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> Camper concerns, Lack of Quality

Freespool
post Jan 15 2017, 08:36 AM
Post #21





Group: Members
Posts: 167
Joined: 2-June 16
Member No.: 8,975
Favorite Truck Camper(s): Still deciding
Type and Brand of Truck(s) Owned: 2016 GMC3500dualyy4x4diesel
Type of Tiedowns used: Torklift with Fastguns
Truck and Camper Setup: The plan will utilize a 3500 GMC with a 11 or 12' TC with a full compliment of Torklift hitch components and tie downs. Stable loads if needed will be installed.



Stickley was just an example, they manufacture airlume quality home furnishing. They are known for there quarter sawn oak and walnut pieces. I used to dabble in wood working as a hobby and the quality of there work is as close to perfection as one can get. Steel fabrication has always been known to be precise when needed thanks to CNC machines and the like. When you think about the wood worker who rely s on a primitive tape measures and add in the variance of most saw blades one can only marvel at the workmanship of a Stickley piece. I would add Airstream to your short list of favorites, I am not familiar with any other trailer that has there fit and finish, unfortunately not many of us can spend over a 100 grand for a 30 foot trailer. Life must be very good for those 1% er's in our society. I have not given up on finding a truck camper this year and during my investigative work I have seen two very telling pictures. Take a look at the Lance and the Host site and find the picture that shows just the bare framing. Safe conclusions can immediately be drawn with just one look, add in the different style slide assembly and you will understand why I keep going back to Host. My only real concern is the three picture I have found where delamanation is occurring on units that are less than 10 years old. This issue above all else may keep me from building my dream fishing rig. I also found out that the walls that are used are assembled in Calli, I have to wonder about what level of skill those workers possess. I wish the industry had never left it's roots. Quality plywood installed under T&G aluminum worked perfectly for decades. Repairs were possible and there was never a chance of wall seperation. Once again demonstrating sometimes change is bad.
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SidecarFlip
post Jan 15 2017, 07:36 PM
Post #22





Group: Members
Posts: 472
Joined: 15-October 16
Member No.: 9,221
Favorite Truck Camper(s): Forest River Palomino SS
Type and Brand of Truck(s) Owned: 1997 Ford F350 4x4 LB SRW CC 7.3 diesel
Type of Tiedowns used: HappyJac standard
Truck and Camper Setup: 1997 Ford F350 4 door 4x4 Crew Cab 7.3 Diesel, Lance 915 loaded, 2015 Palomino SS1500 Loaded



Airstream (Thor) is nice but insanely expensive and they still use the components everyone else uses, Dometic, Atwood, Suburban and so on.

Never could see myself pulling a silver turd down the road. Just not me. Guy down the road has one, I pass it all the time (sits in his side yard). Not my thing.

Laminated walls (outside Filon) is nothing more than a cheaper alternative hyped to be better. Mine is Filon skinned and I do like the lack of any seams in the sides. Seams equal leaks, but my unit stays inside all the time when I'm not using it so it's rarely out in the weather. Amazing how nice they stay when kept indoors out of the elements.

I would not want to fix it however if it was damaged.

I owned (still do) a Lance and I'm not impressed with it, not for the price of admission.

I would be skeptical of anything built in granola land. That is where Lance is made btw. Probably why they are so expensive. Granola land labor rates are stupid high.
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Torsten
post Jan 16 2017, 02:39 AM
Post #23





Group: Members
Posts: 26
Joined: 31-October 16
From: Germany
Member No.: 9,245
Favorite Truck Camper(s): Lance Model 780
Type and Brand of Truck(s) Owned: 1985 Ford F250 Diesel
Type of Tiedowns used: Happijac
Truck and Camper Setup: 1985 Ford F250 Diesel with Lance Model 780



Hi,

if you are not happy with what you can buy, try to build your own Truckcamper:

Glen RV-Plans

here you can build it in the Quality that you look for, and you can do personal changes to get the best Desingn for your personal ideas.

regards

Torsten


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SidecarFlip
post Jan 16 2017, 09:29 PM
Post #24





Group: Members
Posts: 472
Joined: 15-October 16
Member No.: 9,221
Favorite Truck Camper(s): Forest River Palomino SS
Type and Brand of Truck(s) Owned: 1997 Ford F350 4x4 LB SRW CC 7.3 diesel
Type of Tiedowns used: HappyJac standard
Truck and Camper Setup: 1997 Ford F350 4 door 4x4 Crew Cab 7.3 Diesel, Lance 915 loaded, 2015 Palomino SS1500 Loaded



QUOTE(Torsten @ Jan 16 2017, 02:39 AM)
Hi,

if you are not happy with what you can buy, try to build your own Truckcamper:

Glen RV-Plans

here you can build it in the Quality that you look for, and you can do personal changes to get the best Desingn for your personal ideas.

regards

Torsten
*



Interesting Torsten. I perused the site and looked at a couple builds. Very complex and time consuming. The one guy built his in his garage and then almost was not able to get it outside, He had to set it on a sheet of steel and drag it out... just barely cleared.

I also looked at Stable Loads. This would never work for me. Might be fine for a campground but off road, no way, I'd rip them right off at the first creek crossing.

Interesting concept but not practical at least for me.
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Torsten
post Jan 17 2017, 07:02 AM
Post #25





Group: Members
Posts: 26
Joined: 31-October 16
From: Germany
Member No.: 9,245
Favorite Truck Camper(s): Lance Model 780
Type and Brand of Truck(s) Owned: 1985 Ford F250 Diesel
Type of Tiedowns used: Happijac
Truck and Camper Setup: 1985 Ford F250 Diesel with Lance Model 780



Hi,

right for Offroaduse not the best, but if you look for a Slideincamper from the good old Day's its not bad.

I find this Side as i look for Ideas to rebuild my 1985 Lance 850. I will remove the Aluminiumplanking in Springtime and take a look on the Structure under it.

If i find to mutch rottet wood i think its mutch easyer to build a 100% new one as to rebuild the Lance.

But i can use 100% of the Technical thinks, like Heater, Waterheater, Fridge and so on, because all of them work.

regards

Torsten
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SidecarFlip
post Jan 17 2017, 12:53 PM
Post #26





Group: Members
Posts: 472
Joined: 15-October 16
Member No.: 9,221
Favorite Truck Camper(s): Forest River Palomino SS
Type and Brand of Truck(s) Owned: 1997 Ford F350 4x4 LB SRW CC 7.3 diesel
Type of Tiedowns used: HappyJac standard
Truck and Camper Setup: 1997 Ford F350 4 door 4x4 Crew Cab 7.3 Diesel, Lance 915 loaded, 2015 Palomino SS1500 Loaded



I bet you have water intrusion and the dreaded rot. My 915 Lance has / had issues as well. Again, IMO, Lance campers are supposed to be the 'Caddilac' of campers but from my experience they are more of a Volkswagen with whitewalls.

One nice thing about having a camper, even if it is rotted to the piont where the structure is unsound and not repairable, you have all the physical plant components for a home build....and don't forget the windows, cushions, vents, ac unit and light fixtures, holding tanks either. You can strip the Lance of all the reuseable components and then have a nice bonfire with the remains.

If I cannot get rid of my 915 this summer, that is what I plan on doing and selling the components. My Lance is the cold weather package so it has double pane windows, heated tanks and large furnace. It's also stout.
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skyhammer
post Jan 17 2017, 05:56 PM
Post #27





Group: Members
Posts: 91
Joined: 3-July 11
From: NW Calif.
Member No.: 5,520
Favorite Truck Camper(s): Host
Type and Brand of Truck(s) Owned: 2011 F-350,4WD,CC,DRW
Type of Tiedowns used: Tork lift fast guns
Truck and Camper Setup: Air bags, tork lift stable loads,Reese extension hitch. Host 11.5' triple slide



QUOTE(SidecarFlip @ Jan 16 2017, 09:29 PM)
Interesting Torsten.  I perused the site and looked at a couple builds.  Very complex and time consuming.  The one guy built his in his garage and then almost was not able to get it outside,  He had to set it on a sheet of steel and drag it out...  just barely cleared.

I also looked at Stable Loads.  This would never work for me.  Might be fine for a campground but off road, no way,  I'd rip them right off at the first creek crossing.

Interesting concept but not practical at least for me.
*



I can't see how anyone could rip stable loads off. But, I can see that a stable lift could be easily ripped off.


--------------------
2011, F-350,CC,DRW,6.7,4WD
Air bags, Tork Lift Stable Loads
Host, 11.5' Tripple Slide
Tork Lift Fast Guns
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SidecarFlip
post Jan 18 2017, 10:53 AM
Post #28





Group: Members
Posts: 472
Joined: 15-October 16
Member No.: 9,221
Favorite Truck Camper(s): Forest River Palomino SS
Type and Brand of Truck(s) Owned: 1997 Ford F350 4x4 LB SRW CC 7.3 diesel
Type of Tiedowns used: HappyJac standard
Truck and Camper Setup: 1997 Ford F350 4 door 4x4 Crew Cab 7.3 Diesel, Lance 915 loaded, 2015 Palomino SS1500 Loaded



QUOTE(skyhammer @ Jan 17 2017, 05:56 PM)
I can't see how anyone could rip stable loads off. But, I can see that a stable lift could be easily ripped off.
*



You don't boondock where I do. I traverse seasonal roads with limited clearance (lots of times I have to cut away tree limbs and logs to get in). Too much stuff hanging down would be a bad thing, besides, the standard legs work fine so why spend the money. Cannot see any advantage at all. I've toyed with removing the legs entirely in the summer when the camper stays on the truck but I don't because I extend the legs when I get set up to stabilize the unit. I release the tie downs (Happyjac) and extend the legs and lift the camper slightly off the bed, allowing the air suspension to raise the bed up a bit (I have full air suspension on the back). I removed the leaf springs and built in an air ride system so no leaves out back at all. Much simpler and less weight.
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skyhammer
post Jan 18 2017, 04:48 PM
Post #29





Group: Members
Posts: 91
Joined: 3-July 11
From: NW Calif.
Member No.: 5,520
Favorite Truck Camper(s): Host
Type and Brand of Truck(s) Owned: 2011 F-350,4WD,CC,DRW
Type of Tiedowns used: Tork lift fast guns
Truck and Camper Setup: Air bags, tork lift stable loads,Reese extension hitch. Host 11.5' triple slide



QUOTE(SidecarFlip @ Jan 18 2017, 10:53 AM)
You don't boondock where I do.  I traverse seasonal roads with limited clearance (lots of times I have to cut away tree limbs and logs to get in). Too much stuff hanging down would be a bad thing, besides, the standard legs work fine so why spend the money.  Cannot see any advantage at all.  I've toyed with removing the legs entirely in the summer when the camper stays on the truck but I don't because I extend the legs when I get set up to stabilize the unit.  I release the tie downs (Happyjac) and extend the legs and lift the camper slightly off the bed, allowing the air suspension to raise the bed up a bit (I have full air suspension on the back).  I removed the leaf springs and built in an air ride system so no leaves out back at all.  Much simpler and less weight.
*



You didn't read my post correctly.
Stable loads are rubber blocks that attach to the overload spring on the suspension, they don't hang down. If you rip stable loads off, you will have other damage that is much worse.
Stable lift is a contraption that lifts the camper off the truck instead of suing the "legs".
In addition, I live on a 4000 acre ranch in NW California where my 30 miles of roads are likely much worse than anything you drive on while on vacation.
All our roads are 4WD drive only and my side by side 4 Wheeler gets stuck nearly everyday. We have no power or phone and it takes over a hour to get to the nearest town (pop. 200).
Our power comes from a 45k generator and we have several miles of power line that goes to our various barns, which I maintain myself.
The length of my DRW prevents me from using 90% of our roads.I have stable loads onall of our trucks because of the heavy loads we carry. Never had a failure, other than them wearing out.


--------------------
2011, F-350,CC,DRW,6.7,4WD
Air bags, Tork Lift Stable Loads
Host, 11.5' Tripple Slide
Tork Lift Fast Guns
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AraWithSpirit
post Jan 18 2017, 08:41 PM
Post #30





Group: Members
Posts: 17
Joined: 18-January 17
From: On the road
Member No.: 9,371
Favorite Truck Camper(s): Northern Lite
Type and Brand of Truck(s) Owned: F350 7.2 Turbo diesel 4x4 Ford 4 doors Long bed
Type of Tiedowns used: Happijac
Truck and Camper Setup: 2013 Northern Lite 9.8 Q SE AnchorGuard tie downs 2000 Ford f350 7.2 Turbo diesel 4x4 4 door Long bed Rear Camper package Rear air bags Progressive lockers Honda 2000 Genset 120W soft 12V 4lb panels 1 140amp/h sealed deep cycle battery . 1995 BMW GS with Ural Sidecar.



QUOTE(Murdog @ Nov 28 2016, 04:13 PM)
Take a look at Northern Lite campers.  I have a keen eye for build quality, I've owned two other RV's before our current Northern Lite and while the Northern Lite is not without issues, it's way better than most others in terms of fitment and quality....certainly better than any Lance's I've looked at.  Personally I think Lance's are the Chevy of truck campers not the Cadillac.  Our Northern Lite so far has 15 thousand miles and 70 nights of camping....and it's been awesome.
*




QUOTE(Freespool @ Nov 29 2016, 07:14 PM)
Thanks for the input guys.  I agree with you Murdog, the Northern Light looks well made, maybe it's a Canadian thing.  I remember shopping for a nice formal dining table with chairs and the one I like most was also built in Canada.  The problem I have with Northstar's, Northern Lights and Bigfoots is space.  Without at least one slide, two or three would be much better there is simply not enough room for  my needs.  The Host seems to address all of my needs, however the cost is so ridiculous I don't feel good about ordering one.
*



I must agree with the Northern Lite. Could it be because my Dog and I have now lived in one full time for three years? I did a lot of research before settling on it. Space is not a problem. I actually did not want slide outs, or pop tops for that matter. I like being stealth no one knowing if we are in or not in case we stop in a town or so. I just read today that even though just two pieces of fiberglass put together they can leak through the roof at the seam of the fans and so forth. I will check that. Besides it all no problem whatsoever. Only had to have the mattress changed and foam for the dinette set cushions. I cannot for the life of me understand why a manufacturer wants to cut corners with such a high quality camper...
Anyhow...


--------------------
Stay well, Ara and Spirit
www.theoasisofmysoul.com
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