In search of unforgettable memories

[Civilguy]

It sounded from your initial posts that the value is there and you had the ability to go higher on price. So to paraphrase something Borrego Dave recently posted, it's green and dirty and in the end you are not taking it with you. So, you can set that one aside and focus on the other issues.

Consider that just because the dealer is located in a small town and is negotiating does not make them dishonest or incompetent. The more limited pool of potential customers in small towns generally don’t take these things lightly.

A mechanical failure of the tow vehicle or the trailer could throw all the plans awry. Risk management entails separately considering likelihood and consequences. Items with high likelihood OR potentially dire consequences should be guarded against.

Personally, I might be less concerned in regard to the bearings, but there could be a penalty if they go. Ways to confirm that work is done includes watching. I was welcomed into the work bay in a small town when I had a tire repair recently. I learned some things about the fellow doing the work and was able to see how he repaired the tire. It made it a more personal and enjoyable experience.

One theme I keep hearing is the lack of time and the consequent difficulty of getting things done on this road trip. It seems that you may be trying to fit two pounds of sugar into a one-pound sack here. You will need to decide how best to allocate the time between all these various desires and commitments.

One off-the wall-thought is to tow with empty propane cylinders; it would reduce the tongue weight. However, this might induce sway if the tongue is too light so should be considered carefully.

[fieldphoto]

Jon,
Thank you as always for your candor and concern.
Tires are being put on now, $66 each (x3) tire and install. They will be done before we get there tomorrow.

Bearings will still need to be done, we will try to find a spot on our way, sooner in the trip rather than later. 1-2 hrs labor is good to know, time wise. Firestone or Sears has been a good go-to for us, especially with nationwide service (ie. if I have an issue, I can go to another Firestone or Sears and be taken care of).

As for the 'rush'... its more like a daily crunch than an hourly one. We don't mind putting in long days- we have done it many times before! 65 will be the max pulling, and yes, I have pulled before, though it has been a few years. I don't mind slowing down a few miles and getting there an hour or two later... I just have to be 'there' that day, not tomorrow... if that makes sense.

Things are coming together, some of it smoothly, some of it not as smooth as I'd like... but, nothings perfect I suppose.

As always, thank you all for your encouragement and support!! We are super excited to start this new chapter of adventuring together.

-Ginny

[fieldphoto]

Mike,
You're right.. while we try not to be frivolous with our money, you also can't take it with you... and what's a few hundred dollars when it relates to safety. I couldn't agree more.

As for the propane tanks, they will have whatever they have in them now... there are 2 of them, I do not know if they are full, half, or empty.

I do know that we will not be putting anything in the trailer... no water, no nuthin... pulling it dry this trip- so it will be as close to #1750 as possible.

A final thought about time... ya'll don't know me real well yet.. I will admit I like to b*tch about time etc. but at the end of the day, I always buckle down and do what needs to be done, and do it right. I do not to cut corners.. though I will try to figure out the most efficient way to do something, and I guess that I what I have tried to do here... tried to figure out the most efficient way to get it all done at one time. But please rest easy knowing I won't go flyin' around at 75 miles an hour on old tires and unpacked bearings. I am not reckless or stupid (or at least I try not to be, willingly).

And, not to beat a dead horse... but I'll say it again... THANK YOU all for your advice.

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by fieldphoto

As for the propane tanks, they will have whatever they have in them now... there are 2 of them, I do not know if they are full, half, or empty.

Ginny,

It seems that dealers here on the left coast generally fill the propane cylinders with a purchase, even for used trailers. I don't know what custom might be out that way.

I thought that filling the cylinders might be something to waive if there are potential tongue weight issues. But now, looking back at the thread, I realize that tongue weight was an issue with your prospective future tow vehicle. So, never mind, it was a brain poof on my part.

Oh, and it also sounds like you just bought yourself a trailer and that congratulations are in order! I wish you good road there.

Regards,
Mike

[fieldphoto]

Well, I haven't handed the guy the check, but it is in my hand and made out to the dealer. Lol, so yeah, pretty much bought.

We are excited!

As for the tongue weight, we are towing right now with a Honda Odessey, #3500 pound rating (and a #350 tongue weight if memory serves) so we should be good to go. The tongue weight worry was for the FUTURE car, a Subaru Outback, but that is probably 18 months down the road.

Hitting the road in a few, thanks all!

[Jon in AZ]

Very excited for you! Have a wonderful trip! Best wishes for a smooth transaction and smooth sailing afterward!

[Mr Lynn]

Before you hand over the check, spend a little time inside with door and windows closed, and see if you smell anything—like old smoke, or worse, mold. Then check for any sign of leaks (stains, streaks, soft floor, etc.). Then use the Checklist located here:

Fiberglass RV - Document Center - BuyersChecklist

to go over everything, and make sure everything works. And don't be afraid to walk away if something is not right. There will be others.

Good luck!

/Mr Lynn

[fieldphoto]

just want to post a quick update (I'll post more next week when we get home to Oklahoma). All is well so far! We did buy the camper, and aside from a few very minor issues it is in fantastic shape. I was able to get the tires replaced prior to the drive, though I am still working on getting the wheelbearings re packed on the road. Our trip back to Oklahoma will be on a slower schedule, so we should be able to get it done.

Thank you all for your support, pics and more questions to come later.
Happy travels!

Ps. She handles so well. No sway, easy to maneuver.... Never over 65mph. She is a Champ Scamp.

[Jon in AZ]

Yay! So happy it all worked out! You did well. Now enjoy.

[Mike Magee]

Congrats! I've been away on vacation and just caught up on your thread. What part of OK do you live in? I'm in BA, a Tulsa suburb.

On a weekday, you should be able to get wheel bearings repacked within just a couple of hours. Plenty of options: an RV dealership, a trailer sales/service place, and most tire shops and mechanics' garages (the latter may not have new bearings on hand if needed, but they can obtain them). The bearings might be fine, but might not, so you're right to have them looked at; why take chances on a breakdown along the highway.

[DeBreez]

Originally Posted by fieldphoto

Thank you all for your replies!
Ya'll will get a chuckle, I have about 5-6 tabs open on my browser, and I hit the refresh button every hour or two... because I know we are going to have to jump on that deal! We have financing lined up with our bank, and should be able to hit the road over the weekend to head most anywhere. Luckily Oklahoma is central at least.

-Ginny

That's exactly how we scored our one year-old like new 17' Casita SD: me hovering over Craigslist like a traffic copter over five-car accident!

[Kai in Seattle]

IMHO:


If you can afford to buy it, spend the money to get tires and wheel bearings done before you hook up, and tow it right.


"Oh, well, break out another thousand!"
--boat owner's saying

BEST

[respond2us]

This post totally freaked me out! I've been looking for a Scamp 13' to tow behind my VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI...already got my trailer hitch and lighting kit hooked up. Wife and I are 39, and live in Oklahoma! What are the odds?! Maybe there's a larger group of "our generation" wanting to get camping, who knows? I figured we were oddballs until I saw your post, and another guy I found who is in the same group.

Can't wait to hear more about your trailer! If you're close to Tulsa at all, I'd be super grateful if we could peek in it just to see if 13' is too small or not! I'd even pay you $5. ha!

[respond2us]

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

Congrats! I've been away on vacation and just caught up on your thread. What part of OK do you live in? I'm in BA, a Tulsa suburb.

On a weekday, you should be able to get wheel bearings repacked within just a couple of hours. Plenty of options: an RV dealership, a trailer sales/service place, and most tire shops and mechanics' garages (the latter may not have new bearings on hand if needed, but they can obtain them). The bearings might be fine, but might not, so you're right to have them looked at; why take chances on a breakdown along the highway.

The wife and I live in Coweta, so we're neighbors! Very cool! What kind of trailer do you pull? We don't have one yet, still trying to figure out what we want. Just know we need 13' for weight.

[fieldphoto]

Hey all!!!
We are home, SAFE AND SOUND. The new tires were great, however I Was unable to get the bearings done on the road, so that is my project for this week... More questions to come on that in a later thread. Not ideal to have driven all that way without the work, but I will count us blessed, and never ever do it again. I think we dodged a bullet, and I certainly don't like to tempt fate twice.

The trailer pulled like a scamp champ... barely noticible behind our oddessy (they are almost the same size)... Just a moderate dip in gas mileage.

Like I said, lots of questions to come, but I'll start separating them out into properly titled threads.

For those in OK who want to maybe take a look, we are in Norman.

-Ginny

[Jon in AZ]

Awesome! Glad all went well. Did you get to camp in the trailer at all?

[fieldphoto]

Jon, we did sleep the last night of our trip in the camper. Very informal... just plugged in the A/C... didn't crank up any thing else.

We stayed cold (an impressive feat for being 150 yards from the Mississippi river in Arkansas in July) and slept pretty well!

Going to get some work done, and hope to go out for a real camping trip in 2 weekends.. something local, just to try it all out!

-Ginny

[respond2us]

So glad you got it and made it home! When I'm out your way next, I'll shout.

I've been searching for my own, and put a "hold" deposit on a '77 Trillium 13' yesterday! So I'm excited about that. Will try and pick it up in the next week or two (Massachusetts, 24 hour drive from here). I'd like to get it home and scrub it up and see if I've made a mistake. Ha!

I'll post a new thread about it since I have lots of questions. So happy for you guys! Congrats!!!!