Hi all, I am new here, and new to trailer camping. My husband and I have decided to get a Scamp 13' standard with the wet bath, but we can't order it yet. The sales rep said their current lead time was 5 to 9 months, and getting shorter. That would get it to us at a time when we would not have time to use it, but would still have to pay to park it somewhere. Too frustrating. We will wait. But no one can stop me from planning and scheming and daydreaming.
We plan to use it to make trips from Minnesota to the Catskills region in New York where our grandkids live. We plan to boondock at Harvest Hosts or public lands (or wherever convenient, really) along the way and moochdock once we get there. We also plan to do camping trips to state and national parks, staying 2 - 5 nights at campsites with at least electric hookups. We want to see a lot of National Parks and the like, and longer journeys would combine both boondocking and developed campgrounds. At least that is what we think we will like to do with the still hypothetical Scamp.
I come seeking wisdom. What should newbies make sure to know? What options should we order, and what things should we get, but not from the Scamp factory? Advice is welcome on any and all Scamp related matters.
if you're doing northern camping get the furnace and enjoy fall weather camping. it is my favorite. it's "out of season" so most places are half full or empty, and its quiet or retired folks out and about.
look used, there are plenty of ones going around on here and other sites (facebook group is where we bought ours) and you could get one now if you have the cash.
1987 Scamp 16
We have owned our 13' SCAMP 48 years! Here are a couple of (obvious) pointers to keep in mind....
1. The more amenities you include, typically the less space you have (e.g., wet bath = considerable floor space + storage space for hot water heater + black and gray holding tanks); furnace = kitchen cabinet space).
2. The more amenities, the greater the weight and the lesser your gas mileage.
also figure out will you cook inside or outside? we don't cook inside at all. we setup a table outside and have a coleman propane stove 2 burner out there, its WAY more spacious, and we're camping to spend time outside, not cramped inside. we put it under the awning so we can cook in rain too. we bought ours used but if buying new i wouldn't even get a stove.
if i bought new i would get the outdoor shower for sure, that would be handy.
1987 Scamp 16
Get everything you can afford. Folks always regret things not chosen years later. Things you may not necessarily want, usually make up for it in resale. Sometimes you want to boon dock it, sometimes you want glamping... Everything in a new Scamp works of off the battery and the LP alone except for an A/C and a microwave.
Separate the decision into utility and luxury. Utility: Wet bath/shower, larger battery, second LP tank, SMARTSTART wiring (lowers generator starup requirements), A/C, stove/oven upgrades, heater, electric jack, backup camera, solar charging, anti-sway bar/kit... Luxury: awning, outside shower, heat strip inside the A/C, aftermarket keyless entry, MaxxFan, TV (television) package, Microwave oven, larger refrigerator upgrade, a Deluxe (wood interior). I also got all overhead cabinets- all the way around.
I didn't include previous options that are now standard on new Scamps. For instance the extra brake lights, towing controllers, tank level monitors, a tankess on demand water heater, etc... these may also just be what became standard or included on a Deluxe model. My 2023 Deluxe weighs in at 2600 pounds, 500 of that is the wood (birch) interior. The sizes- 13, 16 and 19 and the wood are the biggest weight influences vs options. If you worry about weight, don't forget tongue weight. Obviously the 13 is far more space conscious than the larger models. My loaded 16 is great with regards to space, roominess and storage. We only use it for 2, a bunkbed or sleeping more wasn't needed... I did get and highly recommend a 2 dinette model- we leave our bed set up all the time and the other as a dinette all the time. This also allows for our aftermarket real mattress fitted for Scamp corners.
Read on their website what is on a Standard and on a Deluxe. Read the models' option sheets too... Lastly ask your salesperson- there always seems to be 1-4 really nice options that are newer and not on the lists...
BTW, my 16 was a 2 year wait... we really were happy picking it up last May. Enjoyed the whole summer with it!
Carl
If they produce your Scamp in 5 months, that would be February, which is not a great time to tow a trailer in Minnesota. They store Scamps until people pick them up. A couple months later and you won't have to worry about storage until next fall.
When we ordered our Scamp in 2020, we were used to tent camping, so didn't feel the need for a lot of options; and I was trying to keep things simple, thinking that the more equipment we had, the more things could go wrong. I thought we wouldn't need a furnace because we didn't want to do any winter camping, and we had a little electric heater that could do in a pinch. Then we camped in northern Wisconsin in September and the temperatures got into the 30s at night. Even when we had electric service at our campsite, we didnt think it was safe to run that little heater all night while we slept.(Also, lots of campgrounds don't provide electric service.) So, i wish we had gotten the furnace.
One other thing i wish we had gotten is the water pump. It's really tedious to work that little handle up and down on the kitchen sink to get the water flowing.
Other than that we're happy with the way our 13' Scamp is equipped. We use the stove to make our morning coffee and a little breakfast, and for suppers when the weather is moldy. We have a Maxx fan which has been great for cooling the Scamp and removing dampness. We got the bigger bed, extra cabinets, the small fridge, the group 27 battery, the jack wheel, and the electric brakes. We have the "sani potty" which we keep under the front bunk, for nighttime use. I also bought a Renogy solar suitcase for those times when we don't have an electric hookup, and a Coleman stove for outdoor cooking.
Overall, we're happy with our modestly equipped Scamp.