viking composite tanks

Ordering Our 2020 Scamp:  Choosing a Model, Picking Options, and the Price

Scamp makes 3 different model lengths (one of which is the 19 foot 5^th wheel which mounts on top of a pickup truck).  We were choosing between the 13 foot and 16 foot models since we don’t have a pickup truck and we wanted the Scamp to fit in our garage (after increasing the garage height from 7 to 8 feet high).  Both models come with and without bathrooms as well as some different layout choices and a Deluxe hardwood option.  Both size models are very similar, except the 16’ model allows for some additional layout possibilities.  People like the 16’ Scamp because some additional configuration choices include the ability for the bed to be kept down all the time and still have a side kitchen table and there is also a front bunk option to sleep more people.

We had never seen a Scamp before in person and initially only had the Scamp company website and YouTube videos to help us make a selection.  Fortunately, Scamp maintains an owner referral network and our Scamp salesman Alan gave us a recent buyer’s contact information.  I contacted Dana by email and she was very excited to have us over to her storage facility to check out her Scamp 16’.  She spent a lot of time with us inside her trailer and told us a few stories as well!  She mostly uses her trailer boondocking without hookups and showed us her briefcase solar panel to make off grid camping more enjoyable.  Dana loves her Scamp and customized it with unique drapes and decals.  She highly recommended Scamp.

After evaluating Dana’s trailer, our garage length, and the ways we planned to use the trailer, we thought the 13’ model would be perfect for us.  We don’t mind converting the bed to the dinette twice a day as it only takes a couple of minutes.   This actually gives us a much bigger dinette than if we had a 16’ with a side dinette and left the bed down all the time.  Additionally, we liked the idea of a shorter and lighter trailer for towing and having a few extra feet in the garage to give us more space.  Also, there are at least a couple of State Parks we planned to visit (e.g. D.L. Bliss in Lake Tahoe) that have trailer length limits of 15’ maximum.  The real clincher was the fact that the larger 54” full size bed is only available on the 13’ Standard or the 16’ Deluxe (which is much heavier and costlier than the 13’ Standard).  After doing considerable research online and taking some measurements, we knew for sure we wanted the 54” bed since we are two people!   I think if there are three people, the 16’ model is a better choice as it allows for additional sleeping space.  All the layouts can be viewed on the Scamp website here.

It didn’t take us too long to decide the Scamp 13’ Standard with 54” bed and bathroom was the right choice for us.  We never considered getting a trailer without a toilet and shower, so we didn’t have to decide on this option.  However, many people do buy Scamps without bathrooms and, instead, elect to use the facilities at the campgrounds (preferring the additional space for living over the convenience of an inside shower and toilet).   I prefer to avoid using public facilities and wasn’t going to make it a habit while traveling in a trailer, so a nice shower and bathroom was a must for us!  This choice has been validated many times for us on our first few trips (especially during the Pandemic now)!!!

The ordering process was pretty easy after deciding on the Standard 13’ Scamp with 54” full size bed and bathroom.  Alan, our Scamp sales rep., went through a list of options over the phone and explained any that we had questions about.  We ordered most options except the AC (since the trailer wouldn’t fit in our garage with it).  Shower & Toilet, check.  City Water (Std. with bath pkg.), check.  We ordered the Group 27 (larger) battery which stores more power and is useful for dry camping.  We added electric brakes (along with a brake controller) for the trailer which sync up with the car’s brakes for smoother control of the Scamp when braking.  One big option we ordered was the TV package ($800) which provides a digital TV in the Scamp along with a cable run to the outside and a digital TV antenna on the roof.  It’s a really nice package if you every want to watch over the air TV or cable at a RV park, streaming TV such as Netflix when you have WiFi, or use the TV to display movies played from your phone.  We found the over the air HD images to be crystal clear and a nice option when travelling to different cities (especially if you want to see local news or weather), but not so helpful at park campgrounds where non-existent or weak TV signals are the norm.  We added a ROKU to our TV on our own so we can watch SLING TV, Netflix, and Amazon Prime in addition to over the air TV when within a WiFi network.  We also download movies from Netflix and Amazon Prime and have a cable that allows my Samsung Galaxy S8 to display the movies on the Scamp TV (great for situations when no TV or WiFi signal is available).

We also ordered dual propane tanks which I think is really helpful because it can be difficult to know when a tank is near empty and with two tanks you can easily switch to the full tank when the first runs out of fuel and then refill the first tank when back home.  I think I would probably have two composite Viking tanks shipped directly to Scamp though (since you can see the liquid in the tank and they are apparently safer) if I ever ordered another Scamp again.  We added most of the other options [such as the electric/gas hot water heater, furnace, porch lights, 12V roof fan (a must), vinyl floor, outside GFI outlet (I recommend also adding a 12V outlet outdoors so you can use 12V pumps for tires), 2 LED reading lights, stove cover, and two additional 120V outlets (rear & kitchen area).]  We did not order a sink in the bathroom as it’s a small space and there is the kitchen sink which is almost an arm’s reach outside the bathroom door.  We opted for no exterior Scamp decals as we initially thought we would vinyl wrap the trailer, but later changed our minds when we saw how glossy and cool the White coating looks – very spaceship like.  Our total build price was $16,556 and we opted for home delivery (delivery price varies according to region) at $2,195 (Minnesota to San Diego).  We were told that the delivery driver would not sleep in or use anything inside the Scamp.  So, the total cost for the trailer was less than $20k.  Note – prices generally increase gradually every year.   ***We did decide after our first trip that the cushions were a bit too hard for us to sleep on, so we had softer cushions made locally (topic of future blog post).

The Scamp delivery driver, Ron, was extremely nice.  He called us in advance to arrange a good delivery date and kept us informed on his status during the three day drive to our home.  He had the Scamp washed the morning of the delivery and did a general walk through of the trailer when he arrived at our home.  We gave him a Cashier’s check upon delivery and we were now in the Scamp owner’s club!

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.