late 90's lance legend 500 9'10"

BradW wrote:
We bought our Lance Legend 500 new in 1996 and still have it.

I agree with most of what okan-star said. I would add that the charger/converter (mag tek) which came with the camper was junk and will likely need replacement if it hasn't already been replaced. Check for "wing rot". Our camper is a tight fit in a new Ford and needs a 3" lift to clear the cab.

Our 500 is going on 19 years old and we have been very happy with it.

Brad

I totaly agree with the converter change , the magtec will fry the battery
When I was looking for another camper I chose the 500 already having a plan and a long list of things I was going to do to it to suit me better
I wanted a camper to tow with , and that I could get a 6 ft 2 dr refer in, that was cost effective
Ive had way more expensive campers that did this , that I bought and dumped thousands of dollars into , this time I learned that lesson
I love working on campers as much as using them , I think I may have a problem
I gutted the magtec and put a progressive dynamics converter and a xantrex inverter in the cab under the dinette that backs up against the old gen compartment

Built a slide for 2 grp 29 batterys , and a platform for the honda , theres a cord that I pull thru the dr to plug in the gen, also put flip down steps that work for towing

Also added wireless jack control from gama and replaced the switch covers on the jacks with blank ones

Here is photos of the one I sold off last spring.

The bathroom is badly designed in them, and the dated TV cabinet takes up lots of space.

We bought our Lance Legend 500 new in 1996 and still have it.

I agree with most of what okan-star said. I would add that the charger/converter (mag tek) which came with the camper was junk and will likely need replacement if it hasn't already been replaced. Check for "wing rot". Our camper is a tight fit in a new Ford and needs a 3" lift to clear the cab.

Our 500 is going on 19 years old and we have been very happy with it.

Brad

You guys are top notch!!! Exactly what I was looking for, thank you Mark :)

I bought a 97 500 last year , looked at about 5 500`s before I bought this one
Typical probs for that age = wing rot
Sag or and rot at front tye down points
Saggy cabover (seems like on the 500 on the refer side more than others , may be why lance swiched the ref and water heater locations on the 1010 thats very simalar to the 500, more support)
Check for soft floor just inside the dr. or you may see a bubbling of the osb subfloor if it got wet much ,cause can be shower leak or at toilet or gen compartment taking in water , both will get under the lino there, look inside the dump valve compartment
That old ,the putty on the windows drys out and the if not caulked well will leak
Check for cracks that leak on the over bed vent escape hatch
See if the propane cylinders are stock , may need to be recertified or have the o rings replaced
Those are some of the things I saw
Most of them can be fixed if your handy , aside from to much rot
I found a clean inside camper that needed reseal on the outside , wings fixed and a few other things for 5000.00 , I sold the onan gen for 700.00 and use a honda
The things I needed to change where , only one battery , moved 2 to the gen compartment
And Im 6`1" and the bath was hard to stand in so I put a skylight in and a van air vent
I think the 500 is a great layout in a non slide camper and the up grades that come with the 500 legend over the 5000 squire are a plus
This is my 6th camper ,3 were new , this is the cheapest one yet and I love it
If you need info on them
http://www.lancecamper.com/support.php

I bought a 1994 about a year ago... Nothing wrong with it at all... Just check for water leaks and make sure the fridge works... I had a bad control board I had to have fixed...

Mike C.

Look into the stickies at the front of the Truck Camper forum and read through them.

There is so much there about Lances, you will become an educated buyer by learning about the many repairs that have been made.

http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac280/billyray50/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-02/0D5B61DF-8F3F-4E5E-9F29-0629323D27C6_zpstoggvlvi.jpgI just purchased a 1998 Lance 990 legend a couple of weeks ago and have been getting camper ready. Look for obvious water intrusion and stains. Soft spots on roof and inside camper floor, windows, ceiling, inside cupboards and closets. Check the jack brackets for any looseness or stripped bolts. Check out every system to make sure it is in working order. If you are going to look at a camper ask owner or dealer to plug it in or turn on propane the night before and have them turn on the fridge so you can check it.