Hello All,
I'm looking for advice as relates to purchasing a used camper/cabover (10' or 10.5')for my 2005 dodge diesel 3/4 ton long bed p/u. More specfically, your prefrences on brands, frame types (metal vs. wood), pitfalls, and things to look for as a first time buyer. We are planning a month long road trip from Idaho to Mexico (Baja)in the spring, so quality is a concern. My budget is $10000 or less, preferably $6000. Thank you for your help.
Air bags will help level the load. But, they don't increase your GVWR. Be mindful of your weights.
Go to the scales with your truck full of fuel, passenger(s) you'd normally have with you, and any tools you'd carry. Get the weight and subtract from the truck's GVWR and then look for a camper. Remember, in addition to the dry weight of any camper you might consider, you'll also be inclined to add 600-1,000 lbs. of fluid, food, clothes, and gear for a trip. Good luck!
* This post was
edited 11/15/09 06:32pm by Eycom *
I love our Lance. I'll check tomorrow at our local Lance dealer. He doesn't have a web site, but has great prices. Bought ours there used, about $4000 less than anywhere else, for the same size camper. Will let you know, if they have anything used.
Gary
His 2001 Dodge 3500 4x4 CTD 6 spd
Her 1998 Dodge 3500 4x4 CTD 5 spd
Our 2000 Lance 1130 camper
Home 1999 Alfa Ideal 35 ft.
Carefully look at the Camper. Some campers have a small black and gray tanks. They also have one propane tank. I saw some new ones and they had like 10 gallon black and 5 gallon gray.
You will see a lot of conflicting comments about weight capacity. Some think that we must all obey the GVWR no matter what. Unless you are a DRW or F450 that is very hard to do. Most are overweight and you probably will be too. In my opinion, it is more important to be smart about how you do it and be honest with yourself so as to avoid dangerous set ups.
You can add a bunch of parts like airbags, sway bars, supersprings and they can all help to some degree. In my opinion the criticle first thing is the tires. Be sure your tires are not overloaded. This is the one number I obey religiously. Check the sidewall for the rating, go to a scale and do the math. Upgrade if needed!
When shopping used, there are the obvious things lke apparent condition, do the appliances all work and does it have the features you really need. The scariest part is potential water damage. Small leaks are hard to spot and rot starts in unseen areas.
I'll offer a scenario that I think is what you could be looking for or at least asking about. I bought a used camper last summer and here is how it all worked out:
I have a GM diesel, SRW, long box, air bags, upgraded tires (3500# each). I found a 2001 Lance 1010 and paid $8000. It works with my rig and while somewhat dated it remians a classic style with the basic features for a good first camper. Being an older model, this unit weighs about 3000 wet. It is over my GVWR but handles well and I don't believe that it is unsafe.
2001 Lance 1010
Chevy 2500HD D/A CC/LB
Toyota Rock Crawler TLCA
KJ6CXI
Go aluminum frame if possible (IMHO). Wood is fine if you had an owner that kept it sealed good but how do you know? There are many signs of water intrusion but if your newbie, you would be better off. Stay away from TC's that have a front window...period! Ask us all! No joke it is a open invitation for water intrusion!
With a HD 3/4 you can probably handle no more than 2400 lbs dry weight, max. That will let you haul an older aluminum skinned Lance 10.5 if that's what you want. Really look closely for evidence of leaks, especially the floor near the door (soft spots, counter not straight, etc.), under the bed (lift the mattress up), around the jacks, and check the screws under the cab overhang for any evidence of rusting (or application of sealant to cover it up). Look in cupboards and the behind drawers (pull them out), and anywhere else you can see the walls, for water stains. Someone on a recent thread posted a good checklist for things to look for. How a camper was maintained is more important than aluminum or wood framing. Fiberglass is nice but heavier.
As stated above, good tires are really important but air bags, sway bars and the weight distribution of the camper will make a difference in the way it rides. I had an older 10.5 Lance that weighed about 2200 dry that did not ride near as well as my 9.9 Kodiak that weighs 2400. The latter has a n/s bed instead of e/w, waste tanks that don't hang over the back of the truck, and better aerodynamics. You'll find differences like this in campers of the same weight. Look for more heavy things placed further forward.
I was in your shoes a couple of years ago. You've come to the right place, this forum is THE best source of information you'll ever find. So, keep firing away with questions.
Here's my 2 cents: a 3/4 ton truck may haul a 10'+ camper, but only with some serious suspension upgrades. For that reason, we upgraded our truck from a Dodge 2500 diesel to a Chev 3500 diesel. Even though we love our Dodge diesel, the DMax seems to have a lot more hauling capacity.
We bought a 2002 Northern Lite camper, what I consider one of the best quality campers around (again, my opinion... probably since I own one). Water damage seems to be the #1 issue with older (and not so old) campers. I read on this forum about a lot of Lance owners who complain about water intrusion issues. Be very very careful when inspecting used campers, any sign of any kind of water intrusion, go to the next one. Although there are those that may disagree, Northern Lite (and Bigfoot) campers seem to be less likely to have hidden water damage due to the clam shell fiberglass construction. They also seem to be lighter compared to say, an S&S camper. S&S campers are the other high quality camper that is still in business, but very very heavy. You might want to run up to Kalispell to visit their factory. I almost bought an S&S, but I think that camper needs a dually and I don't want a dually.
Without getting into all the details of what to look for and your buying preferences, I really recommend you find someone there in Idaho that you can talk to about their experiences. Check for owners of campers on this forum who live in Idaho.
I'm sure that if you send the local guys a Private Message, that they would meet with you to review their rig and offer some guidance.
If you are in the Bozeman Montana area, feel free to stop by and check out my Northern Lite. I've got it in the shop torn apart, installing a number of modifications & upgrades. I'll show you what I like and don't like about this camper. My 10' Northern Lite (model 10-2000RR) weighs about 2650 lbs, dry, unloaded.
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