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[Tony M]

Hi everyone. We are new to this group. My wife and I are in the process of purchasing a new 13 foot Scamp trailer. We have attempted to find a used one here in the northeast, but they are few and far between, so in September after leaving Yellowstone Park, where it was 28 degrees and snowing and we were tenting, we drove through MN. and visited the scamp factory. We liked the deluxe model because instead of bunks, it had a little dinette. However, due to its configuration, the seating area is only about four feet six inches, not enough to sleep on when converted to a couch. Also, the deluxe has lots of wood in it making it about 250 pounds heavier than the standard model and as we will be pulling the camper with a 4 cylinder Subaru with a manual transmission, we do not want the extra weight in wood. So we are interested in purchasing the standard model with bunks, taking off the top bunk and converting the bottom bunk to a dinette that can be reconverted to a bunk when needed. I'm wondering how difficult this conversion would be and are there any structural concerns in making this alteration. Thanks for any information you might provide. Tony

[Gerry]

Let me be the first to welcome you and I am sure there will be many others...
There are loads of knowlage to be gained here and friends too.
Hope to see you at the Spring Fling Rally in Nh in May.
This will be my first host for a rally and I know with FGRV'ers it will be a great time.
Welcome aboard.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Tony M

...We liked the deluxe model because instead of bunks, it had a little dinette. However, due to its configuration, the seating area is only about four feet six inches, not enough to sleep on when converted to a couch... So we are interested in purchasing the standard model with bunks, taking off the top bunk and converting the bottom bunk to a dinette that can be reconverted to a bunk when needed. I'm wondering how difficult this conversion would be and are there any structural concerns in making this alteration. Thanks for any information you might provide. Tony

Welcome, Tony! We, too, upgraded to a Scamp from a tent, and it did not take a winter experience to convince us. I've just aged to the point where all the bending and lifting to set up camp, as well as sleeping on the ground, took a lot of the fun out. We've endured a few cold nights while winter Scamping in the Phoenix desert, as well as a cool, damp Thanksgiving trip to Big Sur, and it's sure nice to flip on the furnace before crawling out of bed in the morning!

If you really like the deluxe version, Scamp will omit the streetside corner cabinet so the front dinette makes a full-width bed when lowered.

I'm curious where you got the 250 pound weight difference from- that's been a point of discussion here. The deluxe includes some things that are optional on standards, but commonly ordered, so the actual difference may be less. The main thing with your Subaru is keeping the tongue weight under 200 pounds. Eliminating the front cabinet and sticking with a single propane tank should get you pretty close.

On the other hand, converting the standard to a front dinette is a medium difficulty project with no structural issues. Removing the upper bunk is a matter of taking out eight small screws that attach hinges to a ledge under the front window, and it's just as easily re-installed. Here's the view from under the front bunk looking toward the front shell:


You'll have to cut out the fiberglass around the porta-potty recess to create a footwell, box it in to support the fiberglass, make a pedestal table and brackets to support it when lowered, and re-do the bench cushion in three or four pieces. I'll bet you could work with Scamp to have the cushions made to order during the initial build.

It is not necessary to eliminate the upper bunk to gain the dinette, something to consider if kids or grandkids, for example, might ever want to come along.

This example requires the upper bunk to be removed to make a dinette and uses three cushion pieces. You can see the larger bridge cushion on the right in the second photo.



This one allows the bunk to remain in place and uses two smaller cushions to cover the table. Because this was an old Boler that lacked the porta-potty recess, it was offset toward the door a bit.


I've been saving pictures because when our kids are grown and gone, this is something I'd like to do myself.

[Tony M]

Hi Jon, Thanks for the information. Yes, Five days of camping in Yellowstone with below 30 degree weather in September was enough to convince us it was time for a camper. The kids are grown and out of the house and we want something small that can be pulled with either of our four cylinder suv's.
The 250 lbs. of additional weight information came from the salesman at Scamp who I spoke with yesterday. If front and side cabinets are also added, the difference is closer to 300 lbs. That's a lot of weight just to have a wood interior and as my Subaru has a towing capacity of 1500 lbs. I'm thinking it unnecessary to add the additional weight. We simply like the idea of keeping the big bed made up and eating at the dinette. They don't offer the standard camper with the fiberglass interior with a dinette because they do not have a mold for that provision and the wood interior with dinette is a custom build. The deluxe is also $2,700.00, more than the similarly equipped standard. More money and more weight. I would prefer to buy the standard, lighter version and convert the bunk to a dinette that can be used as a bed when needed. I'm tired of looking at 30 and 40 year old trailers that are selling for a lot of money when we can purchase a brand new one for a few thousand dollars more. Of course my wife wants to know if we can immediately remove the stained doors and paint them, and could we also paint parts of the fiberglass interior along with the dinette conversion? Here we go!!

[Jon in AZ]

I understand your thought process exactly! I didn't realize your tow rating was so low... You'll need to consider your options carefully and pack lightly.

I would at least recommend working with Scamp to have the cushions made to accommodate the conversion. That would save a lot of work and/or expense later.

The cabinet doors are covered with a fake printed wood grain surface. Painting would be simple. Painting the fiberglass… possible, but I wouldn't.

Here are a couple of newer Scamps that manage to make the standard decor look pretty good:

[Tony M]

Thanks Gerry. We will order the trailer in the next few weeks and I will drive out to MN. in April to pick it up. May event in N.H. sounds great! Do you have a date and location? Tony

[Gerry]

Tony go to the link of just go to the Rally/Gatherings page on the FGRV site and go to Spring Fling New England
It will be May 11 to the 14 - in Chocorua NH
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...lly-77304.html

[Kai in Seattle]

Welcome to the forum.


Interesting plans and thinking...I'd like to add that you "could"
just get a small folding table and use the front bench as it is, without converting it. You could use it that way for a while AND have a little table to use outside, then, if you wanted to. Likely, it would weigh less than the tabletop for a dinette. Well, maybe. A lot of the little ones now come with a hollow plastic top. We use one in our 73 amerigo. It was a bit too small, so Paul added a piece of 1/4" ply (finish grade, finished) to the top. Height is even adjustable.


BEST, whatever you do! Happy camping.


Kai

[Tony M]

Hi Kai, Yes, we will set up a folding table in front of the bunks which can also be used outside. Eventually we would like to make the conversion to a dinette, but I don't think we can buy a new camper and immediately cut up the fiberglass bunk. There are lots of other small changes we can make to the inside first without getting out the chop saw! Thanks for you thoughts.

[Kai in Seattle]

Hi, Tony M,


Oh, good. I know how hard it would be cut up a new trailer right away.

In a while, when you're ready--


BEST
Kai

[Mike Magee]

Here's something I put together for a different trailer about 5 years ago. A piece of galvanized pipe, an end fitting, and two U brackets at the hardware store. Plus a cutting board. The brackets allowed the entire assembly to swivel freely. Just a thought for a possible temporary solution.

[Kai in Seattle]

Mike Magee--oh, that's VERY nice! Always like those striped wood cutting boards...and the swivel function is super!