I'm an aspiring Scamp owner (first time) and have looked at several. One that I looked at (a 19 fifth wheel) had caulk on top of the aluminum moulding that goes around the beltline of the body of the camper. Also the door weatherstripping had been replaced and the wood piece that is on the right side of the door had been replaced. Water was sitting on top of the aluminum - could sweep it away with a finger. Is this an indication of some prior problem? Owners profess ignorance.
Wed, 08/12/2015 - 16:35
#1
Caulk?
Hopefully it was just a minor repair or maybe an OCD-driven preventative. I recently bought an '84 19' 5er as a first-timer. No caulk on the belly band but I'm finding more and more caulk and other surprises as I do more poking around. I was fully aware that an older unit would need work, mods/updates and TLC when I bought it; but the owner was a nice old man, a Korean War Vet, who was still sharp as a tack and assured me that there was nothing wrong but a missing roof vent and non-op water heater. I did a lot of looking around, in, out, and under, assessing it as best I could-But you won't truly know what you have 'til you get it home and dig in. I don't regret my purchase at all, but I definitely won't be going camping in 2015!
Just know there will be buried/hidden problems as a result of the leak that someone may (or may not) have stopped with that caulk! I have rotted floorboards that the old coot hid with dirtied undercarriage paint and glued down indoor carpet, electrical tape holding the shore-power cord together near the end where a short length was still stored under the bench, well hidden plumbing lines repaired/replaced with garden hose, external wiring repairs/splices using wire nuts and no shrink wrap, on and on... The more you look the more you find!
Good luck with your search and plan for $urprise$!
Bernie
Bernie & Bob,
Newbies needing Mentor(s)
1984 19' 5er PROJECT "Boreggo"
1999 Dodge Ram 4x4 2500 "Thunder Buggy"
Tallahassee, Florida & Poway/Rancho Bernardo, California
Thanks sir!
Ma'am
short for Bernadette
Bernie & Bob,
Newbies needing Mentor(s)
1984 19' 5er PROJECT "Boreggo"
1999 Dodge Ram 4x4 2500 "Thunder Buggy"
Tallahassee, Florida & Poway/Rancho Bernardo, California
Sounds like you got into PO (previous owner) h**l. It's a condition that is sometimes present in these trailers.
Hopefully, you got a price point that is correct for what needs to be done to bring er back and it sounds like you may know how to do proper work when restoring. I kinda like when you have a project trailer that you know you rebuilt the things it needs correctly and made it your own along the way. I'll enjoy following your progress as I'm focusing now on our 97 Scamp 5th wheel and hope to have it done in Sept. We have some similar issues to yours.
Keep charging along, Ma'am.
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Most belly-bands are caulked at some point on the top edge as a preventative. Hopefully, they used Marine caulk and not silicone. Weatherstripping replacement is normal and most need it when you buy them, if already done and done properly then bonus. Depending on the year and price there doesn't sound like any major issues that you have indicated. Big expensive high labor issues are the axle, shell damage, appliance replacement, upholstery/foam replacement, sub-floor, bathroom. The rest is cosmetic.
Our Trailers:
2015 19 Escape
Buying or Selling Molded FG Trailers:
Fiberglass-RV-4Sale