Hello All! I am a new member looking for help in fixing up a 1977 13 Scamp. It was bought with the plan of remodeling a few years back. Unfortunately, that never happened and it turned into my kids' clubhouse. I do not have the physical ability or time to do the work myself now. Any advice on how to find local resources to complete a variety of repairs? Perhaps an rv shop? Talented handymen? Not sure where to start.
Here's what I know about the camper: The shell is solid with no cracks but needs cleaning/painting. The front and rear windows don't close, roof vent leaks, and all should be replaced. There is some mold from water leaking in the front window. Not sure about the water tank, stove, fridge, or heater. Electric inside and brake lights used to work. The interior cabinets, table, bunks are all original but could use sprucing up. The sub-floor was removed and replaced before I purchased it. I mainly want to be sure that it is safe to tow and operate as I've never had it on the road.
Any advice would be appreciated!
If you can't do the rehab yourself you might consider selling the trailer and buying one in better condition. Fiberglass RV repairs can get expensive if you are paying someone else to do it. A handyman with fiberglass RV experience is your best bet but they are usually busy working on their own trailers. I know that is not what you wanted to hear.
Eddie
Put some new tires on it hook it up and take it out someplace close. Go camping its still a lot better then a tent. See what works or like the other posting said sell it. Don't know how old the photo is but i think you could get half the price of a new Scamp for it (13' standard) then all you need is the other half with no troubles just fun. Your in a good place don't over think it. :)
Have Scamp will travel !
If you aren't the type to do light mechanical work, then I'd second the recommendation to sell and get a newer one that is in "ready to camp" state. I'd buy first, because it can be difficult to get one sometimes.
Anyway, if you want to work on it and/or get someone to do some work for you here is at a glance what I can see from the one pic. We'll need inside pics to be able to tell you more.
All that I can see from here. Can tell you more with more pics and descriptions.
Our Trailers:
2015 19 Escape
Buying or Selling Molded FG Trailers:
Fiberglass-RV-4Sale
You have a very interesting Dilemma on your hands.
The first question you should ask is what do I want from my little Scamp ?
Do you want it to be fixed up and very nice on the inside and outside?
Or, do you want to be able to use the Scamp (safely) while you take the time to do (or get) the repairs done in an orderly fashion?
You also need to ask yourself; how much money do I want to invest in this old Scamp ???
Take a look at your family and ask what type of camping experience does everybody want?
To this end, you mention that you have children who have been playing in the Scamp. Well, if you have girls, have the girls grown up to the point that they can't go any where without full makeup and blown dried hair? If this is the case, you might as well start shopping for that new Class "A" motor home and forget about the Scamp.
OR..
Could you take your family out camping using the existing Scamp as a Substitute for a Tent. In other words, if the Scamp were to become Safe and Dry, could you then begin to go camping and have the Family really enjoy the experience?
Now that you have thought about that, you need to decide if you are willing to invest some money to bring your little Scamp back to life ! You also want to think about your time frame, your kids are growing up fast and you only have a few years before school and social events severely curtail their interest in spending time camping with Mom and Dad.
Okay, just for argument's sake, let's say that you decide to bring the Scamp back to life and you want to do it affordably and safely...
The first thing you need to address is the running gear: Tires, Brakes, Lights, Wheel Bearings and the structural integrity of the frame. First thing is get the frame inspected for any cracks or weak points that may fail. You also want to inspect the hitch and it's operation and adjustment (if it is adjustable).
Assuming that the frame is indeed structurally sound you probably need to replace your axle and tires. We can tell from the picture (your Scamp is sitting very low to the ground) that your axle is probably worn out. Your tires are also probably more than 5 years old and will need to be replaced, you can buy new tires, pre-mounted on new wheels (5 hole wheels), quite reasonably over the internet.
When you replace your axle I would strongly suggest you replace the axle with an axle that has the electric brakes pre-installed (also upgrade to the 5-stud wheel mount). This way you are upgrading the Scamp at the same time you are fixing it, you are also improving Safety for you and your Family.
The next item would be the operational lighting system for the trailer (Brake Lights, Tail Lights, and Marker Lights). This includes the new 7-pin plug that will be required for the new brakes.
Now you have a Scamp that can be towed Safely !!!!!
Next you want to waterproof the shell and clean up any mold that has formed.
To seal the vent cover I would suggest getting a "Maxx" Fan or "Fantastic" Fan installed, this can be purchased and installed at Camping World or other RV Service center. While you are at the service center have all the windows removed and resealed.
Before you get the fan installed and the windows re-sealed, you need to perform a thorough clean up of the entire trailer. This clean up needs to include addressing the mold issue. You can probably clean the mold using products from Home Depot ( I recommend the MoldBlaster products if available). If you don't want to do the cleanup yourself, you can hire a maid cleaning service, they will clean the trailer, but, they will probably not address the mold issue (they might, it depends on the service).
While you are at the RV Service center have them perform a complete inspection on the systems inside the Scamp. This will tell you what is working and what is not working. You want them to pay special attention to the Propane system.
Based on the results of the inspection, you can decide what needs fixing first and on what time line.
All of this is very doable and can be hired to be done. You just need to decide if you want to do this project, or sell your existing Scamp and purchase a newer Scamp with all the work already done.
If you decide to sell the Scamp I am sure you will not have any trouble selling it in it's present condition because there are several people constantly looking for a Project Scamp.
Please let us know what you decide and how it all works out.
As Always,
Happy Scamping !!!