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Old 04-20-2016, 01:51 PM   #81
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Originally Posted by Mr Lynn View Post
Thanks, Jon. That is good news, especially for all of us newbies to the molded-fiberglass world. If I were marketing these trailers, I'd make sure that was prominently displayed on the websites, at least on their FAQs.

/Mr Lynn
Keep in mind that some of the more common warranty problems are with items such as appliances, AC and tires and those are covered under their own manufactures warranty.

So if one of those items should fail you would not need the trailer manufactures permission to take the trailer into your preferred RV shop and have the item replaced or repaired. You would though obviously need the manufacture of that particular items permission though ;-)
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Old 04-20-2016, 07:00 PM   #82
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So Scamp and the other fiberglass trailer manufacturers will guarantee to pay for any repairs made under warranty at independent RV dealers anywhere in the country? If true, that is reassuring.



Gordon2, sounds like you should get right over to your closest RV dealer and get all the problems dealt with on Scamp's dollar.



I'd suggest you get it in writing, though.



/Mr Lynn

Yep. It would be wise to get it in writing. When I had a problem with the fiberglass in the loft of my Scamp 19, I was told by Kent to bring the trailer back to them (not a short trip from Florida). During the phone call, I told him when I would be there, and he said he would put it on the calendar. When I arrived on the appointed date, he asked me what I was doing there and stated that they were very busy and might not be able to do my repairs. Damn right, get it in writing! Fortunately, they somehow managed to "fit me in." Unfortunately, the fiberglass repair was substandard (no hyperbole!).


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Old 04-20-2016, 07:16 PM   #83
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Hell hath no fury...(Does shrill count as hyperbole?)

A little unction to balance vilification...
I have never had anything misrepresented by Scamp, in fact I have often seen them honor customers who had nothing coming.
These are good honest people with whom it is a pleasure to do business. Even when you can not be satisfied and there is a misunderstanding, they will "fit you in".

Don't forget Kingfish wisdom when it comes to "getting it in writing"...

"Yes Suh Amos, Ya know the BIG print giveth, and the fine print taketh away!"

Just try to read your contract with your cable company or get them to honor it!
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Old 04-20-2016, 07:33 PM   #84
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Don't forget Kingfish wisdom when it comes to "getting it in writing"...

"Yes Suh Amos, Ya know the BIG print giveth, and the fine print taketh away!"

Just try to read your contract with your cable company or get them to honor it!
And you know what they say about a verbal agreement. . .

"It ain't worth the paper it's written on."

/Mr Lynn
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Old 04-20-2016, 08:20 PM   #85
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Forty years ago,I went to my local bank to borrow money for a new car.
My banker wanted the title for collateral.
I said, fine but understand you can have my word or the title, which ever you value most... He took my word.
Trust is the real value of every contract, written or verbal.
Truer words were never spake! But I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a banker who would do that today. It's a different (and not necessarily a better) world.

/Mr Lynn
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Old 04-21-2016, 04:51 AM   #86
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Musing from a new Scamp owner

Quote:
Originally Posted by floyd View Post
Hell hath no fury...(Does shrill count as hyperbole?)

A little unction to balance vilification...
I have never had anything misrepresented by Scamp, in fact I have often seen them honor customers who had nothing coming.
These are good honest people with whom it is a pleasure to do business. Even when you can not be satisfied and there is a misunderstanding, they will "fit you in".

Don't forget Kingfish wisdom when it comes to "getting it in writing"...

"Yes Suh Amos, Ya know the BIG print giveth, and the fine print taketh away!"

Just try to read your contract with your cable company or get them to honor it!

"Vilification" somewhat implies an intention to attempt to smear something or someone. I have never, repeat never stated anything about my Scamp experience that wasn't true. As I see it, vilification constitutes the hyperbole you so adamantly rail against. I would contend that after a series of emails regarding a warranty problem followed up by a phone call to schedule the necessary repair during which the company's owner tells me he will put it on the company's work scheduling calendar, it is reasonable to expect him to follow through without having to get a signed contract. It seems that anytime anyone on this forum mentions a problem with Scamp, you appear to feel that you must rally to Scamps defense (in a way that often reeks of hyperbole).
In 1932, Albert Einstein stated “There is not the slightest indication that nuclear energy will ever be obtainable. It would mean that the atom would have to be shattered at will.”
Eleven years later, in 1943, Thomas Watson, Chairman of IBM is attributed with saying “I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.”
And in 1962 upon declining to sign the Beatles to a recording contract, Decca Recording Company explained “We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out." There can be no doubt that Einstein was brilliant, or that Watson and Decca executives could be considered “experts” in their respective realms.
I would not debate that in respect to fiberglass trailers, you have more expertise than some, maybe even many. But just because you frequently proclaim that the Scamp is the best value in fiberglass trailers, that every other brand is equally as problematic, or that anyone who says anything remotely negative about Scamp is guilty of hyperbole, it DOES NOT necessarily make your statements true. It is simply your OPINION based on your personal experiences, and we all know the old adage about opinions.
Frankly, I've had a better experience with my cable company than with Scamp.


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Old 04-21-2016, 08:18 AM   #87
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I can see from the above that I should describe my experience getting all my little repairs taken care of. It is not my intent to disparage Scamp or talk anyone out of buying one. Someone said that “a few bad reports can do disproportionate harm and an intelligent hearer will take them with the grain of salt deserved, especially when magnified by repetition or hyperboly (sic)." However it seems to me that the overwhelming glowing reports on Scamp trailers might also do disproportionate harm when not fully accurate. For example, some people seem to actually believe that they are leak proof. The cuteness factor sometimes kicks in but it is important to have fair and balanced information and expectations. I have adjusted my expectations based on my experiences, and I still love my camper.

When I first decided to contact Scamp it was for three reasons. 1. Because I had a number of issues and I thought the company president should know about them; 2. I needed some guidance on how best to repair some of them myself and expected to have the costs covered under warranty, and 3. The broken bubble of finish on the cabinet seemed to require professional work.

I wrote a polite letter to Kent Eveland detaining everything (the letter pretty much the same as my original post), and mailed it to Scamp’s street address with a request for him to contact me. More than three weeks by and I heard nothing. I was tempted to blog about the crappy customer service but gave him the benefit of the doubt, and good thing I did. The post office returned my letter with a notation that there is no mailbox there so they could not delivery it! (TIP, use their PO Box when sending postal mail, it seems that the Backus mail carriers don’t let rain, nor snow, nor sleet impede their progress but parking the truck and walking a few feet is out of the question!).

So I scanned the letter and sent it via e-mail. This time, in 24 hours I had a detailed reply from Kent Eveland going over each of my points one by one. I found his reply to be helpful, informational and candid. Although I told him he could call, all of our communication has been by email, which does have the advantage of providing written documentation.

The broken bubble of finish on the cabinet did seem to need professionally work and Kent wanted me to bring the trailer there until he found out how far away I was. Then he wanted me to get estimate(s) for local repairs by taking the trailer to the local shops. But since I had but the trailer on jacks for the winter, I took photos to local shops instead and got (guesses more than firm) estimates of about $200-$300. At this point in my many emails with Kent I thought I detected some hesitancy to approve that large a payment, and I also felt it was rather high and we should be able to get a decent repair at lower cost. I decided to work with Scamp, and to make a long story a little shorter, I ended up using two small vials of appliance epoxy repair and after applying many coats over a few days, I got a decent repair except for the color match. I updated Kent and he cut a check for the $19 I had spent, and he also sent some gel coat to finish the job. (I have not got to that part yet however). In the same package he also sent a replacement for the front outside light fixture that had a failing switch. It was a different fixture and different bulb, but still usable.

After my last trip, when I found the two additional leaks, I emailed Kent again and again he was quick to reply. He described what needed to be done and suggested that I pick up some sealant from the local store and send him the bill (but since I have some already I won’t bother asking for more money if it holds up). He also sent two size 16 and 2 size 14 rivets to repair the cabinet at no cost.

I can’t say how Scamp would have responded if I had insisted on taking the trailer to local shops to have every little thing done by paid professionals. But since that would have been both quite expensive for Scamp, and inconvenient for me, I worked with them and did the labor myself. It should be noted that I had no problems with the items that have separate manufacturer warranties (AC, fridge, etc.) with the possible exception of the brakes, which might have been just maladjustment.

In sum, for the most part I found Kent Eveland to be honest and to stand by his product while also trying to be a good company president and minimize the expense to the company while getting acceptable repairs. There are other posts from different people in this forum that (I think) reflect a similar conclusion.

Scamp is not Lexus, but neither is it based in Beijing. As Floyd said, there is a shakedown period. Therefore there will be some things needing repair under warranty at times. I do think I had a few more than I should have, but they were not big problems and some would have not even been noticed by a less informed or less observant owner.

Of course it probably helped that strived to be polite and that I am a DIYer who does not demand absolute perfection (in the counter top finish for example). If you are a potential buyer who wants all repairs done by others than it would be good if you lived in Backus. Otherwise, within reason, I am sure that Scamp will work with your local shops as needed and pick up the bill according to the terms of the warranty.
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Old 04-21-2016, 09:07 AM   #88
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"Vilification" somewhat implies an intention to attempt to smear something or someone. I have never, repeat never stated anything about my Scamp experience that wasn't true. As I see it, vilification constitutes the hyperbole you so adamantly rail against. I would contend that after a series of emails regarding a warranty problem followed up by a phone call to schedule the necessary repair during which the company's owner tells me he will put it on the company's work scheduling calendar, it is reasonable to expect him to follow through without having to get a signed contract. It seems that anytime anyone on this forum mentions a problem with Scamp, you appear to feel that you must rally to Scamps defense (in a way that often reeks of hyperbole).

I would not debate that in respect to fiberglass trailers, you have more expertise than some, maybe even many. But just because you frequently proclaim that the Scamp is the best value in fiberglass trailers, that every other brand is equally as problematic, or that anyone who says anything remotely negative about Scamp is guilty of hyperbole, it DOES NOT necessarily make your statements true. It is simply your OPINION based on your personal experiences, and we all know the old adage about opinions.
Frankly, I've had a better experience with my cable company than with Scamp.


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You need only to go back and read post #77 to see that your accusations against me are simply not accurate.
It amounts to a cliched ruse to say "anyone" in a futile attempt to broaden support for your accusation.

I have spent considerable time dealing with and correcting the foibles of the manufacturer's of every make, especially Scamp.
Admission that those foibles exist is a prerequisite to the subsequent improvement brought on by that effort.

You must agree that citing the "old adage" merely trivializes all opinions...
Assuming that my experience could bring me only to a trivial opinion and nothing more, then in fairness the same could be said of yours.
Thereby making my unction only a balance for your vilification.
The former made true only with the acceptance of the latter!
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Old 04-21-2016, 09:31 AM   #89
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Gordon;
Great post(#87) well balanced!
Thanks for pointing out my misspelling of the word hyperbole .
( or should I say)
I considered a grotesque rant in response, but I was afraid the sarcastic humor might be misunderstude!
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Old 04-21-2016, 09:34 AM   #90
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You need only to go back and read post #77 to see that your accusations against me are simply not accurate.
It amounts to a cliched ruse to say "anyone" in a futile attempt to broaden support for your accusation against me.

I have spent considerable time dealing with and correcting the foibles of the manufacturer's of every make, especially Scamp.
Admission that those foibles exist is a prerequisite to the subsequent improvement brought on by that effort.

You must agree that citing the "old adage" merely trivializes all opinions...
Assuming that my experience could bring me only to a trivial opinion and nothing more, then in fairness the same could be said of yours.
Thereby making my unction only a balance for your vilification.
The former made true only with the acceptance of the latter!

Whatever......


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Old 04-21-2016, 10:11 AM   #91
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Floyd, are you part of Scamp's referal program? Do you show your trailer to prospective buyers and receive a commission if they buy a trailer?
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Old 04-21-2016, 10:15 AM   #92
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Just as a general missive...
Carl and I have become pretty well acquainted in person through fiberglass rallies and have had great conversations on various subjects. I have great respect for his opinions and always look forward to our next meeting. Our relationship is cordial and with further exposure I like to think will become a fast friendship.
My hope here is to publicly dispel any perception of animosity between us.
Knowing what we occasionally can be... The old adage certainly entitles us each to an opinion.
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Old 04-21-2016, 10:19 AM   #93
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Floyd, are you part of Scamp's referal program? Do you show your trailer to prospective buyers and receive a commission if they buy a trailer?
LOL.. I am. showed it two three people so far. Been 100% honest with them all. The first two are looking for used and the most recent still has one on order for October (as far as I know). I found out after showing it for a while that the order for the last perosn was already in so I don't have any financial incentive, not that it would make any difference to me.
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Old 04-21-2016, 10:28 AM   #94
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Gordon, your clarification was most helpful in dispelling the impression I got from your original post, that you had gotten a lemon. I'm not sure I'd have handled all the problems with as much equanimity as you have. But I'm glad to hear you're happy with your Scamp.

The number of leaks I think does reinforce a suggestion someone made above, that manufacturers of nominally 'leak-proof' fiberglass campers should put them through a good downpour in a rain-and-splash room—assuming they don't already. It would not only reassure buyers, but it would improve craft morale ("My number XXX passed!"), and would be a good marketing tool, too.

/Mr Lynn
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Old 04-21-2016, 10:38 AM   #95
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Just as a general missive...
Carl and I have become pretty well acquainted in person through fiberglass rallies and have had great conversations on various subjects. I have great respect for his opinions and always look forward to our next meeting. Our relationship is cordial and with further exposure I like to think will become a fast friendship.
My hope here is to publicly dispel any perception of animosity between us.
Knowing what we occasionally can be... The old adage certainly entitles us each to an opinion.

I will second that!

There is no animosity between Floyd and myself. His expressed sentiments match my own. He is well informed on a wide variety of subjects and I truly enjoy conversing with him. Any online "sparring" between us is merely a result of our differing opinions of Scamp's quality control.


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Old 04-21-2016, 10:41 AM   #96
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Floyd, are you part of Scamp's referal program? Do you show your trailer to prospective buyers and receive a commission if they buy a trailer?
Every Scamp owner is as you describe...in fact, Scamp honors referrals from non-owners as well.
My trailer is now 12 years old, but I am still proud to show it when someone shows interest.
My involvement as a fiberglass enthusiast goes somewhat further as well.
I am active in fiberglass rallies and offer assistance to newbies and veterans alike. I also offer tech sessions at these gatherings.

After attending scores of fiberglass rallies I can say that it is the people, not the products which enrich my experience. Each of them contributes something important and I feel privileged to be able to contribute in my own way.

I have no official relationship with Scamp Trailers.

While in disclosure mode...
I prefer Trek Bicycles, but still own and appreciate other makes.
Oh! and I drive and prefer Ford vehicles as well.
I do not, however, have any affection for any team in ball sports.
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Old 04-21-2016, 11:03 AM   #97
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...
The number of leaks I think does reinforce a suggestion someone made above, that manufacturers of nominally 'leak-proof' fiberglass campers should put them through a good downpour in a rain-and-splash room—assuming they don't already. ..
Perhaps, but in my case only one leak would have shown up right away. The second took a two-day, almost constant (flood conditions type) rain where I was on the highway AND camped in the rain all day.

The second two leaks did not show up for months.
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Old 04-22-2016, 05:20 AM   #98
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Scamp makes an affordable product. I think a $10k entry level Scamp is a far better way to go than buying a twenty year old trailer filled someone else's mistakes that will cost the same in the long run. That said, when it was my turn to buy, I bought a Trillium over the Scamp. Of what was available, it was the best compromise. The problems I had with my Trillium make most complaints about Scamp seem trivial. It was so bad that at one point I was promised a new trailer but like all the other promises they made, in the end I was on my own and stuck with what I had.

All of these trailers are built by hand using the same cheap RV components by, for the most part, on the job trained workers who are just waiting for Miller time. Scamp is an inexpensive fiberglass trailer of proven design. It is not perfection despite what some might have you believe. But, had I bought the Scamp there is no doubt in my mind Scamp would have taken care of me.

So my suggestion is to fix what you've got and enjoy it. All the headaches will soon be overshadowed by the good times. Trust me on that. Raz
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Old 04-22-2016, 05:38 AM   #99
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Scamp makes an affordable product. I think a $10k entry level Scamp is a far better way to go than buying a twenty year old trailer filled someone else's mistakes that will cost the same in the long run. ....
Actually 16 k.

The best scenario is to find a trailer that is around 2-7 years old and that has been well cared for, but whose owner suddenly finds he/she needs to sell due to unforeseen circumstances. That way, the shakedown phase is over, the bugs have been worked out, yet is is not yet so old as to need a lot of expensive work done.

Of course those are the ones that sell in hours.
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Old 04-22-2016, 06:03 AM   #100
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An entry level 13' scamp is less than 10k. That's what I was refering to.
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