Reflections on Owning a 2020 Scamp 13’ Trailer for Two Years
It’s already been two years since our Scamp 13’ arrived from the Scamp factory at the end of 2019! So much has happened since, it now seems a good time to reflect on the decision to buy the trailer and what followed over the past couple of years.
We spent a long time deciding if buying, maintaining, and travelling with a travel trailer was a good idea. Ultimately, we came to the conclusion that a travel trailer provides an excellent way to travel the U.S. and Canada since it allows for stays in national and state parks where no other comfortable and affordable accommodation may be available. Additionally, we liked the idea of being able to provision the trailer with our own items including food and very comfortable and bedding (and not slept on by anyone else like in a hotel/motel). Once we made our decision on getting a travel trailer, we spent at least a year comparing different models before finally deciding on the Scamp. For the full story on our thought processes and final decision on purchasing a Scamp, click here. The Scamp was an easy choice because we wanted something light and easy to tow yet very durable and not likely to get leaks. Additionally, being able to store the trailer in our garage was a real deal maker.
It was relatively easy for us to decide on a Scamp model and configuration (there are 3 sizes and multiple configurations). Since we definitely wanted the larger 54” bed, the choice was between the Standard 13’ and the Deluxe 16’ models (the only models offered with a 54” bed option in 2020). We also absolutely had to have a bathroom. The Deluxe models are very nice, but much heavier because the interior cabinetry is made with wood instead of fiberglass. Since we wanted as light a trailer as possible, didn’t need the side dinette offered with the 16’, and liked the sleek look of the white high gloss fiberglass interior of the Standard model, we went the Scamp 13’ Standard with bathroom. As for the rest of the options, we pretty much got it with everything (with the exception of the AC because it wouldn’t clear the height of our garage). For the full story on this decision making process, click here.
Since Scamp trailers are very desirable and hold their value really well, there is usually a long wait from the time one is ordered until it is delivered. In our case, the nine month wait time allowed us to go through the process of modifying the height of our garage entrance from seven to eight feet before our Scamp was delivered. Having the Scamp stored in our garage is a big advantage as it allows us to provision the trailer before each trip without having to drive to a storage lot, saves on monthly storage fees, and also lets us dump our tanks in the garage using our sewer clean out (saving time and money after each trip by eliminating the need to drive to the nearest Dump station and paying to dump). Another benefit is that the Scamp is stored out of the elements (keeps the trailer in great condition). For the garage project, we needed to first get HOA approval from our neighborhood association, have an engineer draw plans for submission to the city, and then, after the permit was obtained, have a contractor do the work. The entire garage project took a few months and cost about six thousand dollars, but was well worth it. For a full story on this project, click here.
We started exploring with our Scamp 13’ in early 2020 and learned a lot about travelling with a travel trailer on each trip. This is the first travel trailer we have ever owned and we had never camped before in our lives. We received our Scamp with little introduction or explanations and figured out the operation of the trailer and how to tow mostly on our own (although there is an owner’s manual and the Scamp company is ready at the phones to courteously answer any questions). Fortunately, we didn’t learn any really hard lessons in the process and we became more and more proficient after each trip. For a look at the trips we’ve taken over the past two years, click here.
The most important thing we became proficient at early on is towing. Although towing the small and light Scamp is pretty easy, it’s critical that the trailer is attached to the tow vehicle properly so that it stays safely attached while driving. Additionally, learning how to back up the Scamp so positioning the trailer on the campsite pad becomes stress-free is important for enjoyable trips. For complete details on how to tow with the Scamp, please see these articles: How Easy is Towing, Secure Your Power Cords, How to Easily Hookup Up Your Hitch Ball, and Safely Positioning Your Trailer into Tight Spaces.
Learning how to operate each of the Scamp’s systems takes only a short period of time to understand, but it’s important to figure them out early in order to use the trailer without issues. The main systems are the holding tanks (Fresh/Grey/Black), hot water tank, electrical system (click here for more information), furnace (heating), stove, and refrigerator. The biggest challenge is being able to tell when systems are depleted (e.g. Fresh Water tank, Propane tank, battery) or full (in the case of the Grey and Black tanks). Additionally, some of the systems run on more than one power source and it’s important to know when to switch them on or off. For example, when dry camping, we run our Scamp refrigerator on propane (instead of electricity, which is used when hooked up to electric shore power). To make things a little more confusing, these systems and their operation methods sometimes change by model year and/or model number. None of these challenges should deter anyone from getting a travel trailer however, since everyone learns how their trailer operates within a few trips.
After two years (15 trips, 60 locations spanning 4 states, and 99 nights sleeping in the Scamp) and all the experiences we’ve had with our Scamp 13’, looking back, we can now easily say buying our Scamp 13’ was definitely worth it. Having a travel trailer has allowed us to travel on a moment’s notice and explore locations where we otherwise wouldn’t have been able to stay (such as within national parks). Additionally, the cost to travel has been significantly lower with a trailer compared to staying in hotels. We’ve even had a number of free stay overs using Harvest Hosts! Click here to learn more about Harvest Hosts and to see where we stayed. For an economic analysis, click here. And, perhaps best of all, we’ve made some great friends along the way and have visited family in distant cities more often than we would have without the trailer. Perhaps the biggest stand out benefit in getting our Scamp 13’ (which arrived a few months before the Pandemic started in early 2020), has been having the ability to travel at a time when it would have been extremely difficult and risky to do it any other way.
The Scamp 13’ has proven to be a reliable and great travel trailer. We haven’t had any major issues with the Scamp and it has been easy to maintain. We have had to learn some simple maintenance procedures to keep everything in good order, but these have been easy to understand and implement. We’ve also had fun upgrading and modifying the Scamp. Click here for more information on everything we’ve learned and implemented. We are really glad we chose a travel trailer instead of a van or motorhome because the trailer is relatively inexpensive in comparison to own, operate, and insure. Additionally, it’s great to be able to unhitch the Scamp and use our tow vehicle once we are at the campground to easily explore the area. The biggest issue someone might have with the Scamp 13’ might be its small size and many might be happier with a larger trailer. But, remember, the larger the trailer the more limited the choice of campsites. The Scamp 13’ can pretty much fit into every available size RV campsite at a campground!
Consider the costs (including insurance and storage) and how much time you intend to travel when making a decision to get a trailer. From a purely economic standpoint, owning a travel trailer is most advantageous if one doesn’t pay too much for the trailer and uses it regularly. It’s also important to know if a travel trailer will be comfortable for you (and your family) before you make the investment. We took the risk and purchased our Scamp without ever trying one out. But, another option is to rent a travel trailer before buying (and perhaps test other options as well, like a van or motorhome for comparison) to see if this mode of travel is good for you. Once you’ve conducted your own thoughtful analysis, you will be in a great position to make a decision on whether owning and travelling with a travel trailer is a good fit for you and your family. As we start 2022, we are very enthusiastic in beginning another year travelling with our Scamp 13’ and are already looking forward to a number of future trips! Happy & healthy New Year!
Follow Up Article Published November 2024
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.
