New, pondering options for road trip

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by CarrieR

I think we're going to keep our eye out for a 13' Scamp (or similar). I think it would suit our needs and be so fun. I just hope we can time it right and find one that we want at the time we need it!

We are not opposed to buying new and reselling, but do you think we'd lose more money that way? I'm getting the impression if we go used we can probably sell it for what we pay for it.

I suspect you'd lose more buying new, yes. Even if you come close on the sales price, you probably won't be able to recover taxes and shipping cost.

Cost-wise you'd probably be better off buying used this fall, even if you had to pay for several months of storage. Have you looked into the going rate for storage in your area? Six months of storage at $50/month is $300. You'd likely save at least that much buying in the fall over the identical unit in the spring. And you could spend your time in the spring figuring out all the million other details that go with a trip of this magnitude.

[CarrieR]

Good points- I'll research storage options, though I expect it will cost more than that, but probably we could still come out ahead.

[Jon in AZ]

Did a little checking, and it looks like you are probably right on storage costs. I was going by what a friend pays to park his motorhome, but we're in a more rural area. I forget sometimes how expensive cities can be. Still, it would be worth investigating. Maybe you could prevail on your brother for a month or two…

If you're still considering new, you might want to get in touch with Scamp soon. You'll want to find out what their current build time is. They tend to get backed up for spring deliveries. It occurred to me you could avoid the shipping charge by picking up the trailer on your way out. Don't know how that would fit with your plans, and you'd have to work with Scamp to get the paperwork ahead of delivery so you could get it registered and tagged.

Used remains the lower-cost way to go, but it sounds like you want to keep your options open. If you could wait until late November to commit to a new purchase and still be in line for a late spring delivery, you'd have until then to shop for a used one.

[rdickens]

Carrie,

If you order a new Scamp13 now, you could actually take delivery in
the Spring and avoid some months of storage charges.

Just some ideas and food for thought .......

Our family has camped in tents and owned several pop-ups that were
used to criss-cross the country. Our kids are now grown, married, and
have kids of their own.

My wife and I now own a 2014 Scamp 13 Layout 1 with the larger 54" bed.
Pictures of the interior and exterior can be found in the later segments of
this thread:
Scamp Full Size Bed = Smaller Table Size

For cooling/ventilation, I would suggest getting the 3-speed Fantastic Fan
and a Group 27 battery. Combined with the crank-out windows, that has
worked for us.

The trailer insulation is good (way better than a tent ) and there are
no unwanted drafts or leaks. For warmth, we have good sleeping bags
and, if we have 110v power, we carry a very small electric space heater.

Scamp13s are small enough that, if you don't need/want hook-ups, many
campgrounds are OK with putting them in spots normally used for tenting.

They are more secure from 4-legged (or 2-legged?) critters or for just
catching a few hours of sleep en-route (i.e. in the parking lots of truck
stops, WalMarts, etc.)

We've slept 5 (2 adults + 3 grandkids) in our trailer for a couple of nights:
We slept 5 in our Scamp13 with 54" bed

For outdoor living space, away from the sun and bugs, we carry either
a smaller or larger CLAM screen tent unit that sets up or comes down
in about 45 seconds (not counting time for staking it to the ground.)
These are available on Amazon.com, have stood up to 65+mph winds,
and with the optional privacy/wind panels can become almost a tent.

CLAM Six Pack Screen Tent- The others don't compare

CLAM Quick-Set Traveler

These were just our solutions. Your needs/wants may be different.

Good luck with your decisions!

Ray

[CarrieR]

Ray,
Thanks for your thoughts! Is the smaller table still big enough for four? I'd love a bigger bed, but I worry it wouldn't be enough table space for all four of us, might be sleeping that much closer to my kids in a small space already (though not as close as in a tent where I'd be in between them for sure).

If we ordered new, we could pick it up in April during our school vacation week. I'll find out what the build timing is, and look for used until then, and then decide what to do. Since we are used to tenting, I really think the 13 is going to be just fine.

[CarrieR]

I talked to scamp and they said the $500 deposit is refundable if we decide we didn't want the trailer at any point? They are building for January right now. We would want to pick up in April, or possibly in June on our way.

[rdickens]

Carrie,

The small table is 32". (You might try making a cardboard template?)
The "filler board" to support the bed is another 20".
Four adults at that 32" table is "cozy" but doable.
Two adults and two kids (at the back corners of the trailer) might be OK?
(We also carry a small folding table for either eating meals when we are sitting on the sofa or for a side table between 2 chairs in the CLAM screen tent. You could do adults at the dinette table and kids at the folding table?)

We worked with Wayne up at Scamp. He told us that the deposit was fully refundable right up until they started the custom build of our trailer. He sent out a "samples kit" with samples of vinyl flooring, curtain material, wall insulation & covering, and samples of cushion colors.

If you buy new, I doubt that you would lose much (if any?) money. Used FGRVs in "like new" condition are scarce and the resale values are very high.

For bicycles, you might consider folding bikes (& carry bags?) from Camping World or other sources. At 20 to 22 inches with 6 to 12 speeds, two bikes might do for either kids and/or adults. In their bags, they could travel in the "dance floor" space or on the bed, etc.

When we slept 5, everyone slept fine until our 12yo granddaughter woke up at 4AM and needed to go to the restroom. She had to crawl over my wife on the big bed and made enough noise
that we pretty much all woke up. So, there was a 4AM "potty party", 😉 Then we all went back to sleep!

With two kids in the bunk beds, I don't think you would have those kind of adventures? 😉

Again ..... Good luck on your decisions! 😃

Ray


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[thrifty bill]

As far as tents, your original question, I took a motorcycle trip to AK last year, started in SC, 13,000 miles (lots of side trips), tented the entire trip.

Now it was just myself, so that made it a lot easier.

Hotels in Canada and Alaska tend to be expensive, at least compared to what I am used to. And I liked being able to make spontaneous choices on where to stay. So the tent worked out good.

The challenge with tenting was the B U G S. For much of the Alcan, lots of bugs. So as soon as my tent was up, I was in the tent! Unfortunately, I had a small tent, no standing up in the tent, and not really able to even sit down. Mistake, I won't do that again.

So if you go the tent route, get one big enough you can stand up, sit down, whatever. With a car, carrying a bigger tent is not an issue (its a problem when you are on a motorcycle). Screen room recommended above is a good idea.

Went all the way to Homer, AK. Thats the end of the paved road. Also went up the Dalton, thats another story. No bugs at Homer! And I camped at the spit, on the ocean, highly recommended!! Meanwhile, Denali was swarming with bugs. National Park camping was all booked months in advance. Meanwhile, 10 to 15 miles south of the NP is Denali State Park. Primitive camping, but it was empty. Same mountain, same or better view, no crowds.

I saw a lot of wildlife on the road, but it was never an issue while I was camping. No food in your tent!! And store food and food waste properly. Use good common sense.

My next trip to AK (driven up there three times), if I take the motorcycle, I will pull a small popup motorcycle camper. I am tentatively planning a return next year. If I go with a four wheel vehicle, then a fiberglass trailer would be great.

Temperatures were always mild to cool. No heat or AC in my tent. Staying warm was more of a challenge (good sleeping bag took care of that), than cooling off. And I went in early July.

[Jon in AZ]

If you do decide to order a new Scamp, the minimum options I'd recommend include:

• The option package is a good value and includes two things (3-way fridge and screen door) that most future buyers will want.
• Battery for camping without hookups.
• Fantastic fan for DC-powered ventilation without AC.
• Brakes for safety.

Since you're planning to resell, I'd want to make sure the trailer's roof is reinforced and wired for a future AC install. It used to be an option ("AC prep") but may be standard now?? I'm thinking potential buyers on the East Coast might want to add AC.

The larger bed is a toss-up. It would definitely be more comfortable for a couple, but there are trade-offs. I don't think resale value would be greatly affected either way. We do most of our cooking and eating outside, but between rain and bugs, you may end up wanting the larger table and galley. Just know that you probably won't want to be doing a lot of greasy frying inside a tiny trailer!

You can spend a ton of money on lots of options, but since you may want to resell after your trip, I'd resist the temptation to check all the boxes.

[rdickens]

Carrie,

I think your idea of an April pick up is a good one. That would allow you to have a few nights (both on the road and maybe in the driveway) before the long trip. A few nights in the trailer
may give you a good idea what you need and where things get stored.

I second Jon's suggestions and will add a couple of suggestions of my own.

Some overhead cabinets come with the Option package ... Get all 3 overhead cabinets (1 front + 2 rear side cabinets). When we travel, my wife's clothes go in the two rear side cabinets and my clothes go in the larger single front cabinet. When we have had 4 in the trailer for a week, the kids clothes go in duffle bags that get stored at the foot of their bunks.

Don't skimp too much on 110v outlets (including the GFI on the outside of the trailer).
Get at least 4 or 5 lights and consider having wiring run to the cabinets where more lights might be wanted later.
Get at least one 12v outlet for charging cell phones and tablets.
Omit the furnace, AC, and awning?

I know that your current plan is to sell after the trip. For your own and potential future owners sakes, my suggestion would be to try to configure the trailer like you would want it if you were keeping it for 5 years. My kids are now in their 30s and 40s and, at family gatherings, they still talk together about trips we made in our Starcraft pop-up. We only recently have realized how much those trips meant to them. After the long trip, you might decide to keep the trailer and make more memories?

You mentioned being a little closer (10") to the kids in the bigger bed. We sometimes use fold-over suction cup hooks to hang a blue, lightweight, synthetic-material privacy/modesty curtain between the cabinet over the sink/stove and the 12" "pantry cabinet". It provides a bit of visual separation between adults and kids for dressing and/or other. It also can provide a bit of privacy/modesty space for potential nighttime porta-potty use when it is just my wife and I. When not in use, the curtain folds into about 1 ft square and gets put under a seat cushion.

Just ideas and food for thought ...... Good luck with your decisions. 😊

Ray


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[CarrieR]

Just wanted to update on our decisions- we are definitely going to go with a 13' trailer. We will continue to look for a used one if we can find one close enough in time, but we went ahead and ordered a new Scamp in case we can't. We can still change our options, but we went fairly basic with the option package, fantastic fan, a couple extra outlets, and all the upper cabinets. We also got the grey water tank (and I'll ask them not to mount the hose). I was torn on the bed, but we went with the smaller. I think the table space could be valuable for activities with the kids, and we are used to sleeping on thermarests when we tent- I measured ours and they are 20" so in reality we gain 2" each, right?

I have a couple ?'s still and might change before the build date. I read about getting extra tail lights up higher on the trailer, and that sounds like a good idea as we'll be on the road so much. I also forgot the extra front porch light which sounds smart. I did not get an exterior outlet, because I can't for the life of me figure out what we would use it for. Is that a mistake? Everyone seems to recommend it. I also didn't upgrade the battery and wonder if we need to? We will be camping lots without hookups, but again, we're used to headlamps and tenting, so I feel like we can survive without using a lot of power. We'll also not be staying in one place very long. We also didn't get the bike hitch since it seems like it doesn't work so well to put bikes on the back of the trailer. We'll do some combination of in trailer/on TV roof. (I have some avid mountain bikers in the family so a folding bike is not an option).

In the meantime, if anyone hears of a 13' near New England in great condition, or is planning to sell in the spring, let me know!

[Jack L]

An exterior 120 V outlet can be handy. Some use it for decorative lighting or television or radio. I use mine for an electric frying pan. Cooking outside offers easy clean up and if you have a large group it makes things easier. Sitting around the outside of the trailer and making fajitas with your friends can be enjoyable.

[gordon2]

You decision process mirrors mine! (And I pick up my Scamp in seven days!)

Extra tail lights: I went for it. See this thread.

Outside Outlet: Good for cooking and a fan to keep the bugs off you, as well as many other things. You could run an extension to the inside, but then the bugs get inside the camper. Many power pedestals have a separate 120 volt 15 amp outlet so you could use an extension cord with that too.

Battery Upgrade: I also went with the group 27 after initially ordering the smaller one, not because i think I will need the extra amps, but because if I do, I can get a bigger battery without having to buy a new battery box.

[Jon in AZ]

Another perspective… in three years and ten trips, we have yet to plug into electric anywhere. A 12V plug for charging phones from the battery would be nice, but I've never missed having the front porch light. Light from the open cargo area of our tow vehicle is plenty to manage late-night unhitching. Now the side porch light by the door… love that one! It's a beacon during late-night bathroom runs.

I think the smaller battery will be fine. You'll be charging it as you drive.

Did you order electric brakes?

Regarding the smaller bed… If you're using sleeping bags, head-to-toe makes the space work harder. Not too romantic for a couple, but with kids in a teeny-tiny trailer, there probably shouldn't be too much romance going on!

[CarrieR]

oh, yes- I did get electric brakes- and a 12V outlet.

I think we can do without the extra porch light. I am confident that we wouldn't miss the exterior outlet, so it's just whether to get it for future resale or not. We really just want to have a hard sided "tent" we take with us that requires no set up, nothing more. We're not planning on changing our outdoor habits, which don't include electricity.

I am however, looking forward to bringing my electric kettle to be able to have a cup of tea while still in bed...

[rdickens]

Extra table space is an easy problem to solve via mods, or separate tables, or a larger table top temporarily laid on top of the shorter table.

A wider bed is not such an easy problem to solve.

I know we really like our larger bed (especially at zero extra cost) but, as always YMMV. 😉

Ray

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[Rich G. and Val F.]

After a season with our 2015 13' Scamp Deluxe we are very pleased with the larger bed. All the extra interior outlets and lights have been well used. The exterior GFI outlet is great for an external table and a coffee maker in the morning; I'll also mention the added safety of not worrying about electrical cords on damp ground. Like others, we use the CLAM screen room during the day. The Fantastic Fan has also received a very welcomed use.

We were told by the Scamp production manager that extra tail lights were not a possible option for the 13'.

[rdickens]

Electrical outlets and lights are cheap by comparison to awnings, furnaces, AC, bathrooms & hot water heaters.

Our front porch light gets little use; the porch light by the door is much more useful. The front porch light has also gotten full of water and a bit of corrosion.

The external GFI outlet gets used for cooking, for a fan to keep mosquitos at bay, for an extension cord running to the screen room for a coffee pot or a cooling fan, or decorative outdoor lighting.

Ray

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[rdickens]

The other thing that a receiver hitch on the back gets used for is a rear cargo box that could be used for electrical cords, water hoses, etc. Otherwise, that stuff will need to be put in plastic tubs (electrical and water get dirty) and transported inside the trailer or the tug.

Just food for thought. ......

Ray


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[honda03842]

A rear Bumper Box is a great addition to a trailer. Having a place for all the outside extras is handy, water hoses, power cords, blocks and sewer hose (in a separate tube under the box), keeps all the outside stuff outside.