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Old 03-03-2021, 02:06 PM   #1
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Name: Jeremy
Trailer: in the market
Texas
Posts: 12
Question Heya, I'm Jeremy

Hi! Thanks for being here. I'm Jeremy, and I'm moving from the casually-perusing-trailers-and-daydreaming phase in to the ok-nuts-and-bolts-what-do-I-want-and-how-am-I-gonna-get-it phase. Sorry for the mouthful lol.

About: I'm a single person with a dog (2 year old husky.) I can travel and work remotely, but will probably be based in Washington state. I will be in grad school at some point and want to live in a fiberglass trailer full time. I do a lot of backcountry hiking, so access to areas to more trails is super exciting. Tow vehicle: 2017 VW Tiguan Limited, 2200lb towing capacity, still owe a lot on the car so switching to a different TV ain't really an option.

This limits me, as far as I can tell, to a few options: 13' trailers (Scamp, Burro, etc), 16' Scamp layout 3 so like as bare bones as they come, and older weirder designs that look cool but that I'd feel utterly lost trying to maintain.

However! Scamps currently seem to be like nearly unacquirable! I don't want to wait until late 2022, which is what I saw someone saying their factory is currently quoting on build time. I have seen also that you can put yourself on a waitlist for a cancellation from the factory, which might work. And of course there are used options, which seem great, except that they get snatched up almost instantly. The *further* complication with which is that I don't know whether seeing a trailer in person before purchase is something I definitely need to do or not. Reason being, I have read often that structural issues like soft or decaying floors are out there, and aren't really repairable.

Looking at other brands, Burros have caught my eye- I really like the interiors. a)No ratfur (why, oh why did someone have to name it that and make it even worse)
b)dinette rather than bunk bed/sofa thingy. Way more functional for work than just like, a glorified bench. Would it be possible to somehow mod this into a Scamp?
c)Insulation. Living in Washington state, and seeing that Burros are double walled with insulation (sometimes) is appealing.

But of course, the primary issue with a Burro is that in order to actually get one, I'd probably have to buy it unseen and just cross my fingers? Is that true? And since they're not in production anymore, if it ever needed repair I'd have a heck of a time finding the part. Which for someone with almost no mechanical talents seems.. daunting lol.

Anyway! Thank you for reading, any advice is welcome and appreciated. Glad this forum is here.

J
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Old 03-03-2021, 03:10 PM   #2
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Name: Jon
Trailer: 2008 Scamp 13 S1
Arizona
Posts: 11,912
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The Scamp 16-3 is the lightest no-bath version, and it might be kept under 2200#, but I wouldn't count on it. With a 2200# rating, stick to 13'ers.

Given your plans, you will definitely want a furnace and fridge, and given your tow vehicle, you need electric trailer brakes. All are options in the 13' class, so you have to check. What are you thinking about sanitary facilities?

Insulation... none of the 13'ers have much to speak of, and I doubt you'll see much real-world difference among them. As to "rat fur," the marine headliner (doesn't that sound better?) is nice to brush against in the cold and eliminates condensation (from the walls, at least). I consider it as good as any.

Dinette... it's not too hard to convert the sofa into a dinette, with or without the bunk/backrest in place. Hardest part is dividing the cushion into 3 parts. Here's one...
Click image for larger version

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As an alternative, a Lagun table mount allows you add a swing-away table in front of the sofa.
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Old 03-03-2021, 03:26 PM   #3
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Name: Tom
Trailer: BigFoot 25B25RT
Massachusetts
Posts: 592
Slim Potato Head

This guy bought a small fiberglass camper and he does YouTube videos. He has a lot about winter camping.

https://www.youtube.com/c/SlimPotatohead/videos
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Old 03-03-2021, 08:53 PM   #4
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Name: Jeremy
Trailer: in the market
Texas
Posts: 12
Thanks so much Jon!

Yeah, sounds like it's a 13er then. I thought maybe the extra space of a 16 would be nice, but definitely don't want to get risky with my towing capacity. Will def need furnace, fridge, and brakes, hopefully as options to make it easy. For sanitary, I had thought for a while I wanted an onboard shower & toilet, but reading about it more they just seem like more hassle than they're worth. Living in a colder/wetter climate, it's more pipes to take care of, and more opportunity for mold. Plus, especially in a 13er, I don't want something taking up a huge chunk of my living space that I'm only using 5% of the day. I'm fine with a sani potty or whatever options are out there, if others can make it work I can too. The new 13ers even come with an outdoor shower. The ahem marine liner does sound good especially for condensation, which from what I've read is a big issue with smooth walls like on the Burro.

But dang, that dinette hack! It's exactly what I was hoping for. Is this an aftermarket mod? All the photos I've seen of the factory installed bench from Scamp look like one continuous piece that I guess would have to be removed and replaced with the two-sides pieces and table setup? Which I think I'd be down for, but would prefer one directly from Scamp if possible- I trust them more than I do myself on installing it.
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Old 03-03-2021, 08:54 PM   #5
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Name: Jeremy
Trailer: in the market
Texas
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Thanks Thomas! I'll check him out.
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Old 03-04-2021, 07:09 AM   #6
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Name: Jon
Trailer: 2008 Scamp 13 S1
Arizona
Posts: 11,912
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Quote:
Originally Posted by loombisaurus View Post
But dang, that dinette hack! It's exactly what I was hoping for. Is this an aftermarket mod? All the photos I've seen of the factory installed bench from Scamp look like one continuous piece that I guess would have to be removed and replaced with the two-sides pieces and table setup? Which I think I'd be down for, but would prefer one directly from Scamp if possible- I trust them more than I do myself on installing it.
Scamp will only do a front dinette in a deluxe (wood interior) model ($$). The one in the photo is an owner mod.

The conversion works something like this. You might do it with the bench in place, but it’s not hard to remove, just some screws. Cut a notch out of the bench above the existing notch in the floor. Box in the notch with plywood. Cut and finish the table. Add a rail to support the table when it’s lowered. Install using a standard RV pedestal mount. Cut the foam into three pieces and modify the cover. I’d want a piece of cushion to cover the center so you can lower the table to make an extra bed. Most future buyers would want that capability. Scamp sells matching fabric for newer units (since around 2008), and they can make custom cushions to order.

However, for just one person, I’d probably sleep on the front sofa and leave the rear dinette for work and dining. At 26”x76” the front bench is adequate for a person of average build. Remove and store the upper bunk for more headroom or in cold weather leave the upper bunk in place for the warmest bed in the house.

And there’s this: if you do the dinette conversion, you give up the storage compartment under the center of the bench for a small porta-potty. There’s no other place to store it out of sight and out of the way.
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Old 03-04-2021, 12:33 PM   #7
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Trailer: 2010 13 ft Scamp
Posts: 101
13' Scamp quest

Hi Jeremy,

I just sent you a Private Message.\Please take a look.
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Old 03-04-2021, 05:32 PM   #8
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Name: J.D.
Trailer: 2014 Scamp 16 Layout 6
West Virginia
Posts: 51
Quote:
Originally Posted by ThomasC View Post
This guy bought a small fiberglass camper and he does YouTube videos. He has a lot about winter camping.

https://www.youtube.com/c/SlimPotatohead/videos

YES! I have been following Slim for quite some time. His mods are amazing! He started out in an Aliner and is now in an Outback.



His videos are uber-professional too!
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Old 03-10-2021, 02:05 PM   #9
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Trailer: Casita 13 ft
Posts: 19
Jeremy, just letting you know I PM'd you re our Casita.
Louise
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Old 03-11-2021, 02:52 PM   #10
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Name: Patricia
Trailer: ECO & Casita
California
Posts: 34
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Front dinette conversion

I had a shop cut out the dinette opening for me. I did not want to try it myself. Be sure you use the proper safety gear, as you don’t want to risk breathing in the fiberglass dust.

I used the standard floor mount for two trips, and ordered a Lagun Table mount instead. I mounted it to the back of the dinette enclosure. It gives you the option to swivel it back out of the way, when getting up and down, and you aren’t bumping into the floor mount all the time. If you have long arms, you can reach from the sides of the front bench area, and install the Lagun Mount without too much trouble.

There is a porta potty that the 3 legs fold up flat, that uses bags instead of a tank. It would fit under the bed until needed. It is carried at Walmart, and available on Amazon and eBay.
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