Hi new members here from chicago.

[Jets27]

So me and my girlfriend both love camping, road trips, etc, and decided to save for our first trailer. We fell in love with the scamps and are saving every penny for one. Most likely a 13 foot but I have a feeling it might be a bit small and we'll end up wanting the 16 foot. What do you guys think, it will be just me and her. Is the 13 foot too cramped?

[Ian G.]

to the forum
It is amazing how much space there is in a 13' Scamp, but the size really depends on how you camp (do you spend a lot of time inside or out), how big you are (larger and taller people can find the 13 foot a challenge).

Try to come to a fiberglass rally in your area and compare models. Also check to see if there is anyone who rents them in your area, that way you could give one a try first.

[papa-t]

The 13 can be small for two people. I agree with Ian you should check out a 13 and a 16. Welcome to the forum

[carlkeigley]

Welcome to the Forum.
glad you joined us.

Lots of informative folks on here.

[CindyL]

Many people here start with a 13' and end up wanting a larger one. We were that way. I would say go for the larger one.

And welcome from a fellow Chicago-land person. While we don't have a Scamp (We have the larger Uhaul VT and it is covered for winter.), you are welcome to see our camper when the weather lets us uncover it. We are in Oak Park.

CindyL

[Jets27]

Everyone here is so nice, thanks for the suggestions. It will be a little while before were ready to buy so we have some time to research. Another reason we were thinking about a 13 is I have a honda crv and don't think it would be able to tow a 16. I'll had to check some out though, I know I'm eventually going to want a 16 haha. And were not far from oak park, I'd love to see the uhaul when the weathers nicer.

[Ian G.]

I am sure your Honda CRV will handle a 16' no problem, Norm and Ginny pull their 16' Scamp all over the country with their CRV. As for size, once you are hooked on fiberglass trailers you will want more than one

[Mike Watters]

The clear and unambiguous answer is "it depends".

It depends on how big you are (in various dimensions). The bigger (in any way), the worse the fit. We started out in a 13' Boler (small Scamps are similar). The rear bed was cramped for my wife and I. Neither of us are small people. Even when I was in the back bed by myself I felt cramped though - I'm a hair over 6' tall. Couldn't even go corner to corner because of the curve.

The PlayPac we had was slightly larger (but not much). I rebuilt that to a fairly standard small-egg floorplan: Rear bed, front dinette (w/ cubby for portapotty), curbside closet, roadside counter. Due to the slightly larger dimensions - and squarish shape - that rear bed was a residential queen mattress however. That was nice.

It depends on how you view the trailer. Is it a rolling apartment - or a rolling bedroom/dining room & closet. ie - how much hanging out inside the trailer do you do as opposed to being outdoors. This is a question you might not actually be able to answer until you start actually going out in one. I know for us, it's changed. It isn't what we initially planned on. It isn't how we started either. It's evolved over the years. It also depended who I was with. Different kids wanted to do different things.

[Mike Watters]

The numbers I've seeing for the tow capacity of a Honda CR-V is 1500 pounds. Scamp puts the 13-footer at 1200-1500. They put the 16-footer STARTING at 1750. Sounds like a reason to go with the smaller one unless you're swapping tow vehicles as well.

Oh - I also wanted to note: I've gone out with several little trailers. We have NEVER gotten as much positive attention as we did with the Boler (and I've had some really oddball trailers!). The most common term? "cute". There was also the occasional remark (always from an older guy) along the lines of "at least it's paid for", but mostly it was very, VERY positive responses. Get used to talking to people.

[RogerDat]

Really does depend on how you plan to use your camper. As a packed and ready to go hard sided tent. Or as a personal, portable motel room with a kitchen.

We spend our time outside for the most part, cook on the Coleman stove or campfire and can crash for the night on the road without setting up or taking down in the morning. Others use it more as a motel room that they can use as a base for other activities when traveling. And there are some that like to get out in the boondocks for several days with more comfort which means more space for amenities and features.

If you pay a reasonable price for a used egg in good condition and keep it up resale of a 13 ft. should recover most of your investment to put toward a 16 ft. if that is where you end up wanting to go.

On towing a 16 ft. with a CRV the CRV came with several different engines and transmissions. I don't think any are rated by manufacturer to tow the weight of a 16 ft. Norm and Ginny do make it work with their specific CRV and by taking on a greater responsibility for managing the entire set up and equipment to make it work for their type of travel.

I'm sure they will be glad to PM you details of what they do and how. People tend to have strong opinions on tow capacity, speed of travel and tires. No point to a public debate on that subject yet again. Bottom line going over the manufacturer stated capacity puts more of the decisions and work of making it work and be safe to travel on you. You have to figure out what you are comfortable with.

[floyd]

My wife and I have shared our 13D front bath Scamp for ten years and hundreds of nights.
We would not trade it for any other travel trailer.
No really... not even a new one if it were not another 13D Scamp custom front bath.
We just got home from Florida on Saturday and we can hardly wait for our next trip!

[stevebaz]

Just to offset Floyd.
My gal and I love our Scamp 13 without the Bathroom. The much roomier interior is just plain nice to have. We can seperate to our own ends if we need to. It is a nice size just to move around.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by stevebaz

Just to offset Floyd.
My gal and I love our Scamp 13 without the Bathroom. The much roomier interior is just plain nice to have. We can seperate to our own ends if we need to. It is a nice size just to move around.

When we decide to go ballroom dancing....
We get all dressed up, go out to the Scamp... then we realize...That's not why we bought it, and we really can't dance anyway!

I bought one once with the interior gutted...
Not only was it more roomy without the shower,toilet and closet, it was even roomier without the stove, fridge,sink, dinette/bed etc.

[We decided that it would sell better if we added some of that stuff back in]

[starfighter]

as many have said "depends on how you use it."
Karen and I spend most of our time outdoors.
and...we cook outdoors............
The trailer is our "out of the weather" spot.......
We found our 13' Hunter to be large enough, no problem.
That said, we always sleep very close together and we did turn our bed so we didn't have to make it every night.
Needs = an extremely comfortable bed (not cushions)
a place to sit and play cards out of the rain
storage, storage, storage
light enough so traveling isn't a chore
BUT...we do have a Snoozy on order because I hate dirty public showers...
P.S. I grew up on Chicago Ave and Damen and walked a beat on Madison St.....
OH how I miss Chicago Pizza and Portillos...........

[Carol H]

Welcome! As others have suggested it helps a lot to make a decision on what size you can or can't live with and the layout you may want by actually sitting in one. Attend a Fiberglass Trailer meet near you if you can.

When I first started looking I was sure I would be real happy with a 13' without a bathroom. After actually sitting in one I quickly realized that while it would work I might not be overly happy with it over the long run.

A great thread if you haven't already stumbled on it that gives you some ideas as to what the various sizes and models of fiberglass trailers weigh loaded up for camping is called Trailer Weights in the Real World. As you will see from looking at actual weights that trailer manufactures dry weights can be a little misleading.....