Curbfeeler's 1976 13' Scamp Refurb

[Curbfeeler]

Hi guys. It's been about a year since I picked up a 1976 Scamp. I decided to start a thread detailing the various things I've done to improve it. Apologies if a few pics I end up posting have appeared in other threads on this forum.

The story on this camper is that I had to drive down to Oklahoma to get the camper. They are hard to find and don't last very long when they come up. I emailed the seller and offered his full asking price plus $100 via paypal to hold it for a week. Seller lived a few miles from a cousin I've had it on my list to visit anyway.

I don't recommend buying something this way, but I'd already missed out on several, and the camping season was passing me by, so I pulled the trigger. This thread will detail the work I've done on the camper.

These pics are of the camper when I got it home.

Dan in Des Moines

[Curbfeeler]

The very first thing I did was remove and replace all the existing MDF. The "escape hatches" and the dining room table were all original MDF. That stuff is the worst for trapping bad smells. It was swollen and waterlogged, and it had to go IMO.

I pulled a maple kitchen table off the curb, and the top was 3/4" and perfect as a replacement. A little too heavy to handle on my table saw, but I clamped down straight edges and cut it with my skilsaw and the corners with a jig saw.

The "escape hatches" got replaced with cabinet quality oak 3/4" plywood. I found an entertainment center from the 1990's on the curb a couple blocks away and salvaged it for this purpose.

[respond2us]

Looks really nice! It's funny... I live in Oklahoma and am having to look out of state to find one. You're in Iowa and come to Oklahoma to buy yours. ha!

Looking good, though! Are you camping in it yet?

[Curbfeeler]

Originally Posted by respond2us

Looking good, though! Are you camping in it yet?

Thanks. Yes, we've camped it a number of times. We have been to local campgrounds probably 8-10 times for an overnight. We also took one 700 mi roundtrip to the in-laws and stayed in their yard. This was a dry run for a 1000+ mi trip to the Black Hills of SD. The Scamp has done really well, considering its age.

We noticed right from the very beginning, that the Scamp leaked. This has been our biggest issue by far. It was freshly painted inside and out prior to our getting it, but it's obvious that all of the seams or rivets were original. Previous owners had gobbed this or that product over leaky spots. Plus everything had been painted, and on the rivets they were all globbed with a big dollup of clear silicone. Consider this picture, and you get a good idea of our issues. Here you will see the original butyl, various layers of slathered on caulk, plus paint from the recent re-paint.

I ended up removing this vent completely and scraping and cleaning with denatured alcohol, before putting down new butyl and new rivets. No leaks now! Will post pics of the new install when I find them.

[Curbfeeler]

To prepare for this year's big trip to SD, I checked the bearings and races. One of the races had a spot that looked like corrosion, which meant it would need to be replaced. This would mean removing with a wood block, pressing in with a press of some sort. Hmm, no thanks.

I ended up finding a hub-in-a-box solution for $35 per wheel.



Link to the hubs...
Ultra-Tow High Speed Hub — 4 on 4in., 1250-Lb. Capacity, Single | Trailer Hubs| Northern Tool + Equipment

[Curbfeeler]

In reading the various threads on thus forum I came to realize my tires were probably not 100% safe for highway use. They were 155/80R13. The born on date revealed them to be 2008, and I'm pretty sure they are car tires, not trailer tires.

I took them to fleet farm and ended up replacing them with 175's.



Before I picked the 3/4" wider tires, I conformed that I had 1.5" + on the narrowest side of the wheel well.



Here is the new ride! Saving the old tires and wheels and will keep them in my truck as spares.



Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[Curbfeeler]

This is NOT an improvement I made, but rather something the scamp had when I bought it. My scamp has a portable ac unit. This thing really cools it down quick on those 100 degree days. I rarely camp when it's that hot, but I've cranked it many time when working out in the driveway.

It's an LG unit. Pics of how it vents out the wheel well. I added the steel screen but otherwise this is how it was when I bought it.





Dan

[Curbfeeler]

Hi guys. If I was going to order my trailer out of the used scamp catalog, I'd prefer one that has not been repainted. However, often beggars can't be choosers.

My trailer has been painted with a very thick coat of what appears to be enamel. It was sprayed, which I only know by the overstay where masking wasn't effective.

My biggest issue is they painted over the rivets, and most rivets needed replaced and were covered in silicone goo. When I replaced them I used a wire brush and got down to the gelcoat. The result is watertight-ness but sometimes a sloppy look.

I'll try to paint around each rivet and blend them in the best I can. I tried 3 today as a test and will report back after they dry.

I had hoped I could cover each rivet with making tape and trace around with a razor, but those results were bad. So, I got out my bag of tricks.


Color looks like it's off, but I'll reserve judgment until it dries...

Dan

[arthynne]

wow, well done!