Oops… I misunderstood the title… thought it was about who is worthy to own a Scamp…
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.