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[LyleB]

Well, I've been looking and studying the fiberglass market for a number of months now, couldn't act because I was waiting for a house sale to be completed. I was really thinking seriously about ordering an Escape, but with their 18 month backlog, I was now looking closer at a Scamp or Casita to order.

Several weeks ago I decided against spending the money for a trailer. I've never camped with any type of RV or TT, my background is extensive, long distance backpacking. I'm still not sure I will fall in love with the RV style of travel - but think I will.

I decided, to just get a nice, new cap for my F-150 and fix it up for camping. I ordered an ARE cap: Carpet lining, Bed Rug (covers floor and truck box interior with carpet-like material backed with closed cell foam). I ordered the taller model of cap for extra head room. I was researching solar systems for electricity, checking out the tail gate tents to allow extra ventilation and making entering exiting easier. Studied multiple ideas for making a sleeping platform to make organizing/living within the truck bed more convenient. Figured all my backpacking gear could take care of water and cooking needs. We recently closed on the house sale, so money was available to fix up the truck bed camping shell nicely.

Then this weekend happened. The 1999 Scamp 13 posting here on the forum caught my eye. HMMMMM... Only a three hour drive from my house. I went to see the Scamp yesterday, by last night it was sitting in my driveway. I'm a bit poorer, but still got off cheaper than ordering a new trailer, and If I decide this style of travel isn't for me, I will be able to sell the used trailer in a year or two without taking as big of financial hit as I would have with a new trailer. If I decide this is something I want to continue to do, I can always order a new one and get EXACTLY what I want down the line, when I know more.

An added bonus for me now, I'm hoping to take a trip to Alaska this coming summer, or possibly the next. A friend of mine will probably join me. Having both the Scamp and Truck bed available for sleeping will make things much more comfortable. We're close friends, but not close enough to want to share a small Scamp 13 bed!

Now the process of finding out how everything works and getting a few small things fixed like two of the 12 volt lights that aren't working. It's a pretty simple trailer, Hand pump sink water, no water heater, no furnace, no shower, Sani Pottie in a seperate room - what would have been the bathroom if it had been ordered. It does have a 12 volt fan in the bathroom, and a home designed 12 volt exhaust fan attached to the roof vent. The original two burner stove looks new and works fine. The refrigerator works well on 120 volt and 12 volt, not positive about propane, the seller had never attempted to use it on propane in the 8 years that he's owned it.

I do need to replace the sink drain trap. The nipple that the drain line attaches to is broken off. I already priced this and it's about 6 bucks from Scamp - can probably just get it locally. Water supply is untested, but so simple it will be a quick fix if I find out there is a problem.

No obvious leaks, previous owner states they have never even suspected any leaks. He recently replaced most of the rivet caps, also says the wheel bearings were serviced this fall, new tires this fall. Battery is about a year old and working well. It does have an owner installed small inverter and battery charger/maintainer that operates when plugged in to shore power. I only have a flat four trailer connector which works fine for the lights. Previous owner states that is all he used on it. The trailer itself has a six pin connector with an adaptor. With the bare-bones equipment on this trailer, the battery lasts about 4 days running just the 12 volt lights if you start with a full charge.

Previous owner states all windows are water tight - they seem to be to my eye. The trailer does have a factory installed closet air conditioner. Works well and, according to the previous owner, has never had an issue with condensation causing a problem. He states he had the unit out to clean the coils earlier this year and that it's a very simple set-up with a drain pan to collect the condensate. Said it would be no problem to replace it if this unit ever quits.

After the deal was made, and the money transferred, the gentleman came out with a Coleman screen house with closable sides that they had bought for extra space when camping. Said they really liked it and it was very easy to set up, but they had ended up only using it once, so it is virtually new. It still has the Meijer price tag on it - $199.00. He also through in the plastic tarp that they had bought to use a a floor in the screen room. They also left (intentionally) a nice little charcoal grill in the trailer - kettle style.

All-in-all, a very pleasant exchange with some very nice folks who could not stress enough how much they had enjoyed the Scamp. When I asked if he would have any qualms about taking the trailer to Alaska, he said absolutely not.

I hope I get half as much pleasure out of it as they seem to have. Longer post than I intended, but I'm kinda excited - can you tell?

[Mary F]

Congrats, Lyle. We also have an ARE cap on our truck, although we use it primarily to corral our dogs when needed. Your capped truck and 13' Scamp will make a fine rig!

Rememer, we love pics!

[Cathi]

Good for you, Lyle! Sounds as though the sellers took very good care of it and you have yourself a great purchase. Have fun!

[gordon2]

time to change your profile from:
Trailer: Currently Shopping
to
Trailer: Scamp 13..

[Jon in AZ]

Congratulations, Lyle!

Many happy adventures in your new Scamp!

[mary and bob]

Sounds great. We also have a A.R.E. cap, carpet lined, but it is the cab height model. We use one of those camp mats in our screen house, a 12 X 12 Eureka that has flaps to close it in

[Rich G. and Val F.]

Great to read about you finding your Scamp 13. Hope it brings you many year's worth of adventures.

Consider joining with the other Scampers at scampowners.com and keep an eye out for the spring rally at Egg Harbor, WI.

[CarrieR]

Congrats! We just bought our used Scamp 13 a couple of weeks ago, and are also taking it to Alaska next summer! Apparently the trailer has already been to Alaska, so this will be its second time...

[Kai in Seattle]

Congratulations, Lyle, may you have many, many good trips and fond hours!

[LyleB]

I've been experimenting in my driveway for the past couple of nights. Just a little cube ceramic heater, set on low had kept the Scamp nice and toasty, except for the cabinets/closets. They get quite cold and then act as a cold "radiator", especially if you sit next to one.

Has anyone installed venting options into the doors of the cabinets to allow the warm air to penetrate. Same with the bath door - have to keep it open or the bath stays very cold. just thinking how to alleviate this other than keeping all the doors open.


CarrieR, well your Scamp knows the way. Looking forward to this trip.

[Badger]

Congrats Lyle, I'm sure you are going to love your new Scamp.

I'm curious about Bed Rug that you found for your F-150 however. Do you have a link?

[LyleB]

Sure, here's a link. Lots of local places sell them, can get them via Amazon also.

I'm having mine installed by the dealer that I ordered the cap from. Kinda pricey, but should add some nice insulation to the truck bed to fight condensation, same with the carpeted cap. They aren't really carpet, closer to astro turf. Can be hosed out, supposedly not affected by gasoline or oil or the like, so you can still use the truck for "truck stuff".

Even though the company says they can be removed, my dealer says "not so much". They attach by velcro, and removing it, then using the truck to haul gravel or something would probably mess up the velcro strips left in the truck bed. Dealer says you can just load the gravel, then hose it out when done. I'd probably feel better laying down a tarp first to keep most of the mess off the Bed Rug.

Bedrug Bedliners, Truck Bedliners, Bedrugs, Truck Bed Liners, Cargo Van Mats BedRug - Next Generation Bedliner

[stude]

Originally Posted by LyleB

Well, I've been looking and studying the fiberglass market for a number of months now, couldn't act because I was waiting for a house sale to be completed. I was really thinking seriously about ordering an Escape, but with their 18 month backlog, I was now looking closer at a Scamp or Casita to order.

Several weeks ago I decided against spending the money for a trailer. I've never camped with any type of RV or TT, my background is extensive, long distance backpacking. I'm still not sure I will fall in love with the RV style of travel - but think I will.

I decided, to just get a nice, new cap for my F-150 and fix it up for camping. I ordered an ARE cap: Carpet lining, Bed Rug (covers floor and truck box interior with carpet-like material backed with closed cell foam). I ordered the taller model of cap for extra head room. I was researching solar systems for electricity, checking out the tail gate tents to allow extra ventilation and making entering exiting easier. Studied multiple ideas for making a sleeping platform to make organizing/living within the truck bed more convenient. Figured all my backpacking gear could take care of water and cooking needs. We recently closed on the house sale, so money was available to fix up the truck bed camping shell nicely.

Then this weekend happened. The 1999 Scamp 13 posting here on the forum caught my eye. HMMMMM... Only a three hour drive from my house. I went to see the Scamp yesterday, by last night it was sitting in my driveway. I'm a bit poorer, but still got off cheaper than ordering a new trailer, and If I decide this style of travel isn't for me, I will be able to sell the used trailer in a year or two without taking as big of financial hit as I would have with a new trailer. If I decide this is something I want to continue to do, I can always order a new one and get EXACTLY what I want down the line, when I know more.

An added bonus for me now, I'm hoping to take a trip to Alaska this coming summer, or possibly the next. A friend of mine will probably join me. Having both the Scamp and Truck bed available for sleeping will make things much more comfortable. We're close friends, but not close enough to want to share a small Scamp 13 bed!

Now the process of finding out how everything works and getting a few small things fixed like two of the 12 volt lights that aren't working. It's a pretty simple trailer, Hand pump sink water, no water heater, no furnace, no shower, Sani Pottie in a seperate room - what would have been the bathroom if it had been ordered. It does have a 12 volt fan in the bathroom, and a home designed 12 volt exhaust fan attached to the roof vent. The original two burner stove looks new and works fine. The refrigerator works well on 120 volt and 12 volt, not positive about propane, the seller had never attempted to use it on propane in the 8 years that he's owned it.

I do need to replace the sink drain trap. The nipple that the drain line attaches to is broken off. I already priced this and it's about 6 bucks from Scamp - can probably just get it locally. Water supply is untested, but so simple it will be a quick fix if I find out there is a problem.

No obvious leaks, previous owner states they have never even suspected any leaks. He recently replaced most of the rivet caps, also says the wheel bearings were serviced this fall, new tires this fall. Battery is about a year old and working well. It does have an owner installed small inverter and battery charger/maintainer that operates when plugged in to shore power. I only have a flat four trailer connector which works fine for the lights. Previous owner states that is all he used on it. The trailer itself has a six pin connector with an adaptor. With the bare-bones equipment on this trailer, the battery lasts about 4 days running just the 12 volt lights if you start with a full charge.

Previous owner states all windows are water tight - they seem to be to my eye. The trailer does have a factory installed closet air conditioner. Works well and, according to the previous owner, has never had an issue with condensation causing a problem. He states he had the unit out to clean the coils earlier this year and that it's a very simple set-up with a drain pan to collect the condensate. Said it would be no problem to replace it if this unit ever quits.

After the deal was made, and the money transferred, the gentleman came out with a Coleman screen house with closable sides that they had bought for extra space when camping. Said they really liked it and it was very easy to set up, but they had ended up only using it once, so it is virtually new. It still has the Meijer price tag on it - $199.00. He also through in the plastic tarp that they had bought to use a a floor in the screen room. They also left (intentionally) a nice little charcoal grill in the trailer - kettle style.

All-in-all, a very pleasant exchange with some very nice folks who could not stress enough how much they had enjoyed the Scamp. When I asked if he would have any qualms about taking the trailer to Alaska, he said absolutely not.

I hope I get half as much pleasure out of it as they seem to have. Longer post than I intended, but I'm kinda excited - can you tell?

: the reason you have it certified ( checked for leaks) is so you do not have a fire, die from fumes, etc etc. Change you lights to LED to save your batteries when sitting around. Never run your fridge on the batteries when sitting as they will die pretty Quick same goes for a Furnace fan, but if you install a 50W/100W solar panel and parts to keep batteries charged then you will be ahead of the game plus at least a 400Winverter.
Stude

[LyleB]

Originally Posted by stude

: the reason you have it certified ( checked for leaks) is so you do not have a fire, die from fumes, etc etc. Change you lights to LED to save your batteries when sitting around. Never run your fridge on the batteries when sitting as they will die pretty Quick same goes for a Furnace fan, but if you install a 50W/100W solar panel and parts to keep batteries charged then you will be ahead of the game plus at least a 400Winverter.
Stude

Well, I've got some things done on the trailer so far:

- Replaced the broken drain trap, so drain is working properly.

- Figured out my fresh water tank, checked for leaks and currently sanitizing - all the black crude seems to have come out with the bleach water pumping through. Future project may be to move the tank to it's proper position. As it is, I do not have access to the screws holding the bench in place, and may want to change out the flooring at some point.

- Replaced the incandescent 12 volt bulbs with LED.

- Going in on Thursday to get the entire propane system checked - make sure the refrigerator is working properly. Also see if they can install a propane quick connect under the fridge for a portable propane heater I will use occasionally.

- Will have the RV shop install a second Propane tank while at it, or maybe just a gauge - not decided yet.

- The shop will figure out and repair my two non-functioning 12 volt lights and the 12 volt outlets.

Once the Propane and electrical systems are all working properly and safely, I think I'll be ready to tackle some of the other minor things I want to do. Then it will be time to take this baby out for some travels.

[David B.]

[QUOTE=LyleB;557783]I've been experimenting in my driveway for the past couple of nights. Just a little cube ceramic heater, set on low had kept the Scamp nice and toasty, except for the cabinets/closets. They get quite cold and then act as a cold "radiator", especially if you sit next to one.
Has anyone installed venting options into the doors of the cabinets to allow the warm air to penetrate. Same with the bath door - have to keep it open or the bath stays very cold. just thinking how to alleviate this other than keeping all the doors open.

LYLE, I had the same problem with our Scamp, and was thinking of using a table saw to cut decorative slits in the cupboard doors for ventilation, or fancier scroll saw for musical notes, or change out a portion of the door fronts with speaker cloth or metal sheeting that has perforation patterns in it.
With or Lil Snoozy I used a hole saw in my drill to make holes in the sides of the cabinets near the ceiling and wall corners, then inserted louvered caps that homes use for attic venting at the eaves. This works well for us.
Dave & Paula

[emij]

Originally Posted by LyleB

I've been experimenting in my driveway for the past couple of nights. Just a little cube ceramic heater, set on low had kept the Scamp nice and toasty, except for the cabinets/closets. They get quite cold and then act as a cold "radiator", especially if you sit next to one.

Has anyone installed venting options into the doors of the cabinets to allow the warm air to penetrate. Same with the bath door - have to keep it open or the bath stays very cold. just thinking how to alleviate this other than keeping all the doors open.


CarrieR, well your Scamp knows the way. Looking forward to this trip.

The previous owner of our scamp installed vents under both dinette seats. We assume this was intended to keep the water tank from freezing. Looks like he just cut to size and fitted house furnace vents into them (the ones that sit in the vents on the floor in each room of your house.)

Congrats on your new to you Scamp!

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by LyleB

I've been experimenting in my driveway for the past couple of nights.

Congratulations and I hope it works out well for you.

I had to laugh; the driveway is the first place we spent the night in ours.

And I suspect we are not alone in that. I met a couple in the local teardrop trailer group that actually spends every night in their trailer, whether out on the road or at home in the garage...

[LyleB]

Well, I just got a call from the RV shop, my Scamp is ready to be picked up.

The propane system checked out fine, refrigerator is in good shape and running properly on 120, 12volts and propane.

Said the electrical system was quite a mess with multiple ground problems in both the 12volt and 120volt wiring, but they have virtually re-wired it and all lights and outlets are working properly now.

They also replaced my leaky hand pump while they had it there.

A bit shocked by the cost, but I know electrical can be a pain to track down problems, especially since previous owners had done their own jury-rigged additions to it. $376.00.

I'm sure I'll feel better, though, knowing that the propane and electrical systems are both working properly. I can deal with any plumbing changes I decide to make without potentially killing myself.

[Bob Miller]

In having that much work done at a RV Dealer/Shop it sounds to me like you got off easy..... This is exactly why I always suggest buying the very best you can afford vs. one that will need outside work.

[David Tilston]

I pay over $100/hr for someone to work on my trailer. I am guessing it would take longer then 4 hrs to rewire a trailer.

Not to mention the time required to inspect the things that didn't need to be fixed.