Greetings from North of the Cheddar Curtain

[NancyS]

Hi! My Husband and I just bought our first trailer - a 13 foot 1979 ACORN - We are total newbies to this, and are anxious to take it out. We've been cleaning it out, and I still have to tear out the linoleum floor and lay carpet, and make curtains. I'm sure I'll have LOTS of questions. Great to be part of this group. (North of the Cheddar Curtain refers to the State of Wisconsin)

[Thomas G.]

Welcome, we love pictures, especially of unique campers like yours.

[Donna D.]

Hi Nancy, to FiberglassRV, we're glad you're here

ooooh an ACORN, that's a really unique "Scamp." We have lots of Scamp owners here and a bunch of other brand owners... all are willing to share information.

Pictures, do you have pictures to share?

[NancyS]

I do have a few pics - if I can figure out how to post them . . .

[NancyS]

This is a pic of the Acorn . . . I hope it goes through . . . I am computer impaired

[Donna D.]

You got it! Thanks for sharing the pics

Do you know the history of your Acorn? Why Scamp did that?

[NancyS]

I'd heard that one of the people who owned the Scamp company split off on his own and manufactured the Acorns for only a few years. My little Acorn appears to be identical to the Scamp of that vintage and size. (Except mine is cuter) Tee Hee !

[Thomas G.]

Wow, very cute.

Hate to mention it, but you need a new axle. Maybe Scamp would install one?

[NancyS]

How can you tell that it needs a new axle?

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by NancyS

How can you tell that it needs a new axle?

The axles have rubber springs in them and the rubber goes flat after 20 or 25 years. Yours is riding very low. If you have someone look underneath at the suspension arm (behind the tire) while someone inside jumps up and down you will see that there is no movement in the suspension anymore, just the tire flexing. It is about a $500-ish problem.

[NancyS]

Hey Tom - Thanks for getting back to me on this. Now I just have to find a way to break this news to the hubby . . . . . (YIKES!!)

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by NancyS

Hey Tom - Thanks for getting back to me on this. Now I just have to find a way to break this news to the hubby . . . . . (YIKES!!)

It is not dangerous, but the trailer will bounce around as you tow it and the stuff inside has a pretty harsh ride. This is totally to be expected of an older trailer with the original axle.

On the bright side, you can still camp in it and make summer memories. As I mentioned, you might even be able to get Scamp to swap out the axle and save you a bunch of $$.

[RogerDat]

Originally Posted by NancyS

I'd heard that one of the people who owned the Scamp company split off on his own and manufactured the Acorns for only a few years. My little Acorn appears to be identical to the Scamp of that vintage and size. (Except mine is cuter) Tee Hee !

Welcome!

Well it looks darn near identical to my scamp, right down to the pattern on the cushions. Different version of windows. Those crank up windows are nice for a little air flow during a rain.

Ok it does have a major cute factor (but don't they all?) I do have to comment that Mine has the cute three tree scamp decals. And everyone knows those are a cuteness value multiplier.

In addition to harsh ride from worn torsion rubbers in axle, sitting that low makes it easy to scrape the front or rear of the camper. Even a steep driveway ramp at a gas station or backing up an incline into a site needs to be monitored carefully until that axle is replaced.

Mine is not much better but for local camping at the mostly level state parks I find that I can use camper until I get the axle replaced.

Consider getting the bolt on bracket kit when you replace the axle, I think it is about $50 extra. Instead of welding axle to trailer they weld brackets so future axle replacement is a bolt on job, not a welding job.

[RogerDat]

Originally Posted by NancyS

Hey Tom - Thanks for getting back to me on this. Now I just have to find a way to break this news to the hubby . . . . . (YIKES!!)

For what it's worth.... tell hubby by replacing axle the camper will tow smoother, not wear the tires nearly as fast and for a modest increase in price axle can be ordered with brakes which make towing much nicer (and safer). And since axle tends to last for decades having a new one will add to retail value. About like replacing a worn roof on a house, for the next 10 years it adds value.

That is the arguments I am making to DW to convince her. ;-)

And I don't know how much experience you or your husband have at towing but be careful using that rear platform. Need between 10-15% of trailer weight on the hitch. Too much weight behind the axle and not enough tongue weight causes trailer to sway and that can make trailer uncontrollable. Shaking your tail when dancing is OK, not so much when it's your trailer yanking your car around.

[Otters]

Congratulations on finding such a great and unique trailer. I've had my '77 Scamp for almost a year, but didn't use it until this summer. I'm finding it an easy and fun camper that I can handle alone. So you made a good choice. Enjoy!

[NancyS]

Thanks so much for all of the good advice. We're looking into replacing the axle . . . and thanks too for the towing/loading advice. We are totally new at this.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by NancyS

I'd heard that one of the people who owned the Scamp company split off on his own and manufactured the Acorns for only a few years. My little Acorn appears to be identical to the Scamp of that vintage and size. (Except mine is cuter) Tee Hee !

No that's Casita...

The Acorn was produced in 1979 for one model year after Scamp was sued over the use of the name by another RV manufacturer. They won, and resumed production as Scamp by 1980. Scamp actually went into production (I believe) in late 1976.

[jalanjen]

Hello Nancy. Welcome from one Wisconsinite to another.

Enjoy your trailer. I can't say enough about how much we luv ours! I hope to see you out there.


Jen in South Central/ South Eastern WI (Dodge County) ...Scampin in the "Taj MaTent"
2013 Ford Escape pulling a 13ft Scamp

[papa-t]

Hey Nancy, Welcome to FGRV and welcome from North Carolina.

[Roy in TO]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

No that's Casita...

The Acorn was produced in 1979 for one model year after Scamp was sued over the use of the name by another RV manufacturer. They won, and resumed production as Scamp by 1980. Scamp actually went into production (I believe) in late 1976.

I thought they initially started production of the Scamp in late 1972 using the boler American molds from earlier that year. Quoting from here:
Why Scamp: Lightweight Camping Trailers for Easy Towing & Comfort - Scamp Trailers
"But by the end of 1972 about 130 trailers had been produced." It is really hard to determine from the text how many of those were boler Americans and / or how many were Scamps.