66yr old new RVer, WOW?

[MK Evenson]

Just ordered my 1st Travel Trailer, Scamp 13'. So many questions. I have been reading, but is there a consolidated newby's guide to all things trailer LIKE WHICH POWER SOURCE TO USE WHEN? How to keep food cold without hookups, what 1st aid kit do I need for my Scamp? Is there a "dummies guide"?

Won't take delivery till Sept, but my mind wanders, full of questions. Should we visit a Scamp get together even tho I don't have one yet?

Mark

[Jon in AZ]

You could start by watching all of Scamp's instructional videos on their website. Pretty basic, but it's a start.

Getting a first-hand tour is a great idea as well. There may be a forum member nearby willing to help. If not, the Scamp sales department should be able to set you up with a local owner through their referral program. It's good to see firsthand if the layout and options you are ordering are really what you need. There's plenty of time to make changes.

For some real first-hand experience, Dan's Trailers in Woodland, CA, has rentals, including a 13' Scamp. You could try it out for few days, or even take it to a fiberglass egg rally, where there'll be lots of experienced folks to give help and advice (and lots of egg trailers to look at!). Here's a link to the 2017 Rally Map. Looks like there's a rally in King City in early May. It would pass the time until yours is built!

[Paul O.]

When I was looking for my trailer, I was perusing this book:
The Complete Idiot's Guide to RVing, by Brent Peterson.
It covers the whole gamut. The title was appropriate for me, my knowledge was pretty much zip. It is not a book to read end to end, but to search for relevant topics, re-read those that matter, skip others.
I never scribble in books, but this was an exception. I scribbled in margins and underlined a lot and come back to it occasionally. I probably read the whole thing, but out of order.

[LyleB]

Just to make clear, you do NOT need to have a Scamp or other molded FG trailer to attend a FG rally, so even if you don't rent a Scamp, you can still attend and be welcome. Most Rallys include a set time for trailer tours. When you decide on which Rally you want to attend, try to find out when the tours will be and be sure to attend on that day.

I'm sure Jon didn't intend to imply that you HAD to be in a Scamp, but it was how I read it and would have taken it if I were new to this community. I just wanted to clarify that you would be welcome, even without a rented Scamp. :-)

By the way, WELCOME, and congratulations on your pending new Scamp!

[ZachO]

Yes it can be overwhelming at first. Definitely attend a rally. Find a local Scamp or fiberglass RV owner and have them show you around their camper. Most are happy to show off their trailer and help someone out.

RVs will vary slightly, but typically when you are at a campsite with hookups, you plug in, flip a breaker in the power center, and use everything.

Depending on what options your Scamp has, 90% of your electronics are 12V/DC and run off your battery. So when you aren't plugged in, you just use your lights, heater, water pump. But once you plug in and flip that breaker, the power center has a "converter" which will convert the 120V/AC into 12V/DC. Then you just use everything the same way you did before. The only difference is that you can now use the wall outlets, just like the ones in your house, and also things like air conditioning and microwave which generally draw too much power for a battery to supply. The power center will also start charging your battery when you're plugged in and have the breaker "on".

If your fridge is a 2 or 3-way, it will run on propane when you aren't plugged in. If not, then bring a cooler, or put frozen water bottles or something in the fridge.

Even if you just google "rv use basics" or something similar to that, you'll probably find endless reading and some of the condensed info you're looking for. But a Scamp rally would absolutely be best, whether you've got yours yet or not.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by LyleB

Just to make clear, you do NOT need to have a Scamp or other molded FG trailer to attend a FG rally, so even if you don't rent a Scamp, you can still attend and be welcome. Most Rallys include a set time for trailer tours. When you decide on which Rally you want to attend, try to find out when the tours will be and be sure to attend on that day.

I'm sure Jon didn't intend to imply that you HAD to be in a Scamp, but it was how I read it and would have taken it if I were new to this community. I just wanted to clarify that you would be welcome, even without a rented Scamp. :-)

Thank you for clarifying that, Lyle, and you're right- I certainly did not mean to imply you have to have a molded fiberglass trailer to attend a rally. It simply occurred to me as a great destination if you did decide to try a rental. But if not, you could register and camp in anything you wanted, or just visit for a day. In the latter case, it would be good to contact the event coordinator for advice on scheduling that visit. The rally map has a link to the thread for each rally, and you could post in the thread or send a private message to the coordinator (usually the first post).

There aren't many places to rent fiberglass eggs, but you are fortunate to have a couple in CA (the other is Happier Camper in LA). Renting before you purchase is a great idea when it is possible. Living in a 6.5'x10' space involves some adjustment and sacrifices, as does towing a trailer on the highway. At $275 for three days (Dan's Trailers), it seems like a reasonable price, too. Back in the 70's my parents rented a pop-up trailer before going ahead with a plan to purchase our own.

[WaltP]

Is anyone here familiar enough with Arizona Eileen's A-Z manual for Casitas to judge whether there's enough general info there to be useful to a prospective Scamp owner?

A-Z Casita Owner's Guide

[MK Evenson]

Thank you all for your helpful replies. We do intend to visit the Far West Scamp meeting at Gold Country RV park in May. The dummies book sounds useful also.
The rental option is very enticing, thanks for the suggestion.

Mark

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by WaltP

Is anyone here familiar enough with Arizona Eileen's A-Z manual for Casitas to judge whether there's enough general info there to be useful to a prospective Scamp owner?

A-Z Casita Owner's Guide

I bought one when Eileen first produced the CD. And I have to say YES there's more than enough general information that would benefit owners of ANY brand of all-molded towable. Everything from where to buy parts to where to get help. Some of the information is obviously just for Casitas... like how to open the shower drain. But, I found the information to be worth the small (in the grand scheme of things) expense.

[WaltP]

Thanks Donna. I thought that would be the case.

Walt

[macmarilyn]

Would the Escapees Boot Camp be helpful? https://escapees.com/knowledge/boot-camp/main-page

[Steve L.]

Travel Trailer Camping Tips | USA Today


Click your way through the sidebars, packing, trailer maintenance, etc.

[Ttocs M]

Check with some of the RV sales/service companies in your area for free maintenance clinics. I learned how to winterize/dewinterize, towing, maintenance, etc. Some of their websites also have information you can download, i.e. checklists.

Your first biggest challenge, backing up/parking a single axel trailer. If no prior experience, church parking lots during weekdays are good places to practice with an experienced friend. Enjoy!

[BARNEYCONE]

Hey old timer,
i'll soon turn 76 and am rebuilding a '89 casita sd 16',my first egg.
Every day is a education,learn something new and remember something
old!!!! You have lots of "lead time" to learn and still will not know it
all.
Congrats and good luck!
Barney cone ii

[Huck]

A couple of options:

• Use search on this forum.
• Post your questions here.

I'm getting ready to do my longest trip, so I'm playing what if. If this happens, what will I do? If that happens, what will I do?

[herons]

RV newbie here at age 65. I just picked up the Scamp and headed west for 3,000 miles, then turned east and came home.

I made a notebook of tips and reminders in the months before I picked up the trailer. I figured it all out by the time I hit North Dakota. The one thing I forgot (from the 5 minute Scamp factory orientation) was easily answered by a phone call to Eveland, Inc.

Safe travels! Post often and we'll get you headed toward Camp Happy.