What to look for on older Scamp - Fiberglass RV
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Old 09-27-2012, 07:04 AM   #1
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Name: Les
Trailer: 96 Scamp 13'
California
Posts: 11
What to look for on older Scamp

Hi, I just discovered The egg type trailers. I have only looked at one and am going this morning to see a 1987 13' Scamp that is claimed to have only been slept in 3 times and in storage. I have not been able to get any model info.Any suggestions on what to look for on a unit like this. An advice would be appreciated. What would be a fair price for a unit like this that is claimed to be in pristine condition?
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Old 09-27-2012, 11:04 AM   #2
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Name: john
Trailer: scamp 13
Michigan
Posts: 1,318
um....money under the cushions?

just look at the obvious, over all condition will tell you a lot.

look for leaks, rusty appliances. other wise depending on price theres almost always some little thing you will need to fix,,,sccrew loose leaky fawcet, that sort of stuff.
shouldn't be much more then lots of cleaning on one with so little use.
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Old 09-27-2012, 11:06 AM   #3
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Name: john
Trailer: scamp 13
Michigan
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oh,,, check the forsale section to see what prices they get. i can tell you these little guys hold value better then stcik built aluminium trailers. but maybe they don;t know that.
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Old 09-27-2012, 04:31 PM   #4
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Hey Les,
Welcome!
Download the buyers checklist from here and go look at it.
Fiberglass RV - Document Center - Buyers Check List

You can search for historical asking prices on both http://www.fiberglass-rv-4sale.com/node and http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f80/
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Old 09-27-2012, 05:17 PM   #5
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Trailer: 1988 16 ft Scamp Deluxe
Posts: 25,697
Hi Les, welcome to FiberglassRV. We're glad you're here .

You'll find lots of kind, helpful people here at FiberglassRV to answer all your egg questions
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Old 09-27-2012, 09:36 PM   #6
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Name: Les
Trailer: 96 Scamp 13'
California
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Thanks to all for your responses.
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Old 10-04-2012, 06:07 PM   #7
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Name: Chris
Trailer: 13' Scamp
Pennsylvania
Posts: 95
Registry
Hi-

I just bought a 13' scamp. I think first you will have to decide how much fixing you want to do - if you want one you can immediately take on the road you will have to invest some money (around $5000 for a basic 10 year old without flaws would be a very good price)- and maybe you should consider a new one - their prices are quite stable.

Things I saw several times:

Rotten spots in the floor- mostly from leaking windows: Bring a screwdriver or small fashlight and knock with the handle on all areas of the floor from below (take your time this is important) see if the sound changes and gets soft in some spots indicating rot. If the rotten area is small you can fix it but if it is larger you will need a new floor - which is a major fix and will require several weeks of work. Mostly there is more rot on the inside than you can detect from underneath, scratch on the wood to see how big the area is. Next you will have to find out were the water came from- if it is from a screwed in window the fix is relatively easy - but harder from one which has only a gasket (like most front windows). Sometimes it is just dirt in the windows drains. The rotten areas I found were either under the side windows or under the fridge.

Is there a damp smell in the camper - indicating a leak (and rot)? How is the smell inside the cabinets? Are there critters - and damage from them?

Are the cushions in good shape and firm, you will sleep on them so soft, dirty, smelly cushions are not good (a new set is $525, the covers are $290).

Look if the rivets still have intact seals- this is an easy fix.

Is there rust on the metal parts- do they have to be replaced, painted?

What is the age of the tires (there is a code to find that out) - they should be replaced every 6-10 years. New tires with rims are $100-150.

Don't forget to see if the axle is sagging- look at some pictures here of newer scamps (or at scamptrailers.com)- if the tires disappear in the wheel house the axle is worn. Axles are not to expensive to replace.

Does the seller try to cover up flaws? Are all the windows open when you arrive at the camper (to get the rotten smell out), are the tires covered with tire shine? Was the camper not used for the last years- often that means that it was not looked at at in the last years, too and leaks went undetected causing major damage. Was it parked under a roof or in the open most of its live?

Will you need a title to register it and does the owner have a title? If you do not need a title does it have a certificate of origin- if you ever sell it this will be required in some states to apply for a title (and drastically can increase the resell value).

Before buying I tried to get an idea how much time for fixes will be require (mostly by reading posts here), and if they can be done (have a look at the spare part list at scamptrailer.com). I did not find the checklist to useful I rather tried to calculate how long it will take me to get a camper ready to use- from that I estimated the price I am wiling to pay.
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Old 10-04-2012, 06:10 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chse View Post
I did not find the checklist to useful I rather tried to calculate how long it will take me to get a camper ready to use- from that I estimated the price I am wiling to pay.
The check list is just a reminder of things to check (for sure). Sometimes folks get so excited they forget those very important items... like where to find the VIN!
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Old 10-04-2012, 06:26 PM   #9
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Name: Chris
Trailer: 13' Scamp
Pennsylvania
Posts: 95
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Donna D. View Post
The check list is just a reminder of things to check (for sure). Sometimes folks get so excited they forget those very important items... like where to find the VIN!
I guess this came out wrong- I went over the checklist before I went to see a trailer (it lists problem spots very nicely), but really filling it out when buying one was a bit much for me- for me the overall appearance was most important.

And yes- most importantly - do not get excited and be prepared to walk away without even making an offer if you feel a trailer was cared for badly.
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