Preparing a 1991 Scamp 16

[honda03842]

We're always looking for unused space, particularly for needed but not regularly used stuff.

The couch's center compartment is used to store a good part of Ginny's clothing. She has two 20 quart containers for shorts and jerseys. There is space behind these containers, actually a little shelf that I extended to 8x25" for 2 plastic tool containers. The shelf has a front lip on it to restrain the containers. Below the shelf is room for our normal socket set and a set of deep sockets.

The first picture shows the storage containers in front of the tools. The second the plastic tool containers with the socket sets below.

Another place like this is beside the two dinette bench drawers. In that space we store a fan, an electric heater and the small crock pot. Access to this spot is thru the top of the bench.

Does any one think I'm crazy yet?

Norm

[honda03842]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

I'd be curious to know the weights for the trailer fully packed, ready to tow and the car, with gas and ready to leave. The Honda specs indicate a weight around 3200 lbs for the 4x4 model with GCWR of 4300 with allowance for 1000 lbs of cargo (passengers, fuel ect.)
See here Specifications - 2004 Honda CR-V LX 4WD 5-spd MT - Yahoo! Autos

I base the Honda's weight on scale weight at our dump.

When I go to the our town dump with an empty car, the driver and a partial tank of gas the car always weighs just over 3600 pounds after dumping. I estimated that the addition of my wife, and RVing stuff adds at least another 200 pounds. Maybe the number is closer to 3800 pounds.

As well when I weighed the car with some RV stuff and no passengers it weighed 3597 pounds. Two passengers would push that to 3900 pounds.

Our car is set up as a vehicle to tow a trailer and a vehicle to be towed by a motorhome. Hence we have a hitch on the front and a hitch on the rear, neither is included in the standard specification.

Hope that helps. Before we leave for Prince Edward Island and we're loaded for the trip I'll weigh the Honda.

Norm

[honda03842]

Skipped the final weighing of the trailer. Again just before we leave we'll weigh the trailer again. Ginny seems to hold off on putting her clothes in until we're near ready to leave. Mine are mostly there already. I'm always road ready.

Norm

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by honda03842

You have to begin by recognizing that we travel for at least 7 months at a clip. With possibly a 2-4 month trip thrown in some years. As a result we don't take a lot of things weekenders take. There is just the two of us, no kids and no pets.....

Thanks Norm for the clarification. I may not be doing to badly based on that. Also glad to hear she does let you have a few cloths!

[honda03842]

Originally Posted by Carol H

Thanks Norm for the clarification. I may not be doing to badly based on that. Also glad to hear she does let you have a few cloths!

Ginny gets 50% more space for clothes than me.

Love strikes again,

Norm

[honda03842]

For years we have left the dinette made into a bed for our travels. When we bought the Scamp we decided to try making up the bed only at night.

Our opinion was that it's harder to make the bed each morning because the bed had to be perfect during the day and imperfect when made up at night. After we picked up the trailer in FL we made the bed each evening. Ginny was concerned that the cushions would be too hard since we had no matress topper with us. Fortunately we slept like bricks.

Also today we received a full sized, 1.5", mostly memory foam, matress topper from Wal Marts, $35. Amazingly it arrived in two days, shipping was 97 cents, just amazing. Besides triming it to shape, we are cutting it in half, narrow dimension and during the day time will put it under the dinette cushions.

Earlier in this post there are photos of our new folding table. Today I made up the bed with this table for the first time. It is decidely easier to handle than the big pressboard table. It's lighter and goes up and down quicker and easier.

Norm

[honda03842]

Today I did a number of small things before we hwad to PEI.

I began by installing a hot rodd to give us electric hot water. We've done this in every rig we have owned, just for the silence of it all.

This entailed putting in another outlet for the hot water. This brings the total number of outlets to 10 on four 15 amp breakers. I will eventually add another outlet for the air conditioner.

Breaker 1.
End of Sink Counter
Hot Water Tank

Breaker 2.
End of Stove Counter
Refridgertor

Breaker 3.
Front of Dinette, Sink Side
Outside Outlets, Rear Bumper
Rear of Dinette

Breaker 4.
Couch
Converter
Front of Dinette, Stove Side

We added a rear bumper clothes line to allow us to dry towels and bathing suits.

PEI here we come (anxious to hit the road.)

Norm

[honda03842]

I suspect many have something like this but for those who don't...

Our clothes line is made with 3/4" plastic pipe. The two side pieces slide into a C bracket that holds the pipe against the frame member. When the pipe is inserted into the C bracket it is stopped by a screw in the side of the pipe when the screw reachs the C bracket.

The plastic cross member has an elbow on each end and simply slips onto the two side members. The piece of clothes line provides tension between the two side pieces. There is a hook on each end of the clothes line. These hooks go into eyelets in each side member.

This plastic cross bar and the clothes line should provide plenty of room to dry our towels and bathing suits.

[honda03842]

One of the issues in making things like the Clothes Line, is storage. Where do you put it when you're traveling?

My solution is to build a little shelf under the Bumper Box using two small, right angle brackets as shown in the following picture. The three pieces of plastic pipe are than held in place with a bungee cord. The piece of clothes line goes in the bumper box.

Today I also painted the bottom of the trailer white with Rustoleum. The previous owner had painted all non-underneath frame members with white Rustoleum so I continued the theme, painting all steel white, wood/fiberglass flooring and also the inside fiberglass surfaces. It looks nice and will add additional protection. It is my habit to touch up the trailer bottom each year.

While I was at it I also masked off the door hardware and sprayed it with white rustoleum, I wish all hardware was stainless.

Norm

[honda03842]

I painted the door hinges with white Rustoleum. I masked off the area carefully with blue tape. I don't know how long they'll last but they look better than rust.

As well I here's the completed painted bottom, all white except the axle, grey tank and front jack. It's not perfect but each year I'll catch the places I missed.

Norm

[honda03842]

This year we are not keeping the bed made-up fulltime. I've decided it's easier to make the bed each night 'poorly' than to make it in the morning 'perfectly'.

We store the bedding in the center cabinet above the dinette. Unfortunately the mattress topper (1.5 inches thick) will not fit with the bedding. We have cut the topper in half to make it easier to handle.

We started by storing the halves in the bottom of the closet but after we return from Prince Edward Island that's where the air conditioner is going. Above the air conditioner will be a clothes hamper.

Forunately we have the front couch/bunk bed model. It turns out that the topper pieces fit perfectly, folded, behing the back of the couch and the couch feels the same. We did take out the 'banana' that was in there.

A place for everything.

Norm

[honda03842]

We have a rather small fridge, probably about 2 cubic feet. It wasn't a problem on our way home or in FL but it certainly has limited storage space.

Today as we were considering filling it for our trip to Prince Edward Island we figured out that it's problem is not necessarily space but rather organization of the space. That the fridge's second problem is lack of shelves. Our's only has one shelf. We are considering ways of making better use of the space with a bunch of home made shelving.

If any one has any organizational tips please let us know.

Norm

[Glen G]

Norm,

Be sure to leave room in the fridge. Cooling relies on convection inside the fridge.

A fan will help but there has to be room to circulate the air around the food .

[cpaharley2008]

Norm,
I have had success with one of these
Valterra Products - FridgeCool Fan with On/Off Switch - Refrigerator Accessories - Camping World

[honda03842]

I sprayed a little silicon into the tracks of the windows. They now slide like they are on air bearings.

Similarly with the lock; a little silicon spray into the latch mechanism makes it close much easier.

Norm

[honda03842]

Our Fridge came to us with only two shelves, one in the middle and one on the bottom. As a result things would just be piled on top of one another.

I bought a couple of Baking Cooling Racks and cut them to fit. In the process I added two shelves making four. The top shelf I cut-out so we can stand up a quart of 1/2 and half and a quart of milk.

On the bottom shelf I cut up a plastic tray to hold 5 cans of soda.

Beyond shelves another problem is water condensing on the cooling coils, particularly today with the door continuously open. I made a plastic collection drain out of a piece of plastic. It is pressure fit between the two side walls of the fridge. The down hillside has three holes drilled in it. These drain into a small plastic container on the shelf below it. I doubt it will have to be drained more than once a day if that. (I did not feel like drilling a hole thru the fridge and the bottom of the trailer to permit it to directly drain outside.)

For those interested the plastic piece is u-channel used in trimming plastic siding available at every Lowes.

[Bill K]

I am going to have to pay more attention as I don't remember my cooling coil dripping.

Bill K

Originally Posted by honda03842

Our Fridge came to us with only two shelves, one in the middle and one on the bottom. As a result things would just be piled on top of one another.

I bought a couple of Baking Cooling Racks and cut them to fit. In the process I added two shelves making four. The top shelf I cut-out so we can stand up a quart of 1/2 and half and a quart of milk.

On the bottom shelf I cut up a plastic tray to hold 5 cans of soda.

Beyond shelves another problem is water condensing on the cooling coils, particularly today with the door continuously open. I made a plastic collection drain out of a piece of plastic. It is pressure fit between the two side walls of the fridge. The down hillside has three holes drilled in it. These drain into a small plastic container on the shelf below it. I doubt it will have to be drained more than once a day if that. (I did not feel like drilling a hole thru the fridge and the bottom of the trailer to permit it to directly drain outside.)

For those interested the plastic piece is u-channel used in trimming plastic siding available at every Lowes.

[honda03842]

Originally Posted by Bill K

I am going to have to pay more attention as I don't remember my cooling coil dripping.

Bill K

We have a very small Dometic fridge. It is the only one that I've ever had without a drip tray that drained the water thru a tube to the outside.

[Bill K]

I just went out and looked at mine and found a removable tray under the cooling coil.

It must have never over flowed and I have never emptied it. LOL

Bill K

Originally Posted by honda03842

We have a very small Dometic fridge. It is the only one that I've ever had without a drip tray that drained the water thru a tube to the outside.

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by Bill K

I just went out and looked at mine and found a removable tray under the cooling coil.

It must have never over flowed and I have never emptied it. LOL

Bill K

Yes, the drip tray is a source of mold if not careful.