Rumors from Scamp

[Ken in Pa]

Carl Pa. I have a Question We have the same trailer layout but ours is minus shower curtain. Our 2013 minus our 2015 minus. Your 2014 Has, I don't get it? I was told ours has the white covering on the inside of the door that waterproofs it. Is it because ours is a deluxe so they give less? I put my own in.
Ken

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Ken in Pa

Carl Pa. I have a Question We have the same trailer layout but ours is minus shower curtain. Our 2013 minus our 2015 minus. Your 2014 Has, I don't get it? I was told ours has the white covering on the inside of the door that waterproofs it. Is it because ours is a deluxe so they give less? I put my own in.
Ken

Two points...
A shower curtain is a must, deluxe or not. in fact if anything it is more essential in the deluxe.
If yours came without a shower curtain rod, be happy.
A conventional shower curtain and rod are too bulky and space consuming for comfort. Replacing it with a cafe' rod and half of a clear shower curtain liner suspended buy stainless key rings makes more room in the shower, easier stowage, and prevents the curtain from clinging to you being pushed buy the cooler air coming in on the door side of the curtain.

[WaltP]

Gee, such exciting, forward looking changes. NOT!

Walt

[Darral T.]

On PERFECTION??? I have a list of enough objections to know that Scamp is NOT perfect and we all know that no RV is. I think the Oliver would come close. But you WILL pay for it.

I feel the ONLY reason they're starting to change is they're finally looking outside their window at Backus to realize the competition is picking up.. "Happier Camper"? I believe to be the latest.

Unsatisfied customer? How about the one that just picked their new Scamp up only to realize it doesnt have a front window in the bath anymore??? AND they werent told? I would not want my bath without it. The vent should have been an option to ADD not substitute the window out. But, I heard they cant get that window anymore which also means they wont be putting it over the stove area as well I guess.

Have they hinted at LEAST to changing their ugly red stripe??? I had them to put "Scamp" on there but leave off that VERY dated "racing stripe" And a BLACK propane tank??? What is wrong with those people?? Typical Scamp.

Others have stated less emphatically than I that Scamp is WAYYY behind times in making some very much-needed changes both physically and aesthetically to their trailers.

Originally Posted by floyd

It is ,of course, difficult to improve on perfection, or to break a stereotype.
But dozens of changes have been made over the years many of them in the last decade. I am glad at least that they have not yet decided to succumb to that "bigger is always better" canard... thereby destroying the primary mission of the genre.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by WaltP

Gee, such exciting, forward looking changes. NOT!

Walt

I have seen and worked on just about every fiberglass trailer on and off the market. If I were buying today, it would be a Scamp, hands down.
It appears that "forward thinking" involves ever increasing size and weight.

As for quality and function, nobody yet builds anything to compare to the Scamp Deluxe.
I would happily compare my eleven year old Scamp with anything on the market today...and it was built before some of the newcomers hit the drawing board using "forward thinking ideas" mostly taken from obsolete brands.
Through a policy of constant improvement, Scamp has been satisfying customers for over 45 years and is still expanding production while many so called "forward thinkers" have come and gone.

"Thinking smart" beats "thinking forward" every time.While that involves "thinking forward" it does so with respect for past,..."bringing forward" those things which have proven themselves.

[Cathy P.]

But, if you to their FB page and you don't need an account: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scamp...97691030279431 and look at the happy faces........ Scamp allows families and others who could not make a bigger investment to get out and enjoy! Changes cost money to make and who do think those costs would be passed on to? Their weight and price point are two things the others aren't beating and that is a good place to be at.

Yes, they should have let the person that got a vent rather than a window know ahead of time. And, there have been some other issues. But, in the big picture, since I follow the RV world, they do pretty darn good.

[RogerDat]

Funny I went to great lengths to have my racing stripe replaced as it originally was (how it was positioned in relation to the S of Scamp changed over the years) I like the red pin stripe, and the green tree decals.

Might be why I wanted to buy a Scamp, I like the physical layout and way it is designed and the aesthetics. But then I think old U-Hauls are sexy, EggCampers are way cool, and Bolers are totally groovy.

Some of the newer models are pretty nice too but that is what is great, folks get to buy what they like that makes them feel the FGRV love.

[Stargazer]

I've wondered about Scamp's future as a business. They are very casual in how they do things, e.g., I call and ask for the parts department and they tell me that it is closed for the morning because the parts guy had to go to the dentist. On most phone calls I make to them a receptionist answers the phone, but other times it is a salesman that I suspect is older then me (and that means about 70!). Before I got my used Scamp I called Casita numerous times and never had any weird experience. BTW I love my Scamp and chose it over the Casita because of tow and tongue weight.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Darral T.

On PERFECTION??? I have a list of enough objections to know that Scamp is NOT perfect and we all know that no RV is. I think the Oliver would come close. But you WILL pay for it.

I feel the ONLY reason they're starting to change is they're finally looking outside their window at Backus to realize the competition is picking up.. "Happier Camper"? I believe to be the latest.

Unsatisfied customer? How about the one that just picked their new Scamp up only to realize it doesnt have a front window in the bath anymore??? AND they werent told? I would not want my bath without it. The vent should have been an option to ADD not substitute the window out. But, I heard they cant get that window anymore which also means they wont be putting it over the stove area as well I guess.

Have they hinted at LEAST to changing their ugly red stripe??? I had them to put "Scamp" on there but leave off that VERY dated "racing stripe" And a BLACK propane tank??? What is wrong with those people?? Typical Scamp.

Others have stated less emphatically than I that Scamp is WAYYY behind times in making some very much-needed changes both physically and aesthetically to their trailers.

I've got $500 dollars if you want to sell that POS Scamp of yours.
I might feel guilty, but I'm sure that I could find someone who knows quality and value when they see it, allowing me a VERY tidy profit which would be a VERY large percentage of your original purchase price.


I can just see your Ad (on line of course) when you decide to replace your Scamp...

For Sale:
Ugly, obsolete, poorly constructed, ten year old camper, built by "Luddite Corporation"
I have tolerated this piece of junk long enough, please come and take it off my hands...
HURRY, it won't last long at only 90 percent of its original purchase price!

[Jon in AZ]

Happier Camper will start at, what... over $13K, and you get... an empty shell. Scamp starts at, what... about $11K, and you get... beds for 4, stove, sink, hand pump water system, icebox, 12V & 120V electrical systems. Standard.

Scamp may be far from perfection (whatever that means to you), but no one else offers their value-for-price in the entry-level market.

Nothing against Happier Camper. I am enjoying the renaissance in molded fiberglass design and manufacturing. There is room for all of them.

[Darral T.]

Yeah...we've had this conversation before. But it would require another $12K for the man-hours I have in it "perfecting" it. Nice try but no sale.

NO rv is "perfect". Yours either...or you wouldnt have replaced the door seal twice, undercoated the bottom to protect the wood, changed out the door latch (a mod you never mentioned but I noticed) and those are the quick things I remember off the top of my head.

I think the greater concern lies within customer service more than the Scamp. I think someone just mentioned "weird" in comparison to Casita. THAT is what I have the most problem with.

POS? That's not what you call my Scamp in person....quite the opposite in fact!

Originally Posted by floyd

I've got $500 dollars if you want to sell that POS Scamp of yours.
I might feel guilty, but I'm sure that I could find someone who knows quality and value when they see it, allowing me a VERY tidy profit which would be a VERY large percentage of your original purchase price.

[honda03842]

Steve,

I like many Scamp owners have been to the factory. It is small and darn few employees. I'm certain when the part's manager is out it's an issue...it goes with small.

I don't see a problem.. they were honest.

We went there for scheduled service on our 1991 Scamp, they were ready and accomplished it in short order. I found a visit very interesting, they virtually let me have an unfettered view of everything in the plant.

[RogerDat]

Small with personal service means you get to experience the "person" giving you the service, as opposed to the company policy on how these things are done.

I had a heck of a time reaching parts department with a question, they said he was on vacation. Eventually it got passed off to someone else to answer my question, they called and I was talking to the owner to determine what size rivets my 35 year old camper used. Yes he looked them up so I could order the right assortment of $4 rivets.

They may not be perfect or "precise and proper" in all things but helping me order the right parts for a camper they made 35 years ago qualifies as standing behind your product in my book.

I believe an earlier post stated that they were getting more orders than they can fill and would increase production by 50% if they could get the help. Sounds like an epic fail... NOT.

[Darral T.]

The one I've found most knowledgeable AND helpful at Scamp for tech support is the gentleman named "Dave". He's the production manager. If someone asks about calling Scamp, I quickly divert them to Dave if he's available. Kent and the salesmen? No.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Darral T.

.



POS? That's not what you call my Scamp in person....quite the opposite in fact!

Of course not, and that's not what I called it here. That was merely a sarcastic response to what you constantly call it... as well as all Scamps.

What I said earlier was...
"It is ,of course, difficult to improve on perfection, or to break a stereotype."

Notice the word "or" in the text, leaving the reader to surmise which was needed if either.

I seldom buy anything and leave it unmodified, I started with the door gasket on my Scamp right after purchase, eventually resulting in a real improvement for every Scamp owner. Generally though my mods are elective, designed to better suit my tastes and needs.

I bought a "perfect" 1995 Mustang GT convertible a couple of weeks ago and have already spent a thousand dollars on modifications intended to conform it to the imperfect tastes and habits of its new owner.

[WaltP]

This is fun. I've seen the same conversations on the Casita Forum and it's neat seeing them again for Scamps.

Walt

[Stargazer]

This is in response to my comment on Scamp and Norm & Ginny's response:
I'd love to visit the factory and hope to do so eventually, maybe late this summer. If I didn't live so far away, in So. Calif. it would be easier to go there.

In response to other posts to my comments I agree this is not a big problem and they are honest.

My worry is that if they were to go out of business where would one get repair parts from?

[Darral T.]

Nahhh... You know overall I enjoy my Scamp. Ummm...who's the one at rallies always shining on it and "de-bugging"!?? It seems Scamp is making an effort to make notable changes...finally....which is good.

AND, it sureeee is fun to get you going.

Originally Posted by floyd

Of course not, and that's not what I called it here. That was merely a sarcastic response to what you constantly call it... as well as all Scamps.

[Darral T.]

Casita?
My worry is that if they were to go out of business where would one get repair parts from?[/QUOTE]

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Stargazer

This is in response to my comment on Scamp and Norm & Ginny's response:
I'd love to visit the factory and hope to do so eventually, maybe late this summer. If I didn't live so far away, in So. Calif. it would be easier to go there.

In response to other posts to my comments I agree this is not a big problem and they are honest.

My worry is that if they were to go out of business where would one get repair parts from?

There is really very little which would require the manufacturer as a source for much of anything, especially since most major components are outsourced anyway.
I just sold a fifty year old Ford Falcon, no part of which has been available from Ford for decades. I am now stuck with enough parts to keep it running for another fifty years and my parts store can still get almost any part from the aftermarket with a 24 hour notice.