Lance 1030 camper???

Thank You all so much for your input. I can't say for certain but I did have it optioned when purchased with camper/trailer package...what that included, heck if I can remember. I bought the truck originally to tow a sizable trailer/5th wheel but ended up with a Motorhome instead. We kept the truck all these year's only because it comes in handy around the house to do odd jobs and after a few year's, I just figured I couldn't get what I might want in a sale...so I kept it.

I have no issue with my brother using it for this purpose but of course built into this deal is my use of it when I don't feel like taking the Vogue(local trips, change of pace) plus it will be stored at my house so in all likelihood, I'll use it just as much as him. In my view, I'm losing nothing and gaining a use for what would be just a rotting low mileage truck. Win - Win for me!!!! :-) OH....it is a two wheel drive!

As for your question of exact overloading...I'm gonna say that the door sticker says gvwr of 10,500. My 4x4 club cab single rear wheel dodge diesel weighs 6500lbs.

You didn't say if yours was 4x4. Assuming 2wd, it probably weighs around the same as my srw truck. If 4x4, estimate for a Dana 60 (1000lbs???). So 7500-ish. Maybe you have weighed the truck??? So (and still assuming weights), you've got 3000lbs for camper, people, food, dogs, all that fun stuff.

Those are your numbers. They don't really work if my estimations are correct, but the truck will handle it fine.

Agree with the above three posts and glad to hear some people with the exact model, if not very similar could help on this. May be a future choice of camper for me as well.

We have a 2001 Lance 1030 on a 1996 dodge 2500. Our truck does have the factory upper load springs and rear sway bar that comes with the camper package. I weighed the camper at the local farm supply store. With a full tank of water but no food or other camping supplies it weighed around 3600 lbs. It does have a generator and A/C for extra weight. Mine is a aluminum siding model so may be lighter than the fiberglass ones.
On my 3/4 ton truck and LT265 Michelin tires I'm over the axle limit, way over the GVWR and pretty close to the limit of the tires when loaded up. I added upper stable loads and ride pretty level. I wish I had a dually and have been looking at them lately. Driving across Nebraska with a 40mph side wind was a handful.
With all of the being said a dually dodge would handle the load pretty well. Don't forget he may need to add the dually swing out brackets for the front jacks to the camper in order to get it on the truck.

I'm thinking he'll need the following to get the truck ready:

Torklift frame mounted tiedowns
Torklift fastguns to fasten the camper to the tiedowns
A lance camper receptacle mounted in the bed
Torklift stable loads, may not need these since you have air bags
Dually swing out brackets for front jacks on camper
Thick rubber bed mat
I lay a 2x4 across the front of the bed floor to keep the camper front hitting the back window of the truck.

Well, you might find that you need some suspension help once you get the camper loaded. It won't be an issue to run it as is to get the camper home, or even to take it on the first trip or two, but it may sag in the rear a bit more than you're comfortable with and/or might sway a little more than normal.

5000lbs is a lot for any dually, especially a late '90s dually.

See my signature for details. I have carried a Lance 1030 on a 3/4 ton single rear wheel for 10 years. I have Goodyear Wranglers and I am within the rated weight limit of those tires.

It is a fine camper, and DW likes the layout (unusual for campers to have a kitchen workspace other than the sink/stovetop). I did have a problem with dry rot in the skirts early on - see my thread from 2007 here in the TCU. Don't let that scare you away - all campers seem to have some sort of problem. Inspect it very carefully for dry rot (pull out screws and look for rust - indicates wet wood), and use that as a negotiating tactic on the price.

HTH!
-Eric

The 1030 on that truck will be fine.

My truck is a 1996 dually and my camper seems to be of similar size. Although, the above weight estimate seems high. That poster may know for sure if he's had one. I estimate mine at around 4000-4500lbs. Really should scale it, I know!

Truck only has airbags. But stock it came with overload springs. I'm a truck guy, so I wouldn't be okay with anyone but myself hauling anything with my truck. But that's solely up to you. Take a look at your truck and see if it has overload springs in the rear and a sway bar. I remember looking at a '96 12 valve that just happened to not come with the overload spring option. When I haul my camper with my dodge, which also doesn't have overload springs, there seems to be a notable difference. Like having to use 80psi in the bags versus only 35-45 psi in the bags on my dually. Not cool to me because when you go around a corner and the camper leans, all the pressure is going onto that bag with no spring there to help it a little.

The truck will handle the camper. But it will be able to be felt on there for sure.

If your truck has a rear away bar and overloads, it'll make things easier with a camper. If not, then it's doable, but I would really recommend adding a sway bar. Sounds like something that shouldn't even be mentioned. But as I said, my dodge didn't have either. And even though it's only a 2500, I also looked at a couple of one-ton 3500 trucks and I know one of them didn't have overloads for sure. That kind of steered me off because it didn't seem like the truck was ordered and optioned for heavy hauling. As I had to spend more money after I bought the truck to set things up and tow my boat, I wanted to get a one ton truck that already had the suspension stuff done, and if I felt I needed, then I could upgrade with a bigger sway bar or the torklift overload things later if I felt I needed them.

Throw some torklifts on that dually and tell him to go get it! Hopefully it will come with turnbuckles.

My opinion is Your truck and a 1030 will be fine.

I got that covered...it is a long bed. :) Thank you for taking the time to do that.