Scamp Bunk Beds Into Dinette?

[Melissa Miller]

I am looking at buying a 13' Scamp. I am curious if its possible to modify one to have a dinette when you are not using the front bunk beds? I sometimes want the use of bunks when I travel with friends, but when alone would much prefer a dinette.

I saw a Burro with this set up and wondered if it had ever been done with a Scamp?

My problem is I want a small trailer, room for my girlfriends when they come along, or room for me to work when alone. I normally like the back portion for a bed.

Thanks!
MM

[Raya]

Hi Melissa,

Quite a number of people have converted their front bunk area into a front dinette, so it's completely doable.

There are many threads here that show examples; if you search the words front dinette you should find them (that's what I searched).

There are a few different styles of factory front bench, and some make for an easier conversion than others, but all are doable, in my opinion.

Raya

[Darnelle]

Hi MM,

We moded the front bunks in our 13' Scamp into a 2-person dinette. LOVE it!

I removed the top bunk, leaving the ledge that is built in to the fiberglass. Then cut away the center portion of the fiberglass lower bunk. Filled in the open sides with white melmine board to match the white fiberglass. Attached two padded boat seats to wood built to fit the recessed hatch openings in the remaining sections of fiberglass seat areas. Built a table utilizing the ledge for support and cantalevered an additonal support so as to leave the area for our feet as clear as possible. The table slides on a drawer slide so the chair by the stove is easily accessable, plus it removes and drops into the new recess to make a single bed. The boat seats also pivot, but we found access is good without needing that. I also raised the floor under our feet and built boxes for supporting the boat seats so we could easily see out the front window.

Our rear dinette was always left as a bed and that was our motive for building the front dinette. No daily setups and takedowns and moving bedding to the TV.

One caution on the bed in most Scamps -- they are smaller than a full size. Perhaps are more of a 3/4 size. I wouldn't feel comfortable sharing it with anyone outside of immediate family as the fit is close!

Good luck on your search! I can provide a few photos later if you'd like. We're also thinking about selling it since we bought a 16'.

Darnelle

[Melissa Miller]

I would love to see photos. I have been searching threads, just a lot to pour through. Let me know if you want to sell it and how much.

Having trouble finding a camper. Had a deal on one, sold mine in hours, then the people I was purchasing from
backed out. Another one was advertised and they decided to change their asking price to the highest bid after getting so
many emails. Now looking at driving two days each way to pick one up.

Is the back bed considerably larger in a 16'? My older camper was a 17' and I was trying downsize a tad.
The only person who would sleep in the rear bed would be a significant other or I would be alone. I have no need for a bathroom, and mostly camp without hookups.

I know I would use a dinette more than anything, and am in serious debate over the 13 to 16.. then the whole casita/scamp.
And the whole I want it now I cant stand hotels... issues, issues...

[Raya]

Melissa,

I'm with you on motels --- no thank you!

A bit more on the beds and dinette:

A ) Most of the standard layouts in the 13s and the 16s have the same 48" wide "double" bed. So most 16' Scamps or Casitas won't net you a wider double.

On the other hand, there are a few exceptions and almost-exceptions:

1) Scamp Deluxe versions, in both 13 and 16, often have a 6" wider bed, at about 54". However they are heavier, due to the wood interior (don't know what your tow limits are).

2) Casita's "Liberty" layout has a huge bed (or two thin bunks) at one end of the trailer (I think it's a 16; might be a 17). Basically, the bed is set lengthwise, so you can also modify to make two parallel singles.

3) Trillium 4500s have a 54" bed, and even the 1300, while the bed is no wider than the standard 48", has a bit more room due to the corners not rounding as much (Boler/clone beds go down to about 42" wide at the ends due to rounding).

There are other campers with larger beds (Fiberstream, Compact Jr.), but they are less like the basic 13 "egg" in one way or another.

B ) In the Boler/clone 13, there are a few different bench layouts in front. As I mentioned, they can all be made into dinettes, with varying effort levels (but none too hard).

i) Some have a molded in recess in the middle of the factory front bunk base (as the Burro does), so that you can just lift up that middle piece and make it into a table and, Voila, you have a dinette.

ii) Some have no molded recess, but rather the bunk seat fiberglass goes straight across, so you need to modify it (or take it out, store it, and build your own).

a ) Of those, some have a porta potti well, so you have a ready made footwell.

b ) And some have no porta potti well, so you build the whole thing on top of the slight rise (but then you have a better view out the front window).

I'll see if I can dig up some photos by searching "front dinette"

Raya

Edited to add: Okay, here are some photos. You can get much more information, and more photos, by reading the threads themselves (I searched on Google with the following: "front dinette" site:fiberglassrv.com), but this will give you some ideas.

The front of a Scamp 16:









What it looked like originally:





More in next post.

[Raya]

Scamp 13, with customized dinette benches, I believe:





Late 70's Boler 13 with molded bench bottom:





More in next post

[Raya]

I think these are both from an early 70's Boler 13 (the fabulous pink one) without the porta potti well. Customized dinette on top of "frame shelf" (you can see how higher table then gives good view out window), and with customized potti well in door side seat.

[Donna D.]

Raya may know this more than I, but what I haven't seen is a modification to change to a front dinette and then still make back into a bunk bed option based on daily need. All the ones I've seen are changes to a front dinette/single bed option. The reason, is the top "bunk" when in gaucho is hinged to the front of the trailer. I suppose you could leave it, but it would narrow the seating area when in "dinette" mode.

I don't know if you are considering buying new, but Escape is building the Plan A 15 footer, which is a fulltime bed in the back with the single bed/dinette up front: 15 foot Escape Information and the floor plan: 15 Foot Escape Plan A floor Plan - To scale

[Raya]

Actually, I think both are doable in a 13' Boler/clone. Cyndi, I hope you don't mind me posting these photos of your fantastic yellow Boler, but it shows a front dinette mod that also keeps the couch back/bunk in place. So you can have dinette or bunks. Of course you lose a little bit of dinette elbow room, but you keep the bunk.









Another idea, if the upper bunk use is going to be only very occasional, is to simply have an un-upholstered board for the bunk, and then to use something like a Therm-a-Rest self-inflating pad on it when you have a fourth guest. That way it takes less room when it is in the down position.

Also note that unless your friends are small, you will want to reinforce the upper bunk; I think it is rated for something like 80# in factory trim.

On the other hand, it's rather easier to have a dinette that converts to a bed but without a bunk. Then you can sleep three adults. Maybe more friends can go in a tent

Raya

PS: Note that the couch-back/bunk *and* dinette option will not work on a U-haul 13. Because it does not "bulge out" at the front middle, the couch seat is only about 12" deep with the bunk back down (not even a worthy couch, really). I would guess a Burro is the same

[Michel, Bouchard]

I really like this last one, very nice, looks like it was like that from the factory

[Joy A]

The Scamp factory makes a Deluxe (wood interior) model with a dinette up front that converts to a couch/single bed.
That's the model I almost ordered but I didn't want the added trailer weight of the Deluxe model.


The last 2 pictures would be the setup you are looking for but as someone else stated, be careful with an adult on the upper bunk, it's not all that stable for an adult. Pretty much made for children. I wouldn't put an adult on the upper bunk. I got on mine one time and thoiught not for me.


I no longer have the couch back as I like the couch to be a little wider, simply nicer for stretching out on with my dog. A front dinette is something I often think about as I leave the bed down in the back. Maybe someday I'll do that mod.

[Melissa Miller]

These photos are great. I love the idea of the 15' escape, but the 18k price tag is a little steep for me.

I honestly don't even know if i do need a bunk. It would probably never be used, since I think 3-4 people is too many in a 13'.

I would just love the dinette in the front that turns into a bed. I have been really looking at the Scamps, and would love to get the 13' used and do a mod to make it nice like some of these photos.

My vehicle is good with towing, but I would still like to go light weight for gas reasons.

[Jeff Segel]

I think the only way to go is by copying the one w/ the upper bunk still attached. This way you have the best of all worlds... you have a couch if you want a couch; you have a 2 person dinnette if you want that, and you still have bunk beds. That is what I am doing w/ my Lil Bigfoot... I plan on copying Craig C's dinnette set up...

[Raya]

I think the only way to go is by copying the one w/ the upper bunk still attached. This way you have the best of all worlds... you have a couch if you want a couch; you have a 2 person dinnette if you want that, and you still have bunk beds.

Well, unless you don't want a bunk; because with the bunk/back removed you have a roomier dinette with a larger table. And also a wider bed with full headroom (otherwise you have either a narrow bed with full headroom when the couch back isdown; or a wide bed but with a bunk over your head). And you have to store the banana cushion somewhere.

I agree that the 3-way arrangement gives you choices; but it may not always be the best - just depends on each person's situation.

Raya

[james kent]

I don't know about yours but the weight limit on my Boler bunk was 90 pounds. Anything over that would have put an enormous amount of stress on the two small hinges. Deffinitely not made for an adult. I had no qualms about it's removal.

[Jeff Segel]

Thinking from a re-sale standpoint (which is the way I think about any type of vehicle), giving the potential buyer choices is better than limitations... I agree though, it depends on the person.

[Raya]

The Boler bunk can be removed or put back at will simply by removing or replacing six screws; I'm not sure how clones or other brands are set up.

So, it can be kept for future sale if one wants to, as long as one has a place to store it.

Raya

[james kent]

Yup! I have it stored in the small attic space in the garage.





Lift table and remove support.
Lower table to make lower bunk adding cushion made from seat.
Remove screws in 1x3 facing
Replace upper bunk by replacing screws.

[Melissa Miller]

Thank you everyone for your help! I bought a 16' Scamp with side dinette. It does have the bathroom, which I didn't need, but I'm sure at 2am on a cold fall day I won't be complaining. I'm so excited, I just picked it up in Oregon after a loooooooooooooooong 14 hour drive. Its a 2005 and in GREAT condition. It is smaller than
I would have guessed, so I am definitely happy about going with the 16'.

I'm staying in a hotel tonight because I didn't want to mess it up. HA! Its so clean and pretty and I'm so tired. Thanks for all the advice!!!

[Darnelle]

Congrats! I'm sure you'll love your Scamp SD as much as we love ours!