Help Please- Will TC fit in my truck?

[JoshL]

Looking at buying a 1998 Lance Squire Lite 185. It's and awesome deal but it's three states away and I don't know if it will fit in my truck.

I understand the 185 was made for long beds and my 2007 Chevy 2500HD Diesel is a short box crew cab. Will it still fit and will it be safe? This will be my first camper ever so I'm pretty clueless.

What confuses me is the length is only 7" different from the short bed models.

Thanks for your help in advance.

[JoshL]

I know it's waaaay late (3 years) but I didn't get the camper I was asking about. Was looking to by it from a friend and he changed his mind about selling it to me.

Said he didn't like the look of those campers in short bed trucks. And since mine was a short bed he didn't want to sell it to me. LOL true story!

Anyway I'm back in hunt for a new camper.

[burningman]

1988 was the year the truck campers were all changed to fit the narrower new 60" wide tailgates. The old "classic" truck beds all had 65" wide tailgates.

I still can't even imagine why they did that... EVERYTHING else about new pickups is bigger. Not smaller.

[billtex]

Help Please- Will TC fit in my truck?

Yes.

[mkirsch]

JoshL wrote:

hedgehopper wrote:
Why don't you contact the Lance factory and ask them?

They said, "Thank you for contacting Lance. That camper was designed to fit a long bed pick-up truck. Thus it will not fit on a short bed."

That's why I didn't bother asking them first.

Thanks for all the info guys!!

That's just CYA. I don't know why they care on a 20-year-old camper, but I guess if you documented the conversation properly, you could use it against them if something went wrong. It wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility for someone to set up a scam like that. Cheap old camper, cheap old shortbed truck, fabricate an incident, cry "whiplash!" and call the personal injury attorney.

[tuna_fisher]

I have a 2001 SB CC GMC with a 185s and the wings are finished. The s stands for short in the 185s. Might want to check if it's a 185 or a 185s.Hope this helps.

[JoshL]

hedgehopper wrote:
Why don't you contact the Lance factory and ask them?

They said, "Thank you for contacting Lance. That camper was designed to fit a long bed pick-up truck. Thus it will not fit on a short bed."

That's why I didn't bother asking them first.

Thanks for all the info guys!!

[tonymull]

Be prepared to put some wood under the camper so you have clearance on the side rails, tailgate opening and cab. Usually some plywood or 2.4's will work. Most newer trucks need that. Ask the seller to make some measurements for you so you can arrive with what you need.

[mkirsch]

If the 185 and 186 are indeed identical aside from the rear "saddle bags" then structurally it should not be an issue with the extra camper hanging out the back.

Your main concern will be with WIDTH, and cabover height. Truck boxes in 1998 were designed differently from now. The tailgate opening was slightly bigger, and squared off in the corners. Modern trucks have taller bedsides, narrower tailgate openings, and rounded corners.

If your 2007 is a "classic" it has a better chance of fitting, but if it's the 2007-2014 body style, it may not.

[tonymull]

You should be OK. Center of Gravity might be a concern. You might need some suspension help. Check out torklift. For tie downs too. When you pack the camper put as much weight forward as you can. That will help with COG..and filling the fresh water tank can help as it is usually right at the front of the truck bed. Oh and make sure your tires are inflated to their max. Helps the ride immensely. For bringing it home just inflate the tires and have tie downs installed, you can monkey with the suspension later. I carried a similar camper on a Tundra for a summer. I had airbags. Worked OK. I left my tailgate on but most folks take them off.

[Old-Biscuit]

The Lance Squire Lite 186 is designed for short beds and the 185 was designed for standard beds.

Both have same 8'6" floor length......difference being that the 186 model have 'finished' sides on portion that extends past end of truck bed.

The 185 model doesn't have those finished wings as all of the camper was designed to be inside the truck bed

Will I 185 fit in your short bed truck---------YES
But part of the camper will stick out past the end of your truck bed and will be 'unfinished'


1998 Lance Camper Brochure

[hedgehopper]

Why don't you contact the Lance factory and ask them?