The ultimate test of durability and performance – Lance earns first Alaska-Tested-Tough designation from Alaska Magazine

In 1999, Alaska Magazine introduced a unique concept in outdoor product testing and customer satisfaction measurements, 'Alaska-Tested-Tough' – and Lance truck campers were one of the first products to earn this Alaska-Tested-Tough designation.

"Through hands-on product testing by both everyday consumers and recognized Alaska experts – coupled with public opinion surveys by Harris Interactive – this program was designed to give consumers even more confidence in their equipment and outdoor product purchases," said Matt Brown, Director of Morris National Magazines, publishers of Alaska Magazine.

Harris Interactive – home of the world-famous Harris Polls

Based on the extensive testing program and the Harris surveys, Alaska-Tested-Tough is a quality guideline for consumers shopping for products that can withstand harsh, outdoor conditions.

David Krane, Senior Vice President of Public Policy for Harris Interactive said of the Alaska-Tested-Tough candidates: "We were impressed by the results of the Lance camper surveys. In these surveys the respondents clearly communicated that they were very satisfied with their Lance campers. This support was across the board and the message we received loud and clear is that the respondents think the products can stand up to the harsh Alaska winters. The people who used the products were definitely indicating that they deserved the Alaska-Tested-Tough designation."

So what does it mean for a product to be "Alaska-Tested-Tough"?

"In all of the United States, no area places greater stress on outdoor equipment than Alaska, especially in winter," said Bruce Woods, Editor of Alaska Magazine. "And there are few other places in the world where more is expected from equipment, whether that equipment is an automobile battery, a pair of binoculars, a sleeping bag or even a rain suit."

"That's why," said David Foster, Editorial Director of Alaska Magazine, "we wanted to create a program where the products are tested under typical to extreme Alaska conditions to determine if they are tough enough to make it in Alaska.

"We are delighted to announce that Lance is the first to win the Alaska-Tested- Tough designation," Brown said.

"However," Foster said, "Alaska-Tested-Tough is not an 'editor's choice award.' In fact, our editors only assist in the building of the expert panel. All the testing of products is conducted by an independent panel of experts plus a Harris-approved panel of independent Alaska consumers. The designation Alaska-Tested-Tough is awarded only to those products that pass these tests.

"In other words, when a product earns the designation Alaska-Tested-Tough, consumers know that this product can make it in Alaska. And if it can make it in Alaska it can make it anywhere," Foster concluded.

Products that earn the Alaska-Tested-Tough designation are approved to use the special Alaska-Tested-Tough logo in their marketing programs.


Lance camper delivers optimum performance

When the wind is howling at 50 mph or the temperature is -20° F, or – as occurs often in Alaska – one finds himself facing both conditions at the same time, camping is no longer a simple recreation, but a serious challenge. Lance picked up exactly that challenge when it became a candidate for the Alaska-Tested-Tough designation.

And Alaskans are tough judges of any product, but the other three Alaska-Tested-Tough field testers – who also had no previous experience with a Lance camper – agreed with field tester Larry Fiedler of Anchorage: "The camper worked better than expected."

And Larry was camping in temperatures down to -60° F. Now, those conditions require a camper that is truly Alaska-Tested-Tough.

Lance manufactures an extensive line of truck campers with interior floor lengths from eight to 11 feet long. In effect, the camper is made to be carried in the bed of a pickup truck.

Many Alaska, and other Western state, campers long have had a preference for this style of camper because the unit can be easily unloaded from the bed and stabilized at the camping spot, leaving the truck available for transportation.

On Alaska's myriad unimproved roads and simple forest two-tracks often covered in snow or turned to muddy slush, the camper/truck combination can make for more efficient driving. Throw in the four-wheel drive combination many Alaskans demand for their trucks and the limits of where one can go are determined only by the availability of roads, almost regardless of the condition of those roads.

The field judges for the Alaska Tested Tough test used an 11-foot camper matched to a four-wheel-drive Dodge Ram pickup. This camper included the All-Weather Package option. They took the camper afield for a number of late fall, winter and spring tasks, from snowmachining to mountain skiing to upland bird hunting to weekend touring.

Each and every one agreed the Lance camper is well suited to the demanding extremes of Alaska and offered few comments for improvement except for the need for more storage space for snow-wet clothing.

The Alaska Lance owners surveyed by Harris Interactive were equally enthusiastic about their Lance experience.

Harris received a list of 102 people that had purchased a Lance Camper within the past four years in Alaska.

Harris reported "Between December 10 and December 19, slightly over half of that entire universe, 52 Lance camper owners, were interviewed by telephone for this study." These owners own a variety of Lance models, from the basic 8-foot Lance to the larger 11-foot models.

Alaska Lance owners give Lance solid 'A' grades

In a detailed report on its findings, Harris Interactive reported that Lance owners rated their campers in key general indicators:

Overall Satisfaction
94%+

Handling In Weather And Terrain
94%

Construction And Usage
95%

Features and Options
96%

While winter, especially in Alaska, is not a popular time for camping, Lance owners often find themselves on Alaska's ice and snow choked highways and by-ways.

Eight out of 10 Alaska respondents opted for the "All- Weather Package" and seven out of 10 have insulated and heated holding tanks.

77% of the owners say they are quite satisfied with the truck/camper combo while driving in windy conditions and 62% of the respondents said they use their camper in below freezing conditions, which, in Alaska, often include temperatures well below zero.

On a scale where 1 indicates least satisfaction and 5 indicates highest satisfaction, women rate the Lance camper's heater at 4.7.

Perhaps most remarkable is that 51 of the 52 respondents still own their Lance camper and each of the current owners say they will buy a Lance camper again.

In conclusion, writes Harris Interactive, "almost everyone (96%) is somewhat or very confident using the Lance Camper in dangerous or difficult Alaska situations including unpredictable weather and terrain.

100% say their camper's overall efficiency is the same or better than any of the competition.

"Given these findings, it seems clear that the Lance Camper is deserving of the Alaska-Tested-Tough seal of approval."

Article originally published in the September 2000 issue of Alaska Magazine. ©2000 Morris Communications Corporation. Alaska Magazine®, Alaska-Tested-Tough™ and the Alaska-Tested-Tough mark are trademarks or service marks of Morris Communications Corporation and are used with permission.