theboondork's RV blog

So, how's the Lance working out?

11/22/2022

Click the pics before they freeze, break, and fall off the blog.

Boondocking elephant Butte state Park Picture

Plenty of room to roam boondocking at Elephant Butte State Park. Even though I'm about 100 yards from the water's edge, this is still considered to be "the beach." And I guess that's because in these areas you're driving on sand and have to be constantly aware of how soft it is.

I am figuring out that the Lance is easier to use than the bronco. Now that I don't have a top to put up and down, which would sometimes be easy, but other times take 10 or 15 minutes to get it to latch down properly, and it seemed like the amount of time it took to get the top down and locked was inversely proportional to how much of a hurry I was in to go someplace.

And since I'm boondocking, I don't have any water hose to disconnect or a 30 amp electric cable to pack away in its cubby; it only takes me about five minutes to get the Lance ready to travel. And the simplicity of that makes me more willing to go someplace, even if it's for a short distance which I dreaded in the bronco because quite often it would take me longer to get the bronco ready to go somewhere than it would to get to where I wanted to go.

So as I get used to the Lance, I like living in it better and better. And strangely enough, the interior space of the Lance is still the least of my concerns. Now that I'm getting used to living in such a small space, I no longer see the point of having to walk to the bedroom, the kitchen, and the bathroom; why did I ever need to do that? I can understand needing more space if you've got more than one person living in an RV, but why does one need to walk to get to different parts of their living quarters?

Maybe it would bother me if I lived in this really tiny home, and when I stepped outside, I was in an RV Park, awning to awning with neighbors in every direction; maybe that would be somewhat claustrophobic. But since I boondock most of the time, I've got all the space I could possibly want outside in every direction, so I don't feel cramped.

It could be that wanting to live in a huge RV comes from our home-buying days when we always wanted to move to a bigger house. And the farther we had to walk in the house to get to the bedroom or the kitchen, the more spacious and impressive the house was, so the "Joneses" would be suitably impressed.

But an RV doesn't need to be that way; simplicity, mobility, and reliability, to me, that's the perfect RV.

Theboondork

These folks are boondocking at the water's edge, and I can just barely hear their music playing from where I'm at... And that's why I'm 100 yards from the water's edge.

Fishing... It's too chilly for just about any other water sport.

11 Comments

OFM

11/22/2022 09:42:25 pm

Yep Small is better. I have measured the inside of my rig a few times. It is 20 feet long inside. At the last measuring after the last cleaning out, I found that I could easily cut out 6 feet of box and not loose any livability and gain on maneuverability and gas mileage, The AC would have a lot less volume to cool. That 6 feet is basically the across the trailer couch and the spot I keep the trash can. Oh well at least it is paid for.

Tom

11/23/2022 06:33:56 am

Yeah I don't think it would make any sense to get rid of an RV just to lose a few feet, that would be too expensive. I made the change to give myself more mobility, and less stress while driving and it's a little harder to put a price tag on that... But so far it's been worth it.

Tom

11/23/2022 07:38:49 am

I think you have it exactly correct. Good trails to you.

Larry S Worsham

11/23/2022 06:46:03 am

I am glad that the Lance is working out for you. The Bronco paved the way for downsizing. It is probably easier to heat also without the exposure through the canvas sides.

It is true that the need for space in an RV is dictated by the number of people/pets and the convenience desired. I have camped in several size trailers and a cab over camper and each purchase was dictated by those things. Another person and two large dogs greatly influence the space needed. The appliances and most other conveniences are pretty standard no matter the size of the rig.

I am pulling a 32 ft. trailer with a floor plan that we have enjoyed for 20 yrs. I would like to go to a shorter trailer but the only floor plan WE like is a 29 footer. $35 to $50 grand is a lot to pay for a loss of 3 ft. (notice the emphasis on WE)

I am glad you have found the best compromise for you situation.

SAFE TRAVELS AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

11/23/2022 08:54:41 am

Thank you Larry, and a happy Thanksgiving to you to.

I used to brag that my 30 foot Arctic Fox fifth wheel was the size of a small apartment, and living in it was just like living in a small apartment, and actually it was. But living by myself why did I need a small apartment? I have no pets, I have very few visitors, I just had lots of empty space that gave me the feeling of room to move around just like living in a house.

But after all these years of full-timing it occurred to me while sitting in my easy chair in the Arctic Fox one afternoon... Why did my bed need to be twenty-something feet away from my chair? In fact why did anything have to be so far away from my easy chair? Why did I need a hallway to get to the bathroom? And the answer was... I didn't.

I had all that space so I would be able to carry more of my junk from my sticks and bricks house around with me most of which never left the spot I put them when I initially packed up the Arctic Fox, and I was still stuck in that homeowner mentality that bigger is better.

It's kind of weird to think that my tiny little home has everything that's necessary in it that the Arctic Fox has. It has a microwave, a bathroom, a stove, a bed, everything the Arctic Fox has. And the biggest difference is I don't have to walk anywhere to get to those things, everything is a step or two away.

But yes if there's more than one person, and large animals, more room is needed in an RV, and their needs to be certain constraints on everyone's freedom. But when I'm talking about the way I live, I'm talking about one selfish person... Me, who gets to live just the way I want to, and has to please nobody but myself.

But what I have gained in living small is way more important to me than the things I'm missing... I'm missing some storage room, but I've gained mobility that I only used to dream of having. My showers pretty small, but I can easily park my little home anywhere I want it to be. And I'm definitely missing the status of having a fifth-wheel, but I am so over status that I couldn't care less what anybody thinks, I have the freedom to go anywhere I want, boondock anywhere it's legal, and that makes me happy which is the only thing that counts when traveling alone.

Good grief! I should've made this a blog post.

Tom

Ken Hufnagel link

11/23/2022 10:01:32 am

I agree about the RV size issue. I had a 23 foot 5th wheel for a while, but I hated pulling it. Then I went to a 8-1/2 foot Lance 845. The mobility was great and the gas mileage was much better.

The only downside to that Lance was the flat roof that isn't flat anymore (it is sagging down) and the lack of a comfortable place to sit. The dinette was uncomfortable but there was no room for any kind of chair. It was really only a problem on bad weather days when I had to stay inside, and that was not very often.

Now I see people driving down the road pulling one of those enormous trailers or 5th wheels, and I think "man, am I glad I don't have to deal with that thing!".

11/23/2022 11:20:16 am

I agree with everything you said Ken. My life got to the point where I dreaded pulling the Arctic Fox down the road, traveling just stopped being enjoyable for me and most of that was because of all the things that can go wrong with the trailers running gear, and my marginal abilities to back the thing up always had me avoiding places where I couldn't "pull-through."

I believe my Lance also has a flat roof, but I haven't paid much attention to it. Flat roofs are never a good idea, and it's easy for a flat roof to end up with a depression in it which will attract every drop of water that falls. It can work okay, but requires a lot of attention to make sure nothing is leaking.

And yes the dinette seating is marginal at best, I refer to them as padded church pews because the back, and the seat are perpendicular to each other which makes them somewhat uncomfortable to an old creaky back like mine. I'm looking into some ways to change that but I figured I would give it a winter of living with the problem to make sure I come up with a solution thats going to work because it might involve some carpentry.

I too feel compassion when I see folks driving down the road in some gigantic motorhome or 45 foot trailer, but that's the way we learn. I'm sure they feel the same way about me because I'm just one step above sleeping in the backseat of a car, but that still means I'm two steps above sleeping in a tent. Twice in my winter travels this year I've been in a situation where I said to myself, "I sure am glad I'm not pulling the Arctic Fox right now." And that's just one of the reasons I feel so little stress when I'm traveling now days.

Tom

Linda

11/23/2022 01:41:29 pm

Our dinette got a lot more comfortable when I realized I could turn sideways, with my feet up, and a pillow behind my back.

11/23/2022 02:11:36 pm

I think that's exactly what I'm doing Linda. You probably know, that every dinette set up on a truck camper I've ever seen are shape like a "U" Except squared and not rounded. When I've got to spend time on the computer I "lounge" on the cushion with a pillow or a coat under my back which I find pretty comfortable.

At the same time I'm looking into something called a "floor chair," and I've been looking into seats for boats that are smaller than normal house chairs and I think could be made to fit my situation. But yes I do miss my reclining chair in the Arctic Fox but there's simply no room for something that big in the Lance, but I think with a little effort and a little re-imagining I can improve on what I've got now.

Tom

11/24/2022 01:43:58 pm

We had sortof-chairs called a Back Jack. Its a simple aluminum frame with a small cushion you sit on and a fabric back rest. We discovered it only works on a hard surface. Trying to use it on the bed didn't work because the support part just sunk into the mattress causing you to fall backwards.

11/24/2022 03:04:43 pm

I just looked up the BackJack chair on the Internet and it's a very similar concept to a floor chair. The floor chair is like a regular padded reclining chair without any legs so the cushion you set on is on the floor, very similar to video-game chairs kids set on. Or in my case it would be on the wooden boxes that the Lance factory cushions set on. They take up more room than the BackJack chair but they look more comfortable.

Thanks for that suggestion Linda, I'll dig a little deeper into its design and if it could be made to work in the Lance. The main thing to me is the chairs back needs to lean back so the chairs back is not at a 90° angle. I don't think my body will get to a 90° angle anymore.

I also noticed that the Back-Jack chair is very similar in design to a chair I bought for my Grumman aluminum canoe. The aluminum plate you normally set on got pretty uncomfortable after a while.

Tom

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So, how's the Lance working out?

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