Taking the Scamp out for the first time.

[AbitWhitty]

Hey Everyone!
I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to take the Scamp out for the first time!
I have a few, what seem like, silly questions. Ok, here goes...

Do I fill up my water tank prior to leaving?
Should I dump water in the toilet prior to leaving and give it a rinse? (bought the scamp used)
If I use the lights, which use up battery how do I then charge the battery? I have a battery charger thingy under the cabinet and a generator. Which I don't know how to use either.
I have a hot water heater.. Do I just turn it on when I get there to always have hot water or turn it on and off?

I think that's all for now. If more come to me...I'll reach out.

Thanks for your help!
I've redone the whole thing and then realized I didn't know how to use it!!

Whitney

[Carol H]

[QUOTE=AbitWhitty;330549]Hey Everyone!
I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to take the Scamp out for the first time!
I have a few, what seem like, silly questions. Ok, here goes...

Do I fill up my water tank prior to leaving?
Should I dump water in the toilet prior to leaving and give it a rinse? (bought the scamp used)

It depends on where you are going camping. If you are going someplace that has water hook ups then the answer is no you dont need to fill the tanks at all- just hook up the water hose to the outside. If camping without water hook ups I dont add water to the tanks until the last possible location I can find water (often a gas station) as the added weight of the water will not do you any favors in regards to gas mileage. If you havent checked your tanks or cleaned them out yet you may want to do that before you go to make sure that the tanks or the discharge valves dont leak.

If I use the lights, which use up battery how do I then charge the battery? I have a battery charger thingy under the cabinet and a generator. Which I don't know how to use either.

Well depending on how long you are camping for you may not need to recharge the battery. If the battery is in good condition and you are only using the lights as really needed you should be able to get by for a few days without having to recharge. If you are going someplace that has electrical hook up then you plug into power & the battery should recharge itself (assuming the thing you mentioned under the cabinet is a converter). I use a solar panel to recharge my system every few days when camping without power so sorry to say I havent a clue as to how to do it using a generator.

I have a hot water heater.. Do I just turn it on when I get there to always have hot water or turn it on and off?

Depends. I often dont turn mine on if the weather is hot as I find it tends to warm up the trailer. I just use the kettle for hot water for the dishes and if I need a shower I turn on the hot water tank an hour or so before I need it. In cooler weather I turn it on and just leave it on. Make sure though that when you filling up your water tanks that you open the bypass values (if you have any) to the hot water tank so the hot water tank fills up as well - you will also need to make sure the water pump is turned on in order for it to fill. You dont want to start it up without any water in it.

Hope that helps and have a fun trip.

[Dan Jones]

Hi Whitney.

This Link will take you to the section of the Scamp web site that has many answers to your questions.

Scamp Trailers - Ask Scamp

And, as usual, forum members are sure to share their experience and wisdom also. You have come to the right place.

Enjoy your Scamp. We sure do enjoy ours.

Dan

[AbitWhitty]

Carol And Dan thank you so much!! This is so helpful!

[RogerDat]

If the converter under the sink charges the battery it does so because you are plugged in, just plug in the trailer to the generator instead of the park power.

I tended to travel with at least a few gallons of water in the tank, just to make the toilet and sink functional if nothing else, but not full by any means.

If park has drinking water hookup you can fill tanks when you get there. Many rustic state parks will have a modern campground near that you can use for filling fresh water and dumping not so fresh water even if your staying at the rustic park.

[john warren]

i bet your starting to see a pattern? everyone sort of has their own way of doing thing that work for them.
first thing is where are you camping?
we always camp where they have water and electricity so that mostly becomes a moot point. though i do dry camp alone and have my own ways for that.

never haul water any farther then you have to. remember it is about 8 pounds per gallon.
as to the toilet i can't help as we always use the campground toilet and shower.
finaly never be afraid to go to the scamp website and look around, they have the owners videos to watch that show a lot of stuff. also call them. they are great people and want you to be a good ambasador for scamp , so will be more then glad to give advice. a happy scamper is basicly a salesperson.

[Dan Jones]

Also Whitney, having a bit of water onboard means you don't always have to wait to get to a bathroom... just pull into a convenient parking area and use your own bathroom.

Having your own little house attached to your car will also make it easy to pull over for lunch or a snack whenever you want to.

Dan

[AbitWhitty]

I can't tell you what a help all of this is! I really appreciate it!

[kootenaigirl]

Hi Whitney,
Yes, the first trip is always very exciting.
We usually get water when we arrive at the campground and you can also get this rubber thing called a 'water thief' maybe(only a few dollars) that you put on campground taps that aren't threaded and you can then attach your hose and fill your tank.
When we had a trailer with a toilet, once I had emptied it I would put in some more 'natural tank additive plus some water and keep water in the bowl to make sure there were no smells.
We found with short trips our battery never ran down with just the lights and I know lots of people change the bulbs to LED's for that reason.

[HighPlainsDrifter]

My family is also taking our scamp out for the first time this weekend. I was wondering the same thing about the water heater. It seems like if you left it on you would use through your gas quickly. I had to clean the burner tube in mine. It was full of lady bugs so when I fired it up black smoke came out.

One question I have is on the fresh water pump. Do you leave this pump switched on all the time. It seems like the pump would burn out if the faucet or shower wasn't open.

I also seem to have a grey water tank odor problem that developed. Every time I run water down the kitchen sink a horrible sewer smell fills the camper. I have tried deodorizing treatments in the tank but it is not getting better. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Also, I read the grew water tank has a vent but I don't see where it comes out.

[Carol H]

[QUOTE=HighPlainsDrifter;330758]
One question I have is on the fresh water pump. Do you leave this pump switched on all the time. It seems like the pump would burn out if the faucet or shower wasn't open.

You can leave it on a long as long as you have water in the tank - once it builds up the pressure in the lines it will shut off. If it keeps running then something is not right. It should only come on again as you use water.

I also seem to have a grey water tank odor problem that developed. Every time I run water down the kitchen sink a horrible sewer smell fills the camper. I have tried deodorizing treatments in the tank but it is not getting better. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Also, I read the grew water tank has a vent but I don't see where it comes out.[/QUOTE

The grey water vent on mine is on the passenger side under the rear hatch. It comes up from the grey tank and goes back down through the floor about 6" from where it come in. Only about two inches of it appear on the underside of the trailer. The one on mine is very flimsy and has been replaced twice now. A old piece of garden hose would work as a replacement if yours has broken off.

You may want to open up your outlet valve of your grey tank and feed a hose on full up into the tank to try and clean it out. If you have a tank wand it works well.

[john warren]

should be a preasure switch on the motor so it shuts itself off till you open the tap. BUT, say your driving along and a line falls off under the sink,,,when you stop you will have 18 gallons (or however much water you have ) on the floor.

as to the waterheater, its small and doesn't take long to heat up. i never leave my gas valve open while traveling. i have no idea if its a safety thing with me, or just habit. but gas is off when i travel.

[Carol H]

Good point John I guess I should have said the water pump is fine to leave on while camping. Not only wen driving risk having a trailer full of water but if the water tank is only partly full the water will slosh around changing the pressure in the water lines resulting in the pump turn on and off and it could well burn out.

I'm with you in regards to driving with the propane off as well.

[pageleigh]

Originally Posted by AbitWhitty

Hey Everyone!
I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to take the Scamp out for the first time!
I have a few, what seem like, silly questions. Ok, here goes...

Do I fill up my water tank prior to leaving?
Should I dump water in the toilet prior to leaving and give it a rinse? (bought the scamp used)
If I use the lights, which use up battery how do I then charge the battery? I have a battery charger thingy under the cabinet and a generator. Which I don't know how to use either.
I have a hot water heater.. Do I just turn it on when I get there to always have hot water or turn it on and off?

I think that's all for now. If more come to me...I'll reach out.

Thanks for your help!
I've redone the whole thing and then realized I didn't know how to use it!!

Whitney

I understand your post completely. I have only camped twice in my entire life(my brother's family). I just put a deposit on a 2010 13' Scamp and will pick it up next week. The owner gave me the owner's DVD to watch...when I got to greasing the barrings, I realized I have alot to learn. I plan on traveling with my dog and possibly my children and grandchildren. I am so excited, about to bust!