Scamp on Gravel Roads - Fiberglass RV
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Old 03-25-2012, 10:07 PM   #1
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Scamp on Gravel Roads

Do any of you take your Scamp trailer on gravel roads and forest service roads? If so how does it handle? I live in Idaho and about 80% of the places I camp is down gravel/ forest service roads, nothing real rough just typical washboard forest service road.I plan to just take it pretty slow when traveling down these roads. Just want to make sure the Scamp won't fall apart on me.
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Old 03-25-2012, 10:29 PM   #2
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Gravel Travel

When we travel on gravel roads we don't have anything loose inside the trailer. We take extra measures to make sure that cabinets stay shut. There are many ways to accomplish this. We typically use bungees but this week while visiting another site member I saw a positve locking scheme for cabinet doors. The person who showed me the scheme drives a lot of dirt here in AZ.....

Hopefully he'll publish but if not I can put you in touch with him. PM me if you like.

We'll be traveling the Labrador Highway in 2013, 1000 miles of dirt...

P.S. The worse thing that ever happened to me on dirt was to have the battery jump off the Motorhomes battery stand and disconnect. Tie stuff down, wash boards can hit the right frequency and do strange, unimagined thongs, at least for me.
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Old 03-25-2012, 10:48 PM   #3
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Norm -

The latches that Dave & Paula are using are called Philip-It Latches and they're available from www.rvcabinetlatch.com. Very simple & clean. I'm still planning to order a few to replace some of the roller style latches.

Sorry we couldn't join you all on Saturday.
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Old 03-25-2012, 10:56 PM   #4
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Do you have anything on the front of your trailer to prevent rock damage?
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Old 03-26-2012, 06:09 PM   #5
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Cabinet Latch

Here's a picture of the cabinet latches that Dave & Paula are using.
Attached Thumbnails
Door latch.jpg  
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Old 03-26-2012, 06:24 PM   #6
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I have done some traveling on gravel roads and the only protection is the front window rock cover. If you stow everything away you should have no problems off the pavement. I have had the a rivet or two snap though - better the rivet snaps in two than the fiberglass :-) Carry a rivet gun and some spare rivets and snap caps etc just in case. Having said that I actually had a rivet snap on a 5000 mile trip in December while traveling down a pretty rough California highway....

I do have one or two doors that like to pop open though so the cabinet latches that have been posted here sure look interesting!
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Old 03-26-2012, 06:26 PM   #7
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Superstition Mountains

John,

Thanks for the followup. I'm going to be posting more of David & Paula's mods as I do them.

While with David he gave me an old door lock, Good thing I took it because when we reached Yuma our lock just fell apart, pieces popping out. I replaced it with his old lock feeling that a mystical event had just occurred.

For those of you who haven't driven thru the Superstition Mts. It's striking and stop at Tortilla Flats for a burger and good music.

We attend to return and will give more notice and definitely stay longer.

Thanks again...
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Old 03-26-2012, 08:11 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by camper1887 View Post
Do any of you take your Scamp trailer on gravel roads and forest service roads? If so how does it handle? I live in Idaho and about 80% of the places I camp is down gravel/ forest service roads, nothing real rough just typical washboard forest service road.I plan to just take it pretty slow when traveling down these roads. Just want to make sure the Scamp won't fall apart on me.
Hey John - I haven't had any problems on the midwest gravel roads, or even on farm roads to some private property. But the washboards on one specific Pacific NW road ---- a different story! My bungeed and latched doors came open, my stove top actually came out and landed on the floor, and my teeth were rattling. And I was barely moving. The locals said it was in extra horrible shape, so hopefully that was a rare trip indeed.

To echo the others - tie everything you can, take it slow, and beware the rock chips!

If you're in Northern Idaho (I visit the inlaws there every summer) - it'd be worth the extra prep work to head into the woods - it's gorgeous!
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Old 03-26-2012, 08:38 PM   #9
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Several years ago I took the road from Loomis, WA to Lake Conconully, about 18 miles of which is gravel and much of that is washboard. Best advice is to go slow, very slow. Carry food and picnic.

It is the back roads like this that make great experiences. Don't avoid them just because they take a little time.
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Old 03-26-2012, 11:25 PM   #10
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Thanks everyone for the great information and ideas. Luke saying beware the rock chips, do the front of these trailers chip and crack easily? That's probably my biggest concern is the the front of the trailer just getting sprayed by rocks. Been considering adding diamond plate to the corners to prevent rock damage.
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Old 03-26-2012, 11:40 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by camper1887 View Post
Thanks everyone for the great information and ideas. Luke saying beware the rock chips, do the front of these trailers chip and crack easily? That's probably my biggest concern is the the front of the trailer just getting sprayed by rocks. Been considering adding diamond plate to the corners to prevent rock damage.
Yeah, my Boler's paint (just in front - corners all the way in, with the front LP tank protecting the middle) was really beat up after our trip out your way last year - after miles on forest service and rock roads. I'm not sure the diff - b/c I hadn't really had any issue with gravel roads here.

There are quite a few threads on options to prevent pitting/chipping. I suppose some better mud flaps on the tow vehicle would help too. Otherwise, diamond plate / thick black chip guard , etc. I'm going to see about a clear option, it's on the to-do list!
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Old 03-26-2012, 11:46 PM   #12
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Some folks have masked off the lower part of the front and coated with truck bed liner. It was a liquid product, purchased at a big box home improvement store and applied with a foam roller.

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f56/rust-o-leum-paint-on-bedliner-on-my-ct-13-a-47801.html

On the second page Donna provides a source that has different color options.
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Old 03-27-2012, 05:57 AM   #13
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Hello John and greetings from Vermont. We live on a dirt ( gravel) road. No matter which way we go it is 5 miles to pavement. Right now it's mud season. The frost coming out of the ground turns the roads into a series of mud pits. Until they dry out and are graded, the trailer stays home. If you see mud with deep ruts, turn around.

When the highway dept. grades a dirt road, they start on the outside making a mound down the center and then redistribute the gravel on a second pass. This leaves a smooth, rutless road but with lots of loose stones. You will kick them up, it can't be avoided. If you come upon a grading operation in progress (i.e. see the mid highway mound), sit it out unless you can see the grader is in the other lane or you may come nose to nose with the grader and have to pull your camper over the mound. Go slow and as others have said, tie everything down and you'll be fine. The dirt road is to the paved road as the paved road is to the interstate. They can be a very enjoyable ride most of the time, as long as you are not in a hurry. Take care, Raz
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Old 03-27-2012, 07:20 PM   #14
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Hi John

I have shot gun damage to the front of our trailer, ( rocks,thrown up by rear wheels), if you take rubber inner tube pieces, or some other flexable rubber, and screw them to your existing mud flaps ( almost touching the ground), saw it done this way, and they had no rock damage , also keeps mud from coating the front of the RV.

Later Kenny
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Old 03-28-2012, 06:22 AM   #15
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well, i love backroads so will travel them a lot. but first,,,,will put some hellish mudflaps on the tow to keep the larger rocks knocked down.
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Old 03-28-2012, 12:15 PM   #16
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Even though I haven't bought my Scamp yet I have purchased some material so I can design a bra for the front of it. I got it from a buddy of mine who used to own an upholstery shop ages ago. He says its the same stuff that the automotive bra's are made of, so it is breathable and won't hurt the gel coat if it gets wet. Maybe you can do something similar if you don't want to go the bedliner route.
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Old 03-29-2012, 07:12 AM   #17
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Even though I haven't bought my Scamp yet I have purchased some material so I can design a bra for the front of it. I got it from a buddy of mine who used to own an upholstery shop ages ago. He says its the same stuff that the automotive bra's are made of, so it is breathable and won't hurt the gel coat if it gets wet. Maybe you can do something similar if you don't want to go the bedliner route.
hmmmm so many ways that i won't touch this.......
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Old 03-29-2012, 09:38 AM   #18
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I owned a 95 Scamp with the wood interior. Summer of 2010 went to SE Oregon on a Sunstone hunting trip. After Plush, Or no more pavement the gravel road was pretty good in Lake County we crossed the line into Harney County it was ungraded very rough for 25 miles. On our return to Plush I stopped to look inside the trailer. The closet door was on the floor and the cabinet door for the microwave was on the floor and the steel microwave door was half off just hanging. Found all the screws put everything back, and had no more things happen. It is a pretty tuff trailer.
Chuck
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Old 03-29-2012, 03:10 PM   #19
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hmmmm so many ways that i won't touch this.......
And I sooooo tried to keep it clean too... D'oh
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Old 03-30-2012, 07:52 PM   #20
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John, if you have a screendoor I would recomend putting flat washers under the head of the screws that attach the plywood to the metal tube next the the couch.
Most of my camping is on FS unimproved roads. I guarantee the screws willl pull through the plywood.
John
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