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"Scamp"ering About

In August of 2008, we purchased our first travel trailer, and as you can see it is a 16 foot Scamp.  We went to the Scamp Dealer/Manufacturer with intentions to look at the various trailers and layouts in person; trying to get an idea as to if this type of trailer would suite our needs.  We have two smaller vehicles, so weight was a critical factor for us.  One of the trailers we were shown was a custom order that the original buyers had decided not to purchase.  The custom options that this trailer had was a roof designed for an A/C unit, 4.6 cubic foot refrigerator, blue fabric for the cushions, linoleum floor covering, a regular size table and a small two person dinette, electric brakes, and a grey water tank for the sink.   Of course the best feature was that it only weighed 1,800 pounds dry: perfect for our cars.  After some consideration, we decided to purchase the trailer.  Since we could not take it off the lot that day, we decided to have them add the A/C unit while they were performing the final prep work.  Two weeks later we returned and took our Scamp home.  

As we begin another year of Scamping, I thought I would add a bit about the mileage we have put on the trailer since we purchased it.  I was originally going to keep track of the exact mileage that we pulled the trailer, but I found that doing an estimated mileage worked a little better.  I did add to this page an ongoing mileage tabulation (please see below), and I will update that as we travel this year.

A few other things I want to comment on is the condition of and how well the Scamp has held up over the last few years.  Other than replacing a couple of trailer tires, all of the towing equipment is original.  The bearings are in good shape, I have not notice any change in the suspension or the way it tows, and we are still only putting about twenty percent of the brake power on the electric brakes (this means they are not worn down.  If over the years you are increasing the percentage of brake pressure, and you are still using the same tow vehicle, then it generally means your brake pads are getting worn down.)  The electrical harness to the vehicle is in good shape, and the tires I have on the trailer are wearing well.  However, I am planning on rotating those this year.  The only thing that I would change for towing is the lights.  I have used LED lights on other trailers and when they are illuminated, they show up very bright, even on the brightest of days.  When I find replacement LEDs that match what we currently have, I will probably switch them out.   

Another thing I would like to add is how easy on the mileage this camper really is.  One of the reasons we bought the trailer is because it could be towed by our smaller vehicles.  The other reason was that it was a lighter trailer that did not drag our gas mileage down much while towing it.  With the cost of fuel ever increasing, this is one thing that we do not need to worry about as much.  Our mileage may go down while towing it, but not by much, and after we unhook and set it up, the mileage we get on the tow vehicle goes back up and saves us money while exploring the areas we chose to camp.  If you have any specific questions about mileage, please feel free to contact us at Information@dampenedenthusiasts.com, or me at russ@dampenedenthusiasts.com.

Finally, I would like to add that we are not affiliated with Scamp, or any trailer manufacturer or reseller of any kind.  This is merely an informational site about our experience with our Scamp, as well as travel information regarding camping, campgrounds, places to visit, etc. from our own personal travels and point of view.  We do not endorse, nor do we discourage, any of the places that we have visited.  We lay the information out about the places we have visited and encourage people to travel, explore and decide for themselves about these places.  As for camping equipment and trailers, if you have any specific manufacturing, or purchasing questions, I would like to direct you to either Scamp for Scamp Trailers, or the manufacturer or retail seller of the type of equipment you are searching for.  Thank you for your interest in this site. 

Current Estimated Mileage (7/11/2022): 48,442

Official Floor Plan of our Scamp
 



Scamp as it sat on the lot

(Click Thumbnails for Larger Picture)


Bringing our Scamp Home

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First Camp - Myre/Big Island State Park in Minnesota

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The Scamp's second outing - Labor Day weekend 2008

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Adding personal touches to our "Weekend Get-away"

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Click here to see our Modifications to the Scamp


Towing Vehicles

(Click Thumbnails for Specific Information About the Tow Vehicle)

One of the most common things we have noticed about Scamps, is the wide variety of vehicles we have seen pulling them.  With that in mind, I have decided to include a section covering the types of vehicles we have used over the years to pull our Scamp. 



Other Fiber Glass/Light-Weight Trailers

While this portion of the our website is dedicated to the Scamp brand trailers and our travels with it, I do not want to discourage anyone from considering other fiber glass, light-weight, popup, or larger camping trailers.  We each have different ways of camping, different activities that we enjoy, and different wants and needs when it comes to enjoying the great outdoors.  Many of the tips that we provide for camping with our Scamp are transferable to many of the campers that you see on the road today.

While we cannot possibly feature all of the options in today's world of trailer camping, I would like to take a little time to point out other Fiber Glass and Light-Weight trailers available like the Scamp.  One of the other brands you may see on the road or in campgrounds are the Casita brand camper.  This one strikes a familiar chord with Scamp, as well as it should.  Scamp started in 1971 producing Bolar trailers for a Canadian company trying to get into the American market.  This was a short lived adventure as Bolar eventually went out of business in 1972.  The Eveland brothers, Duane and Gerald, and their sister Gladys Coffland, had the molds to make the trailers, but no marketing company.  They came up with a plan and started making Scamp trailers.  For more of the history, please visit the Scamp About Us webpage, the Story of Scamp

Casita brand trailers started in 1983 in the State of Texas.  While I cannot find any definitive information about its origins, what I have learned is this.  One of the brothers, who started Scamp, moved to Texas and decided to start building the Casita brand trailer.  They are very similar in design, concept, features and layouts.  We were looking at the Casita's when we were considering Scamp, and our decision was based on the fact that Scamp was closer for us, and was designed for camping in colder climates.  Beside that, the Casita brand trailer is still a wonderful consideration.  I do not have any pictures of them, but if you do and would like them posted, please contact me at russ@dampenedenthusiasts.com.

Another brand of light-weight trailers is Oliver Travel Trailers.  I could not find much in the way or origins or history regarding this trailer.  These trailer, while similar in design, have a few more options than the Scamps and Casitas.  They are a bit longer, are made of different light-weight materials, and have different layout options.  But the same principles are behind these trailers as are with the Scamps and Casitas.  They are light-weight, durable, comfortable to camp in, and can be pulled by a larger variety of vehicles than most other trailers available.

While this is just a small list of light-weight or fiber glass trailers, there are a small number of manufacturers out there.  If you have one and would like to share information about your trailer, please feel free to contact me a russ@dampenedenthusiasts.com.



Scamp Photo Albums

Over the first year of owning our new Scamp, we decided to document the different places that we had taken it.  Here are some of those photos and the wonderful places that we have been fortunate enough to stay.

Just a note about all of the pictures on this site.  The reason we have taken so many pictures and posted them of the Scamp is to help people see how they look and fit in to all sorts of campgrounds and camp sites.  When we were looking to purchase a camper, one thing we did not find was very many pictures, outside of the manufacture's catalog, of the Scamps in a normal camping environment.  We will continue to post pictures as we travel around the country with it, and we hope it helps people make their decision when they are considering the purchase of a Scamp.  Below are the photo albums we have assembled.



2008


2009


2010


2011


2012


2013


2014


2015


2016


2017


2018


2019


2020


2021


2022

If you would like better quality copies of the photos, or would like more information about places we have been, please feel free to contact me at russ@dampenedenthusiasts.com.