Hi, I am Ria, hoping to own a trailer soon!

[Ria]

Hello! My name is Ria and my husband, Al and I are hoping to own about a 16ft fiberglass RV, preferably Scamp, in the near future. We have wanted one for a long time but circumstances finally seem to be right. Of course, we have recently become the parents to a great dane, so we decided to upsize from a 13ft, which was our original wish. We are empty nesters with a 3 year old granddaughter that we hope to start taking on trips with us, so room for her is important too. She needs less than the dog, lol! Some form of toilet is very important but we don't need a full bathroom. We travel to Yellowstone every year and we are getting too old and too lazy for tent camping. We have owned an RV in the past but it was quite old and heavy and we really want to be able to hitch up to an SUV and get on the road.

Anyway, I plan to haunt the classifieds and do a lot of reading here so if anyone has any advice or just wants to say hello, I am looking forward to being here as an owner soon. Oh, and if anyone can give me a rough estimate of what a new Scamp costs I would love that. We are only about 8 or 9 hours from the factory so could pick one up if we decide to spend that much. I will probably have to break down and call them one of these days to get an idea, but I also like the idea of an older one that has been well maintained but has some history. A restored vintage model would be great!



The monster dog a few months ago

[Jon in AZ]

Welcome, Ria (and Al)!

Your requirements seem pretty simple, so you should be able to find something workable before too long.

We were in a very tony district near Phoenix just before Christmas and pulled up next to a Mini Clubman at a traffic light. My daughter said, "Look!" We turned and saw the most enormous head hanging out of the back window. The rest of the beautiful animal pretty much filled the rear of the small car. It was a Great Dane, of course. We gave the driver a thumbs up.

[Ria]

We drive a Kia Soul and he fills the backseat at 7 months. He is only about 3 months in the picture. But we love the big goof!

We are just starting on our search and since I traveled to southern Iowa to get the dog I am willing to go at least that far for an RV. But I think before we make a final decision we will have to call Scamp in MN and see if they have any deals, although the more I look, the more I am liking the Casita. And I have never been to TX, so that might be a fun trip.

[Jon in AZ]

I hope you have a larger vehicle to tow with... Last time I checked, towing was not recommended with a Soul.

[Borrego Dave]

Welcome to the group, your questions will be answered here. I do have to agree with Jon though, your tow may not be up to a 16'er.

[Ria]

The Soul is mine, Al has a Toyota FJ Cruiser. It is going to be our pulling vehicle. Adding a towing package to the Kia would void the warranty, and since that is one of the reasons we bought it, don't want to do that. But thanks for the advice. There are a lot of things we don't know about rv'ing, so nothing you can tell us, no matter how obvious, is going to be ignored.

[Jon in AZ]

That's good to know. You did mention an SUV in your first post, but experience has taught me not to take anything for granted...

Your Toyota should pull a 16' Scamp or Casita easily. Now to find one. Sound like you may be considering new as well as used.

Scamp and Casita are fairly similar in concept, but many differences in detail. I'd recommend getting a look at both before you decide. Both have owner referral programs, so if you contact the sales departments, they may be able to set you up with a local owner for a demo. You're even close enough to visit the Scamp factory in MN. Another option is to visit a fiberglass egg rally- see the rally section of the forum. That could be dangerous- you'd likely see a lot more than just Scamps and Casitas!

Happy hunting!

[kootenaigirl]

Welcome Ria. Your dog is adorable

Good luck in your search. It is good to find out new prices as sometimes used ones are pretty close and needing a lot of work. With spring comimg there will be more trailers being listed but the good deals do get snapped up quickly.

[Kai in Seattle]

Welcome, Ria, and wishing you good luck finding your trailer.

Our greetings to the "monster dog," who is gorgeous. I can picture a photo of the dog hooked sled-dog style to the front of your FG rig; it'd almost look like it was possible.

From our little dogs (pugs) to your big dog--tail wags! Happy camping.



(pic for size comparison only...does not represent any dog owned by us or you...)

[Ria]

Hello, Kai, we are both from the Seattle area and plan to drive our rig out there when we get one. We have friends on Whidbey Island and want to camp out there. And I love pugs!

[Kai in Seattle]

From the Seattle area--cool! If you come this way, maybe we could meet someday...we're in the Renton Highlands.

The pug girls love nearly everyone...even great big dogs, though as they're
10 and 13 now they're not very playful any more.

[Darnelle]

Welcome Ria.
Don't rule out a 13-footer yet! We are 2 adults, 1 small child and 1 very large dog and we prefer the 13'. We even had a very nice 16' but went back to the smaller Scamp because the increased storage did not fit our needs. We also prefer to do most everything outdoors so the camper is mostly beds that are always warm and dry. Happy Scamping!

[Ria]

Originally Posted by Darnelle

Welcome Ria.
Don't rule out a 13-footer yet! We are 2 adults, 1 small child and 1 very large dog and we prefer the 13'. We even had a very nice 16' but went back to the smaller Scamp because the increased storage did not fit our needs. We also prefer to do most everything outdoors so the camper is mostly beds that are always warm and dry. Happy Scamping!

Is there a place for a portapotty in the 13 footer? My biggest requirements are that and a comfortable place to sleep and hot water for coffee. I don't need a shower, just the potty. I think it would be easier for me to take by myself, which I would like to do.

[Indiana Lynn]

I just saw an 18 ft wide body Burro on here for $7,000 with new cushions and uphilstery. It looked nice. Smooth, washable fiberglass walls might be nice with a Dog. And there is a goucho bed and what looked like a bunk in additiin to the dinette bed so grand-treasure can come along. Spot to slide a marine toilet under goucho for middle of nigjt emergwncies. I just bougjt a 16 ft Casita with double goucho bunks to camp with 3 little girls and the porto potty will have to do cause we need the room. Bathrooms take up lots of space. I would have probably bought the Burro if it had come up first. I am dreading carpeted walls with an autistic kid.Good luck Ria!

[Darnelle]

Originally Posted by Ria

Is there a place for a portapotty in the 13 footer? My biggest requirements are that and a comfortable place to sleep and hot water for coffee. I don't need a shower, just the potty. I think it would be easier for me to take by myself, which I would like to do.

Most porta-potties fit in the center area under the front couch/bunk bed area. The only dimension to worry about is the height, and if you buy one via scamp it will fit. At night we place it, the TP, and a small garbage bag specifically for TP by the door and out of the way but accessible for all. The only inconvenience is the big dog taking up the floor space! (He earns his keep as a watch dog though.) Like you, we must have a porta-potty (mostly nighttime use) and prefer to use state campgrounds where the showers are nice and clean. Also, with any extended travel, truck stops often offer beautiful private bathrooms for about 5 bucks. We enjoy a little bit of "roughing it" (camping vs. RVing) so cook and eat outdoors (hate the smell of past meals in the camper), use the camper sink much like a bathroom sink (washing faces and brushing teeth) and so far (years) have never used the stove for anything but hot water (for tea and sponge baths). A nice bonus is how that use warms up the camper on chilly mornings. I have contemplated pulling the stove out for more counter space, but since we do occasionally use it and really don't need counter top space (lack of cooking indoors), a stove cover is more practical. We spend our camping days biking, hiking, swimming, fishing, etc. If the weather is bad we can spend time in the camper comfortably watching movies or playing board games (things we seldom do at home) or drive into the nearest town and find some indoor activity. We love our tiny camper!

[Ria]

BIG UPDATE!!!

We bought a '78 Scamp 13! My dream has finally come true! I have been looking at Scamps since 2000 and now I've got my very own. It was gutted 2 owners ago and completely redone inside. We are planning a few upgrades (like adding a fridge!) but it is exactly what we wanted. And we found it only 4 hours from home!!! I had been looking at ads from 8 to 16 hours away, so that was a huge bonus. It does have some fiberglass issues, very minor and mostly cosmetic, but my husband used to do do fiberglass repair for a living, so that is easily remedied.

I am on cloud nine planning our maiden trip. Not sure when or where it will be, but I can't wait to shop for dishes and a few decorations to make it our own. I will try to upload some pics soon. Thanks for all your great welcomes and advice, I have joined the club!

[LyleB]

Hope you enjoy the heck out of your "new" Scamp.

Mine is in for a new axle as we speak - just an upgrade, not a "must do".

So far all anticipation, the actual fun starts soon!