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scamp 13

Yosemite National Park

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Yosemite National Park
May 10th – May 16th, 2021 (6 nights)

Yosemite is a must see National Park mainly because of its abundance of scenic beauty.  Waterfalls, huge granite sheer mountain walls, wildlife, and a beautiful valley with meadows and countless hiking and biking trails add to the immense wonder of the park.  If you can reserve a spot at one of the campgrounds in Yosemite, consider yourself very lucky as these spots are extremely difficult to get.  For tips on getting a spot, see my previous article “Winning Yosemite’s Campground Reservations Online Lottery”.

The drive from Carlsbad, California to Upper Falls Campground in Yosemite takes between 7 and 8 hours.  To make the drive easier, we decided to stop midway both on the drive up and way back home.  We stayed at two Boondockers Welcome locations, so the overnight stays didn’t cost us anything (other than the $50 annual subscription fee).  We stayed in the driveway of a nice home in Visalia going to Yosemite and at a miniature donkey farm in Bakersfield on the way home (this was our 2nd visit!).  Using this subscription is a great way to make trips easier and get some interesting experiences!

Yosemite has several campgrounds and we chose to stay at Upper Pines.  This is a fantastic campground nestled within the pines and having a sheer granite wall towering high overhead.  There are 240 campsites at Upper Pines and each has a picnic table, food locker and fire pit.  Although there are no hookups, there are bathrooms and access to drinking water from central spigots.  There is also a Dump Station at the entrance to Upper Pines campground.  We found the Dump Station to be completely empty throughout the day.  It gets busier around midday when people are checking in.  Although the campground has a lot of shade, there was enough sunlight at our site #126 to keep our solar panels out and charging our Scamp battery.  Site #126 was rated for a travel trailer with maximum length of 12 feet.  It is the responsibility of the camper to ensure that both the travel trailer and tow vehicle fit on the campsite pad and do not stick out onto the roadway.  With our Scamp 13’ and our Volvo XC40 (around 14’) we were still able to just fit by angling our tow vehicle slightly to keep the nose off the road.  A longer tow vehicle or trailer might have a problem in this short campsite.  So, it’s important to read the campsite description before reserving to make sure your setup will fit!

We made sure to use the Dump Station on entry to Upper Pines campground (which also includes a fresh water filling area) so our Scamp 13’ was completely dumped as well as filled with fresh water.  Fortunately, we carried our Holy Grail Portable Grey Water Tank Solution with us so we did not need to move our Scamp 13’ the entire 4 days at the campground!  On the morning of the 3rd day, I filled our 4 five gallon grey water tank jugs and drove them to the Dump Station and poured them out there.  We didn’t have an issue with our Black tank as it can generally go for about 6-7 days with two people.  Our electrical needs were taken care of by using our solar panel briefcase each day.

For just $26 per day, staying in Upper Pines Campground is a fantastic bargain!  It’s an easy walk or bike ride to sites throughout the Yosemite Valley, including Curry Village, the general store, Cook’s Meadow Loop, and Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls.  And, a lot of great trails, like the Lower Yosemite Fall Trail, Cook’s Meadow Loop, Mirror Lake Loop, Valley Loop Trail, Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall Trails, Mist Trail, John Muir Trail, and Yosemite Falls Trail are all easily accessible from Upper Pines Campground.  We chose to walk throughout the valley, but bike rentals are also available.  Alternatively, for a nice hotel within the park, plan a stay at The Ahwahnee hotel and expect to pay over $500/night!

The campground was very quiet but populated.  We had the opportunity of meeting a nice retired couple travelling in a van from Maryland (tent campers).  They invited us to dinner at their campsite one night (great salmon and rice dish) and we cooked them pasta on another night.  They are on a four month trip across the country visiting National Parks.   We were fortunate with the weather and crowds.  Every day was clear and sunny and afternoons were warm but not too hot.  We experienced dramatic starry nights and enjoyed watching the climbers’ lights as they scaled the faces of some very high vertical walls in pure darkness.  Our days were filled with long walks throughout Yosemite Valley and early morning hikes.  Our favorite hike was up to Vernal Falls – the most interesting part is a steep stone staircase that goes up to the top of the falls.  A rainbow forms across the stairs due to the heavy mist created by the water fall.  We ventured out to Yosemite Valley almost every night to enjoy the stars and engage in astrophotography.

Our four nights at Upper Pines Campground went by very quickly.  Yosemite is a great place to get outdoors and also relax.  There’s hiking, horseback riding, fishing, biking, boating, climbing, and countless other activities in which to engage.  We did speak to one of the rangers and he advised us that it does get like Disneyland in the summer with serious crowding.  So, if you can arrange it, go in early to mid-May because the weather should be good (although can be unpredictable), the water falls are generally raging, and it’s most likely going to be less crowded than during the summer months.  Yosemite National Park gets 5 stars!

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. 

Outfitting Your Small Travel Trailer for its Maiden Voyage

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Outfitting Your Small Travel Trailer for its Maiden Voyage
One of the great benefits of owning a small travel trailer is that it can be set up with all the basic essentials and, in turn, be ready to go on a moment’s notice.  Since there is minimal storage available in a small travel trailer, it’s very important to carefully select what is really necessary for your travels.  All of these things will need to fit in a small number of drawers and cabinets, like living on a boat or in a tiny home.  It’s likely that you will refine this list after having some experience in the field and learning your needs.  Just like at home, you will need items for each room / function within your small travel trailer.  

The Kitchen
You will want your kitchen to be fully functional and ready to cook meals and wash and dry dishes.  Essential kitchen items include a long stick lighter (and a backup lighter) to be able to light the gas stove.  The kitchen supplies we carry in our Scamp 13’ are:

Kitchen Drawer

  • Rubber Utensil Holder Organizer (washable)
  • Sporks (combo forks / spoons)
  • Tea bags / tea strainer
  • Scissors
  • Can opener
  • Rubber spatula
  • Wooden spoons
  • Metal Citrus Squeezer
  • Measuring Spoons
  • Long stick Lighter
  • Cutting knife with cover
  • Cutting board
  • Metal spatula
  • Coasters (Cork) (x2)

Cabinets Above Kitchen Sink

  • Paper Bowls
  • Paper Plates
  • Measuring Cups
  • Metal canteens (bowls)
  • Plastic cups/Bowls/Plates (reusable)
  • Metal Cups (for hot drinks like tea & cocoa)
  • Small Lightweight Metal Tea Kettle
  • Tupperware (x2) for food storage
  • Extra Microfiber kitchen towels (x2)

On Kitchen Wall

Cabinet Below Kitchen Sink

The Bathroom
It’s best to keep the bathroom as minimalist as possible because it’s small and room is necessary to move around.  In turn, the only items we put in the bathroom are placed in a space saving way.

Cabinets Above Dinette (x2)
The small cabinets above the Scamp 13’ dinette are a great place to store little things.

Main Upper Storage Cabinet

Lower Storage Cabinet

Once you outfit your small travel trailer with all the essentials, you will be ready to go on a moment’s notice.  You will still need to pack all your clothing and food for each trip, but will rest assured knowing you have all your key trailer supplies at hand and will not have to think about packing these items over and over again and you’ll live happily ever after!

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. 

14 Transformations to go from Camping to Glamping!

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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 2nd 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!

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. 

The Holy Grail Portable Grey Water Tank Solution!

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The Holy Grail Portable Grey Water Tank Solution!
After taking your small travel trailer on a number of trips, you get a feel for the types of places where you like to spend time.  For most people, these locations include State and National parks and many of these campgrounds do not offer Dump stations.  For the first year with our Scamp 13’, it was necessary to plan our adventures so that stays at such places were limited to only several days because that’s the time it usually takes for our twenty one gallon Grey tank to become full.  Our Grey tank was our limiting factor (not the Fresh, nor the Black tank).  Of course, we could elect not to take hot showers every night (brief ones!), but what fun would that be?!!!  It’s nice to feel fresh and clean before going to bed each night!

We learned through experience that the Grey tank is a small travel trailer’s Achilles heel when hookups aren’t available.  For us two people (taking 2 showers each night), our twenty one gallon Grey tank fills up in about three days.  Once the Grey tank is full, water can no longer drain from the shower floor or sink, and water backing up into these areas is highly likely.  The Fresh water tank is much easier to manage because the 12 gallon tank can easily be refilled using a portable water jug and water is usually available at most campgrounds (but not all).  Additionally, water can be stored in portable containers and transported in the tow vehicle.  We’ve found that the 9 gallon Black tank takes much longer to fill than the Grey tank.  Our Black tank usually takes about 6 days (two people) before needing to be dumped.  Lastly, although technically not a tank, we consider our 12V battery to be like a tank as it holds our electrons (about 12.6V when full).  These electrons are vital in keeping our Scamp running (e.g. LED lights, water pumps, furnace pump, fan, etc.).  When our battery is not hooked up, it can drain pretty quickly (within a couple days) if not carefully monitored.  However, we use our solar briefcase and it does a great job of keeping the battery topped off (as long as there’s sun every couple of days).  Our Jackery 500 also helps us keep our Scamp battery reserved for necessary functions.

Our travel strategy thus far has been to carefully arrange stops so that the ones without a Dump are limited to only a few days maximum (or have a Dump station available at a convenient service station).  For example, on our trip to Lake Tahoe last July, we first stopped in Santa Barbara and driveway-camped at our cousin Jon’s house.  Since our next stop was going to be at an olive oil farm in Paso Robles without hookups followed by street camping at my sister’s house in Oakland, we dumped at a 76 station on the way out of Santa Barbara.  We didn’t want to risk having a full Grey tank and not being able to use any water in our Scamp.  We knew we could dump at DL Bliss State Park at Lake Tahoe after our Oakland stay over, so we would be OK as long as we did this interim Dump.  The following month, we took a trip to Observatory Campground (Palomar Mountain) to view the stars.  There are no hookups here (although water spigots are available), so again we needed to carefully consider our time up on Palomar Mountain to ensure our Grey tank was not filled up (we ended up staying only one night).

The trip that really got us thinking about a way to extend our boondocking stays was Mammoth Lakes last August.  Our friends Hugh and Cheryl stay at Silver Lake Resort the same week every year.  They invited us to join them last summer and we were lucky enough to get a reservation.  This private RV park is right on Silver Lake (close to Mammoth Lakes) and is very popular and hard to get reservations at.  The spaces are tight (huge RV motorhomes very close to each other) and pricey (around $49 / night), but provide a great location and scenic views with a mountain backdrop.  Additionally, there are full hookups, a general store, and a nice restaurant (as well as boating and fishing on the lake, horseback riding, and great hiking trails).  We enjoyed our stay there, but couldn’t help but notice a large State campground called Silver Lake Campground right across the street and directly on the lake!  We walked the campground and were impressed with the very wide and private campsites and beautiful lake and mountain views (and a bargain at only $27/night!).  There are water spigots here, but no Dump station.  We knew we really wanted to stay here the following summer, but needed to figure out a way to extend our Grey tank limitation.  We were told the closest public dump station to this area is more than 20 minute’s drive away.

We considered an outdoor shower since our Grey tank is mostly filled by shower water, but ruled that out because of a few reasons.  An outdoor shower is technically considered Grey water dumping and, in turn, may not be permitted (depending on the campground and judgment of the camp host).  If an outdoor shower is permitted, it is likely that all the runoff water generated will need to be contained and disposed of properly (which could be a challenge).  And, there are potential privacy and safety issues since the shower is outside with no security.  Lastly, depending on the weather and environment, the outdoor shower may not be very comfortable.  With all the potential issues of an outdoor shower, we decided it wasn’t a good solution to our Grey water limitation.

A friend of mine showed me his 38 gallon portable grey water tank on wheels that he takes on his RV trips.  With water weighing roughly 8.3 lbs. per gallon, this portable tank can weigh over 315 lbs.!!!  He says it’s nearly impossible to move by bike when full, so he only takes it on trips when he knows he can move it with his vehicle to Dump.  We then looked at smaller portable storage tanks because they are more manageable.  Specifically, the Barker 5 Gallon Tote seemed to be a good option.  It’s only 5 gallons, so weight when full doesn’t exceed much more than 40 lbs.  It’s also small and can be easily transferred by a dolly or car to a Dump station.  The thing I didn’t like about it is that is a bit pricey (almost $50 per tank) and I would need 4 of them to give me the desired 20 gallons storage (so we could almost double our current 21 gallon Grey tank capacity).  Additionally, it isn’t transparent, and I wanted to be able to see the tank filling up so I know when it’s time to close the Grey water dump valve to ready the next tank for filling.

After a lot of thought and searching, I found what I believe is the Holy Grail of Portable Grey Water Tank solutions!  It’s actually a combination of individual items where the whole makes up more than the sum of its parts!  The first critical item to the system is the 5 gallon tank.  I found a perfect one online at Uline that is designed for chemical storage (so it’s beefy) and is also translucent (so the Grey water is visible in the tank as its being filled).  At the time of this writing, if you buy 3 jugs or more they are only $10.90 each!!!  Uline also sells separately a replacement top ($2.10) that has a threaded opening which allows a garden hose to be attached —  a hole just needs to be drilled in it for water to pass.  The next necessary component is a bayonet adapter so they the garden hose may attach directly to the Grey tank on the trailer.  Lastly, a small garden hose (like this one) makes the entire kit small and very transportable.  So, for about $60 in parts, this entire 20 gallon system can easily be assembled and put together with little effort (just a single hole needs to be drilled in the replacement cap used for attaching the garden hose to the 5 gallon tank).

Everything seemed perfect on paper, but until we tested the system, we didn’t really know if we had found the Holy Grail of Portable Grey Water Tanks.  An 8-night trip from our home in Carlsbad, California to Pinnacles National Park in California’s Central Valley and then down the coast to Big Sur, Pismo Beach and Santa Barbara provided the perfect proving grounds for this new and untested portable Grey Water Tank holding system.  Although Pinnacles National Park has a central Dump station, it is far away from Site #69 (the site where we spent a couple of nights).  This was a good opportunity for our first test.  When the Grey water tank was about 50% full on the 2nd day, I hooked up the system.  Note:  I leave both the Valterra cap and water jug cap attached to the short hose, so it’s just a matter of attaching the Valterra cap end to the Scamp’s Grey water pipe (remove existing cover) and the jug cap to the water jug.  After both ends are attached, the Grey water tank valve is opened to release the Grey water.  On the first attempt, the water flowed quickly for a few seconds and then stopped.  I couldn’t open the small air release cap on the jug because it is on the opposite side (close to the ground) to the main jug cap and water would pour out.  The secret is to slightly open the main cap just enough to release air pressure (I could hear a slight breath of air when I did this).  This method works and air pressure is released while water does not escape. The jug fills up fairly quickly.  When it looks like the jug is almost full with water near the top, close the Grey water valve on the trailer, unscrew the cap on the jug, and then screw the cap onto the next empty jug (and repeat until all 4 jugs are full).  Cap the full jugs using the supplied standard cap so no grey water leaks while transporting the jugs to the Dump.  To dump these jugs, just open the main cap and also remove the air release cap, and then pour the Grey water directly into the open Dump hole.  The water comes out quickly and easily.

We had a chance to test the system again at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.  Similar to Pinnacles National Park, Pfeiffer Big Sur SP Campground has a central Dump station, but it was far away from the site we stayed at.  It would have been very inconvenient to have to tow the Scamp to the central Dump in the middle of our 3-night stay.  Instead, we put the Holy Grail system to use and it performed wonderfully (just like it did at Pinnacles).  This enabled us to stay set up and Dump at the central Dump on the way out of the park.  The 5 gallon jugs were very manageable for me to lift and pour into the open Dump hole and the 4 containers fit in our SUV tow vehicle really well.

In conclusion, this system does appear to be the Holy Grail Portable Grey Water Tank Solution!  It is highly portable (limiting jug weight to around 40 lbs.) / not too big, relatively inexpensive, simple to set up, jugs are transparent, easy to use, and works really well.  For a trailer like the Scamp, four 5 gallon jugs will almost double the off grid capability of the Grey tank.  And, it certainly is nice not having to limit campground visits to only 2 – 3 days due to Grey water tank size.  For the Scamp’s 21 gallon Grey tank, this system effectively doubles time between dumps from 2 – 3 days to 4 – 6 days (depending on water use).  And, it’s also really great not having to pack everything up and drive to a central Dump in the middle of a trip and then have to drive back to the campsite to set up the trailer all over again (which we had to do in the middle of a 3-night stay at D.L. Bliss State Park at Lake Tahoe).  We have a three night trip to Joshua Tree National Park next month and now we can rest easy knowing we will not have to break camp or stop using water for the time we are at the park!  Finding the Holy Grail is life-changing and you will be transformed too if you set up this system!

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. 

Planning Pearls for Your Small Travel Trailer Adventures

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Planning Pearls for Your Small Travel Trailer Adventures

Having a small travel trailer means you are now free to travel the world (or maybe at least your continent)!  Interesting side note — although North and South America are treated as separate continents in the seven-continent model, they may also be viewed as a single continent known as America.  So, for all of us living in America, we have tremendous travel options for exploring with our small travel trailers…if you dare!

The first thing to do once you get your small travel trailer is to figure out what type of travel you want to do.  If you’re like me, you’re probably interested in exploring State and National Parks.  Starting in your home state is a good strategy because you won’t be too far from home if something happens and you need to regroup.  On our first preliminary “shake down” overnight trip to Palm Desert, just a couple hours drive away from our home in San Diego, we discovered we couldn’t get our hot water heater to work!  Fortunately, we were close to home and only had booked one night (which we spent without hot water).  I called Scamp when we returned home and we discovered a hidden on/off switch at the hot water heater on our Scamp 13’ which the factory was supposed to turn on!  In any case, I highly recommend taking your first few trips close to home so you are prepared in case something happens.

To discover which State and National Parks are in your home state, visit your State Parks website and the National Parks website.  The National Parks website has a search function for National Parks by state.  Google maps is a good tool once you find some parks you are interested in to get an idea of where the parks are and the drive time to each park.  It’s also a good idea to check monthly weather for the location to make sure it won’t be too hot or too cold the month you plan on going.  This is especially important for popular parks for which it is generally a good idea to reserve months in advance (5 – 6 months out for National Parks).  For strategies on how to secure a popular campground, see my article “Winning Yosemite’s Campground Reservations Online Lottery”.  On your first visit to a National Park, make sure to purchase the annual “America The Beautiful” National Park Pass.    One of the best values in all of camping, this pass costs only $80 and lets you and your family (not to exceed 4 adults) into the National Parks without paying the entrance fees (typically $35 per car).  You can also share the pass with family and friends (each pass can be signed by two main pass owners)!!!

Regional parks can also be great places to camp and explore.  These are a bit harder to find because they are generally run by cities and counties with a variety of different types of websites and reservations systems, but online searches of different cities can uncover some of these gems.  Additionally, apps like iOverlander, RV Parky, and ParkAdvisor may provide good leads on these campgrounds.  Be prepared to set up online accounts for these regional parks and expect different types of online experiences.  For example, one such park in California is Calico Ghost Town (a genuine old Western ghost town!).  I was able to make reservations for it on the San Bernardino County Regional Parks website.  This place was home to one of the largest silver strikes in California which happened in 1881.  Another interesting regional park in California is Cachuma Lake which can be reserved through the Santa Barbara County Parks website.   Like Calico Ghost Town, this campground requires one to sign up on the specific county website.  So, you’ll find that if you do decide to visit lots of regional park campgrounds (which you should plan on!), then you will end up having numerous park website accounts (all free).  So, it’s a good idea to have a great password manager that can store all these website URLs with your usernames and passwords.

We try to limit driving to no more than 4 hours to reach each campsite so that our trips are enjoyable.  Sometimes we are forced to drive a bit longer, but generally never more than 5 hours (unless there is an unusual circumstance).  One such circumstance was our trip last summer to Mammoth Lakes from our home in San Diego.  We were forced to drive nonstop over 7 hours because stopping halfway in the desert would have meant staying overnight in our trailer (which does not have AC) in unbearably hot conditions.  This is a long trip, but for a stay of a week or longer it was bearable.  But, overall, we choose to follow our 4 hour rule.  Another thing we like to keep in mind when planning our trips is that, for now, we currently need to Dump (main limitation is the Grey water tank) every third day.  With this requirement, we try to schedule trips so that we are staying at a location with hookups or a general Dump station every three days.  If that’s not possible, then we Dump during our ride to the next campsite at a service station which has a Dump station (these can be found within the apps like RV Parky or by an online search).  Note:  I’m currently working on a portable Grey water auxiliary storage system solution which should double our time between Dumps.  Stay tuned for a future article on this system.

With the 4 hour drive time rule in mind, it’s good to have some expanded options for mid trip stay over locations between your starting point and destination.  These options may include family driveways, Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome locations, free BLM public land areas, and private RV campgrounds.  Our favorite midway stays when travelling are either family driveways or Boondockers Welcome locations.  Our first choice is staying with family because it gives us a chance to reconnect and visit without being a burden since we are self-sufficient in our Scamp 13’.  We have stayed in driveways at my cousin’s in Santa Barbara and my sister’s in Oakland many times while in transit from our home in San Diego to destinations in Northern California and Oregon.  We have also had great success in overnights at Boondockers Welcome locations.  Please see my article “Free Stayovers with Boondockers Welcome and Harvest Hosts”.  These services are available via inexpensive annual subscriptions and allow for some unique experiences like overnights at farms and wineries.

In addition to using your small travel trailer for visiting State and National Parks, another idea is to explore other settings or locations in which you have a strong interest.  Of course, these can be fantastic outdoor wilderness locations, such as Lake Tahoe or the Oregon Coast (which we have enjoyed greatly).   But, such trips can also include other locations which interest you such as for rock hounding, museums, amusement parks, star gazing, city touring, etc.  One trip that I would like to do in the future is to stay at Gilbert Ray Campground in Tucson, AZ and visit the Pima Air & Space Museum since I love aviation.  And, because I love star gazing, trips to dark skies parks (like Anza Borrego Desert State Park) are always rewarding.  Another fun trip we had was a stay at Hearst San Simeon State Park which provided a great rock hounding experience (searching for moonstones on the beach in Cambria) as well as observing the elephant seals!

There are so many different ways and purposes for using your small travel trailer.  And, since everyone is different, there will no doubt be a lot of different viewpoints on the best types of trips.  But, however you choose to travel, there is one thing for certain –your small travel trailer will offer you a golden ticket to see the world (or at least your continent  …  if you dare)!

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. 

10 Frequently Asked Scamp Questions at the Campground

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10 Frequently Asked Scamp Questions at the Campground

When we purchased our 2020 Scamp 13’ we were sure we made a great decision and looked forward to frequent adventures at interesting campgrounds (see previous article “Why we Bought an RV and Purchased a Small Travel Trailer”).  Once our Scamp was all set up, we thought we would just go quietly about our way and enjoy the many planned trips we had scheduled.  With our Scamp being so small, one might think it would be hardly noticed in the great outdoors.  However, the one thing we never realized, which we quickly found out, is that these cool looking fiberglass egg trailers are a magnet for lots of questions during campground stay overs!  And, many of these questions tend to repeat themselves.  I discuss some of these frequently asked questions below.

  1. What type of trailer is that?
  2. Does it have a bathroom?
  3. Does the Scamp have a shower?
  4. Where do you sleep and how big is the bed?
  5. Does it have a kitchen?
  6. Is it comfortable?
  7. Is it difficult to tow?
  8. What type of vehicle can tow it?
  9. Where can you buy one?
  10. How much does it cost?

People are usually pretty amazed so many things fit into such a small trailer.  And, sometimes, people want to take a look inside (even during the Pandemic).  We usually open up the shades so they can stare into the many large windows that surround the Scamp and look inside.  However, on one trip, just before driving away from the campground, we did let a woman into the Scamp for a brief look since she wouldn’t leave us alone until she could take a quick peek inside.  The Scamp never fails to impress!

(1) Probably the most asked question, people sizing up the Scamp want to know is what type of trailer it is.  One of the nice things about the stock tire cover is that it lists the name of the trailer as well as the phone number for Scamp.  So, in the past, when people would ask what type of trailer we had, we would simply tell them a Scamp and refer them to the back of the trailer for more details.  Recently, however, we replaced the stock Scamp tire cover with our own Scampgrounds designed tire cover, so we might have a bit more explaining to do in the future when asked this most popular campground question!

(2 & 3) When we explain to people that our Scamp has both a bathroom and a shower in a “wet bath”, we usually have to show them so they can really believe it.  Fortunately, when the Scamp’s front door is open, the bathroom compartment can be seen from the outside (as long as the bathroom door is also open).  Sometimes questions about how the toilet and shower work follow.

(4) People usually approach us during the day, which means that the bed is always hidden (converted into the dinette).  So, when people look through the windows of the Scamp and see the dinette made up, they wonder where we sleep and how big the bed is.  We then explain to them that the kitchen table folds down and forms the base for the bed which is completely flat and covered by the seat and backrest cushions.  Sometimes, a demonstration of how the table folds down helps clarify the answer to this question as well.

(5) The kitchen question is easily answered by removing the stove cover to expose the dual burner stove, followed by a quick demonstration of opening and closing the refrigerator.  These things and the kitchen sink can also be easily seen either by looking through a window or opening the front door.  Some people also ask about what type of food we bring on trips, where we store it, and what we like to cook.  We show them how we pack the small refrigerator with our fruits and vegetables (and other foods that need refrigeration) and how we store boxes of food in the back of our SUV since we don’t have a lot of food storage space inside the Scamp.  Canned salmon, canned soups, tortillas, wraps, bagels, granola, pancake mix/maple syrup, and pastas (with bottled pesto sauce) are some of our camping food staples.

(6) We always tell people that the Scamp 13’ is very comfortable for us (just 2 people), but its comfort would vary depending on how many people and animals are in the Scamp as well as an individual’s lifestyle preferences.  For example, if there are more than 2 people or a large dog, the Scamp could very easily be too small a trailer to enjoy.  Additionally, if someone needs their own space and doesn’t do well in tight quarters, then the environment might be stressful for them.  However, for a couple that can coordinate well together, the Scamp becomes a highly efficient environment!

(7 & 8) One of the greatest things about the Scamp is that it is very easy to tow and can be towed by almost any SUV and many cars.  Since it weighs less than 2,000 lbs. (weights vary) and is so short (13’), it is very easy to maneuver and fits in the smallest of travel trailer campsites.  And, finding a tow vehicle for such a small and light travel trailer is easy.  See my previous article:  “How Easy is Towing a Small Travel Trailer for the First Time?”.

(9 & 10) When people ask about how to order a Scamp and its cost, we refer them to Scamp’s website.  We tell them that they can order a Scamp on the phone through the factory directly (since there are no Scamp dealerships) and that the cost varies depending on the desired options.  We purchased our 2020 Scamp 13’ with bathroom (almost fully loaded) for less than $20K which included delivery (Minnesota to San Diego).  Please see my previous article:  “Ordering Our 2020 Scamp:  Choosing a Model, Picking Options, and the Price”.

Now that we’ve been on a number of trips, including one all the way up the coast from San Diego to Coos Bay, Oregon, we have fielded these top 10 questions many times and feel comfortable educating those interested in the Scamp.  We’ve learned that having such a fun and cool trailer isn’t only about enjoying the adventures, but it’s also about public relations!  So, if you decide to get a small travel trailer, just be warned that not only will you have many really fun times; you will also be getting the responsibility of being a brand ambassador for your trailer!

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. 

No AC, No Problem!

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No AC, No Problem!

If you are a California camper and/or can be flexible with your travel plans like us, then you might chose to forgo the installation of an air conditioner unit on your small travel trailer.  When ordering our 2020 Scamp 13’ small travel trailer, we strongly considered adding the rooftop AC option.  We thought it would be great to be able to cool the trailer if we ever stayed in hot weather.  And we didn’t like the idea of going to a location reserved months in advance and being surprised by an unexpected heat wave.  Ultimately, though, we ended up not ordering AC because our goal was to store the new Scamp in our home garage and the factory rooftop AC would eliminate that option.

We decided to travel with our new Scamp 13’ without AC for a year and then make a determination if AC was really necessary.  I did some research and found a couple of possible options if we did think we needed AC that could be added on later (e.g. slim rooftop model, small back window removable AC).  Since California has varied geography, including ocean, mountains, and deserts, trip planning to avoid uncomfortably hot weather would focus on these regions based on the seasons.  First, we tried to avoid travel during any type of heat wave since this condition can affect any location.  For summer and warmer conditions, we avoided valley and desert areas since they can be devilishly hot.  This meant planning summer trips along the coast and in the mountains, which are typically cool areas year round.  In the late fall, winter and early spring, the deserts make for great trip locations – often offering warm sunny days and cool nights.

Our first Scamp trip was to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in late February 2020.  The weather overall at this desert location was perfect – sunny warm days (low 80’s) and cool nights (50’s).  It was a little warm on our first day however, reaching into the mid 80’s, but our powerful rooftop Maxx Fan was enough to keep the air moving and comfortable.  In June, we travelled from San Diego up the coast and onto Lake Tahoe.  We made stops in Santa Barbara, Paso Robles, and Oakland before spending several days at D.L. Bliss State Park in Lake Tahoe.  Once again, the weather was great on most of the stops, with the exception of our overnight stay in Paso Robles (an inland location that we needed to pass through on our way to Oakland).  We arrived at the Harvest Host location (an olive oil farm) in the late afternoon and it was still 95 degrees outside!  Fortunately, we were able to make camp in the shade behind the barn.  We opened all the windows and ran our Maxx Fan.  It was fairly windy outside and, with all the air blowing around, the temperature was tolerable but not comfortable in the Scamp.  Fortunately, the temperature dropped quickly (into the 60’s at night) as soon as the sun set.  Our other Scamp trips in 2020 (Observatory Camp @ Palomar Mountain, Mammoth Lakes, Coos Bay Oregon, Joshua Tree National Park) were also very comfortable experiences, none requiring AC (some were very cold at night, but the Scamp furnace is fantastic and kept things cozy).  So after a year of travel in our Scamp (7 trips, 23 locations, and 33 nights), we could have enjoyed using AC only a couple of days.  Given these experiences, we have decided for now to hold off on installing an aftermarket AC solution.

Although we really didn’t need AC much in the past year, we were still a bit tempted to have a low profile unit installed just in case.  However, after doing some more research we decided the benefit of AC just wasn’t there for us in the way we travel when also considering the disadvantages of having AC installed.  First, a rooftop AC costs a bit of money.  The one that would likely work for us is a Coleman Mach 8 Plus low profile unit which runs about $900 including tax and hundreds of dollars more to install.  And, having an AC likely will mean additional costs down the line for maintenance and eventual replacement.  Additionally, a hole needs to be cut into the roof which can possibly introduce leaks if the AC is not installed correctly.  Side note:  we ordered our Scamp 13’ “AC Ready” (at no extra cost) so all the wiring is there and the roof is supported in case an AC is added later.  There’s also the issue of additional weight (close to a hundred pounds) and drag an AC adds to the trailer which can potentially reduce trailer handling quality and fuel mileage.  Noise can be another complaint people have concerning running an air conditioning unit right above their heads in a small travel trailer.  And, possibly the biggest elephant in the room for us regarding a rooftop AC (beyond not fitting in our garage), is that it cannot be run when dry camping without a generator!

The last point above (ACs require hookup electricity or a generator) turned out to be a big deal breaker for us in considering adding a low profile AC unit for occasional use.  Most of our trips involve a high percentage of non-hookup locations (e.g. State/National/Regional parks and Boondockers Welcome locations).  In turn, we would need to haul around a generator and fuel to use the AC at most of the places we visit.   Scamp recommends the Honda EU2200i which runs around a thousand dollars and weighs almost 50 pounds.  It is recommended never to haul around a generator in your car because the gasoline fumes (even from an empty tank) can overwhelm you.  For those, like us, without a pickup truck, a tongue box is often used at the front of the trailer to house the propane tanks and the generator.  These are often custom built and can be expensive.  There’s also the issue of how to safely haul gasoline without a pickup truck.  Lastly, exhaust fumes (carbon monoxide) from a running generator are deadly and the generator itself can be a potential fire hazard.  Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas that can cause sudden illness and death.  So, it’s recommended that a generator be downwind of the trailer so the exhaust fumes don’t blow into the trailer and some say to keep it at least 10 feet away from any windows on your travel trailer.  Side note:  a friend of ours got so fed up with dealing with generator issues and hauling fuel that he got rid of it and told us that if the weather ever got hot he would just go to a campground with hookups to run his AC.

Now that we’ve had a year of experiences, and considering the type of travel we like to do (mostly non hookup locations), we are very happy we ordered our Scamp 13’ without an AC unit.  We would have ordered AC had the garage height not been an issue.  It just turns out that this height restriction worked in our favor.  We are still glad we ordered our Scamp 13’ “AC Ready” though, because if our goals change and we decide we would like to take different types of trips, we might possibly add an AC unit in the future.  For example, if we were planning a cross country trip then having an AC would probably be a must.  Or, if we frequently crossed certain “hot zones” like California’s Central Valley on our way to mountain lakes, then the AC also would be very good to have.  So, for many, AC still is very desirable or an absolute must.  But, for people like us, having no AC is no problem!

Update July 2022:  we’ve still found that strategically planning trips has eliminated the need for AC over 95% of the time.  However, when heading to mountain lakes in the summer months, we have either needed to make stops a bit out of our way or drive non-stop to cross the hot parts of California (e.g. Central Valley or Mojave Desert) to beat the heat.  These heat avoidance workarounds have meant taking less efficient longer routes or very long rides straight to our destination.  So, we’ve recently added a temporary window mounted mini AC solution!

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. 

Take a Page from Star Trek and Log Your Travels!

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Take a Page from Star Trek and Log Your Travels!

One of the best ideas we had when we first started travelling with our 2020 Scamp 13’ small travel trailer was to keep a log book of our travels.  We purchased a small brown leather bound journal with blank lined pages so we could document each of our trips in as much detail possible.  On the first page of our log book we wrote the Year and Name / Model number of our small travel trailer and stapled the business card of the Scamp salesperson who helped us with our purchase.  We keep the log book in our Scamp 13’ so we can make daily entries during our trips.  This log not only serves as a way to remember our past trips but also to provide helpful information for future trips.  Note:  Star Trek captains use spoken log entries to document notable events which happen during their adventures; we still use written logs.

Here are some of the things we like to document on each trip:

  1. Dates of trip
  2. Location of each destination (with park name)
  3. Weather
  4. Daily price of campsite
  5. Ease of campsite access (e.g. bridge access, unpaved road, narrow site, etc.)
  6. Services offered (e.g. electric, water, sewer, cable, wifi….)
  7. Solar capability (e.g. sunny / shady)
  8. Cellular phone signal quality (and good locations for stronger signals)
  9. Number of HD TV stations we were able to access
  10. Locations of nearby gas stations / stores / restaurants, etc. we utilized
  11. Locations / Prices of Dump Stations we used
  12. Visitor center information (e.g. what’s available there, like supplies, t-shirts, etc.)
  13. Daily levels of our fresh, grey, and black tanks (and voltage levels when dry camping)
  14. Our top picks of the best campsite #s for future trips
  15. Fun things we did daily, including trail hike names
  16. Meals we prepared
  17. Friendliness of the camp hosts / park staff
  18. Any campground annoyances (e.g. loud campsite, campsites too close together, bugs, …..)
  19. Trip highlights (e.g. starry nights, hiking trails….)
  20. Any issues we had with our Scamp / accessories and the fixes we used
  21. Drive time between locations
  22. New friends’ names and contact information
  23. Tips for future trips (e.g. things we wished we had packed).

Making notes in your travel log for each trip can be extremely helpful in so many ways.  First, if you ever decide you want to revisit a spot, you will be your own guide to the best campsites at each location.  We make it a point to walk through each campground with our travel journal in hand and note our favorite spots just in case we ever want to return.  For example, we stayed in the Mammoth Lakes area in the High Sierra this past summer at some fantastic public campgrounds and noted all the great campsite #s we thought we would enjoy parking our Scamp in for future summer trips!    Additional details, like pricing, ease of campsite access, and any campground annoyances are also great to remember.

Another very helpful bit of information your travel log can provide concerns hookups and campground facilities.  Specifically, many State campgrounds list no hookups but often have water spigots scattered throughout the campground as well as a centralized dump station.  Knowing this can make a big difference in making a campground decision.  For example, we can usually generate all the power we need for our Scamp 13’ with the solar panel briefcase we bring on trips.  So, if we know we can get all the water we need at campground water spigots, and dump whenever we want at a centralized dump station (or a dump station close by), then what would otherwise be seen as a very limited stay over with no hookups could actually be an inviting location for a longer stay.  For example, we had a wonderful stay at Van Damme State Park in Mendocino County, California (about a 3 hour drive north of San Francisco) where there are no hookups, but water spigots are placed throughout the campground and a $10 Dump station is located at the entrance of the park.  So, all our utility needs were still taken care of quite well.  We also made note in our travel log that there is a gas station very close to the entrance of Van Damme State Park (as these are few and far between in this area).

Connectivity is another good thing to note in the travel log.  Information on cellular phone strength (for both voice and data) as well as WiFi availability at the campground or close by can be very helpful.  We like to be connected just in case there is an emergency or urgent news from family or friends.  And, it’s nice to check email and news when staying for more than a day or two.  In the case of Van Damme State Park, there was no good cellular phone connectivity at the park, but we found a good signal just up the road near the entrance of a private RV park (which we used every morning).  If you have an HD antenna and TV inside your small travel trailer, it’s also helpful to know if there are many watchable channels.  If not, you might consider downloading some movies / shows onto your phone and playing them on your TV (see How To Watch Movies in the Wild).  This is all great information to have for future trips.

We’ve found keeping a daily log of our tank status (fresh, grey, and black) as well as our voltage to be useful.  This will likely only be possible if you have onboard tank monitors and a voltage meter.  Knowing this information allows us to understand how long we can go between resupply / dumping and plan out our trips so we stay at hookup / dump locations when appropriate.  For example, after a year of recording these readings, we now know our average limits (for 2 people) are about 1 – 2 days to deplete our Fresh tank (with 2 short showers per day),  2-3 days until our Grey tank is full, and about a week before our Black tank is full.  As long as we have sun every few days, our electricity can pretty much last indefinitely if we use our solar panel briefcase.   Since many public campsites have water spigots, our Grey tank tends to be the most limiting factor on most trips — we usually can go 2 – 3 days before needing to dump the Grey tank.  In turn, our trips often plan for stays on the third night at a location with full hookups or a nearby dump.

There is also a lot of other useful information that can be gained from the list above and applied to future trips.  Some other significant items to note in the travel log are your meals (e.g. what you prepared and what worked well) to help meal planning for future trips, trip highlights (ideas for future trips), any type of trailer issues (to help plan and prevent these going forward), and tips for future trips (to make future trips even better!).  If logging your travels is starting to sound too time-consuming, we essentially do most of it while eating breakfast each day as an afterthought, so don’t sweat it and make it a breakfast ritual.  In the end, travel logging provides not only a good record to remember one’s adventures but also a tremendous resource for future travels!  So, we recommend you take a page from the Star Trek Captain’s Log, and log your travels!

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. 

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

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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:

  1. Thermostatic Shower Wall Mount
  2. ½” x ½” FNPT Female Swivel Elbow (2 of these)
  3. Metal Worm Gear Hose Clamp (adjustable, 40mm–63mm)
  4. White plastic cutting board (2 of these to be safe)
  5. Thick plumber’s tape
  6. Clear Silicone
  7. Hole Dozer – 7/8”
  8. Level
  9. 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!

 

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. 

10 Must-Haves to Accessorize Your Small Travel Trailer Interior

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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.

  1. 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!
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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!
  5. 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).
  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 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.
  8. 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
  9. 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.
  10. 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!

 

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.