New Scamp Owner in PA

[KevinPete]

I live in NE PA, I have a 26' Coachmen, and have had several other campers, but have always wanted something small and light. Was planning on building a teardrop or glassed wood camper, when I got talking to my best friend's mom. She had a Scamp 13, used it to work out of town for a few months, and wanted to sell it. My jaw hit the floor when she told me the price, and I went to look at it the other day. Needless to say, I told her that I want it. Haven't brought it home yet, I live in town and need to move some stuff out of the way to get it where I want it in the driveway. Not entirely sure on the year, we haven't done the paperwork yet, but it's mid-90's most likely. Really just needs a cleaning, everything works great, new tires, in fact, the only real fault on the trailer is the stove window doesn't close right and the "headliner" in the front is coming down a little. Minor, minor stuff, ready to camp in it and get some customization ideas. I'll be towing it with my Dodge pickup, be interesting to see the mileage (I get about 10 with the big camper). She almost insisted that I bring it home that day, but I also need to do some negotiation with the War Department before I put it in the driveway. We store the other camper at the family farm, but the Scamp is small enough to keep at our house.

Forgot to add that I am a woodworker (among many other things!) and have restored and customized several RV's and two boats, one of which I lived aboard for a year. I'm semi-retired, and my wife works at a public school, so we have summers to travel and enjoy, just have to be home once in a while to take care of the garden. Looking to make some shorter local trips with my son so he can experience some of what I got to as a kid travelling in a camper. My wife and I plan on fulltiming once she retires.

Anyway, thanks to everyone who shares their knowledge and ideas here, hope to see some of you out there!

[cpaharley2008]

Welcome KevinPete to our world!! Keep your eye out on the rally subforums here for some meets in NY and Pennsylvania this year. It is a great way to meet fellow owners and get some ideas on customizing.

[Carol H]

Welcome Kevin! As Jim mentioned attending a trailer rally is a great way of getting great info on easy fixes and ideas on how to make a small trailer you own. Take a camera as you will be sure to see lots of ideas you wish to replicate.

Have fun with it.

[Donna D.]

Hi Kevin, to FiberglassRV, we're glad you're here!

What a great story, folks look for a long time and here you had one practically drop in your lap! When you get it home, please post pictures. We love pics!!

[KevinPete]

Thanks, folks! I am definitely keeping an eye open for nearby meets. We are hopefully going to Maine this year, every other year we go out of the country to visit the in-laws, and this is our "home year". I always have several cameras with me, I have essentially no short-term memory, so pictures are usually faster and better than taking notes, although I do that too!

Donna, I believe that things happen when they should, if you let them. My friend's mom has had this camper for several years, I've been meaning to stop and take a look for a few months now. She asked me if the price seemed too high, I told her about finding ONE Scamp under that price online, and it was a basket case. All the rest seem to be a couple thousand higher. Plus I know how she takes care of things.

I was showing the Mrs. some pictures of 16'-17' rigs on here last night, think we found our "retirement home". The 13' will be great for now.

Thanks again for the warm welcome, I've always loved camping, in whatever form it takes. Gonna try to dig up some 30-year-old pictures of camping trips to annoy my son with! "When I was your age....."

[KevinPete]

I know everyone likes pictures, so today I went out to take a few of our Scamp. Also wanted to give it a hard look over when I wasn't still "in the heat of the moment" when I first saw it. Only minor issues, of course it needs tires and probably a repack, clean/check all appliances and wiring, and recon the outside.

One item I'll need some pointers on is the headliner in the front, there is a 2-3 foot section that seems to have come loose and sagged down. Picture doesn't show it well- not a lot of room to step back and get a wide-angle shot! I'm thinking that I can remove the strips on the sides of that section and re-glue it. I use 3M 90 spray adhesive, it's strong enough to glue a poly tarp to itself so well that the tarp shreds before the glue gives out. I use it to lay up multi-layer foam motorcycle seats, never had one tear yet in several thousand miles of rough riding.

I know that several of the rivets might have issues, no caps on any of them and silicone on many- no evidence of water inside, but I'm a belt-and-suspenders kind of guy.

The finish is in better shape than I thought, still gonna do the ZEP/RM, then it will be a sharp little camper. The decals are curling, will probably end up cutting a new set and adding a stripe (advantage of having a vinyl cutter!).

But, for now, we're gonna clean it and make sure it's safe, then we're gonna use it for a while and get ideas on what we need to make it work for us and add our personalities to it. On to the pictures!

The sagging headliner:

[Carol H]

Good find! The 3M spray adhesive will work fine at putting the rat fur back up,