Air Conditioning in 13' Scamp

[Rachaelholland]

Hello fellow fiberglass lovers. Im thinking of getting the roof air conditioner for my 2008 Scamp. Does anyone have any feedback on the Coleman? Do you need extra roof support? Is the money actually worth it (they are quite expensive)? Any feedback/suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks, and happy camping.

[Robin G]

Rachael, You may not be getting responses to your question because you posted it in the Food and Recipe fourm...... Though this sub-forum is a great place to find questions, suggestion on food it's not one of the more read forums. Try posting your question in the Modification, Alterations and Neat Updates Forum. You will probably get a lot of help there.

I can help much on this subject other than to say I love having a airconditioner (came on our trailer originally) and I believe you would have to have some structure additions to place a air conditioner on yours, but from what I know it can be done. Put your question in the mods section you will get your answers. Best of Luck!

[Frederick L. Simson]

Hello fellow fiberglass lovers. Im thinking of getting the roof air conditioner for my 2008 Scamp. Does anyone have any feedback on the Coleman? Do you need extra roof support? Is the money actually worth it (they are quite expensive)? Any feedback/suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks, and happy camping.

I moved your post so others will find it easier.

If the person who ordered the trailer new from the factory did not get a roof mounted A/C unit, then it usually does not have enough support for one to be added. This is part of the expense in ordering the roof air option. Modifying the roof after the fact in itself will be time consuming and expensive, and problematic if you are not a meticulous builder. This is why so many add-on air conditioners in small trailers are window units.

[Radar1]

Fred is right concerning the 13 ft Scamps. The Scamp website has this to say about adding AC to the 13's.

"Thirteen foot Scamp trailers don’t have the roof air support unless there is already a roof air installed or if the original buyer requested that the trailer be built that way. "


We only recently purchased our Scamp but expect to use it when we travel to South TX in July, and we did use the heat strip on our AC earlier this month in DC rather than using the propane heater.

John

[Rachaelholland]

Thanks so much everyone..and thanks Fredrick for moving my post...didn't realize that I posted it in the food section...lol.

Well..darn it about the AC..looks like we will just have to save the money and get a fan instead. Seems much easier that way.

[Darnelle]

Hi Rachael,

I believe someone posted a cool mod with a standard household window air conditioner. It looked really nice and was easy to use to boot. I don't have the link, but I'd guess a search would locate it. I've been planning something like that, but living in Minnesota it hasn't been an issue!

Also, there are now portable air-conditioners that vent via a hose to a window. 'Course floor space is an issue.

And a person can build a portable cooling unit using an old cooler, ice, and a fan. I've considered that too.

[Lynn Musgrave]

Fred is right concerning the 13 ft Scamps. The Scamp website has this to say about adding AC to the 13's.

"Thirteen foot Scamp trailers don’t have the roof air support unless there is already a roof air installed or if the original buyer requested that the trailer be built that way. "


We only recently purchased our Scamp but expect to use it when we travel to South TX in July, and we did use the heat strip on our AC earlier this month in DC rather than using the propane heater.

John

Hi John......I am not sure where you live now,but if you plan to come to South Texas in July you will most likely need AC to get a good nights sleep. The air doesn't move much(no nice cool breezes blowing day or night ) and the heat can build up inside your camper durring the day even with your fan running.

You should be ok durring the day because you will be outside most of the time. I would suggest you looking into one of the window units. Lots of people have done some nice Mod installs using them. I am not good with search or I would point you to some of them.....maybe someone will read this and suggest some places for you to look. How about it Donna,you are so good.

Happy Camping and hope you come my way......Lynn

[Frederick L. Simson]

I would suggest you looking into one of the window units. Lots of people have done some nice Mod installs using them. I am not good with search or I would point you to some of them.....maybe someone will read this and suggest some places for you to look.

Link to my easily removeable Air Conditioner.

I put it in a 48" wide slider window. It could work in a smaller side window as well, but you'd have to actually remove the glass. Some people put it in the back window; Casita actually used to do that at the factory in the 1980's.

Link to back window installation.

[Radar1]

Hi John......I am not sure where you live now,but if you plan to come to South Texas in July you will most likely need AC to get a good nights sleep. The air doesn't move much(no nice cool breezes blowing day or night ) and the heat can build up inside your camper durring the day even with your fan running.

You should be ok durring the day because you will be outside most of the time. I would suggest you looking into one of the window units. Lots of people have done some nice Mod installs using them. I am not good with search or I would point you to some of them.....maybe someone will read this and suggest some places for you to look. How about it Donna,you are so good.

Happy Camping and hope you come my way......Lynn

Hi Lynn,

We do have A/C in our Scamp, so we'll definitely use it. My wife has a family reunion near Victoria in July, that's the only reason we would pick that month to visit South TX. I did keep an eye on some of those A/C mods in case we bought a Scamp without A/C but we got lucky!

John

[BruceG]

Hello fellow fiberglass lovers. Im thinking of getting the roof air conditioner for my 2008 Scamp. Does anyone have any feedback on the Coleman? Do you need extra roof support? Is the money actually worth it (they are quite expensive)? Any feedback/suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks, and happy camping.

I contacted the Scamp factory about installing a roof air conditioner on my '81 Scamp 13' and they said it could be done at the factory. The roof would have to be reinforced with one inch of fiberglass before installing the AC unit. They indicated that there were no other roof options that they would recommend. Not quite the answer I had hoped for.

- Bruce

[Raya]

I would be interested to know what they are doing with the 1" of fiberglass. I could see reinforcing with a cored structure, but that would just have a fiberglass skin. Or maybe they are making a frame around the perimeter and using fiberglass "boards"? That doesn't seem like it would be enough though.

Can anyone who has the reinforcing show what they do? (I don't want to put A/C on a roof, but now I am curious.)

Raya

[Monica M]

I would be interested to know what they are doing with the 1" of fiberglass. I could see reinforcing with a cored structure, but that would just have a fiberglass skin. Or maybe they are making a frame around the perimeter and using fiberglass "boards"? That doesn't seem like it would be enough though.

Can anyone who has the reinforcing show what they do? (I don't want to put A/C on a roof, but now I am curious.)

Raya

I am thinking maybe it is kind of for the weight distribution. I guess that is how I would put it, where it distributes the weight to a larger area around the hole in the roof. Just my guess...am I right??? Anyone? Hmmmm....

[Mike Magee]

Hey, the food section was a good place to post... the OP probably was thinking about keeping the leftovers chilled! Roof air in a 13 could probably just about do that, too.

I have a "window" type AC in my Burro, and it does a reasonably good job even though it's a widebody 17'. I suppose it would be different in 105 degree heat, though, come to think of it... I've only gotten to use it when it was in the low 90s or cooler. But really in a 13 I would think a window unit or a "Cool Cat" would do a good job. Don't be discouraged, I'm sure you will find a way to put one in. Who needs all the extra wind resistance on the roof anyhow!

[Roger C H]

An evaporative cooler could be an alternative way:

http://www.turbokool.com/

Fits all standard 14" x 14" roof vent openings

Weighs just 16 lbs. and measures a compact 35" x 22" x 11.5"

BUT they lose cooling ability at higher humidities; aren't recommended for use above 75% humidity. If you are going to West Texas, it may be fine. In the eastern part, probably not.

And they are more expensive than one would expect...

[jack smith]

Originally Posted by Roger C H

...And they are more expensive than one would expect...

Yikes! .... you can say that again!