Add dinette to 13' Scamp

[meandmydogclark]

Hey, everyone. This is my first post, although I have been a member for a number of years and read posts on a regular basis. My husband and I have a 13' Scamp with a front bath. This means that we have to leave the dinette made into a bed and forego the dinette or re-do it every day. He will retire in 3 days and we plan to take an extended vacation to the West (we are in Florida), possibly 6 months or so. Our original plan was to upgrade to a larger fiberglass camper, but we are concerned about going larger since our tow vehicle is a 2014 6-cylinder Subaru Outback. We know it handles the 13' very well, as we just took a 5,000 road trip during the summer. We are now considering making some modifications to the 13' rather than purchasing a larger camper. Most of our time while camping is spent outside -- we cook outside, too -- but we realize that we will probably need to spend more time inside if we are gone for 6 months or so. We also plan to add a shower, or some other way to take a hot bath, to the existing bathroom. Here's the question: Has anyone come up with a solution to having a small table and area for 2 people to sit with such a configuration? I can forego a closet. Any thoughts/suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

[David B.]

We have used two different floor plans with the two 13' Scamps we owned over a 25 year period. What we found what worked best for us, was to use double (zipped together singles) sleeping bags. We could change from bed to table and back in less than one minute......sounds much easier than modifications to your trailer, but I am sure that someone who has changed their floor plan to what you were thinking of, will chime in.
I spoke with someone who took a new bug sprayer, filled it up with water heated on their stove, and used it for a shower in an outside enclosure like this

Guide Gear® Pop-up Privacy Shelter, Black - 200792, Popup Tents at Sportsman's Guide

Good Luck
Dave & Paula

[meandmydogclark]

Thanks for your response, Dave & Paula. I actually have one of the privacy tents and have used it with those solar shower bags over the years. I have made some bedding that works okay, stays on the mattress so that I can roll it up; but we also sleep on memory foam. I'm short and the memory foam makes it rather heavy and difficult for me to man-handle, although I do it. We have owned our Scamp for approximately 10 years and have pulled it many, many miles across the country. I guess we are just looking for something a little easier in our older years. We should probably go ahead and purchase a slightly larger trailer for our big trip but don't want to push it with our Subaru tow, 6-cylinder. I have seen the idea about the bug sprayer, too, and I think that's pretty clever. Another idea I've seen is to purchase a large Rubbermaid container that I can fit into (again, I'm on the smaller side) and use that for my bathtub. Hubby doesn't care about shower. He's all for taking a dip in the creek or whatever. I'm just ready for some convenience after years of tent camping, etc. Thanks again for your response and your thoughts.

[Bob Miller]

I split the mattress area in my hunter so that 1/2 of it can be flipped back on top of the other 1/2. (I actually used a futon mattress, it's already split) I then made a 1/2 size dining table with it's own floor receiver and added a few cushions to the seats for comfort.

works great and we can change from dinette to bed in about 2 minutes

About the shower... we had a 13' SCAMP with front bath and added a water heater and an outside shower panel for when camp showers weren't available. Adding the factory shower pieces is very expensive and complicated.

Good Luck

[floyd]

Originally Posted by meandmydogclark

Hey, everyone. This is my first post, although I have been a member for a number of years and read posts on a regular basis. My husband and I have a 13' Scamp with a front bath. This means that we have to leave the dinette made into a bed and forego the dinette or re-do it every day. He will retire in 3 days and we plan to take an extended vacation to the West (we are in Florida), possibly 6 months or so. Our original plan was to upgrade to a larger fiberglass camper, but we are concerned about going larger since our tow vehicle is a 2014 6-cylinder Subaru Outback. We know it handles the 13' very well, as we just took a 5,000 road trip during the summer. We are now considering making some modifications to the 13' rather than purchasing a larger camper. Most of our time while camping is spent outside -- we cook outside, too -- but we realize that we will probably need to spend more time inside if we are gone for 6 months or so. We also plan to add a shower, or some other way to take a hot bath, to the existing bathroom. Here's the question: Has anyone come up with a solution to having a small table and area for 2 people to sit with such a configuration? I can forego a closet. Any thoughts/suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

This works great, it converts much easier and even leaves a full bunk when in table mode...

[meandmydogclark]

Floyd, I like that setup. So, you store your bedding underneath?

[David B.]

Another thing that we did to make the sleep and sitting easier on our old bones was to use back packer type of self inflatable mattress pads from Alps. We used these to sit on under the padding, and to lay on under the padding.
Dave & Paula

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by meandmydogclark

...Has anyone come up with a solution to having a small table and area for 2 people to sit with such a configuration? I can forego a closet...

If the closet you mean is the one between the door and the dinette, know that it is an important structural component supporting the roof and stiffening the side wall near the door opening. If you remove it you will have to glass in some ribs to maintain the structural integrity of the shell.

Personally, I'd focus on Dave and Floyd's angle, which is to look for ways to make the dinette easier to convert. Floyd's u-shaped dinette seems like a great idea. You could roll up your bedding into the space across the back and use the front part as a dinette.

If anyone has found a way to put a permanent double bed, a separate dinette, a kitchen, and a full wet bath in a 13'er, I haven't seen it yet!

[meandmydogclark]

Jon, I was thinking that may add support. Thanks for your thoughts.


Sent from my iPad using Fiberglass RV

[floyd]

Originally Posted by meandmydogclark

Floyd, I like that setup. So, you store your bedding underneath?

Yes , the bedding, including the memory foam topper, quilt pillows, plus the spare table, and the pedestal with room to spare.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

If the closet you mean is the one between the door and the dinette, know that it is an important structural component supporting the roof and stiffening the side wall near the door opening. If you remove it you will have to glass in some ribs to maintain the structural integrity of the shell.

Personally, I'd focus on Dave and Floyd's angle, which is to look for ways to make the dinette easier to convert. Floyd's u-shaped dinette seems like a great idea. You could roll up your bedding into the space across the back and use the front part as a dinette.

If anyone has found a way to put a permanent double bed, a separate dinette, a kitchen, and a full wet bath in a 13'er, I haven't seen it yet!

We almost have done it , our stove cover locks into a drawer to form a "side dinette" for when the bed is made and a table is needed.
We have even made a "king sized bed" by modifying the original table!

[Stuart Copestake]

Originally Posted by floyd

This works great, it converts much easier and even leaves a full bunk when in table mode...

Hi Floyd
Kate and I are renovating to add a pedestal table to our 2009 Scamp t5th wheel after seeing your Egg at Highland Hammock in late January. We wonder how deep is the back seat? Is it the same as the sides or have you reduced it to make more room around the back of the table? Stuart and Kate