Truck Camper - Newbie Needs Advice
Hello all-- Long time camper in pull trailers, 5th wheel, Class C and Class A. I did own a small overhead camper 30 years ago when I traveled Baja twice to Cabo and back. Used for those two trips...
Forum Discussion
I had a Lance 845 on my 2500 pickup that from the factroy had a payload rating of 2800 lbs as it was equipped. With the camper and gear the total load on the rear axle was 3700 lbs which required some easy modifications. I replaced the factory tires with ones rated at 3750 lbs and added SuperSprings and replaced the factory shocks with Rancho adjustable shocks and the result was a well controlled ride.
The payload rating is calculated at the factory on how the truck is configured when it leaves and the limiting factor is the wheels and tires and leaf springs on the truck. When looking for a new truck I found many 3500 pickups with a lower payload rating than the 2500 that I bought and the difference was with the tires and wheels. The 3500 has a second set of leaf springs and the SuperSprings worked equally well.
But my GM truck was the one with the new fully boxed frame that was introduced in 2011. Ram did the same in 2013-2014 and Ford did this with its "super duty" trucks starting in 2016. A slide-in camper puts a lot more stress on the frame and it is easy to find pictures of pickups with frames broken just to the rear of the cab. And DRW put a much higher strain on the frame with the added leverage of the tires being further out from the frame.
Of the new Lance models I would be going with the 855 model which with a full tank of water is going to be at 2900 lbs before adding anything else.
Be aware that when RV makers specify that a given model sleeps X number of people that some of those people need to be shorter than 5'6" in height. Measure the extra beds, as with the dinette that converts to get real measurements.
The Lance owners website is the best place for information on the different new and used models and what modifications can be done to them. For example I added a rack to hold two 100W solar panels and added holder for a second battery underneath the camper. My 845 had a compartment for a generator but I prefered to use the compartment for items I did not want to take inside the camper, like firewood and tools.
The payload rating is calculated at the factory on how the truck is configured when it leaves and the limiting factor is the wheels and tires and leaf springs on the truck. When looking for a new truck I found many 3500 pickups with a lower payload rating than the 2500 that I bought and the difference was with the tires and wheels. The 3500 has a second set of leaf springs and the SuperSprings worked equally well.
But my GM truck was the one with the new fully boxed frame that was introduced in 2011. Ram did the same in 2013-2014 and Ford did this with its "super duty" trucks starting in 2016. A slide-in camper puts a lot more stress on the frame and it is easy to find pictures of pickups with frames broken just to the rear of the cab. And DRW put a much higher strain on the frame with the added leverage of the tires being further out from the frame.
Of the new Lance models I would be going with the 855 model which with a full tank of water is going to be at 2900 lbs before adding anything else.
Be aware that when RV makers specify that a given model sleeps X number of people that some of those people need to be shorter than 5'6" in height. Measure the extra beds, as with the dinette that converts to get real measurements.
The Lance owners website is the best place for information on the different new and used models and what modifications can be done to them. For example I added a rack to hold two 100W solar panels and added holder for a second battery underneath the camper. My 845 had a compartment for a generator but I prefered to use the compartment for items I did not want to take inside the camper, like firewood and tools.
