Lance and 2015 GM 2500HD

I added the 1" pink foam board between the bed and the mat before loading on my Lance 845 and it turned out that it was not needed. I left it in as it adds some insulation at the bottom of the camper where otherwise there is none.

The newer campers built after the change in the siderail height by the truck manufacturers allow for this change.

The extra height above the sides of the truck does make it easier to reach into the area where I feed the coax cable at RV parks. My 2008 model does not have the external coax connector (or a number of items that are shown on the 2008 Lance brochure for this camper).

If I remember tomorrow, I will stop by a Chevy dealer and take a measurement of the height of the bed rails on the 2015 HD. I test drove one last week. All I can say is WOW, it's a nice truck.

That radius is what kept me from being able to get a Bigfoot or Northern Light camper. The fiberglass mold gets wider after the wheel wells and the camper would have to sit on at least a 4" platform to clear the radius. Or take a sawzall and cut the radius out of the box....not going to happen on a new truck under warranty.

The radius does not affect my Lance -- the 48" width is less than the space between the wheel wells. The only issue might be the radius interfering with holding tanks if the tanks 'filled' the bay behind the wells. But, in my case at least, I raised it an inch and a half anyway, so it's a non-issue. Looking at the bed and tanks in place, it appears to clear even without the radius issue -- but every camper may be different far as the tanks clearance.

What I'm referring to is the radius that GM added at the the bottom of the bed. If your looking toward the cab you can see it's not square at the bottom. I checked out the 2015 models and they have not changed anything there.

AidenJ wrote:
Did the tail gate opening affect your loading the lance. I don't think my Northern Lite will not fit without being raised.

Not sure what you're asking here -- we have to remove the tailgate to mount the Lance. Ask your question a little different way... :)

I see you have a gm - not exactly sure about the regular cab, and it's height from grade. Nor about the fit of older model parts -- my head-up is more so you all will take a real good look and not damage something -- the fit is very close so it sometimes appears it might fit until you put all the weight in place.

Did the tail gate opening affect your loading the lance. I don't think my Northern Lite will not fit without being raised.

rtz549 wrote:
If you run a tape measure from the floor of the bed to the top of the bed rail; what's it read?

Of course, I measured it before I did it ... bed is 21 1/4" deep, Lance sidewall is 20 1/2" ... that means it needs the rubber mat - so when I measured it, still leaves - technically - 3/8' too deep.

I lowered it onto the bed mat, and it seems more like 3/4" -- but could be the "hanging off the jacks' and could be a slight taper between the edge wall and the interior sidewall - who knows how perfect these get assembled.

SO, when I add the 5/4 decking, it looks like it gives about 3/4" to an inch. In any event, the camper needs lifting -- and I'd not leave it laying right on the bed rail anyway ... even if it matched exactly.

Main thing here -- look at your camper before you drop it into the bed, and watch it how it lands. Not sure how much clearance other campers need, as I only have the Lance 845 ... it's a 2008. Not sure if newer models are different. Know one thing, I'd not want the side wings hanging 3000+ lbs on the bed rails ...

Lots of other little issues add up to a bit of modification if you transition from a older truck to a new truck and want to use the tie-downs and other components. We makes numerous mods to the set-up off my 2003 GMC -- but it works and we didn't need to buy all new stuff - we did fabricate a rear tie-down tho. BTW: The step-rails "almost" fit from a 2003 to a 2105 GM, we just elongated the bolt holes and it matched right up.

kohldad wrote:

Cab clearance 1 1/2"
bed rails 1/2" per Lance

Believe he was referring to the clearance Lance wants between the camper and the truck to allow for movement.

Thanks for the information as I've been considering the Chevrolet for my next truck which I hope to buy this year.

What do you use for Tie-downs? Some of the parts off my '03 GMC fit, some don't. And the new bumper has plastic components, so use care when you try to transfer over the old brackets etc ... not a huge deal, but it takes some modifying to make it work. Depend on which model GM you buy. We bought the 2015 4x4 2500HD Double Cab -- so, that's a bit different even than the 2014 and earlier.

Cab clearance 1 1/2"
bed rails 1/2" per Lance

Believe he was referring to the clearance Lance wants between the camper and the truck to allow for movement.

Thanks for the information as I've been considering the Chevrolet for my next truck which I hope to buy this year.