New axle for 2015 Scamp 13

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by floyd

My recommendation of repacking and adjustment after initial break in, was drawn from experience with best practices and has nothing to do with manufacturer's recommendations. They would (of course) assume that they assembled the axle correctly... I confirm it.
Some folks repack every year, so what could be wrong with starting out right? Its just one extra repack in the life of the trailer... maybe the most important one.

Good advice, Floyd. Trust… and verify. But for those of us who live more than 200 miles from Backus, unless the hub were running hot or there were some unusual noise indicating a possible defect, I assume it's probably safe to wait until we get home to do the first service.

My point was simply to rebut the claim that Scamp requires a bearing service at 200 miles, a notion that refuses to die on this thread.

PS- Looks like I need a good editor, too!

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Good advice, Floyd. Trust… and verify. But for those of us who live more than 200 miles from Backus, unless the hub were running hot or there were some unusual noise indicating a possible defect, I assume it's probably safe to wait until we get home to do the first service.

My point was simply to rebut the claim that Scamp requires a bearing service at 200 miles, a notion that refuses to die on this thread.

PS- Looks like I need a good editor, too!

True, me too.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by jacobconroy

...some support aside from a telephone number and technical manual would have been what I consider to be "good customer service"... Don't have the jacks though. I will contact Lippert and see if I can schedule a looksee at their dealer in Missoula. If they can fix it I'll just pay to have it done and drop the matter.

I bought an inexpensive floor jack and jack stands set at Walmart for around $30. It was a good investment. Scamp recommends putting the trailer up on stands when it's going to sit for a length of time. I believe it's to take the load off the rubber inside the axle so that, as it gradually hardens over time, it doesn't take a set in a lowered position. The small jack makes it a quick 5-minute task, so I do it even if it's only going to sit for a few weeks. When I do, I always take an extra moment to spin each wheel and listen and feel for any bearing noise or roughness. Just a little extra insurance between bearing services.

Whatever happens with the Lippert shop, even if it turns out to be something minor and easily resolved, I wish you would reconsider writing Kent a letter about your initial customer service experience and how it might be improved. I suspect it will help you feel better about your ordeal, and he needs to know. Writing the letter may not bring immediate changes, but not writing the letter denies Scamp the opportunity. You would do all current and future Scamp owners a service.

Hoping all ends well, and soon!

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Yes... The video also addresses lubing the bearings- annually, not at 200 miles. The initial bearing check (at 200 miles for temperature) and lubing the bearings (annually or at 10-12K intervals) are two separate issues addressed in the video.

Hafta say... Scamp's website could use a good editor. That caption could be misleading, and one of the others has instructions to care for the "jell-coat."

Their phone works just fine and they are very helpful and responsive when you call. I often have the same problem, like when I ask someone here to call me and they persist with PMing.
I didn't buy Scamp's website, I bought their product.
The website is coming along and Scamp is making the transition to another generation. I expect they will still be able to use the phone and give the same friendly and helpful service that has sustained them for five decades and in time they will be up to speed and able do the same for those suffering from phonophobia !

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by floyd

Their phone works just fine and they are very helpful and responsive when you call. I often have the same problem, like when I ask someone here to call me and they persist with PMing.
I didn't buy Scamp's website, I bought their product.
The website is coming along and Scamp is making the transition to another generation. I expect they will still be able to use the phone and give the same friendly and helpful service that has sustained them for five decades and in time they will be up to speed and able do the same for those suffering from phonophobia !

Scamp will wake up one day and find that everyone for whom a phone call is the preferred means of communication is dead!

Actually, I hope you know me well enough, Floyd, to know that I like Scamp. I like to poke fun at their foibles and their staid conservatism, which on balance I consider an asset. I also have confidence that they will gradually adapt to new ways of communicating and will still be making trailers long after the latest whiz-bang company is buried in the dust bin of legacy manufacturers.

[Borrego Dave]

[QUOTE=Jon in AZ;562276]Scamp will wake up one day and find that everyone for whom a phone call is the preferred means of communication is dead! QUOTE]

You are correct Jon but in the mean time some of us still above ground have had better luck doing business with some companies by phone than by the internet.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Scamp will wake up one day and find that everyone for whom a phone call is the preferred means of communication is dead!
...

Funny AND true story ahead >>>>

If you will recall a few posts back, I said that I sent a polite two page letter to Kent Eveland. What I did not tell you is that, knowing their aversion to all things techno, I sent it by old fashioned US Postal Mail to their street address (not the PO Box) and, in the letter, I suggested that he call me on the phone.

Well, three weeks went by and I did not get a phone call. I even checked my call log to see if I had missed his call. I was getting upset. Then much to my surprise, the mailman left my letter in my box. It was stamped "Unable to deliver - no mail receptacle." I guess that Eveland's does not have a mailbox on the street and the mailman won't go into their office!

So I scanned the letter and sent it as an email attachment to their "sales" email address. That's when I got a quick and detailed reply from Mr. Eveland in email, the first of many emails.

[Raz]

Contact Us
A customer is the most important visitor on our premises, they are not dependent on us, we are dependent on them. They are not an interruption in our work, they are the purpose of it. They are not an outsider in our business, they are part of it. We are not doing them a favor by serving them, they are doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to serve them.
Alan, Wayne, and Jim have nearly 60 years of experience selling Scamp trailers and will make sure that you get exceptional service and a price on the trailer you want.


Mapquest to Scamp in Backus Minnesota
507 State 371 NW, Backus, MN 56435

Copied from the Scamp "Contact Us" page. Raz

[stevebaz]

Until a mechanic sees the issue this is all been blown out of proportion. Could be something serious which I doubt as a serious issue would have blown up in 1000 miles incapacitating further towing of the trailer. A brake issue could damage parts needing replacement or it could be something simple such as a tag end of cotter pin dragging inside of the dust cap. The whole point of checking the axle operation within 200 miles of service is to confirm proper assembly within a time frame so a quality problem gets checked and corrected before a customer gets exposed to a catastrophic failure.
I lost a wheel on my car once after a tire service within 50 miles of leaving the shop. I learned to now bring my own torque wrench and check the tire lugs for proper torque right away. I also do so on my trailer on my first big trip of the year and after any tire removal. Just lets me sleep better and avoid major issues.

[Bob Miller]

And, for those without the tools and/or inclination, if you roll into an America's Tire -Discount Tire store, not only will they check your tire pressure and inspect for tire damage, they will, on request, also torque all of your lug nuts with a torque wrench set to the correct value. They are real bears about doing things right..


With the exception of one (now long gone) sales person, in more than 20 years, I have never been given less than perfect customer service in their shops, including free repairs to tires that I didn't even buy there.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

And, for those without the tools and/or inclination, if you roll into an America's Tire -Discount Tire store, not only will they check your tire pressure and inspect for tire damage, they will, on request, also torque all of your lug nuts with a torque wrench set to the correct value. They are real bears about doing things right..


With the exception of one (now long gone) sales person, in more than 20 years, I have never been given less than perfect customer service in their shops, including free repairs to tires that I didn't even buy there.

Excellent point! I too have had nothing but excellent service from Discount Tire over the years, yet I have heard a few locals who hate them and spit at the sound of their name.
I guess that's just part of the cost of success... Some companies might just identify with this song...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-VPqiyt5Fk

[GregandTeresa]

We've always used Discount Tire and love them, both for their prices and their service. I recently put a new set of tires on my wife's car. I never buy the protection plan on our tires, and have never needed them. Until my wife somehow picked up a screw last week. So I took her car in on Monday, expecting to spend $140 on a new tire. When the salesman asked me if we had bought the protection plan on the tires, I said nope, we did not. And he said, would you like to now? So I ended up buying the $60 protection plan rather than a $140 tire, and got my tire replaced. Now granted, they probably make more profit on the protection plan than a single tire, but that left me a very happy customer.

[jacobconroy]

Update: We are currently having a third local mechanic try to figure out why the driver's side brake is dragging. Can find any documentation for this Lippert axle. I've asked Scamp for help one more time. We will see if they respond. If this doesn't do it we will be putting a new axle on the trailer. Anyone have a suggestion? I want something heavy duty, popular (for parts reasons), and I'm willing to pay for custom fab to get it installed. Thanks.

[ruscal]

I would assume the local mechanic jacked up the wheel and adjusted the brake until the wheel had some resistance to spin, and then loosened until it would spin freely. If the adjuster would not loosen enough to let it spin there may be a manufacturing defect which would be handled by Lippert. They would just send you a new brake and pay to change it out.

[redbarron55]

It is possible that the right side or left side brake is assembled for the for the wrong direction.
On my Flexiride I bought the self adjusting brake option and so far it has been OK.
Also with the EZ Lube system the bearings might have too much grease and the bearings (read hub) might be a little warmer than usual due to being over filled.
The excess will work it's way out through the relief under the rubber cap after a while and the hubs will run as cool as expected.
Also the EZ Lube people say that their system is intended to make it easier for boat trailer users to grease the bearings after immersion and suggest hand repacking at intervals like the other systems.
The brakes will not work as well when new, but need to be worn in for maximum braking force.
Mine are good to go after about 1000 miles and three or four short trips.
I don't know about the relative merits of Lippert vs any of the others, but my Flexiride I replaced the AL-KO with seems to be very nice and has replaceable arms and can be adjusted up or down for ride heigth which is why I chose them.

[stevebaz]

http://www.lci1.com/assets/content/s...ers-Manual.pdf

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by stevebaz

http://www.lci1.com/assets/content/s...ers-Manual.pdf

Interesting.. According to Lippert, we have to take the trailer to a certified service center to have the bearings replaced. I guess my warranty is void.

(Excerpts from the manual. Bold is by me. not Lippert)

NOTE: Bearings must always be replaced in sets of one cone and one cup.
...
Note: Replacing the bearing cup is a very precise process. The cup must be perfectly seated when replaced. If the cup is not seated correctly, damage to the assembly may not be covered by the warranty. Consult Lippert Components, Inc. prior to replacing bearing and bearing cup. The trailer should be taken to a certified service center for this work to be done.

[stevebaz]

should be not must be.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by stevebaz

should be not must be.

Lawyers..

[jacobconroy]

Hi All, just wanted to post the "end" of this little saga.

During the "third mechanic" episode, he took it apart, cleaned it, and said, "I wonder if there is supposed to be three springs in here or two" (might have been three or four). I told him to stop and I'd find a blow-up diagram. Also told him to take the other side apart and compare them (he never did). At this point I don't remember if Scamp sent me an axle manual, or not. Looked again, couldn't find it on Lippert's site, sent a fairly nasty email to Scamp telling them that I'm done trying to fix it, I want the break assembly replaced (mechanic's suggestion). Scamp responded, "Lippert (or whomever) is sending one". I asked for expedited shipping and was quoted "~$125.00 bucks for overnight". I OK'd it. Parts arrived, and sure enough a spring was missing from the bottom-rear of the driver's side break assembly. There has clearly never been one on the original assembly (no marks, wear, etc.) Put the new assembly on, went on my trip. Problem solved. No heat, no squealing.

But, I was under the impression (from the syntax of emails from Scamp) that the parts were warrantied and I was to pay $125.00 for shipping. Today the invoice came in the mail. I was charged about $80.00 for overnight and about $45.00 for the assembly.

Breakdown: I was delivered a brand new trailer with a brake assembly that was hanging up for 1300 miles, then proceeded to tear my hair, pester people, and pay a total (including mechanic costs) of ~$355.00 to remedy the issue out of my own pocket for a $10 spring.

So, if you buy a new Scamp I suggest that you have some savings, a lot of free time, and no definite plans to use the camper for the first 10 months. The above is what really happened. For those of you that had "wonderful experiences" with Scamp I suppose that I envy you. I will not however, deal with them again. Your mileage may and hopefully will vary.

Thanks for the help and advice all!