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why do you put the jacks down? I almost never do. Lance 1181 2011 f450
As a preamble and for what it is worth, IMHO, the Alpenlite is not constructed anywhere near as well as Lance's are. Could be a contributing factor as to why the plant in Yakima closed up shop.
The pics show one of the reasons why manufacturers generally recommend putting jacks down for stability and reinforcement.
This was a 2005 Alpenlite Limited that we bought used to fill in the gap for our 'good' Lance camper that was burned up in an Arson fire.. The rest of the story is too long to go into here.
We now have our 2020 Lance 1062 with two slides and there is a world of difference in the construction, even when compared to our old Lance. Our Lance book recommends putting the jacks down for stability and prevent binding. Since the Jacks and the dining room slider are remote controlled, we can sit in the comfort of the pickup with heat or a/c and put the jacks down and open the slide to have room. On ours, we only have to move the slide a few inches.
I've had a dually as my DD for almost 20 years now...never had any problems getting in or around with it most anywhere, and my S&S is 4,500lbs ready to camp and that's dually country not SRW.
Different strokes I guess, it's all how you look at life I guess. It's just to short to sweat the little stuff...8 minutes in minuscule in the whole scheme to me!
The OP's post is exactly why we bought a Northern Lite. I feel my truck and the 8.11 (combination in signature) is about as perfectly matched as one can get regarding payload/wet weights etc. Love the simplicity of a hard side with no slides.
Now, I will tell you there are times (because I am an avid hunter etc. and like to get off off the beaten path) when I wished I had a pop up (like Four Wheel Campers) that I could use during hunting season etc. when I really want to get far off the beaten path. But, it is all about tradeoffs and for us, the NL gives us the best of both worlds at this time.
I've had a dually as my DD for almost 20 years now...never had any problems getting in or around with it most anywhere, and my S&S is 4,500lbs ready to camp and that's dually country not SRW.
Different strokes I guess, it's all how you look at life I guess. It's just to short to sweat the little stuff...8 minutes in minuscule in the whole scheme to me!
Bought a 45 motorcoach, the GOOD: 505 HP 1750 Torque. The Bad: Everything else, week or more in the shop or awaiting parts every month for a year, dealer bought it back.
Still needed an RV. Truck Camper, don't be stupid, not living in the bed of a truck. Buddy had a Lance said you ought to see it, we did, bought a Arctic Fox 1150, paid $23k for it used, the owner never even used it at all, brought it home and wife said hell no so they traded it in on a...$1.1 M Prevost. Sold it 8 years later for $20k with 3 back up contracts on it on the RV Trader the week I placed the ad. The Good: 8 years problem-free, the bad: NOTHING!
Bought Jayco 5th wheel bcause it had 2 year warranty and seemed to fill out current needs. The Good: Still thinking on it. The bad: 3 mo into it and a pouring down rain filled the nose and walls with water, from a nose cap seam that was not sealed. Jayco DENIED the warranty claim, saying it was my fault for not knowing the seam of the nose cap was not sealed. I ate $10,000 to dump it. Traded it in on another 5th wheel, Cedar Creek Silverback. THe Good: Great design, Forest River stood behind their 2 year warranty 100%. THe bad: Lots of stuff failed or did not work right etc, but covered by warranty. Traded it in.
2020 Host Mammoth 3 slide Truck Camper and ordered a 2020 F 450 Dually King Ranch. Dealer bought my trade in Cedar Creek for $30k. The Good: Finally BACK in the TC world. The Bad: Spending a small fortune on 45 motorcoach and 2 5th wheels.
I've had a dually as my DD for almost 20 years now...never had any problems getting in or around with it most anywhere, and my S&S is 4,500lbs ready to camp and that's dually country not SRW.
Different strokes I guess, it's all how you look at life I guess. It's just to short to sweat the little stuff...8 minutes in minuscule in the whole scheme to me!
As a country kid, a dually has never been a problem for me. In high school, the dually horse truck was often the only transportation I had to go on a date with. (It was a bit problematic at the drive-in) However, when I go into the little big city or rarely the really big city, I prefer to go in the SRW pickup or the car. My living room is generally my hunting camp and I still have the SRW pickup to haul the camper to a more remote hunting spot, should we decide to do that.
Our dual slide camper is not really a problem. We can drop the jacks just enough to brace and run the one slide out from inside the cab. If, for some reason we have to raise it a little, the fast guns make fast work out of it. Release them, get back in the pickup out of the weather and run the jacks out. The dining room slide (remote operated) only has to go out about 4" to allow us easy access to the camper and access to the head. The kitchen slide doesn't need to be run out at all. In fact the only time the kitchen slide has to go out is simply for extra floor space.
Everyone adapts to the area they are in and their own comfort levels. I can see areas, environments and physical challenges where smaller is a wise and / or better choice.
We started out small and found out that really didn't work for us with 3 kids. So we up sized. After the kids moved out, we down sized back to a tent. Then medical problems caused us to go back into a TC. Went smaller. Missed the space so upsized again. As I said, we don't have to get out in the rain to run the slide out a few inches for access, so weather (Western Oregon rain-Eastern Oregon Desert) is not really a factor. Takes 30 seconds or less. We have a remote electronic lock on the camper door so we don't even have to waste time putting the key in the lock and can unlock that from the cab of the pickup.
I've had a dually as my DD for almost 20 years now...never had any problems getting in or around with it most anywhere, and my S&S is 4,500lbs ready to camp and that's dually country not SRW.
Different strokes I guess, it's all how you look at life I guess. It's just to short to sweat the little stuff...8 minutes in minuscule in the whole scheme to me!
8 minutes when ya gotta go is an eternity ...
8 minutes in the florida rain .. you're soaked ...
8 minutes in the middle of the afternoon in florida ... you're sweat soaked and your attitude just went to hell !!
8 minutes when you're wife has to go ... Its all your fault ..!! LOL ..!
8 minutes when ya gotta go is an eternity ...
8 minutes in the florida rain .. you're soaked ...
8 minutes in the middle of the afternoon in florida ... you're sweat soaked and your attitude just went to hell !!
8 minutes when you're wife has to go ... Its all your fault ..!! LOL ..!
I never put the Jack's down to open the slides, can have all three of my slides out in under 30 seconds. Yes, I open all three at the same time.
BY FAR there is more stress on the camper frames from going the road, hitting pot holes, going around corners, emergency braking and going over uneven terrain, than opening a slide.
like posted above, to each there own, do what makes you happy, ALL RV have their good, and bad.
Rats. I forgot that you have to sign up, although basic membership is free.
I joined LOA several months ago after we bought our Lance 855s truck camper. Like FTE, several of the members have been helpful, and I try to make useful contributions. I signed up for full membership ($35 lifetime) after a short trial period.
It’s a long thread by a couple who are on a two-year full-time adventure in their F450 and Lance 1172. They started this past June, and so far, it seems their equipment is all working well and they’re having a great time!
Rats. I forgot that you have to sign up, although basic membership is free.
I joined LOA several months ago after we bought our Lance 855s truck camper. Like FTE, several of the members have been helpful, and I try to make useful contributions. I signed up for full membership ($35 lifetime) after a short trial period.
It’s a long thread by a couple who are on a two-year full-time adventure in their F450 and Lance 1172. They started this past June, and so far, it seems their equipment is all working well and they’re having a great time!
Happy Thanksgiving, all!
Jim / crewzer
Yeah, I don't remember now what is Lifetime members only and what isn't. I like the direct line into the Lance Factory with direct, quick personal email responses.
I've been watching the PJ and Gus adventures. Pretty neat they can do stuff like that and the trip pictures have been fantastic. Gus has converted back to a F450, MY 2019. His Dodge stayed in the repair shop at the stealership up North after nearly a month of failed repair attempts and several tows. They are loving the 450 and it got them home to Florida.
As long as your TC is flat in the bed of your truck and the truck is fairly flat there should be no issue. If not flat in most cases I can drop legs and adjust with it in the bed...
Taking a TC on/off is fast and easy.
drw vs saw: Arctic Fox/ Host Mammoth chasing 5k lbs and anything with OEM weight at 3k+ over half your gross travel/load-out weight is 3k +++ is on the back half of the truck. Catastrophic rear tire failure will not be a good day. What is a Dually? Hauling a heavy TC would be in my world, ‘mission-critical’ requiring a redundant system with a ‘fail-over’ plan= DUALLY...
10-10-2019, 08:39 PM
) However, when I go into the little big city or rarely the really big city, I prefer to go in the SRW pickup or the car. My living room is generally my hunting camp and I still have the SRW pickup to haul the camper to a more remote hunting spot, should we decide to do that.
Did they sign you up as their newest recruiter? 
