It's a Scamp - but I love it!

After  4 years of teaching in Grand Rapids and 32 years at Slippery Rock University, I decided it was time to retire!  It had been a good life and I enjoyed it.  Suddenly, the paperwork and budget cuts were getting to me.  It was time for new blood to fill my shoes.  I decided that my retirement present to myself would be something I could use in reitrement and enjoy for a long, long time!

What would it be?  A vacation trip around the world?  A new car?  A new location?  Actually, what I wanted was something to take the place of my tents!

A new Scamp!

http://www.scamptrailers.com/

The Scamp is a 13' fiberglass egg trailer!  It weights in around 1000 #s and has a tongue weight of only   60-70 #s.   That means it can be towed by almost anything!

I have to tell you a story about buying this Scamp.  I had been looking on-line and E-Bay for a Scamp for about 4-5 months.  Suddenly, one comes up for sale in New York.  I was living in Slippery Rock, PA at the time so it was close (Buffalo, NY).  I put a low bid ($2,000) for the 1986 trailer in great shape.  I didn't expect to get it because they were going for $3-5,000 for used ones.  Then I saw a new Scamp for sale on E-Bay in Minnesota.  It was a new 2002 and E-Bay bid was only at $3,500 with 8 days remaining on the sale.  Should I?  I really like the new one but being a Stauffer, I thought about the money.  No, but I will put a low-ball bid in.  I researched and found that new Scamps were going for around $9,500, so I put in a bid of $6,800 for the remaining 7 days of the auction.  I knew I would never get the new one but what the hey!

You have already guessed the end to this story, haven't you?  Two days later, my $2,000 bid on the older trailer was accepted and I had a trailer!  Wait, there are still 5 days of bidding left on the new trailer and my low bid won't last.  

Bright and early on the last day of the auction, I received the wonderful news that I had just won the new trailer.  I had already paid for the old trailer and arranged to drive up to Buffalo and get it.  Now, I have two trailers.  I went up to get the NY trailer and it was a nice one.  I waited in line in Buffalo to get temporary tags to bring it down to PA but was given a tough time about insurance and forms. After a couple of hours of this, I just left.  I moved the car tags to the back of the trailer and took off for PA.  I could be across the border in a couple of hours.  I made it.  The following weekend I drove to Minnesota and got the new Scamp. Wanting to avoid towing my trailer through Chicago, I took a road straight down to I-80.  I camped in the Scamp along I-80 in Eastern Illinois at a rest stop on the trip home..  Getting home , I realized that one had to go.  I loved both but I thought I deserved a new Scamp for my retirement present.  I sold the old Scamp for exactly what I paid for it so that was fine.

The Scamp has a dinning table that goes down to a double bed at the back and a bunk bed that folds down to a couch in the front.  There is a furnace, sink, 2 burner gas stove, and a 3-way refrigerator.  On the roof is a vent and a Fantastic Fan.  Cozy little rig. It tows like a dream and is easy to set up in camp.

Now, I could go Scamping!  One of my trips was to Holland State Park.

I found three large suction cups and a couple of tent poles to use on a small tarp for an awning.  Works great!

Then Gary and I went to Platt River Campground to spend a few days.

I've taken it on a 3 week trip from Pennsacola, FL to Texas along the Gulf Coast.  I stopped and camped where ever and fished every pier I could find.  Then I took it to Yellowstone for a 3 week fishing trip.

I haven't used it much since my move up north but it was used in the back yard for when three young kids from Indy visit every July.  It becomes their bedroom and playhouse!

I am planning one camping trip before November and maybe I'll have something to blog about!!