16' 1981 Scamp frame off restoration/rebuild

[IdahoScamper]

My wife and I bought a 16' 1981 Scamp last year and I've decided to really work on refurbishing as much of it as I can since it turns out to need a new axle that I have ordered from Scamp.

Yesterday I took the back fiberglass modules out and found what I thought I was going to find... water damage. Especially on the left of the trailer where the oven/stove and refrigerator were. I'm guessing that neither of these appliances were the originals but it is possible that they were. The oven/stove is pink and the old refrigerator is a Dometic. Ever since I got it these two appliances haven't fit right due to a sagging floor and screws keep popping out.

Presumably this means I need to take the trailer off of the frame and replace the floor but I haven't seen many in depth articles about doing this. While I'm doing this I am going to have the frame sand blasted and repainted.

I'd like to keep everything original but I think I may have to build a new module for the stove and refrigerator since it seems to have been cut up quite a bit to fit the stove and refrigerator.

There are also some issues with sagging around the door and some poorly done patches to the roof that I'd like to address.

Does anyone have any tips on what to watch out for as I proceed down this long road? I'm particularly concerned about the floor repairs on the raised sections because of the attachment to the shell. I've never done much of this kind of work but I think, with lots of research and some tips from people here who have done this, I can do the work. I'm totally new to fiberglass work and hope I'm not getting myself in too deep.

[IdahoScamper]

According to some of the other posts I've seen on this forum, once I get the floor replaced, I'm going to use drylok to paint the top and the bottom. I suppose I should paint it after I glass it to the shell though. Is that right?

[GrregP]

Having just purchased an '83 16' Scamp I'm really interested in whatever you learn about it's construction. I've only pulled the rear benches on mine and now I have an inkling of how it fits together, but I can't figure out How it's assembled. It seems like the shell wraps a little in at the bottom below the floor so it doesn't seem like it could be dropped onto the frame from above. Good luck with you're project! I may someday attempt a similar thing.

[KevinPete]

Ken,

The original floor was OSB coated with resin. If you use plywood, even marine ply, you'll want to saturate all the edges, faces, and any holes with either resin or some type of epoxy paint that will hold up and stay waterproof. I have a couple small bad spots in mine, but not bad enough that I'm going to replace the floor any time soon. There are some well-documented threads here, I think one of them is a Scamp, with hull-off floor replacements.

Can't wait to follow along, keep taking pictures.

[IdahoScamper]

After seeing some of the other threads I wonder if I need to lift it off of the frame but since I've gotten this far I guess I should. I don't have the ability to do the sand blasting or painting at home so I need to send out the frame to someone who can do this.

[IdahoScamper]

It appears that the wood in my Scamp had not been treated with anything.

[GrregP]

That doesn't sound good. Do you think it has been replaced before?

[IdahoScamper]

I think it is the original floor. I don't think much of anything had been replaced when we got it.

[KevinPete]

I was reading the Scamp literature last night, came across the statement that the floor is undercoated with resin. So there was no coating (other than maybe paint, which Scamp says they do inside cabinets) on the top of the deck, and more importantly, the edges of all the penetrations. The thought of using OSB like this is mind-boggling, even marine plywood wouldn't raise the cost overall a great percentage. I know mine has a bad spot right under the fresh water fill, and probably more that I don't see.

I've used Gluvit from Marine-Tex on boats and trailers before, to seal the edges of holes and close up small cracks. At a minimum, I'd roll epoxy resin onto ALL sides and edges of the new plywood.

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by KevinPete

........ The thought of using OSB like this is mind-boggling, even marine plywood wouldn't raise the cost overall a great percentage. ........

Yep, the wood floor is the Achilles heel of fiberglass trailers. Too bad marine plywood is not an extra cost option when you buy it.

[Carol H]

Ken, Looking at your photos of the water damage under the fridge and stove area and wondering a little about it as it is a bit of an odd area for water damage to occur in a Scamp. Is this a side bath model? Is that area not just a raised platform for the fiberglass components for the kitchen and shower to sit up on, seperate from the actual trailer floor? If it is then it may be possible to replace just that section. re the water damage - it looks like the water was coming from the area ahead of the stove area. If the trailer was sitting with the tongue high its very possible that the water damage is from the bathroom. The window in the bathroom could be leaking in which case it goes behind the wall covering and under the fiberglass shower pan in the bathroom and back to the kitchen area or one of the water pipes that feed the bathroom shower and toilet normally would run through that cabinet area and perhaps leaked.

[KevinPete]

I seem to recall some mention of the drip pan for the fridge not having anywhere to drain, maybe the water came from that?

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by KevinPete

I seem to recall some mention of the drip pan for the fridge not having anywhere to drain, maybe the water came from that?

Good thought but the water pattern damage appears in this situation to be under where the stove was located rather than the fridge which I suspect was located further aft.

[KevinPete]

OK, thanks Carol- my fridge is under my stove. Didn't stop to think that the 16 layout is different.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by KevinPete

OK, thanks Carol- my fridge is under my stove. Didn't stop to think that the 16 layout is different.

No problem I am not sure myself as to what 16' layout the OP has but looking at the cabinet units they pulled out it appears that the layout is similar to my trailer with the stove/oven ahead of the fridge up beside the side bathroom wall.

[IdahoScamper]

The hole in the floor was under the stove. When I took everything out I noticed that the vent for the oven was not connected to the stove. The vent had been covered with duct tape. Also, the vent for the refrigerator allowed quite a bit of water to enter. I need to make sure that isn't a problem when I put things back together.

[Thinh]

Originally Posted by IdahoScamper

My wife and I bought a 16' 1981 Scamp last year and I've decided to really work on refurbishing as much of it as I can since it turns out to need a new axle that I have ordered from Scamp.

Yesterday I took the back fiberglass modules out and found what I thought I was going to find... water damage. Especially on the left of the trailer where the oven/stove and refrigerator were. I'm guessing that neither of these appliances were the originals but it is possible that they were. The oven/stove is pink and the old refrigerator is a Dometic. Ever since I got it these two appliances haven't fit right due to a sagging floor and screws keep popping out.

Presumably this means I need to take the trailer off of the frame and replace the floor but I haven't seen many in depth articles about doing this. While I'm doing this I am going to have the frame sand blasted and repainted.

I'd like to keep everything original but I think I may have to build a new module for the stove and refrigerator since it seems to have been cut up quite a bit to fit the stove and refrigerator.

There are also some issues with sagging around the door and some poorly done patches to the roof that I'd like to address.

Does anyone have any tips on what to watch out for as I proceed down this long road? I'm particularly concerned about the floor repairs on the raised sections because of the attachment to the shell. I've never done much of this kind of work but I think, with lots of research and some tips from people here who have done this, I can do the work. I'm totally new to fiberglass work and hope I'm not getting myself in too deep.

I might got the same problem like yours. In my case, the previous owner had leak from front window( one screw was missed the inside wooden rail and make a hole. When I lift the interior out, I could see the light from inside of the shell). That hole after closely 30years damaged the floor at front left corner. When I took fridge and stove out, I also found out there is one drain hose for the fridge that didn't go thru the hole on the floor as it is supposed to. So that floor corner is rotten badly. Luckily I found out and fixed all the problems. Here is the photo of this area in my Trillium, the marker line is where I will cut and replace with new plywood after fixing and sealing the front window..

[IdahoScamper]

Okay, got the frame back from the welder and I'm going to sandblast and paint this weekend. Anyone have suggestions on what type of paint to use?

[IdahoScamper]

I got some rustoleum primer and finish paint for the trailer today.

One thing I noticed while doing a little prep work tonight is that there was one area near the front that had some butyl tape between the floor and the frame. There was no rust there at all even though there was bare metal under the tape. I'm thinking maybe I should put that between the frame and the floor once I'm ready to install it.

[IdahoScamper]

I got the new axle welded on the frame last week. The neighbor who does body work, and knows who did the work, recommended that I take it back to have them do better welds though. Meanwhile, I used a grinder with several different attachments to get the old paint and rust off the frame. What seemed to work best was the 24 grit sanding disks and then one of those wire brushes with the bristles that are twisted for tighter places. After this I used naval jelly to get what rust I couldn't get. It's not perfect but it should last another 20 years or so. There was no damage to the frame.

I bought 3 sheets of 5/8 marine plywood and my dad helped me by making some patterns of the old floor that I still need to take out. I'm still trying to decide whether to treat the top and the bottom of the new floor with resin. According to some posts here, if I treat both sides and water gets in, there isn't a way for it to get out. I don't want that. However, I'm not sure what to do about the bottom. I think it needs something to cover it so that it can breath. A friend suggested linseed oil. Does anyone have any suggestions?