Narrowing it down...

[ruthiebaby88]

So here are some campers I am trying to choose between - would love to hear any thoughts you have. My use will be boondocking in Idaho (or on occasional trips across USA) with 7 months summer, 5 months winter, probably 30 nights a year.

1. (5,000$) 2002 Lance 815 - My current fav! Wet wt only 1875# which will make finding a suitable truck much easier. The price is right and although it does look used inside, the only structural concern I have is the owner said they were afraid that the roof might develop a leak because they saw a pool of water on it and they were planning on getting everything resealed in spring.
The curtains in front of the pass through window had water marks as though water had seeped up from below - I did not see any water damage around the window though. Owner states window does not leak, thinks it may have been steam from when she was canning in there.
I will call a mobile RV mechanic and plan to ask for a prepurchase inspection.

2. (6,995$) 2000 Lance 880 - wet weight (2450#) 2 concerns -
A. panel under camper bathroom pulling away (underneath camper) - shined flash light inside but could not see what was going on in there - rodents? dry rot? or does the panel just need to be refasteded?
B. front pass through window - the 2 outer sections bow out - owner states they came that way and it just has rounded windows - however I have not noted this in any of the other Lance campers and they did not feel evenly round but a little wavy.

3. (13,000$) 2006 Northern Lite - Missoula (7hr drive) - Owner states this had some leaking around a window, but was professionally repaired.

[wintersun]

I would go with the Lance 1010 which was an excellent design. I would question how much you will actually use the shower in a camper. We never use ours and prefer the campground showers or go without. Even friends with 5th wheel trailers prefer to use the campground showers.

I would focus on the capacity of the holding tanks, the size of the fridge, cabinet space for holding food and cooking items, space for clothes and personal gear, space for a second battery, and similar functional aspects of the campers you are considering.

I would not bother with a dually as they are only good if you have a 4500 lb. load and don't mind the crappy turning radius and extra 2 feet of width and parking problems, problems with using tire chains, cost for two more tires. Under 4,000 lbs. and a SRW can handle the load with the right tires and over 4,000 lbs. you still have the option of 19.5 rims and tires.

The Lance 1010 has a published dry weight of 2690 lbs. which means the one you may be buying probably weighs around 3,000 lbs. and with gear will have a weight of 3500 lbs. which your truck can handle with some mods.

My Lance 845 when ready for a trip has a total weight of 3400 lbs. and my 3/4 ton truck handles it with ease. I did add Supersprings and I did replace the factory tires rated 3195@80 PSI with Nitto tires rated at 3750@80PSI to have more than enough load capacity.

With almost any truck you will need to budget for tie-downs and turnbuckles and additions for the factory leaf packs and shocks and higher load rated tires. Often a rear anti-sway bar is needed, particularly with the Ford trucks.

CAT scales are invaluable and well worth the $10 cost to have your truck weighed before you add the camper and with the camper loaded in the bed and with the camper loaded with gear and provisions for a trip. Then you know exactly what the load capacity should be.

[DieselBurps]

I would look for an older ram dually with Cummins and stick shift. If you look hard and in the right places (try KSL out of Utah) you can find one in your budget that will hold the camper you are looking at. I have seen Northern lites go for under 15k, some 10k on the older ones. Problems solved. I used to live in Idaho City BTW. Nice area, Boise is great too.

[jimh406]

Go for a cheaper truck and better/more solid camper. I'd go Northern Lite. You can trade the truck in the future. Besides, you might be able to get them to lower the price on the Northern Lite.

[ruthiebaby88]

Kohldad - I didn't mention the 915 because I didn't find one in my area. I do see a 1991 that says it is 9'6" long, could not find a brochure on it though and they did not list the model number - the Lance website only goes back to 1993. It also has a Stable Lift which it seems to me would decrease ground clearance.

Phyllis, Thanks for mentioning that I was feeling guilty for making so many posts, but it never occurred to me to edit my previous posts and put all of my questions in one. I am starting from 0 knowledge and trying to buy in a few days so lots of questions! Luckily I won't be flooding the system for long. My line of thought was that it was better to write shorter posts, at least at work it seems it's usually better not to list more than 1 question per email. That may be a more harried environment though, perhaps forums are different. I have really appreciated everyone's help and don't want to hog.

[Reddog1]

Personally, I would look at long term repairs and overall durability. I would go with the Northern lite if I could afford it. Never a need to replace, repair or could the roof other than vents. It can only leak through the vents and/or windows. Should you ever damage the molded fiberglass, back into something or maybe hit a limb, just about any boat repair shop or auto body can easily repair it. It will be insulated as good as any other TC I am aware of. I looked for years before I could find a molded fiberglass. I have had my 1988 since 2004, and have no regrets.

Wayne

[bighatnohorse]

No. The rubber roof does not have to be replaced after 12 years.
That was the factory guarantee.

[bobndot]

Double check where the lance 1010 would sit in the trucks bed. If I remember correctly the lance 1010 model has a COG that's behind the rear axle and it effected the handling.
I can remember reading some posts regarding this issue where one of the lance models was not the popular choice and the 1010 comes to mind.
People really noticed the difference once they switched campers on the same truck.

[GoinThisAway]

You may have heard this from someone else but rather than starting a dozen threads in a short period of time, it would be more polite to run a general "looking to buy & outfit a TC, many questions" thread and just add your new questions to this. Running many threads at once is like hogging the conversation as it pushes other folks' recent post to the back pages. And it can have the opposite effect from what you desire as folks will see that you're flooding the forum and ignore your posts. One of those people may be just the person you needed to reach to answer a question.

That said, welcome to the TC forum and I wish you luck in your search. From the one thread I did read, I think a TC will suit you fairly well. The friends will have to be very comfortable with you to travel together in a TC though :C

Phyllis

[kohldad]

If you have the truck to carry around 3,500-4,000# I would go with the Lance 1010. Should have aluminum roof which will hold up well to limb scraps, has a decent size wet bath.

Second option would be the Northern Lite as it has better insulation, lighter and almost no overhang which is much better for exploring forest roads. Biggest problem I have with the model is the small bathroom.

Just never been impressed with the Eagle Caps for the weight and price.

Not sure why you didn't list it, but did you consider the Lance 915? Has the same bathroom as the 1010, almost as much as the 1010, without the overhang. Plus it should be several thousand less.