New Scamp parts don't fit my old egg

[John Mc]

I'm running into trouble repairing a few problems with my Scamp 16. The black rubber collar that fit between my sink drain and the drain line (just a garden hose, in my model) has splt in half due to age. I called Scamp and asked for a replacement, and they sent a white, screw-on plastic fitting that's twice the diameter. "No, send me the old style," I requested, until the parts guy (Kent) insisted he'd worked there 20 years and "they've always been made this way." That's almost long enough to have watched my 1985 model roll off the assembly line.

Then I asked him about the door latch assembly he sent me. My trailer has a round exterior door knob, not a lever like the part they sent me. None of the bolt holes match, so mounting the new latch would be a chore. Once again, Kent insisted this was the only door latch ever used.

He challenged me, asking "Are you sure it's a Scamp?" Well, it was titled as a Scamp, and has four Scamp decals, and the interior is covered in beige rat fur, so I'm fairly sure it is. But for the unavailability of direct replacement parts, my Scamp might as well be one of those rare old small-production brands.

Has anyone else ever faced these repair issues? If so, what are some answers? I can tolerate my worn old door latch if a locksmith can repair the lock cylinder so I can lock it. Does anybody have a sink drain like mine, with a black rubber collar that's 7/8ths-inch inside diameter? Where is it obtainable, or what makes a good replacement part?

[McClure]

I could be wrong but I dont think that a 1985 Scamp had rat fur, it should have had Elephant hide or what ever they called it.


Blair

[Byron Kinnaman]

It sounds like somebody has made several changes or it's not really a Scamp. Kent, by the way, is the Kent Eveland, the owner.

You might want to call Kent back with the vin number and have him check the manufacture date.

[Roger H]

My Scamp experience started in 1980 with a 1978 model. I don't believe I've ever seen a Scamp with anything but the lever door handle either. The suggestion to call Kent back with the VIN is a good one.

Roger

[Alf S.]

Hi: Sounds like you have the previous owners disease. 99% of the Scamp parts I bought fit our '77 Boler and thats 30 yrs after it was "Laid" Try emailing some Digi Pic's of the parts you need...or take them to a local R.V. dealer and check there.
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Donna D.]

I believe Scamp didn't start putting Rat Fur inside until mid-model year 1987.

Here's a link to the Scamp VIN Decoder....
Scamp VIN Decoder

[Ed Harris]

This may not be important to this specific question but I learned yesterday from Scamp that they will not promise that any molded body parts will fit on "Pre-Fire" trailers.

I was looking at another trailer and wanted to know the possibility of adding a shower where there is none.
I was told that the new molds are not eggsactly(sorry I can't help it) the same as the old ones and that even the construction details are somewhat different.

Just F.Y.I.

Ed

[John Mc]

I'm impressed by the number of quick responses to these questions, though the answers are still pending. The number plate is undecipherable without using a microscope. Looks like it was painted over at one tine, then sanded. I'll check the state registration tonight, when the tow car returns home. But I'd bet the whole thing that it's a bona fide Scamp. It looks like every other Scamp I see, just without most of the amenities.

The sink is beside the closet, opposite the cooktop. It has a small drain, unthreaded, which I need to step to a hose thread. It's mounted in white fiberglass, which matches the opposite cabinet boxes. I've already described the door latch differences. Nobody could have switched between these latch styles without lots of leaving old screw holes on the door, and there are none. It all loks like original work to me.

I'd post pictures if I knew how. Is there really a 400 kb limit for attachments, or is it 400 each?

[Mary F]

Actually, we prefer that pics be less than 80k. At 72 dpi and 500 pixels wide, that's perfect for downloading, even for our members who use dial up connections. Thanks for asking.

[Brian B-P]

Is there really a 400 kb limit for attachments, or is it 400 each?

400 kb total for one post (any number of images), but that's enough for a few nice clear photos. I occasionally run over that, but usually find I've just used a larger than necessary file an image.

Actually, we prefer that pics be less than 80k. At 72 dpi and 500 pixels wide, that's perfect for downloading, even for our members who use dial up connections.

I often use dialup, and appreciate restraint in file size.

At 500x500 pixels, colour image files (such as JPEGs) will easily be much larger than 80 kb unless you adjust the "quality" to something less than 100%... I usually use 80% and hit reasonable file sizes. The DPI setting is irrelevant except perhaps in your photo program's calculations; the actual image size in pixels is the important part.

The Basic Website Tutorials section has all you ever wanted to know about posting photos (and more).

[John Mc]

OK, here goes... I'm attempting to upload pics of the drains and door latches.

[Roger H]

OK, here goes... I'm attempting to upload pics of the drains and door latches.

John, how 'bout some photos of the trailer itself. The parts you're showing are not like anything I've ever seen on a Scamp.

Roger

[Larry&Carrie]

OK, here goes... I'm attempting to upload pics of the drains and door latches.

John- --was looking at yer photos.....Hmmm Betcha if you take the door knob mech off, you'll find some more holes under that plate on the outside. And on the inside shot, is that a hole just below the latch mechanism? You might be surprised as to what you find under there. As for the sink drain, are those saw marks on the PVC? Maybe my eyes are deceiving me, but that is what it looks like to me. You might have to find a PVC sleeve or coupler to slide over that and then go to pipe/hose thread fitting. (with a liberal amount of PVC cement...) Larry

[Mike Watters]

I remember seeing someone posting an old ad from the days that Scamp sold trailer "kits" that the buyer then assembled. Any chance they sold 16 footers that way and the buyer deviated a bit?

I'm looking forward to the pics of the trailer - it looks pretty scampish to me though.

Earlier poster is correct that Scamp doesn't start using the ratfur till '87 - but titles get screwed up all the time.

If anything - I'd like to see more photos just to see if there are other ways the trailer differs from a normal Scamp.

Mike

[Mike Watters]

In the meantime - I think this is your door lock mechanism:

At TJ Trailers

[John Mc]

I removed the inside part of the door latch. Placing the new latch mechanism in its place, it's obvious that the doorknob is drilled in the wrong place to allow the new latch to contact the striker properly. The old and new latches are just that different. And there's no evidence that the "official" Scamp latch was ever installed previously.

I'll post a few pics of the trailer in general- that should look more familiar!

[Mike Watters]

I removed the inside part of the door latch. Placing the new latch mechanism in its place, it's obvious that the doorknob is drilled in the wrong place to allow the new latch to contact the striker properly. The old and new latches are just that different. And there's no evidence that the "official" Scamp latch was ever installed previously.

I'll post a few pics of the trailer in general- that should look more familiar!

It was pretty clear from your first few photos that the original-style latch could never have been installed. The tumbler is too far back from the edge of the door. It could have been hidden on the inside - but swapping original-style for what you have would have left a HUGE hole easily visible on the outside of the door.

Exterior is very very Scamp - down to the red stripe. The decals are a non-standard though.

How about some interior shots? This trailer is certainly interesting in it's variations from standard!!!

It seems to be pretty clearly a Scamp - but has several pretty serious deviations from their normal construction. Most likely to me is still that a previous owner was making 'tweaks' here and there. The latch difference would require essentially a complete swap of a new door. You CAN order such parts from Scamp and maybe they ship them undrilled... Similarly I suppose it's possible someone would remove all the ensolite and replace it with ratfur (or the title got the year wrong at some point).

Oh... also... The frame looks beefier than usual up at the tounge. Do others see that or is it just me?

mkw

[Donna D.]

I have those same red stripes and little tree decal on my 1988. Frame looks familiar too.... it's completely boxed from just behind the front of the trailer all the way to the tongue.

[John Mc]

Thanks to all who puzzled over this with me. I've checked the serial number and found no correlation with the VIN number scheme outlined in the decoder. My title just says "1985 SCM". I removed the big red "Scamp" from the sides for a neater look.

I've found a rubber hose bib that takes the place of my sink drain. The doorknob remains a mystery. I do like the round knob. It's more homey, and harder for a bear to open, I suppose. I'll tow her down to the local RV shops to see if anyone recognizes my door latch and knows how to make it lock properly.

[Mike Watters]

Freaky Door latch:
Did you click on the link I posted? I think it's an exact replacement for the one currently installed. Kinda pricy - but solves any problems.

VIN# vs Title:
You could probably call Scamp with that serial number and they could tell you a lot more about it. At this point - I wouldn't be remotely shocked if it's just not an '85 regardless of what the title says.

My weird little fiberglass cargo trailer is titled as an "UNK". I spent a year pondering over what an Unk was (related to Unik?!?) before I realized it was for: Unknown".

mkw