New Scamp

[Terry M]

I made a cold trip to Minnesota last week and ordered my new Scamp 13; delivery date April 1st. Special thank you to all of the Forum members who gave suggestions and help on choosing the right options.

Question: When I sold my last trailer I kept the hitch and sway bar, is there any need to install the sway bar on my new Scamp? The trailer has brakes and I tow with a F 150.

Thanks, Terry M.

[Darrell in Al]

Probably not necessary towing with F150, I use one with my tow vehicle, 05 Wrangler Unlimited pulling 16 Deluxe Scamp. I would probably not need it if I was towing with my Cherokee length and weight of it would eliminate any potential problems. Have you towed a trailer with your truck? I did have a 6×10 box trailer it towed worse than my Scamp when loaded.

[papa-t]

I agree you shouldn't need it. But keep it until new Scamp arrives, then you can see how it feels. Pulled a 16' Scamp before the 19' using my Colorado with no sway problems. Congrats on the new unit and welcome to FGRV.

[Terry M]

My last trailer weighed 5000+ pounds, came with an equalizing hitch and I towed it with a GMC diesel PU. I used the sway bar because it came with the purchase. My only experience when towing a light trailer, without a sway bar, is when towing my SeaDoo. No problems but wind or 18 wheelers don't effect it at all. I was just curious if anyone towing a small Scamp saw any benefit to the sway bar. I will be towing over the Rockies. TM

[Ron Merritt]

I doubt you will need an anti-sway bar with this short trailer hooked to a full size truck.

Just a word of warning to others out there - be cautious about using any WDH bars with these small trailers. They come in sizes depending on the anticipated tongue weight. If you use a bar made for a high load on the trailer with a much lighter tongue weight, it will essentially have no give to it and could cause alot of damage to the trailer's frame.

So if you are transferring an old WDH and sway setup to a new trailer, you may have to purchase different loading bars more attuned to your current tongue weight. Usually you can find replacement bars online or at a local hitch shop depending on your brand.

[Briantb]

We had a Scamp 13 with front washroom we towed with a 2007 Silverado and had no sway bar and never swayed

Sent from my XT1028 using Fiberglass RV mobile app

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Terry M

Question: When I sold my last trailer I kept the hitch and sway bar, is there any need to install the sway bar on my new Scamp? The trailer has brakes and I tow with a F 150.

Thanks, Terry M.

Keep it! I pulled my Scamp with a much smaller vehicle for 6 years thousands of miles through lots of bad weather and never used one and never felt I needed one ... that was until I switched to pulling with my current truck.

I have worked hard at fine tuning my current set up. Both in the stowage of gear inside the trailer and in changing the hardware on the hitch side in order to get a nice solid tow that I was previously accustom to. Even with those changes I know that under certain conditions such as traveling at 65mph and a steady side wind that the trailer feels more wiggly behind the truck than it did with my previous smaller/lighter tow vehicle. With all the changes I have made it now feels solid when passed by a big truck (which it did not the first time I towed with the truck) but even with the changes I have made it still can at times feel a bit wiggly to me, so I have added an anti sway bar to my set up on the chance that it *may* help me out a little should the trailer decide to do a big wag one day.

Since switching to pulling with the truck I have started to pay more attention when on the road to trucks I see pulling smaller/lighter trailers. Find it interesting as to how many of those trailers are doing what I would call a serious wiggle (way morel than my set up) and the driver seems to be oblivious to it.... can't help but wonder if its simple they think that is just how it is and the norm or perhaps they have never pulled with a vehicle that has provided a much more solid tow than that so they have no idea what a it should feel like or look like!

There are many different components/measurements that go into getting a good solid tow and simple towing with a large heavy truck is not necesarly the quick fix for it that I have noted that many here seem to believe it is!

[TomK]

Terry, I have a much smaller and lighter tug (Subaru Forester) and basically the same trailer / model you have with no sway bar. I tried to induce a sway, wiggling the steering wheel at slow speeds, and working my way up to towing speeds of 60-65 MPH. I couldn't get the Scamp to sway at all. It seems very solid and tracks like a dream. I'm careful to load the trailer with the majority of the weight over the axle and as low as possible.

As long as you don't put anything heavy on the rear bike rack receiver hitch, you should be fine. Good luck!

Tom

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by TomK

Terry, I have a much smaller and lighter tug (Subaru Forester) and basically the same trailer / model you have with no sway bar.

that was the case with my old Subaru Outback as well, as mention above not the case with my larger, heavier truck!

[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by Terry M

I made a cold trip to Minnesota last week and ordered my new Scamp 13; delivery date April 1st. Special thank you to all of the Forum members who gave suggestions and help on choosing the right options.

Question: When I sold my last trailer I kept the hitch and sway bar, is there any need to install the sway bar on my new Scamp? The trailer has brakes and I tow with a F 150.

Thanks, Terry M.

You might want to get numbers from SCAMP as to desired hitch height and be sure you have the correct amount of drop on your drawbar/hitch ball. Especially when empty, these light trailers can get some ground effects lift when towed high in front and get a little squirrely. Best to be level or slightly low in front.

[Darral T.]

I pull a fully-loaded 13' Scamp (apx 1800 lbs loaded for travel). My TV is a 1999 Nissan Frontier with a 4cyl Manual tranny. I pull on the bumper! The nose is slightly high...maybe 2-3 degrees? I do not, have not, will not use a sway bar. With the round curves of the 13' and as short as it is, IF you get sway then you have a problem with the tongue/hitch weight which should be 10-15% of your total weight. My tongue weight is (or was before removing the propane tank) 225 lbs or apx 13%. With the propane removed, I still have never had any sway with my small truck.

Coming from Backus when it was brand new, I pulled in 30+ mph crosswinds near Chicago, Ill. Barely felt the Scamp...no more "push" on my truck with the Scamp in tow than it was without it. I knew then, we had a SWEET towing camper...and it is. You will LOVE the "no feel". BUT, that can be a negative--- how? You can forget it's back there!!

[Bob Miller]

Those that are even thinking about towing with a factory bumper hitch, first check in the manual and stamped on the bumper itself. I don't know of any that have the same rating as the chassis towing limits


For example, the 1994 Hard Body Nissan V6/5speed I often drive, while rated similar in towing capacity, is only rated for 1000 lbs x 150 lbs on the factory bumper hitch, it's stamped right in the metal. Others may be higher, but always check/ask/verify.

[Terry M]

Thanks for the info. I plan on pulling it back from Backus without the sway bar to see how it pulls, mainly because I don't want to install the trailer end bracket in the parking lot. When I get home and since I have the sway bar I will probably install it, if it doesn't help it takes 30 seconds to remove and throw in the bed. As for the hitch I am not using the equalizing bars only the hitch. I need to drop my ball down about 6 inches to get the proper 16 1/2 - 18 inch tongue height, so I need the adjustable drop hitch. I ask Wayne at Scamp and he said that they recommend sway control on the 16 footers but said since I have the sway bar to go ahead and give it a try.

[Timber Wolf]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

Those that are even thinking about towing with a factory bumper hitch, first check in the manual and stamped on the bumper itself. I don't know of any that have the same rating as the chassis towing limits

For example, the 1994 Hard Body Nissan V6/5speed I often drive, while rated similar in towing capacity, is only rated for 1000 lbs x 150 lbs on the factory bumper hitch, it's stamped right in the metal. Others may be higher, but always check/ask/verify.

My F-150's bumper says the exact same weights as the frame mounted Reese hitch I installed. If the bumper was not too high I would just tow the Scamp off it. But with the Scamp backed off a little because of the receiver hitch does allow me drop the tailgate while still hooked up!

[Bob Miller]

I don't know the source of your bumper, but the rating on the Reese hitch is usually for the hitch itself, not for the vehicle on which it is installed. Heavy duty factory & after market bumpers also suffer from the same issue, ratings are based on the strength of the bumper, not it's mounting. Bumper hitches are usually to high for towing FGRV's anyway.


The sticker on the factory installed hitch on my Blazer sez 6000 lbs, but the maximum for any 2003, 2 dr, Blazer is 5700 lbs., some are as low as 2000 lbs. but they all get the same hitch.


Again, back to the owners manual.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Darral T.

I pull a fully-loaded 13' Scamp (apx 1800 lbs loaded for travel). My TV is a 1999 Nissan Frontier with a 4cyl Manual tranny. I pull on the bumper! The nose is slightly high...maybe 2-3 degrees? I do not, have not, will not use a sway bar. With the round curves of the 13' and as short as it is, IF you get sway then you have a problem with the tongue/hitch weight which should be 10-15% of your total weight. My tongue weight is (or was before removing the propane tank) 225 lbs or apx 13%. With the propane removed, I still have never had any sway with my small truck.

Although appropriate tongue weight is one of the components of getting a solid tow its not the only one. In my experience no two vehicle and trailer combos are going to work out the same as far as the feel of the tow goes - unless they are identical in all ways.

As Bob suggests bumper pull tow ratings are often much lower than those of a regular hitch. I know on my Frontier V6 it is for sure. Even if it was rated for my trailer, I wouldn't use it as its far to high for the trailer - in my experence another component of a solid tow is the trailer needs to be level or slightly down on the tongue.

Nothing wrong with using a sway bar as another piece of added insurance in the event of a one off sudden manoeuvre, lots of people here use them and would not consider not having one on their trailer. Thats assuming one has taken the time to get their set up correct & stable under normal towing conditions and the sway bar isn't whats keeping the trailer from wagging about on a daily bases.

[Terry M]

I think I agree with Carol that a sway bar is cheep - free in my case - insurance. Once I have towed both with and without I will let the forum know the results. Thanks again for all of the input and it is nice to know that Scamps are easy to tow regardless of the towing configuration.

[Darral T.]

Carol...the V6 Frontiers sit higher than my 4-cyl Frontier (larger wheels/tires). If mine was a V6, I too would have to use a receiver hitch so I could drop the ball.

Regardless what's said, in my opinion and from my nearly 6000 miles of pulling the 13' Scamp, a swaybar for the 13' Scamps is just dead weight added to the tongue....provided the tongue weight of the trailer stays where suggested- 10-15%. I'd be MUCH more concerned about tire pressures, keeping the diff. oil, motor oil, tranny oil, brakes, etc properly maintained.

Anyway, as Bob stated, I went out and checked the factory bumper on my '99 Frontier. It states right on top- "Check the Owner's Manual". The owner's manual on my truck states, "Special hitches which include frame reinforcements are required for towing above 2,000 lb (907 kg)." I did not see the capacity stamped anywhere on the bumper....just the statement above.

For what it's worth, there's a couple of other points mentioned in my manual I think is of interest but probably heavily debatable-especially among different states. Here's the two points of interest quoted directly out of my manual:

*1: All towing above 1000 lb (454 kg) requires the use of trailer brakes. NISSAN recommends the use of a tandem axle trailer whenever towing above 3,000 lb (1,361 kg).
*2: A sway control device is recommended for all towing above 2,000 lb (907 kg). Sway control devices are not offered by NISSAN...yada yada.

[Bob Miller]

Hmmmm... I don't see anything debatable:


In point #1, it's just Nissan making a statement about the capacity of the brakes on the TV. Allowing a state law to lull someone into thinking that they have enough brakes for towing borders on the foolish when the manufacturer sets a lower limit.


And, whereas point #1 uses the word "Requires", point #2 is a "Recommendation" and gives the owner an option.


But I like the statement made in the owners manual about capacity, but manuals get lost/ignored, so the earlier practice of stamping it in the bumper is also nice.


But then again there is the problem with "Hitch/Bumper Capacities" not being the same as the TV to which it is attached, but that's yet another issue.

[Carol H]

Darrel, what your manual has stated is pretty well what was being suggested. The bumper hitch is normally rated to pull at a much lower capacity than the vehicles stated towing capacity. In the case of my own truck the difference between the bumper hitch and the standard hitch, is that the bumper hitch is rated at about 3000lbs less.

I don't believe that the brakes required on trailers over 1000lbs is actually debatable by state as you suggest, as it has nothing to do with the state (although many states actually do have a legal requirement in regards to brakes on trailers over x so many pounds). Its the vehicle manufactures "requirement". That requirement is found on many vehicle towing specifications these days and its what the vehicle manufacture says is necessary to provide a safe tow. Not something one can debate based on where they live.

Again these items are just a couple of the many different components that go into the making of a good safe solid tow, just as you rightly point out making sure the tire pressure is correct and that the vehicle is well maintained also go into it.