Our Lance will be 20 years old in March........

[BradW]

Our 1996 Lance will be 20 years old in March. Anyone else buy a new truck camper and keep it that long?

Brad

[Freedom_49]

We hope to have ours that long Brad. We've reached that age where we appreciate things that last; it would be great to still be in the same truck and camper in 2031. In fact, I hope I am still here in 2031!

[run100]

Had our first Lance almost 12-years, but needed to upgrade to a slide model with the addition of 2 children. We've had the new one for three years so far.

[travelnutz]

BradW,

WOW! Your Lance sure is old!!!

1 whole year older than our Lance Legend 990 - over 11' long floor and very heavy. Why do we keep the old 990? Because it's been excellent, used over 800 nights, traveled close to 100K miles on our truck, and never had a leak or a repair needed until this Spring. The furnace blower motor bearings lube dried and the bearing started to squeal, so I had to replace it. $130 and about 2 hours of my labor. Still much cheaper than buying a new Lance!

We'd ordered 2 new Lance's back in 1996, a Squire 4000 totally optioned out for our 2500 ext cab truck for short trips and this Legend 990 totally optioned out for our 3500 Dually for long trips like to Alaska etc. Wife has major back and neck issues and couldn't take the jarring type ride from the dually so I sold it and stored the 990 inside and we just used the Squire 4000 on the 2500 truck including for thr Alaska trips and other when we didn't want to haul our 5th wheel.

In 2009, we friend wanted to buy our Squire 4000 which we had put over 140K on it and hundreds of trouble free nights so we sold it to him and he still has it and still no problems or repairs with it. We were planning to also sell the Legend 990 which I'd taken out of my storage building on our GM 2500HD D/A CC LB 4X4 truck. Drove it around some to see how it would handle and was very impressed. Truck had Air Lift airbags I'd put on when new and the oversize Michelin 265's and really is now a 3500HD SRW D/A truck.

We looked the Legend 990 over inside and out and it not only looked new but even still smelled new inside and not one spot on the uhpolstery of carpet and yet the resale value charts said we'd lose around $18K by selling it. No way! Even though it was still in like new condition totally. So we didn't order the new one we'd decided on and still today have and use the Legend 990 so much and it's been great+! Love the two 30# propane tanks, the big dry bath, the 3400 watt propane built in generator, the very large amount of dual countertop space, the great insulation and storm windows for winter use, excellent abundant storage space, the big frig, and it's true comfort always, etc. Extremely happy with it! No plans to sell it either. Just the Legeng 990 and our Carriage Carrilite 5th wheel are our RV's now as we've sold our other 2 newer RV's as they weren't being used much at all and like you, we are getting older too! At 73 & 74, we just don't really need 4 RV's...

[cpres]

2007 or 2008 I bought a Dreamer, it is pushing 40 years old and we are pushing 30 nights in it this year. Tow vehicle is pushing 30 years old. Well built and cared for things can last.

[ralbert3]

I sold our 1995 945 that served us well. the wings rotted out within five years and hot water heater lasted 15 years. Did have a lot of trouble with the Domectic frig until i put a good aftermarket electric box in. I kept it in a garage it entire life so i was probably crazy to sell it. Went to a 40' DP and sold the 3500 so it just took up room. Got 6500 for it. You keep them under cover and they will last a lifetime. Keep camping. We live in our coach seven or eight months a year. Rob

[jmcgsd]

Well Brad our '95 Lance 880 is new to us, purchased in July but we beat you on the truck. Ours is a '91 F350 drw with only 76K miles. We're the 2nd owners on both and we've had the truck since '05.

The Lance was a "target of opportunity. " some friends just wanted it out of their driveway and would have given to us just to have it removed. I didn't feel right about that so I did pay them, but not much since I really couldn't be certain of the condition. As it turned out, the condition was far and above what I expected and I've only had to perform some minor repairs.

It sure is nice having a Lance again. We traded our 981 a couple of years ago for our present TT, but I really missed the convenience of the TC. Now I have the best of both worlds!

[BradW]

Raften, seems like you have been on here forever. Yeh, getting old sucks and getting in and out of a TC don't get any easier. A few years ago we were overniteing at the El Reno, OK KOA with some other folks headed out to Colorado for a week of jeeping in the mountains. My 65 year old buddy was coming out of his TC, tripped and did a face plant onto the steel tongue of his car hauler trailer. Bruised and skint him up pretting good, but it could have been much worse. We have been thinking about an auto tranny truck and a 5th wheel ourselves.

Good Luck,
Brad

[Raften]

Just a youngster here, '01 Lance and truck. Going to have to sell both in the spring because of knee problem and a stiff clutch. Not a big fan of this getting old ****.

[Oliver21]

We are the third owners of our newly purchased 1993 Sunline 951. Last owner was an RV tech, who stripped it down to the frame, repaired whatever damage was there, eliminated the front window, re-sided with filon and re-roofed it with that rubber stuff. Not my first choices of materials, but he did a nice job in 2009. This is probably our last camper too, along with what I hope is the last truck, a 2004 Silverado 2500HD 4X4, 8.1/Allison. Inside storage and some tlc will help it last.

[trailgranny50]

We bought a 1990 Shadow Cruiser hard side almost two years ago from second owner who both stored it outside, roof is original and good, original fridge, stove/oven,water pump and furnace. First owner neglected it in cold Colorado winter and froze up water heater and black tank and shower trap. Replaced those and all is good. Since we store it indoors and are religous about winterizing so it should outlast us as we're 70s-ish.

[slickrock_steve]

Have a 1972 El Dorado. Bought used in 2010, and redid in 2014!
Took it on a 7000 mile trip last spring to Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana, including Yellowstone, the Tetons, and then to Washington, and Oregon, then down the California coast to home in the desert of So. Calif.

[Ramblin__Ralph]

I bought my 2001 Lance 845 in late 2005 from the first owner. Have put 95K+ miles on it, by traveling 6 months a year. Took it to the factory a couple of years ago for some wood rot repair between the walls. Fridge works great, but pilot does out sometimes when driving. For some reason, sometimes won't start right back up, either. Have to wait an hour or so.

I love it!! However, I doubt I'll live long enough to have it for 20 years. 🙂

[VTLee]

I bought a new 1993 Sunline. It was the last TC Sunline made. Still have it, all original and everything works.

[Grodyman]

I don't even want to think about how many rv's and trucks I have had in that period........congratulations

Gman