Have owned a Lance since 1999. Been cross country, beach camping ,you name it.Currently own a 2006 Lance 1055. It was a friends who passed away. Every time I use it I’m reminded of him. I need to make a chance. Now here is why I need you, and you and you.Wife and I are selling the house and want to travel. Here is the deal, at first I was going to get a 40 foot fifth wheel with 6 slides. I was all set trying to pick it out. Went to Hershey show sat in them. Then I watched a You tube video of a chap over from Europe using a Kind of class C ,built ion a VW chassis,it got 26 mpg. Ever space was really thought out. They toured South America,Central and Mexico and now the USA.I was like so impressed I got to thinking of how much fun we had in the T/C and HOW many 5th wheel owners that said to me they wished they had something so easy to deal with.So now I’m thinking .....I own a great truck a 03 Dodge Dually with 129,000 miles on it and I would be whacked not to use it. So I’m looking and like the Host ,Cascade ,but I also like the modernist approach Cirrus has in their 920.The one thing I do like is a comfortable chair to relax in. Host seems to be the only one that has stadium seating..I was also looking at Sportmobiles but I don’t think they are going to be as comfortable as a truck camper? This is why I’m going a bit bonkers. ( yea I know everyone should have my issues)But the expense of a class a A DP rules them out , travel trailer is ok I guess but still dragging something, 5 th wheel, pretty big, Truck Camper? Class B Super C ? We like National parks, Federal Land ,I’d also like to go to Alaska that would be a drag hauling a 40 footer up there? So there are members here who own big campers and truck campers ,and others that have had similar decisions to make. If you have a moment let me know your thoughts. I’m big on European type RVs with efficient refrigeration,heating ,water heating. And economy. Thx mike

put a flat bed & 19.5 s on your dodge and your set! , we've done several 6 month trips and never had clothing & storage problems

I don’t believe you’ll be happy for long in a TC fulltime nor will you get in a number of NPs and state CGs in a forty foot 5er. Lots of good choices between these two. Your post is a little scattered.

nodepositnoreturn wrote:Have owned a Lance since 1999. Been cross country, beach camping ,you name it.Currently own a 2006 Lance 1055. It was a friends who passed away. Every time I use it I’m reminded of him. I need to make a chance. Now here is why I need you, and you and you.Wife and I are selling the house and want to travel. Here is the deal, at first I was going to get a 40 foot fifth wheel with 6 slides. I was all set trying to pick it out. Went to Hershey show sat in them. Then I watched a You tube video of a chap over from Europe using a Kind of class C ,built ion a VW chassis,it got 26 mpg. Ever space was really thought out. They toured South America,Central and Mexico and now the USA.I was like so impressed I got to thinking of how much fun we had in the T/C and HOW many 5th wheel owners that said to me they wished they had something so easy to deal with.So now I’m thinking .....I own a great truck a 03 Dodge Dually with 129,000 miles on it and I would be whacked not to use it. So I’m looking and like the Host ,Cascade ,but I also like the modernist approach Cirrus has in their 920.The one thing I do like is a comfortable chair to relax in. Host seems to be the only one that has stadium seating..I was also looking at Sportmobiles but I don’t think they are going to be as comfortable as a truck camper? This is why I’m going a bit bonkers. ( yea I know everyone should have my issues)But the expense of a class a A DP rules them out , travel trailer is ok I guess but still dragging something, 5 th wheel, pretty big, Truck Camper? Class B Super C ? We like National parks, Federal Land ,I’d also like to go to Alaska that would be a drag hauling a 40 footer up there? So there are members here who own big campers and truck campers ,and others that have had similar decisions to make. If you have a moment let me know your thoughts. I’m big on European type RVs with efficient refrigeration,heating ,water heating. And economy. Thx mikeI pretty much could have written this post a couple years ago. Wife and I retired, always had truck campers. We felt like retiring we needed a bigger 5th wheel. Looked at a bunch almost bought one. We don't full time yet, but travel for months at a time. Roughly 9 months on the road and 3 months at house visiting for the holidays.Our final solution is in my sig. Love our Host. Plenty of room, comfortable seating, big shower. We have camped many places you would never get a 5th wheel into. We are approached all the time from people looking to downsize so they can explore more.

I have re-opened this thread at the request of the OP. Let's try to be helpful this time.

The Hosts are nice, but they still have the climb into bed issue. That may or may not be an issue for you. If you plan to tow, I think you have to go Super C, TC, or DP. You can find a lot of older well made DP for the price of a newer Host. It will have to be a newer Host to have the maximum room. I’m not sure if your current truck would handle a fully loaded Host with full time worth of gear.If you don’t care to tow, have you thought about a shorter fifth wheel such as a 27-30 one?

Seasoned T/C Owner Needs your help.!! | Good Sam Community

54suds
Explorer
Nov 05, 2018
put a flat bed & 19.5 s on your dodge and your set! , we've done several 6 month trips and never had clothing & storage problems
Lwiddis
Explorer II
Nov 05, 2018
I don’t believe you’ll be happy for long in a TC fulltime nor will you get in a number of NPs and state CGs in a forty foot 5er. Lots of good choices between these two. Your post is a little scattered.
work2much
Explorer
Nov 05, 2018
nodepositnoreturn wrote:
Have owned a Lance since 1999. Been cross country, beach camping ,you name it.
Currently own a 2006 Lance 1055. It was a friends who passed away. Every time I use it I’m reminded of him. I need to make a chance. Now here is why I need you, and you and you.
Wife and I are selling the house and want to travel. Here is the deal, at first I was going to get a 40 foot fifth wheel with 6 slides. I was all set trying to pick it out. Went to Hershey show sat in them. Then I watched a You tube video of a chap over from Europe using a Kind of class C ,built ion a VW chassis,it got 26 mpg. Ever space was really thought out. They toured South America,Central and Mexico and now the USA.
I was like so impressed I got to thinking of how much fun we had in the T/C and HOW many 5th wheel owners that said to me they wished they had something so easy to deal with.
So now I’m thinking .....I own a great truck a 03 Dodge Dually with 129,000 miles on it and I would be whacked not to use it.

So I’m looking and like the Host ,Cascade ,but I also like the modernist approach Cirrus has in their 920.
The one thing I do like is a comfortable chair to relax in. Host seems to be the only one that has stadium seating..

I was also looking at Sportmobiles but I don’t think they are going to be as comfortable as a truck camper? This is why I’m going a bit bonkers. ( yea I know everyone should have my issues)
But the expense of a class a A DP rules them out , travel trailer is ok I guess but still dragging something, 5 th wheel, pretty big, Truck Camper? Class B Super C ?
We like National parks, Federal Land ,I’d also like to go to Alaska that would be a drag hauling a 40 footer up there? So there are members here who own big campers and truck campers ,and others that have had similar decisions to make. If you have a moment let me know your thoughts. I’m big on European type RVs with efficient refrigeration,heating ,water heating. And economy. Thx mike

I pretty much could have written this post a couple years ago. Wife and I retired, always had truck campers. We felt like retiring we needed a bigger 5th wheel. Looked at a bunch almost bought one.

We don't full time yet, but travel for months at a time. Roughly 9 months on the road and 3 months at house visiting for the holidays.

Our final solution is in my sig. Love our Host. Plenty of room, comfortable seating, big shower. We have camped many places you would never get a 5th wheel into. We are approached all the time from people looking to downsize so they can explore more.
jplante4
Explorer II
Nov 06, 2018
I have re-opened this thread at the request of the OP. Let's try to be helpful this time.
jimh406
Explorer III
Nov 07, 2018
The Hosts are nice, but they still have the climb into bed issue. That may or may not be an issue for you. If you plan to tow, I think you have to go Super C, TC, or DP. You can find a lot of older well made DP for the price of a newer Host. It will have to be a newer Host to have the maximum room. I’m not sure if your current truck would handle a fully loaded Host with full time worth of gear.

If you don’t care to tow, have you thought about a shorter fifth wheel such as a 27-30 one?
nodepositnoretu
Explorer
Nov 07, 2018
jimh425 wrote:
The Hosts are nice, but they still have the climb into bed issue. That may or may not be an issue for you. If you plan to tow, I think you have to go Super C, TC, or DP. You can find a lot of older well made DP for the price of a newer Host. It will have to be a newer Host to have the maximum room. I’m not sure if your current truck would handle a fully loaded Host with full time worth of gear.

If you don’t care to tow, have you thought about a shorter fifth wheel such as a 27-30 one?

I’m game for any type of RV ,many people from various forums have said oh just buy what you like if it doesn’t suit your needs sell it in a year and get what you like. I am not that kind of guy . First I like to do my homework first, second selling used RVs is a great big pain in the ass.

The thing that has me scratching my head wondering is that it seems to me 90 % of fulltimers seem to live in DP or class A at the least. 10 % live in 5Th wheels with a handful of travel trailers and class b and c in there.
So what do they know that I don’t? Oh this is tough very tough indeed.

So I also need to ask what is the climbing into bed issue in the Host that may be a factor since I’m disabled and neither wife or I are doting chickens.
jimh406
Explorer III
Nov 07, 2018
The beds in truck campers are high. At minimum, most people have to step up then pull yourself up or jump up. It’s simply harder to get into bed and get out. Then, there are the steps that are also high. You’ll never be able to simply sit down and be in bed.

From my viewpoint, a Class A is great in that when you stop at a rest area, for example, you don’t even have to go outside. That’s what I enjoyed about the Class A we had. A TC will always require you to go from front to back at minimum. Want to get something from fridge, go to bathroom, fix lunch, change clothes, take a nap, no worries. Bad weather including raining hard, no problem.

Really large fifth wheels have a tremendous amount of room and aren’t expensive compared to Class A in DP form.
brholt
Explorer II
Nov 07, 2018
jimh425 wrote:
The beds in truck campers are high. At minimum, most people have to step up then pull yourself up or jump up. It’s simply harder to get into bed and get out. Then, there are the steps that are also high. You’ll never be able to simply sit down and be in bed.

From my viewpoint, a Class A is great in that when you stop at a rest area, for example, you don’t even have to go outside. That’s what I enjoyed about the Class A we had. A TC will always require you to go from front to back at minimum. Want to get something from fridge, go to bathroom, fix lunch, change clothes, take a nap, no worries. Bad weather including raining hard, no problem.

Really large fifth wheels have a tremendous amount of room and aren’t expensive compared to Class A in DP form.

Being an over the rail design the Host campers have a pretty small step up tot he beds but a lot of steps to climb into the camper.
jefe_4x4
Explorer
Nov 08, 2018
If you are disabled at all, then try going up the steps and the big step to the bed several times in a row in something like the Everest. Do you need that fold-away hand rail to secure yourself? If everything is O.K., then start looking for a 2WD 550/5500 truck as a platform before you even buy the camper.
Remember the prime directive about living or traveling, long term in a TC. The longer you are out on the road, the larger the TC and truck need to be.
I've never run into anyone who thinks they have too much truck for the camper. It's usually the other way around.
If you are elderly, but in pretty good shape, I suggest looking at a 24-30 foot Lazy Daze class C. Why? A very low platform. I think there is only one step to get in the side entrance with the rest of the floor on the same plane, and they have a good user report record. It's the same reasoning that we, as older adults, purchased a single level, ranch style house to retire and grow old in. We retired in 2006, and so far, so good.
Our difference is the size of our 1998 Lance camper. It's only 8'6" of floor. 1842 pounds, wet. Bought it used. Paid $6500 cash @ 3 years old, and used 3 times. We've owned it for 17 years and done some upgrades to make it better, off-season, and is great to travel in as it will park in a regular parking place. I don't much like the seating, but suffer through with a back hugger back rests around the dinette. We've spent hundreds of nights in the box in all 4 seasons; in terrible weather; road or no road; layovering in cities, and enjoy the best night's sleep we ever get.
So, find out what is important to you, and find a way to make it happen.
A conductor (musical, not train) friend of mine put it this way when asked of his relative success in the conducting biz: "Know what you want, and know how to get it."
jefe
Lunch stop at June Lake, CA.
zcookiemonstar
Explorer
Nov 08, 2018
Well other then the Host truck camper I think you could rent some version of your other choices to try them out. If you did go with the big Host truck camper I think you would also need a new truck.