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Old 11-02-2015, 08:58 AM   #1
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Name: Carrie
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New-to-me Scamp...couple of questions

We just brought home a 93 13' Scamp this weekend. We had one on order in case we didn't find a used one, so I get to cancel that and start working to get this one ready for our planned trip to Alaska next summer.

The previous owner had taken out the top bunk and didn't save the parts. It seems like that may be something we can put back in ourselves? We have 2 kids so we definitely need it.

Also, the support bars in the kitchen cabinets were missing- I didn't even really notice that until after we got it home, so I have no idea how long they have been missing, but we should put something there, right?

I'm sure I'll have lots more questions next spring- right now we just need to make sure it's safe to sit for the winter and make a list of things we need to do. Putting in a vinyl floor and getting new cushion covers are at the top of my list.
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Old 11-02-2015, 09:25 AM   #2
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Get a pull,rivet gun and a assortment of rivers from the Scamp store. Very easy to drill out and replace, super easy ! Check out Scamp for other things you need. They are very supportive.
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Old 11-02-2015, 09:36 AM   #3
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The upper bunk can be replaced with a simple piece of 3/4" plywood or OSB. You can use a length of piano hinge to attach it to the small ledge under the front window. When making the support bars you need to put a screw in the underside of the bunk to prevent slipping.
The base connectors are likely still there? The top bunk is normally upholstered rather than having loose cushions It sounds like no trouble to match since you are making new cushion covers.

I have often used light gauge rectangular or square tubing left over from the legs of a patio shade or an EZ up. You will need the cabinet supports, especially for a trip to Alaska.

Look here for pictures and maybe some Ideas on parts or hardware...
http://www.scamptrailers.com/
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Old 11-02-2015, 12:34 PM   #4
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Scamp Bunk Detail

Carrie, congratulations on your Scamp purchase!

Here's some additional information and pictures about the bunk set-up that I hope will help.

The upper bunk platform actually consists of three pieces of 3/4" plywood, a main center piece and two small wings. The wings allow the platform to conform to the curve of the shell when lowered. It is pretty much the same size as the lower bench, so you could use it to make your template. The wings are attached with piano hinges facing the foam side. The foam is only 3" (versus 4" for the loose cushions) and is attached to the plywood with spray adhesive. A removable cover goes over the whole platform.

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The front of the platform rests on a ledge under the front window. In an older trailer, it would be good to make sure the ledge is strong. Offset hinges attach the platform from the bottom.
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The posts are painted steel, 7/8" outside diameter, 25-1/2" long. The loops are bent hardware staples welded to the post. The bent portion is about 22-1/2" from the bottom and catches a screw on the underside of the platform. The vertical position of the posts is even with the ends of the bunk ledge (the safety rail uprights just barely clear the ledge and hang down behind the backrest in the last photo).
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The bottom of the post has a plastic cap and rests in a (shower curtain?) ring riveted to the bench. The inside diameter of the ring is 1".
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I removed the caps on the tops of the posts and built a safety rail out of PVC.
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All the parts- posts and safety rail- store on top of the ledge behind the backrest when the bunk is lowered for travel.
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Old 11-02-2015, 12:41 PM   #5
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The safety rail is a VERY good idea if you have children in slippery sleeping bags on the top bunk. Once had a 13 year old slide off the upper bunk and fall head first to the floor in the middle of the night.
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Old 11-02-2015, 12:43 PM   #6
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One more thing… I would order the kitchen supports and install them right away. I recall you were going to leave yours in storage through a Massachusetts winter. Without adequate roof support, fiberglass eggs have been known to collapse under heavy snow loads.

You can see the twisty metal supports on the left end of the galley in this photo.
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Old 11-02-2015, 12:49 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Carol H View Post
The safety rail is a VERY good idea if you have children in slippery sleeping bags on the top bunk. Once had a 13 year old slide off the upper bunk and fall head first to the floor in the middle of the night.
Agree! If you made the metal posts taller, all you would need to add is the crossbar. It'd be stronger, but the posts might not fit on the ledge for storage. I believe safety guidelines specify no more than 4" gap between mattress and rail.
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Old 11-02-2015, 12:54 PM   #8
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Jon,
Thank you- that is SO helpful! I had been combing through info on prior posts but couldn't quite visualize it. It's so helpful to have it in one place- I can now show my husband and he can make it happen. The pole supports aren't there anymore. We do have the back upholstered cushion, but no wood- I'll have to see how thick the foam that is in there now is.

I'll put the kitchen supports on, but this trailer has been outside in New England for the last 14 years with the previous owner... I'll try to find out from them if they took the supports off or if it was that way when they got it.
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Old 11-02-2015, 02:53 PM   #9
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[QUOTE=CarrieR;556793
I'll put the kitchen supports on, but this trailer has been outside in New England for the last 14 years with the previous owner... I'll try to find out from them if they took the supports off or if it was that way when they got it.[/QUOTE]

There are lots of things that we can get away with for a longtime without a problem but then one day it all blows up on us!

There is a reason what the majority of small fiberglass trailers have the supports. And yes I know of another trailer that got away with no supports for years then one winter during a heavy snow load this happened:
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Old 11-02-2015, 03:10 PM   #10
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Carrie, our 13' Scamp Deluxe did not have the supports when we bought it used, and didn't know if the factory had it that way. I noticed that the roof had a sag in it where the support should have been, so I added one myself made out of wooden dowels covered with chrome square towel rack tubing. I then added metal mesh drawers from Office Depot for odds & ends. You could raise the tongue as high as possible while in storage so the snow could slide off instead of building up a lot of weight on the roof.
Dave & Paula
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Old 11-03-2015, 07:44 AM   #11
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Yikes! Supports going in. It turns out they have been out for a while, as the prev owner said "they were ugly and served no purpose."

Thanks everyone!
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Old 11-03-2015, 07:51 AM   #12
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I doubt the twisted, curvy "supports" can serve as much support. I looked at mine and they do something since the attach points were wallowed out.
If you are depending on the twisted metal to support any real weight then make certain they are absolutely straight. Mine weren't.
I am installing something like the two square tubes above from my counter top to the cabinets. They could provide support in real life. \That and my cabinets are bonded to the fiberglass and each other along the entire length of the trailer or at least the front plywood partition all the way back.
The cabinets bonded together make an oak beam about 12" deep and they really stiffened up the trailer.
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Old 11-03-2015, 08:17 AM   #13
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New-to-me Scamp...couple of questions

Quote:
Originally Posted by CarrieR View Post
...prev owner said "they were ugly and served no purpose."
To my eye, the newer white ones are less visually intrusive than the older black ones. And if you follow Dave's lead, few would say his set-up is either ugly or non-functional.

Virtually every interior component in a Scamp serves a structural function. The closet supports the roof and maintains the curvature of the shell for proper door fit. The upper cabinet and support post in the galley supports the roof on that side. Front and rear benches stabilize and strengthen the shell attachment to the floor and frame.

The end result is quite strong (evidenced by the longevity of molded fiberglass trailers), and it's a clever, weight-saving design concept that structural members serve a dual function as cabinetry. But it means you can't make changes heedlessly.

Removing one structural piece usually doesn't result in instant and complete failure, which is why your trailer has survived a number of winters without the support. But it places more stress on the remaining components, which can weaken over time. And in the end, why gamble when the fix is so easy?

You may find that your shell has sagged a bit on the kitchen side due to the lack of support over time. If you order the factory supports from Scamp and the bolt holes aren't lining up, you may have to apply gentle pressure on the roof to restore the original shape.

You might be interested to know that even a complete roof collapse is not necessarily the end of the road for a fiberglass trailer. There was a thread a while back in which a member reconstructed an egg like the one in Carol's photo. You can put Humpty Dumpty together again!
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Old 11-03-2015, 09:06 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CarrieR View Post
Jon,
Thank you- that is SO helpful! I had been combing through info on prior posts but couldn't quite visualize it. It's so helpful to have it in one place- I can now show my husband and he can make it happen. The pole supports aren't there anymore.
You can order the pole supports from Scamp, too.
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Old 11-04-2015, 09:44 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon in AZ View Post
Carrie, congratulations on your Scamp purchase!

Here's some additional information and pictures about the bunk set-up that I hope will help.

The upper bunk platform actually consists of three pieces of 3/4" plywood, a main center piece and two small wings. The wings allow the platform to conform to the curve of the shell when lowered. It is pretty much the same size as the lower bench, so you could use it to make your template. The wings are attached with piano hinges facing the foam side. The foam is only 3" (versus 4" for the loose cushions) and is attached to the plywood with spray adhesive. A removable cover goes over the whole platform.
Attachment 90213Attachment 90214
The front of the platform rests on a ledge under the front window. In an older trailer, it would be good to make sure the ledge is strong. Offset hinges attach the platform from the bottom.
Attachment 90215
The posts are painted steel, 7/8" outside diameter, 25-1/2" long. The loops are bent hardware staples welded to the post. The bent portion is about 22-1/2" from the bottom and catches a screw on the underside of the platform. The vertical position of the posts is even with the ends of the bunk ledge (the safety rail uprights just barely clear the ledge and hang down behind the backrest in the last photo).
Attachment 90217Attachment 90218
The bottom of the post has a plastic cap and rests in a (shower curtain?) ring riveted to the bench. The inside diameter of the ring is 1".
Attachment 90219Attachment 90220
I removed the caps on the tops of the posts and built a safety rail out of PVC.
Attachment 90221Attachment 90222
All the parts- posts and safety rail- store on top of the ledge behind the backrest when the bunk is lowered for travel.
Attachment 90223
Nice post!
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Old 11-05-2015, 07:33 AM   #16
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Thanks, Floyd. The question seems to come up often- how to reconstruct missing bunks in a Scamp- so I started collecting pictures. The first two came from an old thread, as I've never taken mine apart.

I enjoy explaining how it works because I happen to think the original Boler-clone-Scamp bunk design is really clever: simple, sturdy, lightweight, easy to convert, self-storing, and comfortable. Unlike most other bunks in small trailers, the person on top isn't smashed up against the ceiling.
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Old 11-05-2015, 09:58 AM   #17
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In our 84 Boler the cabinetry is fiberglassed into place not riveted. That makes the trailer stronger structurally. Ours does not have a support under the upper kitchen cabinet and has never posed a problem.


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Old 11-05-2015, 10:04 AM   #18
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[QUOTE=james kent;557244 Ours does not have a support under the upper kitchen cabinet and has never posed a problem.


Sent from my iPad using Fiberglass RV[/QUOTE]

An old wise man once said never say never
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