Train wrecks?

[marco]

Hello folks!...so we are new to fiberglass and just moved up to a 16' Scamp after outgrowing our 67 Serro Scotty. Anyway, I have taken my camper on the road 3 times recently and when I get to where I am going and open the door it's like a damn train wreck in my camper. Cushions everywhere, curtain rods off, side dinette on the floor, cooler tipped over, etc. Basically anything that is not screwed down is fair game in this thing. I don't get it. I'm not new to camping and know how to secure my things but this is crazy!..Is this common in these campers? My plan was to try this and purchase a new one at some point if I like the 98 i bought but this is a real downer. Thanks for any advice you can give me.

[theresa p]

my goodness, marco, this is NOT normal...at least not in my experience!!! of course, i have zero idea how you drive---if you are erratic, braking quickly, shotgun starts and stops, then this all makes sense. however, if you aren't that kind of driver, then something is sure up!
wish i could offer more concrete advice, but since you say that you know how to secure your things inside, i've got nothing to add. good luck!

[melissab]

Suspension shot maybe?

[Donna D.]

I'd say slow down.

[marco]

i should have mentioned... its not the driving. i drive with my 2 kids and always drive slow and carefully, especially when towing because i dont have trailer brakes. i also tow with a very smooth newer volvo suv, so i just dont get it...??? thanks for the comments so far, any ideas are appreciated.

[cpaharley2008]

Hmmm, I wonder if brakes may help? Also check you wheels for balancing. Age of suspension, do you have any type of sway control? What is your tongue weight? All of these variables can help resolve your issue.

[Mark V.]

Does your trailer have car tires on it? I'm no expert but I'd be looking at the tires and the already mentioned suspension.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by melissab

Suspension shot maybe?

If you are towing in the 50 - 60 mph range and your accelerating, braking and lane changes are g-r-a-d-u-a-l, then I would also suspect a bad torsion axle.

[Radar1]

Mine was less of a mess after I bought new tires and had them balanced. Seemed to have smoothed out the trailers ride a lot.

John

[Donna D.]

A 16 footer and without trailer brakes? Okay, but look to seeing your tug brakes wearing out faster. And, your profile doesn't have a location. Is it possible you need brakes to be legal?

I'm kinda, sorta doubting a 1998 torsion axle is worn out, but I suppose it's possible. Do you have a fist bump between the top of the tire and the wheel well? Do you have 12-15% tongue weight? Heavy items, like the cooler should be packed right over the axle. hummmmm

[mcbrew]

What tires do you have? A lot of folks pump the tires up to the max sidewall pressure, but tire manufacturers and trailer manufacturers may have other recommendations based on the weight that is actually on each tire. For instance, in my 13 foot Scamp,the max sidewall pressure is 55 PSI (I'm pretty sure), but Michelin and Scamp both recommend 15 PSI, because the Scamp is WAY lighter than the tires are rated for. At full pressure, the trailer would bounce a lot more, which will toss your stuff around, and is bad for the frame and coupler.

[Carol H]

geezzz not normal in mine either when on paved roads - occasional cushion will slip a little if I have had to do a fast unplanned stop. Curtain rods would sometimes come off before I stopped that by putting twist ties on them. You can adjust the door latches so they hold a bit tighter as well.

The only time I have seen my trailer look like a train crash happen inside was after my partner took it on a boys only trip to the back country on rough curvey roads and I know speed was involved. If as you say it is not your driving I have to guess that as the others suggest there is something not right with your tires &/or suspension. The only other thing I can think of is that the tongue weight is to low or its sitting too high on the hitch. Is the front end of the trailer up or down on the hitch? If its up you might want to put a drop bar on the hitch to level it out - that may help a bit.

Which volvo X are you towing with? I was under the impression that all the X's had fairly low tow limits if no brakes on the trailer. My 16' weighs in at about 2500lbs when not carrying water.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by mcbrew

What tires do you have? A lot of folks pump the tires up to the max sidewall pressure, but tire manufacturers and trailer manufacturers may have other recommendations based on the weight that is actually on each tire. For instance, in my 13 foot Scamp,the max sidewall pressure is 55 PSI (I'm pretty sure), but Michelin and Scamp both recommend 15 PSI, because the Scamp is WAY lighter than the tires are rated for. At full pressure, the trailer would bounce a lot more, which will toss your stuff around, and is bad for the frame and coupler.

Mcbrew
Might I suggest you call Scamp and ask what tire pressure they recommend for your trailer. 15psi is way way too low. Most trailer tire manufactures won't recommend maximum "cold" pressure as printed on the sidewall.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by marco

Hello folks!...so we are new to fiberglass and just moved up to a 16' Scamp after outgrowing our 67 Serro Scotty. Anyway, I have taken my camper on the road 3 times recently and when I get to where I am going and open the door it's like a damn train wreck in my camper. Cushions everywhere, curtain rods off, side dinette on the floor, cooler tipped over, etc. Basically anything that is not screwed down is fair game in this thing. I don't get it. I'm not new to camping and know how to secure my things but this is crazy!..Is this common in these campers? My plan was to try this and purchase a new one at some point if I like the 98 i bought but this is a real downer. Thanks for any advice you can give me.

Several things come to mind. Not driving smoothly for one, torsion axles worn out, tires too soft and bouncing, automobile tires with soft side walls which increase bounce, overloading the trailer, loading trailer in such a manner to reduce tongue weight, just to name a few.
I pull a 13' with brakes, no coolers or other heavy items behind the axle except the water tank which is usually full. When I drive on the rough concrete road in some states the cushion will sometimes be on the floor. Curtain rods used to come off really easy until I pinched the tops of the holders to keep them in. When the cushions fall down I just put them back.
I just completed a 600 mile round trip weekend everything stayed put. Maximum trailer speed was 58mph. When getting into rough road I slow down.

[james kent]

Hi Marco. After replacing our axle and getting new tires we haven't experienced the train wrecks any more. As others have suggested you might want to check your trailers suspension.

[mcbrew]

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

Mcbrew
Might I suggest you call Scamp and ask what tire pressure they recommend for your trailer. 15psi is way way too low. Most trailer tire manufactures won't recommend maximum "cold" pressure as printed on the sidewall.

Don't have to call. Scamp put a sticker above each tire that says "max 15 PSI". I have the same model tire that the scamp came with... And the manufacturer says exactly the same thing. It could be different with another tire/trailer combination... Which is why I first asked what tire he had.

[Darnelle]

We have a 2001 16' Scamp and have no problems with an inside mess due to travel. At worst, we've had an upper cupboard door pop open and a few items on the floor, but that was because we forgot to place something properly. Your problem is one or several of the items others have suggested.

[HikeSticks]

Curtain rods coming off... When I started using my Trillium, which has cheap curtain rods, one or more would come off the window during travel. I used zip ties to secure each rod end to the bracket and that eliminated that problem. This doesn't solve 'why' they came off, just stops them from coming off.
Good luck.
Barrie

[honda03842]

I had a curtain rod pop out of its holder. I went around removed the rod and pinched the holders for a tighter fit. It seems to have resolved the issue.

Norm

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by mcbrew

Don't have to call. Scamp put a sticker above each tire that says "max 15 PSI". I have the same model tire that the scamp came with... And the manufacturer says exactly the same thing. It could be different with another tire/trailer combination... Which is why I first asked what tire he had.

That's a very old sticker. Many things have changed since then. The sticker over my wheels say 35psi, and I changed tires to the same thing the news have and they say 50psi.