Finally.........our journey begins!
Finally! We have taken our first step on hopefully a wonderful truck camper journey. Thank you to everyone here for helping since we joined the site last summer. This forum was/is awesome!
After missing out on a two nice Lance 820’s in the last month we got/bought one today. It’s a 2001 that had been kept inside and hardly used. People got divorced shortly after buying it. It looked like it was in great shape, except for just lack of use. Everything works, no leaks, and no rust or rot in the wings. He is delivering it on Feb. 4, I will post some pics when we get it.
When we decided we wanted to take this journey, our goal was to try and purchase a truck and camper for less than 30,000. I’m happy to say, we accomplished our goal!
Now comes the scary/fun part, actually learning how to use it. We have never done this, so we are total newbies. We have leaned so much from all these great forums, (Lance, NATCOA, Open Roads) But still have much to learn.
Ok, now in need help on what we need to initially do when we get it home. These are the items it came with for reference.
-2 Batteries, (don’t know what size), one in battery compartment and one in generator compartment as spare
- Two 5 gallon propane tanks. They look brand new, but I’m sure need re-certified
- Happyjack tie down system. Would have to be taken off his truck and put on mine.
(I am buying at Torklift system with Fastguns on the cheap that will work with my truck, and think I will use that instead.)
- Cabover struts (Don’t know if I will use these or not yet)
- Some 4 wheel roller dollys that go under the jack stands that he made. He said it makes it easier to load on truck. You can get close and then move Camper a little to get perfect.
-I did notice that he had some kind of hookup inside his truck bed up by the driver’s side that he plugs into. I don’t have that on my truck. I figured the camper plug would plug into the back truck connector? Probably something to do with a special Lance cord I’m guessing.
We will be just setting it in our driveway initially when we get it home. Here are our initial plans:
- Clean it up inside and out, mostly just dust.
- Get our new truck ready to haul the camper. (Tie downs, Airbags, etc.)
- Check propane tanks and get them re-certified and filled.
- Check into buying an ADCO cover for it.
Now, what else should we be looking at or doing to it?
It will probably be a couple months before we are actually going to be able to use it, and we will be going to a place a few minutes from home on our first trip in case we forget something.
We are so excited, thanks again for all the help and help to come in the future!
After missing out on a two nice Lance 820’s in the last month we got/bought one today. It’s a 2001 that had been kept inside and hardly used. People got divorced shortly after buying it. It looked like it was in great shape, except for just lack of use. Everything works, no leaks, and no rust or rot in the wings. He is delivering it on Feb. 4, I will post some pics when we get it.
When we decided we wanted to take this journey, our goal was to try and purchase a truck and camper for less than 30,000. I’m happy to say, we accomplished our goal!
Now comes the scary/fun part, actually learning how to use it. We have never done this, so we are total newbies. We have leaned so much from all these great forums, (Lance, NATCOA, Open Roads) But still have much to learn.
Ok, now in need help on what we need to initially do when we get it home. These are the items it came with for reference.
-2 Batteries, (don’t know what size), one in battery compartment and one in generator compartment as spare
- Two 5 gallon propane tanks. They look brand new, but I’m sure need re-certified
- Happyjack tie down system. Would have to be taken off his truck and put on mine.
(I am buying at Torklift system with Fastguns on the cheap that will work with my truck, and think I will use that instead.)
- Cabover struts (Don’t know if I will use these or not yet)
- Some 4 wheel roller dollys that go under the jack stands that he made. He said it makes it easier to load on truck. You can get close and then move Camper a little to get perfect.
-I did notice that he had some kind of hookup inside his truck bed up by the driver’s side that he plugs into. I don’t have that on my truck. I figured the camper plug would plug into the back truck connector? Probably something to do with a special Lance cord I’m guessing.
We will be just setting it in our driveway initially when we get it home. Here are our initial plans:
- Clean it up inside and out, mostly just dust.
- Get our new truck ready to haul the camper. (Tie downs, Airbags, etc.)
- Check propane tanks and get them re-certified and filled.
- Check into buying an ADCO cover for it.
Now, what else should we be looking at or doing to it?
It will probably be a couple months before we are actually going to be able to use it, and we will be going to a place a few minutes from home on our first trip in case we forget something.
We are so excited, thanks again for all the help and help to come in the future!
