Hi folks, does anyone here tow a 19 ft scamp with a Nissan Frontier Crew Cab? If so, can I get pictures/measurements of your set up? When we bought the trailer, the previous owner sent the hitch that they had with the Scamp, but the local shops are giving us grief about installing the hitch in the bed of the Nissan.
Any help would be appreciated.
I see your Scamp is 1990, so the previous (if original) owner may have had the old hitch that consisted of a beam attached to the wheel wells and floor. You might be better off getting the new type of hitch from Scamp. Take a quick look at it on the Scamp web page. It consists of Reese bed rails and a removable, although heavy, part that has the 2" ball. I had a similar problem years ago, even a trailer shop in rural Vermont was reluctant to mount it for me in my Tacoma, so it turned into a do-it-yourself affair.
-Paul
2004 Scamp 19 Deluxe,
2021 Tacoma, Double Cab, 6 cyl. 4WD
Colorado
I am running into the same problem. They don't like the fact that Reese does not provide instructions for attaching their product to a unnamed vehicle, in my case a Chevy Colorado and in your case, a Nissan. But they do not say not to attach it to a Colorado or Nissan!!! I get comments like "Take it to Scamp and let them do it". Try to get them to call Scamp and talk to the Parts Dept. Scamp has been attaching these rails to various pickups for several years now. Maybe it is better to work with a smaller shop. I'm penciled in for two different shops. The larger "trailer shop" is the one giving me hassles. The other guy is just further out time wise than I want to deal with. Following is the instructions Scamp sent me for installing the hitch rails:
<p>
"Contents:
2 rails
2 legs
1 cross member
4bolts, 1/2inch with nuts8bolts,3/8 inch with nuts
Also,will include plates to install underneath box.
The rail kit itself includes brackets and bolts for which Scamp does not specify use.
WARNING: The following install guide is intended for use with a Scamp Trailer only. If the rails will ever be used to pull any other type of trailer, they will need to be mounted to the frame of the tow vehicle.
Scamp Hitch Installation
1.Measure the truck bed making sure the rails will fit from driver’s side to passenger side of truck. If necessary,cut to length. Cut an equal distance from each end. (Most vehicles will not require this)
2.Assemble the hitch prior to installing. Bolt the legs onto each end of the cross member using the four 4 ½” bolts. Once assembled,attached the hitch to the rails using the clevis pins. Fasten the clevis pins with the “hairpin”cotter pins. Place the cotter pinon the outside of the hitch for easy removal.
3.Set the hitch in the truck bed. Position the hitch directly over the axle if possible but make sure that the center of the ball is not more than 57-1/2” from the corner of the rear bumper or furthest protrusion (not the box). This is your longest radius when turning.
4.Once the hitch is positioned,look underneath the box to make sure that nothing will be hit when drilling holes for the rails. Look for cross members, brackets,fuel tank,wiring or lines of any kind. If the hitch needs to be re-positioned always move it toward the rear of the truck unless you have plenty of lea way in the 57-1/2” measurement.
5.Mark and drill holes for the rails. There will be four holes on each end of the rail (unless the rail has been cut shorter). Generally the place to drill the mounting holes is in the top part of the corrugated part of the box. Decide which of the sets of holes on each end of the rail will work the best, mark and drill holes. Generally,the two front holes are drilled first, taking care to make sure the rails or hitch do not move.
6.Two bolts should be installed in the end of each rail. Use the provided brackets or flange washers underneath the truck box. At this point there should be four bolts in each rail. Drill and install one more bolt at the center hole in each rail.
7.Check and tighten ALL bolts"</p>
2006 Scamp 19
I just installed the hitch in my Frontier today. I located the ball so that it is in the center of the 5' box of my crew cab. The rails then straddle Nissan cross member/ bed mounts. So, I burned holes for the Scamp supplied plates to slide through and bolted as Scamp suggested. I will know how it works when I pick my trailer up on Friday.
2020 Scamp 19’ Deluxe, 2021 Nissan Frontier Pro4X
Last week I had the axle replaced on my 2004, done in Backus. We we made it an eight day trip and camped at the Pine Mountain Lake (Ruttgers CG) and took our boats out while they worked on it. While there, we looked at the Scamps lined up to be picked up, or delivered to new owners. They were beautiful inside and out, and shined up. One of the 5th wheels had to be yours!
Some other campers were placing an order and we heard that they will get theirs in two years! But they said they beat the expected price increase.
-Paul
2004 Scamp 19 Deluxe,
2021 Tacoma, Double Cab, 6 cyl. 4WD
Colorado
We have bought and payed for our 2020 Scamp 19, and have towed it about 500 miles so far. The hitch installation works just fine. I bought rails for my first Nissan, and modified the original style Scamp hitch so that by pulling four pins, the hitch was removable. Those rails were installed by securing to the truck frame. The Scamp method for mounting seems to work just as well.
2020 Scamp 19’ Deluxe, 2021 Nissan Frontier Pro4X