Hello Everyone Again, 

This will be a long post I am just sure of as I do that, even on the bus bulletin boards I frequent.  Anyhow I have been waiting for a few days to make this post as I have been working on making removable storage area on the back of my camper and was excited how I was going to do it and pass on to you all. 

We all know we need more storage with these little gals, (Scamps), especially if you are only 13' long.  Well I orderd a (low boy aluminum stoage box from Amazon.com)

Lund 288272 Challenger Series Brite ATV Front Storage Box

To make a long story short and the photos I will include here will tell more of a story, the product description on Amazon.com was wrong.  Who ever submitted the information from (Lund International Storage) did not include the correct dimensions of the aluminum box.  The box was 4 inches shorter than advertisec, and 1" narrower.  Well I used the dimensions days ahead of time waiting on the box to come and made my framing on the Scamp to have 1/4" extra clearance for the box on all 4 sides.  When I got the stoage box I dropped it into my frame I made and good grief, Stevie Wonder could of seen something was screwed up .  The box on the outside said the product was 35.5" which I allowed the size for on my framing to be 36" over all in length for a little clearance.  Anyhow I had a mess to try to consider what to do.  

I really got PO'd as you probably would to if you made the frame ahead of time using dimensions advertised and still is advertised wrong at th his moment!  I immediately wrote a long complaint letter to Amazon.com as I felt the company supplying this product really did not do a good job in their advertising, and still feel that way as I also sent a copy of the Amazon letter to (Lund Company) with photos of the screw up, copies of the description of the product in the add, and I let  everyone know I was not a happy camper for sure. 

I thought complaining was not going to do anything as most of the time these companies could give a rip for what complaints you have, but I am telling you in this forum to not take for granted any longer on things sold on Amazon.com to be of correct information.  You have to go to the website now to double check stuff like this. what a crock that is.  That was suggested to me last night when I made a phone call to Lund and I got this darn ole soft shoe dance about those dimensions in the amazon.com advertisement were for the (shipping box dimensions).  what, what in hell is this crap.  Well I have worked all my life standing on my feel in front of a machine as a machinist, never getting to sit on my buttox like these guys do now that get big money to write up descriptions and information on a computer for their company products being sold on Amazon.com or any place on the net.  Now if they can't do thier job right they should find another job, I do not have the time to research their mistakes and am just passing this on a red flag to take nothing for granted.  Now also their personal website does indicate the correct dimensions of the box, so who screwed this all up??  I feel better now!!

Anyhow early this morning I received a phone call from a nice lady from (Lund Corporation), Liz Colley and she asked what they could do to make up for the screw up of information posted for my purchase.  BUT, the things she offered was taller storage box which would of been ugly for the back of the Scamp.  Also, it would offer you an opportunity to overload this box with stuff probably not needed adding more weight on the back end of the camper. This little box is just right, it would of been nicer if it were the 35.5 inches in length I ordered but this will look good too so now on to what I did and am still proud of the project.  This takes more than an hour to do by the way!!

Enough for that: I am including photos with explanations of what i did for you to consider doing if you wish.  This extra storage area is great and my modifications for the undersized box worked out after a little planning and does not look bad.  I wanted to keep the low profile of our little campers but yet have an area needed for outside shore power connections tooling, sewage connection tooling etc.  You will find stuff to fit in it believe me.  Now on to the photos that will fully explain my extra stoage project for our Scamp I am truly happy about having.  doesn't take much to make me happy at times does it??

I move my Scamp around the yard with my 1982 Toyota Corolla Station wagon, my baby!!  Second photo on right is of the stoage box support frame I fabricated while waiting on the delivery of my Low boy stoage box from Amazon.com and cost ($135.00) with shipping. At the time of ordering I was a happy camper, found what I wanted to have without haing to make it myself. 

I had to weld end of framing stabilizer brackets to Scamp Bumper, I do not like hanging something off the 2" square tubing only.  IT Makes me nervous to see someone going 70 miles per hour, down the interstate in front of me with a electric wheel chair swaying all over from side to side.  Just my thought on this.  This has to put a lot of strain on the bumper and brackets for the towing bar when this happens with no end supports.  CRAZY to do that, in my mind anyhow!!

Photo on the right is how I situated my storage locker framing using a floor jack to raise the framing level to weld on the end supports and use 2 (5/16") bolts and nuts on each end to fully support each end of the framing making it nice and ridged and SAFE for anyone to follow feeling that my tool box is fully supported and won't fall off from overweight etc. Photo on the left is using protection for welding on the camper so I will not damage the finish on the camper in anyway from welding or grinding. 

Finished framing, made to Amazon.com product dimensions, ready for the stoage box to be delivered anyday now and make a good looking project and adding more class to this little camper.  added extra visibility reflector tape on bottom of frame and ends of the Scamp Bumper.  Ideas like this should be considererd by Scamp designers, you gotta stow your camping connection equipment someplace right??

OOP'S, SOMETHING is wrong here, box is not the size of the framing.  Research found that the dimensional figures on the ADD for this product was incorrect!!  Now I am P.O.!!

After complaing to LUND Company, the MFG> I come up with an idea to utalize this extra space to be functional for storage also.  I did not want to dismantle the framing, grind off the end supports from the bumper, all that grinding would eventually damage the camper I am sure.  so I went to the Army & Navy store in Greenville, SC, and purchased a 4" wide Ammo box.  I brought it home and set it aside the undersized stoage box to see if I could do something with this mess.  I come up  with the idea, of using scrap aluminum armor plate to cover the outside of the Ammo box to match the new stoage box .  I had to cut off the ammow box handle and then I was able to piece meal scrap aluminum onto the ammo box, painted it black and had to live with what I ended up  with.  It is not my original plan but it will work and still make the Scamp look good from behind if being followed and not have a big ole gaudy tool box filled to capacity with junk probably adding much weight to the rear end of the camper. 

Ammo box, cost $13.99 at Army & Navy Store, Photo on the right is of the ammo box sitting in position waiting to be anchored to the framing, all covered in new aluminum armor plate skin.  Looked kind of good when done. All seams were calked to prevent water getting between metal surfaces of box and skin. 

Left photo is of finished mounting of new storage box and Ammo box mounted as well.  Photo on the right is of both boxes opened with carpet glued inside to the bottom to control bottom moisture and also deaden the sound of rattling stuff back there as we travel.  This box is just the right height, it does not take away from the design of the trailer, the entire back tire and the Scamp Logo is not covered in any way.   I am quite happy with the end results and wanted to share with you if your interested. 

Photo on left shows both the ammo and storage box loaded with normal stuff needed for shore power connections, sewer connections, torque gun to raise and lower the camper after unhooking or hooking back up, extension cord, trailer /tow vehicle line up balls, fresh water hose, trailer security towing ball apparatus for when we unhook to camp.

This photos shows how I used the area behind the new tool box for storage of my stabilizer arms when we are connected to the trailer.  Now I have a storage area for when we are just camping for this heavy cumbersom but needed tooling.  This no longer has to be stowed in your tow vehicle. 

Well I guess these photos and explanations make it easier for you to see what about 16 hrs. of work can accomplish all together, a lot of time was used today just trying to fix up a mess but it come out OK.  

Thanks for viewing, 

Garylee