New member looking for a 13' Scamp or similar

[Katie T.]

Hi there,

My name is Katie and I'm excited to be a new member of this community. I'm in the market for a 13' Scamp, Casita, Burro, Boler trailer or similar. Preferably with a bathroom but that is not a make-or-break, any condition (I love a fixer-upper), and I will travel far (I'm in Southern California). My dream is to live remotely while finishing grad school then continue to travel when things open back up again.

I've gathered some helpful advice in these threads and will keep an eye out on Craigslist, the Scamp and Casita forums, post a 'wanted' ad, and will be ready to pounce when the right one comes along! Thanks to anyone reading this post

[k0wtz]

welcome to our forum! Here has been my formula for finding trailers!


1 check daily it will get to almost hourly all your search places


2 if one found call owner, be prepared to dicker but today who knows,



3 have your limit set



4 be prepared to offer a refundable deposit if you work out a deal


5 have some trick questions to make sure the seller is on the up and up


6 be prepared meaning have your rig set up, have you cash ready and be

ready to roll i mean almost the next day!


We got deals on both our trailers this way!!

[Jon in AZ]

Welcome, Katie!

Full wet baths are fairly rare in 13'ers. Scamps are the most common, followed by Casita, with a few Trilliums floating around. Figure on a loaded weight of 1800-2100# for a bath model, 1500-1800 for a no bath unit.

Do you have a vehicle in mind to tow with?

Best wishes in your search!

[thrifty bill]

Caution, fixer uppers are typically just not cosmetic: think fiberglass repair, floor and axle replacement and non-functioning electric and appliances.

[k0wtz]

Originally Posted by thrifty bill

Caution, fixer uppers are typically just not cosmetic: think fiberglass repair, floor and axle replacement and non-functioning electric and appliances.

yes stay away. actually you can see by the deteriation to the outside they are pretty much shot!

[Borden]

Originally Posted by Katie T.

Hi there,

My name is Katie and I'm excited to be a new member of this community. I'm in the market for a 13' Scamp, Casita, Burro, Boler trailer or similar. Preferably with a bathroom but that is not a make-or-break, any condition (I love a fixer-upper), and I will travel far (I'm in Southern California). My dream is to live remotely while finishing grad school then continue to travel when things open back up again.

I've gathered some helpful advice in these threads and will keep an eye out on Craigslist, the Scamp and Casita forums, post a 'wanted' ad, and will be ready to pounce when the right one comes along! Thanks to anyone reading this post

Will need bigger for bathroom but maybe portable Dock edge toilet or go a little bigger the 1700 boler (17') has a washroom with toilet and may have as shower, you can get a stove instead of a stove top in some cases. They seem to be rare in a boler but they did have rollout awning. Furnace is a great idea they work automatic when needed. You would need the right tow vehicle though.

[Katie T.]

Thanks so much for taking the time to provide advice, everyone! I have a 2015 Subaru Forester which has a pretty low tow capacity and hadn't thought of the bathroom adding extra weight. I am negotiating with a neighbor about buying his truck (2014 Nissan Frontier) so I will likely need to complete that process before I purchase. I will also heed more caution when looking at fixer-uppers, I don't want to bite off more than I can chew. I appreciate all the feedback and will definitely make use of it in my search!!

[alan H]

Here is a good site

https://www.fiberglass-rv-4sale.com/

[Katie T.]

Thank you, Alan!

[k0wtz]

i pull our 13f n/b no brakes pretty easily with our ford edge 2.0. 1200lb supposed rating!



we drive 60 and have been up and down many mountains no problem. dont drive in d use 2nd!

[Katie T.]

Hi Bob - thanks, that's some food for thought. I think my Forester has a 1200lb tow capacity as well. I've heard there can be issues with insurance if the trailer is weighted too close to the tow capacity, which is what my boyfriend is concerned about. I will give them a call and learn more because it seems like plenty of people pull 13ft Scamps quite easily with lower tow capacities

[Jon in AZ]

Late model Foresters have a 1500# rating. You might pull a lightly-optioned, lightly loaded Scamp 13, but it'll be marginal. Older Foresters had a higher rating, but were limited by a low 200# tongue weight rating.

Towing in excess of your vehicle's rated limits is risky from a mechanical and safety standpoint. Sure there's always someone doing it, but you rarely hear how long it lasted or how it ended.

I recommend a minimum 2000# rating for a 13' Scamp, and that assumes two people traveling lightly and driving conservatively. We travel with four people and bicycles, and we tow regularly in mountains and high elevations, so our 3500# rated mid-sized Pilot is a better choice for us.

[Katie T.]

Jon - Thanks for your sound advice. I know it would give us a lot of peace of mind and be safer to have a much higher tow capacity. I'm kicking myself for not looking at tow capacity before buying my Forester years back, although it's been a great car otherwise. I appreciate your advice!