Greetings and Salutations!

[fuzzi lor]

I'm Lor, happily married to the same wonderful guy for almost 40 years.

Retirement is getting close, and we have a granddaughter living almost 1000 miles away. Both are good enough reasons to consider getting an RV/trailer.

I've been doing research and am very interested in getting a Scamp. My dh is also interested in the idea of towing our hotel room, going camping/fishing etc. And we could take our dog with us on trips instead of leaving her at home with family, as she mourns when we go away.

So here I am! I plan on reading, learning, even chatting about what others have experienced with their RVs.

[thrifty bill]

Pets are a popular reason people get campers. Leaving our dog back home is a non-starter for us.

To people new to trailers, do not over-estimate the ability of your current vehicle to adequately pull a trailer. And do not under-estimate the WEIGHT of trailers either. Manufacturers often just list dry weights, which is fantasyland on what a trailer actually weighs. It helps sell trailers, but it is not a good guide for towing. I had friends recently buy a 23 foot trailer that the "expert" at Camping World told them they could tow with "no problems". I told him, "good news, you will be getting a new truck!" Sure enough, after their first trip, they bought a new truck.

Study floorplans carefully. IMHO, its all about the floor plan. And having a place to sit separate from the bed is a very good idea. Although most plan to spend most of their time outside, there is this thing called bad weather that can change those plans. A toilet and A/C are also key decisions. Look at bed size carefully as RV manufacturers play fast and loose with bed sizing using terms like "big bed". We had a trailer with "twin beds" that were 22 inches wide. A standard twin is 39 inches wide, so that description was pretty misleading IMHO.

[Jon in AZ]

Welcome, Lor!

Good observation on bed sizes. The “double” bed in most Scamp standards (including mine) is only 45” at its widest point, and the corners steal space from the back sleeper. My wife doesn’t care for the confined feeling, so I take the 24” front lower bunk, which works for me because I grew up camping in mummy-style bags. Other couples have posted that they enjoy the close togetherness of the small bed.

It’s like buying clothes. Gotta try them on for yourself! Scamp, Casita, and most of the other molded fiberglass manufacturers have a referral program in which they set you up with a nearby owner for a demo. Call their sales departments to set one up. They’re low pressure, so don’t feel like you’ll be pushed into a decision.

[JBB]

Welcome Lor! Have fun in your search for your perfect camper!

[stude]

Originally Posted by fuzzi lor

I'm Lor, happily married to the same wonderful guy for almost 40 years.

Retirement is getting close, and we have a granddaughter living almost 1000 miles away. Both are good enough reasons to consider getting an RV/trailer.

I've been doing research and am very interested in getting a Scamp. My dh is also interested in the idea of towing our hotel room, going camping/fishing etc. And we could take our dog with us on trips instead of leaving her at home with family, as she mourns when we go away.

So here I am! I plan on reading, learning, even chatting about what others have experienced with their RVs.

:you will find that for 2 people and one dog 13 feet is really only 10' living space you will need at least 17' now can you live with a wet bath where every thing is wet in the bathroom from using the shower, think about it you might want a dry bath??
If you have never backed a trailer up then think again tandem is much easier to back up, though you always have to remember left is right and right is left. You might have to get a pickup truck and buy a 5th wheel instead, plus what ever you buy will have to have solar panels on the roof to keep the house batteries charged so you run the AC unit on low to keep the interior cool for the mutt or mutts when your not with them. You might want larger holding tanks for Water, gray tank, and black tank that last longer when out there boondocking so you mutt has room to roam as a Campground does not give them much of anything and now some of them are charging for dogs.
Oh there are so many more items to think about that you will want or need.
stude

[Lisa M.]

Welcome Lor!
My husband and I have a 17’ Casita Spirit we share with a large dog and a chihuahua. I can’t imagine trying to fit us all in a 13’! It is nice to have the “double” bed in a permanent down position and the table with seats for us. The dogs stay up on the bed out of the way when I’m cooking, but are often at our feet when we sit at the table. At night we put the table down so the big dog can sleep on the side bed, but she tends to crawl in with us during the night.

Is there a particular reason you want a Scamp? You might also consider a Casita or Escape. Are you looking for new or used? The smartest thing I did was to go to a fiberglass rally and tour a bunch of trailers. I met lots of nice people who gave lots of good advice and came away knowing what trailers and layouts would work and which ones definitely wouldn’t. And I got a line on a trailer going up for sale, which I purchased the following month! This was 12 years ago and we love our trailer, though I do have my heart set on buying an Escape 21 next year. I wonder if there might be a rally close enough for you to travel to and get an idea of what might suit you?

BTW, there are times we leave the big dog in the trailer crated when we go away for a few hours. Her travel crate is smaller than her crate at home so it will fit in the aisle—even so we had to remove the knobs on the lower doors so it would fit and the wires would not get hung up on the knobs. Just something to think about if you use a crate.

Good luck to you!

[Borrego Dave]

Welcome to the forum Lor. You've received very good responses and I'd give a +10 to all of them for first timers. Probably the top 2 are your tow vehicle and attending a rally to see first hand what our eggs feel like when you're inside different ones. They all look good on paper but can quickly be eliminated once you step inside. Good luck with your search, that's all part of it .

[fuzzi lor]

Originally Posted by Borrego Dave

Welcome to the forum Lor. You've received very good responses and I'd give a +10 to all of them for first timers. Probably the top 2 are your tow vehicle and attending a rally to see first hand what our eggs feel like when you're inside different ones. They all look good on paper but can quickly be eliminated once you step inside. Good luck with your search, that's all part of it .

Thank you, I agree with your assessment of the responses.

I really like the idea of attending a rally. I think there is one scheduled for the OBX this fall. That would be 2-3 hours drive from here, definitely doable.

I also appreciate the insight into bed size. We're a Tweedledum/Tweedledee type of couple, need more than 22" width. I'd definitely try out beds before committing to a particular model.

My father has been living out of an RV for almost 30 years: a 19' Dodge (with a bunk over the cab) for most of it, currently a 29' Ford with a short queen. I've learned much just from his visits. However, I personally prefer the convenience of a removable trailer. Neither of us are mechanics but trailer maintenance is within our abilities.

I also have been reading a lot and watching RV videos online for over a year, now it's time to do more serious research!

Thank you all, again.

[Carol Ann in TO]

I think that the size you “need” to accommodate a dog is very much a personal decision. We travelled for years with a single 80 lb dog an a 13 foot boler. We have travelled in the same trailer with two. However, they made it clear that they wanted more. We allowed the dogs to be part of the purchase decision for the replacement trailer and we ended up with a Trillium 4500.
We had the opportunity to purchase a u-haul 17 (bigger) but turned it down. It was all about layout. The u-Haul had a narrow centre hall design and the Trillium has an open centre space.
Only you will know how much space and which amenities you will “need” to be comfortable. Try to attend a rally or two and experience a variety of trailers.

[Fred-Linda]

Yep, everyone develops their own preferences! What one person loves sounds ridiculous to another person. And I say that from experience - - - even our daughter and son-in-law cannot understand how my wife & I can love our 12-foot Little Joe. But we do! (They have a 36 foot 5th wheel - they wouldn't understand, would they? Ha)

And our beloved dog who passed away last year loved it maybe even more than us. She thought it was hers and could easily sense when we were preparing to go somewhere and she would jump in and stake out her spot while we were prepping.

So much depends on how much of an outdoors couple you are. If you spend most of your time inside, yes you need something larger but if are the outdoors type, a 13 footer with a canopy of some sort works out great. And might make for more pleasant towing.

Just my opinion. Everyone's opinion varies. As long as you can relax and have fun, go for it!

. . . . . Fred

[Tony D]

Picking up our Scamp 13 on July 2nd up in Backus. My loving wife, border collie & I look forward to seeing our grown children and wonderful grandchildren along with the beauty offered by America and Canada with our new purchase. The trailer size was governed by our tow vehicle. The axel weight was the driving parameter for us. The Scamp 13 has a 2200 lb rated axel while the 16 was 3500 lbs (if memory serves). I’d prefer the 16 but we chose the 13. (By the way, electric brakes are a critical feature to allow the Subaru Outback to tow just about anything)

We figure we can upsize in 5 years or so if our usage warrants a larger tow vehicle and trailer. The used market seems to favor the seller right now. We tried buying used but couldn’t act quickly enough.

Good luck in your search.

[FlyGuy]

Lor, find and attend an RV Boot Camp. Escapees RV Club, RVSEF, FMCA, RV~Dreams and I expect other groups offer this valuable training (RVBC is what Escapees call their class. Other providers use different names). The Escapees and FMCA run ~ 2.5 days, usually over a weekend. RVSEF & RV Dreams are a week-long event (more socializing). In RVBC, you and ~ 200 other "newbies" will have all the systems found on a modern RV explained and demystified. WELL worth the cost! RVBC graduates are smarter RV buyers and safer RVers in general. You'll also have the opportunity to see MANY different RVs and talk with their owners (who won't be pressuring you to buy what they have on the lot and need to get rid of!). Just DO it. You can thank me later.

[Bero]

My wife and I are soon to pick up our new Casita SD. We are new to this - never had an RV and never towed anything.
I'm hoping you all may advise us as to what we need to purchase before we get to Rice, TX for the pickup. I'm talking about things required for camping, towing, etc. (Our TV is a 2017 Nissan Titan). For example, I was not aware that I had to purchase a water hose to connect to the camp ground's water supply (and a special hose at that). Also, do I need to buy leveling blocks or can I just use wooden blocks I can cut myself? If so, what size?
So, rather than me rambling on I'd appreciate any input.
Thanks in advance.

[thrifty bill]

You will probably spend some money on Amazon. Everything from wheel chocks to a dump hose. I bet there are a number of threads on this topic already. Search via google.

[fuzzi lor]

Originally Posted by FlyGuy

Lor, find and attend an RV Boot Camp. Escapees RV Club, RVSEF, FMCA, RV~Dreams and I expect other groups offer this valuable training (RVBC is what Escapees call their class. Other providers use different names). The Escapees and FMCA run ~ 2.5 days, usually over a weekend. RVSEF & RV Dreams are a week-long event (more socializing). In RVBC, you and ~ 200 other "newbies" will have all the systems found on a modern RV explained and demystified. WELL worth the cost! RVBC graduates are smarter RV buyers and safer RVers in general. You'll also have the opportunity to see MANY different RVs and talk with their owners (who won't be pressuring you to buy what they have on the lot and need to get rid of!). Just DO it. You can thank me later.

I'll thank you now, that's an excellent idea...didn't know those existed. I'll have to do some research, as the first few I've looked at are too far away for us to attend, but I'll keep looking.

[FlyGuy]

Lor, it WILL be worth the trip. Some people fly or drive in and stay at a local motel or camping cabin in order to attend one of these training events. Mark Polk at RVEducation101.com has a DVD series that covers much of what an RVBC teaches. I was able to get several of Mark's DVDs at my local library. I bought others directly from Mark's website. Mark runs special deals from time to time. RVBC will make you a smarter RV buyer.

[FlyGuy]

If by "special hose" you mean a hose suitable for potable (drinking) water, that's NOT a big deal. Hoses that are certified as "Drinking Water Safe" will be CLEARLY labeled as such. If the packaging doesn't CLEARLY state "Safe For Drinking Water" then it ISN'T. 10' 25', 35', and 50' are common hose lengths. 25' or 35' seem to be the "sweet spot". A 45º or 90º adapter will redirect the strain any hose will place on the City Water inlet helping to avoid damage. An inline filter is also a good idea. Wood cribbing (also available as "Lego" type plastic squares) are good for leveling a trailer from side to side. A 4" x 4" wooden block (or two) about 10" long makes a useful chock to prevent your trailer from rolling away.

What you should have done BEFORE buying any RV, would to have attended an RV Boot Camp where all this "stuff" would have been explained and demystified. It's NOT too late to get this important training. The Escapees RV Club offers an EXCELLENT RVBC that runs ~ 2.5 days (usually over a weekend). RVSEF, FMCA, RV~Dreams (and I expect others) offer this important training. RVBC graduates are smarter RV buyers and safer RVers in general.

[Al and Cindy K]

Hi Lor and welcome to the group. Lots of good folks and valuable expertise around here.

I see you call NC home and you said you’re 2-3 hrs from the Outer Banks so you might be in our neighborhood - Rocky Mount / Tarboro. If so, y’all would be more than welcome to stop by, take a look at our Scamp (older 19’ front bath deluxe) and talk camping.

Al & Cindy

[fuzzi lor]

Originally Posted by Al and Cindy K

Hi Lor and welcome to the group. Lots of good folks and valuable expertise around here.

I see you call NC home and you said you’re 2-3 hrs from the Outer Banks so you might be in our neighborhood - Rocky Mount / Tarboro. If so, y’all would be more than welcome to stop by, take a look at our Scamp (older 19’ front bath deluxe) and talk camping.

Al & Cindy

We're close to Greenville. Thanks for the invite!

[fuzzi lor]

Originally Posted by FlyGuy

Lor, it WILL be worth the trip. Some people fly or drive in and stay at a local motel or camping cabin in order to attend one of these training events. Mark Polk at RVEducation101.com has a DVD series that covers much of what an RVBC teaches. I was able to get several of Mark's DVDs at my local library. I bought others directly from Mark's website. Mark runs special deals from time to time. RVBC will make you a smarter RV buyer.

I'll look for the videos.

Due to time/work constraints as far north as PA or as far south as northern FL is about my one day driving limit. AZ, CA, even TX is not doable at this time.