New Member looking for Info

[JohnB1953]

Hello all. Phyllis and I are new to campers but not camping. We have progressed from tents , to a small pop up(Palomino Shetland) and are now looking to make the final leap so to speak. We got the idea after I did the cushions for a gal in town on her 13' Scamp. After some researching and found out they are still being made and we are only about 4 hours away from the factory we did a little more looking on line. We have decided that we like the following units 16' #6 standard, and both deluxe 16 layouts. In the 19' we like the deluxe A. For a tow vehicle we have a very nice 2008 Ford ranger 4x4 with the large 4.0 V6 engine with the automatic. According to the info I have read it should pull either one. We are planning a camping trip 8-11 Sept to visit the factory and start seeing if this is what we want. My main question is how bad is the gas mileage affected? As they are not real great to start with only around 18 most of the time. The other thing we are wondering about is the room in the front bed area as we are not spring chickens anymore and you are basically sleeping on the floor . Well that's it for now Thanks in advance for any and all info.

[Jon in AZ]

Welcome, John and Phyllis!

I'd envy your proximity to the Scamp factory... except for those brutal winters! Since we are still working, I enjoy being able to camp somewhere within a day's drive any month of the year!

No personal experience with any of the models you listed, so I'll leave that to others. I do know the dinette bed in the standard layout 6 is pretty narrow, at 45"x75" (same as my 13'). Deluxe versions are wider at 54"x75".

You'll see some first-hand when you visit the factory. That's the best way to decide.

Best wishes!

[Jack L]

Regarding fuel consumption, trailer weight, hills, speed and wind effect on the frontal area of the trailer all have an effect. Wind resistance has the greatest effect with my rig. My Bigfoot is a little heavier, higher and wider than the Scamp so you will have a little better numbers. I tow with a Toyota Tacoma 4X4 and highway mileage without trailer is usually 18. Towing the trailer brings it down to 13 to 14. Once in a severe headwind, I got 7.5 MPG. I could watch the needle on the gas gage drop.

[JackieLynn]

Just FYI--wait time is about 6 months. But it was worth the wait for us.


Sent from my iPhone using Fiberglass RV

[crowwing]

When you get to Backus I recommend you look up Micah. Great young guy to work with.
Jack is right on when it comes to fuel consumption. The conditions can really make a difference. Another game changer is hilly country. Good luck and welcome!
John

[Jon in AZ]

Under the same conditions, the 16'er will yield better fuel mileage than the 5-er with its large frontal area.

My personal preference would be a bumper pull with a cap on the truck for gear storage. Helps keep a small trailer uncluttered.

[Mike Magee]

I think Floyd tows with a Ranger. Hopefully he'll chime in.

The 19 will give you the most interior trailer space, obviously. But the 16' will give you more outside storage, like Jon pointed out.

Only you can decide how you feel about going up into the bed area, and that means you have to try it out and see what you think. BTW, the factory will refer you to owners living near you if you call, so maybe you would not have to wait so long to see one.

I'd guess you should see MPG numbers somewhere between 13 and 15, unless the driver's foot is heavy or you are fighting strong headwinds. The 19' might be a tad lower than a 16', but not much.

Have a look at this table of trailers and tow vehicles; there are a couple of 19'ers and Escape 5.0 fifth wheels on there. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...6oSPkw/pubhtml

[Borrego Dave]

Originally Posted by JohnB1953

For a tow vehicle we have a very nice 2008 Ford ranger 4x4 with the large 4.0 V6 engine with the automatic. According to the info I have read it should pull either one. We are planning a camping trip 8-11 Sept to visit the factory and start seeing if this is what we want. My main question is how bad is the gas mileage affected? As they are not real great to start with only around 18 most of the time. Thanks in advance for any and all info.

I tow an SD17 with a 2002 Ranger 4d 4.0 auto, tow mpgs run 12-17.

[volk]

Hello John and Phyllis,
Are you at all interested in a used (2004) 19 ft standard Scamp located in Rochester, MN? If yes, can give details and asking price. I tow with a 2002 F250 (5.4 liter) and get 13 MPG with no head wind.

Vlad

[LindaB]

We bought a used 5'r and towed it with a 2000 Frontier Crew Cab V-6 3.2L. It could have used a little more power here in The Hill Country, but on most roads, we did fine. As far as the bed, at the time we were in our mid and late 50's and enjoy our meals. There was enough room in the bed, but it gets VERY warm up there. We mounted a couple of clip fans in strategic places, and that helped a lot. It was a deluxe model and had plenty of storage for the two of us, but we couldn't take anyone with us (like a grandkid). The dinette had been removed and two swivel chairs substituted. That made it much more comfortable to us. We don't fit in dinettes very well. Hope you find one that you like!

[Tom Cantrell]

Towing Casita Freedom Deluxe with V8 Tundra, 4.7L, at 65mph averaged 15.25 on a 300 mile trip across Wisconsin. With AC on averaged 14.78 miles per gallon on relatively flat terrain. No head wind in either case.

[JohnB1953]

thanks for the offer but we are only looking right now

[JohnB1953]

thanks for the offer but we are only looking right now not sure what we want yet