Another Caved in Scamp

[John in Santa Cruz]

I'd rather buy somethign I can go camping in as-is. at this stage of my life (mid 60s), I've already got more than enough "projects" to want to take on another.

your mileage may vary.
objects in mirror are closer than they appear.
just sayin'

[Raspy]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

objects in mirror are closer than they appear.

For some reason, I have to laugh every time I read that.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by David B.

I believe that the new top half is a shell, and any window openings would have to be cut out, so the original windows would fit nicely.
Dave & Paula

Also remember the fire. The 13Scamp has new molds after the fire.
Be sure and ask about fit.
Maybe you could find another abandoned Scamp with a rotten floor or other damage for parts.
A couple years ago I drove 120miles to look at a 13Scamp which I turned down @ $300. It was moldy inside, had been used as a kennel, had frame damage and had been skewered by a fork truck... Still it had a good top half!
I would definitely look into the trailer that Ric mentioned , and fast!
Go get it with a utility trailer!

[michaelrcolton]

The Scamp made it home in one piece (or rather, in the same number of pieces it was in when I bought it). Definitely a lot of work to do, but most of the stuff on the inside is fine, so that's good.

My plan right now is to suture the shell back into shape (in progress, see below), then repair the fiberglass from the inside, then I'll do cosmetic repairs/bondo on the outside. After that everything goes back in, at which point it should be usable, though I have some ideas for changes on the inside too.

[Steve Hammel]

Originally Posted by michaelrcolton

The Scamp made it home in one piece (or rather, in the same number of pieces it was in when I bought it). Definitely a lot of work to do, but most of the stuff on the inside is fine, so that's good.

My plan right now is to suture the shell back into shape (in progress, see below), then repair the fiberglass from the inside, then I'll do cosmetic repairs/bondo on the outside. After that everything goes back in, at which point it should be usable, though I have some ideas for changes on the inside too.

Good plan do all the structural stuff from the inside where it won't be seen. When you get to the outside sand/grind the fiberglass down below grade and build it up. Its already looking good.

[Mr Lynn]

Originally Posted by Raspy

"objects in mirror are closer than they appear."

For some reason, I have to laugh every time I read that.

Something may be gaining on you!

/Mr Lynn

[FRED SMAILES]

Originally Posted by michaelrcolton

The Scamp made it home in one piece (or rather, in the same number of pieces it was in when I bought it). Definitely a lot of work to do, but most of the stuff on the inside is fine, so that's good.

My plan right now is to suture the shell back into shape (in progress, see below), then repair the fiberglass from the inside, then I'll do cosmetic repairs/bondo on the outside. After that everything goes back in, at which point it should be usable, though I have some ideas for changes on the inside too.

IMO, I think you should also grind back the exterior of the cracks at least a couple of inches and apply 2-3 layers of glass as well. This will ensure the crack is gone and that the skin is as thick as original. Happy to see progress!
Fred

[lisantica]

Originally Posted by michaelrcolton

The Scamp made it home in one piece (or rather, in the same number of pieces it was in when I bought it).

Happy to read it made it to your home. I think it looks in much better condition than the original photo. I will be following along in your Scamp make-over journey.
Any interior photos to share?

[michaelrcolton]

More sutures, not done yet though. The top is now self supporting and actually feels pretty solid. Also, I started peeling back the elephant skin and grinding away adhesive in preparation for the first actual fiberglass repairs.

The work is kinda fun, like a 3D puzzle that you can eventually go camping in.

[michaelrcolton]

More progress!

The area in the picture is now largely repaired (I haven't done the outside fiberglass work yet). I've been able to get most of the parts to align so well that I'm pretty confident the repair will look pretty clean in the end. One trick I figured out is to lay the fiberglass and resin, then use strong magnets and a plate of metal to hold everything in alignment while it hardens.

Still lots of work to do, but I'm getting faster and progress has been coming more rapidly.

Random thought: It doesn't seem like the belly band, or the fiberglass flanges it covers, is actually very structural. In the factory, they fiberglass the upper and lower halves together from the inside. In some places the flanges don't even touch. So the question is, given that I'm going to refinish the exterior anyway, should I grind away the flanges and merge the top and bottom into one continuous piece? It would look pretty nice and would probably be stronger than the current setup.

[Dan-NS27]

First, I like that idea of using magnets to hold things in place. Sounds like a smart way to keep things there.

Second, I've seen posts where people remove the belly band, or the center seem in Burro's and Uhaul's, and patch the areas with glass. I'd like to remove the flange on my Burro.

Good luck.

[michaelrcolton]

Well my little scamp has been hibernating for the last few months, it got too cold to do fiberglass work, and I don't have a garage. It took a few tries to get it water tight (there are still enough cracks that rain and snow are problematic) but it's been holding up fine.

My biggest fear was that after all the work I've done, the snow would cave it in again. Thankfully my repairs held for the amount of snow we had (never more than about 6" at a time)

Anyway, here are some pics of my progress before the temps dropped. Most of the cracks are now repaired with at least a few layers of fiberglass. You can see in some places how smooth the repairs are looking. Green is original fiberglass, and brown/yellow is new fiberglass. I like the Kintsugi look of the cracks when lit from within, but that won't work when it's insulated (unless I want to put some LEDs between the shell and the insulation? that might be kinda cool.....)

The black stuff is paint I sprayed on, then sanded off to find high and low spots. Not sure why the last picture is upside down, it's not on my phone or in my computer..... just flip your monitor over, I guess.

PS. There is someone else in my city that is selling a 15' scamp (that needs work, but not as much as mine) for $2700. I'm a little tempted to buy it, because I am not already putting too much time into my own and I really do need two scamps)

[lisantica]

Originally Posted by michaelrcolton

PS. There is someone else in my city that is selling a 15' scamp (that needs work, but not as much as mine) for $2700. I'm a little tempted to buy it, because I am not already putting too much time into my own and I really do need two scamps)

Buy it! I believe it's 16' though, but still the Jalousie windows and the awning (if good after unrolled) alone have a lot of value! I don't think it will last long.

[LyleB]

Based on absolutely nothing except my own thought process and three terms of college physics many, many years ago, I would be hesitant to remove the flange. Seems to me that that "rib" must add to structural integrity. As I said, based on nothing but conjecture on my part.

Looking good so far!

[FRED SMAILES]

Really like the way you've gone about getting the shape back!
Just put some 2x4 in supports to hold the roof up till spring.
I'd focus on finishing the interior come spring, glass work insuring its water tight, interior hide, and cabinets, make sure windows fit.
The exterior can then be finished at your leisure.
Thanks for posting, it will help others attack a project like this too and keep the pics coming.
Fred

[Steve Hammel]

Scamp only made 13, 16 or 19 foot campers no 15. Besides that buy it as you can never have too many Scamps sitting around your house.

[Doctor Harold]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

I'd rather buy somethign I can go camping in as-is. at this stage of my life (mid 60s), I've already got more than enough "projects" to want to take on another.

your mileage may vary.
objects in mirror are closer than they appear.
just sayin'

I'm with you! I'd be better off hitting my hand with a hammer than taking on another project.

Sarah Winchester believed she wouldn't die as long as the projects on her house were not completed. She was wrong, but if it were true then I can never die because I attract projects like bees to a barbecue. When I had to evacuate from the Carr Fire July 2018, as I drove down the road, towing my Scamp, I thought: "If my house burns down I'm free!"

Fortunately it wasn't damaged, but if it had burned to the ground I really don't think I'd have been upset.

To paraphrase you, John: projects in mirror are close than they appear.

I need to drive faster to escape them.

Also, I'd pay good money for some decent project repellent.

-- Harold

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Doctor Harold

...
Sarah Winchester believed she wouldn't die as long as the projects on her house were not completed. ...

Now that is what I call a vague reference.. to save interested parties from using google I submit this link:

The Truth About Sarah Winchester |

[Doctor Harold]

Originally Posted by gordon2

Now that is what I call a vague reference.. to save interested parties from using google I submit this link:

The Truth About Sarah Winchester |

Well, as the article in your link says, that's what the docent told me when I visited there. Shame on me for believing it.

[michaelrcolton]

It's been a little while since my last update, but I've been hard at work! We had a family reunion last month and I felt like I could have our little Scamp good enough to travel and sleep in. As the time got closer, we gave our tent to a family member, which meant I was really committed! Well, it was more work than I expected, but I pulled it off!

All of the cracks have some level of repair, but most aren't complete, in particular on the outside. It will look much better when it's really done. I put a quick layer of gelcoat over the exposed fiberglass (not on the roof) so it would look somewhat presentable, but I'll end up taking a lot of that back off to finish up the exterior correctly later. I also patched over holes left by things I won't be using (notice there really aren't any hookups or vents (except for the fridge) on the outside.) You can also see that part of the belly band has been removed. I had to remove it to fix that area, and I think I will end up taking off the rest of it later.

I did new LED lights inside and out and am very happy with them (interior pictures to come later.) I powered the whole thing from a borrowed GoalZero battery on the inside which even had enough juice to run a heater for the coldest part of the night. That battery costs more than I have invested in the Scamp so far!

I removed the external battery and propane tank (makes a nice spot for a generator, or maybe a bike rack) and the fridge, stove, propane heater, and water tank were also removed. I'll be putting a new fridge and stove in later.

I weighed it like that and it's only 1160 lbs (with a 100 lbs of that on the tongue)

Our little CRV was able to pull it well enough, a little slow on the steep stuff, but okay. We got about 18 MPG (normal for our CRV is about 24), which is better than my sister's Murano when it's not pulling anything!

We found it pretty comfortable for me, my wife and son, and one nephew. It was a bit of a trial by fire though, there were thunderstorms every day we were at the reunion in Bryce Canyon (saw another 13' Scamp there, btw) and it turns out that sanded fiberglass (on the roof, where I didn't gelcoat) is not 100% water tight, oops! I also don't have insulation inside so there was some condensation, but not enough to bother us really.

Nice that it's finally usable! I can't wait to go on some more trips!