scamp mod to front dinette

[KevinScamps]

Originally Posted by mscarried

Don't rule out the toilet chair mod. You can even have two for a dinette : )

I actually seriously considered something similar using a composting toilet. They are really pricey and I wasn't sure how much utility it would really add. Not to mention the awkwardness. On the plus side I could eat and poop at the same time which seems very efficient.

[RogerDat]

Originally Posted by Joy A

Roger,

That's why this mod has been on my "maybe list" for some 10 years or better. I don't store the PP under the couch but rather under the permanent rear bed. I do have other things stored under the couch and not sure where I'd put them if I did the mod.

Well if you have been thinking on it for 10 years I feel better in not reaching a decision in the last couple. Small space utilization does require thought.

We use our Scamp as a hard sided tent, our camping equipment is stored under the rear dinette. Stove, fuel, kitchen stuff, axe, all that stuff. Dinette stays a bed full time, have to admit have not tried this for long trips.

I noticed in the pictures that as Kevin says his mod made the seats taller which made that storage space more useful than the shallow stock space.

Got me thinking that on at least one modification I saw the porta potti built into a box seat. Seat top flipped open, top half of front flipped down to access potti.

Putting potti on the riser seems like it might be a more comfortable height. Under a taller front dinette seat such as Kevin built might just work for this approach. Totally hidden but always available without moving it.

For myself storage for some camping items just being transported in the camper could go under the front table. Not all but at least some. Most of that stuff gets set up outside as soon as we arrive.

[Roy in TO]

There is a recent thread that shows how to mod the front bench if the floor does not go all the way under the bench. It also include a potti, sans potpourri.
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ler-55601.html

[Roy in TO]

Originally Posted by floyd

I've had Scamps as early as 1973 (71 being the first year they were made) and they were all like the one pictured in my previous post, which was a 1978... AFAIR.

The earliest Scamp may have been a 1972. Evelands started making the boler American in late 1971 till mid 1972. The boler American has the raised floor under the bench all the way across. I assume the first Scamps would have used the same configuration modifying the frame for the floor later on.
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...nts-26760.html

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Roy in TO

The earliest Scamp may have been a 1972. Evelands started making the boler American in late 1971 till mid 1972. The boler American has the raised floor under the bench all the way across. I assume the first Scamps would have used the same configuration modifying the frame for the floor later on.
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...nts-26760.html

Your information doesn't match mine, but not only has it changed from source to source but also from year to year. Even different folks at Scamp aren't sure on a lot of their own history.
We may differ on conclusions, but maybe it's fair to say....

[Roy in TO]

Here's a hint floyd. In the history through various sources, Evelands says they've been making trailers since 1971. I propose that covers the period making the boler American and the period when they had a "name problem" and called their trailers the Acorn for a little while. The rest of the time, they've been making the Scamp.

The real mystery is who else had the American manufacturing rights for the bolers back in the early days. I've got the central states figured out but the coasts are what eludes documentation. I was hoping Mrs. Dusa might have been able to give us some insight when she appeared in the forums last year.

[BillE]

How are people installing the front dinette mounting without going through the side wall?

How do people mount the bases?

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Roy in TO

Here's a hint floyd. In the history through various sources, Evelands says they've been making trailers since 1971. I propose that covers the period making the boler American and the period when they had a "name problem" and called their trailers the Acorn for a little while. The rest of the time, they've been making the Scamp.

The real mystery is who else had the American manufacturing rights for the bolers back in the early days. I've got the central states figured out but the coasts are what eludes documentation. I was hoping Mrs. Dusa might have been able to give us some insight when she appeared in the forums last year.

Just not how I've heard it for ten years. I don't think they ever made a complete trailer with the Boler name on it. They started out intending to build parts on contract then bought the Scamp name and molds from a start-up in Iowa pretty much right away. At any rate, I don't think there was ever a Scamp13 with a raised floor all the way across the front bench area.(which was the point of the comment.)

[floyd]

Originally Posted by BillE

How are people installing the front dinette mounting without going through the side wall?

How do people mount the bases?

Just use the original bench and cut the center out.

[Roy in TO]

Originally Posted by floyd

I don't think they ever made a complete trailer with the Boler name on it.

Lightweight Camping Trailers for Easy Towing - Scamp Trailers
From their website:
In July of 1971 Duane Eveland was involved in remodeling damaged mobile homes. A factory representative from Bolar American stopped by and watched. Eventually the Bolar salesman asked if he would like to manufacture trailers for Bolar. The Bolar trailer was designed in Canada and Bolar American was a company attempting to develop the US market. Duane was interested and together with his brother Gerald Eveland and sister Gladys Coffland negociated a contract with Bolar in which Eveland’s Inc. would manufacture trailers and Bolar would market them. Bolar had their own problems and went out of business late in 1972. This left Eveland’s Inc. with molds but no marketing company. Duane, Gerald and Gladys discussed things, came up with the name Scamp, and began building and marketing their own trailer.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Roy in TO

Lightweight Camping Trailers for Easy Towing - Scamp Trailers
From their website:
In July of 1971 Duane Eveland was involved in remodeling damaged mobile homes. A factory representative from Bolar American stopped by and watched. Eventually the Bolar salesman asked if he would like to manufacture trailers for Bolar. The Bolar trailer was designed in Canada and Bolar American was a company attempting to develop the US market. Duane was interested and together with his brother Gerald Eveland and sister Gladys Coffland negociated a contract with Bolar in which Eveland’s Inc. would manufacture trailers and Bolar would market them. Bolar had their own problems and went out of business late in 1972. This left Eveland’s Inc. with molds but no marketing company. Duane, Gerald and Gladys discussed things, came up with the name Scamp, and began building and marketing their own trailer.

Yep I too read that, on the new website. So that will be the official story from here on out. History always tends to gel when put in print. The story was a bit more amorphous ten years ago.

But back to the point... I still haven't seen a single Scamp13 with a raised floor all the way across the front bench.

[Roy in TO]

Originally Posted by floyd

But back to the point... I still haven't seen a single Scamp13 with a raised floor all the way across the front bench.

I'm not sure about that floyd, you may be right. But there are not that many 72 and 73 Scamps around.

Before my HD crash last year I knew I had many pictures of many of the various years of Scamp. I was tracking subtle changes, like windows, decals etc. Much like David Tilston does with the Trilliums. I have not transferred over all the recovered photo's to my new HD as of yet.

I was assuming that on a "startup venture", one would not retool the frame and front bench molds right off the bat.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Roy in TO

I'm not sure about that floyd, you may be right. But there are not that many 72 and 73 Scamps around.

Before my HD crash last year I knew I had many pictures of many of the various years of Scamp. I was tracking subtle changes, like windows, decals etc. Much like David Tilston does with the Trilliums. I have not transferred over all the recovered photo's to my new HD as of yet.

I was assuming that on a "startup venture", one would not retool the frame and front bench molds right off the bat.

Of course you can't be sure of what I've seen!

[Roy in TO]

I did a quick search on Greg's site for 72 and 73 Scamps. Very few show the front bench in entirety. I saw a few that show the top edge of a door in the middle of the front bench but the pictures did not show how far down the door went.

OTOH I did find a sole 1973 that shows the entire front bench with no middle door. It also has the inset rear lights. 1973 13' Scamp Travel Trailer | Iowa | Fiberglass RV's For Sale

It is possible, the trailer has been restickered to become a Scamp. Some of the ones listed as early Scamps were actually Love Bugs. Windows and outie rear lights were the clue to identification.

Scamp says they made about 130 trailers in the first year of production. No indication of if that was the latter part of the 1972 calendar year which is likely based on the serial numbers of the boler American. The numbers could also state a model production year which may not match a calendar year. Or it could be like the Trilliums which appear to go by their initial sale date. David Tilston has been able to demonstrate that by comparing design features and serial numbers.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Roy in TO

I did a quick search on Greg's site for 72 and 73 Scamps. Very few show the front bench in entirety. I saw a few that show the top edge of a door in the middle of the front bench but the pictures did not show how far down the door went.

OTOH I did find a sole 1973 that shows the entire front bench with no middle door. It also has the inset rear lights. 1973 13' Scamp Travel Trailer | Iowa | Fiberglass RV's For Sale

It is possible, the trailer has been restickered to become a Scamp. Some of the ones listed as early Scamps were actually Love Bugs. Windows and outie rear lights were the clue to identification.

Scamp says they made about 130 trailers in the first year of production. No indication of if that was the latter part of the 1972 calendar year which is likely based on the serial numbers of the boler American. The numbers could also state a model production year which may not match a calendar year. Or it could be like the Trilliums which appear to go by their initial sale date. David Tilston has been able to demonstrate that by comparing design features and serial numbers.

Getting accurate information on a small company start-up can be difficult, since they are very busy just trying to make it work from day to day.

Everything you have found in your research may well be correct, or part of it... or none of it. It took a forty years, a new website, and hand-me-down memories from a former generation to get what is now the official story of Scamp's beginnings.

Even Ford Motor Company has errors in it's archives so that even official figures can be wrong , and they're a little larger than Scamp.

BTW; below is a picture of my 1973 LoveBug , made in Iowa by a single proprietor. Notice that it does not have the "signature eyebrow" over the front window. Surely there are more like it, but I haven't seen one.
It did have the lowered floor in the middle of the front bench. (Sorry no picture available)
Notice the windows.... I actually have seen a couple of Scamps with those windows, both 1976s. Everything else unusual that you see is likely one of my mods.

Some details of any fiberglass trailer will always remain a mystery...But, I applaud your efforts.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Roy in TO

I did a quick search on Greg's site for 72 and 73 Scamps. Very few show the front bench in entirety. I saw a few that show the top edge of a door in the middle of the front bench but the pictures did not show how far down the door went.

OTOH I did find a sole 1973 that shows the entire front bench with no middle door. It also has the inset rear lights. 1973 13' Scamp Travel Trailer | Iowa | Fiberglass RV's For Sale

It is possible, the trailer has been restickered to become a Scamp. Some of the ones listed as early Scamps were actually Love Bugs. Windows and outie rear lights were the clue to identification.

Scamp says they made about 130 trailers in the first year of production. No indication of if that was the latter part of the 1972 calendar year which is likely based on the serial numbers of the boler American. The numbers could also state a model production year which may not match a calendar year. Or it could be like the Trilliums which appear to go by their initial sale date. David Tilston has been able to demonstrate that by comparing design features and serial numbers.

That's cool! That's the first one I've seen with that bench style,
Problem is I don't recall ever seeing those taillights on a Scamp...Boler maybe? Another little mystery which may be the exception which proves the rule or rebadge? Looks authentic though doesn't it? Sorta
Notice that the word Scamp is the "small script" which usually appears on the front or the gravel guard.

[KevinScamps]

Originally Posted by BillE

How are people installing the front dinette mounting without going through the side wall?

How do people mount the bases?

Take out the existing bench. It is screwed into some wood strips that are fiberglassed to in the inside of the walls. Its call "tabbing." There are plenty of threads on it. I used the exisiting supports, but I highly suggest tabbing in supports that are higher up the wall. West System Epoxy also has step by step videos on how to do it. It is very easy.

[Roy in TO]

Originally Posted by floyd

... below is a picture of my 1973 LoveBug , made in Iowa by a single proprietor. Notice that it does not have the "signature eyebrow" over the front window. Surely there are more like it, but I haven't seen one.
It did have the lowered floor in the middle of the front bench. (Sorry no picture available)

I'm not sure where you get the signature eyebrow on the Love Bug from. Tri-Fab that made the Love Bug also had an early fire. The newspaper report has both boler Americans and Love Bugs being on location. I'm going to suggest that the Love Bug front was modified in the window area, post fire, if new molds had to be made. I believe the "eyebrow" is the distinguishing feature of the Trail Mite. Matt H that was doing the research on these trailers disappeared after posting a series of pictures showing some of the differences.
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...res-40011.html

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Roy in TO

I'm not sure where you get the signature eyebrow on the Love Bug from. Tri-Fab that made the Love Bug also had an early fire. The newspaper report has both boler Americans and Love Bugs being on location. I'm going to suggest that the Love Bug front was modified in the window area, post fire, if new molds had to be made. I believe the "eyebrow" is the distinguishing feature of the Trail Mite. Matt H that was doing the research on these trailers disappeared after posting a series of pictures showing some of the differences.
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...res-40011.html

Take another look at the LoveBug pictured, it has a Boss over the front window which I referred to as the "eyebrow"... the Trail Mite looks more like a prosthetic forehead!

Maybe this is where they got the idea...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amUowhHVBM4

[Roy in TO]

Originally Posted by floyd

Take another look at the LoveBug pictured, it has a Boss over the front window which I referred to as the "eyebrow"... the Trail Mite looks more like a prosthetic forehead!

The boss is a boss, the prosthetic forehead you refer to is what the rest of us call the eyebrow.