Scamp 16 Road Trip Starts Today

[HighPlainsDrifter]

We just purchased our first egg, a 1996 Scamp 16 foot. We are driving 300 miles to pick it up today. We started looking after a camping trip a couple weeks ago. We have been tent campers for many years. We have found that tent camping is harder with our 4 year old child. It also seems the summers keep getting hotter and there is less time for camp setup and tear down.
Requirements:
-Needed something that could be pulled by our 2009 Chrysler Town and Country minivan
-Needed to sleep 3 minimum
-Needed toilet and shower
-Preferred if it could fit in our 8 foot garage opening
-Preferred air conditioning
-Preferred new or very good condition (no time for full rehab project)
Decision:
Our first look was at a new Rpod at a local RV dealer. The Rpod was 18 feet long and is a frame type design. It had ample room and met all of our criteria accept the height. It would not fit in our garage. There was also a question whether we could safely pull it at 2400 pounds dry weight. It was also very wide. As we started researching we found several choices and quickly narrowed it to either a Casita or Scamp 16 foot. The 16 foot with front bath and side dinette seemed to be the best option for us.
We contacted both Casita and Scamp. Casita was very nice. They provided us a local reference to go look at a 16 foot Casita. We liked the Casita very much. There seemed to be ample storage and it was well constructed. The side air conditioner meant the overall height was under 8 feet, which is a major benefit because inside storage in my area is $60 per month. I liked the full fiberglass bottom and the larger tires. We next contacted Scamp. The sales person was insistent they were much better than Casita. I asked why and the main reason given was the insulation. They put bubble wrap under their carpet to increase the R factor. This was not a big deal to me since we will only camp when it is warm out. I was also told that Scamp used to manufacture the Casita (a point disputed by the Casita website). I could care less if they used to make Casita. I am just interested in the value I get from each company (value being benefits for the price, so I am ok paying more if I am getting more things I want). The biggest problem with the Scamp is they no longer offer side air conditioning, so the height with AC would prevent it from fitting my garage. I am unsure if the wafer board floor coated in fiberglass is as good as the Casita full fiberglass, but it reduces weight and possibly height. Lower weight and lower height were two of my needs.
We like to use Craigslist to buy and sell things, so we started hunting on Craigslist for any used Scamps or Casitas. We quickly found that they do hold their resale and they seem to sell fast. There were none for sale in our area and traveling was not preferred. Then we found a Scamp listed for sale a few blocks away from my parents’ home (300 miles away). I had my parents look at the Scamp after talking to the owner a couple times and asking a bunch of questions. We decided to purchase it sight unseen by us.

Our Scamp:
I will post pictures when we have them. I am told it is in good condition. It is a 1996 Scamp 16 foot with side dinette and full bath. The owner had it for 6 years but has not used it for the last two. It has an awning that the owner never used and didn’t know how to open. He winterized it each winter and stored it outside covered. The height with vent hood is right at 8 feet. It does not have air conditioning so I would like to add it in the side to keep the height down.
Tow Vehicle:
My TV is a 2009 Chrysler town and Country with dealer added hitch, wiring and break controller. I am considering having bags added in the springs to keep the rear end up.
Questions:
If anyone can offer advice it would be appreciated.
1. I am having the brakes done, bearings repacked and tires replaced. Does that sound like enough for the 300 mile ride home?
2. The fan has a cover that appears several inches tall. Has anyone removed one of these and can it be done easily?
3. Should I be concerned with the axle on a 1996? How long do the axles generally last on the Scamp 16?
4. I have seen some threads discussing air conditioning mods. Scamp says they stopped the side AC due to overheating. Is there a preferred AC model or install method to prevent overheating?

[Mouse]

My suggestion is to replace the tires on the Scamp before you tow it home. Just to be safe.

[Carol H]

[QUOTE=HighPlainsDrifter;319552]
Questions:I am having the brakes done, bearings repacked and tires replaced. Does that sound like enough for the 300 mile ride home?

All a good idea! If the trailers axel and hitch are in good shape and all the lights work that should be all you will need to do to get it home.


The fan has a cover that appears several inches tall. Has anyone removed one of these and can it be done easily?

If its the large white escape hatch you are talking about you can get the cover off to replace it but the fan has a lip that it goes down over that sticks up from the roof that you can not get off without removing the whole hatch. So removing just the hatch cover may not buy you much reduction in height if that is the goal.


Should I be concerned with the axle on a 1996? How long do the axles generally last on the Scamp 16?

I have a 92 and the axle is still good.... a lot depends on what/where the previous owner towed the trailer and under what conditions it has been used and stored. Any easy way to tell is if there is enough room to fit a hand width between the top of the tire and the trailer its still good to go. Although I am sure someone will give you a more technical way of telling.


I have seen some threads discussing air conditioning mods. Scamp says they stopped the side AC due to overheating. Is there a preferred AC model or install method to prevent overheating?

A rear window mounted one is another option - the previous owner gave me one that he had used in the rear window along with the holder he made for it..... I found once I put a Fantastic Fan in the trailer I didnt need to haul around the AC though.

If you havent already you may want to print off the buyers check list found here.

Enjoy your new trailer & have a safe trip home.

[Roy in TO]

Originally Posted by Carol H

An easy way to tell is if there is enough room to fit a hand width between the top of the tire and the trailer its still good to go. Although I am sure someone will give you a more technical way of telling.

I describe what to look for in checking your axle in the beginning of my thread http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...tml#post168305

[HighPlainsDrifter]

We love the Scamp! The body is in good shape. The cushons look new. I did notice the little pastic covers over the rivets are falling off. I touched one and it crumbled. It appears I can order a bag of these from Scamp and replace them. Has anyone done this? Do you just dab some silicone under them and stick them on?

We had the tires and all three rims replaced. The rims were rusted and it didn't cost much more to get the tires pre-mounted on the rims. The rims look identical to the originals. One question I have on the new tires - it says 50 psi. That seems like a high tire pressure. Is it correct that the trailer tires run at higher pressures?

The shop replaced the brake pads and hardware, repacked the bearings and replaced the seal.

We are ready to head back home. I forgot to ask if there are any Scamp owners in the Sioux Falls, SD area? I am looking for any recommendations on where to go for service on my Scamp. I am hoping someone in the area has a shop that knows how to work on them.

Thanks for all the replies and great information you all put on this site. This has been a huge help to us!

[Carol H]

Replacing the caps is pretty common. You can actually find replacements that fit at most Home Depots & note you have 3 different sizes on the trailer. If you order the caps from Scamp do your self a favor and purchase a variety package of rivets and cap holders as well.... trust me they will come in handy one day. :-) Some people put a dab of caulking on the rivet head before putting the new caps on but I didnt. Up to you. If the caps are crumbling you may also find a cap ring or two are also or they may be broken thus the reason for purchasing a package from Scamp.

re the tires and the 50 PSI. I am assuming you had ST tires put on in which case it is always best to fill the tires to their max pressure - they do indeed run better. Mine are 50 PSI as well.

[HighPlainsDrifter]

I started taking off the caps. Some of the washers are broken and some rivets are in bad shape, as predicted by more experienced people on this forum. I have never used rivets. Is it hard and what tools are needed? Are bolts and nuts a better option? I have read that some people buy stainless steel bolts. Do you install the bolts with locking nuts, lock washers or just use lock tight? I am sure the advantage of rivets is they are vibration resistant and fast to install. Any guidance is appreciated. What started as washing and cleaning my Scamp is snowballing quickly!