to remove decals or not to remove

[johnsoba]

We're considering taking the red (primarily) decal off of our '83 Scamp 13', but we're hesitant to remove something that's original on this getting-older-now trailer.
Question: Do we go with our aesthetic sensibility or do we take historical (well, that's overstating it, isn't it?) considerations into account?

Our thanks to this great list!
Ann and Bruce Johnson

[Christi V.]

I think you should do what you think best? are you wanting to keep everything 'orginal' looking on the outside or?? You can always order new Scamp decals from Scamp if your wanting to redo them.

[Donna D.]

I'd only consider taking them off if the Scamp was going to be painted. There's been discussion about the Ghosting effect left behind on the body when the decals are removed because of the color difference in the gel coat. It's liable to say "Scamp" and have pin stripping, even if the vinyl is removed.

Just something to consider.

[Mike Watters]

Donna is dead-on about the ghosting. I pulled stickers off of my Esterel (non-egg). The parts that were under the sticker look brand new. Unfortunately the rest of the exterior is aged and a bit chalky. I can still read what was removed quite clearly.

If you're painting - the stickers gotta go.

Beyond that, for me, it'd depend on the state of the stickers and my own personal sensibility. If I liked the idea of a big expanse of white - I'd pull them. OR if the stickers were themselves badly aged and in ratty shape - I'd pull them.

Perhaps more to your point - the egg community isn't, in general, strongly concerned with 'collectability'. You won't seriously affect resale values or anything. This stands in stark contrast to antique car guys. In that community, there is value to "all original". Course, they aren't using their cars as daily drivers. Aside from a few total lunatics , nobody's got a yard full of trailers. We just want stuff to -work- and lots of folks hack them up in various interesting ways.

mkw

[Frederick L. Simson]

... or do we take historical (well, that's overstating it, isn't it?) considerations into account?

I would only be concerned if I had something other than a [b]Scamp, with it's own distinctive original look. Otherwise, Donna's comment about Ghosts applies.

When I first bought my Fiber Stream, it was stripeless, but the ghosts of previous stripes shown like a new penny on the chalky dull sides.

I was clueless at the time on how to operate the dump valves for the black & gray holding tanks. I went to my local KOA and asked for a "how to" session. The manager said, "Sure!" and looked at the lineup of RV's at the entrance to the office. "You in the little [b]Scamp," he asked?

[MKohlman]

We're considering taking the red (primarily) decal off of our '83 Scamp 13', but we're hesitant to remove something that's original on this getting-older-now trailer.
Question: Do we go with our aesthetic sensibility or do we take historical (well, that's overstating it, isn't it?) considerations into account?

Our thanks to this great list!
Ann and Bruce Johnson

You mean something like the attached?

We dared to be different with our Burro when we had it repainted and went with something that I imagined that Burro might have done if they were building campers for today. I've been happy with it and general responses by casual observers have been positive but I suppose that there are those out there who would feel that we no longer have an "accurate" Burro.

What the heck, these are to be enjoyed, eh?

- Michael

[Byron Kinnaman]

I like your Burro, the one on the side of the Burro.

[Gina D.]

I removed my aging and less than up to par logos on my Burro when I painted. To get both off was an all day affair. I had to soak them in Acetone, scrape, soak some more, paint thinner.. (Insert toxic chemical here) and when all the color was gone.. there was the "ghost".

I remedied this with sand paper. There is no hint of the logo on mine now after paint.

[CharlynnT]

If you are unsure, leave it for now.

I hated the cheesey horse-head stickers on my Boler for a while, then grew to love them as an homage to the owner-twice-removed, a long-lost relative I may never know.

I am "the" 1977 17-foot Calgary-built Boler with vintage orange and harvest-gold stripes with the after-mod of two brown and white horse head stickers, can't beat that for originality! (Might not win any beauty contests, though!)

[John Mc]

One of my first mods on my 20-year-old Scamp was to pull off the side logo decals. One was damaged from an otherwise-patched backing mishap, but the other was in perfect shape.

I kept the red stripes, which I'm still making up my mind about. But I'm just the sort that hates to wear logo clothing, and I like to think I ignore brand names. Now my trailer has only the little "three-tree" Scamp decals on front and back, and that's the way I want it. Elegant and tasteful. These trailers are masterpieces of minimalist style. I might have enjoyed a different model too, but I've come to believe that Scamps like my 16 and your 13 are the finest and truest designs of the breed. They're more rounded than Surfsides, Triilliums with their "tackle box" profiles, And Scamps are a more regularly rounded shape than Casitas, with their notchy, clerestory-style rooflines which, form the rear, remind me of a Pullman rail car. With the ovaled window shapes echoing their primal form, Scamps have almost as much Art Deco juice as any Airstream, I'd estimate. An excellent shape like this doesn't profit from flashy, foot-high graphics -- which I see that Airstream has the good taste not to use.

And I admit, I want people to take a second look to identify my trailer. Which is a reason why I don't mind the ghosts of the old decals, either. Hey, custom car owners spend thousands on shimmering, micro-faceted paint jobs that change tone and even color with changes in viewing angle. Now I have tasteful logos in "now-you-see-it, now-you-don't white."

[MyronL]

Hey, I like that............."Now you see it, now you don't White." That's what I got. By the way, for those considering a decal removal it may be worth mentioning here that the easiest way to do it is with a hair dryer.

Took mine off because they were:

1. Dull from age
2. A tad frizzed at the corners
3. Too large to match my sensitive, inner self.
4. Much too agressive for my passive, other self.
5. Did I mention too brown?

[Gigi]

One of my first mods on my 20-year-old Scamp was to pull off the side logo decals. One was damaged from an otherwise-patched backing mishap, but the other was in perfect shape.

I kept the red stripes, which I'm still making up my mind about. But I'm just the sort that hates to wear logo clothing, and I like to think I ignore brand names. Now my trailer has only the little "three-tree" Scamp decals on front and back, and that's the way I want it. Elegant and tasteful. These trailers are masterpieces of minimalist style. I might have enjoyed a different model too, but I've come to believe that Scamps like my 16 and your 13 are the finest and truest designs of the breed. They're more rounded than Surfsides, Triilliums with their "tackle box" profiles, And Scamps are a more regularly rounded shape than Casitas, with their notchy, clerestory-style rooflines which, form the rear, remind me of a Pullman rail car. With the ovaled window shapes echoing their primal form, Scamps have almost as much Art Deco juice as any Airstream, I'd estimate. An excellent shape like this doesn't profit from flashy, foot-high graphics -- which I see that Airstream has the good taste not to use.

And I admit, I want people to take a second look to identify my trailer. Which is a reason why I don't mind the ghosts of the old decals, either. Hey, custom car owners spend thousands on shimmering, micro-faceted paint jobs that change tone and even color with changes in viewing angle. Now I have tasteful logos in "now-you-see-it, now-you-don't white."

Isn't it funny that we all grow to love our trailers as the best? I love my Lovebug for just the reasons you said...rounded, even a tad plump!

[jack maloney]

No matter what it says on the side of your egg, 9 out of 10 people will ask, "Is that a Scamp?"

[Penny Taylor]

<<<By the way, for those considering a decal removal it may be worth mentioning here that the easiest way to do it is with a hair dryer. >>>

I had a lot to do on one I had, as it had been "wrapped" in vinyl, and found a steamer worked best. Not the carpet cleaning kind, the cleaning grills, stoves, etc. kind.

[BobB]

I kinda like the old graphics on our Casita. Think we'll keep them. Several weeks ago I removed some stickers the previous owner passed on to us. The "no guts, no glory" and the metallic Oregon sticker with the trout were the most difficult. They came off chip by chip. I used the warmth of the sun, Orange Power and a plastic ice scraper. Yes, there are ghosts!

[Palmer M]

Good topic!

When I ordered, I specified no stripes, no logos on spare cover. They said they could also delete the "Casita" logo, but I insisted they should leave their name on it. After reading y'all's posts about getting old stickers off, I think I'll remove them now, rather than later. I guess they've had a year and a half of advertising, now.

With the Casita, I like the way most people don't even understand they're looking at an RV...most people just think it's a utility trailer! (Even sillier, a car salesman asked me if it was a HORSE trailer AS IF a horse could fit in here!!!)

I get questioned several times a week by people who DO know what they're looking at.

As for the rest of 'em, I'd just as soon as they keep thinking it's a cargo trailer, so the decals gotta go. (There's just three of 'em)

By the way, the Scamp does have a better proportion, but I don't worry about dragging the bumper or stab jacks with the raised rear frame and body of the Casita 16'. One reason I like the Casita style though is the pronounced clerestory, because I'm a huge fan of rail travel and rail cars; so when I see my coach, I'm reminded my own first-class "compartment" is right there!

I love the plain red stripe on the Scamp 16, John Mc, and the updated BURRO logo and stripe look great, MKohlman!

About 2 weeks ago I caught up to a mid-eighties UHAUL 13 going through Wilkesboro, NC, towed by a new Subaru Legacy wagon, and all the logos had been removed except "CAMPER"! How's that for generic! Took me a moment to tell if it was a BURRO or a decommissioned UHAUL! Still had the UHAUL stripes, I decided.

I guess I'm just really glad not to have all the wacky graphics like I saw last week at a local RV dealer - an American Eagle ($635,000, 1 & 1/2 baths, CEILING FAN in bedroom, etc) whose swooshes actually continued over the windows, visible from the outside and not noticible from the inside. Looked to me like a big-haired southern-Appalachian interior design student had gone amok!

Count me in the less-is-more crowd!

P