First/New owners! S.O.S.

[Fab W.]

I signed up to this site a year ago, Scampless, and we JUST found our trailer!!! We are now the proud owners of a 1991 16' Scamp.

The Scamp does need a little TLC after some abuse by its two previous owners so, we've been going over the forum and between the pictures of restorations/renovations and amazing tips, we look forward to getting started.

Our work will primarily be esthetic from what we can tell. The inside has been previously partially (and poorly) remodelled, with the first owner taking out the kitchenette to install bunk beds and a closed door toilet (why?). The padding on the walls and ceiling is very dirty with spills and covers most windows (why, why, why????). We will be removing the bunks beds and toilet but would also to take out all that fur down. What is that fur anyway? What are our options in terms of insulation other than the fur? Cost is a concern but if that's our biggest expense, so be it. We loved the metal sheet used as backsplash by one of the members for his trailer and were thinking along those lines. Actually, I was thinking along those lines but my husband was concerned about the work, look, etc. I could just as simply live with a white interior. Anything but the fur, really. So I guess my question would be how do we go from the fur to a clean white, smooth interior?
We can do without a kitchenette, water, toilet inside the Scamp as we don't have a need for those inside (parts of our tent living days will remain) and would like to turn the trailer into a clean, bright, open (as much as possible in a 16' trailer) space for sleeping and plain relaxing when not outdoors.

Thanks for all the help over the years and we look forward to participating as actual active members now!

[Jenny W.]

Congratulations fellow Austinites!!!! I live in South Austin and bought my 1976 Scamp at end of February. Mine has ensolite that can be painted. The previous owner had painted it a grayish green color. Too dark - so I primed and painted the walls white. I'm not exactly sure where you can buy ensolite. Try a marine or auto body shop. I can't figure out how to insert a shortcut on this thing - but under the 'Mods & Alterations' forum I posted pictures of the progress on my project. It's titled "My 'Eggstreme Makeover." Good luck on your project!

[DonDeutsch]

Congradualtions. I too have ensolite, thankfully as I don't like the fur. Taking down the fur is really a big deal as it goes behind the cabinetry right? I know my ensolite does. That almost necessitates stripping the interior out. Getting to a clean firglass interior is difficult because of the glue, so it is easier to recover with ensolite. Also if you don't recover you have no insulation.
Keep us posted.

[Lee Senn]

Welcome aboard and congratuations on finally finding your egg ! We looked for months for ours and finally found it in our own little town on the back of a local business, it didn't even have a for sale sign on it so we know first hand how exciting it is to finally have your very own egg to tow home. It's truly kinda like a an easter egg hunt only the eggs are bigger and much better hidden. I would suggest that you attend some of the gatherings in your area ( or up in or country realizing that would be a really long stretch ). Truly all the info and pictures on this forum are really helpful but there is nothing like visiting fellow eggers and seeing first hand what they have done and asking them how they accomplished those mods that appeal to you. Lots of luck and enjoy your egg and the remodeling process !!! Lee and Norma

[Fab W.]

Thank you all for the kind words and for your help.

Jenny, we just moved from CP to Raleigh, NC. I can't seem to be able to change my location on my profile for some reason. Then again, I still have TX plates, so what the heck!
I'll check out your pictures.

We'll check out the ensolite. I really don't think we want to strip down the fur if we can cover it up and save it as insulation, Don, but all the cabinets will come down/out so who knows how it all turns out once we strip it and discover hidden behind/underneath them.

Did you guys also paint the outside?

Lee & Norma, thanks for pointing us in the right direction. We love the idea of the gatherings and we'll be looking for them on the east coast this summer.

[Robert Johans]

If you plan to remove all of the interior furniture modules, stripping the rat fur off the walls is no big deal. Replacement insulation and wall coverings (ensolite and/or many other options) are readily available, if you have the time, inclination and patience to do the work. However, ample time and energy should be reserved to clean and prep the inside FG walls before trying to glue anything new to them.

Most exciting is the fact that you have a 16 footer that can be completely customized to your needs and tastes. A word of caution: the stock vertical cabinet (s) provides some measure of strength and vertical hull integrity. If you pull this out the roof could sag, as well as flex under transit. You may have to devise/engineer some sort of replacement floor-to-roof vertical supports.

[Fab W.]

Thanks for this last life-saving tip, Robert! You're the metallic backsplash guy!!! I couldn't find the OP of those images anymore and there you are. We love your work and would probably be knocking on your door if we were on the west coast!

About the cabinets, we love what you've done with yours. How did you mount them? How do you install them without drilling through the shell to the oustide? Or do you drill through?

Bob (my better half) already took out the toilet, its private room and the bunk bed area. It all looks good underneath. No mold or anything funky to worry about but we still have to remove the step the original bed rested on to the right as one walks in the trailer.

What other brands of insulation would you recommend that you have had good experience with?

Thanks again for the help!