I found out after placing my order that the Scamps are not fully fiberglass enclosed on the bottom like the Casita and others. Has anyone asked a Scamp rep. why they do not enclose fully with fiberglass? Price and weight reduction? With a chipboard floor bottom exposed to the road elements underneath does that have any concern to you? Has anyone had a problem after 10 years or more with this design rotting out the floor? Can an aftermarket application be sprayed on the under belly to protect the chip board? Like rubber flex seal? Thank you
Mon, 09/19/2016 - 16:45
#1
Problems with Scamp not fully fiberglassed on bottom?
The bottom side of the Scamp floor is coated with resin. Floors on fiberglass trailers do not rot from the bottom up. They rot from leaks from above. If stored in a field and grass/weeds are allowed to grow up around the trailer that can trap ground moisture under the trailer. That moisture tends to cause the frame to rust if the frame is not properly painted. Don't let any one tell you the floors in the bathtub trailers are sealed and will not rot. There are screw holes in the upper floor where the cabinets are secured to the floor, water can enter the screw holes and the core wood can turn to mush. When that happens you really have a problem. Winter towing on salt treated roads will also cause the frame to rust if not rinsed off. If properly cared for and any leaks are taken care of the floors will last for decades. As for the under floor coating what is there seems to be sufficient.
Eddie
I visited Scamp a couple of years ago and was given the production floor tour. They coat the OSB (oriented strand board), or chipboard with resin on both sides. the resin is very fluid and soaks well into the surface. As Eddie explained so well, the water splashed on the outside is never a problem, it is the internal leaks. If not discovered quickly and taken care of, become the disaster. Internal leaks will cause serious problems on all trailers, regardless of design.
-Paul
2004 Scamp 19 Deluxe,
2021 Tacoma, Double Cab, 6 cyl. 4WD
Colorado
I have had an 81 13' a 96 13' and currently a 97 19' Scamp all with original flooring that is solid and no issues. Those floors and Scamps have lasted much longer than most traditional travel trailers hold up and are still going strong.
People do have to replace the sub floors on molded fiberglass travel trailers and conventional trailers from time to time but it is normally from neglect and lack of maintenance over years. Not anything I'd be concerned about.
Our Trailers:
2015 19 Escape
Buying or Selling Molded FG Trailers:
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Thank you for the explanations.
Is there any aftermarket application one can spray on the underside to protect against road salt?
Also, are there drain holes on the bottom of the Scamp to let out moisture built up or spilt liquid from inside?
If you travel in spring or fall, you might have to put up with some salt occasionally. We had to travel over heavily salted roads (I70 in the mountains of PA) one spring and after that the rust on the frame got much worse quickly. The corrosion resistance of the carbon steel frame is pretty much nil. After such a trip hose off the bottom as well as you can to remove the salt. The following summer I cleaned up the bottom again and painted the frame with black rustoleum. The only other rust protection I use is WD40 sprayed into the frame/floor gaps, maybe once a year.
The Scamp floor is glassed to the shell, it is a structural joint, but not necessarily watertight. Also there are various tubes going through the floor. An argument against the complete fiberglass floor is that in spite of drain holes, the internal spills may remain wet much longer and cause mold or rot of the sub-floor.
-Paul
2004 Scamp 19 Deluxe,
2021 Tacoma, Double Cab, 6 cyl. 4WD
Colorado
We have owned our SCAMP 13' 40 years: the underside is still like new. (I have coated/painted it a few times.)
My 1999 Scamp 13 has it's original floor in fine condition. The previous owner did apply automotive rust proofing undercoat on the underside. I worry a bit that this may trap any moisture that gets in and hold it against the floor, but it is done now. I don't think I would do this to a new trailer, just pay close attention and repair any interior leaks that may develop over time.
We are year 3 of our Scamp and have had 0 spills. Water and liquids are not a problem on Scamp floors,,they hold up well. When we pulled our carpet up,to install our Allure plank flooring, we discovered the top side of,the floor was fiberglassed too!
<p>Doug Allen 2016 Ford F-150 2018 Lance 1575</p>
The area of floor that I worry about is the area outside where the refrigerator controls are. I have found standing water in there and there is no way for it to get out! It takes days with a fan to get that area dried out. I think the water must get in there while driving in the rain. Has anyone else had this happen?
RE:
Yes, it is a common but not universal problem. It is also easy to spray water into the vent with a garden hose when washing the camper. (Best to point hose down and avoid spraying at the vent).
The newer vents are better but still have this problem on occasion. Some people have have seen some improvement by adding insulation to the frame where the vent sits, and at least one person found some fridge insulation that was not installed (still in package) and assumed it was supposed to go in the vent. Dometic said that this was NOT correct.
Scamp's design is bare bones and it does not provide for good drainage in cases where the fridge vent allows water it. I have only had the problem once or maybe twice in 12 months. It is an area you need to keep an eye on.
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