original vs modify

[Flygal]

Hi all new Scamp owner here, (1977) new to me but yet to be seen Scamp sitting in far to much snow 280 miles away from here, so I have nothing but time to consider all the things I want to do/have to do when I stumble upon a for sale ad with the exact year and interior as mine...exept this one has an awning and a front window cover, for about 4,900 more than I paid for mine. This got me thinking.. ..do I keep it as original as I can or do I modify it to fit my needs, (not sure what my needs are just yet since I haven't actually set foot in it.) Just a thought curious on the feedback...Thanks for your imput Brandy

[Gina D.]

go with what you need/want and enjoy it more.

Outside of the upper end rigs (Bigfoot etc) these eggs are dear to our hearts but hold no great monetary value based on originality.

Clever mods, however, are always desirable.

[james kent]

I think that there are very few trailers out there in FG land that are original. Except for a couple of companies manufacturing brand new trailers a lot of us have models that have been out of production for a number of years. Many here have one that's been made in the 60's or70's. When you modify it it will be YOURS and no one else will have one exactly the same even if it's only something that you hang on a wall. A new trailer is a starting point. It's like a blank canvas waiting the artists touch. Go for it and have a ball.
Jim

[Frederick L. Simson]

I'm thinking that a 1968-1970 Boler might be worth the effort to keep in original, like new condition. Any other 13' egg is something you should make uniquely your own!

Just my $0.02

[Flygal]

Very well then I shall fantasize about my new floors and curtains without a monatery value lingering over my head...Thanks Brandy

[Doug Mager]

....Whatever you do Brandy, DON'T 'do' anything permanant untill AFTER you get back home in May!
(well, except maybe for cleaning/dusting, etc.)

[Flygal]

....Whatever you do Brandy, DON'T 'do' anything permanant untill AFTER you get back home in May!
(well, except maybe for cleaning/dusting, etc.)

Not even to tear out the stained carpet and put in new flooring?...so tempted...besides at the rate the snow is in the pass I hope I will have seen it by then. ...I will try to abstain from any remodel until I see some others before I decide to change the fabulouse yellow/brown plaid interior and yellow tassled curtains see you at the ralley in May...Brandy

[Greg A]

One thing I've learned on here over the last year is that everyone camps differently in their eggs. It would be very difficult to outfit one of these to please the majority of folks. Make it fit the way you camp so you can get maximum enjoyment and plan on keeping it a long time. They really pay dividends the longer you keep them and enjoy them. When it is time to sell you'll find someone who appreciates what you've done.

One of our first camping trips in our egg a 7 year old was visiting my 7 year old at our campsite. When he left to go back to his parents gigantic stick-built trailer he looked at me and said "Dad said maybe you'll have a real RV someday." I replied, "Tell your Dad, ours is paid for."

These lil eggs are great fun!

[Flygal]

One of our first camping trips in our egg a 7 year old was visiting my 7 year old at our campsite. When he left to go back to his parents gigantic stick-built trailer he looked at me and said "Dad said maybe you'll have a real RV someday." I replied, "Tell your Dad, ours is paid for.

These lil eggs are great fun!

AHahahahahhahah...priceless...Thanks for the laugh....

[Mike Watters]

I'm not really going to be adding much of a contrasting opinion here...

For older items that people buy, there are really only two basic markets: Collectors and Users. Collectors buy things to simply "have" them, use them sparingly and usually value originality over practicality. Users buy things to use on a regular basis (frequently as the primary whatever it is).

For example: The antique (pre 1970 or so) motorcycle or car market is a collector's market. That market treasures originality. For antique cameras - its more mixed. Some cameras are bought by collectors, some by users (varies a bit according to the type of camera). Stereo (3D) cameras are a user's market.

Old fiberglass trailers? Its a user's market. People are almost always buying them to go camping it. So - modifications that better suit that activity usually play well even if they come at the expense of strict originality.

I get the impression its a little different with Airstreams.

Mike

[Mike Watters]

One of our first camping trips in our egg a 7 year old was visiting my 7 year old at our campsite. When he left to go back to his parents gigantic stick-built trailer he looked at me and said "Dad said maybe you'll have a real RV someday." I replied, "Tell your Dad, ours is paid for."

I've gotten that before too. Amazing how many folks just can't fathom the idea that not everybody [b]wants the same thing they do (like a gigantic sticky). In all honesty though - if you bought a stick-built trailer as old as most of the eggs people have it'd likely be cheaper than the egg would be. Course it would also be a leaky, half rotten pile of sawdust by the time it's that old...

There's a different mentality between the people with the small fiberglass trailers and the people with the B-I-G RVs. We, for the most part, go "camping". The RV crowd doesn't even use that word anymore. They're going "RVing". One is an outdoor experience, the other really isn't.

Mike

[Daniel V.]

Interesting topic. Personally, I think mods are OK as long as you keep them to a minimum, do them right and don't poke too many holes in the process.

We visited a number of eggs before buying ours. Most of them had been modified or renovated in one way or another. However, we found that with a few exceptions, most of the renovations had been poorly done, and additions were poorly installed. Crappy homemade paint jobs, layers of messy caulking around everything, unfinished "additions", questionable color choices, etc. I myself root for restoring things to their original state as much as possible, not necessarily for the monetary value, but because most eggs were generally well made originally, and meant to last a long time. Gelcoat can often be restored and ensolite can be cleaned without painting, windows can be taken out and resealed without caulking, aluminium can be polished, rusty screws/rivets/etc can be replaced with identical ones made of stainless steel or aluminium. Investing the time to fix them properly and respectfully to preserve their original essence will make them last for a whole extra generation - until someone restores them again - something that can't be done as easily with other rv types.

[Donna D.]

Daniel what you're describing is not modifications. At least not the way I view it. Modifications MUST be done using quality techniques and quality parts. What you describe is something all together different. I'm of the view that good modifications are far better than original. Replacing the ceiling vent with a Fantastic Fan, new upholstery, flooring material, new curtains or blinds, LED taillights instead of bulbs. Replacing the icebox with 3-way refrigerator (if you like the ability of keeping refrigeration). Changing the lame sink faucet to a high-rise faucet (so I can get my dang coffee cup under it). Etc, etc. Original trailers from years gone by were minimalistic at best and truly were only hardsided tents. These trailers are not Model T's.

BTW: Original means just that... what it came with. Stock means exactly the same as it came with, but new (which is done in a restoration process). Modification means a change (hopefully for the better). PS: these are terms used often in the car collecting genre.

My 2-1/2 cents.

[Mike Watters]

questionable color choices, etc.

I dunno... The avacado green and burnt orange that was original in many of the early 70's eggs is pretty questionable from my perspective.

Then there's that plaid... Not my favorite either.

Mike

[Daniel V.]

Modifications MUST be done using quality techniques and quality parts.

Very true, but often not the case, at least in the units we'd visited. For example: "new" wooden floors that warp and rot and add a lot to the weight. Punched out window to put in an AC, but the window is damaged and leaks when the AC is not in use. It might be because owners are sloppier in this neck of the woods, I'm not sure.

We've replaced the flooring, upholstery, bulbs, etc. on our own egg, and haven't had our trailer long enough to do much modifications yet. I do believe, however, that both renovations and modifications should be done using quality techniques and parts, should go hand in hand, be done in the proper sequence, preserve the essence in the long-term in order not to ruin the eggsperience for future generations if possible, i.e not add too much weight, not punch too many irreversible openings, etc. Disclaimer: I'm not saying it's how others should do it, but simply sharing my view.

I dunno... The avacado green and burnt orange that was original in many of the early 70's eggs is pretty questionable from my perspective.

Then there's that plaid... Not my favorite either.

I don't see this as a debate, but rather a question of taste and fashion. I myself would rather appreciate the original colors restored to low-maintenance, like-new condition than look at what somebody else decided was better, and watch their paint job peeling off.

In most older eggs, though, *gasp* it's already too late, and the original colors are long gone, so this is a non-issue and, by all means, you can do whatever you want with it. Just pointing out that "original" does have some value.

[Donna D.]

Basically, I think we're all saying the same thing.

I guess I just see it as if the owner can't make quality modifications, there's probably no chance they'll be able to do a quality restoration. Both take time, effort and knowledge.

[Flygal]

Basically, I think we're all saying the same thing.

I guess I just see it as if the owner can't make quality modifications, there's probably no chance they'll be able to do a quality restoration. Both take time, effort and knowledge.

Thanks guys this seemed to get a few more responses than I thought it would, universal theme sounds like do it right or not at all. Can't wait to actually see the Scamp in person as soon as the pass is clear....waiting..waiting waiting. Later Brandy

[Steve L.]

My rule of thumb is to make no modification that, if it poops out, I can't go camping or have to shorten a trip.

[Frederick L. Simson]

One of our first camping trips in our egg a 7 year old was visiting my 7 year old at our campsite. When he left to go back to his parents gigantic stick-built trailer he looked at me and said [b]"Dad said maybe you'll have a real RV someday." I replied, "Tell your Dad, ours is paid for."

This reminded me about an earlier discussion about Real RV's

[Valerie G]

I have a spare .02, i got my REAL RV at the beginning of the camping season last year and wanted so desperatly to do something cool to it, it kept never happening, i thought i needed sooooooooo much more, but still took it camping, at first i hated it becuause it was not "me" but as it turns out, it was the best thing for me, i found out what i WANTED and NEEDED and what weighed in as most important. IM so glad i did not jump in and do this that and the other thing because it was not really what i wanted and im glad to start another year off with just the right stuff. YIPPI im soooooooooo happy for you. Use it a few times and figure out whats important, then go for it!

I have to ask, did you buy sight unseen if you have not stepped foot in it?

Do you have photos yet to drool over...

V