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How to Watch Movies in the Wild

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How to Watch Movies in the Wild

Sometimes it’s nice to come back to your small travel trailer after a long day of hiking and watch a good movie.  After all, you can probably stay up as late as you want and sleep in the next morning!  Without the usual pressures of the outside world, being in the wilderness affords a nice opportunity to really enjoy some quality entertainment!

The main piece of equipment you will need to enjoy a good movie in your small travel trailer is a television (LCD TV) that is powered by 12 volts.  Being powered by 12 Volts allows you to use the TV off grid (e.g. no hookups).  This type of TV can be plugged directly into a 12V socket and powered by the travel trailer’s 12V battery or an auxiliary battery power bank, which is desirable when you have no hookups in the wild.  If your small travel trailer has 110V outlets, they are unlikely to work without hookups because most small trailers don’t have inverters (allows your 12V battery to power 110 volt outlets).  Note:  12 volt TVs designed for travel trailers often also come with a 12V power supply which allow the TV to be plugged into a 110V outlet (which may be useful if there is no 12V socket option in the small travel trailer so the TV can be used at least when the trailer is hooked up to city power or if the trailer has an inverter with 110 volt outlets).  It’s important to note though, that the 12V TV will be more efficient (use less power) off grid when plugged directly into a 12V socket than using an inverter (110V outlet powered by 12V battery) since there are losses associated with “inverting” DC to AC current (which can be significant).

It is recommended to get a TV designed specifically for an RV because (along with being 12V) they are built to withstand vibration from the road and handle larger variations in temperature and humidity, unlike home electronics.  Additionally, they may be more energy efficient than non RV models which is important if you are camping without hookups and trying to conserve power.

One of the few manufacturers of 12 volt TVs for travel trailers is Jensen.  The model that came with our 13’ Scamp travel trailer is a Jensen 19” with a built-in DVD player.  The TV is mounted in the corner of our Scamp so it can be watched while sitting at the dinette or from the bed (when the dinette is converted to the bed).  The DVD player is handy if you have a collection of DVDs because you can play DVDs anywhere without the need for over the air TV signals, a cable/satellite connection, or a data connection (e.g. wifi or mobile data hotspot).  I recommend using an adhesive like LocTite Threadlocker to secure the mount’s bolts threads if you have a TV mounted in your small travel trailer.  Our factory installed TV disconnected from its mount (brand new Scamp) on one of our first trips and fell to the floor!  When we arrived at our destination I found the TV on the floor with a broken soldered joint at the cable connection.  Fortunately, the TV manufacturer (Jensen / ASA Electronics) was super nice and fixed the TV at no cost!  After that experience, I used LocTite on all the bolts to secure the TV and the TV mount has stayed tight since.

If you don’t have room for a TV or don’t want the expense, you can also watch TV and movies on your mobile phone, tablet, or laptop albeit with a smaller screen size.

If you are city camping, like the times we spent on my cousin Jon’s driveway in Santa Barbara, or when we parked our Scamp travel trailer out on the street in front of my sister’s house in Oakland, you likely will have access to electrical power, wifi and over the air HD digital signals.  If your small travel trailer is connected via an extension cord to city power, then there is no concern about how to power your TV.  Once your family member or friend gives you their wifi code (assuming you are close enough to the house to receive the signal), you will have full access to streaming media (which includes TV).  You will need a digital streaming media player attached to your TV — like a Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, or AirTV.  We have subscriptions to Sling TV, Netflix, and Amazon Prime.  Sling TV (internet TV service owned by Dish Network) has an incredible variety of television channels and offers additional channel packages (like News, Lifestyle).  We have the Sling TV Blue package along with News and Lifestyle packages which has most major news channels, CNBC, and all the Hallmark Channels.  Sling TV also provides a free 10 hour cloud based DVR, so you can record shows and watch them wherever you are (as long as you have an internet connection).  So, as long as we have a decent wifi connection in the Scamp, we get a vast array of TV channels through Sling TV.  Netflix and Amazon Prime also provide a huge library of movies and TV shows.   In addition to Internet TV, we also receive crystal clear over the air TV when in most cities via our HD antenna system.  We added the TV package when we ordered our Scamp which includes an HD Antenna on the roof, an electronic attenuator inside the Scamp for rotating the HD antenna for optimal HD reception, and cabling inside the Scamp with a cable port outside for use when staying at an RV park that offers cable TV.  Over the air HD TV is especially good when one wants to watch local channels (like the News or Weather) or when no other forms of TV are possible (e.g. no Internet, no DVDs, no phone).

When staying in campgrounds at State and National Parks, there usually is no wifi or over the air HD TV reception.  If the campground has electrical hookups, then no consideration needs to be made regarding powering the TV.  However, if the campground has no hookups, it’s best either to watch shows on a small device (e.g. mobile phone, ipad, or laptop) or use a large external battery power bank (we use the Jackery 500) which can independently power the TV for hours without running down your travel trailer battery.  It is extremely important to reserve all the trailer’s battery power for essential tasks (e.g. running a fan, lights, and water pumps) when boondocking (no hookups).  A 100W solar panel is a great option to help recharge your small travel trailer batteries daily when camping without hookups.  We’ve found our solar panel can maintain our Scamp’s battery at 12.5V (a good place) for days on end as long as the Sun shines.  Another option is to use a generator for power (although State and National Parks generally have rules regarding if and when you can use one).  For most small travel trailers, a solar panel is enough.

Now that you have your TV / personal viewing device, power outlet, and power source all figured out, you can decide on what you want to watch and how you are going to watch it (which will likely vary depending on the campsite location and available utilities).  The three main ways to watch movies in the wild are through:   DVDs, downloading movies onto your personal viewing device, and satellite TV (requires satellite dish and subscription).  You can try scanning the HD channels for over the air TV, but, so far, we’ve found no signals in all the remote areas where we’ve stayed.  If you have a DVD player built into your TV, then just stick the DVD into the TV and away you go!  Before every trip, we try to download a bunch of movies from Netflix and/or Amazon Prime.  The downloaded movies can be played both on our phone and on our TV (through our phone using a special cable) even if we have no internet connection.  If buying an HDMI cable that displays your phone’s movies onto the TV, you need to make sure you purchase a cable that is meant for your model phone.  We purchased this cable for our Samsung Galaxy S8 phone which plugs into the phone and the TV’s HDMI port and displays whatever is playing on the phone.  Update:  my Samsung Galaxy S8 needed to be replaced and few phones (including my new phone) output HDMI.  So, I purchased a small inexpensive laptop with HDMI output to play movies into our TV.  To download movies and shows from Netflix: download the Netflix App from the Google Play store or Apple App Store, open the Netflix App on your phone and sign in, select a movie or series, and click on Download.  When you want to watch at the campground, select the Downloads menu item and find your movie / show and play (you will not need an Internet connection to watch the show).  The process is very similar with Amazon Prime.  Lastly, satellite TV may be an option to consider.  Our friends Hugh and Cheryl have satellite TV (DirectTV) with a satellite TV antenna on the roof of their very large motorhome.  This is also possible for a small travel trailer if you don’t mind the expense for equipment and monthly subscription and can setup and store the satellite receiver and antenna.

In the not so distant future, StarLink (constructed by SpaceX) will provide high speed broadband satellite internet service covering most of the globe using a constellation of thousands of mass produced satellites in low Earth orbit.  The first 60 satellites were launched in 2019 and Space X has been launching sets of 60 on a regular basis since this time.   SpaceX plans for near global service by late 2021 or 2022.  If successful, Starlink will transform travelling with small travel trailers by enabling high speed broadband communication (e.g. ip phone, browsing, email, tv / movie streaming) at the most distant locations where one can travel.  For small travel trailer enthusiasts, this will be a communication bonanza — possibly enabling longer and more pleasant trips by allowing campers to work from the trailer, stay in touch with family, and enjoy online entertainment, including TV and movies, at once completely off the grid campgrounds.  Update:  StarLink is now available for RV use!!!

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

My Travel Trailer Tool Kit

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My Travel Trailer Tool Kit

It only took one trip to realize having a tool kit when travelling with a small travel trailer is essential!  Even if you have no experience working on or fixing things, having some basic tools can be a real life saver.

We were staying over at a Harvest Host location on an olive tree farm in Paso Robles and had no access to electrical hookups.  We had our solar panel, so we weren’t very concerned.  Unfortunately, when I setup the panel outside, one of the two power wires slipped out of the solar panel connector.  Without the attached wire, the solar panel wouldn’t be able to keep our Scamp battery charging.  I just needed a small screw driver to secure it again, which would only take a couple of seconds.  However, such a simple task was virtually impossible without the right tool and there were no stores anywhere close by.  Fortunately, I remembered I had a micro screw driver in my drone kit and was able to use it successfully.  After this experience, I vowed to equip our Scamp travel trailer with a proper tool kit and we haven’t travelled without it ever since!

I first thought I would just buy a pre-made tool kit at Harbor Freight Tools.  They have a number of nice tool kits that are very inexpensive.  However, when I went to check them out I realized that they were all preloaded with a lot of unnecessary tools I didn’t need and, in turn, were heavy.  When one travels with a small travel trailer, it’s always a good idea to keep weight in mind.  You only want to carry the absolute essentials to keep the trailer as light as possible to make it easier for your car to tow and conserve precious space.  For example, it’s probably not necessary to have a full socket head kit for your travel trailer when you only need a few socket sizes (e.g. battery nuts, wheel lug nuts, and tongue jack nuts).  In addition, there are some specific tools (e.g. voltage meter) that are useful for the Scamp and wouldn’t necessarily be in a preloaded tool kit.  So, instead of purchasing one of the pre-made tool kits, I decided on buying specific tools individually.

After taking a lot of measurements, I found this really nice plastic box on Amazon which has plenty of room for all my tools and fits great on the floor in the Scamp’s front clothes closet!

CLICK HERE TO BUY ON AMAZON

Tools in my Scamp travel trailer toolbox:

  1. 25’ Extension Cord (Orange) – use it whenever you overnight on the street in front of a friend’s house.  CLICK HERE TO BUY ON AMAZON
  2. Digital Multimeter – use it to check power is coming out of the solar panel extension cables.  CLICK HERE TO BUY ON AMAZON
  3. Ring Terminal 12-10 Crimp Connectors – use for connectors to the trailer battery (e.g. electric tongue jack, LEDs….) 5/16” (Home Depot)
  4. Tool & Terminal Kit – good for crimping the connectors (Home Depot)
  5. Work Gloves – CLICK HERE TO BUY ON AMAZON
  6. Headlamp – keeps hands free when working in low light.  CLICK HERE TO BUY ON AMAZON
  7. Multi-tool – Provides a variety of options in one tool.  CLICK HERE TO BUY ON AMAZON
  8. Adjustable Grip Plyers – CLICK HERE TO BUY ON AMAZON
  9. Micro Cutter – use to cut wires and zip ties.  CLICK HERE TO BUY ON AMAZON
  10. Swiss Army Knife – CLICK HERE TO BUY ON AMAZON
  11. Foldable Scissors – CLICK HERE TO BUY ON AMAZON
  12. Needle Nose Pliers – CLICK HERE TO BUY ON AMAZON
  13. Ratched Socket Wrench:  Use for battery nuts, wheel lug nuts, and tongue jack nuts (we use a 3/8” square drive), CLICK HERE TO BUY ON AMAZON
  14. Socket Heads:  Get appropriate sized socket heads for your battery nuts, wheel lug nuts, and tongue jack nuts.  Note:  our 13’ Scamp sizes are 13/16” hex for wheel lug nuts, 9/16” hex for the 3 tongue jack bolts, and ½” hex for the battery terminal nuts (using 3/8” square drive).
  15. Zip Ties, Electrical Tape, Duct Tape, Velcro Tape – use for a variety of tasks.
  16. Ratchet Screw Driver Set – CLICK HERE TO BUY ON AMAZON
  17. Mallet – similar to hammer.  CLICK HERE TO BUY ON AMAZON
  18. Pencil – used to draw graphite on zippers to make them work better.
  19. Manual Crank tool for electric tongue jack (should come with electric tongue jack)

“Intellectuals solve problems, geniuses prevent them.”  Albert Einstein

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

It’s Hip to be Square

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It’s Hip to be Square

Sometimes a shape is very important.  This certainly can be the case when packing your small travel trailer refrigerator.  Small items tend shift when travelling down the road and the problem can be especially bad when items are cylindrical (like water bottles) and can roll around.  If the refrigerator isn’t completely packed, a loose water bottle can crash into other items, possibly damaging them in transit.  Additionally, a heavy item that is rolling around inside the refrigerator could potentially leak and create a big mess.

On our first few Scamp trips, we secured water bottles in the refrigerator with Velcro straps.  This method worked ok but made it a nuisance to quickly remove the water bottles.  We noticed that items that were in square boxes (like soup) didn’t move around much during trips.  So, we replaced our water bottles with one square water bottle that we refill with pure water when it is low (we carry two 4 gallon drinking water safe water jugs in our SUV which we fill with our reverse osmosis water system at home before we leave on a trip).  The square water bottle works great and tends to say in its place in the refrigerator without using straps!

Now, we try to choose square containers for anything that will need to be refrigerated, if possible. Since we like pancakes on Sunday mornings, we found a great brand of pure premium maple syrup (Parker’s) that we intend to refill with our favorite pure maple syrup when it runs out.  We took Parker’s maple syrup up to Mammoth Lakes on our last trip and it held its position in the fridge well!  Other items packaged in square containers that we enjoy and take in our Scamp’s refrigerator are Macadamia Milk and boxed soup.

Lots of other food items can either be found in square packaging or packed in square containers.  For example, fruits like grapes are nicely stored in sealed containers.  The bottom line is to avoid putting heavy cylindrical objects like bottled water or soda cans in your small travel trailer’s refrigerator when travelling because they can cause issues.  Instead, be aware, that it’s hip to be square!

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

Save Time & Money with a Home Dump!

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Save Time & Money with a Home Dump!

One of the biggest concerns of small travel trailer campers is the status of their Fresh, Grey, and Black water tank levels and the necessity to Dump the tanks before it’s too late.  A small travel trailer with sink, bathroom and shower generally has four tanks [e.g. Fresh tank to hold fresh water, Hot Water tank (usually fed from the Fresh tank), Grey tank (the water that is drained from the sink and shower), and Black tank (holds what is flushed down toilet)].  Our 13’ Scamp travel trailer with bathroom has a 12 gallon Fresh tank, 6 gallon Hot Water tank, 21 gallon Grey tank, and 9 gallon Black tank.

It’s important to monitor tank levels so you don’t run out of water or, possibly worse, have dirty or hazardous water / waste back up into your trailer!  Most campers get an idea fairly quickly how long they can go without dumping their tanks.  When we purchased our Scamp travel trailer, we had a tank monitor sent directly to the factory and had them integrate it into our Scamp when completing our custom build.  We use the SeeLevel II tank monitoring system (we purchased ours on RVupgrades.com because the price was much lower than on Amazon).   This monitor allows one to see the levels of all the tanks as well as the travel trailer voltage (which you want to make sure doesn’t go much lower than 12 volts – around 50% charge).  We rely on the monitor religiously to make sure we are keeping our tanks and voltage at the correct levels.

We have found that with two people each taking a fast shower every day, regularly using the Scamp bathroom, and using the sink sparingly (using paper plates or washing dishes outside if allowed), we need to Dump on about day 3.  If we are at a campsite with full hookups, then it’s no big deal.  However, if we need to move the trailer to Dump, then we try to be very careful in how we use our water so the need to Dump is less frequent.  The Achilles heel for us is the Grey tank which fills up after a couple of days (primarily due to showers).  The Black (toilet) tank usually doesn’t need to be refilled until day 5.  And the Fresh tank is generally not an issue since there usually is a spigot or water hose wherever we camp (even at areas with no hookups).  So, at campsites without hookups, we either have to use a shared Dump in the campground on day 3 if we are staying more than a couple of days or drive to a Dump.  For the future, we are considering using an outdoor shower to extend our time between Dumps since it’s the Grey tank filled quickly by showers which greatly limits our time between Dumps.

A home Dump is similar to the Dump hookup used to dump the Black and Grey tanks at the campsite.  The home Dump just utilizes the sewer cleanouts (for use by plumbers when they need to clear a clog inside the main sewer pipe going from the home to the City sewer system).  This pipe is the conduit which takes all the material flushed down the toilets in the home to the City sewer system.  The sewer cleanout covers can typically be found somewhere in the front of the home.  Our cleanout covers are located in our garage.  There are two covers which both go into the same sewer pipe, but each hole directs the plumber’s auger in a different direction (the cover closest to the road on ours directs the auger toward the house and the cover closest to the house directs the auger toward the street).  It really doesn’t matter which cleanout you use to Dump because material dumped from your trailer will go down into the sewer line either way.

A home Dump is fantastic if feasible and allowed by local laws.  It’s especially useful when arriving home after staying at a campsite with no Dump, or where the Dump had a long wait or wasn’t easily available, or was a bit too expensive (we’ve paid as low as $7.50 to Dump at a Valero station in Santa Barbara up to $15 to Dump at a private location in Mammoth Lakes).  In our area, the closest Dump is about 30 minutes’ drive away!  The home Dump also makes it possible for us to test our systems (shower, sink, toilet), sanitize and flush these systems with Happy Campers, and sanitize and flush our Fresh and Hot Water tanks.  It would be much less convenient and more expensive to do these tasks away from home.

We were very fortunate in that our sewer cleanout access areas happened to be located right in front of where our Scamp travel trailer sits in our garage!  In order to utilize them, we just had to have our plumber cut a few inches of the pipe down into the hole so an enlarged PVC cleanout adapter (available at Home Depot) could be attached to easily accommodate our 3” RV sewer hose with the cement cover still able to sit on top when not in use.

When searching for your cleanout, keep in mind that there is usually a cover (cement) that says “sewer” on it.  The cleanout is likely to be outside your home between the foundation and the street or could be on the side of your home (closest to the bathroom).  Hopefully, it will be located in an area that is convenient for you to place your travel trailer within 6 feet of the opening. It’s also best if the cleanout is either level or below your travel trailer so gravity allows the material being dumped to easily drain into the cleanout.  The cleanout pipe is usually 4 inches in diameter with a screw cap that has a square knob or indentation on the top.  Please let me know if this works for you!

Cleanliness is next to godliness!

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

 

Using a Trailer Dolly to move your Trailer without a Tow Vehicle!

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Using a Trailer Dolly to move your Trailer without a Tow Vehicle!

A trailer dolly is a great product for moving small trailers (less than 3000 pounds and tongue weight less than 600 pounds) around on flat level surfaces if one has a moderate level of physical strength or help from other people.

Just before taking delivery of our 13’ Scamp travel trailer, we ordered an Aquacart trailer dolly which was advertised as being able to easily move trailers.  I had envisioned I could use this dolly to pull our 13’ Scamp travel trailer up our driveway and then perfectly position it in our garage.

The Aquacart is extremely well made – 2” welded aircraft quality aluminum with big 13” wheelbarrow tires (and weighs 25 pounds).  Indeed, this dolly is very sturdy.  It feels like it was over engineered to carry large loads.  It seems to be the Rolls Royce of trailer dollies.  It’s big though, and unless you have an SUV with fold down seats or a truck, it may be difficult to take on trips.  The wheels, however, can be removed as they have clips.  We did take it on our first trip and used it to pull our Scamp travel trailer into our campsite (since we had no experience backing up our travel trailer).  Since our first trip though, we haven’t taken the dolly on trips because we are now better at backing up our Scamp, it mostly hasn’t been necessary because most spots are easy to back into (although we could have used it getting into my cousin’s driveway on a narrow street), and the Aquacart takes up some space in our SUV.

When our 13’ Scamp travel trailer was delivered on the street in front of our house last November, we found out that unless the surface is flat and level it can take a lot of muscle to move around a 1500 – 2000 pound travel trailer!  It took three people to pull the Scamp up our driveway!  In retrospect, I don’t think I would do that again because it could potentially be dangerous if someone lost their grip and the trailer couldn’t be stopped from rolling.  A runaway trailer is not a good thing!

Aquacart recommends keeping the dolly’s tires well inflated to make it easier to move trailers around.  The dolly comes with a 1-7/8” universal ball which we easily swapped out for a 2” ball which is compatible with our Scamp travel trailer hitch.

We now use the Aquacart trailer dolly regularly to move our Scamp around in our garage to place it in perfect position after we back the Scamp into the garage.  It’s much easier to back the Scamp in the general area in the garage and use the dolly to position it than to try to back it just perfectly into its spot.  We’ve tried the latter approach and it can be very time consuming.  We highly recommend the Aquacart dolly for this purpose and all other jobs when moving around a small travel trailer on flat level surfaces.

CLICK HERE TO BUY ON AMAZON

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

 

 

Stop Cranking Your Arm and Replace Your Manual Tongue Jack!

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Stop Cranking Your Arm and Replace Your Manual Tongue Jack!

One of the first few things we replaced on our Scamp travel trailer was our hand crank tongue jack.  The tongue jack sits on the front of the trailer and allows one to raise and lower the ball coupler so the trailer can be attached to the tow vehicle.  It didn’t take too long to understand how much cranking is required when hitching and unhitching the Scamp travel trailer!  Not only can cranking over and over be repetitively hard on your arm, shoulder and joints, but it takes a lot of time and energy.  It’s also the time when you want to be concentrating on other parts of the process and cranking the jack up and down can be distracting.

Our process typically works as follows:  once the rear stabilizing jacks on the Scamp trailer have been raised, I crank up the front of the trailer, so that the ball receptacle is higher than the ball on our SUV.  I then back up our SUV so that the ball is aligned with the receptacle.  Sometimes, I have to get out of the SUV and crank up the tongue a little more to make sure it clears above the ball.  Then, I back up the SUV so the ball is directly under the ball receptacle on the trailer.  Then, once the alignment is perfect, I crank down the trailer tongue until the ball receptacle goes down completely over the ball and the coupler latch can be completely locked into place.  When arriving at the campsite, after securing the trailer with wheel chocks, I unlock the couple latch and detach all cables connected to the SUV, and then start cranking again to raise the front of the trailer until there is plenty of room for the ball on the SUV to clear when the SUV is driven forward.  When the SUV is driven forward and away from the trailer, the trailer again needs to be cranked (usually down) until the trailer is level.  And, all of the above cranking processes are to be repeated when leaving the campsite and arriving back at home!

It didn’t take too long for us to realize that all the manual cranking wasn’t a fun way to enjoy our Scamp trips!  Fortunately, changing the tongue jack is super simple!  And, electric tongue jacks are easy to install and not too expensive!  The Scamp travel trailer has just three bolts – so, it’s just a matter of securing the Scamp onto the SUV (like you are going on a trip), raising the manual jack all the way up, removing the bottom plate on the jack, unscrewing the three screws that attach the jack to the trailer, and lifting the entire assembly up and out of the jack shaft.  It’s important to make sure that whatever electric tongue jack your order has the same screw hole pattern as your original screw hole pattern so that when you lower the jack into place, the screw holes match.  Then, it’s just a matter of screwing down the jack into position and connecting the power cord to the battery (and possibly a ground wire).  Be careful in that often Black is positive for DC power jack arrangements (and White negative) – so, it’s important to check your manual to make sure the correct color is attached to the positive battery terminal and perhaps negative terminal if required.

We ordered the Barker 32454 VIP 3500 Power Jack for our Scamp travel trailer and have been extremely satisfied with the jack and the company.  This is one of the pricier power jacks, but we feel the quality is worth it and have had really good interactions with customer service when we initially had questions.  The jack has performed really well and is fast and quiet.  We have never had an issue with it, using it regularly for almost a year.  The jack is grounded by the trailer itself by the screw plate, so only one positive wire goes to the battery.

CLICK HERE TO BUY ON AMAZON

I also had the opportunity to install a much less expensive jack for my friend Dana who has a 16’ Scamp.  She chose the Weize Power Jack, which is also a 3500 lb. jack and meant for A-frame trailers like the Scamp.  Installation was very similar to the Barker, except there were two connector wires.   Dana reports that she has been very satisfied with this jack.

CLICK HERE TO BUY ON AMAZON

Both Barker and Weize power jacks have a manual bar which can crank the jack in case the trailer battery is depleted.

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

 

Drain and Clean Your Tanks Regularly To Avoid Algae, Bacteria and other Bad Guys

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Drain and Clean Your Tanks Regularly To Avoid Algae, Bacteria and other Bad Guys

Algae, bacteria, and other harmful microorganisms can grow in your trailer’s Fresh and Grey tanks as well as other parts of the water system such as the pipes, hoses and water heater.  It may be possible to see the algae or it might just be that your water has a funny smell.  If you regularly are using a product to clean the Black and Grey tanks (after each trip) then it’s not likely there will be issues in these tanks.

Algae like to grow in a moist warm environment which is often the situation with the trailer’s tanks, water heater tank, and pipes.  Algae and other microorganisms have the potential for not only making the trailer water smell funny and clogging up water lines, but also could be dangerous to one’s health.  Personally, we only drink water that we bring from home that is produced in our reverse osmosis system and stored in 4 gallon BPA free plastic jugs.  But, even showering and washing dishes and hands with contaminated water could be potentially dangerous (e.g. skin, stomach, and lung issues).

Using a water filter before water enters your trailer is a must.  Additionally, the first thing to do when you get home from a trip is to drain all your tanks to eliminate the potential growing environment for the algae (this should include draining your hot water heater tank if the trailer will be stored more than a couple of weeks).  Draining the Fresh, Grey, Black, and Hot Water Heater tanks is easy and should be something you do after each trip so your trailer is ready to go for your next adventure.  When we get home, we usually park our Scamp in front of our house on the street so we can wash it before putting it back in the garage.  We open up the Fresh tank value located under the passenger side dinette seat so that the remaining Fresh water drains out on the road.  Once fully drained, we close the valve.  We also open the Hot Water Heater tank plug on the outside of the Scamp (open metal service access door on driver’s side) and let the tank drain as well (before opening, water should be cold and pressure released by turning on hot water tap at sink with on demand pump off).  On our Scamp’s Suburban hot water heater, a 1 1/16” socket is needed to unscrew the hexagonal bolt which is not only the plug to the hot water heater but also the Anode Rod (see image).  After washing the trailer and bringing it into the garage, we then drain our Black and Grey tanks using the sewer clean out drain in the garage.

It’s a good idea to sanitize your trailer water system once every six months and change your external water filter at the same time (or at least once per season or earlier if you notice decreased water flow).

Supplies:

RV Fresh Water System Sanitizing Instructions (Frequency = every 6 months)

  1. Make sure water heater is off and the circuit breaker to it is off.  Also, make sure the hot water heater switches are all off (electric and gas) and the gas LP valves are also off.
  2. Fill your Scamp Fresh tank so it is ½ full.
  3. Wearing gloves / protective eyewear and using a funnel  and plastic hose tube, pour ¼ cup of household bleach (e.g. Clorox) into your ½ full Fresh tank (or whatever ratio is recommended by your trailer manufacturer) (never pour full strength bleach into an empty tank).
  4. Add fresh water to your Fresh tank until it is full.
  5. Turn on 12V On Demand Water Pump.
  6. Run each tap one by one (sink hot water, sink cold water, shower hot/cold) until you smell the bleach and then let the tap run a few more seconds and then turn off.
  7. Fill Fresh water tank again to 100%.
  8. Turn off 12V On Demand Water Pump.
  9. Let sit overnight.
  10. Drain the Fresh and Hot Water Heater tanks.
    1. On the Scamp 13’, remove the passenger side dinette seat cushion and access the panel underneath. Open the drain valve 180 degrees and the Fresh water will drain on the ground below.
    2. Release water pressure in system by opening kitchen sink hot and cold faucets with demand pump off until water trickles.
    3. On our Scamp 13’, the hot water heater service access panel is at the driver’s side rear of trailer. The plug/anode is at the bottom of the heater.  Use socket wrench (our Suburban hot water heater plug needs a 1- 1/16” or 27mm socket) to unscrew plug (which also has a long metal anode rod).  You may have to pull the plug bolt head with some pressure if the rod gives resistance.  Water will drain out once the plug/rod is removed (so move trailer onto the street or location where water draining isn’t an issue).  This is the time to inspect the Anode rod.  If it looks very eaten up or is 75% consumed replace it when this process is complete.*  See instructions at bottom.
    4. If you have a Hot Water Heater tank rinser, now’s a good time to pressure wash the inside of the Hot Water Heater tank to remove any leftover sediment. We use this one.
    5. Tighten the Dummy Plug (old Anode rod with wire clipped off so just plug remains), Existing Plug, or New Plug onto the Hot Water Tank so it is sealed.
  11. Fill Fresh tank and open hot water tap until water flows (so hot water tank is full).
  12. Run each tap (sink hot, sink cold, shower hot/cold) until there is no bleach / chlorine smell.
  13. If bleach smell persists, drain Fresh tank and water heater again using their drain valves and refill with Fresh water.
  14. Once smell is gone, drain the Fresh tank and Hot Water Tank again and let sit dry until next trip.
  15. Now firmly secure the Anode rod in with Teflon tape and socket wrench.
  16. Turn off 12V On Demand Pump.
  17. Replace external water filter with new one.

*Replacing the Anode rod (Frequency = every 12 months under hard water usage or when 75% consumed):  Take a wire brush to the clean drain port threads to remove sediment and any leftover Teflon tape on the threads.  Next, apply mineral oil on a cloth to the clean threads to prevent corrosion and assist in installing the new Anode rod.  Wrap Teflon seal tape on threads of new Anode rod, leaving the first few threads exposed so you can screw in plug by hand.  Screw in new Anode rod clockwise by hand to make sure it’s threaded correctly and then use socket wrench until it is firmly tight (do not over tighten to avoid stripping the threads).  Note:  the anode rod does not and will not need to go all the way in.  The anode just needs to be tightened enough to be water tight.  Tighten snug and do not crank down beyond this or damage to the threads or tank could occur.  If it leaks, tighten a little bit more if possible.

We order this 3 pack of Anode rods for our Suburban hot water heater, and it comes with Teflon seal tape:

(3 Pack) Suburban RV Anode Rod Replacement Part 232767

Why is the Anode rod so important?  The Anode rod is able to help keep the Hot Water Tank from rusting by promoting a chemical reaction called electrolysis.  The process makes the Anode rod corrode in place of the exposed steel in your water heater which can lead to leaks.

RV Grey & Black Water System Sanitizing Instructions (Frequency =  every or every other trip)

We use Happy Campers Organic RV Holding Tank Treatment for the Grey and Black Water (toilet) tanks.

First, we dump our tanks.  Then, we fill jug with 1 scoop of Happy Camper with 1 gallon of water and mix and pour into the toilet and then flush the toilet immediately (Black tank).  Then, we pour two more gallons of fresh water into the toilet and flush.  We do the same for the sink (Grey tank).  We let the tanks sit for a week, allowing Happy Campers to sanitize the tanks, and then dump the tanks.  Works great!

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

 

 

UnderGlow Your Travel Trailer!

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UnderGlow Your Travel Trailer!

One of the coolest purely unnecessary things we’ve done to our Scamp has been to add an underglow LED lighting kit!  It’s not necessary, but almost essential!

We installed the kit by MicTuning 4 POD RGBW LED Rock Light kit which has 4 LED pods.  Given the small size of the Scamp trailer (13’), we’ve found that 4 LED PODS are enough to underlight the entire trailer.  There are kits with more lights for larger trailers / vehicles, but this kit will work well for small trailers.

The kit comes with all the lights and cables necessary.  All that needs to be done is to attach cables to the trailer battery, test the system by installing the MicTuning phone app, and then mount the LED pods and cabling on the trailer frame.  Our friend Jon has a 3D printer and made some custom mounts that we glued strong rare earth magnets into, allowing the mounts to magnetically attach to the trailer frame.  He also made some magnetic brackets to hold the cables against the trailer frame.  As a precaution, we also secured the cable with Gorilla tape in select areas just in case a magnetic mount fails.  We’ve driven with the magnetic mounts over 2,000 miles to date and they haven’t detached or moved from their position on the trailer.  The kit does come with standard mounts and these should be satisfactory for mounting the PODS.  Or, other custom methods could be used to secure the LED PODS on the trailer.

The Scamp trailer in itself looks futuristic, with its all-white glossy finish and egg shape (along with the HD antenna on the roof).  However, lighting up the underside at night makes the Scamp look like a spaceship!  People really notice it, and often oohs and aahs can be heard at the campsite!  With the Bluetooth MicTuning app, the color of the lighting can be easily changed with just a tap on your phone screen.  There is even a music mode that will strobe the lights in sync with the music playing on your phone!  We’ve used these lights various times. On our first trip to Anza-Borrego State Park, it was so dark at night that it was really hard to find one’s way back to their trailer after dinner.  Having the lights on made our Scamp easy to find and weren’t offensive since they glow down toward the ground.  Be aware that one should not drive with the lights on as they could be distracting to other drivers and it is likely illegal in most, if not all, areas.

At a low cost and a high Wow! Factor, we highly recommend these LED ROCK lights!  Light kit, liked it!

Buy Here On Amazon

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

 

 

Use Checklists to Prevent Problems

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Use Checklists to Prevent Problems

There are enough details in taking out your small travel trailer that, unless you use checklists, you will inevitably have problems.  The veteran campers we’ve talked with invariably insist on using checklists.  Checklists help you avoid major issues such as driving off with underinflated tires, stabilizer bars still on ground, the hitch coupler not properly attached to the ball, etc. ……..  Pilots use checklists all the time because of the high number of critical systems.  In addition to a prelaunch checklist, maintaining separate checklists for other things [such as trip supplies and how to operate various utilities on your trailer] provide additional benefits.  We created a supply checklist after our last trip to Mammoth Lakes, where we really needed our solar panel, but it was inadvertently left in our garage!

You can create a checklist using just a pencil and paper if you want or on your computer using a word processing program.  We use a free app called Color Checklist which is on the Google Play store.  It’s nice in that you can keep it on your phone and it actually has check boxes and check marks!  It’s important that you can have the checklist in hand wherever you are.  Here’s our main checklist which we use whenever we are going to depart from home or the campground:

Scamp check list for Leaving site (opposite when arriving)

  • Fuel SUV to FULL TANK
  • Add Fresh water if going to non-hookup site or 50% if just wanting to use water on drive
  • Dump Black & Grey tanks
  • Remove tire boot lock, coupler lock, hitch lock, and tire leveler wedge
  • Raise stabilizer bars.
  • Trailer tires psi 48  / Volvo SUV @ 40 psi
  • Attach X cross safety chains
  • Attach wiring harness
  • Raise center Jack to Clear ball and lower on ball
  • Lower and lock coupler on ball
  • Close LP (liquid propane) tanks
  • All switches off
  • Close / latch windows
  • Secure power cord outside outlet cover
  • If you have 54″ bed,  put additional table support on floor
  • Close fan
  • Turn off water heater breaker, 110v Water Heater switch.  Make sure switches are off – Gas Water heater water switch and demand pump for Fresh Tank.
  • Check laundry line is inside trailer.
  • Check trailer lights
  • Refrigerator on 12V for driving (120V or LP at campsite with no hookups).
  • Lock Scamp door
  • Disconnect wiring harness from SUV when not driving to prevent car battery drain.
  • Check Scamp voltage when SUV hooked up and running – should be over 12.5V.
  • [When storing after trip, drain Fresh tank by opening valve under dinette seat – water will drain under trailer, drain Hot Water Heater tank (plug on outside of trailer under metal cover), and dump Black and Grey tanks.]

Here is our Scamp Supply Checklist  (note:  we leave many items in the Scamp such as plates, cups, and utensils so we don’t need to pack them every trip):

  • Food & water
  • Empty Water Jug / Dolly
  • Down jackets
  • Hiking Boots
  • Hats & Sunglasses
  • Sunscreen
  • Umbrella
  • Foam mattress topper
  • Outdoor floor mat
  • Solar panel (when applicable)
  • Shower & kitchen towels
  • TP & paper towels
  • Pots & pans with lids
  • Measuring cup and strainer
  • Pancake mix and maple syrup
  • Chocolate
  • Jackery 500 generator (for powering battery devices)
  • Camera and drone
  • Broom
  • Lawn chairs
  • Rain gear
  • Wet vac
  • Kayak (when applicable)
  • Campground surge protector
  • Scamp water supplies (e.g. hose, pressure regulator, water filter, 90 degree brass fitting)
  • Rubber gloves (for dump)
  • Toilet sanitizers
  • Hand sanitizers

Our additional checklists for operating the Scamp water pump, water heater, furnace, and refrigerator.  The procedures on these lists could vary since various model utilities are used in Scamp production.

Scamp On Demand Water Pump Checklist (used when not attached to City Water to pressurize system)

  • Make sure Fresh water tank is full before turning on
  • Only use when not attached to City water
  • Turn switch off when not in Scamp or Fresh tank is near empty (then fill tank before using water)

Scamp Water Heater Checklist (auto start)

  • Runs on 120V or LP
  • Hook up to City Water (or Fresh water see below)
  • Turn on hot water at faucet
  • When water comes out at sink, hot water heater is full with water (important to fill so water heater tank doesn’t burn)
  • If City water is not available, fill Fresh water tank, turn on demand pump, turn on hot water at sink until water comes out
  • For electric operation, turn on 120V breaker and then turn on 120V Water heater switch
  • For LP operation, open LP tank and then turn ON small rocker switch (down on our model) and light will momentarily come on.  No temperature controls.  (Uses electricity to start automatically)
  • Water heater can be left on until leaving camp (although we shut ours off at night after showers)

Scamp Furnace Checklist (auto start)

  • Uses both electric to start and run fan and LP to operate
  • Turn LP tank on, Turn on Furnace switch
  • Set thermostat to desired temp
  • Fan will start, Igniter will click
  • Furnace will light
  • Turn off LP tank if there is a sulfur smell
  • Turn on stove using lighter and run several minutes to bleed lines if Furnace doesn’t start

Scamp Refrigerator Checklist

  • 3 Way model — 120V, 12V, LP
  • Open outside vent to select power source (lower front panel on our Scamp 13′)
  • Three switches (Green 120V, Red 12V, Knob is LP) — ONLY ONE POWER SOURCE AT ONE TIME!
  • For driving — use the 12V Red switch
  • For hookup camping — use the 120V Green switch
  • For dry camping with no hookups — use the Knob for LP
    • Open LP tank valve first
    • Set gas thermostat to high on wheel>depress wheel knob>push red igniter button repeatedly and quickly multiple times while holding down wheel knob.  Keep knob depressed for 15 seconds.  Check to see pilot flame.  High setting is coolest.  If having trouble lighting, turn off knob and run stove burners in kitchen for a couple minutes to bleed gas line and then try again.
    • Set thermostat to 4 or 5 or higher if opening door frequently.

      Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

       

Our Best Travel Trailer Modification

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Our Best Travel Trailer Modification

One of the most important assets of a travel trailer is the ability to get a good night’s sleep wherever you are.  Unfortunately, our brand new 2020 Scamp 13’ (with big bed and bathroom) failed for me in this regard.  I found the cushions so hard that I was constantly waking up during the night on our first trip.

The first thing I did when we got home was do some online research.  I quickly found this to be a common issue among Scamp owners with various solutions posted.  Some recommended just putting a foam mattress topper on top of the cushions.  So, I ordered a 2 inch topper to see how that would help.

When the topper arrived, I pulled the cushions out of the Scamp and laid them on our living room floor.  Then, I put the new 2” foam topper on the cushions.  The cushions still failed to be comfortable, even with the topper.  It felt like the foam was compressing and I could still feel the hard surface of the cushions.

Other Scamp owners talked about making new cushions from scratch with soft foam inserts.  Since we don’t own a sewing machine or specialize in this type of skill; we opted instead to bring the Scamp cushions into a local upholstery shop.  The upholstery guy felt the cushions, shook his head and laughed.  He said this foam is a “#40” in firmness a “#28”would be much better for sleeping.  We told him we wanted to use the existing cushions as a template, but use entirely new foam and coverings.  In addition to wanting a softer cushion that is easy to sleep on, we also wanted a material that is easy to clean.  The original Scamp cushions are covered in fabric.  We chose a faux “leather” material made from vinyl called Pebble Dark Stone (PEB250).

The total price for all new cushions was $1,028:  new foam $319, the new faux “leather” material $350, and $359 for labor.   Note:  our Scamp has the larger 54” bed, so more material was necessary compared to the smaller standard bed.  After a couple of weeks, our new cushions were ready.  We bagged the original Scamp cushions and have stored them in our attic in case we ever sell the Scamp and someone wants the originals.

We have found the new cushions to be extremely comfortable.  We no longer need the 2” foam mattress topper and not having to carry the bulky topper rolled up in our tow vehicle saves space (and we don’t need to transfer the topper back and forth from the tow vehicle to the Scamp every morning and night).  Since replacing the cushions, we have experienced a much better night’s sleep!  In addition, we’ve found that the vinyl covering makes it easier to maneuver the cushions when setting up and taking down the bed every day since the material is somewhat slippery.  Lastly, we’ve found the faux “leather” to be very easy to clean as it is a smooth non fabric surface.

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly.