Scamp 13 Questions

[Nancy Merigold]

Hi - we are looking to get a Scamp 13 and have a couple of questions. Since the 13 sits lower than the 16 has anyone had problems with the 13 dragging or hitting the bottom such backing up or pulling out of an angled drive way or rough camp sites?

Also debating whether we need a furnace or not. We do not plan to do any winter camping but we do camp Spring and Fall and nights can be cool here in MN at those times. Wondering if we would need one. It was suggested to run the stove burners for awhile with a window open a crack. Thanks!

[rgrugg]

Running stove burners for heat is a VERY BAD idea and dangerous. Two alternatives to a furnace are an electric cube type heater and/or a catalytic heater. Our Egg Camper is all electric and has a built in 1000 watt electric heater. In addition to that, we carry a 1500w cube heater and a portable catalytic heater. The cube and the cat together will cost way less than a furnace if that's a concern for you.

[honda03842]

We hardly ever run our Propane heater. We try to be places when it's not needed. Our trailer came with one so it's stayed though I would rather have the space than the heater.

If we really need heat we try to be in a campground with hookups. In those cases we have a small electric heater that has 800 and 1500 watt ranges with a thermostat.

Even with the electric heater, we rarely run it at night. We always carry an electric blanket, a twin size does the job. The electric blanket keeps us toasty warm. First one up turns on the electric heater. Once some one's up, the mere act of cooking breakfast rapidly warms up the trailer.

If I did not have a propane furnace I would probably carry some variety of catalytic heater for those non-hook up situations.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Nancy Merigold

Hi - we are looking to get a Scamp 13 and have a couple of questions. Since the 13 sits lower than the 16 has anyone had problems with the 13 dragging or hitting the bottom such backing up or pulling out of an angled drive way or rough camp sites?

Also debating whether we need a furnace or not. We do not plan to do any winter camping but we do camp Spring and Fall and nights can be cool here in MN at those times. Wondering if we would need one. It was suggested to run the stove burners for awhile with a window open a crack. Thanks!

If you have a front bath you could experience a problem at driveways etc.
If you have a gray tank you could experience a problem whenbacking over a curb or leaving a curb going forward.
We have a 13 deluxe front bath and, with only reasonable precautions,
Have had no problems in seven years and over 50,000 towed miles.
We did add a small skid device at the front, just where the tongue meets the shell, as a precaution.
As far as the trailer itself dragging or bottoming out, it would have to be pretty obvious and extreme circumstances. They have been building thes things for forty years with that problem and the new ones are considerably higher off the ground than the earlier ones.So much so that the addition of an underframe gray tank on an early Scamp would be totally impractical.
When I leave my driveway/curb combination with my trailer I simply go slow to prevent a bounce which might cause an impact to the gry water outlet. No problems so far.
Any trailer should be towed with a level attitude when hitched to the TV.
You could ask Scamp to raise the frame as they do for the fivers, or better yet order a down angle axle to get more height.

[Kevin K]

If it sits real low axle is shot.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Kevin K

If it sits real low axle is shot.

Like this?? No wait, that's an early brand new one from the front of the Scamp brochure! We must be jumping to conclusions!

[Kevin K]

My 13 ' Scamp
Before

After New axle

[Donna D.]

Why would a new 13' sit lower than a new 16' ??

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Why would a new 13' sit lower than a new 16' ??

The 16' uses a 3500# down angle axle while the 13' uses a 2200# up angle axle. This is also the reason for the 13 only having 7" brakes .

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Kevin K

My 13 ' Scamp
Before Attachment 39800

After New axleAttachment 39801

While your old axle may have sagged some, it seems that your replacement was obviously not in kind... Correct?
Your new one looks healthy though, maybe you could even add a graywater tank now?

[Kevin K]

Tows level with my truck.

[Mr. W.]

Originally Posted by floyd

... the new ones are considerably higher off the ground than the earlier ones.So much so that the addition of an underframe gray tank on an early Scamp would be totally impractical.

I've got to disagree with this one. My Scamp 13 Dlx was the very first one built with the front bathroom. The gray tank at the rear was totally encased within the line from the axle to the rear frame rail. In other words, it did not hang down at all, and was actually higher than the lower edge of the fiberglass body everywhere except immediately behind the axle. At the front, the bathroom fittings were entirely enclosed within the frame, so the only way to drag the bathroom would be to drag the frame, which, with such a short frame, would take some fairly dramatic terrain. I actually modified my bathroom with a drop floor, to increase headroom. I added 5-1/2 inches, and set the drain below that (it hung down an additional 3"). I admit to having some concerns about whether it would drag, but it never did. The closest it came was a little bit of grass stain from driving through tall grass. Mine had the 2200# axle, by the way.

I also doubt that Scamp is building the new ones any higher, per se. The real difference is that the early ones had a 1200# axle, if I recall correctly (may have been 1500#) and the new ones have a 2200# axle, so the axle just isn't as compressed. The issue of axle fatigue over the years exists with either axle, but is more pronounced in the 1500# axle models.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Kevin K

Tows level with my truck.

No doubt... I was just wondering what axle it was, there are plenty here who would like that look and height, and would be disappointed with a stock swap.
Is yours a leading arm? Is it maybe zero or down angle?
Or did you go with a trailing arm and zero or down angle?
OR...Did you add tubing to raise the axle?
Although I might not go that high with mine if the time ever comes...
It does look great, you don't have to worry about clearance anywhere you go.(Except maybe the garage door)

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Paul E Henning

I've got to disagree with this one. My Scamp 13 Dlx was the very first one built with the front bathroom. The gray tank at the rear was totally encased within the line from the axle to the rear frame rail. In other words, it did not hang down at all, and was actually higher than the lower edge of the fiberglass body everywhere except immediately behind the axle. At the front, the bathroom fittings were entirely enclosed within the frame, so the only way to drag the bathroom would be to drag the frame, which, with such a short frame, would take some fairly dramatic terrain. I actually modified my bathroom with a drop floor, to increase headroom. I added 5-1/2 inches, and set the drain below that (it hung down an additional 3"). I admit to having some concerns about whether it would drag, but it never did. The closest it came was a little bit of grass stain from driving through tall grass. Mine had the 2200# axle, by the way.

I also doubt that Scamp is building the new ones any higher, per se. The real difference is that the early ones had a 1200# axle, if I recall correctly (may have been 1500#) and the new ones have a 2200# axle, so the axle just isn't as compressed. The issue of axle fatigue over the years exists with either axle, but is more pronounced in the 1500# axle models.

The original 1200# Axle was a leading arm design with the axle mounted up behind the step and the arms forward. The purpose was to allow the 13ft trailer to fit under an open 7ft garage door. I did not reference the blackwater drain.
The gray water tank on my 2004 is mounted behind the axle and mine extends at least 4-1/2" to 5" below the frame but not much below the axle itself. the problem is something called the "angle of departure" which could cause damage at a curb or driveway.
The point in question could be explained by a different gray water tank design but not by the assertion that the leading and trailing arm axled 13 Scamps were generally the same height, since that is simply not the case.
I can't speak for the 1500# axle since I have never even heard of it.

What year was yours? The 16fters used a trailing arm 2200# axle for many years and maybe yours had one because of the deluxe and bathroom specs which would yield a modern height.
At any rate the 13 standards did not get the 2200# axle until at least the late 1990s.
Thanks for the info I would love to know more about your deluxe and it's history.

[Cyndi B.]

We never had a problem with our 13' (2007) and she went many places behind the Tundra.

[Nancy Merigold]

Thanks everyone for the responses. I am talking new, sorry I should have specified that. No bathroom, no grey water tank. We have an angled driveway and have owned a longer travel trailer and when the TV and the axle of the trailer are in the street the back bottomed out on the driveway. Our driveway is angled like Kevin's driveway he has pictured. So maybe this is a non issue for the smaller Scamp

As for the furnace, we like to camp at state parks and here in MN at least, to get a spot with electricity we have to reserve a spot in advance, for some parks, a year in advance. We would like to camp in a non electric spot which we never need a reservation as there are always spots available. So am wondering how well Scamps retain heat.

[Cheryl C]

I live in the Twin Cities too and a lot of my camping is in the arrowhead. I've been very grateful for the furnace on those cold spring and fall nights. I could do without one if I had to, but I wouldn't want to. It's a great option to have.

[Greg H]

I like them low.

[Kevin K]

My axle is a trailing arm with a 22 1/2 degree down angle.
You could also use a 10 degree down angle.

[Joy A]

I have a factory installed receiver on the back of my 13 footer which has a bike rack attached. The bike rack sticks out a good foot, maybe more, beyond the bumper and the bottom of it is about 3 inches below the bumper.

There are certain driveways that I enter and exit very slowly because the end of the bike rack will bottom out.

As for the gray water tank, it's tucked up behind the axle and doesn't hang down any further than the body of the Scamp. Won't drag at all.

I have a 2001 13 footer with a 2200# axle and probably the heaviest 13 footer around. So far the axle hasn't sagged and I don't take the weight off the trailer at all when stored. It has always sat on it's two little tires and the front jack without the stablizers deployed, unless I'm camping.