Newbie considering used Lance 1181 purchace

[finsruskw]

Hello! My wife and I are considering the purchase of a used '07 Lance 1181 and are wondering if there are any problems we should be asking about and looking for that may be inherent with this model.

I may add that we have never owned a TC before. I am a retired long haul trucker (flatbed & stepdeck) and have a new Ram 3500 Cummins dually to mount this unit on.

We are looking forward to hitting the road and seeing some of the places and things I could never get to with a class 8 big rig. I will also from time to time tow a small trailer w/vintage Cub Cadet garden tractors on to shows and plowing events.

Looking forward to some input from some input from experienced Lance owners.

Thank You!!

[hhornig]

We loved our Lance and pulled a fishing boat everywhere. I still have the custom made jack stands I used to leave the camper at the campground so I could use the truck. Putting it back on if the campsite was not level was a chore at times.

The main reason we sold it was as we were getting older the seating in the dinette area became more and more uncomfortable. If I had a comfortable chair I would still have a Lance.

[finsruskw]

I pulled up the '07 Brochure last nite and studied it. They are praising their "lance Lock" system in it so I am assuming that then switch from OSB to aluminum occurred either in '07 or prior.

I have posed these ??'s to lance on their web site contact and provided them the ser# and requested a copy of the "build out sheet". This was on 7/13 and still have rec'd no answer. I would think they could provide this info easily.

The very 1st TC (1st ever) we looked at last week was a drop dead gorgeous '08 915 that had only been used about 3 times, original owner, always stored in side and the gen-set only had .4 hours on it. We both fell in love w/it except for the wet bath. I'm glad we continued our search but really felt bad about passing on the 915 since the older couple really wanted to sell and offered to buy and install the swing out front legs so our dually could back under it. He did not realize this as he had a single wheel Bow-Tie 3500 and I did not either till we broke out the tape measure!

Much easier to turn your back on a salesman than someone you have taken a liking to. My wife and his hit it off right away as they are both sewing folks and I used to haul out of a place where he worked back in the 60's

Dave

[rshrimp]

That empty weight sounds the same as mine. I am using round numbers from memory.
One more thing you will want to add is a Helwig Big Wig rear sway bar. I did this to mine and it made a huge improvement in control.

Wood to Alum .... what you said sounds about right.

IMHO when you add a rear slide (1172) you will be overweight on the rear axle. Also, the early 1172's had big problems to the point where Lance bought some of them back! Research .....Then RUN!!!!!

[The_Mad_Norsky]

finsruskw wrote:
This guy has the '07 1181 that is stamped 4540 lbs w/1 slide and a '13 1172 w/2 slides that is stamped 4144 lbs??? Would the aluminum framework on the '13 account for the lighter weight assuming the '07 has OSB framing??
Dealer says the witch from OSB to aluminum occurred around the '07-'08 timeframe.

We've been checking on getting an 1172 ourselves. Believe you've got it right on the aluminum framing. They're also using Azdel to replace the wood items, and it is a lot lighter weight.

[davidaf]

I've had my 1181 for about 10 years. Been good so far. I've only ran into a few isssues. First the calk around the sky light and the cap on the roof. Resealed and all is well again. Second had the shower drain connection cracked but that was an easy fix. Check the basement on the passenger side for signs of water. Third the microwave came loose. Again easy fix. Finally delam on the cap. This is the biggest issue but I doubt it's due to water. It is stored covered but facing the sun. I suspect it's heat related with the same opinion from dealer, Galaxy Camper and not worth my dime to try and fix. If every other RV I purchase has so few issues I'll be more than happy.

For those same 10 years I've been trying to figure out how to shave 500lbs to get it down to 4500lb. I don't think it can be done. Dry with 1 full propane tank full I'm still at 5k. This is one heavy camper.

[finsruskw]

Thanks rshrimp! My 3500 is right at 8300 full of fuel and w/the tailgate in place. The GVWR is 14,000. I figure the addition of a set of lorklifts will more than offset the tailgate weight once it is removed.

This guy has the '07 1181 that is stamped 4540 lbs w/1 slide and a '13 1172 w/2 slides that is stamped 4144 lbs??? Would the aluminum framework on the '13 account for the lighter weight assuming the '07 has OSB framing??
Dealer says the witch from OSB to aluminum occurred around the '07-'08 timeframe.

[rshrimp]

Sold it for a triple slide Chalet.Very nice camper but very heavy! I have a 5500 on order. The 1181 will fully load a 3500. I had a 12 Ram 4x4 and it scaled at 4500 from and 8500 rear. That was fully loaded for travel. The truck empty was 4500 front and 3500 rear. The rear end in newer 3500's is rated at 10K so with minor rear suspension mods you should OK with the 1181. Notice that it sits pretty much entirely on the rear axle. Performance wise, the truck barely knows it's on there. I can easily accelerate up a 7% grade and the exhaust brake is awesome. Handling wise, you are going to know you have a load. It's fine, but you will know it's on there. You just need to drive smooth enough not to empty the cabinets and you will be fine.(Of course, if you do that more than once your wife will beat you with a stick! Ask me how I know this!) I typically drove it 68-70 but have run 80 when I just wanted to get home. The truck is great but fuel mileage will plunge over about 68.

[h45wt]

FYI: I believe the "wings" are the horizontal surface over the truck bed rails while the "skirt" is the vertical surface that is at the rear of the camper on both left and right.

[finsruskw]

Thanks, Folks! This is just the kind of info I needed to hear. Why did you sell such a nice newer unit as your 2010?

Am looking forward to a load on my Ram to see how it will handle.
What was your gross weight w/the 1181 on board & loaded for travel?

[rshrimp]

I just sold my 2010 1181. Great camper. It has, hands down, more outside storage than any other camper made. Lance makes more truck campers that all the other makers combined so they have a good dealer network if you need service or support. (I don't need dealer as I do it all myself but ...)
I carried it on 2012 3500 Ram. I used torklift tiedowns. I tried several rear suspension mods and ended up with nothing more than a set of supersprings added to the rear. It rides perfect with the camper on but a bit harsh empty. If you need a great ride both loaded and empty you will need to go to a Kelderman air ride setup for the rear. (True air ride not just bags between axle and frame) Loved the 1181 .... many miles of smiles!

[palmwhit]

Since we've had our Lance since it was new, I can't add anything to what the others have on a good overall visual inspection for evidence of leaks, mold or mildew. But I would functionally test everything! Each and every light, outlet, faucets, hot water (both gas & electric if it is a dual source), dump valves, refer (all pwr. sources), furnace, AC, manual & electric slide, jacks each and every item on all systems.
Inquire as to where and how the unit was kept when not in use, i.e. outside uncovered in the snow=nfg! Covered, better, under any kind of roof better yet, garage best especially if kept above freezing and unit plugged in. How is was kept when not in use will tell you a lot!
Once you've done that I'd make an offer contingent on a inspection or survey! Make your deal with a deposit with a limited time for this to be completed, say 10days. Have someone lined for this in advance.
I would have someone experienced with RV's (not a salesman) preferably a technician who has TC experience to go over it and write up discrepancies. A person who does boat surveys would be the even better option but might cost a bit more. WHAT you say! The similarities boats have in systems, & leak and structural issues etc make a boat surveyor an excellent choice, IMO and they are used to writing up detailed inspection reports to include "fair market value"! Okay so you're going to drop a little green for either guy, but that could save you from falling in love with a nightmare of expense's and repairs that you won't see.
"She looked pretty good last night about the time they hollered last call"! Okay, so you won't be drinking when looking but it's easy to "fall in love" so to speak and overlook a lot!
Id also inquire about all the original manuals etc., if they don't have them, not good, IMO as it also indicates a lack of attention to keeping important information for the maintenance, etc.
Our 1181 has been problem free as far as big things go. Couple of minor items that were normal use issues, easily remedied overall.
Ask lots of questions about any and all of it, especially if it seems like it's something that you already know or should know. If the B.S. light comes on, well you'll know.
Feel free to p.m. me if I can be of help.
We love our 1181 after 9+years!
Best of luck!

[wannabegone]

I can not reply as a long term owner but we got our 2008 1181 in March of this year and are really enjoying it. as FrankShore stated you really have to look the used RVs over really good. When shopping for travel trailers back in 2009 and used TCs this year there are lot of places for issues to hide. We were told many times over that slide covers did not help prevent water damage but the majority of slide units we looked at without the slide covers had water damage,so make sure you look all around the slide for water damage especially with out a slide cover. The 1181 doesn't have the large cabover window but check in the cabinets to make sure the front marker lights haven't leaked. of course the roof should be checked. Since the "wings" of the 1181 are both full doors that open into pass through storage i don't think they are as subject to rot as the other models. The key is to do a through job of inspecting for soft spots and discoloration. But even the best inspection can not cover everything. We heard a racket the other night and found the return spring in our rear awning must have broken. All in all we are happy with our 1181 and are looking forward to many years of RVing.

[FrankShore]

I'm not a Lance TC user, but I do own a Lance trailer. The main things to be concerned about are "wing rot" (the parts that are closest to the rear fender. And the roof caulking and leaks. Open all the cupboards and look inside for any discoloration of the wall, wall paper. Do they have service records? The nose cap and window (if that model has one) is also a concern. Look closely for any signs of water intrusion, soft or spongy places in the floor, especially in the restroom (if it is a dry bath)

Good luck