The Rolling Dog House

This page has been put together for those considering the purchase of a "truck camper" or "slide-in", like our Lance.  I talk about the camper, the truck, the decision process and some of the upgrades we've made (and want to make).  If you want to make comments or ask questions, you can do so by clicking here.

We call it "The Rolling Dog House" because it has most of the creature comforts you'd find at home.  Queen sized bed, microwave, fridge, TV, stereo, full bath, air conditioning, central heat...  There's just not much more you need when traveling.  And because it rides on a F-350, it goes lots of places that most motorhomes won't go.  Yet we're still able to reach places most normal passenger vehicles can get to.  We bought the truck and camper new in October of 1999, and put about 8000 miles a year on the combination (usually pulling a trailer too).  We have no trouble keeping up with traffic on major interstates, have driven on many graveled forest roads and have climbed 10,000 foot mountain passes.  And when I need a truck for working around the yard, the camper can be removed in about 15 minutes.

Because it is so self contained, it's very well suited for camping in remote locations where you don't have hookups (commonly referred to as "boondocking").  The fridge can be run on propane, and most everything else runs off of a pair of deep cycle batteries.  About the only thing we loose when primitive camping is the ability to use the microwave and the air conditioner.  And I'll probably install an inverter at some point that allows me to run the microwave for short periods. 

The Camper

The floor plan of our camper is shown to the right.  It has plenty of room for two people, and in a pinch could handle four.  But these types of rigs are best suited to couples traveling without children...  Especially if the weather gets nasty.  According to the Lance representatives I've talked to at RV shows, the 1010 is their most popular floor plan. 

The bed is quite comfortable.  And there's almost enough headroom for me to sit up straight.  The bath is wet (i.e. everything gets hosed down when you shower), but there's plenty of room for all your business.  The kitchen has a 3-burner stove, with a gas oven under and microwave above.  The fridge/freezer is 6 cu ft and runs on propane, 12VDC or 115VAC.  The TV is located in a cupboard over the sink, and can be turned to face the dinette or the bed.  There's more than enough storage for clothes, food and cooking gear.  And if you're not careful, you'll load so much stuff into all the little nooks and crannies that you'll badly overload your truck. 

If you want all the juicy details, check out the Lance website for the 1010 model.

The Truck

When you buy a slide in camper, you typically do not haul it in a 1/2 ton pickup, let alone a 12 year old one.  And most 3/4 ton pick ups are also not suited for a camper as big as ours.  People do it.  But I think it's foolish. 

The Beast as I sometimes call it is a 2000 F-350 XLT Crewcab Dually.  It's powered by the gas 6.8L V-10.  We have the 4-speed automatic, 4.30 limited slip differential and the all important Camper Package (which include extra rear springs, front & rear sway bars, bigger battery, a 115 amp alternator and a camper certification).  Other options included the power trailer mirrors and the towing package.  Everything else was standard XLT fare.  A pretty basic truck. 

I opted not to buy the 4 wheel drive because of the penalties on payload and mileage, the extra cost, and the slim likelihood that we'd go offroading while carrying 3500 lbs of camper.  I also opted not to get the Powerstroke diesel.  Again because of cost and payload reduction.  And while it would improve mileage, that improvement would have come at the cost of cruising speed and acceleration.  But mostly, I didn't think I really needed a diesel in a vehicle I was only planning to drive 10,000 miles or so a year.  After three years, I don't regret any of these decisions. 

We never considered the Dodge 3500 because we decided early on that we wanted a crew cab.  And while the Chevy did have a crew cab, I felt that the 2000 F-350 with V-10 was a much better choice than the C3500 with the 454.  The Ford had better numbers on payload, power and price.  Now that Dodge has a crew cab and GM has the 8.1L gas V-8, things might turn out differently if I had to do it over. 

The Hitch

As you can see from this picture, we have a cargo trailer.  Because we usually pull our windsurfing toy wagon with us on most trips, we needed a hitch that was compatible with the camper overhang and had the strength to handle the tongue weight of our trailer.  This was not as difficult a problem as I first anticipated.  Lance works closely with hitch manufacturer Reese to make sure that people don't do anything too stupid.  And their solution is called the Titan.  It's a Class V hitch (rated to 12,000 lbs).  What makes it different from your average receiver hitch is that it has a 2.5" box, instead of the more typical 2" box you find on most hitches.  

Combine that with what's called a "stinger", and you have a hitch that reaches out past the end of the camper so that you can tow whatever toys you like to haul with you.  The standard 2" hitch fits into the end of the stinger.  And when you use your truck without the camper, there's an adapter sleeve that allows you to use your 2" hitch without the stinger.  (Note that in the picture the stinger is not completely installed) 

Why a Slide In?

Well...  Lynne and I are old enough that tent camping was out.  We'd both done more than enough of that in our lifetimes. 

Now when we started the search, we'd been sleeping in the back of my 1988 Chevy 1500 pickup.  I'd bought a fiberglass topper in 1996 and later built a platform for a queen sized air mattress, so technically it was better than sleeping on the ground.  But it was still pretty primitive.  There wasn't a lot of extra room in the standard cab or in the back.  Cooking pretty much had to be done outside, rain or shine.  There wasn't room for Max (my dog) to sleep in back or ride in front.  And even with the topper, it could be pretty miserable if the weather got nasty.  Throw into the equation that fact that the truck was 12 years old, had a bunch of miles on it and was pretty tired...  We definitely needed to do something. 

So we (mostly me) started doing some research.  We'd already been attending RV shows, but now we started paying attention.  I started reading some of the USENET RV newsgroups (a waste of time in my opinion), browsing manufacturer websites, reading the RV Trader ads, checking out RV websites and getting opinions from friends.  And we visited quite a few dealers. 

Since we already had a cargo trailer for hauling our windsurfing gear, buying a travel trailer or fifth wheel was pretty much out.  We briefly considered buying one of the toy wagon type trailers that have storage in back and living quarters in front, but didn't like what we saw at the time.  We looked at everything from a small Class B converted van up to a used 40' Diesel Pusher.  And while our budget was pretty generous, the thought of adding a motorhome to the already substantial collection of vehicles didn't appeal to me.  I also decided fairly quickly that I had enough high-maintenance used vehicles. 

So after many, many hours, we decided to buy a new Lance slide-in and a truck hefty enough to carry it. 

Why Lance?

While it's true that there are quite a few brands of truck campers on the market, you do not see a lot of them in the South Central part of the United States.  Even now that we own a truck camper and keep an eye out for them, we do not see many of them in our travels.  It wasn't till we took a trip through Colorado that we saw a significant number of truck campers.  So there weren't many truck camper people we could talk to before we bought ours.  That's also why we did not buy a used camper.  There just weren't any to be had within a reasonable driving distance.

When we first started looking, the Lance dealer was closest to the house.  They also carried a brand of "pop-up" truck camper, but we had already decided we did not want something like that.  We were able to walk through some Fleetwoods at RV shows, but I had heard bad reports on the dealer who carried them.  And everything else we considered we had to look at virtually via the internet.  So we picked Lance. 

Once that was done, we needed to pick a floor plan.  Our dealer had a modest selection of models on his lot, and we liked most of what we saw.  But there were some issues we faced.  We had no truck yet, time was short and my engineering background was kicking in.  So I started the truck search.  I knew I wanted an F-350 with the V-10.  We also wanted a crew cab for the dogs.  Because of the trailer towing and impending camper, long bed and dual rear wheels were mandated.  It took some time, but I finally found the truck on October 1, 1999.  With that done, we started on the floor plan selection. 

Now because of the time quoted to order a camper built to our specifications, we had a problem.  Our desire was to have the camper in time for our annual Thanksgiving holiday on the Texas coast.  We realized that to meet that goal we'd have to buy a camper "off the lot".  Fortunately, we felt that we could be happy with something our chosen dealer had in stock.  Besides the camper we eventually bought, the dealer also had one each of the 820, 910, 1030, 1120 and 1130 models. 

Since one of my biggest concerns was that the truck would be able to carry the load of camper and trailer safely, the 1120 and 1130 models were eliminated early.  My engineering background just wouldn't let me put either of those campers on our F-350.  So while both Lynne and I wanted to have enough room to be comfortable, I convinced myself and her that the 1030 was the biggest model we should consider. 

So then we started looking at what was left on the lot.  We took turns climbing in and out, moving around and sharing the space.  We made mental lists of what we liked and didn't like. then compared notes.  The 820 lost out because it was just too small in most directions.  The fridge was small, the bathroom was small, the cabover was small and the storage was small.  It felt cramped.  The 910 soon followed because it, while bigger, still felt small. 

So we were down to the 1010 and the 1030.  We liked the extra counter space in the 1030, but preferred the wet bath in the 1010.  Both rigs had most of the options we were looking for, and the price of either was well within what we were willing to spend.  So I started looking at some of the technical issues.  Despite the 10" difference in length, the weight difference was negligible.  The extra overhang on the 1030 was a mild concern because of the towing.  Water tanks capacities were similar.  We liked the extra window on the passenger side of the 1030.

What it finally came down to was money and the bathroom.  We just didn't see what the extra cost of the 1030 was buying us.  The 1030 didn't feel bigger.  In fact, the shower felt very small because of the dry bath.  We liked the wet bath in the 1010.  And the removable counter in the 1010 was enough that we wouldn't miss the extra counter in the 1030.  So we had selected our camper.  The price was good and the dealership did a great job of getting us setup.  It wasn't till a year later that I found out the 1010 was the most popular model in the Lance line-up.   

Upgrades
(factory or otherwise)

Since this camper was sitting on the lot at the dealership, we were pretty much stuck with what it came with.  Fortunately, this particular camper was fairly decked out.  It had most of the options available from Lance -all weather package, decor package, convenience package and exterior package.  That means things like fiberglass exterior walls, extra insulation, insulated/heated water tanks, gas furnace, front storm window, extra outside and inside lights, battery disconnect and water system bypass valves.  The "bells and whistles" packages as I call it.  It also came decorated...  blinds, valances, privacy curtain, magazine rack, spice rack and even a bedspread.  That appealed to my wife (and to me too, but don't tell anyone). 

Other options included a gas oven, Fantastic Vent fan, innerspring mattress, AM/FM cassette stereo, outside shower, air conditioning, amplified TV antenna and electric swing out jacks with remote.  I highly recommend the electric jacks.  I have a friend with a smaller Lance.  He has manual crank jacks.  And it hurts me to watch him level his rig.  I can't imagine trying to manually raise and lower a camper that weighs 1400 lbs more. 

Now what our camper didn't come with was a generator.  At the time, Lance was using Generac as their supplier.  Many people who use the Generac gensets have a love/hate relationship.  I considered adding a generator since it was pre-wired, but was hit by sticker shock when I started pricing LPG gensets that would fit the hole in the camper.  Generac and Onan both wanted significant cash...  Then there was the challenge or cost of installation.  So instead, we bought one of the small Honda EU1000 inverter based generators.  When traveling, it fits nicely in the generator compartment on the Lance, leaving plenty of room for my second coach battery, a two-gallon can of gas and a quart of oil with room to spare.  My only concession to weather is a garbage bag slipped over the Honda.  That also keeps prying eyes from seeing what's in the compartment.

Some of the other items I have added include the TV - a cheap 13" color set with remote that I got for about $70 at Best Buy.  Instead of buying an AC/DC television, I opted to buy an inverter - a ProWatt 250W modified sinewave model.  We can also use it to charge the laptop and digital camera.  Then there was the paper towel rack and some blackout shades for the cabover.  Everything else that went into the camper we already had. 

In the electrical department, I added a second battery.  After our first boondocking trip, I realized that a single battery wouldn't get the job done...  Especially if you're running the heater at all.  So since the camper came wired for a generator, I installed the second battery (in a plastic boat box) inside the compartment that would house the generator.  The wiring was already there.  All I had to do was terminate the cable with the battery lugs. 

The Solar Panels
(the big upgrade so far)

After a couple of years of sporadically using the generator to keep the batteries charged on long campouts, I finally got tired of the noise.  I had wanted to add a solar power to the rig since we bought it, but hadn't done the research or wanted to pay the prices.  That changed when I found a great deal on a Siemens RV Solar kit at a local electronics super store.  They had discounted the price by $200 because Shell had recently bought Siemens Solar.   

The kit included a high quality 75 Watt panel, a 20 Amp charge controller, weather proof wire and z-type roof mounts for the panel.  There were instructions that included suggested mounting locations and wire routing.  While a digital voltmeter is handy to have, the job can be completed with a minimum of tools. 

Because I had already talked with Larry W at Lance about the best place to mount the panel, I knew I wanted to locate the panel just in front of the vent for the fridge.  I was assured there was nothing vital I might drill into, and that the structure of the roof would have no problem supporting the panel.  So I climbed on the roof, marked the location and started drilling.  Even with Larry's assurances, there is little you do with an RV that's quite as unnerving as drilling into the roof.  Is it going to leak?  Am I going to hit something vital? What if...?  These questions are very distracting.  But after a few deep breaths, the job was done with minimal fuss.  Only one hole presented any sort of problem, and it was due to foam insulation tangling in the drill bit. 

With that completed, I started on the job of fixing the panel in place.  It is is held to the roof by four "wellnuts" - a rubber version of a dry wall anchor.  Once pushed tight into the hole, a dozen turns of the bolt cause the rubber to swell and pull the mounting brackets tight to the roof.  A liberal application of a high quality polyurethane sealant should keep the water out for several years (though I do check the roof seams and vents several times a year).  After several thousand miles and many rainstorms, everything still appears tight and dry.

The solar controller took awhile to figure out where to mount .  Obviously, it had to be inside.  The directions tell you to put it close to the batteries.  But finding a flat surface large enough to hold it on the path I figured the wiring would run was a whole other matter.  Plus, it needed to be in a fairly protected location because of the fuse hanging out the front of the controller.  Many people I talked to had recommended putting it above the fridge.  Unfortunately, there's not enough room in our camper because the fridge sits up so high.  I finally settled on a location just below the sink.  It sounds like a strange place to put it, but it has worked very well.  The blue carpeted piece you see about the controller is a step for getting into the cabover.  It helps protect the controller from feet and water.  Plus, almost all the wiring in the camper passes by that location.  As an added bonus, the spacing of the "studs" behind this panel was perfect.  There was just enough room for the electronics to fit, and the screws holding it in place went into the framing.  When seated at the closer end of the dinette, I can just read the display. 

Probably the hardest part of the whole job was fishing the wire from the battery compartment, behind the heater and stove, under the sink and to the back of the control panel.  Then I had to fish wire from the controller, across the top of the water tank, under the water heater to behind the fridge.  From there, I drilled a hole to route the wire along the back of the fridge through the outside compartment that houses the fridge condenser. 

I also mounted a small marine 12V connector outside the camper, under the overhang just beneath the fridge.  This parallel connection gives me the ability to add to our solar capacity.  I plug our "portable" 22W solar panel into this connector.  Then I can face this panel directly at the sun for higher efficiency.  And when needed I can still use the 22W panel to charge the battery inside the cargo trailer.  On a bright day, the solar system puts out close to 5 amps. 

Some notes of caution:  Because one pair of wires is connected directly to the batteries, you want to be very careful about sharp edges and potential chafing points.  Shorting your battery terminals is a BIG PROBLEM.  You could start a fire.  On the solar panel side of the controller, the currents are much lower, but you still want to protect against chafing.  Additionally, be generous with the sealant where the cable passes from the inside to outside. 

Bottom line...  Take your time, tape or shrink wrap your connections and be careful.  It's not a difficult job, but you must exercise good common sense.

Future Upgrades

You may be asking what else I could possibly want to add.  My wife says the same thing. 

Well...  Sometimes when we are boondocking, it would be nice to be able to use the microwave oven for a few minutes.  Yeah, I know...  We're camping.  But like most people of our generation, the microwave is a convenience we're used to having.  Unfortunately, the Honda EU1000 we have does not have the capacity to run the microwave.  We need 1300 watts of power.  Now as I see it, there are two options. 

First Option:  I could pick up the phone and have a new Honda EU2000 delivered within a week.  But that unit is quite a bit bigger than our EU1000, and won't fit the designated storage space.  Plus, it's kind of a hassle to get out a generator, check it, start it, let it warm up, unreel the camper electrical cord and hook up for just a few minutes of microwave time...  Especially when we're on the road.

Second Option:  An inverter built into the camper.  Again, I could have a 1500W inverter shipped out pretty quickly.  It's quiet and doesn't cause any of the setup hassles of a generator.  But an inverter runs on the battery bank.  And a microwave running for one minute on an inverter is using 2AH of your bank's capacity.  The whole rest of the camper only uses 25-30AH in a day.  So if you run your microwave for 7 minutes, you could raise your daily power consumption by 50%.  In 25 minutes, you microwave could eat your battery bank.  Even the fridge running on 12VDC will run for many hours.  And I won't even get into the cooling, wiring and space problems related to a high capacity inverter. 

The reality is that both options are fairly expensive.  And it seems kind of silly to spend $500-900 on equipment to run a $100 microwave for a few minutes.  But I still want an inverter.  And the Honda EU2000 would be nice too. 

Now that we've explored the immediately impractical, what about some other upgrades related to comfort. 

A DVD player would be nice.  Sometimes the weather is disagreeable.  And the TV reception isn't always the greatest.  We have a nice collection of DVD's, so a portable player designed for automotive use seems plausible.  Of course, we'd probably forget to bring the DVD's.

The camper came equipped with an AM/FM Cassette stereo...  Anyone still use cassettes?  I'd like to install an CD player.  But for now, we use a portable CD player with one of the cassette adapters. 

A catalytic propane heater would be nice.  Yeah, the furnace works great.  But it uses a lot of battery power if we're not plugged in to shore power.  And it is so loud that it scares one of our dogs and makes it difficult for us to sleep through the night.  The downside of a catalytic is finding a suitable mounting place in a slide-in camper.  And then it's only really useful when it's above freezing outside.  If the temperature drops below freezing, the furnace needs to be used so that the water tanks don't freeze.  Probably the only way to make this work is to have one of the Portable Buddy heaters made by the Mr. Heater company. 

More battery capacity would help keep our generator quiet.  Currently, we have two Group 27 batteries.  Sometime soon, they'll need replacing.  I'd like to have 3 or more Group 27 batteries, with the extra one(s) mounted in the space in front of the rear wheels.  But the logistics of wiring and connectors may add more complication than it's worth.   The reality here is that's I'll probably upgrade to a couple of Group 31 batteries.  With careful selection, I should be able to bump our battery capacity by 30%. 

Another 75W solar panel would be nice.  I'm not sure that I left enough room on the camper roof to hard mount another panel that large.  But our controller is rated to 20 amps, so we could easily handle the juice from two more 75W panels. 

Would you do it again?

Yes, I think we would.  We've really enjoyed having a slide-in camper (and I've really enjoyed having an F-350 to play with).  By the end of 2002, we had traveled probably 25,000 miles with the rig.  We've enjoyed long trips and short weekends.  We've used it as a guestroom while visiting relatives.  And it's seen use for day trips, tailgate parties and when our windsurfing club has events at the lake.  We make excuses to use it, instead of excuses to leave it behind. 

While sometimes we look at the big diesel pushers and say, "that sure looks nice", the reality is that we're probably not that kind of people.  Besides the initial and ongoing high costs of large rigs, you also limit the places you can go.  How often do you see a luxury pusher at a restaurant?  At the beach?  Out enjoying nature?  

No...  If we upgrade, it will probably be to another truck camper.  We continue to go to the RV shows to poke and prod.  And we always seem to find ourselves spending lots of time in the slide-ins.  And while we like a lot of what we see from some of the other manufactures, we keep gravitating back to Lance and their 1161 model.  Of course, that means we'll have to upgrade out truck to an F-450 or maybe an F-550...  With 4x4, extended tanks and lots of other options.  But that doesn't hurt my feelings. 

Happy Camping,
The Dog

http://www.thedoghouse.net or Dog House Camping