Scamp 13 Pros and cons of bathroom

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

Wasn't broken, some of us actually disconnect when camping!!!!! LOL

But most of us keep the curtains closed for privacy and go outside to see the beautiful scenery! ...Like the tow rig parked out front in the campsite!

[Wajourney]

Thanks, Ray. This is very helpful. I'd heard the stinky slinky hose was a problem but I didn't know why. This helps a lot.

We're also deciding about the bed but that's less of a decision for us than the bathroom.

Thanks, again, to everybody. This discussion has been invaluable.

[MarkyVasquez]

My wife and I believe in having a toilet and shower. We don't like crossing the campground in the middle of the night. We don't always use our RV for camping, we also use it instead of a hotel room. Casita doesn't sell a 13' without a restroom. The best options are the ones you like. Happy camping.


Sent from my iPad using Fiberglass RV

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by floyd

But most of us keep the curtains closed for privacy and go outside to see the beautiful scenery! ...Like the tow rig parked out front in the campsite!

Once we're dressed the curtains come open. The tug is never parked right in front of the front window. I probably would park it there is I that bathroom wall. Unless it raining or cold the door of the trailer is also open and the windows are also open.
When I have to park the tow in front it's never straight on, it's usually to the left side so we can easily see out the window and around it.
I almost always have to unhitch to get level so the fridge can work effectively.
Our trailer is usually open and guests are invited in, we very rarely go for more than 2 days without somebody wanting to come.

[Larry and Gayle D.]

We have a 2012 thirteen footer with no bathroom.

We go south for the last two winters. 95 days the first year and 110 days the second. We will be four months this winter in Florida

We have a porta pottie, which we bought with the trailer and leave it home. It has never been used.

I am 71 and wifey is 68 and even though a midnight walk to the campground restroom might be unpleasant, we try to reserve our campsite to be near the shower house.

When it rains............I have a nearly half gallon Pace Salsa bottle under the bed. I pee a lot, since I am pre-diabetic. Wifey has a smaller jug with a special attachment for female use.

This will be our third year in a 13 footer.

Nobody I know would do the deuce in a camper toilet. If you can't pee in a bottle, then find one with a bigger lid.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

Once we're dressed the curtains come open. The tug is never parked right in front of the front window. I probably would park it there is I that bathroom wall. Unless it raining or cold the door of the trailer is also open and the windows are also open.
When I have to park the tow in front it's never straight on, it's usually to the left side so we can easily see out the window and around it.
I almost always have to unhitch to get level so the fridge can work effectively.
Our trailer is usually open and guests are invited in, we very rarely go for more than 2 days without somebody wanting to come.

If there is one thing you have never been accused of, it is being like "most of us"
(me neither)
In my case... We have been to more than 40 rallies and many campgrounds and roadrace tracks, yet we have still spent more nights in transit with the trailer attached and no facilities beyond those on board.

We have all the advantages of a motel room and none of the disadvantages, at a fraction of the cost with more windows and often a better view.
When possible, we position our Scamp on our site so that three sides face the best view and there is seldom any dilemma involved. (We could always install a large window in the bathroom but haven't felt the need!)

Anybody who has a Scamp will always have plenty of visitors!

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Larry and Gayle D.

Nobody I know would do the deuce in a camper toilet. If you can't pee in a bottle, then find one with a bigger lid.

We cook on the stove, use the shower twice a day, sleep in the bed and use the toilet for the purpose for which it was designed.


Nobody I know has yet confessed to doing the "deuce" in a salsa jar regardless of the size of the lid!
If you should find a suitable apple juice bottle, don't forget to remove the label!

[Raz]

Originally Posted by floyd

Nobody I know has yet confessed to doing the "deuce" in a salsa jar regardless of the size of the lid!

Now there's an image.

[Pam Garlow]

No bathroom, don't want the dumping station, upkeep, repairs and added weight. I love my porta potty for night time emergencies and LOVE the open feeling from not losing that floor space to a bathroom. I love my big front window with dinette under it.
If I had a bathroom, it would still only get used for night time emergencies because I can always use that exercise of walking up to the flushies in the campground. And I don't boondock, so there is no need for me to have a shower onboard.
So for my personal preference, I don't want to waste lovely floor space in a small 13foot trailer, for something that could be taken care of with a porta potti under my bed.

[deryk]

I have a 15' ParkLiner. I built myself 2 teardrop sized tiny travel trailers and almost added a portapotty into the 2nd one but with the low headroom it just wasn't going to work out. When Hurricane Sandy destroyed my sailboat I used the insurance money and bought my ParkLiner. I was looking at a 13 deluxe scamp but for $500 more I got my ParkLiner and yes I do fix my bed every morning but I wouldn't trade the bathroom for anything.

If you need additional sleep space in your 13 and plan on camping in areas with facilities then you can probably manage ok. I have moved up twice to larger tow vehicles...Pt Cruiser, to Rav4 to Nissan Frontier(I do dream about a fiberglass 5th wheeler lol). twice this summer I camped in a campground next to a shower/bath house that was clean enough to use and I did use it... 2 of the state forest's I camped in with their pit toilet that stunk and shower facilities were not walking distance away...I was very happy for my non smelly porta potty and my own shower!

Everyone has their own needs and wants...for me, a bed, a 3 way fridge and a bathroom are important. I would have been very happy in the 13 scamp deluxe albeit a much smaller bed I tend to spend most of my waking hours outside...sure sometimes the weather isn't agreeable or being an introvert sometimes I need to spend some quiet time away from people I can go inside and watch a movie while laying on my couch I am ok with the 2' used up my the bathroom. I guess adding a larger mirror to the bathroom door might help make the illusion of the 13 bigger then it really is.

[Larry and Gayle D.]

Originally Posted by floyd

If you should find a suitable apple juice bottle, don't forget to remove the label!

Back when I was in the Naval Hospital they would come around with specimen jars and tell us to provide a specimen for pick up later. One of my fellow patients filled his about 2/3 full with apple juice and when the nurse came around to pick up he looks at it and says,

"That looks a little weak, let me run it through again."

and drinks it all up.

That was back in the 60s when we had Iron Men and wooden ships.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Pam Garlow

No bathroom, don't want the dumping station, upkeep, repairs and added weight. I love my porta potty for night time emergencies and LOVE the open feeling from not losing that floor space to a bathroom. I love my big front window with dinette under it.
If I had a bathroom, it would still only get used for night time emergencies because I can always use that exercise of walking up to the flushies in the campground. And I don't boondock, so there is no need for me to have a shower onboard.
So for my personal preference, I don't want to waste lovely floor space in a small 13foot trailer, for something that could be taken care of with a porta potti under my bed.

I recently bought a front bath Scamp13 which was 5 years old and had never had water in it. Obviously it was the wrong choice for the original buyer. You make the salient point, it is the use to which you put your trailer which makes all the difference.

Boondocking while in transit has made our extensive travel affordable over the last ten years, bringing our average lodging cost down to under $8 per night. Having all the comforts of home as near as the next parking space has made this practical for us.
The same logic used to eschew the bathroom feature could be applied to every feature of the travel trailer.
You could build one without a kitchen dinette, or refrigerator if you only ate at restaurants. A couch and a large window would go nicely where the kitchen usually goes.
You could build one without a bed and use the space for a big kitchen (I had Burro17WB which was just that.
We like the large closet, microwave,medicine chest, and linen storage which are possible with the front bath option,and with 54" bed, more than 40% of the floor space is already dedicated to sitting, lounging, or sleeping anyway.
You actually have more floorspace in the front bath.
This thread and its various viewpoints has provided very complete and useful information which may help the reader to make their best choices.
The desire for more features AND more lovely floor space has lead many buyers to choose a larger trailer, a choice which IMHO would virtually obviate the whole purpose of a travel trailer... but that's why they make the "perfect choice" of a Scamp16SD.

[Darral T.]

I have a 2010 13' Scamp with Bathroom and wouldnt be without it. If I had to have a 13 WITHOUT the bath, it would go up for sale instantly. I'm 54 yo so I dont know how that "qualifies" in the age-group thing going on with BR discussion. (As Donna D states....BRs or NO BRs.... this is a very HOT BUTTON topic!)

As far as being "very heavy" as I read one poster to say, ours weighs 1740 (carry 90% of heavy stuff in my truck). I pull it with a 4 cyl Nissan Frontier and avg 20mpg. The 13" tires are rated for 1346 lbs each so I'm WAY below the 2692lb weight limit on the tires. If you're pulling with a 1500lb Max cap on a TV, then yes, you COULD take you over the limit, but that was and is not an issue with me.

Wont be without a bathroom AND shower let me add. And not only that, we opted for the bathroom sink . As Floyd states, I love to camp but love the "comforts" of home as well.

[RogerDat]

Originally Posted by P. Raz

Now there's an image.

Pardon me I must now go scrub brain with wire brush to remove said image.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by floyd

The complaints about the 13Scamp being small seem a bit silly imho.
That's what makes it a true "travel trailer"...Able to park wherever there are two spots inline, including parallel parking. Able to use the drive-up at the bank or fast food joints..

Do all that with my 16' as well Floyd! Including parking right in downtown Portland on a Friday night with 2 days left of shopping before Christmas. Admit I was just a little lucky in finding a parking lot right by REI that just happened to have only 2 spots open and they happened to be inline!

[RogerDat]

Originally Posted by Carol H

Do all that with my 16' as well Floyd! Including parking right in downtown Portland on a Friday night with 2 days left of shopping before Christmas. Admit I was just a little lucky in finding a parking lot right by REI that just happened to have only 2 spots open and they happened to be inline!

Try finding a parking spot for a 38 ft. motor home at an event, that can be a total pain. I once fed a long line of meters just so we could get something to eat. I'll take the more modest sized FG egg any day.

[Ken in Pa]

We had 16 front bath deluxe. We now have the same on order. That said. I don't get it maybe I am getting old. Why would you take walks in the cold wet night when its a few feet away. Why would you set up a out side solar shower and enclosure when its a few feet away inside. Why would you carry your stuff in a bag or a blue cart when you just connect a hose and pull a handle. If you need the space for storage you may need to clean house. Sometimes being on the KISS system is more work. This is all just my 2 cents. But again I don't get it. Hope I did not upset anyone.
Ken

[rdickens]

Our choice was indeed influenced by Honda's 1500 lb tow & 200 lb tongue
weight limits for the CRV that we were driving when we first purchased
our Scamp 13 trailer. I figured that the front bathroom would likely push
us over one limit or both.

I agree that much depends on your planned or actual usage.
If you want/need to avoid using any external flush toilets and showers,
then an onboard bathroom might be the best way to go. If you just want
to avoid a nighttime campground stroll to take care of #1, it seems like
there could be much better options. (More on that later.)

The capabilities offered by our Scamp 13 Layout1 with the 54" bed
(and no front bathroom) include:

Inclement weather seating for up to 9 (3 on the sofa, and 3 on
either side of the 54" dinette cushions)

Sleeping space for 4 to 6 (1 child on top bunk, 2 kids head-to-toe on
the bottom bunk, and 2 adults +1 child head-to-toe on the 54" bed.)

I suspect that it might be hard to duplicate those capabilities on many
other 13 foot trailers (maybe even some larger trailers? ).

For avoiding a #1 midnight campground stroll, some options might be:
http://www.amazon.com/Portable-Urinal-with-Female-Adapter/dp/B000M3DCHI/ref=pd_sim_sg_or_3
or
http://www.amazon.com/EZ-Female-Urination-Device-Case/dp/B004APOFTI/ref=sr_1_12
or
http://www.amazon.com/Urination-Lavender-Waterproof-towlettes-Baggies/dp/B00417RXQ2/ref=pd_sim_sg_or_9

For an outhouse/shower right outside the trailer, maybe this:
http://www.amazon.com/Camping-Portable-Changing-Privacy-Shelter/dp/B00EMMVXKI/ref=sr_1_130

In our previous StarCraft StarMaster 21 pop-up, you could remove
a small bench cushion and raise a plywood lid past a holding catch
and the porta-potti became immediately available (at appropriate
height) right where it sat under that bench.

With 3 individual cushions (instead of the current single cushion on
that front sofa bench, I'm hoping that a similar porta-potti
access mod could be constructed in the area of that existing
porta-potti cabinet ... and I think folks might have easier access
to the under-bench storage on either side of that cabinet.

I am pretty sure that, if it is not convenient (i.e. if you have to
drag it out of its cabinet in the middle of the night), a porta-potti
would not get used for nighttime relief.

For porta-potti privacy in the trailer, perhaps a lightweight curtain
on a removable cord/cable stretched between the cabinet over
the sink/stove and the 12" pantry cabinet would do? (Or maybe
attached to those cabinets on the door side or the dinette/bed side
via Velcro?)

For slightly longer duration stays, I have considered using the
nylon privacy panels for our CLAM 1660 Mag Screen Room/Tent
to create a pie-shaped privacy spot for the porta-potti.
Amazon.com : Clam Corporation 9281 6-Pack 1660 Mag Screen House, 140 by 140-Inch : Tools Products : Patio, Lawn & Garden
Amazon.com : Clam Corporation 9294 3-Pack Screen Hub Wind Panels/Canopies : Sun Shelters : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Clam Six Pack Screen Tent Video...The others don't compare. - YouTube

I know that everybody's needs and wants are different.
Just some thoughts to consider ..... As always, YMMV.

Ray

[Bob Miller]

It's mostly because the discussion revolved around a bathroom in a 13' FGRV which, basically, shortens the living space by about 25%, and that's a lot different than in a 16' FGRV. Hence the oft mentioned disease "three- footitis"

And just connecting a hose and pulling a handle to empty a holding tank is frowned upon in the Wal-Mart parking lots and most state and federal campgrounds that many of us frequent in our travels. Just as a WAG, I think that less than 1 in 10 places I stay even have a tank dumping facility, but I can always find a loo to empty my porta-potty.

BTW: My first wife and I will be marking the 50th anniversary of our marriage next month, so I think I can speak for almost any "Age" (not health BTW) issue, to which I say "Phooey".

Originally Posted by Ken in Pa

We had 16 front bath deluxe. We now have the same on order. That said. I don't get it maybe I am getting old. Why would you take walks in the cold wet night when its a few feet away. Why would you set up a out side solar shower and enclosure when its a few feet away inside. Why would you carry your stuff in a bag or a blue cart when you just connect a hose and pull a handle. If you need the space for storage you may need to clean house. Sometimes being on the KISS system is more work. This is all just my 2 cents. But again I don't get it. Hope I did not upset anyone.
Ken

[OneOleMan]

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

Almost 9 years of 13' Scamp camping the past 4 or 5 over 100 nights each in a row, no bathroom. I would hate to lose the open feeling being able to look out in all 4 directions. No leaks or smells to put up with. No dumping mess to put up with. Prefer the direct deposit method, once deposited all done with it.

69 and 72 years old here, we don't worry about the middle of the night boggy man, weirwolfs, or vampires. See the stars on dark night is very nice. Moon light nights mean no night vision damaging flashlights are necessary.

At 3:00 am, I've watched Coyotes loping through the campground, bobcat sitting and watch us as we walked by. Some night you can watch the bats flying around. All very cool to see.

I suppose being afraid of the dark would be one reason to have an on-board potty.

Getting dressed in the middle of the night is not a big issue, sweat pants and a zip up sweat shirt staged on the couch, crocks staged close by makes getting dressed enough easy and quick.

As the OP should be able to guess, we have no regrets. Others see things differently.

But with the bathroom the OP would have the option of staying inside, (rain, wind, etc.) or exploring the vast outdoors in the middle of the night. As for me I really like "options".