The Scampulance 19' - Fiberglass RV
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Old 02-28-2018, 06:00 PM   #1
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Name: Matt
Trailer: Ambulance
Florida
Posts: 13
The Scampulance 19'

After camping a bunch in our slightly modified 4WD ambulance we decided we wanted to pull a self-contained camper that had "all the stuff" built in that we were considering adding to the ambulance.

We set our sights on a fiberglass camper for the size, durability, weight and resale value. In that order. We want to be able to go wherever with little restrictions because of size but still, sleep all of us.

The Scamp 5th wheel seemed to check the most boxes for us.

After locating one from a member here, we drove and snatched it up.

Slight problem, we need to bumper pull the 5th wheel behind our ambulance.

Soooo...

I welded on a hitch to the ambulance before we left and the previous owner knew a welder down the road from him. After we exchanged funds we chopped off the stock gooseneck and welded on 3.5" ID x 1/4" tube and re-welded the stock hitch.

We first saw our Scamp at 3:30PM, by 7:00PM we had a bumper pull 5th wheel! Can't do much better than that!

We've learned a ton from you all already and are excited to be joining the FG RV ranks!

Here are some pics of the bumper pull fabrication.

Pre-Cut and ours for about 30 Minutes



Where to cut?



After the Cut






Attached Files
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Old 03-01-2018, 12:40 AM   #2
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Name: Dave
Trailer: Casita SD17 2006 "Missing Link"
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Welcome to FGRV Matt, very interesting mod. Get back to us after a few trips on how it works out for you. Scampulance sounds like an excellent name for it also .
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Old 03-01-2018, 07:08 AM   #3
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Name: Matt
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Thanks! We towed it 400 miles so far and pulled like a dream!
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Old 03-01-2018, 07:18 AM   #4
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Name: Matt
Trailer: Ambulance
Florida
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So, we have a problem.

What we thought was a minor interior mildew issue is actually a water leak through the window(s). We pulled back the flooring, the sub floor is wet. Pulled back the rat fur and insulation and there is water between the fiberglass and the insulation throughout the dinette area.

We aren't sure how far it goes yet. But based on the "mildew" on the rat fur under the windows in the 5th wheel area it may be up there as well.

We are thinking that we will need to pull everything out to get the fiberglass dry and re-seal all the windows, hatches and rivets.

Seems crazy to have to do this on a 2012 unit...

1. Estimated cost on rat fur / insulation for a 19' 5er?
2. Links to the best order of cabinet removal?
3. Am I nuts to think I can do this in 5 full days of work?

This fiberglass wall is wet...
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Old 03-01-2018, 07:52 AM   #5
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If you hadn't already done it, surely several people on here would have told you that you can't do it! Interesting mod.
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Old 03-01-2018, 08:42 AM   #6
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I've never heard anyone say it can't be done- there are a number of bumper pull conversions out there. You will hear often that it shouldn't be done, which is a different issue. High tongue weight and no possibility of a weight distributing hitch is one reason, requiring a heavy duty truck to tow. Liability should the modification fail is another.

With dual rear wheels and a 1T van chassis, this set-up may be all right weight-wise, depending on how much payload is taken up by the ambulance conversion. The long rear overhang is a drawback. I can't speak to the strength of the coupler extension. Loft clearance looks tight.

Here's another. Follow the arrow for pictures.
Quote:
Originally Posted by floyd View Post
Super Scamp was built by and is owned by Frank Glugla of WI. It is also a convertible, in that it can be bumper towed with additional storage under the loft, or with the simple removal of a couple of pins and a hitch ball, the "adapter" can be removed and it can be towed as a fiver.\.
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Old 03-01-2018, 09:54 AM   #7
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Name: Matt
Trailer: Ambulance
Florida
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Love the convertible hitch I had the same idea, just couldn't pull it off in the woods of TN in someone else's shop in 3 hours

Maybe one day though...

I'm thinking the tongue weight is around 500lbs wet? Is that right?

My calculations showed a loss of .5 MPG on the tow home. Like it wasn't even there driving wise.
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Old 03-01-2018, 11:03 AM   #8
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Name: Tom
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It would be a mistake for me to think I could repair the water damage in 5 days. Because I would need that long to do the hitch modification you completed in 3 hours. Good work.

That said, I would be very interested in how the trailer and combination weigh in with regard to your tow vehicle's capacities. I guess I would begin at the plate mounted by the driver's door on the tow vehicle, then I'd figure out whether those capacities apply to just the chassis, or the ambulance as modified. I would also learn what I could about ambulance chassis on internet website's such as the ambulance manufacturer, or others. Very interesting.

PS, looks like a Ford chassis. I would also check their site for the year of manufacture.
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Old 03-01-2018, 11:08 AM   #9
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You think welding some kind of gusset on that hitch extension might be a good idea?
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Old 03-01-2018, 11:18 AM   #10
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Name: Matt
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Florida
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Could be, but the factory tube is inside the new tube about 3.5" on each side, so it has the same effect. It was so tight a fit we had to grind out the inside of the new tube a hair to sync them up.
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Old 03-01-2018, 11:39 AM   #11
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Name: Dave W
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The hitch extension may be ok, BUT by extending the hitch as you have done, you are definitely increasing the bending moment that acts on the structure. As an example, fill a grocery bag with 10 lb of stuff and hang it from your elbow (with your arm straight out in front of you). Then move the bag to the hand at the end of your arm. Feel how much more stress the same weight puts on your shoulder just be moving the weight a small distance further away? You are essentially doing the same thing with your hitch. Do not be surprised if you get some serious bending/cracking/failures with use. It would be a good idea to have your design checked by a structural or mechanical engineer to confirm that what you have done is adequate!
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Old 03-01-2018, 11:54 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom 72 View Post
...That said, I would be very interested in how the trailer and combination weigh in with regard to your tow vehicle's capacities. I guess I would begin at the plate mounted by the driver's door on the tow vehicle, then I'd figure out whether those capacities apply to just the chassis, or the ambulance as modified. I would also learn what I could about ambulance chassis on internet website's such as the ambulance manufacturer, or others...
Those numbers apply to the chassis, yes, and the ambulance conversion uses up a chunk of that capacity.

I'd recommend taking the fully loaded rig to a CAT scale and get the following weights: front axle (hitched), front & rear axles (hitched), and the whole rig. Subtract to get the rear axle weight (hitched) and the trailer axle weight. If you are within the GCWR, GVWR, and GAWR's (x3), so far so good. Note that to weigh axle-by-axle, you need to find a CAT scale where you drive on and off level, not up and down a ramp.

You could also weigh the front axle and the whole truck unhitched to see how much unloading of the front axle is occurring due to tongue weight and the leverage of the long rear overhang. I'm not sure how much is too much, but at some point handling and braking will suffer. That would normally be corrected with a weight distributing hitch, which is not an option in this case.

Using the hitched and unhitched weights, you can calculate the total trailer weight and tongue weight, which is useful information. Average hitch weight for a Scamp 19 in our Trailer Weights database is 600 pounds, but that likely includes some heavier deluxe models, so 500 pounds is possible. Carrying water would reduce it somewhat, since the fresh water tank is behind the axle.
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Old 03-01-2018, 12:36 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by haulit2 View Post
So, we have a problem.

What we thought was a minor interior mildew issue is actually a water leak through the window(s). We pulled back the flooring, the sub floor is wet. Pulled back the rat fur and insulation and there is water between the fiberglass and the insulation throughout the dinette area.

We aren't sure how far it goes yet. But based on the "mildew" on the rat fur under the windows in the 5th wheel area it may be up there as well.

We are thinking that we will need to pull everything out to get the fiberglass dry and re-seal all the windows, hatches and rivets.

Seems crazy to have to do this on a 2012 unit...

1. Estimated cost on rat fur / insulation for a 19' 5er?
2. Links to the best order of cabinet removal?
3. Am I nuts to think I can do this in 5 full days of work?

This fiberglass wall is wet...
No, no, no! Don't pull it all off. You might get it back together in 5 weeks, not 5 days; for most people it ends up more like 5 months!

Get it out of any more rain, get one or more dehumidifiers going to draw the moisture out.

If necessary, isolate the leak using a garden hose starting from the bottom. It may take a while for the moisture to appear at the floor, so take your time. If it is a window, check first to see if the drain slots are clogged with debris. If so, clean them out with a wire or a piece of weed trimmer string. If that doesn't stop the leak, you'll need to pull the offending window, clean all surfaces thoroughly, and reinstall it with fresh butyl tape.

It could actually be coming from higher up and running behind the liner, so don't overlook the possibility it's coming from a roof vent.

Once you have the leak stopped, continue to run the dehumidifiers to keep it dry. How about a week or two in Arizona in May or June? That'll get it dry as a bone, guaranteed!

The rat fur is non-absorbent, so the mildew should clean up with spot cleaning, or perhaps careful use of a steam cleaner (too much heat can loosen the adhesive, so be cautious).

I agree, it is quite surprising to have that much of a leak in so new a trailer. Mine is leak-free after almost 10 years. We do get snow and rain, sometimes a lot of it at once, and our dry climate can be hard on many sealants. I have heard that Scamp uses some kind of foam tape instead of butyl for window installation, definitely not a best practice.
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Old 03-01-2018, 07:35 PM   #14
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Name: Matt
Trailer: Ambulance
Florida
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I had moisture between the FG and the double bobble insulation through my 2012 19’ today. Ceiling, dinette, 5th wheel area. Bizarre. I gutted it all out today.

Water soaking me as I pulled off the insulation. No bueno.

I called a couple double bubble reflective insulation companies today and they all said that with no air pocket between the FG and the marine carpet / liner there was no R value.

To me this whole water situation is insane. You know it’s going to leak again through a window seal, weep drain, bad seal on a rivet etc. But people keep doing the same thing over and over.

So I’m going to glass in all the cabinets and supports to the shell, glass in the floors and then paint / gel coat the entire interior. Like a boat.

Yes there will be condensation, but there is with the rat fur too, you just can’t clean it like you can a fiberglass gel coat wall and you can’t get to the moisture behind the barriers without cutting into stuff.

This way you just crack the windows as needed and wipe down the walls if needed.

No mold, no dust, no gutting down the road. (Again)

I’ll fill in all the river holes on the outside and repaint.

Will glass in the shower to be water tight and put a boat style fiberglass door there vs particle board.
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Old 03-01-2018, 08:00 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by haulit2 View Post
...
To me this whole water situation is insane. You know it’s going to leak again through a window seal, weep drain, bad seal on a rivet etc. But people keep doing the same thing over and over.
Do boat builders put more than the absolute minimum of penetrations though the hull, esp below the waterline? No - of course not.

Quote:
Originally Posted by haulit2 View Post
...

So I’m going to glass in all the cabinets and supports to the shell, glass in the floors and then paint / gel coat the entire interior. Like a boat.
...
When you say it so clearly, it seems obvious.
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Old 03-01-2018, 08:21 PM   #16
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Name: Rick
Trailer: Boler
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Looks like a great setup you have there. I have read a lot of good advice posted already. Just to add on about the weight and getting it weighed, there is a truck stop near me with a scale however I have not used. I have used the local land fill that has a drive on scale and have been able to use it as it is level and I can read the weight on the digital display pulling on and partially off. If they aren't busy a nice howdy do and a few donuts can go a long way.

Enjoy the journey,

Rick W.

Is your ride still fast? It might be nice to have you in the park with me!!!
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Old 03-01-2018, 08:41 PM   #17
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Scamp Trailers... the manufacturer lists the tongue weight of the 19' at 400lbs. But if you check the Trailer Weights in the Real World thread, you'll find it's more than that. In some cases...waaaaaay more than that. No one tows an empty trailer, except the day they buy it. What is the hitch weight rate for your Scampulance and do you know the exact tongue weight of your trailer, loaded for camping? Knowing that is important. We want you safe to go down the road, after all you're sharing the road with the rest of us. I wish you well, truly.
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Old 03-03-2018, 06:45 AM   #18
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Name: Matt
Trailer: Ambulance
Florida
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Has anyone had experience with Armaflex closed cell insulation?
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Old 03-03-2018, 07:54 AM   #19
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Name: bob
Trailer: Was A-Liner now 13f Scamp
Missouri
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outstanding

matt you are something else I wish I had half your ingenuity and get-up-and -go. wow!

I think the suspension on that ambulance is capable of handling about anything as a tug. big tires big brakes big shocks I wouldn't be afraid of this in the least.

I wonder how long it will take you to get this thing back on the road?


best of luck

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Old 03-03-2018, 09:16 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by haulit2 View Post
Has anyone had experience with Armaflex closed cell insulation?
I have been satisfied with the field performance of Reflectix and rat fur, but I can understand your wanting to take a different approach. Closed cell foam is a good choice, though tricky to install. Can't speak to this specific product, though.

What do you plan to put over it as a finish layer, or will you go the caulk-and-paint route?
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