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Old 10-11-2016, 09:35 AM   #21
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Name: Ray
Trailer: 2017 Scamp 16 Deluxe
Missouri
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wayne Collins View Post
Now there's an idea! Let the kids sleep in the camper and the folks go to a hotel.

Perhaps the ParkLiner with bunk option over the side dinette.

The 13 ft Scamps, I think, with bunks have no toilet, just a port-potty.
Wayne is correct.

13 foot Scamps with bunks have no bathroom; only a porta-potty.

An all-molded Scamp16 Layout 4 has a narrower (44" wide) bed/dinette.

A Scamp16 Deluxe Layout A (with bunks) has the wider (54") bed/dinette and the side bathroom.

Sadly, after the recent $3K price increase, I think that a new very basic 15-foot Parkliner might be roughly the same price as a fairly well equipped (option package) new Scamp16 Deluxe. (You should do your own checking on that.)

Good luck on your search! ☺

Ray



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Old 10-11-2016, 09:45 AM   #22
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New York
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2500# tow capacity is fine for pulling a very lightweight trailer on flat roads. We have a 2500# trailer and a Ford Escape with a 3500# tow capacity, and we want a truck to tow it. The Escape just doesn't swing it going up hills of about any kind.

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Old 10-11-2016, 10:26 AM   #23
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Name: Don
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Texas
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Definitely doable, but we are looking to do an extended 6month + trip in a camper to more remote areas (no amenities). With the little ones and everything, we would just prefer a bathroom. My wife and I prefer more backcountry type camping, so we hope for extended stays in unimproved campgrounds and national forest areas as a compromise (since we have the little kids). Still looking still waiting for the right time and camper....

Quote:
Originally Posted by melissab View Post
I agree Emily! I camp with 3 "kids" ages 14, 19 and 20 in our 13 ft Scamp. The 14 and 19 yr olds are only 5 ft tall lightweight girls but the 20 yr old is 6ft and 150lbs. We spend all our time outside including cooking but when weather is too bad we all 4 sit at the Scamp table playing cards or watching a movie on the laptop. I have the Deluxe model so have the bigger bed in the back and theoretically I can sleep 3 in it and 2 more in the bunks lol. For bad weather I set the portapotti up in the doorway with a curtain hung from a spring loaded rod otherwise we use the campground facilities. I think a 13 with 2 little ones and a porta potti is definitely doable and even recommended with your lower tow capacity. When my youngest sleeps in the bottom bunk she likes to hang a blanket from the upper bunk and make her own little private fort still. She can watch a movie on the portable DVD player without the light bothering the rest of us trying to sleep while she winds down and falls asleep.

Good Luck in your search,

Melissa
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Old 10-11-2016, 11:31 AM   #24
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From all you say, I still come back to a Scamp 16 side bath. But it typically weighs pretty close to 2500 pounds loaded. Casita 16Ds are even heavier.

What vehicle are we talking about? A 2500 pound tow rating seems pretty marginal, especially if your route includes mountain grades and high altitudes. I'd guess the empty weight of the Scamp is around 2000 pounds depending on options. You will need to think like backpackers when you load.
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Old 10-11-2016, 12:00 PM   #25
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Name: Don
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2008 Subaru Forester. It will be right on the cusp of the limits, but again that is USA towing limits, which seem to be way more conservative then other countries. And of course that is with electric brakes, which is a must. I've also upgraded the rear suspension, and still have the option of firmer rear springs if needed. You're right, it won't be fun going through the mountains but we're in no hurry!
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Old 10-11-2016, 12:02 PM   #26
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Thanks All, enjoy your trips!
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Old 10-11-2016, 12:44 PM   #27
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Whoa, Don... Subarus have a 200 pound tongue weight limit. To maintain the recommended minimum 10% tongue weight for stable, sway-free towing, you are limited to a 2000 pound trailer.

There has been lots of discussion of this, and opinions vary, as expected. You might do a google site search (bottom of the search menu) on "Subaru towing."

Euro towing set-ups allow for lower tongue weight ratios, but towing speeds are restricted and newer vehicles have built-in anti-sway software.
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Old 10-11-2016, 04:05 PM   #28
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It might be helpful for you to visit "trailer weights in the real world located here " Trailer Weights in the Real World". Looks like a 16 foot Scamp side bath loaded for camping weighs in at 2600 lbs. The chart will give you the weights of many brands. I couldn't get the link to post but go to the forum look at general chat then trailer weights in the real world Lee
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Old 10-11-2016, 08:53 PM   #29
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This guy claims to do it just fine (although he does complain about rear end sag). It looks like I'll need to install some firmer springs in the rear to avoid saggy butt.

Scamp 16' trailer - Subaru Forester Owners Forum
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Old 10-11-2016, 09:50 PM   #30
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Alberta
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I've done this previously. I took the measurements and used the original main leaf. I went to the autowreckers (Pick ,n Pull) and bought a new leaf for each side, about an inch shorter each end, from a truck. Then I reinstalled the other two leaves under the truck leaf I put in. This gave me a coach height about two inches higher than spec and about four inches higher than the sagged height which is what I was looking for. This arrangement is also stronger so there is less chance you will break a spring on a rough road and stiffer so there is less bounce which means the things inside your unit are less likely to bounce around as well. If you want more height you can install the shackles from a truck on the rear of the main leaf. You may want to consider a taller tire for back country travel. A higher tire ply rating increases cargo loading and reduces the potential for overheating. Cheers!
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Old 10-12-2016, 09:15 AM   #31
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Subaru recommends 8-11% for tongue weight (2009-13 Forester, yours may be different) compared to trailer weight. Also, it is 2400 lbs, not 2500. With 200 lbs tongue weight I don't get sag (putting a lot more in the cargo area of the Forester will do it, though, and I have a 2012, which is a newer model than the 2008. I do not plan to max out the trailer weight compared to tongue weight, but if I did, it would be 8.3%. Keep in mind that once you add the 200 lb tongue weight you have only 1000 lbs of weight-carrying left for the Subaru which has to include all passengers and gear not in the trailer. I don't anticipate carrying more than 500 lbs counting me and the dogs and a little bit of gear.
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Old 10-12-2016, 09:28 AM   #32
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I think you'd be pushing it with the bathroom models and the Subaru unless you are very disciplined about not overloading and always dump all the tanks before traveling. But some of it depends on your camping style. Do you need propane and a battery? Do you need food for two days or seven days? Do you want to carry bikes for the kids? Are you planning to do camp cooking or is the trailer mainly for travel? Do you like to have a big food supply or shop every few days? There are ways to keep weight down but as the guy mentions in the Scamp-towed-by-Forester forum thread linked above, he wishes he didn't have to worry about it.
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Old 10-12-2016, 09:52 AM   #33
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Bobbi,
The whole purpose of your trip is to have an enjoyable experience. Having an incident isn't an enjoyable experience. Planning is the way to keep this from happening. It works best if the weight of the vehicle towed doesn't exceed the weight of the tow vehicle. The towing capacity and weight carrying capacity of your tow vehicle are factors to consider but there are others. I sometimes tow my 26 foot trailer with my Ranger as it has the capacity to do this. My half ton GMC works better and my 3/4 diesel works better still. I always use a weight distributing hitch even when I don't need to because it effectively make the tow vehicle and the trailer a single unit and allows proper weight distribution for maximum safety. Consider where you want to go, the conditions you will be dealing with and how long you want to stay. Nothing should be maxed out. Give your self a safety margin and have a good trip. cheers
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Old 10-12-2016, 10:10 AM   #34
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The OP has a 2008 Forester, curb weight 3140. If he tows at the weight limit of 2400 lbs he's not over the vehicle weight. The vehicle is rated to carry 900 lbs on top of 300 lbs of driver/passenger so 1000 lbs total more if you subtract a 200 lb tongue weight for the trailer. That's inside the specs. As for whether it is fun or not- that would depend. I did not like towing my trailer with a Tundra because I don't like driving a big truck (and that's what I learned to drive on, a big truck, so it isn't that I'm not familiar with them.)

But I did say I think it would be hard to do with a family of four and a Scamp 16 with bathroom. I can't locate the dry weight of an older Scamp, but I think it would be hard to keep it down to about 2000 lbs which is about as high as I'd want to go.
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