Scamp 5th Wheel front landing gear (Friday the 13th was bad)

[Gail Shook]

Okay, yesterday was Friday the 13th and somehow I didn't complete my normal check when hooking up the camper and managed to drive about 50 feet with one of the front landing gear legs down. Not a good thing. The drop portion of the leg is slightly bent and twisted but worst is the tube that it slides into is also twisted and will need to be replaced.

I have checked the Atwood site and it appears a new single side of the landing gear can be purchased. Can someone tell me how difficult the replacement is to do. Also if anyone has the parts number off their landing gear that would be helpful as I am away from my camper right now and would like to get a new leg order ASAP.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Gail Shook

[Gail Shook]

Well, it seems like I must be the only one who has ever forgot to put up one of the legs on the front landing gear of a Scamp 5th Wheel. Managed to not only put a bow in the leg that slides down to the ground but also twisted the landing gear tube.

Even though the parts area of the Scamp website does not list replacement landing gear legs I went ahead and gave them a call. I was glad that they can get me one and I do not have to replace the entire assembly.

Hopefully will have the new leg and foot yet this week and it will be an easy job to install it.

Stupid tax will cost me a bit but it will be lesson I have learned well and will hopefully not repeat.

[Steve & Terri]

Ouch! Sorry to read about your mishap, but glad that Scamp was able to send you the parts. I try and use my checklist when hooking up, but sometimes I rush through it. Not anymore, you've reinforced my mind set. Hope your installation goes smoothly.

[Gail Shook]

A checklist is great but you are correct it is easy to rush through it. Especially when you are wanting to get going. My problem is I have too many people who like to "help". I tend to set up, tear down and place items in a certain place or order so when people "help" it gets my system all out of whack which is what happened in this instance. Just goes to show that one last check to make sure everything is where is should be not only saves time but $$$$.

Gail

[Eddie Longest]

Gail
My 2004 19 has a 3" lift and I have to use 6x6 blocks under my rear stablizers and front landing gear. I also put a 2x12 under the landing gear blocks which give me 7" ground clearance. Even if I forget to unpin and raise the legs I still have lots of ground clearance. By using the bigger blocks the stabs and LG are not extended so far and the trailer is much more stable. Good luck with your repair. Let us know how you go about replacing the LG leg in the tube.
Eddie

[reeves99]

Hi Gail,
Sooner or later we all do something like that! I'm too embarrassed to tell the whole story about breaking the bottom bracket on the awning arm in a moment of inattention Luckily I didn't do any major damage and it was easy to fix.
P

[Gail Shook]

IT IS DONE!!!

The new landing gear leg from Scamp arrived very quickly and shipping was not bad either. The good news is that the tube came with a new leg assembly too. Installing it would have gone smoother if the original upper bracket had not been welded badly when the camper was originally built. It is amazing what a person can make fit with a hammer, crowbar and a mental punch.

To replace the leg it was a matter of putting the camper up on some floor jacks. Removing the a bolt from each bracket. Removing a threaded screw from the cross bar, slipping the old leg out and putting the new one in place.

It took longer to figure out the badly welded bracket than anything else.

Suffice to say, it is done and I am back on the road camping with a plan in place so it should not happen again.

Thanks for everyones help and encouragement.

See you on the road.

Gail

[Darwin Maring]

Gail Said: It is amazing what a person can make fit with a hammer, crowbar and a mental punch.

Must have learned that in the Army because they teach you that if it don't fit, get a bigger hammer.

On the Weld: I don't think welding is one of the Scamp Factories proudest accomplishments.

[Fran L]

We use the telescoping BAL stabiizer feet in the back of our Scamp (instead of the factory legs) and 2 large wooden blocks (from someone's construction) under the front landing gear. The blocks are 15" high x 15"w x 7" deep which means we don't have as far to crank down the legs PLUS, I agree that it definitely does make the rig more stable.

We used to use concrete blocks (12" high) but they were much heavier than the wooden blocks we now use. We were lucky that someone we knew needed massive beams for a construction project and these were the scrap ends.
Fran