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Old 02-11-2016, 10:19 AM   #1
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Name: Marion
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Scamp worthiness?

I was thinking of buying a Scamp 13', but a friend told me his 19' fifth wheel was falling apart from the start when he bought it new--with screws falling out because they were not attached to anything and things generally falling apart. I am wondering if this was an anomaly, or limited to the 19' fifth wheel or should I be wary?
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Old 02-11-2016, 11:08 AM   #2
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Trailer: 2018, 21ft escape— 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie
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We purchased a 1999 Scamp in 2009 .We put about 12,000 miles on the trailer in the 3 years we owned it . We had an issue with one screw and 2 rivets , all were an easy repair . The only screws that came loose on a somewhat regular basis were the cabinet door screws and that problem was easily remedied with a few drops of gorilla glue.
The 1999 Scamp had about 50,000 miles on it when we sold it and the third owner is still towing it around.
Just my experience .
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Old 02-11-2016, 11:23 AM   #3
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Originally Posted by steve dunham View Post
We purchased a 1999 Scamp in 2009 .We put about 12,000 miles on the trailer in the 3 years we owned it . We had an issue with one screw and 2 rivets , all were an easy repair . The only screws that came loose on a somewhat regular basis were the cabinet door screws and that problem was easily remedied with a few drops of gorilla glue.
The 1999 Scamp had about 50,000 miles on it when we sold it and the third owner is still towing it around.
Just my experience .
My experience is the same, I have replaced a few more rivets and am on my second go round of replacing rivet caps, but compared to the stick built pop-up I once owned, the Scamp has been quite trouble free.
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Old 02-11-2016, 11:44 AM   #4
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Oops… I misunderstood the title… thought it was about who is worthy to own a Scamp…

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On a more serious note, I have a couple of thoughts. One is that RVs in general, speaking broadly, do not have great quality control. My mother recently bought a brand new $100K RoadTrek Class B and I helped her sort out a number of annoying quality issues, like exterior compartment locks that were loose, cabinet hinge screws that pulled loose from cheap particleboard under the fancy veneers… that kind of thing. I don't think Scamp is any worse than the industry as a whole, and better than many.

The second relates to suggestions that Scamp quality has gone downhill recently. That would be impossible to prove one way or the other, since there is no equivalent of Consumer Reports for RVs. Internet forums have proliferated, and there is a lot more information out there now than even a few years ago. Complaints and problems tend to occupy the most bytes, so again, it's hard to say. Who posts to say that their trailer is working normally? Quality does tend to suffer when companies are running flat out to meet demand.

I bought mine used, 4 years old, and I have had to correct only a couple of minor quality-related issues. But it was made in the winter of 2008-09, when things might have been a little slower due to the recession, and it's very basic (no fridge, bathroom, water heater, holding tanks,…) so much less to go wrong.

I have heard a few of the kind of stories your friend tells. It does make me just a little leery of a brand new Scamp right now, especially if I were buying a fully loaded one. But I love mine, and if I decided to buy a new trailer, I'd give strong consideration to another Scamp. If possible I would pick it up in person and plan to spend a week or more in the region so I could take it back for adjustments if needed.
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Old 02-11-2016, 11:47 AM   #5
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Name: Jack L
Trailer: Sold the Bigfoot 17-Looking for a new one
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I wonder how your friend was using his trailer. When I'm on rough roads (BLM & USFS) I drive slowly . I have been on some very rough roads that could easily damage any FGRV if I drove fast. I don't know why your friend had a problem but the harder you use something, the more you have to repair it. Occasionally I have to do some repairs on my trailer. A loose screw would not concern me, but a lot of them would. I have never owned a Scamp but there are lots of Scamp owners on the forum that are very happy with their trailers.
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Old 02-11-2016, 01:03 PM   #6
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I restored a 13' 1974 Scamp that had the original rivets and no evidence of any leaks. We used that camper for at least 6 years, same rivets and no leaks. Sold it to go bigger. That was a 2001 16' Scamp in 2009. Again, no issues. Found the layout did not fit our needs so went back to a 13' Scamp. That is 2001 model, too, I believe. Once again, no leaks and no issues. Part of our lack of issues is likely due to our preference for minimal appliances (plan to add solar and do more boondocking), but we've also had zero issues with the construction.
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Old 02-11-2016, 02:06 PM   #7
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Trailer: '88 Scamp 16, layout 4
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They might have gotten a bad unit, but personally I would have to have more information. What you have said, or the way it was phrased, certainly sounds bad. But was it REALLY that big an issue? People approach issues differently and circumstances sometimes come into play. It may have been buyers remorse coupled with one loose screw. Which screws? How many? Etc.?
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Old 02-11-2016, 02:09 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by Timber Wolf View Post
It may have been buyers remorse coupled with one loose screw. Which screws? How many? Etc.?
And, whose loose screw?
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Old 02-11-2016, 03:06 PM   #9
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Name: Frederick / Janis
Trailer: Previously Scamp 13 2002,2016. Scamp 16 on order
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This report may cut into Scamp's business, reducing that 7 month customer waiting list an hour or two.
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Old 02-11-2016, 04:17 PM   #10
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Name: David
Trailer: 2014 13' Scamp -standard w/ front bunk
Vermont
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My wife and I purchased a new Scamp 13 two years ago and the problems we've encountered have been truly minor - and the Scamp folks have been quick to respond and resolve them. We experienced no significant manufacturing quality control issues. Based on our experience we wouldn't hesitate to encourage our friends to purchase a Scamp. Good luck.
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Old 02-11-2016, 04:31 PM   #11
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Our Scamp 16 is now 25 years old and our son's Scamp 13 is 37 or 39 years old, pretty impressive.
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Old 02-11-2016, 10:11 PM   #12
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I gave my first 13' Scamp to my grand kids so their dad had no excuse not to take them camping.
My youngest grand son is in College now and will be using the trailer this summer to travel around the country.

It was poorly taken care of.
I resealed the leaky windows and replaced a few rivets.
Everything I did was from routine maintenance that had not been not done.
I also replaced the axle which is usually good for about 20 years if your lucky.
Not bad for a 39 year old camper.

I wonder how many conventionally built trailers are on the road half the age of an average Scamp??
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Old 02-12-2016, 07:03 AM   #13
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Name: Gordon
Trailer: 2015 Scamp (16 Std Layout 4) with '15 Toyota Sienna LE Tug
North Carolina
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In addition to a number of quality control issues which I documented here, I had a a few loose screws. Two from the crank on the large (escape) vent fell out on my trip home but its so easy to grab a screwdriver and put them back that I had forgot all about that.

Out of all the issues I had with a Sept 2015 Scamp, only a couple were annoying enough to warrant a complaint. The important thing to me was that all the major components and systems worked fine. What was left was, for the most part, easy to take care of myself.

I think Scamp is rushing production but that is because it is a good product, and therefore quite popular. So just be ready to deal with a few relatively minor issues.
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