Hello Everyone,
We are very new to this forum venue and new to being scamp owners. We just took delivery of our new 13' scamp with the bells and whistles we wanted for us but made it as light weight as we could. The Deluxe 13' model has wooden cabinets and wood moldings, our has the fiberglass cabinets, which is alright with us, but has the roof fantastic fan, air conditioning, awning, battery charger, refer with 3 way power, shower, YES, and toilet, wife happy on that. We are tight for sure but we will do fine.
A little history here about us, I also bought a 40' trailways bus and have been converting it to a motor home for (13 Years) now, no where done but still a work in progress. We bought this with the idea to travel around the country when we retired, well the gov't. has allowed the fuel suppliers to put that dream to rest. I am still working on the bus but to use on short trips and just to use it before I am too old, I am 69 as of May 5th. I plan to give it to my grandchild to use as a band bus one day, if they can afford to run it. Enough on that. Here is photo of our bus the day we bought it.
Well now things have changed, I lost a few friends this past year that were just 4-6 years older than I. So I decided to stop working on the bus and I have a friend in Pullman, Wa. who recommended getting a SCAMP as I told him I wanted to go to Alaska as the first thing on my bucket list. Making a long story short, I found that getting a used one was harder than getting a new one, we choose to get a new one and have no problems, or thought we wouldn't anyhow.
We are totally psyched to go to Alaska, June 19, 2014 and stay there until the last week of August, then I am told it is advisible to get out of Dodge at that time as the weather changes real fast. So we will, but now we have a new Scamp Camper and love it for the size that will allow us to travel more economically. The bus would get 5 MPG if I was able to get "R" done so we can use it. We will be pulling our new Scamp with a Jeep Cherokee as we go to Alaska, plan to get another vehicle later on. To me now time is of the essence to enjoy our selves while we have the health to do that, you kow what I mean.
Well not to bore you too much more, I come up with a few ideas as well that I hope will help others as well. The first thing we discovered as it was hot here in Piedmont, SC the day we received our Scamp. We of coarse just had to test out the new airconditioner. Well it worked great, then going outside to see what our camper is about I discovered the condensation running down the side of the Scamp, going all over the tire and wheel on the left side. I did not like that at all, I had serious visions of rust starting to form on the wheels, brakes etc. in short time. So I got this idea, I went to Camping World, and for $26 I bought a 10' roll of rain gutter intended to put around windows and doors of RV's. I mounted this 10' piece of white gutter on the Scamp roof in a "U" shape around my air conditoner and left the open ends of the gutter going toward the back of the Scamp and now when the air conditioner runs, the water goes to the back of the Scamp and it no longer runs down the side of the trailer.
Here is photos of what I did if you are interested:
Photo with gutter guard from camping world installed on roof, "U" shaped around the permiter of the air conditioner.
I am really glad to be a member of this BB Forum, I plan to read every post and plan to submit any ideas I may come up with as well. I look forward to going to Scamp Rallies as much as we do going to bus rallies.
Hope this little idea is useful to some that use their air conditioner all the time, and want to prevent water from getting into the brakes, wheels, and also the exhaust vent for the furnace I beleive.
Have another suggestion coming right up.
Garylee
This is my second post on our new Scamp I have improved I believe and want to bring this possibility of a problem to your attention. Under the floor of your camper is the working of all the piping for the waste tanks etc. Well on our camper there is a large gap left after the installation of both the Gray and Black waste piping going to their prospective tanks, This gap is about 1/2" around the entire permiter of the piping and the full thickness of the wooden flooring.
I saw the possiblity of water getting up in here from the road traveling we will do in the rain etc., the possiblity of a nice hiding entrance spot for insects to get in your camper, (spiders etc,), also a eating area for mice to just sit on the pipes and eat their way into your camper, who knows what else could happen?
I went to home depot and bought the gap filling foam and inserted the foam in both these huge openings that should of been closed after installation of the pipes to me??
I also bought2 cans of spray truck bed liner, black, to undercoat the entire flooring of the camper. The wooden floor did not turn me on as it did not look completely coated with anyithing to prevent moisture from breaking down the particle board it is made of. Now I feel more comfortable with the entire floor and camper frame coated with this bed liner from O'rileys at $9 per can. It took 2 cans to do a 13' camper. NOTE: Be sure to wear a mask to breath while spraying under the camper, this stuff is toxic smelling and I am sure not good for the lungs. Just a suggestion here. Be safe.
Here are photos of both additions made to the bottom of our Scamp:
Thanks for looking at this.
Garylee
Garylee
Garylee,
I am glad to see your posting. I too purchased a new 16' Scamp, brought it home and stuck it in the polebarn for the winter. When I jacked it up to relieve axile pressure for storeing I noticed the particale board as well. I will check the fit of the pipes as you did and then I would like to spray something on the underside of the floor as well and the steel frame since it is still new with no rust. I would think the bed liner spray or even the brush on bed liner would do the trick. Does the spray set up hard after curing or will it remain tacky? I would think the stuff would get hard and remain tough for a good while.
Kenny
Kenny,
The spray on bed liner from O'riley's dries instantly and is not tacky at all and you can spray it on your frame etc. This is insurance to me and feel it will be to you as well. Remember to wear that mask when spraying, do not spray close to the outside of camper underdeath without masking off about 1' high with tape and plastic on the outside of camper or you will possibly have overspray on your camper. Just take your time, you will probably need 3 cans of this on the 16' trailer. Be liberal at first, then do a second coat after you do the entire trailer. This will preserve your investment. Fix those mice, insect gaps too, have no idea why this is not done at factory.
Hope this helps,
Garylee
Garylee