 and 8 year old boys.)

Untitled by MooringProduct, on Flickr

If I win the lottery, I'd be all over that in a heartbeat.

I'm also investigating a flatbed for the dually. That would certainly open up the floor enough to not need a slide and would simplify things a lot.
mooring_product
Explorer
Oct 30, 2014
Find a Lance 881 MAX...Problem solved and more time with the kid.

We are 4 plus a 100lbs dog. (wife,me, 10 and 8 year old boys.)

Untitled by MooringProduct, on Flickr
mpfireman
Explorer
Oct 30, 2014
Look up U Tube video on RV home made units. I remember seeing some a few years back.

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Design stages of building my own camper

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