Scamp 13 Pros and cons of bathroom

[floyd]

The complaints about the 13Scamp being small seem a bit silly imho.
That's what makes it a true "travel trailer"...Able to park wherever there are two spots inline, including parallel parking. Able to use the drive-up at the bank or fast food joints. Able to turnaround if you get too far down a country road. Able to be towed with true mileage in the mid twenties by a vehicle which is fit to drive. All this in a package which can provide homelike comfort for two when fully equipped and self contained.
We owned a LoveBug13 before Eggysue and would still have it except for finding the features available in the Scamp13D.
I smile with great satisfaction every time I emerge from a hot shower and settledown to a hot meal and a movie in a Walmart parking lot or a rest area, after a long day on the road! The mirror on the bathroom door would provide a sense of spaciousness should we ever feel the need for such, which we haven't yet after ten years.

[Wajourney]

Originally Posted by Eddie Longest

Welcome Annette
Besides Donna's comments you also get a shower, HW heater and greywater tank.
What we're thinking is that we'll get the hot water heater and grey water tank Warm showers are nice and you don't have to drag around tote for your greywater . You are self containted and ready for just about anything. You loose your sofa but you do gain a lot of storage in the closet by the bath. If you do a bed mod like Floyd and add a small pedistal table you also end up with a nice small dinette. The only draw back is you have to make your bed up if you set up the dinette.
Others here really that don't like the bath option in the S-13. You really need to see a S-13 in both configurations and make a decision.
Eddie

Although the arguments for a bathroom are still tempting, what we're thinking is that we'll get the hot water heater and grey water tank without the bathroom.
We're pretty sure that's possible, right?

And can you say more about Floyd's bed mod? Don't they all come with a small dinette convertible to a bed?

[Sheryl M]

Yes to the dinette bed - but if your get the 13 Deluxe model, the bed width is 54" (double bed). The standard scamp bed width is 45" (twin and 1/2) -- something no one has talked about in this thread. A camper with a toilet and wider bed is best, in my mind. I don't mind showering in the camp bathrooms. It's those late night / mid sleep walks up the road that I want to avoid.

[Jon in AZ]

Floyd turned the factory dinette into a u-shaped arrangement with a smaller table. It improves on the factory set-up in several ways.

First, the factory table is a bit tricky to lower from the dinette position to the bed position. The lower seat cushions stick out just enough to get in the way and usually need to be moved to lower the table, a nuisance if you're going to convert between dinette and bed every day. His smaller pedestal table solves that problem.

Second is where to put bedding during the day. He created a large storage compartment under the back section of the dinette that works perfectly for that purpose.

Third is where to take a nap when the table is set up. The back of the U-shaped dinette is both wide and long enough to lie down full length. In the non-bath model, of course, you would net two napping spots.

It's a clever modification, not least because of its simplicity, and I'm sure he will chime in with pictures. It would work on any Scamp layout. It's on my short list.

[Jon in AZ]

Sheryl, the wider bed is now available on the standard versions as well. It's an option, but you lose 10" on the closet and kitchenette.

[rdickens]

Annette,

Because of concerns about national park grey water restrictions, we did
get a grey water tank on our 2014 wider-bed Scamp13L1 trailer. If you
get the grey water tank, be sure to ask Scamp not to install the stinky-slinky
carrier tube onto the front outside of your trailer. (Those tubes turn yellowish
over time and look ugly. You will likely hear similar advice from many others.)

Scamp only uses one size ("27 gallons") of grey water tank on their
trailers and it terminates in the wide stinky-slinky exterior outlet. We
bought an inexpensive (~$3) adapter from Walmart (also available at
Camping World or on Amazon.com, I think) that adapts the larger
stinky-slinky outlet down to a standard garden water hose size and
we now no longer need to carry the stinky-slinky hose.

Recently, Scamp started offering the 54" wide (std double) bed on their
Scamp13 standard trailers. (It is not yet offered on any of the Scamp16
standard trailers; only the Deluxe models) You will hear various opinions
on the desirability of the 54" bed. We sleep on a king size bed at home
and we like our 54" bed.

On the 44" bed version, you get a 42" table to support the bed. On the
54" bed version, you get a 32" table and a 20" filler board.

We were initially concerned about the 32" table size, but we have found
that it opens up the "walking around" floor space in a Scamp13.
I posted pictures of our 54" bed trailer on the the 3rd segment of following
thread and I think that TomK also posted some pictures on one of his threads.
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f51/scamp-full-size-bed-smaller-table-size-65096.html
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f51/scamp-full-size-bed-smaller-table-size-65096-3.html

If you get the 54" bed, I would suggest omitting the furnace (that gives
you a taller cabinet under the sink) and adding all of the overhead cabinets
(1 front cabinet and 2 rear side cabinets) that you can to make up for the
storage space lost to the larger bed configuration. (We've found that a small
electric space heater provides more than enough heat.)

Good luck with your decisions!
Ray

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Floyd turned the factory dinette into a u-shaped arrangement with a smaller table. It improves on the factory set-up in several ways.

First, the factory table is a bit tricky to lower from the dinette position to the bed position. The lower seat cushions stick out just enough to get in the way and usually need to be moved to lower the table, a nuisance if you're going to convert between dinette and bed every day. His smaller pedestal table solves that problem.

Second is where to put bedding during the day. He created a large storage compartment under the back section of the dinette that works perfectly for that purpose.

Third is where to take a nap when the table is set up. The back of the U-shaped dinette is both wide and long enough to lie down full length. In the non-bath model, of course, you would net two napping spots.

It's a clever modification, not least because of its simplicity, and I'm sure he will chime in with pictures. It would work on any Scamp layout. It's on my short list.

Thank you for the kind words....I will chime in tomorrow. My desktop is out getting its electrons adjusted ..."poor thing"
I sent it this get well message...

"11010010111000111010101001100111100011101"

[Bob Miller]

First, I didn't have an extra day to read all of the replies, so here is mine.

We have had BOTH, a 13' SCAMP with a front bath and an identical to SCAMP layout 13' Lil'Bigfoot without a bath. We actually sold the SCAMP because of the space the bath robs from the interior.

We went with a Dometic Sea/Land porta potty on a slide out from under the front bench and never looked back.

First it's used less than 5% (?) of the time but takes up it's space 100% of the time.

Second, you have to find a dump station or drag around a tote tank to empty the not so big holding tank.

Third, if you do get the shower option which is yet another $$$ option, you have to deal with another holding tank and the extra pump to transfer shower drain water to the holding tank.

Fourth, the 13' SCAMP with bath is very heavy, both on the axle as well as on tongue weight.

Fifth: With the front bath you have to make up the dinette/bed every day or there is no lace to be. With out the bath you can use the front bench and TV type tables for dining and don't have to make up the bed, especially important if you want a real mattress for sleeping.

And Sixth, without the front bath you get a nice window to look out at the beautiful scenery.

[RogerDat]

Ha all day to read the replies, I guess there are a lot of opinions on the small camper bath/shower question.

You might want to consider the Zodi portable shower Amazon.com : ZODI Outback Gear Hot Tap Travel Shower : Portable Camping Shower Gear : Sports & Outdoors
there are other manufactures or models. At least one cheaper model (no tank/storage container. Your provide your own bucket)

These showers would provide a less expensive way to have your shower without the hot water heater and holding tank. Little more flexible in that it is portable and separate from the trailer. Less robust not being built in. Just an idea.

One thing that did get mentioned by several owners is running the shower head back into the cold water tank or bucket to recirculate and pre-heat the water first will provide a hotter shower, especially if the source water is cold stream water etc.

[Timber Wolf]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

And Sixth, without the front bath you get a nice window to look out at the beautiful scenery.

And Sixth, without the front bath you get a nice window to look out at your tow rig.

Fixed that for you.

[Bob Miller]

Just to add

I installed 3-4 gallon LP hot water heaters in both the above mentioned trailers as well as my 13' Hunter. That, along with an outside shower panel and a shower tent takes care of everything when we don't have a camp shower available and it gives us real hot water for washing ourselves as well as dishes etc.

[Bob Miller]

Wasn't broken, some of us actually disconnect when camping!!!!! LOL

Originally Posted by Timber Wolf

And Sixth, without the front bath you get a nice window to look out at your tow rig.

Fixed that for you.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

Wasn't broken, some of us actually disconnect when camping!!!!! LOL

But most of us keep the curtains closed for privacy and go outside to see the beautiful scenery! ...Like the tow rig parked out front in the campsite!

[Wajourney]

Thanks, Ray. This is very helpful. I'd heard the stinky slinky hose was a problem but I didn't know why. This helps a lot.

We're also deciding about the bed but that's less of a decision for us than the bathroom.

Thanks, again, to everybody. This discussion has been invaluable.