13' Scamp to live/travel in full time

[ZachO]

I lived out of an old Toyota Chinook for a little over a year. It was 17', but that included the cab, so probably pretty similar to a 13' egg. I loved it. I love small, cozy spaces. But at the end of that year...I couldn't stand to be inside that thing anymore. I ruined it for myself by spending too much time in that small space.

For camping? Yeah, great little thing. For living? A completely different deal. That's not discounting anyone's personal experience but until you've lived in your camper, not extended camping trips with a full size home to come back to, but lived in you camper, with it as your only home, it's hard to know what it's like.

I know a guy who bought a small, couple acre property and lived out of a tent on it for a year, then put up a yurt and lived in that for a decade. It absolutely can be done, but it's absolutely not for everyone. One person's nonsense is another's truth, I guess.

[bojetty]

Hi Gail! I just bought a 13' Scamp a little over a month ago. I have not started living in it, but I plan to. I am also a minimalist, maybe to the extreme. Right now, I own a 3 bdrm house, but I only have a dining room table/chairs and a bed. Anything else would be a waste, other than the bathroom, which I do not have in my Scamp. It is tiny, so I plan to spend lots of time outdoors. That's where I spend my time now. I hope it works out for both of us. I think it's very doable, but probably a 16' would have been my better choice. I just had never pulled a camper before, so this is where I will begin. Hope you find your dream!

[floyd]

Originally Posted by computerspook

I have a 16 foot scamp. Love it. Not sure I could. I'm in it. now I'll say I do more than half my camping in sites that are nowhere near standard camping locations. So I absolutely have to have the extra facilities of a 16-foot. But I also really love it for what I am in an RV park. Not sure I'd be very happy personally with a 13-foot.

What extra facilities does a 16 have?

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by floyd

What extra facilities does a 16 have?

In a layout 6, 16 footer you can have a complete bathroom, small dinette AND a full-time bed. You can't get all three at the same time in a 13 footer.... unless your 'bathroom' is a port-a-potty. But you know that Floyd.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

In a layout 6, 16 footer you can have a complete bathroom, small dinette AND a full-time bed. You can't get all three at the same time in a 13 footer.... unless your 'bathroom' is a port-a-potty. But you know that Floyd.

For a single occupant, in a Scamp13D, you can have a complete bathroom a small dinette and a full-time bed. The wraparound couch conversion allows for more versatility and comfort as well.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by floyd

For a single occupant, in a Scamp13D, you can have a complete bathroom a small dinette and a full-time bed. The wraparound couch conversion allows for more versatility and comfort as well.

Show me the layout please. I've never seen what you describe in a 13'. So, I'm really curious.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Show me the layout please. I've never seen what you describe in a 13'. So, I'm really curious.

I don't have a picture of it setup as described, but I do have a picture of mine setup as a wraparound couch. The pedestal accommodates two different tables, either of which allows for a full 30" bed for one person at the rear of the trailer with a two person dinette in front of it. Of course the complete bathroom is at the front of the trailer.
Here is a picture of ours which is shown with the wraparound couch at 24" all around. The back center pulls straight out to 34" still leaving a 20" wide two person dinette.
One pedestal table is 14"X14" , the other is 20"X30" which allows for a full sized bed when lowered. Of course any size or shape is possible within limits and the pedestal mount can be placed where desired and the bed/ dinette could be custom configured to more exactly reflect the individual need....

[Donna D.]

Thanks Floyd. Now I see what you meant. I was trying to envision a 48-54 inch permanent bed. The only way I could see getting all three features in a 13' trailer, was to remove the kitchen!

[GingerB]

Originally Posted by thrifty bill

Once you need a shower, then IMHO, a 16 foot Scamp is much better.


To get a bathroom/shower in a 13 footer, you give up the couch or a dinette. Experienced campers tend to prefer a full time bed (back dinette) and then a separate place to sit. A 16 footer allows you to have a bath/shower, bed area, and a separate area to sit.

A full time bed allows you to replace the myriad of dinette cushions (to make the rear dinette every night into a bed) and instead purchase the mattress of your choice. That is a BIG plus! Full time makes this even more important. A bed that may not be very comfortable on a weekend is not that big of a deal. But every night, back to back, it becomes a big deal.

My husband and I have spent a lot of time in our 13’ Scamp and I think I could easily live in one as a single person except for the bed. We’re both side-sleepers and in order to get a really comfortable sleep, we needed to add another 4” layer of foam over the existing cushions to keep from waking up with aching hips. The problem then becomes, where do you put those big foam pieces when you want to set up the table? Finally, we moved up to a 19’ Escape - real bed, real mattress. I loved my little Scamp but these old bones couldn’t take it anymore.

[Harlan C]

Originally Posted by floyd

I don't have a picture of it setup as described, but I do have a picture of mine setup as a wraparound couch. The pedestal accommodates two different tables, either of which allows for a full 30" bed for one person at the rear of the trailer with a two person dinette in front of it. Of course the complete bathroom is at the front of the trailer.
Here is a picture of ours which is shown with the wraparound couch at 24" all around. The back center pulls straight out to 34" still leaving a 20" wide two person dinette.
One pedestal table is 14"X14" , the other is 20"X30" which allows for a full sized bed when lowered. Of course any size or shape is possible within limits and the pedestal mount can be placed where desired and the bed/ dinette could be custom configured to more exactly reflect the individual need....

Floyd...your wrap around couch is an excellent modification (thus having a permanent bed for one person) and solves the stock situation of a combined bed/dinette area. Scamp should offer it!! (I didn't see any such option on their website) You stated the "back bed" was 30" wide which is fine for one person. Scamp website says the interior width is 6'6". Is that the actual length of that single bed or have they fudged those numbers a bit. (I'm asking b/c I'm 6'4" tall and considering a 13' Scamp. I would definitely do your modification)

[Jon in AZ]

I measure about 75-76" interior width in my 13' Scamp. At 6'4" you'll probably need to sleep diagonally in the full dinette bed. You'll also be stooping inside. I only measure 6'1-1/2" headroom in the center. That's in the taller, post-fire (2007+) units.

I know there are some taller people that manage in a 13' Scamp, but you really need to try it out first-hand to see if it will work for you.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Bigger is always better. A 13' is way too small for anything.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

I measure about 75-76" interior width in my 13' Scamp. At 6'4" you'll probably need to sleep diagonally in the full dinette bed. You'll also be stooping inside. I only measure 6'1-1/2" headroom in the center. That's in the taller, post-fire (2007+) units.

I know there are some taller people that manage in a 13' Scamp, but you really need to try it out first-hand to see if it will work for you.

Mine measures about 78. Remember that the seats of the dinette means the top 24"and the bottom 24" of the bed still have 54" of cushion width.
I am a paltry 6 ft and have never had to worry about the bed length even though I sleep against the back wall and share the full bed.
One point that most wouldn't consider... Make your pillow a bit smaller from top to bottom which places your head closer to the wall at the top, taking advantage of the full length. A regular home mattress is at most 75" long.

Also the dinette could be made any width leaving the rest for the bed...
For instance a 14" wide table would leave 40" width for the bed.
Anything in between of course... There would be plenty of "diagonal" at any rate.


As for interior height... For fair comparison with other brands the Scamp I officially 6'3" floor to ceiling.
Mine is prefire and only 6' inside height, which I have found comfortable.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Medusa in Akron

Hi Gail. It looks like I'll be forced into early retirement (i.e., near poverty) by the pandemic. I just used the search term "Scamp 13' + living in driveway" in Google, which, for some reason, led me to your post on this forum. Just out of curiosity, how is your full-time Scamp life going? Does anyone else (particularly seniors) boondock full time and/or take turns living in the driveways of family and friends?

Unfortunately- as often happens on these forums- Gail left two days after starting this thread. Last activity according to her profile is 11/8/18. Your best best is to start your own thread, and perhaps another S13 full-timer will be along. Meantime I will offer a brief reply.

I’m not currently a full-timer, but I did live 10 months in a Scamp-sized trailer and 4 years in a larger trailer when I was just starting out after college (long time ago!). I would say yes, it can be done. I would want my own bathroom. I’d prefer the space of a larger 16’er, but even a 13’er can work.

Most important thing to realize is these trailers aren’t designed for the cold. Yes, they have furnaces, and yes, they work well, but (1) they’ll burn through a lot of propane (and battery power If you’re not plugged in), and (2) the shower plumbing and grey tank are unprotected below the trailer. The full plumbing cannot be used in sub-freezing weather.

That means you need to follow the weather and spend winters in warmer places. Or winterize the plumbing and “dry camp” (take sponge baths from a basin, heat water on the stove, and flush the toilet with bottled water).

Because I was living in a moderately cold place, I did the dry camping thing in the small trailer (with a port-a-potty). That, honestly, got old. The larger trailer was winter-rated with heated plumbing and holding tanks, just like a small house, and my employer provided an inexpensive trailer site with full hookups.

I am so sorry to hear about your circumstances. I admire your determination to maintain your independence. I hope you find better times ahead.

[Medusa in Akron]

Hi Jon--thank you for replying so quickly and for the good advice. I decided to post a longer "rant" (pity party?) in the general forum thread (I hope that's the right terminology--I just joined today and have never done anything like this before!) . . .

[alan H]

Originally Posted by Medusa in Akron

Hi Jon--thank you for replying so quickly and for the good advice. I decided to post a longer "rant" (pity party?) in the general forum thread (I hope that's the right terminology--I just joined today and have never done anything like this before!) . . .

Someone just posted a 23’ scamp very basic in Watertown my
Might want to check this site out

https://www.fiberglass-rv-4sale.com/

[alan H]

I fat fingered my response it should read 13’ scamp