just bought 1986 13' scamp

[Steph H]

I am sooo excited to have finally purchased a piece of fiberglass camping heaven. I am just a little concerned that my excitement and desire to own one got in the way of weighing good purchasing judgement. I pay/pickup on Saturday and I would love some feedback if I made a good decision. I know some will say it's worth whatever personal value we place on it. However, I would perhaps hold out longer and search more if necessary.

It is a 1986 13ft. Scamp, no fridge, no stove, good exterior condition, decent tires. We won't see the frame til pick-up. The interior is o.k. I'll have to replace all 3 dome lights(not expensive $30), seat cushion covers definitely show the wear on this trailer and will also be replaced. Carpet will have to be ripped out, door handles replaced and the list goes on.

Basically it looks like a trailer in the lower end of good condition with 23 years of use and abuse. My hope is to get my hands on it, give it TLC and rehab it back to life.

PLEASE could someone tell me if I should complete this purchase at $3000

[Donna D.]

There are always good deals to be had.... in the future and some in the past. But this is the present. The big question to ask, how much is it worth to you to have it? You can't compare what MAY come along... only today counts for that. When was the last time you saw a 13 foot trailer (in any condition?) for sale within driving distance? How long are you willing to wait for that next trailer to show up for sale. And, as long as it's safe to tow down the road, you can consider it a hardsided tent until you can afford to make those fabulous modifications and improvements.

Buyer's remorse hits most people when it comes to big purchases. I don't hold your wallet in my hand to tell you if it's a good deal or not. But, if you're comfortable with owning it and knowing there are improvements that will need to be made to make it uniquely your own, I'd say:

"Let the memories begin!"

[Ricky 4]

Start fixing it up in the style you like-make it your own with your own details, colors and ideas-you won`t be sorry-it is fun to redo these trailers.

[Frederick L. Simson]

According to Scamp's price guide a NEW 2009 basic, no frills 13' trailer sells for $8,295.00. (The basic unit would have an Ice Box, not a Fridge...) Compared to THAT, it sounds like a relatively reasonable price to me . I have my doubts that you could find a lower price for something that is not completely trashed...

[MikeCM]

Steph, I am not a good example as I fell into my Burro, didn't know what I was buying nor what to look for; then again the seller just wanted it gone and did not know what she was selling either. I went to buy a project not a camper, and for $300 I got everything I paid for.

I agree with Donna if it works for you go for it. I own the completely trashed camper that Frederick is talking about, I have owned it for more than a year and have not yet spent a night in it. PS I have only seen one other Burro in person( a drive by), and only one other for sale within 400 miles ($4500). If I had hesitated it would have been gone to next person to see the Craigslist ad.

Take the buyers checklist with you, look carefully, and pay what you are comfortable with.

Mike

[Bill Bradish]

That is way too much......In 1997 we bought a 13' 1986 Casita for the same price and it was perfect. Fridge, hot water heater, fantastic fan everything worked!!!! Plus it had a full bath up front. All we had to do was put the linens and food in and go.....You can do better!!! There are more 13' out there than what we are looking for now. A 17' SD in very good condition. For all of your issues 3000.00 is way too much.

[Raya]

Bill,

You are in New Mexico, Steph is in Ohio. You bought in 1997, she is buying in 2009, You bought in .... , she is buying in summer. Etc, etc.

Disregarding the above factors, the inflation calculator has this to say:

What cost $3000 in 1997 would cost $4008.75 in 2008. (Figures for 2009 are not yet available.)

Put another way, compared to what you paid in 1997, it's like Steph is paying $2291.45 now.

Of course there's really no way to compare so directly, as there are too many variables (as others have stated).

Steph, if you are having doubts, and if you have not committed to the seller, then maybe you should reconsider. Or not. We can't really say. As Donna says, there is ALWAYS a better deal out there. However, you may have to shop long and hard, and then drive thousands of miles to get it. Or not. It's impossible to say for sure.

I don't mean to sound negative, and please feel welcomed to the FGRV forum

Raya

[Bill Bradish]

I have redone 3 Vintage Airstreams one down to the frame. So I'm going to ask this, do you want to have a project? Or do you want to go camp. And if so, how much do you want to spend on top of the 3000.00 because 80% of the time you will not get it back. The person with the Burro did it right, he wanted a project, got a good price and the money he puts in he will get back.

[MikeCM]

... no fridge, no stove, good exterior condition, decent tires. We won't see the frame til pick-up. The interior is o.k. I'll have to replace all 3 dome lights(not expensive $30), seat cushion covers definitely show the wear on this trailer and will also be replaced. Carpet will have to be ripped out, door handles replaced and the list goes on...

Steph, I would add that the items you have listed are fairly typical items to replace, even if not bad or damaged. I would recover/replace the cushions or steam clean at the least, no matter the condition. You can also look at this trailer as ready for personalization, free of structural, and significant issues.

Just make sure that you are happy with the decision, its wrong to regret.

Mike

[Bill Bradish]

Your list of 'improvements' and 'must dos' is far too long for a stripped down basic unit at that price in my mind. Is this your first unit???

[Bryan L.]

I'm no expert as I just bought my Scamp this winter but I did look through a lot of ads every day so I was pretty up on prices. I was originally going to get a 13 footer and I wanted to spend no more than $2500 for it. They were out there, they just involved a lot of driving. I ended up positing an ad on Craigslist and someone responded and I lucked in to a 16 footer for $2500 that was 6 hours away. I have changed out the cushions on it and that has easily run me over $500 and I still need to build a deck for the neighbor that sewed the cushion covers. New foam is priiiiicey! We've also refaced all of the cabinets with fresh laminate. We have easily spent over $1000 over what we paid for it and it was in pretty nice condition when we got it. All of the little projects will add up. You're not getting ripped off and you're certainly not stealing it. It seems like a "fair" price.

[Steph H]

Thank you SO much for your responses. I am counting down the hours until I finally see the Scamp and get to fully inspect it. That will be the final determination.
Could anyone give me tips on inspecting the frame and floors? Thanks.

[Sandra Lair]

Steph,
We bought our '82 Scamp 13' five years ago for $2300. It was in pretty good shape and we still think we got a good deal on it. Molded fiberglass RVs are almost unheard-of in our area, so we were surprised to find one just a couple of miles from home. I'm sure others will give you tips about inspecting the frame and floors, but if it is structurally sound, I think $3000 sounds quite reasonable. Good luck!
Sandra

[John A]

For what it's worth, I think $3000 is well within normal range, an unremarkably normal price. I wouldn't sell my 1984 for that. Don't worry, enjoy, and sell it in 10 years with no loss! They are wonderfully easy to take care of and fix, compared to cars.

Best wishes,

John

[Penney H. & Mike E.]

This may be after the fact, and if you bought it just enjoy it and soon the price will be well worth it.

We recently sold our 13' Burro, 1987, for $2300, with stove, heater, clean inside, everything working, and ice box (a lot of trailers of that vintage didn't have frigs but had ice boxes). I watch Burro prices and I know 13' Burros of that era have sold for around $3000 up if they are in mint restored condition. Ours was in good condition with a lot of things replaced and redone, but not restored to original. That said, I think you could offer less for what it doesn't have, however, if the frame, shell, tires, electrical system are all in good shape, windows and door tight, and you paid $3000, you didn't do bad, because it is useable and you can hit the road without a lot of investment. It seems odd there is no stove, is there a place for one? I would be concerned that if seat cushion covers need replacing and rug needs replacing that there isn't mold/moisture under what needs replacing, I hope you looked carefully.

The big questions is - DID YOU GET IT????
Hope you took the check list for this forum with you for your inspection.
Let us know!

[Pamela H]

I really love my burro, and it too was a project purchase. But if I had $3k at the time, I would have easily bought one in better shape. HOWEVER- each renovation is ours, and we can do it our way.

I am currently at:

The cost of the trailer plus:
$200 for tires
$100 for new trailer wiring (long story)
$30 new vent
$128 new padding-will need to replace with thicker stuff
$5 for electric outlet port cover
$50 plexiglass for window replacements
$40 for cabinet facing material (my latest project)
$20 for temporary floor covering
$20 for poly-gloss from walmart...(not real happy with what I've done so far)
$10 window coverings
$10 for cutting board to cover hole from where the stove was (temp)

Still lots to do-and going cheap has ended up with more work in the future-and more dollars. However, we have been camping with it...still need to fix the lighting situation
the cabinet doors...A/C installation, Propane lines, running lights. We haven't been thrown out of the camp ground-even in its less than pristine shape.

I did buy one of those First-up gazebos from Walmart tho-love it. Just a little short stepping out of the camper tho.

It is a work in progress.
But I have enjoyed it-

Pam