Scamp 13 tongue "angled" to one side

[iprangen]

Hi,

After a really tough 6 month search I finally found a Scamp 13 at an excellent price here on the East Coast! Towed her home to Long Island, NY from Vermont and she towed excellent with my 2012 Subaru Forester.

This Scamp cannot have a lot of miles on her, but I did notice what I think is a design flaw. Since the jack (I hope I'm using the correct terms here) is connected on one side of the front frame, not both or centered, the hitch is slightly angled when looking at it from the front.

Since one side of the front frame (at the tongue) is carrying the load when the trailer is parked for years, it is not slightly bent a few degrees at the hitch.

I'm assuming I can't be the first to experience this. Is this a dangerous situation? Can it be fixed? I tows just fine.

Thanks,

Ingo

[alan H]

Might want to add dome pics


Sent from my iPhone using Fiberglass RV

[Bob Miller]

This is the first time I have seen that mentioned and, in as much as SCAMP, Lil Bigfoot and numerous others has built 1000's of trailers that way, it can't be much of a problem.


I would suggest it could have been more of a user issue rather than a design error. It might be that a P.O. was living in it full time for an extended period without using front stabilizer jacks.

[Wayne Collins]

Originally Posted by iprangen

Hi,

After a really tough 6 month search I finally found a Scamp 13 at an excellent price here on the East Coast! Towed her home to Long Island, NY from Vermont and she towed excellent with my 2012 Subaru Forester.

This Scamp cannot have a lot of miles on her, but I did notice what I think is a design flaw. Since the jack (I hope I'm using the correct terms here) is connected on one side of the front frame, not both or centered, the hitch is slightly angled when looking at it from the front.

Since one side of the front frame (at the tongue) is carrying the load when the trailer is parked for years, it is not slightly bent a few degrees at the hitch.

I'm assuming I can't be the first to experience this. Is this a dangerous situation? Can it be fixed? I tows just fine.

Thanks,

Ingo

I think your best clue is "... and she towed excellent"
With the jack on one side, instead of the center, it should not matter.
When towing, you have a trailer supported at three points, two tires and the hitch ball. A three legged stool is always stable, even if one leg is a bit shorter. If you suspect the front frame is bent, you can check with a level on the rear bumper, then across the front..../wc

[Carol H]

Is it that the hitch is angled or is it possible an optical illusion caused by the lever for the ball lock sitting on a slight angle. Can you wiggle the lever a bit and set it straight to the front..... does the hitch still look bent?

[floyd]

I have seen several Scamp 13s with this trait, only on the 1-7/8" coupler.
In most cases it is minor and doesn't seem to be a problem. The newer 13s have 2" couplers which have a larger flange and are more robust.
I don't think it is the swing jack which is at fault since it commonly appears to be the coupler itself which is twisted and not the frame.
It could be just a birth defect in the coupler itself or in the installation or it was twisted in use.
At any rate, a new coupler is not expensive or hard to install if there is any doubt as to its utility.

[robertsd8]

Is it the hitch that appears angled or the jack that appears angled? In either case a previous owner may have moved the trailer with the jack down. That could cause either the hitch or the jack (or both) to appear angled. Guess how I know that!!!

[Donna D.]

I wanna see some pictures....

[Carol H]

It could have also been caused by the owner jack knifing the trailer while backing up as well....

The jack on mine is also mounted on the side of the main tongue frame, but its a ways back from where the coupler piece is welded on, so its unlikely it could bend the actual coupler - the whole tongue frame would have to be bent.

[robertsd8]

Aww Donna, that was two trailers ago. But under the catagory of "we can learn from other's mistakes, we don't have to make them all ourselves" here goes. I had loaned my utility trailer to a boy scout troop. The driver who was not trailer savvy, raised the jack...but not high enough to clear the speed bump on the way out of the camp site!!! That's how I know! The jack was bent but not the hitch.