Delux vs standard. Are wood cabinets worth the price?

[indymoxy]

Looking to purchase a new 13' scamp with no bathroom. I love the look of the wood cabinets va the fiberglass. Question is, are they worth the $3000 cost? I like the front dinette and you get an extra cabinet, but otherwise I'm not sure if it is a good value. Any thoughts? Particularly, does one hold up over time better and does one lend itself to modifications more easily? Would love some input.

[steelypip]

Having seen a 13' with the deluxe interior, I'd be very attracted to the idea as well.

Ultimately, I'd say it comes down to you and your finances. If I were going to buy a trailer new, I'd get it exactly the way I wanted it...

[Dennis mn]

I look at purchase of a trailer as a long term purchase. That said, only you can answer the question. Is the additional cost of $3,000 for wood cabinetry worth it for you and your long term enjoyment. For me it was not, but I rather like the look of fiberglass.

[Raz]

I was lead to believe the cabinets were solid wood. A member corrected me saying both faux wood and MDF were used. I'm not a fan of either. Raz

[Cathy P.]

In their brochure, it says it is hardwood, Oak or Birch. Now, I believe that in the standard units, those cabinet doors are the faux/MDF whatever though. I have seen photos of many older Deluxe interiors and many looked brand new, and you do not get that look with older faux/MDF.

I believe the Scamp Deluxe interior is the most beautiful interior of all the trailers!

[steve dunham]

IMHO , The quality and the construction of the wood cabinets in a Scamp Deluxe are superior to the cabinetry in any other brand of fiberglass trailer.

[Raz]

In a similar thread I said this:

I came close to buying a Scamp deluxe. The cabinets are all wood ( no faux wood, veneer, etc.), Happy shopping, Raz

A member provided this response.

I bought a new Scamp 13 Deluxe in 2014 and my experience is different than many of the folks here. Maybe mine was made on a Monday morning. While the Red Oak is beautiful, much of it is veneer covered particle board. The cabinet doors and cabinet frames are solid Oak, but the sheet goods (cabinet and door panels), bath door, cabinet sides are all particle board with a thin veneer covering. I wish they would use veneer covered plywood instead for weight savings, stronger screw holding and durability.

My Scamp has no true fine woodworking, but lots of staples, screws and rough edges. I spent a couple of hours going over cabinet openings with sandpaper to eliminate knuckle scraping sharp edges and replaced the heavy plastic coated particle board table top and range cover with Oak plywood for beauty and weight savings.

That said I believe this is pretty much standard quality for the low-end RV industry. And it works well enough for most folks.

On the other hand 20K miles later, the wood is warm looking and beautiful and I would buy it again. YMMV. It is easy to romanticize our eggs and mostly that is justified. Just know what you are getting.

Draw your own conclusions.

[Darwin Maring]

Our Scamp 5r wood cabinets came unglued. Some quality problems. I would have prefered fiberglass, easier to clean, may be less weight than the wood.

[Cathy P.]

My conclusion is that the "Red oak" is that new red color, which I don't care for, that Scamp just started using in the standard unit. Some people get confused by "deluxe" since Scamp means wood cabinets and Casita means a wet bath.

I could see getting used to the "red" color eventually, maybe.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Cathy P.

My conclusion is that the "Red oak" is that new red color, which I don't care for, that Scamp just started using in the standard unit. Some people get confused by "deluxe" since Scamp means wood cabinets and Casita means a wet bath.

I could see getting used to the "red" color eventually, maybe.

Scamp calls the new faux wood trim in the standard (fiberglass) units a cherry finish. Whether it's an improvement over the old medium oak finish is personal preference. I kind of like it myself, but I haven't seen it in person. It's so easy to change or paint that I see it as trivial.

I believe Scamp still offers two wood finishes in the deluxe versions: honey oak and birch. It's a combination of solid wood and veneers, but all the finish surfaces are real wood, not the printed stuff used in the standard.

Personally, I'd have a hard time paying $3000 for the deluxe upgrade now that the larger bed is available in the standard. I like the bright fiberglass look in a small trailer. With a bit of work it is possible to get a front dinette (and even preserve the bunk if desired) in the standard model. But that's just my preference (and my budget... LOL).

The Scamp sales department, through their referral program, may be able to set you up with nearby owners of both standard and deluxe versions so you can see them at first hand and form your own opinion.

On the other hand, I'd continue to watch the used market. Neither the standard big bed-front bunk nor the deluxe front dinette is very common, but I would be very happy with either if I found a good one at a fair price. The OP might be interested to know that Scamp's deposit and cancellation policy is very generous*. It is possible to order a new one and continue to shop for a used one right up until they start your build.
*Subject to change, of course. Check with Scamp.

[Rich G. and Val F.]

Like most of the trailer options it's a personal choice to make about what you want.

We went with the birch interior and are very happy with the choice. We treat our trailer as our cabin on wheels and the wood interior reminds me of the home interiors of when I lived in Norway. During the winter I run a space heater and often sit and read out in the trailer. I also get better TV reception in the trailer than I do in our house.

[Darral T.]

It wasnt "worth" it to us for two reasons:

1) Wife does NOT like the wood interior as compared to the white fiberglass cabinets etc. Why? She said the white is brighter and makes are 13' seem a little larger inside. We've been in both so we have experienced the effects. Personally, I love the wood.

2) I will NOT pay $3000 EXTRA for my Scamp for "wood". I'd rather "laminate" some thin veneer to my existing cabinets for that price no larger than my Scamp is! I cannot STAND the new "dark" cherry? finish on the new Scamps.

There IS some weight difference with wood/deluxe models but not sure how much.

That's my opininon(s)

[Jennifer Minogue]

I have a Captain (the Polish trailer no longer imported) and all the cabinetry is hollow to save weight. I was told by a trailer manufacturer that it is a lot more labor-intensive to make hollow doors than use solid material.

Solid wood is really heavy and I personally think it is all about weight when you are hauling a trailer. If it is sitting permanently on a site, that's different. I even saw an Airstream for sale that had a ceramic tile floor!! I can't imagine how much weight that added.

[Johnny M]

I have a 1971 Boler 1300, the grandfather to the Scamp and I believe it is one of the first American Bolers and most likely made by Scamp for Boler before they began selling the "Scamps". It had fiberglass cabinets above the rear dinette/bed, over the kitchenette, and above the front bunk, plus the fiberglass closet. We completely redesigned our interior removing all fiberglass fixtures making the bed permanent, a side bunk/goucho and a front bath. I custom built the entire interior and made custom wood cabinets over the back bed, above the two side windows and side bunk too. I made them all taller and deeper for added storage (but gave up some head room under them). I can tell you that if I was to build custom cabinets and install them for someone else's FBRV I would charge that or possibly more. Mine are sturdy by design but light weight also using 1x2 select pine for the frames, face frames, stils and rails of the doors and I used a mid grade interior plywood for the bottom/shelves and the panels for the doors. Everything was one using wood dowels joints as opposed to screws so no hardware is visible except for the door knob screws and the anchor screws that tie them to the bathroom wall, and the tabs that I glassed to the shell. I have no rivet holes to leak for any of my cabinet work. If I had to do it again I would without question, but it is a lot work and I am very happy with them and the amount of storage we have.

[Darral T.]

My hat's off to you for doing away with the aggravating RIVETS. May I suggest you take it to Scamp and ask them to do like-wise???

Originally Posted by Johnny M

I have a 1971 Boler 1300, the grandfather to the Scamp and I believe it is one of the first American Bolers and most likely made by Scamp for Boler before they began selling the "Scamps". It had fiberglass cabinets above the rear dinette/bed, over the kitchenette, and above the front bunk, plus the fiberglass closet. We completely redesigned our interior removing all fiberglass fixtures making the bed permanent, a side bunk/goucho and a front bath. I custom built the entire interior and made custom wood cabinets over the back bed, above the two side windows and side bunk too. I made them all taller and deeper for added storage (but gave up some head room under them). I can tell you that if I was to build custom cabinets and install them for someone else's FBRV I would charge that or possibly more. Mine are sturdy by design but light weight also using 1x2 select pine for the frames, face frames, stils and rails of the doors and I used a mid grade interior plywood for the bottom/shelves and the panels for the doors. Everything was one using wood dowels joints as opposed to screws so no hardware is visible except for the door knob screws and the anchor screws that tie them to the bathroom wall, and the tabs that I glassed to the shell. I have no rivet holes to leak for any of my cabinet work. If I had to do it again I would without question, but it is a lot work and I am very happy with them and the amount of storage we have.

[floyd]

We own a 2004 Scamp13 deluxe.
The cabinet fronts and door frames are in fact solid oak. The door panels and upper cabinet floors and cabinet walls are oak plywood.
The bulkhead is MDF since it is the most stable material for the application and is laminated with oak veneer on one side and plastic on the other(inside the bathroom).
The interior is installed using screws instead of rivets. We have had exactly zero shell screws come loose or fail in 12 years and at least 75000 miles of towing.
While the Standard trailer is a great trailer and a good value, the Deluxe is the finest interior offered by any trailer manufacturer.
Take another look at the features which come with the Deluxe vis-a-vis the Standard. Such things as more cabinet space and drawer space available, the fridge, etc. These mitigate the additional expense to some degree.
All that being said, the additional expense was quickly forgotten as soon as our first look at our finished trailer and reinforced over the years.
In fact we feel that the trailer has paid for itself completely multiple times already. It still looks and performs practically as new and we expect many more years of service for as long as we are able to use it.
After twelve years it is still worth more than 3/4ths of the purchase price.
Just imagine if you could get that sort of value from a new car, with or without an upgraded trim level.

[BobH.]

We picked up our new 13 Std. last March. We had a new New 13 Deluxe on order and then change the order, there were a couple of reasons for that. The Deluxe was ordered with a front dinette, with my wife's and mine full built bodies, it was not an easy slide into the dinette's seats. with our old 13, we developed a fondness for the front bench. I had earlier this spring replaced the rivets in a 5er Deluxe, the wood was water damaged and the screws were very difficult to remove. The wood is very nice, but, it does require that you stay current with the trailer's maintainence.

BobH.

Originally Posted by indymoxy

Looking to purchase a new 13' scamp with no bathroom. I love the look of the wood cabinets va the fiberglass. Question is, are they worth the $3000 cost? I like the front dinette and you get an extra cabinet, but otherwise I'm not sure if it is a good value. Any thoughts? Particularly, does one hold up over time better and does one lend itself to modifications more easily? Would love some input.

[redbarron55]

All I can speak for is my much modified Scamp with hte "custom" wood cabinets.
The rear overhead cabinets were screwed through the fiberglass into the eood and thes showed no signs of leaking or loosening.
I installed my wood cabinets with screws through washers and no caps and no loosening and no leaking.
I think the fastening is superior in the wood an vibration on the road will not loosen them as much as the pop rivets through two layers of fiberglass.
However to each his own!

[sal6342]

We purchase our 13 Foot Deluxe this year with the wood option (Birch). We also got the additional cabinets so they wrap around. They have craftsman building and installing these cabinets. They are gorgeous. We looked at other brands of trailers but were really taken with the real wood option. Everyone is different in their tastes but for us it was the best choice and makes us feel at home like our own little cabin!

-Scott

[floyd]

Originally Posted by BobH.

We picked up our new 13 Std. last March. We had a new New 13 Deluxe on order and then change the order, there were a couple of reasons for that. The Deluxe was ordered with a front dinette, with my wife's and mine full built bodies, it was not an easy slide into the dinette's seats. with our old 13, we developed a fondness for the front bench. I had earlier this spring replaced the rivets in a 5er Deluxe, the wood was water damaged and the screws were very difficult to remove. The wood is very nice, but, it does require that you stay current with the trailer's maintainence.

BobH.

While I think it is prudent to stay current with the maintenance of anything you own, I can't think of any structural maintenance which would be particular to the wood interior.
We have replaced our snap caps (no underlying washers or screws) once in 12years and we clean and treat the wood once a year.
I spent less than 30 minutes total on the former, and about 20 minutes a year on the latter.