1988 16' Scamp Rehab

[Steve in NY]

I bought a 1988 16' Scamp #4. It has no water damage and is in surprisingly good shape. But being the nut I am, I decided to go through it completely to clean 27 years of life off it and make sure its good to go. I've scoured the archives and I am replacing the original carpet with vinyl and doing a few other mods. Please comment on anything you can, because I am new to Scamps and RV's in general.

1. I'll start with the controversial one first. My wife and I decided to remove the bathroom. We are going to install a hand held outside shower for the few times we need it and go with a porta potti. We are sailors and backpackers and feel that the space taken up by the bathroom is silly for us. We'll install a bench where it is and put a small pedestal table so when my wife sleep in I can have a separate place to hang. I'm going to start removing it this weekend. I have someone interested in it. What do you think a fair price for the working 911 toilet, shower stall and pan, assuming I get them out in good shape?

2. It has a non-working Dometic 2201 3way refrigerator, and I plan on replacing it with the newer version (2193). Anyone done this and lived through it?

3. The bases of the standard lights have yellowed, but otherwise work good and there are four rivets in each base, so I'd prefer to keep them, and just add LED bulbs. Anyone found a good replacement or a way to freshen their look?

4. The big mystery. I have a closet AC installed that doesn't work. I'm assuming it was the factory model, because the installation looks pretty professional. The problem is the air intake up and down, and most modern AC units take in air on the side and expel them out the back. Anyone done a replacement with good results?

5. The axle. The axle seems to hold the trailer up high. how do you tell if yours is worn out?

I guess that is enough questions for a day!

Take Care,
Steve

[summer scamp]

1. removed our bathroom as well and built a pedestal table in its place and we love the extra space. Literally hauling around our waste and dealing with it was not on our agenda.....we are of the 'any port in a storm' mentality when you gotta go - sounds like you guys. But good luck with the removal... cut mine into pieces

2. Happen to be in Ohio???? I am taking out our fridge since it never sees use and making built-in storage.....free to any takers (original dometic 3-way and it works)

3. I just removed all lights and replaced them....but mostly added 12/v and battery lights that have been awesome. 2 12v dome lights with switch to underside of cabinets above bed. touch light above table where PO destroyed old light, fixture, and wiring. added 12v LED light on side of overhead cabinet to shine down on pedestal table. but honestly the lights we use the most are 4 light LED battery stick lights attached under overhead cabinets.

4. our original AC was in closet, removed, and professionally plugged with fiberglass patch.... re did with new AC unit and it works awesome

5. havent done anything with our axle so someone may chime in... show some pics of wheel well and body so someone can let you know.

I have pics of everything if you need. Good luck and have fun - make a list and go one step at a time and remember as long as you can tow it you can camp in it

[Darnelle]

"...the bathroom is silly for us."

Would be for us, too! We see it as a space hog for something that would be used once a day, plus high maintenance. We love our little porta potty.

Make your camper fit you, not anyone else. Enjoy and don't worry about re-sale.

The best of luck on your project. Will enjoy photos if you're willing to post.

[summer scamp]

.... kind of freeing not worrying about this dreaded "re-sale"

[Steve in NY]

Glad to see we're not the only ones who see the bathroom as silly.

Kevin & Lisa:

I'd love to see pics.

What was behind the back splash. Did you put new fur up or do something else? Did you add new air in the closet of add a rooftop unit?

Thanks Steve

[summer scamp]

We did not have fur - have Ensolite. We scrubbed and painted it and I re-did all the seems.

For the backsplash I used stamped aluminum with small circle pattern-attached with double stick carpet tape-and I brushed it with a wire brush to give it some texture and depth.

I replaced the AC in the closet

Bathroom replaced


AC





Backsplash


Awesomeness


Sent from my iPhone using Fiberglass RV

[MRClaus]

[QUOTE=summer scamp;517814]We did not have fur - have Ensolite. We scrubbed and painted it and I re-did all the seems.

For the backsplash I used stamped aluminum with small circle pattern-attached with double stick carpet tape-and I brushed it with a wire brush to give it some texture and depth.

I replaced the AC in the closet

Bathroom replaced
Attachment 83070

AC

Attachment 83071
Attachment 83072
Attachment 83073

Backsplash
Attachment 83074

AwesomenessAttachment 83075


love the table air looks good too happy camping

[Steve in NY]

Funny you are from Columbus. That is where I got this scamp. It seems to be in good mechanical shape, just a bit dated. The stainless stove top is all pitted and I was thinking of painting it. How did your job hold up?

The air conditioning looks great. I have the original AC scamp installed and it isn't working. I am sure it has the old freon in it and it is noisy, so its going. I like the idea of having the air come in from the bottom. It seems like it would add to the efficiency.

I have to admit I found your blog and I just sent the link to my wife. I hope our paths cross someday. If you ever decide to head North East, let me know.

I am going to do a bench where your table is as I play guitar. I want to adapt some kind of fold down table. Your pictures are a fig help.

Take Care,
Steve

[summer scamp]

Ha! Took the wife a year to find ours.... In michigan.

Paint job on the stove did not hold up well at all. I didn't get it down to bare metal but sanded, prepped it pretty good, used high temp spray.... Still flaked in some spots and we hardly use but for the occasional percolator of coffee.

A bench would work well there for sure! I'd make some cubbies under it for shoes..... Shoes always in the way on the floor!

From what i remember I think she did a pretty good job of updating the blog but I bet there's a whole lot of stuff I did and have pics of that aren't up there, let me know what you need when you start tearing into things.
We also lived in RI for grad school and I worked in Maine for a month so we want to get out there..... But the west is the west!



Can't wait to get back out there in June!


Sent from my iPhone using Fiberglass RV

[Steve in NY]

Progress and questions. I got the shower/bathroom out. I found the floor everywhere in the camper to be sound. I did have some discoloration in some of the "rat fur". I tried every method I could to get it clean, and I know some of you will be appalled, but the only one that worked was .........the pressure washer. I had the whole interior stripped, so I had my son in the camper with the shop vac, and I hit the walls with that LA cleaner everyone raves about, and starting at the top, sprayed it down. My son sucked up the water. I sprayed under the sink and counters, and 27 years of grunge are gone. We then took two shop vacs and sucked all the wetness we could out of the like new walls. It was a hot sunny day, so I closed the windows and put a dehumidifier inside. By Sunday it was ridiculously dry inside, but the dehumidifier is still going, with a small fan to keep the air moving. about the only area that stayed damp was the base of the walls. I put little blocks of wood to hold the fabric up and this morning it was bone dry.

Last nigth, I painted all the fiberglass green under the kitchen sink. I had the color matched to the white fiberglass and it looks awesome, even though some of it will be covered with a liner. Tonight I will put the new hot water tank back in. Here is my question. I suppose the tank needs to be supported, and I can't see how it was done as I got a bit aggressive removing the chintzy stuff that was screwed to the floor. Also, my old tank was the same brand, but the tank was shaped different. Anyone have any pictures of your 6 gal Attwood tank from the inside?

Take Care,
Steve