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20 Essential Safety Items for Your Travel Trailer

https://scampgrounds.com/wp-content/themes/osmosis/images/empty/thumbnail.jpg 150 150 gavin gavin https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9de79417d52cde759ffedf503509748a?s=96&d=mm&r=g December 8, 2023 December 8, 2023

By: gavin

December 8, 2023

20 Essential Safety Items for Your Travel Trailer
Now that we’ve owned our 2020 Scamp 13’ for almost four years and have done a bit of travelling in it (205 nights at 116 locations so far, but who’s counting?), we’ve had a chance to identify some essential safety items one may consider (especially if travelling to unpopulated locations with no cellphone service, like Bureau of Land Management areas). We’ve created our safety item list below. Before all else though, it’s important to note that having a reliable tow vehicle (keep maintenance up to date and run it regularly) is a major key in keeping out of trouble.

#1. Smoke Detector
Our 2020 Scamp 13’ did not come with a smoke detector and the service representative I spoke to at Scamp couldn’t say why Scamp doesn’t install them. Perhaps the reasoning for not installing one is that the kitchen is in the same room as the bedroom and false alarms might happen often. Regardless, we feel having one is a very important safety item, so we purchased a smoke detector with a 10 year battery and installed it in the far corner of our Scamp under one of the cabinets. We are happy to have it installed and there hasn’t been one false alarm!

#2. Fire Extinguisher
All RV’s are required by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to have a fire extinguisher. The fire extinguisher should be located within 24 inches of the main exit to provide means of escape in case of fire. Travel trailers should come with them from the factory and they should generally be replaced every 10 years (or after use).

#3. Carbon Monoxide / Propane Gas Detector
It’s essential that every small travel trailer has a carbon monoxide / propane gas detector alarm because carbon monoxide and propane gas exposure can be lethal. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous gas that cannot be seen or smelled and is produced by liquid propane. CO gas can potentially enter the travel trailer via a gas stove or gas powered water heater (or gas powered heaters and generators). Carbon monoxide is especially toxic when built up in a small enclosed space like a small travel trailer. Propane gas is an asphyxiating gas, making it difficult or impossible for one to breath if exposed to large concentrations. So, it’s really important that the detector is functioning properly, tested regularly using the test button, and is replaced by the manufacturers recommended replace date. It’s also imperative that an alarm be taken very seriously as it could mean the difference between life and death. If an alarm does sound, the recommended procedure is to quickly exit your trailer and turn off your propane tanks outside (leaving the trailer door open to ventilate).

The Atwood Carbon Monoxide / Propane Gas Detector in our 2020 Scamp 13’ is located near the front door under one of the dinette seats. It has a Test/Reset button which we use on a regular basis to make sure the alarm works. If the fan on our Scamp isn’t running and bringing in fresh air, the detector often has false alarms when we shower (related to moisture). For more information on false alarms, click here.

Atwood rates the detector’s lifespan at 7 years, after which time its sensors are no longer reliable and should be replaced.

Propane Safety
Propane gas is highly flammable and can start a serious fire or explode, so never drive with open LP tanks (although some people do, so they are able to run their propane refrigerators on long trips – tip: if you have a 3-way refrigerator that can run on 12V, consider a DC-DC car charger – click article here). All it takes is a small leak when the propane valve is open and one spark (perhaps from a flat tire, road debris, or the refrigerator’s pilot flame) and the trailer can go up in flames. If propane isn’t necessary in the campground (e.g. not needed for cooking, furnace, refrigerator, etc.), then consider keeping the tank valves closed as a safety precaution. And, if pets are being left in the trailer (even for a short time), keep the tank valves closed (to prevent catastrophe if a pet accidentally turns on the stove). Lastly, when cooking with propane, always make sure the window above the stove is open and the fan is running to vent the fumes to the outside of the trailer. Note: we use our fan on low setting and keep a window open when we sleep (regardless of the outside temperature or if we are running the furnace) to make sure the air is fresh inside.

#4. First Aid Kit with Case
Without a doubt, this is an important safety item anyone travelling in a travel trailer should have. There are a couple ways to put the kit together. One is to buy an already made kit, like this one. Or, you can put together a customized kit by purchasing a first aid bag and individual items. We decided to do both so we can have the basics hanging on our wall but also have a more comprehensive first aid bag with specialized items in our Scamp’s closet. At a minimum, the first aid kit should have adhesive bandages, gauze, tape, wound disinfectant, and pain relief solutions (pill and topical).

Our Scamp 13’ custom first aid kit includes:

Supplies (click on links below):

Bag

Disposable gloves

Adhesive bandages

Self-adhesive bandage wrap

Cloth tape

Neosporin Antibiotic Pain Relief Ointment

Sterile Gauze Pads

Calendula Cream (rashes, skin irritations, bites, sunburn)

Hand sanitizer spray

Surgical wound glue closure

Emergency wound closure device

Medications:

Pepto Bismol

Antibiotics to treat infections / gastrointestinal illnesses (by doctor prescription)

#5. Cellular Phone
This goes without saying, but in many cases having a phone can really save you in case you need to call for help (and the most recent iPhone has an emergency satellite communication feature). If one plans on travelling often to areas without cellular phone coverage, then considering an iPhone with satellite communication or a satellite phone / messenger may be a good idea. Cellular phones are also great for providing maps. We recently started using Gaia GPS and think it’s great. It offers up-to-date maps (including National Geographic maps and high resolution satellite imagery, which can be downloaded for offline use), shows trails, and can record and map hikes (providing detailed statistics). At the time of this writing, the “Outside” membership is discounted to $24 for the first year.

#6. GMRS Radios
Two way radios are a great way to stay in touch at the campground (when cellphone service may not be available). GMRS radios are like walkie talkies, but generally have better range and can receive NOAA weather channels. They can also be used on GMRS repeaters to greatly extend their range. We use them when backing up our trailer into a campsite, allowing one of us to stand outside and behind the trailer to give the driver directions. We also like using them when one person stays in the Scamp and the other is walking around the campground. We really like these radios because they are rechargeable (and can be charged during our trips via their USB-C connectors).

Note: an FCC license is required to operate GMRS radios in the United States, but no test is required. Simply go to the FCC website, register and pay the $35 fee (at the time of this writing) which covers the entire family for 10 years. This should only take a few minutes and the license is usually issued within 24 hours.

#7. Flashlights
When things get dark, you need these! You can’t do much in the dark without light.

Nice small one:

https://amzn.to/45G2wB8

Medium sized:

https://amzn.to/3sLjfV8

Lantern lights:

https://amzn.to/3LdeB8U

#8. Portable Car Battery Jumper
If your tow vehicle battery goes dead when you are out in nature (or anywhere), you are going to need help to jump start your car battery. If no one is around, and it’s in a remote area (as seen in this video when we stayed at Alabama Hills), the situation could be very serious. If you bring along jumper cables, you will still need to find someone with a car who is willing to help (and no one may be around). However, if you get a 12V lithium (rechargeable) portable car battery booster, you will not need anyone’s help! These devices can jump start a car battery using their own power and cables! (This is what many AAA tow truck drivers now use to jump start dead batteries).

We went with the Hulkman Alpha85, which can jump start gas engines up to 8.5 liters and diesel engines up to 6 liters. We really like the Alpha85’s large display and high capacity (20,000mAh). A nice feature of this battery is that it has auxiliary ports (12V DC, USB-A, and USB-C) which can be used to charge a variety of devices like cellular phones. It also has a built in flashlight and has different flashing modes. It comes with all the necessary cables and fits in our Volvo XC40’s inner trunk area, even with its complete packing box (with all cables inside).

The Alpha85 is rated to hold charge for up to 18 months and provide up to 60 jump starts on a single charge! Even so, make sure to leave it in your trunk with a good charge and remember to charge it periodically (e.g. every 3 months). It charges from 0% to 100% in about 90 minutes using a wall charger. Don’t leave home without it!

#9. Portable Power Station (Lithium)
Speaking of charging up auxiliary devices, having a portable lithium battery dedicated for that purpose leaves your trailer house battery energized to focus solely for its main tasks (powering lights, water pumps, furnace blower, fan, …). We purchased this Jackery 500 in 2020 (hint: it’s often on sale on Amazon, also check Costco deals) and use it for charging our camera batteries, drone batteries, phone batteries, electric toothbrushes, smart watches as well as running our Scamp’s 12V television when we are without electric hookups. The Jackery 500 has 3 x USB ports, a 12V/10A DC port, as well as an inverter for a 110V plug. It can be charged while driving with the included 12V DC cable, using AC with the included 110V wall charger, and with optional solar panels (Jackery sells solar panels separately or as an add-on with matching input plugs).

#10. Car Tire Inflator
Having a portable air compressor on board the tow vehicle is a great idea. It’s inexpensive and small, so it’s easy to carry in the trunk. It can be used to inflate car tires as well as camping air mattresses. We purchased the Hausbell Portable Air Compressor. It has a nice digital display and runs off the tow vehicle’s (or trailer’s) 12V DC outlet. One sets the desired pressure and turns on the unit and it pumps and turns off automatically when it reaches the set pressure. We use it at the start of every trip to ensure our Scamp’s and Volvo’s tires remain properly inflated. This can save on fuel as well as make the car/trailer’s handling reliable.

When our Scamp is plugged into an AC outlet, we use this AC-DC converter accessory and plug it into our Scamp’s auxiliary 110V outside outlet. We then plug the air compressor into the converter so it’s not necessary to use our tow vehicle’s 12V DC outlet.

#11 & #12. Shovel & Tire Traction Boards
There have been times during our travels when a shovel and tire traction boards would have been a godsend. One was at a remote location near Trona Pinnacles, California. We were on an off-road trail (due to bad signage and directions) and the temperature was over 100 degrees. You can watch a video of us on this trail here. Fortunately, we did not get stuck, but we did break a water pump underneath the Scamp. On another recent trip, we were temporarily stuck in sand when we were unable to turn around at a beach campground due to the turnaround being washed out by a recent storm. We were able to get out by unhitching our Scamp and having another camper push our tow vehicle. In scenarios like these, where the tow vehicle’s tires lose traction with the ground (e.g. sand, mud, snow), having a small shovel and tire traction boards can mean the difference between being stranded (or getting an expensive tow) and quickly solving the issue yourself. If the tow vehicle is stuck and the driven wheels are just spinning, use the shovel to dig sand/mud/snow away from the front of the driven wheels and insert the tire traction boards under each of the tires before attempting to drive out. It’s best to do this right after traction is lost to prevent the tow vehicle from digging itself in too deep. Having had close calls in the past, we recently purchased this shovel as well as this tire traction board set. The shovel folds into a small bag and is made of high quality powder coated carbon steel and only weighs around 2 pounds. The mini recovery traction boards are made of reinforced 100% Nylon and are only 22” long (so they easily fit in our Volvo XC40’s inner trunk along with the shovel and car starter). The “tooth surface” of the boards’ “recovery track” provides a “bite effect”, or friction, to help the vehicle climb out of the situation. The boards are rated to withstand extreme temperatures and weights up to 22,000 pounds.

#13. Wheel Chocks
Heavy duty wheel chocks are essential for properly securing one’s trailer. The chocks keep the trailer’s wheels from moving. Upon arriving at the campground, the wheels should be chocked before the trailer is unhitched. We have been using these wheel chocks for almost two years and have never looked back – they are the best chocks we’ve ever used. These rubber chocks are large and heavy (4.2lbs each) and provide solid support for our Scamp 13’ (they are also rated for aircraft, boats, trucks, and RVs). They are described as “slip resistant, weather resistant, and oil resistant” and rated for heavy usage. They have a long connecting rope between each chock, so it’s easy to pull the chocks away from the wheels when one is ready to depart the campground. We ordered two pairs for our Scamp 13’ (one pair for each wheel).

#14, #15, & #16. Receiver Hitch Pin Lock, Trailer Coupler Lock, & Safety Chains & Trailer Brakeaway
One significant concern to most trailer owners is the possibility of the trailer becoming unhitched from the tow vehicle. This could possibly lead to a devastating crash or, in the case of a parked tow vehicle/trailer, the trailer being stolen. To mitigate this risk, one can use a high quality hitch pin lock to secure the trailer’s hitch to the tow vehicle’s hitch receiver and a premium trailer coupler lock to keep the coupler secured and locked down on the hitch ball. Note: safety chains should always be used to secure the trailer to the tow vehicle just in case the two become disconnected, as well as the emergency breakaway which activates the trailer’s brakes if the trailer and tow vehicle become separated.

Instead of using a traditional hitch pin & clip, to secure the trailer’s hitch and ball mount to the tow vehicle’s hitch receiver, we opted for a more secure hitch pin which securely locks on the end (vs. a clip that can be pulled out). This provides piece of mind that the hitch pin will stay secure while driving (locked end less likely to fall off than a clip) and while parked (preventing easy theft of the trailer). With a clip, thieves can easily pull it out, swing the trailer away from the parked tow vehicle and attach it to the getaway truck (thieves can use a trailer dolly if the trailer hitch weight is too high to move the hitch manually). We also use a trailer coupler lock to keep the coupler secured and locked down on the hitch ball. This not only keeps the coupler from opening while driving, which could result in the trailer detaching from the hitch ball (tow vehicle), but also prevents thieves from easily opening the locked coupler when the tow vehicle/trailer are parked and stealing the trailer.

#17. Repacking Wheel Bearings and Brake Adjustment
The wheel bearings on a trailer are located inside the wheel assembly hub (behind each tire). This connects the wheel to the axle to allow for frictionless movement. Greased bearings allow the wheels to spin freely. However, over time, the bearings can get dirty or damaged which can lead to serious issues on the road. Feeling the wheel hubs (center cap of wheel) immediately after driving the trailer can help to identify issues – the hubs should be somewhat cool after driving (not hot). If the center hubs are hot (which can occur when there is resistance with the bearings or brake issues), this indicates a problem. But, it’s best to be proactive and not wait for a serious problem to occur with the bearings and brakes. Instead, have them serviced on a regular basis. Service interval recommendation times vary – however, a general recommendation given by many mechanics is that RV bearings should be repacked with grease every year or every 10,000 to 20,000 miles, whichever comes first (brakes should be checked and adjusted, if necessary at the same time). Still, there are varying opinions on the interval. When we first had our bearings repacked two years ago (after about two years of regular use), the mechanic said the bearings were still super clean so he recommended coming in every two years. We take our Scamp 13’ to Sonrise RV in Escondido (San Diego). They currently charge around $270 per axle (the Scamp has only 1 axle with two wheel hubs) — to remove our Scamp’s wheels and drums, clean and inspect the brakes, clean/inspect & grease/repack the bearings, replace the seals and reassemble & test brakes. The brakes are adjusted by jacking up the trailer and spinning each wheel. The wheels should spin freely with little resistance. After the brakes are adjusted, the trailer should be test driven on hills and, then, the hubs should be checked. They should be cool or lukewarm to the touch in most cases.

#18. Replacing Travel Trailer Tires
Important Note: Never use passenger tires on travel trailers! Passenger tires are usually rated at Load Range B to allow for flexible sidewalls for a smooth ride. They are not engineered to stabilize heavy loads or handle the temperatures that build with them.

Recommendations on when to replace travel trailer’s tires very widely. Various recommendations found online are: every 10,000 – 15,000 miles, when the tread is worn down to 2/32nds of an inch, between 3 to 6 years,… How and where the travel trailer is used are very important considerations on replacement timing. For example, if the trailer goes off-road often or is stored outside in the sun then these factors could expedite the need for tire replacement. Risk tolerance is also a factor – more conservative trailer owners will replace their tires more frequently. Because tires are so critical for travel and a blowout on the road has the potential to be disastrous, our rule is to replace our Scamp 13’s tires every three years (even though the tires appear fine). Tires for small trailers are inexpensive and can be replaced at local tire stores, like Discount Tire (America’s Tire).

Our Scamp 13’s first tire replacement was last summer. We purchased Hartford ST175/80R13 tires at Discount Tire for around $50 each. Since the Scamp 13’ is single axle, there are only a couple of tires to replace which makes the process inexpensive. These Hartford tires are rated to carry a maximum load of 1360 lbs (C1 index). The index indicates the maximum weight a tire can support with proper inflation. These tires have a speed rating of up to 87 mph.

Amazon also sells similarly rated trailer tires, like this one.

#19. Sanitize Fresh Tank
Algae, bacteria, and other harmful microorganisms can grow in your trailer’s Fresh and Grey tanks as well as other parts of the water systems 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. 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). Whenever possible, use a water filter when filling the Fresh tank.

For complete instructions on sanitizing tanks, click here.

#20. Keys & Cash Stash
There may be a time when having cash or access to your extra trailer/car keys will be a life saver. When we first started travelling in our Scamp 13’ we never carried cash. However, over time, we found that carrying cash is a good idea for a number of reasons. First, cash is sometimes needed to pay Iron Rangers (metal lock boxes sometimes found at BLM and other remote campgrounds). We found this to be the case at Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. It is one of our favorite campgrounds and we wouldn’t have been able to stay there had we not had cash. Cash also comes in handy for paying small businesses one might encounter when travelling. For example, we enjoyed a great horseback ride when visiting Alabama Hills and cash was the only payment method accepted. Finally, when on long trips, we find it very convenient to have several rolls of quarters in our Scamp’s closet so we can use coin operated laundry machines. We recently used our quarters when doing laundry at the Laughing Alpaca RV Park & Campground in Cave Junction, Oregon.

Along with cash, we keep a set of backup keys in our Scamp 13’ (the Volvo backup keys) and Volvo XC 40 tow vehicle (the Scamp backup keys). That way if our keys for a vehicle aren’t able to be located we likely will have access to its backup keys.

We use a small zippered pouch to store the cash and keys together in our Scamp 13’. The pouch prevents loose bills from getting lost as well as keys from moving around or falling into gaps. In our tow vehicle, we use a small compartment in the center console to hold the cash/keys.

Final Thoughts on Travel Trailer Safety
We use many of the above items and ideas every day we travel, and others we carry for peace of mind (an insurance policy) which, hopefully, we will never have to use. Or, it might be that we use them to help others.

Beyond the above mentioned safety products, there are other serious considerations to think about when taking adventures with your travel trailer. It’s important to make sure that the “house battery” (the one that powers everything electronically operated in the trailer, such as lights, pumps, blower fan, etc.) is capable and that solar panels (we carry a solar panel briefcase) are available to charge the house battery if necessary. It’s also important to make sure you carry enough propane if you have a gas powered furnace, refrigerator, stove, and water heater. We carry two 17# Viking composite propane tanks, making sure each is full for every big trip. We’ve been on 20+ day trips where we’ve completely exhausted one tank and have had to switch to the 2^nd tank. We’ve seen unexpected snow showers, watching campers run out of their single tank of propane exposing them to freezing temperatures. Our advice is carry two propane tanks if you plan on taking trips lasting more than a week. Packing enough food and water for your trip is vital, as well as carrying appropriate clothing (including hats, jackets, sunglasses, and sunscreen). And, your small travel trailer should also have sleeping bags and blankets just in case the furnace malfunctions (or propane runs out). With proper planning and utilizing appropriate safety essentials, stress levels will fall and the odds of having a safe and fun trip will be greatly increased!

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.

Wireless Weather Station for Travel Trailers

By: gavin

October 17, 2023

Wireless Weather Station for Travel Trailers

We’ve wanted an indoor/outdoor thermometer for our Scamp 13’ for a long time. We’ve been on many trips over the past several years where knowing the outside temperature before opening the Scamp’s door would have been extremely helpful. Seeing the outdoor temperature on a big digital readout inside our Scamp 13’ helps us to assess if it will be necessary to turn on our furnace, what clothing / jackets to wear, as well as predict when to remove a fresh water connection due to extended freezing temperatures. Having a hygrometer (humidity gage) is also very helpful in determining when the Scamp’s fan should be turned on (too much humidity can trigger a false alarm with the carbon monoxide – CO- detector). CO detector false alarms can be extremely unnerving when they happen in the middle of the night!

After spending a lot of time researching many different weather stations, we decided on this one made by UNNI. There’s also a different version which is capable of showing data from 4 sensors (3 outdoor and the inside unit). Though, we’ve found one sensor to be enough for using with a travel trailer. Although it is inexpensive, this weather station has received excellent reviews from thousands of customers. We were also impressed that the unit is advertised as using a Swiss made high-precision sensirion sensor. The claimed temperature accuracy is +/-0.5 degrees F and humidity accuracy is +/- 2%. The unit is also capable of displaying the heat index, the dew point index, and the mold index at each sensor location (one at a time). We leave the heat index showing – which is what the temperature feels like when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature. Additionally, the weather station provides a pictorial daily weather forecast (shows clouds / sun / rain / snow) based on the unit’s barometric weather sensor (it is said to be around 75% accurate – hence, we don’t rely on this device for weather forecasts). The UNNI manual can be found here.

The key to getting good readings on this weather station is proper placement of the outdoor sensor. The outdoor sensor is rated to connect to the weather station if it is within a few hundred feet, so there should be plenty of good mounting options when using it for a travel trailer. We used double sided Scotch Extreme Fastener tape to mount the sensor under one of our propane tanks. This way, the weather sensor doesn’t get direct sunlight or wet (which can not only make the temperature readings inaccurate but also potentially ruin the sensor). In order to protect the outdoor sensor from damage when travelling, we place it under the propane tank when we arrive at the campground and move it inside our Scamp when we are driving. This keeps the outdoor sensor from getting destroyed by road debris (including wetness) as well as falling off while driving. The entire system is wireless (powered by 3 AAA indoor weather station batteries and 2AA outdoor sensor batteries). The battery life appears to be excellent.

We have been using this weather station for a couple months now and it seems to be very accurate (when compared to internet weather websites). We really like all the great features as described above, which make our trips more comfortable and fun. One last feature which we utilize is the light (which goes on simply by swiping a finger over the light bulb icon at the top of the display). Having the light makes it really easy to see the temperature / humidity even when it is pitch dark inside the Scamp 13’. So, the next time you are out in nature, give one of these weather stations a try so you don’t ever have to guess or walk outside your travel trailer in your pajamas trying to figure out what to wear!

“Whether the weather be cold, or whether the weather be hot; whether the weather be fine, or whether the weather be not, we’ll weather the weather whatever the weather, whether we like it or not.”

How to Replace Broken Grey/Black Valve Handles and Caps

By: gavin

May 19, 2022

How to Replace Broken Grey/Black Valve Handles and Caps
We just celebrated the two year anniversary of the delivery of our 2020 Scamp 13’. In the past couple of years we’ve been to incredible places, seen miraculous things, and have had numerous adventures. We’ve also been fortunate that there have been no major issues since receiving our trailer from the factory. We have done a bunch of upgrades which make our Scamp much more comfortable and livable and all of these changes can be found on this website! Sometimes, though, minor parts need to be replaced over time. And, on our last trip (Anza Borrego Desert State Park), our Scamp did have some parts issues. One of the valve handles broke apart when dumping. And, at the same time, one of the two bayonet hooks, holding the black tank valve cover on, broke.

Once a valve handle breaks, it’s harder to open and close the valve when dumping. Plastic parts are vulnerable to wear and tear and their eventual failure might also be accelerated by UV exposure when outside. Fortunately, replacing the valve handles and caps to the grey and black tank connections is easy and inexpensive. Rather than replace our broken valve handle with another plastic one, we went with this lightweight aluminum handle. To remove and replace the broken handle, just use a pair of vice grips to stop the metal rod from turning and twist the broken handle counterclockwise to remove. Similarly, twist the new handle clockwise onto the metal rod to install. Note: to avoid a mess, it’s best to completely drain all tanks before doing this to avoid pulling the valve rod open and accidentally releasing grey or black water.

When a cap cover bayonet hook breaks and the cap no longer seals securely onto the grey/black sewer connection pipe properly, the excess grey and black water runoff may leak onto the ground even after closing the valves. That’s definitely a mess to avoid. The stock valve covers only have two bayonet hooks, so if one breaks there isn’t much holding the cover on and providing a good seal. So, when one of the hooks broke on our black tank valve cover, we chose a cap with 4 bayonet hooks instead of two. That way, if one (or even two) breaks, the cover still can be securely sealed onto the drainage pipe. This Camco cover seems to do a great job (and at the time of this writing is less than $5!). The cover also comes with a garden hose connection, which is great for draining grey tank water into jugs (like what we do with our “Holy Grail Portable Grey Water Tank Solution”). Additionally, there may be some locations (e.g. BLM lands) where dumping grey water may be legal and having a long garden hose allows for the grey water to be dumped far away from the trailer. Note: Although we do use this cap on our black tank sewer connection, we never use the garden hose connection because it would likely get clogged with black water debris. We only drain black water using standard 3” rv sewer hoses when connected directly to dump station drains.

So, if you find yourself in a situation where your grey or black tank handle snaps or one of your drain covers breaks, don’t be too concerned. Just replace them easily and inexpensively! It’s also a good idea to carry extras on hand when you travel, just in case.

14 Transformations to go from Camping to Glamping!

By: gavin

April 20, 2021

14 Transformations to go from Camping to Glamping!
When the Scamp delivery driver pulled down our street with our new 2020 Scamp 13’ we were super excited. We would soon have the “golden ticket” to stay within campgrounds throughout North America. And, upon inspection, the Scamp 13’ seemed to have everything we needed for wonderful and comfortable trips. However, although the Scamp does indeed have everything we need for our journeys, it took about a year’s worth of trips to figure out some critical enhancements needed in order for our Scamp adventures to go from Camping to Glamping.

(1) Cushions & Memory Foam Pad
The most obvious elements within the Scamp 13’ which absolutely needed change were the cushions. The cushions are fine for sitting, but, for us, are too hard to sleep on. In fact, on our first trip, I kept waking up because I felt like I was sleeping on a hard board (which brought back memories of a business trip to Shenzhen, but that’s another story!). We thought an easy solution might be to just add a memory foam mattress cover on top of the cushions. However, the 2” memory foam failed to keep us from feeling the “board” cushions underneath. We considered thicker memory foam, but didn’t like the idea of having to roll up and store such a thick cushion each morning. Ultimately, we decided to replace the cushions with ones which have softer foam inserts. In addition, we wanted a covering material that was easier to clean (and wouldn’t hold dust) compared to the original cloth. We found a great local upholstery shop and they crafted wonderful comfortable cushions with softer foam and fantastic “faux leather” covers which are great looking and super easy to clean! We still use the 2” memory foam pad on top of the new cushions and find the combination provides a heavenly night’s sleep! Click Here for full details on the cushion transformation.

(2) Double Sleeping Bag & Liner
Once you are out in the elements and have busy days, the last thing you want to do is to spend time and energy making up your bed every day. And, for small travel trailers, it’s common to have a kitchen dinette table that converts to a bed. So, making up the entire bed every evening from scratch with sheets is a definite no for us! Fortunately, we discovered that double sleeping bags are very comfortable bedding and can be made up almost instantly (and store really well in our Scamp’s small cabinet above the larger coat cabinet). The trick is to select the right size bag to fill the sleeping area. We ordered the big 54” bed on our Scamp 13’ which is extra wide compared to the regular bed. We found a really nice and comfortable bag called the Big Agnes Dream Island (rated down to 15 degrees F) that is also super wide and covers the Scamp 13’ 54” bed completely! To make things extra comfortable and easy to clean, we also use a sleeping bag liner. Liners come in all types of materials, but we chose one that is a polyester fiber, which is breathable and durable. When we are done with our trip, we just pull the liner out of the bag and wash it at home. The use of the liner means the sleeping bag (which may require a commercial washing machine due to its size) may be washed less often.

(3) Thermostatic Shower Wall Mount
All travel trailers should have these shower controllers as standard equipment and we would never go without one again. Just set the desired water temperature on the controller and leave it. The only thing to do when starting the shower is to turn on the water volume! The water comes out your perfect temperature every time! No more wasting water and time trying to adjust the water so it’s not scalding or freezing cold. With the stock shower head, we usually spent several minutes each shower doing this type of fine tuning and wasting lots of water! In addition, with the thermostatic valve, it’s easy to completely turn off the water while lathering up and then turn it on and resume without having to reset the temperature. And, these types of wall mounts are relatively inexpensive and not extremely difficult to install. Click Here for complete details on how we transformed our Scamp 13’ with a thermostatic shower wall mount.

(4) Powerful Water Efficient Shower Head
Most small travel trailers come with small shower heads that deliver slightly more than a trickle on a good day. We eventually grew tired of how slow it took to rinse off. After a bit of research, we found Oxygenics Fury and never looked back. The Oxygenics Fury puts the shower back into RV showering! We went from a placid drizzle with our Scamp’s stock handheld shower head to a real blaster with the Fury! The nice thing is that the Fury actually conserves water and ramps up pressure by mixing air into the shower head. This results in a really powerful efficient stream. We’ve found showering takes less time as well since it’s a really fast rinse with better water flow. It’s also super easy to install – just unscrew the old hose /showerhead at the shower wall mount and screw on this hose / showerhead.

(5) Soap and Shampoo Dispenser
The floor on most small travel trailers is small enough without having to make room for shampoo bottles (which tend to roll around if you bump into them or leave them on the floor when driving). Instead, use a wall mounted dispenser and just add your favorite shampoo! This dispenser sticks to the wall of the shower with two way tape. Just pop the top and fill with your favorite shampoo / liquid soap and cover and you won’t ever have to deal with rolling bottles on your shower floor again! The dispenser has a nice pump button that makes it easy to squirt out shampoo into your hand. We fill with a natural 3-in-1 Soap (Shampoo, Body Wash, Bubble Bath), eliminating the need for more costly and bulkier multi-dispensers.

(6) Paper towel holder (suction cup)
Having paper towels next to the sink is a great idea, but there is limited table space in the Scamp to hold them. This paper towel holder solves the space problem – it has a strong suction cup and sticks to the wall above the kitchen sink! We’ve had it in position over a year and it hasn’t come off the wall yet! We use it extensively on every trip and really like it. (One thing we did notice though is that it’s a good idea to secure the paper towels in a closet while driving or they tend to unroll by themselves into the sink!)

(7) Toilet Paper Holder (suction cup)
The wet bath in a small travel trailer has generally pretty tight quarters! There’s usually a shower area and the toilet right behind it. So, it’s a great idea to partition out the space and keep the toilet area as dry as possible (see article called “How to Turn Your Wet Bath into a Comfy Dry Zone”). A great addition to the toilet area is a holder for toilet paper. This will help keep it off the floor, from getting wet, and give easy access.

(8) Teak Shower Floor
To keep your feet elevated off the shower floor (which can be damp or wet), we recommend using a teak “mat”. It is a really nice way to stay elevated from the floor while also allowing water to fall between the slits into the drain. Additionally, it may provide some anti-slip properties versus standing directly on potentially slick fiberglass flooring. We purchased this one (measure your floor area to make sure the mat you purchase fits).

(9) Two Propane Tanks
A single propane tank can last a long time when used occasionally for short trips in good weather. However, we’ve found having two propane tanks takes the stress off wondering when the gas will run out. We discovered this while on a trip to Oregon in October. We were cooking breakfast and all of a sudden, the flame on the stove went out. I immediately checked the gauge on our propane tank and it still showed Green. Unfortunately, faulty readings like this are fairly common. Fortunately, we had a second tank and as soon as I moved the switch over to the 2^nd tank we were back in business! At some of the locations on that recent trip, the temperatures dipped down into the teens at night and we would have been very uncomfortable had our propane powered furnace stopped working. Now, we usually make sure both of our Viking tanks are filled before leaving on any long trips so we can be confident we will have we will have plenty of gas to power our: hot water heater for nice hot showers plus hot water at the sink, refrigerator, and furnace. Click here for more information on our composite Viking propane tanks.

(10) Battery Power Bank
A luxury item that could be essential depending on how you travel is a large external battery power bank. The independent power bank can power many of your essential items while reserving your travel trailer’s battery power for your super essential items like lights, fan, and pumps. We purchased the Jackery 500 which has 518Wh of power (which can power a lot of devices for a long time). It has a 12V cigarette socket, USB ports, and even a 110V outlet. We use it to charge our phones, drones, cameras, electric toothbrushes and power our 12V television in our Scamp. It can even be used to run your portable air compressor. You can charge it in your car while driving between camping locations, with 110V power outlets at campsites, and also with a solar panel.

(11) Solar Panel
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. The solar panel may also be used to recharge your independent power bank. Click Here for more information on our Solar Panel setup.

(12) Volt Television
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. We enjoy watching: over-the-air HD TV when digital signals are available, services like Netflix and Amazon Prime when we have access to a WiFi network, and movies we download to our phones from these services and play back via a cable to the TV when we are in remote areas. Click Here for a full description on how we watch movies in the wild.

(13) Electric 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. Fortunately, changing the tongue jack is super simple! We switched to a quality electric tongue jack. Click Here for more information on how we went from a manual to electric tongue jack.

(14) The Holy Grail Portable Grey Water Tank Solution
We used to constantly check our Grey water holding tank level and limit our boondocking stays to just a couple of days to make sure our Grey tank didn’t reach its limit. This also meant being super cautious about our water use even when water spigots were available at the campsite. However, we discovered a simple and inexpensive solution by bringing along four 5 gallon jugs and some specialized equipment to almost double our Grey water holding capacity which allows us to go around 6 days without dumping our Grey tank! Click Here for more details on our Holy Grail Portable Grey Water Tank Solution.

Well, sure, it’s entirely possible to enjoy your small travel trailer completely stock. Similarly, many will say they are perfectly comfortable flying in coach class on 14 hours trips to the other side of the world. However, having tried it both ways, we can definitely say Glamping is definitely way more fun and comfortable! Glamp on!

A Bright Idea for Mounting Flashlights!

By: gavin

April 6, 2021

A Bright Idea for Mounting Flashlights!

After a year of travelling in our Scamp 13’, the benefit of having a good flashlight within easy reach has been reinforced on more than one occasion. When the Sun sets, it can get pretty dark out in the wild pretty quickly. And, it’s not uncommon for us to be outside after dark to: retrieve trip food and water from our SUV, watch the stars, and sometimes join friends for dinner around a group campfire. At some of the places we have visited, it has been difficult to see even a foot ahead of ourselves (such as Anza Borrego State Park). Without a flashlight in these extremely low light conditions, it can be hard to find one’s way back to the camper! And, there are times when having a quick light is necessary to find a critical item or make an adjustment outside the trailer (such as switching between propane tanks).

For a while, we kept a traditional flashlight attached by 3M Scotch Fasteners (e.g. like Velcro) next to our dinette on the side of the sink. It worked OK, but because the flashlight’s round head would not lay flat against the wall, we frequently bumped it causing the flashlight to fall onto the dinette bench or floor. Then, we had a magnetic idea! What if we could find a flashlight that would lay flat and, in turn, be less prone to knocking off the wall? Well, we found such a light, and not only is it flat, but it also has a magnetic backing (as well as hanger)!

This rubber coated AlltroLite is small (3.7”x2.4”x1.3”) but packed with enough LEDs to be really bright! There are two modes: one turns on the 3 LEDs which face forward and acts like a traditional flashlight and the other mode activates 24 LEDs which turns it into more of a work light. Not only is there a magnet on the back of the flashlight, but it also has a hook which rotates 360 degrees for hanging. The flashlight is sold in a 3 pack and comes with the required 3 AAA batteries for each light. We’ve found the lights to be very bright and nice and compact. The LED bulbs are rated at 100,000 hours, so they are likely to last many camping trips!

The magnet added a new twist and we quickly figured that magnetism would be a good way to mount the flashlight to the Scamp’s wall. We liked the idea of using the magnet instead of fastening tape because we wanted the flashlight to be as close to the wall as possible due to the desired corner mounting location being an easy target for brushing up against. Also, the flashlight would be easier to pull off and re-attach to the mount with a magnet vs. fastening tape. The only wrinkle in our plan was that the Scamp is a fiberglass trailer and its walls are mostly fiberglass, so a magnet won’t stick to its walls.

For the flashlight’s magnet to stick against the Scamp’s fiberglass wall, we chose to use a thin stainless steel strip taped to the fiberglass wall. We chose a small piece of sheet metal stock which is very thin (around .02 inches thick) so the mount would keep the flashlight close to the wall. Using a pair of metal snips, I cut a small strip (only about the width of the magnet and length about the width of the flashlight). This ensures that the magnet has sufficient area to which to attach. I also made sure to trim away all sharp metal corners for safety. I then unrolled some clear double sided Gorilla tape (rated to support up to 15lbs!) and stuck the tape to one side of the metal strip (trimming away any excess tape extending over the strip with scissors). After this was done, I peeled away the very thin Gorilla tape adhesive cover, attached the metal strip to the flashlight’s magnet (non-adhesive side) and then pressed the entire assembly (flashlight and steel strip) onto the wall (adhesive side facing the fiberglass) at the location where we wanted the flashlight. Viola! The flashlight now was secure on its mount hanging on the wall! We are really happy with this magnetic solution and mounted one flashlight at the door entry and one inside, near bed. Now, we have easy access to a light whether we are outside the Scamp or inside by the dinette! This approach has been very illuminating and hopefully you too will come to “see the light” soon!

How a Thermostatic Shower Wall Mount Can Change Your Travel Trailer World

By: gavin

January 26, 2021

How a Thermostatic Shower Wall Mount Can Change Your Travel Trailer World

Like most small travel trailers, our Scamp 13’ came with an old fashioned plastic wall mounted shower controller with two clear plastic knobs (the left one labeled H for Hot and right one labeled C for Cold). To get the right mix of hot and cold water to avoid freezing or scalding, a delicate approach of rotating each of the knobs just the right amount is needed. We quickly found out on our Scamp 13’ that this was easier said than done! It usually took some fiddling and a bit of wasted water (and some uncomfortable freezing and scalding water sprays) to get a comfortably heated stream. And, with multiple people showering, it usually meant leaving the shower on at this setting (with the shower head controller in the position to stop the flow) so that the next person could just jump in without having to repeat the process of temperature mixing (although a trickle would still run from the showerhead in this position).

After several camping trips in our Scamp dealing with this shower conundrum, I decided to do a little research to see if there might be a solution. The first thing I did was called Scamp to see if the hot water heater temperature could be adjusted lower (since one of the biggest issues was scalding water). I was told this is not possible. I later found out that most travel trailer water heater thermostats are preset at the factory and cannot be adjusted! And, typically, the water heater is set so the water is much hotter than at home because there are only 6 gallons (or sometimes on some trailers 10 gallons) to mix with the cold water (which makes the hot water last longer since less hot water is needed to heat the cold water flow).

After a bit more research, I found the answer – the thermostatic shower valve! Popular in Europe, thermostatic shower wall mounts offer an amazing solution! The thermostatic valve mixes hot and cold water to a set temperature and reacts instantly to changes in pressure or temperature of the water by re-adjusting the mix of hot and cold water. What this means is that you can set your desired water temperature in your small travel trailer shower and forget about setting it again (eliminating the need for manual temperature adjustment)! Additionally, there is usually an anti-scald safety feature that prevents the temperature from being set too high (red button override for hotter temps). This is great for families with young children or the elderly who might not be able to properly set the water temperature. Bar valve shower mounts seem to be the most popular being sold in the U.S. on Amazon. They are attractive chrome bars (see images) that mount to the wall of your small travel trailer shower. The temperature is typically set with the right hand knob and the flow rate (from off to higher flow) is usually controlled on the left hand knob. Most of the bar valve shower mounts I found are produced for the European market and, in turn, have heating measurements in Celsius and 6 inch hot cold water line spacing (instead of the typical 4” spacing found in most U.S. small travel trailers). This usually means one new hole will need to be drilled in the fiberglass shower wall to accommodate pipes spaced 6” apart.

Because they are primarily designed for Europe, the thermostatic wall shower mounts have parts which may not fit well with parts in small travel trailers built in the U.S. As such, it’s common for leaks to occur when trying to join the pex/compression fittings in the small travel trailer to the European style thermostatic shower mount if the proper materials and methods aren’t used. That’s because the compression fittings (like SharkBite) which join the PEX water hoses to the shower mount hardware may not fit properly. In the case of our Scamp 13’, I found that when screwing down the Scamp’s stock SharkBite elbow connectors on the shower mount’s brass threaded water inputs, the thread patterns didn’t seem to match exactly and the compression gasket wasn’t a good match against the brass. Even after using plumbers tape on the threads and pipe thread sealant, the connections leaked. After trying a bunch of different connection types and with the help of my friend and neighbor, Roman, who is an engineer, we found a working solution which did not leak when taking a shower. Please see below for the steps and materials I used to successfully install a thermostatic shower wall mount in our Scamp 13’.

Step 1: Gather materials:

Thermostatic Shower Wall Mount
½” x ½” FNPT Female Swivel Elbow (2 of these)
Metal Worm Gear Hose Clamp (adjustable, 40mm–63mm)
White plastic cutting board (2 of these to be safe)
Thick plumber’s tape
Clear Silicone
Hole Dozer – 7/8”
Level
Blue tape

ALWAYS USE EYE PROTECTION WHEN WORKING WITH TOOLS! AND, WEAR A PROTECTIVE RESPIRATOR MASK WHEN CUTTING FIBERGLASS!

Step 2: Disconnect water if hooked up / make sure the on demand water pump is off and release water pressure by running sink.

Step 3: Remove original shower water mount by unscrewing plastic wall nuts in closet behind the mount. The shower mount should then pull right out. Make sure to have a towel to absorb any water coming out of the PEX hoses.

Step 4: Using adjustable pliers (Irwin Groovelock Plier Set) and with the pliers loose, slap the metal plier faces (top and bottom) with a fast motion against each SharkBite connector end so the connector comes off the PEX, leaving just the blue and red PEX hoses exposed. Example here.

Step 5: Wrap each Swivel Elbow brass end piece with thick plumbers tape, push one into the red and one into the blue PEX hoses (should be very tight), and secure it with metal worm gear hose clamps (screw down tightly). Alternatively, PEX cinch rings, or crimp rings, may be used instead. Whatever method is used to attach the brass fitting to the PEX, it’s important the joint doesn’t leak.

Step 6: Cut a straight line on a piece of white cutting board with a wood saw 4” down from the rounded edged top. We bought several small white cutting boards at Wal-Mart for 88 cents each. Note: I first tried with a dremel wheel cutting tool, but the plastic melted leaving a messy surface. The cut piece will be about 4” long and 8.5” wide, with the rounded edges at the top. This piece will be used inside the shower directly behind the wall shower mount.

Step 7: Cut a couple more identical pieces to the above (although having top rounded edges isn’t important) – these two pieces will just be used for spacers in the closet so they don’t have to be that precise.

Step 8: Assemble the Thermostatic Shower Wall Mount as pictured. Plumbers tape will need to be wrapped on the brass threads on both sides of the hot/cold brass input fittings (in the opposite direction the pipe will be turned). Make sure to insert the screen gasket on each side of the mount and rotate the decorative chrome covers over the brass threads. Be careful not to over tighten the brass fitting on the wall mount side as it could strip the inside threads of the mount. Hand tightening should be sufficient. The brass fittings coming out of the wall mount should be uniformly positioned in the same orientation (I positioned them straight out and up).

Step 9: Place the wall mount over the 4” white plastic back plate piece cut previously and position so that the decorative chrome wall covers will touch the plastic all around when holes are cut. Mark the position of the holes on the plastic cutting board with a marker using the brass pieces coming out of the wall mount as a guide (the holes should be level and low enough below the rounded top that the decorative chrome covers sit against the plastic all the way around). Drill the two holes with the 7/8” hole dozer. Make sure the new backsplash slips easily over the brass fittings on the wall mount. Make a couple more pieces with the extra plastic cutting board using the original as a template for the holes. Cut the holes for these two pieces.

Step 10: Hold the wall mount bar with the right side brass fitting aligned with the farthest shower wall hole on the right and then, with a level sitting on top of the bar, use a marker to trace a circle where the farthest left hole will need to be cut in the shower fiberglass wall. Be very careful to make sure the holes are aligned horizontally to each other so that the shower mount bar will be level.

Step 11: Make a dot with a marker in the very center of the hole to be drilled in the shower fiberglass wall. Then, to protect the area around the hole, stick blue tape down so only the little dot marking the drill location is visible. Using the 7/8” hole dozer, at very slow speed, carefully drill a hole into the fiberglass shower wall. There should now be three holes in the shower fiberglass (the center one, used for the stock mount with 4” water line spacing, will no longer be used and will be covered by the backsplash).

Step 12: Insert the completely assembled wall shower mount with the plastic wall backsplash into the holes in the shower. Add the two plastic spacer pieces on the brass pipes on the closet side and then screw down the swivel elbows onto their respective pipes (Hot and Cold inputs are marked on the back of the thermostatic wall shower mount), using a level on top of the mount to ensure it is level when firmly attached. Note: the original wall nuts are no longer used as they block too much of the brass threads.

Step 13: Now that everything is complete and attached, the system needs to be tested under pressure. It’s good to have someone standing by the closet and shower inspecting the joints while another person turns on the hose hookup. As the system is pressurized, inspect for leaks on both the PEX side and shower side of the system. Hopefully, there won’t be any leaks. However, it may be necessary to tighten down the nuts on the wall mount if you see some dripping. Once satisfied the system is holding pressure and there are no leaks, apply a bead of silicone all the way around the backsplash inside the shower (and also along the outside of the spacers in the closet) to prevent water from leaking behind the backsplash into the closet.

Step 14: Fill up your hot water heater (if not already filled) by running the Hot water in your sink until water comes out. Then, turn on your water heater and wait until the water is hot. Take a hot shower! Inspect again for leaks.

I did reposition the wood block that holds the PVC coat hanger because it was right in the way of the PEX piping and wasn’t allowing flexibility in positioning the PEX.

With a bit of preparation and care, it is possible to have a reliable thermostatic shower wall mount in your small travel trailer! And, once you are all set up, you will likely enjoy much more comfortable showers and save some water too! After you try a thermostatic shower valve, you probably will never want to go back to mixing hot and cold water manually in your small travel trailer again!

10 Must-Haves to Accessorize Your Small Travel Trailer Interior

By: gavin

January 19, 2021

10 Must-Haves to Accessorize Your Small Travel Trailer Interior

Now that you’ve figured out all the basic necessities and operating procedures for your small travel trailer, it’s time to configure it for maximum enjoyment, comfort, and efficiency. Here are ten items we use on every trip in our Scamp 13’ small travel trailer which make our trailer much more functional.

Wall Mirror. One of the first things we did to our Scamp 13’ was to install a frameless vanity mirror on the outside of the bathroom door. The mirror, slightly beveled at the edges, is one foot wide by four feet high and super thin. We use 3M Scotch Interlocking fastener tape for securing almost all wall hanging items in our Scamp, including this mirror. To install the mirror in the Scamp, the first thing we did is lay the mirror face down on a carpet and then measure lengths of tape to span horizontally across the back of the mirror. To prevent breaking the mirror, we interlocked the tape lengths (one side for the mirror and the other for the bathroom door) separately on the floor with lots of pressure. We then removed the adhesive covering on one side of the tape and pressed it against the mirror. Next, we figured out exactly where we wanted the mirror to be in the Scamp (we chose about 7” from the base of the door opening and 3” to the left of the door handle). With the assistance of a level at the top of the mirror and four hands, we removed the adhesive backing on the tape facing the door and carefully pushed the mirror against the door. Then, we firmly pressed a towel against the mirror and moved up and down the face of the mirror to make sure the adhesive tape was all properly joined to the door. We have travelled in our Scamp now for over a year, spanning 34 days of trips (some over rough roads), and the mirror continues to stay tightly pressed against the door! The mirror is great because it really opens up the space of the Scamp, making it appear much larger then it is!
First Aid Kit. Having a first aid kit in your small trailer is a good idea. If it’s up on the wall, you will also know where it is, it will be available whenever you need it, and it won’t take up any closet space. It doesn’t have to be a giant kit, but have some basics like band aids and antiseptic. We’ve used our first aid kit a few times while travelling, just for small cuts. It’s really handy to be able to have the items available on a moment’s notice. We have ours secured on the wall (with the 3M Scotch Fastener tape) next to the fire extinguisher.
Flashlight. Get a good flashlight and attach it to the wall of your small travel trailer. You never know when you might need it. We use ours regularly for all sorts of different reasons! For example, it’s often very dark in the campgrounds at night and a flashlight comes in handy when having to look for items outside or to take a walk.
Long stick lighter. It is essential carrying at least 2 lighters to ensure the stove is able to be lit (for campers not having electric stove lighting option). We were camping in the high sierras at Lake Mary when we discovered our lighter ran out of juice. We were just preparing to cook up some pancakes! How untimely! Fortunately, the Twin Lakes General Store right down the road was open and had them in stock! Now, we always make sure to carry two!
Giant wall clock. One item that is super useful is a giant wall clock. The one we purchased has big LED numbers and is illuminated and easy to read in the dark. We put ours up on the wall opposite the head of our bed and at a height that makes it easy to read while lying down to sleep (using 3M Scotch Fastener tape). So, if we have an early morning hiking trip planned or some other meet up with friends, we can easily see what time it is (and it’s not so bright that it affects our sleep).
Paper towel holder (suction cup). Having paper towels next to the sink is a great idea, but there is limited table space in the Scamp to hold them. This paper towel holder solves the space problem – it has a strong suction cup and sticks to the wall above the kitchen sink! We’ve had it in position over a year and it hasn’t come off the wall yet! We use it extensively on every trip and really like it. One thing we did notice though is that it’s a good idea to secure the paper towels in a closet while driving or they tend to unroll by themselves into the sink!
Toilet paper holder (suction cup). The wet bath in a small travel trailer is generally pretty tight quarters! There’s usually a shower area and the toilet right behind it. So, it’s a great idea to partition out the space and keep the toilet area as dry as possible (see article called “How to Turn Your Wet Bath into a Comfy Dry Zone”). A great addition to the toilet area is a holder for toilet paper. This will help keep it off the floor, from getting wet, and give easy access.
Soap and Shampoo Dispenser. This dispenser sticks to the wall of the shower with two way tape. Just pop the top and fill with your favorite shampoo / soap and cover and you won’t ever have to deal with rolling bottles on your shower floor again! The dispenser has a nice pump button that makes it easy to squirt out shampoo into your hand. We fill with a natural 3-in-1 Soap (Shampoo, Body Wash, Bubble Bath), eliminating the need for more costly and bulkier multi-dispensers. CLICK FOR 3-IN-1 LAVENDER, CLICK FOR 3-IN-1 CITRUS & MINT
Powerful Shower Head. The Oxygenics Fury puts the shower back into RV showering! We went from a placid trickle with our Scamp’s stock handheld shower head to a real blaster with the Fury! The nice thing is that the Fury actually conserves water and ramps up pressure by mixing air into the shower head. This results in a really powerful efficient stream. We’ve found showering takes less time as well since it’s a really fast rinse with better water flow. It’s also super easy to install – just unscrew the old hose /showerhead at the shower wall mount and screw on this hose / showerhead.
Deer Coat Hook. What a cool way to hang your towels in the bathroom! We found this unique cast iron coat hook from CastIronHooks on Etsy. They also have plenty of other styles to choose from if deer aren’t your thing! The main goal for shower towels is that they need to be secured nicely so that don’t drop onto the shower floor and get soaked!

Let the “Vikings” Heat Your Small Travel Trailer

By: gavin

January 12, 2021

Let the “Vikings” Heat Your Small Travel Trailer

We were cooking lunch at a State park on a recent trip up to Oregon and the flames on our Scamp 13’ stove went out all of a sudden. I immediately checked the gauge on our propane tank and it still showed GREEN. Just to make sure it wasn’t an empty propane tank with a faulty gauge reading, I switched over to our 2^nd tank and, viola, we were able to light our stove again! Hmmm. What was going on with the gauge? After a bit of research, I discovered that propane gauges are notoriously unreliable. Maybe in our situation the gauge was stuck. In any case though, it seems that relying on a gauge to determine when the propane tank is near empty may not be a good idea. We were very fortunate we had a 2^nd propane tank on our Scamp 13’. At some of the locations on that recent trip, the temperatures dipped down into the teens at night and we would have been very uncomfortable had our propane powered furnace stopped working.

After investigating several possible solutions (including different types of pressure gauges) to help solve the problem of having an unexpected empty propane tank at perhaps a very undesirable time, I discovered Viking Cylinders (made in Norway). These are tanks made from composite materials (3 layers – seamless blow-molded liner, fiberglass-wrapped plastic casing, and a durable outer case) which offer several advantages over steel and aluminum tanks:

Translucent – you can actually see the liquid propane in the tank if you wiggle the tank a little (although you have to look very carefully).
Lightweight – Viking claims their tanks weigh “more than 50% less than steel propane tanks”.
Safer than metal – the cylinder is not supposed to explode in a fire (but melt and allowing the gas to safely escape).
Non corrosive – since it’s not metal, it won’t rust or corrode or leave rust marks on surfaces.
Stable – the base of each cylinder is very stable, making it harder to fall over.
Attractive – a really superb looking cylinder!
Easy to handle – it’s easy to pick up and move around with great handles and light weight.

When I saw Viking was having a 25% off sale ($80 in total savings), I purchased two of their 17# tanks to replace the 20# tanks on our Scamp 13’ along with their custom double RV mount (since the Scamp mount wouldn’t accommodate these tanks). The first thing I noticed when unboxing them is how great they look and how light they feel! I had read online that some service stations have refused to fill these types of composite tanks, so it was nice to see that each tank had a DOT (Department of Transportation) Certification Certificate attached (meaning the tank is certified to travel on highways and roads). Putting the tanks in the back of my SUV was a breeze and the service station down the street had no problem filling them! Installing the new mount was easy and the new mount looks much nicer than the old one, appearing to have a nice thick white powder coating. All the stock Scamp parts (regulator, hoses, and switch) worked fine on the new mount.

After filling the new Viking composite tanks at the service station (the tanks came purged and ready to fill), I weighed them. Each filled Viking tank (holding about 3.8 gallons of propane per tank) weighed around 26.6 lbs. The Scamp’s original 20# steel tanks (holding about 4.5 gallons of propane) each weighed around 37 lbs. when filled. So, in my testing, the filled 17# Viking Cylinders weigh about 40% less than the stock 20# steel propane tanks that came with the Scamp (albeit with slightly less propane). The weight difference is even more striking when comparing empty tank weights (tare weights). An empty 17# Viking Cylinder only weighs around 10 lbs. (compared to around 17lbs. for an empty steel 20# propane tank)! That’s a 70% difference in weight when empty! This weight difference between the composite and steels tanks is very noticeable when removing each tank and moving it into your vehicle. Additionally, it can make a big difference on hitch weight (especially when considering a 2 propane tank setup).

The main reason I purchased the Viking tanks wasn’t for weight reasons though – it was for the ability to see the liquid propane inside the tank. The Viking tanks have cut out patterns which allow visibility into the liner holding the liquid propane. I was a little disappointed when I first had the tanks filled because I couldn’t see the liquid. However, I later figured this was because the liquid was at such a high level that it was above the viewing cutouts. After one camping trip using the Viking tanks, the liquid propane level in the tank dropped such that I was able to see the liquid moving around when slightly shifting the top one of the tanks. Even so though, you do have to look very carefully to see the liquid. In the end, despite the liquid propane being a bit difficult to see in the tank, I still think the Viking tanks are much better than the steel tanks in determining how much propane is left.

I’m very satisfied with the Viking Cylinders. They look great, are super light, won’t rust, are safer than steel tanks, are easy to handle, and offer the ability to see the liquid propane inside the tank (mostly eliminating the guessing of when the propane is likely to run out). They are much more expensive than regular steel tanks ($140 for a 17# Viking cylinder vs. around $35 for a 20# tank as of this writing), so I wouldn’t call them a necessity. They also do need to be requalified every 5 years (from the manufacturing date on the tank) through a visual inspection by an approved requalifier. Viking has a searchable list of requalifiers on their website. If the extra cost isn’t a factor, then the added benefits of the Viking Cylinders are well worth switching out your steel tanks for these composite ones!

Should I have a Camping Logo?

By: gavin

November 25, 2020

Should I have a Camping Logo?

It all started in November 2019 when we took delivery of our 2020 Scamp 13’ travel trailer without any logos… for a clean all-white glossy look. The only Scamp designation on the trailer was on the rear spare tire cover, which is printed with Scamp’s logo and phone number. After a few months, the all-white vinyl tire cover was getting yellowed and didn’t look great. (It was getting to be a bit embarrassing.) Time for a replacement? But, we preferred something unique and special for our next tire cover.

At about the same time the Scamp spare tire cover was ready to be replaced, we thought it would be great to start a small travel trailer blog to help others flatten their learning curve. While developing the website, a friend recommended we have a logo. Although not necessary, we thought this would add a nice touch on each web page as well as on our profile image for our scamptrailer Instagram account. In addition, it would provide an opportunity to order a high quality custom spare tire cover with our own logo to replace the yellowed one we had. So, next project: develop a logo!

The first thing we did to create our logo was develop a concept of what we wanted. Our initial thoughts were that the logo should have a bear, owl, Scamp 13’ travel trailer, some trees, and mountains – things we love to experience while camping. Choose design elements that are meaningful to you when creating your logo. We also wanted the artistic elements to be integrated in some way so that it looks like a real logo design and not just a drawing. To save a lot of time and expense, we sketched out the initial design idea ourselves with pen and paper. Once we were satisfied, we sent the drawing to our illustrator friend and had her professionally draw it out. The initial rendering was created with black lines and then a second drawing added just a few elements yellow (windows, owl’s eyes, and moon). Later, we gave the completed design to a relative who is a graphic artist and he colorized the entire illustration. Having a few color variations provides some design options for different logo uses (e.g. website, Instagram profile, spare tire cover, stickers, t-shirts …..).

The process of creating a logo can be very quick, depending on you and your ideas. It’s also not too expensive. If you are an artist type, then you can probably create your own logo for free in a graphics design program like Photoshop. However, we decided on using a professional for illustrating our design. Our logo cost around $140 to make (although our relative did not charge us to colorize the final illustration). In the end, creating a camping logo is more than worth it if you are actively using your small travel trailer because you can not only use the logo for a spare tire cover, but also for online profile images, giveaway items like stickers, as well as t-shirts you can wear on your trips. If your logo is on your outside spare tire cover, it will be seen quite a bit and you will really enjoy the customized look and most likely get a lot of compliments and questions. The logo gives your small travel trailer a bit more personality, both on the road and in the campground. Additionally, if you choose to make stickers with your logo, you can give them away to new friends you meet at the campgrounds as your calling card as well as trading them on Instagram. You might even create t-shirts with you logo! The list of possibilities for your logo is almost endless!

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Email Marianne if interested in Logo design: mariannerf@gmail.com

Why Motion-Activated Lights May be a Dim Idea

By: gavin

November 17, 2020

Why Motion-Activated Lights May be a Dim Idea

Our Scamp travel trailer arrived from the factory with a handful of LED lights (7 x 12 volt LED lights per our custom order), which more than adequately light up the interior of the trailer. There is a light above the stove, one facing the dinette/bed, one in the bathroom/shower, and two bright reading spot lights over each side of the dinette/bed (there are also two bright outdoor lights – one outside the entry door and one in front of the trailer near the battery). These lights do a great job of lighting up the inside and outside of the trailer at night. However, there are no lights in the closets or cupboards and, when it’s dark, and it’s not practical to turn on the interior lights because someone is still sleeping, having good light inside the closets is very beneficial.

We use the front lower closet for storing clothing on the hanger and for our toolbox and other essential camping supplies, like cables and wood blocks (which sit on the floor). The front upper closet contains our double sleeping bag, pillows, paper products (TP & Paper Towels), and indoor floor mats. I discovered on our first Scamp trip that these cabinets are very dark inside because they are big and deep. Without adequate light, it’s often difficult to find items inside these cabinets. Because we didn’t want to wire new 12 volt lights into the Scamp, we purchased a rechargeable battery powered motion-activated LED light made by Sylvania to try in the lower closet. Although this light provided plenty of brightness and was nice in that it instantly turned on just by opening the closet door, we found it was quickly running out of power. We noticed it was frequently turning on by itself inside the closet and we figured this was maybe a defective light. We replaced the light with a circular battery powered motion-activated light. This one, powered by AAA batteries, also turned on by itself in the closet (and by the end of just one trip, the AAAs were depleted). We finally figured out that the slight motion of walking around in the Scamp was activating the motion sensors!

We tested the theory that the motion sensors are too sensitive for use inside our small travel trailer (which tends to slightly move when walking inside) by trying the original Sylvania light again. But, this time, we used the ON/OFF switch setting and avoided the motion activated feature. That did the trick! The light was only on when turned on and the charge held for a very long time! After learning this lesson, we now use a simple switch-on LED light in the closets. The VIBELITE is inexpensive (we purchased in a pack of 4), bright, and comes with various mounting methods. It’s powered by 3 x AAA batteries. We mounted the lights by using the supplied Velcro adhesive strips on the back of the lights. Although we have to physically switch the VIBELITE on, we are now assured we will have reliable bright lighting in the Scamp closets on each trip. Phew!

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