We just purchased a 2004 13' scamp---13' vs 16'

[Chuck n Julie]

We just purchased a 2004 13' scamp---13' vs 16'
Let me first say we had a 2001 16' scamp that we sold first.
I like the new 13' much better. Here's why. The 16' was a loaded model with big fridge,bathroom,AC,side dinette,furnace,hot water and more. Put simply, there was everything and since there was everything it was all crowded together. Using anything was always a pain or some kind of sacrifice because of it being crowded. Also it had a small hallway dark in the front closed off by the bathroom door. The side dinette is no fun as under one side you have the wheel well under you feet and the cushions slide off the shiny fiberglass. When you convert the side dinette to a bed the cushions start to slide toward the hallway every time you turn while sleeping (quite annoying) till you wake up and have to fix them. The big fridge takes up so much room it makes the 16' feel smaller then a 13'. not to mention the annoying thing on the roof from the fridge vent and the large metal panels on the outside of the camper for the fridge (I don't even know what those are for). The AC on the roof is a real eyesore and in time will make your camper squat down from the pressure(I removed the AC a few years ago and replaced it with a clear dome). With all the water lines it took 2 hours to winterize and I did not go camping again even if the weather got better for fear of dewinterizing and rewinterizing again. These are just some of the loaded 16' Scamp problems. Disclaimer::: None of this may personally bother you.
Now let me tell you how cool my 13' model Scamp I just got is. First off,same size bed. Second a much wider hall way. Now you will say it's not as long a hallway as the 16 and you would be right, but still the wider shorter hall is way more easy to move around in and also way easier to get in and out of the main dinette table seating (what a relief). Also my 13'has big windows of the front and back and sides and sink area. These windows make the camper very bright and cheery with a positive feeling when you are in it. The 16 is just the opposite (dark & negative). Now the sink/stove top cabinet is way wider then the one in the 16' and they turn both the sink and the burners the wide way with good space between them (I wanna cook in there now). Under the same cabinet we have a furnace and a small fridge that does not have the annoying roof stuff or large outside vented panels. Only two small outside low panels (no roof stuff). There is no awning that takes away from that classic EGG LOOK. Our 13' also has a bunks that will mostly be used as a couch and the cushions don't move or slide as they are held in by the sink/stove cabinet on one side and the screen door thingy on the other. Oh yeah, the bottom bunk is better for sleeping the that side dinette was on the 16". There is also more storage in the 13' than the crowded 16' -believe it or not. I prefer the lower wheel wells, now I don't need a step like I had to use with my 16". The first thing my kids said when they got in the 13' was how could this be bigger inside than the 16'!!!! There are many more good things with the 13' like now I can pull it with my 4 cylinder car and I can even pick up the tongue by hand. The list of things that I like better on the 13" vs the 16' go on and on. Let me just say this, when I look at my 13' from the outside with nice clean sides and top I see the classic egg that we all fell in love with. I don't see that at all with the 16' with all it's protruding junk. That is all. I hope I did not offend anyone. It's just my opinion. Thanks

[Richard Hayes]

Why don't ya tell us what you really think...lol...

Excellent points - bigger is not necessarily better for any given purpose. I believe in the sensible offshore sailor's approach to outfitting a vessel - if you can't do without it or fix it yourself mid-ocean, you don't need or want it.

One of the things I love about my '74 Trillium 1300 is the simplicity - stove, fridge, two 12v lights, one 120v outlet and light, hand-powered cold water pump, porta-potti - not much there to go wrong, and I can manage most problems anywhere with a very basic toolkit. And yup, my Ranger has no A/C, rubber floors, a bench seat up front and windows that wind down...

[Donna D.]

Yo Chuck n Julie... LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH

I'm a single and a number of the items you've complained about are perfect for me!

Aren't we glad we're not all the same? If that was the case, there would be only one perfect manufacturer building one perfect layout.. and we know THAT's not the case!

[deryk]

Yeah Im with Donna on this one! Im single as well now mine is only a 15, but Im loving being able to leave the big dinette down and haveing the side dinette to sit at if Im actually eating inside.

The issue with the sliding cushions I think there is an easy fix, saw someones mod for it. Get the rubbery shelf liner they well at walmart and some rubber cement and glue it down on the fiberglass and will help keep the cushions together.

Another option is to make a cover to go over the side dinette cushions when its converted to a bed witha drawstring in the seam and pull it snug and will hold the cushions together then throw a sheet over it.

I had zero interest in no bathroom. Did that in my home built gypsy caravan... Im so waiting to takeing a shower before bed when I go camping and going home mostly clean lol.

I was looking at a 13 deluxe... was truelly a beautifal trailer... but every morning I would be folding up the memmory foam topper, filling the narrow closet with it, putting the blankets and pillows away and setting the table up... blah lol

Julie I hope you enjoy your new one!

deryk

[Joy A]

Chuck and Julie,

It's amazing how many people with larger trailers are so surprised at how roomy my little 13 footer seems. A lot of it has to do with the front window which makes it much brighter inside.

[David Tilston]

Less stuff, less problems. My daily driver is an old Pontiac Firefly. The power stearing pump will never fail. The electric door locks never break, and the cruse control has no flaws, (OK, I miss that one).

[rabbit]

Less is certainly less. I couldn't help but notice that the "avatar" photo of Chuck & Julie's former trailer to the left of the posting block is roughly 30% larger than the usual. I wonder how that could happen? Perhaps an e-wizard will be along soon to downsize it?

jack

[Thomas G.]

I think that the OP's post is great. Good to share different perspectives and ideas. Plus, as more people tend to up-size, it is good to know that others are going the other way - makes for balance.

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Richard Hayes

Why don't ya tell us what you really think...lol...

Excellent points - bigger is not necessarily better for any given purpose. I believe in the sensible offshore sailor's approach to outfitting a vessel - if you can't do without it or fix it yourself mid-ocean, you don't need or want it.

One of the things I love about my '74 Trillium 1300 is the simplicity - stove, fridge, two 12v lights, one 120v outlet and light, hand-powered cold water pump, porta-potti - not much there to go wrong, and I can manage most problems anywhere with a very basic toolkit. And yup, my Ranger has no A/C, rubber floors, a bench seat up front and windows that wind down...

Couldn't have said it better myself...
That's just how we are with our Trillium, 'cept ours is the 4500- we actually have
two outlets and FIVE 12v lights

Simplicity is beautiful!

Francesca

[Carol H]

I think your right Joy. My 16' has the front window, side bathroom and no side dinette. When I go into a front bath and side dinette model 16' it feels to me as though its a smaller trailer than mine although I know it isnt. Not to mention the kitchen also feels much smaller due to the loss of counter space due to the side dinette. I didnt realize though that the hall space on a 13' was different than a 16' though. Learn something new everyday.

Glad they make a number of different models to suite all our different wants and desires.

[Chuck n Julie]

Now with my 13' I just have cold water (simple to winterize) no toilet. Before whenever the camping trip was over with the 16' I could not just go home, needed to stop and get rid of the stinky water (what fun,see the RV flick w Robin Williams). Now we will leave off the stinky water at the park outhouse a little at a time and elliminate the middleman. I will post pics of my new classic 13' egg as soon as the weather allows.

[deryk]

Originally Posted by Chuck n Julie

Now with my 13' I just have cold water (simple to winterize) no toilet. Before whenever the camping trip was over with the 16' I could not just go home, needed to stop and get rid of the stinky water (what fun,see the RV flick w Robin Williams). Now we will leave off the stinky water at the park outhouse a little at a time and elliminate the middleman. I will post pics of my new classic 13' egg as soon as the weather allows.

Yup, I'm so happy my ParkLiner has a porta potty for that same reason lol

Looking forward to pictures of your new egg!

deryk

[Hazel in Sk]

It was interesting to read from someone who traded down to a smaller trailer. Usually I seem to hear of people buying bigger ones! It really is cool that we have choices - we differ in what we think makes for the 'best' trailer for us.

Our personal choice was small and simple. We cook outside, do dishes outside and mostly use the facilities at the campground (portapotty at night). We haven't hooked up the water inside - nor do we have any of the extras like a tv or microwave.

For us 'small is beautiful' and we were used to camping so camping with a Trillium is luxurious! I would hate to have to lug around a BIG trailer like so many people use - all those hoses and tanks and things to hook up - it would be easier to just stay home.

[Richard Hayes]

That's just how we are with our Trillium, 'cept ours is the 4500- we actually have
two outlets and FIVE 12v lights

Double the number of outlets (2) and 3 more 12 v lights - this is getting complex...lol...

[rabbit]

Very interesting thread. Can't buy feng shui by the running foot. I have been in a Boler 13 that felt spacious and several front bath 16' Casitas that decidedly did not. There are physical limits to how much stuff you can crowd into any space and I think the omission of a plumbed toilet and shower on a 13" platform should be acceptable to those of sufficient speed and agility to use the "necessary" elsewhere.

On the flip side from the utility of a given room or space is the psychology of enclosure. Windows bring the outside in and also remove the wall from our consciousness. Less partitioning into smaller rooms makes a common room with sight lines more comparable to those we normally experience in one room of our homes.

I like our front dinette and windows on both ends. I also like our side bath and a couple extra square feet to put it in. If it feels like a cozy berth, it's big enuf.

jack

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Richard Hayes

That's just how we are with our Trillium, 'cept ours is the 4500- we actually have
two outlets and FIVE 12v lights

Double the number of outlets (2) and 3 more 12 v lights - this is getting complex...lol...

I s'pose I shouldn't even admit to the fact that it also has a 12v outlet inside...

Twenty-first century, here I come!

Francesca

[honda03842]

I think the layout of any particular length is a factor in how 'large' a trailer feels. Some Scamp 16s have a wide aisle, front window and a small rear table all contributing to an open look and feel.

The Parkliner's high ceiling also provides an open feeling even though it is 15' feet and not 16'.

I've been in Scamp 13s that felt crowded and close due to layout and user style. In summary I think it's not just length but layout and some measure of owner style.

One of the major benefits of fiberglass rallies is the opportunity to experience multiple solutions and layouts. Sort of like living many trailer lives in a week.

[Chuck n Julie]

Can't wait til the weather gets warmer ( and snow melts ) to go camping!!!

[floyd]

We have a 2004 13D front bath which has just about everything found in a home,let alone a larger trailer. Love it!
Smaller doesn't necessarily mean spartan.

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by rabbit

... Can't buy feng shui by the running foot. .........
jack

I think I'll start a collection of Rabbitisms. This is a keeper.