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Old 04-09-2011, 12:39 PM   #1
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Name: Mary Ann
Trailer: 1992 Scamp 13' Deluxe
Minnesota
Posts: 198
Pulling Power

I'm going to be pulling the 13' Deluxe Scamp with my Chevy Van most of the time. Has anyone had any problems pulling their campers with a 6cyl. engine? How does it seem to pull going through the mountains? We also have a Chevy Truck with a Duramax Diesel, but when I go alone, I want to use the Van. I just want to make sure I have enough power up some of those BIG hills.

I'm hoping to get a few replies on this from some of those who have traveled across the country to see how their rigs handled it.

Thanks
Mary Ann
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Old 04-09-2011, 12:52 PM   #2
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Mary Ann, I've never had any problem pulling my 17' Casita with a 6 cylinder Ford Escape and I travel in some of the most mountainous areas of the country. A 13' Scamp should be considerably lighter so I don't see an issue. But the final decision on towing should always be based on the tow rating of your vehicle. Have you checked this in your van's owners manual?
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Old 04-09-2011, 12:53 PM   #3
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Name: Peter
Trailer: 1971 Amerigo
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I have a 96 GMC Safari Van - V6. I wouldn't hesitate to tow your Scamp.
The thing you might do is have the transmission serviced and if there isn't one add a transmission cooler. They're not expensive.
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Old 04-09-2011, 12:57 PM   #4
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Trailer: 2005 13 ft Scamp / 2004 Honda Odyssey
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Hi Mary Ann,

We tow with a 6 cyl Honda van. We have had it over the mountains many times. Our Scamp is one of the lightest 13's though as we do not have water, a/c, awning, refrig.

We do have one lp tank on front and a group 27 battery. Maybe because we do not carry water the tongue weight is more than others. Our tongue weight is nearly 200 lbs. That pulls down the back end of the Ody. Driving at night would not be comfortable for the guy coming at us (we don't drive at night). Our front end of the van is not so high that it causes any steering problems.

Hope to see you at the Duluth gathering. By then you should know what adjustments you need to make to your tow vehicle.

I am assuming you mean a mini van? Don't think they make 6 cyl full size anymore.

Nancy
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Old 04-09-2011, 02:29 PM   #5
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We pull our 16' Casita SD with a 6Cyl Jeep Cherokee. We go up and down hill great, can go 70 MPH down the interstate with no problems and we get 16MPG doing it.
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Old 04-09-2011, 05:05 PM   #6
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Name: Norm and Ginny
Trailer: Scamp 16
Florida
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Just for fun of it.

We've pulled a 15.5' Sunline, a 16' Casita and a 16' Scamp with a 4 cylinder Honda CRV, usually at 57 mph (tires are rated for 65mph), down Interstates at 60 mph, made loops of the USA, crossing the Rockies, driven 1000 mile dirt roads across Labrador with up to 18% grades.

With the wider, taller Sunline we averaged 20 mpg and with the two Eggs averaged 23 mpg.

The Honda has been driven 140,000 miles and towed another 30,000 miles behind our motorhome. Of the 140,000 miles 25-30,000 have been towing the 3 trailers. When not towing we average 28-30 mpg.

It's been a great tow vehicle. The Casita16 is about as heavy as we would go.

We sometimes have used an anti sway bar with the Sunline and may useone with the Scamp though we haven't seen any sway. We do not use a WD hitch.

Norm
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Old 04-09-2011, 08:36 PM   #7
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CRV's can pull a heck of a lot.
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Old 04-09-2011, 08:48 PM   #8
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I pull my 13'er with a 4 banger.
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Old 04-10-2011, 06:18 AM   #9
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Hi: Mary Ann in MN... We towed for 3 yrs. with a 4.3 Ltr. V6 GMC fullsize short box pickup. Its tow capacity was 5800 Lbs. We will now be using our 4Ltr. V6 Nissan Frontier 4Dr. long bed pickup. Its tow capacity is 6100 Lbs. We towed our '77 Boler 13'er for 2yrs. with our V6 Ford Taurus 7 passenger wagon and its tow capacity was only 1250 Lbs. We did add a transmission cooler to the Ford (parts about $100. + 1 hr. labour)
Refer to your owners manual and any other reliable towing spec's. as some vary alot and info can be quite scarce!!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie
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Old 04-10-2011, 07:58 AM   #10
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I also pulled with a Safari Van. The only problem was the extra amount of "STUFF" that you take along.
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Old 04-10-2011, 10:32 AM   #11
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Cool

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mary Ann in MN View Post
I'm going to be pulling the 13' Deluxe Scamp with my Chevy Van most of the time. Has anyone had any problems pulling their campers with a 6cyl. engine? How does it seem to pull going through the mountains?
Which van are you referring to? Astro? Venture? Express?

My Honda Odyssey LX 6 cylinder minivan has towed both my 13' Compact Jr. and my 16' Fiber Stream through the mountains effortlessly... except for the effort to keep pulling my wallet out at gas stations.
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Old 04-11-2011, 11:21 PM   #12
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A transmission cooler is enormously cheaper than a transmission rebuild.
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Old 04-12-2011, 12:36 AM   #13
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Cool Towing guide

Look in your owner's manual. It will guide you as to what you should or should not do.

This is our third year of pulling our 13' Trillium with a 2000 4 cyl Subaru 5 spd manual tranny.

We follow the truck speed limit. Might as well, the trucks certainly don't. LOL
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Old 04-14-2011, 01:25 PM   #14
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Name: Mary Ann
Trailer: 1992 Scamp 13' Deluxe
Minnesota
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Herb Sutton View Post
A transmission cooler is enormously cheaper than a transmission rebuild.

Thanks everyone for the imput. I have a Chevy Venture. I didn't know it at the time when I posted this, but my husband said that he is going to put a transmission cooler on it. I guess he has one on his truck and the other car. (News to Me).

Hope to see you all in June!

Thanks
Mary Ann
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Old 04-14-2011, 09:45 PM   #15
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Transmission coolers are not visible unless you know where to look.
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Old 04-16-2011, 11:05 AM   #16
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Name: Mary Ann
Trailer: 1992 Scamp 13' Deluxe
Minnesota
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mary Ann in MN View Post
I'm going to be pulling the 13' Deluxe Scamp with my Chevy Van most of the time. Has anyone had any problems pulling their campers with a 6cyl. engine? How does it seem to pull going through the mountains? We also have a Chevy Truck with a Duramax Diesel, but when I go alone, I want to use the Van. I just want to make sure I have enough power up some of those BIG hills.

I'm hoping to get a few replies on this from some of those who have traveled across the country to see how their rigs handled it.

Thanks
Mary Ann


Thanks Herb. He knows what he's doing with the tranny cooler. I guess it's just lack of communication between us here at home. He's been rebuilding engines, tractors and has built a 55 Chev Truck chopped with a hot rod engine, nytrus (sp), and the whole works.

I guess my main question was if others were towing with a 6 cyl engine, and if they had power pulling in the mountains.

Thanks Everyone
Mary Ann
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Old 04-16-2011, 12:42 PM   #17
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I had a 4 cyl Chev s10 pickup. I pulled my 13' scamp with. Only hills I have pulled in, is the hill coming out of Duluth,MN.
No pulling problems at all.
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Old 04-16-2011, 02:42 PM   #18
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Name: Norm and Ginny
Trailer: Scamp 16
Florida
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We have towed a Casita 16, a Scamp 16 and a Sunline 15.5 all with bathrooms across the USA and back with a '4 cylinder Honda CRV without problems. All of these are certainly heavier than a Scamp 13.

Norm
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Old 04-19-2011, 08:24 PM   #19
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Trailer: 2004 13 ft Scamp Custom Deluxe
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mary Ann in MN View Post
I'm going to be pulling the 13' Deluxe Scamp with my Chevy Van most of the time. Has anyone had any problems pulling their campers with a 6cyl. engine? How does it seem to pull going through the mountains? We also have a Chevy Truck with a Duramax Diesel, but when I go alone, I want to use the Van. I just want to make sure I have enough power up some of those BIG hills.

I'm hoping to get a few replies on this from some of those who have traveled across the country to see how their rigs handled it.

Thanks
Mary Ann
We have Scamp 13 deluxe front bath with every option save the second propane tank, we have towed it through the mountains of the east, and west into Oregon and Washington state and all over the lower 48, with our Ford Escape, 4CYL. 5spd manual. Great mileage and adequate power. Towed at 58-60MPH and had no problem maintaining that speed and mid 20s MPG.
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