Just took the plunge

[Sean Thomas]

Hey There. My wife and I just took the plunge and ordered a 13' Scamp. Yay! It should be arriving 'round the first of Sept. We can't wait.

We ordered it with furnace, screen door, refrigerator and three speed fan, which suits the kind of trips we will most likely be taking. Thought about the AC, but it threw us considerably over budget.

I know it's probably been covered here before, so forgive me, but are there any tips or advice you would give a noob, specifically in dealing with Scamp, i.e. things I need to request, or special order? Somewhere on the forum I read that if the trailer is equipped with rear cabinets, they won't put a light back there unless I request it. True? Anything else I might have missed? Thanks so much. Sorry if this has already been covered.

[Chester Taje]

Grats on your new Unit. I am sure one of the Scamp folks will chime in with all the answeres you may be looking for.

[Perry J]

Order the front and rear cabinets if you haven't already.
The only problem with small trailers is the lack of storage. It's an investment you will not regret.
John

[Sean Thomas]

Thanks. I'll check into that.

[Adrian W]

We ordered the rear hitch, which can come in handy if you like to bicycle or for a rear carrier for storage. Can't remember about the light under the cabinets, we do have them. Ask the salesman, they were helpful in all matters. Good luck.

[SherryNPaul]

Congrats. My aunt and uncle enjoyed their Scamp 13 for over fifteen years... Hope you do, as well.
Sherry

[Robin G]

Congrat's! Hope you have many years of memorable camping trips with it.

You don't say where your from? As far as the air conditioning (for me that is the only thing you missed) but I understand.

[Pam Garlow]

How exciting to have a new trailer on the way !!

Would it be within your budget to have the reinforcement put in for the rooftop AC right now while your trailer is being fabricated? That way, when you are ready financially, you can put in the AC. I'm not sure if they can reinforce after the trailer has been built. Maybe another Scamp owner can advise you.
And I agree with getting the additional storage - I wish that more storage had been built into my Uhaul.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by Pam Garlow

Would it be within your budget to have the reinforcement put in for the rooftop AC right now while your trailer is being fabricated?

I second that motion... I would inquire about having the roof reinforced without actually installing roof air right now. Without the reinforcement, you're stuck with trying to install a "window" unit; either in a window or in a cabinet.

[Adrian W]

Originally Posted by Frederick L. Simson

I second that motion... I would inquire about having the roof reinforced without actually installing roof air right now. Without the reinforcement, you're stuck with trying to install a "window" unit; either in a window or in a cabinet.

I may be mistaken, but I believe all Scamp come reinforced for AC now. But it would be a good question to ask the salesperson.

[Sean Thomas]

Thank you all for the comments and advice. This is our first trailer and we're a bit overwhelmed with all the options and whatnot. It sure helps to have a community like this to turn to for help.

I'll definitely check into the AC reinforcement. Great tip. Thanks.

[Christopher Phillips]

Hi Sean,
I just bought a new 16' Scamp in March. On their website, they have a list of all the options you can get for the 13 footer. Go though that list with your salesman and make sure you are getting everything you want. Some things are much easier to get when you order a new Scamp than if you wait till later to put them in. I agree that the upper cabnets are a must, also get the outside outlet, portch light (all optional lights for that matter), and bike hitch. They can be a pain to add later and the initial cost is very resonable in my opinion. The AC is nice to have, but to be honest, that fantastic fan does one heck of a job to cool my 16'. I can only imagine what it will do for a 13 footer.

Chris

[Bill K]

Sean

Be advised that not all the options are listed by Scamp.
They will tell you that they don't have a list of other options BUT they sure know the price if you ask for something not on there list.

I made up my own list from suggestions here and on the Scampers forum.

Good luck and have fun.

Bill K

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Sean Thomas

Hey There. My wife and I just took the plunge and ordered a 13' Scamp. Yay! It should be arriving 'round the first of Sept. We can't wait.

We ordered it with furnace, screen door, refrigerator and three speed fan, which suits the kind of trips we will most likely be taking. Thought about the AC, but it threw us considerably over budget.

I know it's probably been covered here before, so forgive me, but are there any tips or advice you would give a noob, specifically in dealing with Scamp, i.e. things I need to request, or special order? Somewhere on the forum I read that if the trailer is equipped with rear cabinets, they won't put a light back there unless I request it. True? Anything else I might have missed? Thanks so much. Sorry if this has already been covered.

I truly understand budget constraints, but consider this....
Delete the refrigerator and buy the air conditioner, if you want it.
The Ice box will work well for a while until you recover from the purchase.
then you can step up to a danfoss fridge or even a 12V coleman.
Neither requires cutting huge holes in the side of the camper..

While there is nothing wrong with the fridge, it works fine, but now is the time to consider your options.
Had I known about danfoss compressors in 2004 Eggy-Sue would have one today without the cut outs.

[Raz]

A new scamp, good for you. I read somewhere that scamp is going to crank out (jalousie) windows exclusively for the side rear windows on their campers but if there is still a choice between crank out or slider, I would recommend crank outs. This was a no cost option when we looked. Good luck, Raz

[Sean Thomas]

Originally Posted by P. Raz

A new scamp, good for you. I read somewhere that scamp is going to crank out (jalousie) windows exclusively for the side rear windows on their campers but if there is still a choice between crank out or slider, I would recommend crank outs. This was a no cost option when we looked. Good luck, Raz

Thanks, Raz. It's true, Scamp is going to jalousie windows. The sliders are still available but being phased out. We went with the crank-outs based on our salesmen's recommendation, he said it will be much easier to get replacement parts for them down the road.

Counting the days till it gets here :-)

[Adrian W]

From the Q & As at Scamp web site:

Can roof air conditioners be added to older Scamp trailers?
A. All 5th wheel Scamps can use roof air conditioners. Older 5th wheels may require the oak reinforcement supports (can be purchased from the Scamp parts department). On most 16 foot Scamps from the year 2000 the roof has been supported for the roof air. On 16 foot Scamps prior to this year most didn’t have the roof air support. To check for support find the 120 volt wire tucked behind the fabric strip. This wire will be on the same side of the trailer as the 120 panel with the circuit breakers. Any trailers with the wire and support in the roof can have the roof air added. Thirteen foot Scamp trailers don’t have the roof air support unless there is already a roof air installed or if the original buyer requested that the trailer be built that way. Also most trailers with a power vent in the roof air spot won’t have supported roofs. Most 16 and 13 foot trailers prior to 2000 used a side air conditioner in the lower part of the closet by the door. This air conditioner is no longer available.
(2/19/2008 7:19:51 AM)