Our Scamp is an '84. We picked Mae West up this summer in Kentucky, knowing nothing about
Fiberglass RV's. We loved the idea of pulling her with our 4cyl '88 toyota. Alas, my husband only wanted to use the truck in SW Missouri, and I have dreams of traveling a LOT farther!.
So, as in the book series,
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, we got a larger truck (much larger, 2006 Toyota Tundra), and this has created a snowball-effect of adjustments, repairs, and improvements!
The truck it much higher, and wider, so we needed a different hitch set-up, and Mae West had to be raised, as well. We called this her face lift and tummy tuck!
Our first real outing, on pretty bad OK roads, she bounced all over, so we got with our tire guy and got real trailer
tires with a good sidewall. In changing the
tires and checking the
brakes, it was discovered that whoever packed the wheel bearings had used a hammer on the bearings for some reason, and had also just globbed grease in places. Oh, my!
Mae West now rides down the road with smooth dignity. Well, except for her need for exfoliation and polish. So, using a magic eraser product, as well as a marine abrasion/wax product from 3M, we are in process of cleaning her exterior. BUT, I had a double mastectomy 5 years ago, and do not have enough strength in my arms & chest wall to polish the product, SO, we had to purchase a polshing tool. No big, since the gelcoat is pretty much gone at her age, and this will be an ongoing process.
On our way home from KY with her, my husband was completely unhappy with the sleeping arrangements, hence the previous post about altering the bed situation. I will post remodel pictures, but most everything is ON the bed right now as our young techie-friend, Shawn, is replumbing with PEX, and rewiring for appropriate guage for the a/c (aftermarket, and really too much cool for our rig), and running more 12 volt for LED in all the cabinets, entry
light. Oh, we also had to replace the 'inverter'. Shawn wanted some very expensive piece that would allow us to stop and make coffee along the road (!). We opted for the under $200 option, as opposed to the $8-900 luxury!
We will be removing the original carpet as soon as he is finished inside (it is in excellent shape, but I abhor carpet in a home, never-the-less living so closely to the outdoors and dirt, especially other people's), and we are incorporating shelving & storage where the original heater was (and other places), as it was defunct; we will use alternate heating, for now, probably one of those small oil radiators, and a shelf-model small electric ceramic heater, until we decide how much cooler/cold weather we will be facing in Mae West. Shawn has suggested a heat-strip in the a/c, but in searching on this forum, it does not really seem to be worth the expense of purchase, and installation, for the benefit received.
The next big test is of the tanks. The fresh water (into which he installed a large clean-out port so the slimey stuff can be easily wiped away), is solid, and holding water. The faucets need new seats, but since the fixtures are original, and brass, well worth the repairs!
And my dear husband has agreed to replace the cabinet doors, which all feel swollen and greasy along the edges after 31 years of humidity and use. He also rebuilt the dining table, as in our increased years (and some increase of girth), it was difficult to get into the seating area! I am so pleased with what our consultation created! It is still easily incorporated into a bed (for when I do fiber/craft shows with my friends, or travel around SW MO, facilitation study circles, as was the impetus for this whole venture, taking co-facilitators along as Carl, my husband is not always available).
Soooo, if you purchase an older unit, be prepared for, if not a remodel, at least ongoing surprise repairs (which we are trying to avoid with our major overhaul).
And her name; well, she is very curvy, and a Scamp, and so was Mae West! Our Toyota is named Lennie. Short story longer, in Mae's early career, she was chauffeured by Jerry Orbach, who played Lennie in Law & Order. Jerry just did not fit the Toyota for a name, but Lennie was perfect!