Blog #3 - A Closer Look Inside

I had a clear design vision for the Scamp and could barely wait to jump in on the renovations.  Prior to any work that we could manage ourselves there were interior issues that needed to be addressed by professionals.  The wiring required inspection, there were mechanical concerns and advice was needed for restructuring the front end of the camper…..was there some demolition in our future? Who doesn’t love a good tear out! I was excited and ready to get started with a hammer and crow bar.  Steve and I sat down and had a serious discussion regarding all of our combined experience and knowledge with the structural integrity of fiberglass trailers……….we did not have any.   Removing supports could possibly cause more harm than good, so we made the decision to leave any demolishing to the professionals.

The inside Scamp layout is fairly simple.  Straight ahead through the entry door sits an undersized sink with minimal counter space available. Cabinets are located above and under the sink area. To the left, under the back window, is a barely double bed that converts into a dinette.  To the right of the sink a previous owner built an extended counter for the  kitchen and a claustrophobic “closet bathroom” sporting a portable chemical toilet. This addition partially blocked the exterior view through front window and added a tremendous amount of extra weight to the camper, due to all the lumber used for the additional construction. There is one more tall storage cabinet to the  left of the door entrance as well.

Demolition of the front end addition was the first order of business. In the original 1984 design for the Scamp the layout of this section  would have been a narrow couch that converted into a child size bunk bed.  When I first researched the idea of traveling across the U.S.A. in a camper I was determined that having a bathroom on board would be a non compromising necessity so I was ecstatic that a previous owner had added room for a portable toilet on the front end.  Reality set in that this overbearing addition was not going to be an optimal use of space for living a year full time while traversing the country. We had the 800 pounds of wood weight removed from the front end, taking  this area down to the fiberglass shell. The new open space definitely outweighed the adversity of not having a dedicated bathroom space on board.  We would figure out a toilet solution in the future.

I know very little about wiring, power, and camper systems. To me it is mostly gobbledygook.  Now that there was room to work inside the Scamp taking a look at the electrical and other system components was the next step.  At some point the original wiring was “enhanced” with speaker wire. Apparently that is not the most optimal solution.  For safety reasons we did have all the wiring updated.  Along with the electrical upgrade we added: an over the stove exhaust fan, indoor and outdoor lights, 12 Volt and traditional outlets, plus a refrigerator (powered by propane/12 volt/standard 120v). We transferred the propane stove top back to its original home next to the sink, relocated the clean water tank back to the rear of the Scamp, and removed the old propane furnace.  Comprehending the wiring and power system is absolutely on our “need to know” list in the event that repairs are required in the future!

Coddiwompling “To Travel in a Purposeful Manner Towards a Vague Destination”  

“Please pardon the mess during our renovations.” - UNKNOWN

Blog #2 - Storage During Renovation

Residing in an apartment complex in Cincinnati OH provided ZERO outdoor space for camper renovation.  There were, however, many days every square inch of our INDOOR apartment space was taken up by ongoing projects and supplies!  Without a garage, or permission to store and work on the Scamp in the parking lot, we needed to figure out what to do. Of course this quandary was not considered prior to the Scamp purchase, however we worked it out.

Through the advice of dear friends, we found a temporary home for the Scamp at a local RV repair shop. Time was not of the essence and “temporary” became a two year commitment while working on the camper at this location.  The owner of the shop was the perfect image of a man that had spent a lifetime around motorcycles and repairing campers of all shapes and sizes. The garage was stuffed from floor to ceiling with spare parts, refrigerators filled with beer, and colorful posters not for the prudish or faint of heart.

Since the shop was conveniently located just fifteen minutes from home  we were able to easily spend weekends working on the Scamp.  Most of the renovation ended up taking place outside so work time  became somewhat weather dependent.  We soon discovered how HOT the inside of a camper could get with any amount of sunshine blaring down on the roof. Many days felt like we were melting inside a sizzling, steamy tin can. One may ask, “Why didn’t you hook up AC at the beginning of the renovation?”  Good question.  Various aspects of the renovation will be addressed as I continue to document our story! 

We are very thankful for all of the work completed by the guys at the RV repair shop which involved rewiring, some interior demolition, welding, and mechanical service.  We spent many hours discussing RV’s, listening to travel and repair stories, taking in advice, laughing, and learning as we slowly moved towards completing the Scamp. Our new cohorts at the shop  found it difficult to comprehend our plans to travel the United States together in a thirteen foot trailer camper, trying more than once to change our minds.  During its residence at the garage several customers inquired to see if the Scamp was for sale.  The shop owner always said, “She ain’t sellin’!”  He was right about that.

Coddiwompling “To Travel in a Purposeful Manner Towards a Vague Destination”

“I can’t. I have plans. In the garage.” -JAMES ANDERSON

Blog #1 - To the Scamp and Home Again

I was full of excitement and a little bit of nervous energy as we started on our long drive from Cincinnati, OH to check out the Scamp.  My thoughts were intensely occupied with renovation ideas and future plans to travel. Negaunee, MI is far away from Cincinnati, 1,300 miles round trip to Michigan’s Northern Peninsula.   The journey began after work on a Friday and ended safely back home by Sunday afternoon. We had never traveled through “The Mitten” of Michigan,  so mesmerizingly beautiful!  The scenery was stunning and once we crossed the Mackinac Bridge we soon discovered the spectacular remoteness of the Upper Peninsula.  

Upon our initial inspection of the Scamp we were happy to see that it was in decent condition.  Some previous renovation had been completed, although many years had passed since that effort was made. The cushions were still covered with the original scratchy standard 1980’s brown plaid with 30 year old disintegrating foam inserts.  The plywood floor was covered in a deteriorating rusty brown carpet.  The smell was most disturbing, very damp and musty.  We learned from the current owner that the Scamp was primarily used as a makeshift hunters’ cabin.  With extensive scrubbing, sanitizing, repairs, fresh ideas, and painting this camper was going to be updated and given a new life!

Traveling home was interesting.  We had never pulled a camper before.  My car at the time was a 2007 Honda CRV, which worked perfectly splendid unless there was any hill involved to challenge the 4-cylinder engine.  The 15 gallon tank emptied rather quickly at about 13 mpg.  It became painfully clear that planning gas station stops was going to be a new reality when traveling with the Scamp, especially through desolate areas.  During one of our fuel stops we were approached by a young family, and also a lone traveler with a pickup truck camper, both curious about the Scamp.  It is an unusual style of camper and I realized at that moment that those conversations may become common throughout our future travels with this time machine.  

Finally arriving home came with a sense of relief. We had made it back trailing a camper without any issues. Our first experience went well, already seeing a part of the country new to us: touching the cool waters of Lake Superior, discovering that in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula pasties are a popular food item, and enjoying an unexpected delicious traditional Mexican lunch at a pitstop gas station right off the highway  A visit back to Michigan for more exploration will definitely be in our future!

Coddiwompling  “To Travel in a Purposeful Manner Towards a Vague Destination”  

“Because the greatest part of a road trip isn’t arriving at your destination. It’s all the wild stuff that happens along the way.” - EMMA CHASE