Event Planning

I'm a big fan of Bob Thomson's book The New Victory Garden. In it he displays a child-like enthusiasm waiting in the early weeks of January for the seed catalogs to arrive so he can start planning his garden. When they arrive he sits and sorts and plots and plans until his entire garden is completely planted in his head. He knows to the day when he will be able to pick that first tomato.

Up until now however I have not a big fan of planning ahead. The only thing that for me is certain is an annual August  camping trip that must be reserved in February. Other than that I wake up on a Saturday morning, look at the club calendar and decide what to do that weekend. Since the Scamp I have started to change it up a bit. I have been looking deeper into the calander, several months in advance, planning which events I will attend, which will require camping overnight, and starting to look at campsites in the area of the event.

Yesterday I learned that what would have been my first camping friendly event this year may be cancelled. Bummer.  I learned this from a couple who were also planning to bring their new camper to the event. So we started to plan alternatives, and that got me thinking, why not plan my own camping events? There's plenty of State parks in New England with plenty of available spaces. So I jumped on the ReserveAmerica Web site and picked a few choice weekends in the Spring. My garden may suffer this year, but the Scamp will get used as often as possible regardless of cancelled events.

I also found out that the New England RV Dealers Association's Boston RV & Camping Expo will be next weekend, February 2-5, 2012 at the Seaport World Trade Center - Boston, MA. I went last year, and though there were no Fiberglass eggs on display I did get a ton of information about campgrounds in New England. Each state was represented, and all had nice guidebooks available for the asking. The guidebooks not only list state parks but private campgrounds, attractions, restaurants and some events and festivals that occur annually.

Getting a handle on things

I think I am starting to get a handle on some of the minor repairs that my Scamp needs. The previous owner managed to mangle the handle of the tongue jack which is used to level the trailer.  I thought in this disposable world I would have to replace the entire jack. Easier said than done, because it is welded onto the frame of the trailer. Problem solved. Instead of replacing the welded on tongue jack I found the mother load of all replacement handles. http://accessories.etrailer.com/search?w=jack%20handle. It looks like this one will work.

The Web site even has a quick video showing how to remove the old broken one and replace it. http://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/Dutton-Lainson/DL22674.html

Note to E-trailer.com - the video does not work properly on a Mac using Firefox. Or should that be a note to Firefox? Well, considering it works fine in Safari...

Feeding The Habit.

Since buying my scamp I have been downsizing other hobbies to fund some of the improvements I want to incorporate into the scamp. I've mentioned new lighting, a revamped 12 volt system, cooktop and others. I've been selling some old collectibles and vintage toys, but yesterday I sold my first hobby...photography. I've been shooting since I was seven or eight years old. My first camera used 120 roll film and was purchased from an ad in the back of a comic book. I graduated to the Kodak Instamatic and flash cubes, and eventually to a real beauty; the Yashicamat 124G. All these cameras, and a job at a camera store led to developing and printing my own pictures in a darkroom fully equipped with an enlarger, sink, safelight etc.  Over the years I went through all the phases of photography. I at one time or another owned a Nikon, Canon, Olympus, even a WWII vintage Leica. I went from 120 to 35mm to 4"X 5" with a beautiful Nagoka field camera. Later I decided that this was all too much, and that the equipment was getting into the way of photography. And besides, color was becoming my preferred medium. I sold it all. Every bit of it except for one Olympus OM3 camera. I was determined to concentrate on the image instead of the tech.

Cut to 25 years later. Lomography is in vogue. For those who don't know Lomography consists of using vintage cameras or modern reproductions of them to shoot. Some use 120 film, others use 35mm. I have always had an original Diana. I never did sell this little plastic camera, so I thought I'd try my hand at shooting some black and white. Since the advent of digital photography there are few resources available to develop and print black and white, so I proceeded to reacquire a complete darkroom setup. I was able to find an otherwise $250.oo enlarger for less than $50.00, and quickly accumulated all the other equipment. And that's as far as it went. Yes I did shoot some film, and yes I developed it, but never got around to setting up the darkroom.

I sold it all yesterday.

I will use the funds to purchase a nice battery for my Scamp.

Oh, that photo above? I took that with a Nikon F2, 1/60th sec. 400mm F5.6 lens, Ectachrome 400 film pushed two stops. (developed 3x longer than normal to increase the ASA to 1600).

Through the roof

So I've determined that all of these side cabinets mentioned in a previous post are home made. For the 13 foot model Scamp only ever made a rear cabinet over the dinette, and a front cabinet that hangs over the bunk beds*. I think the one over the bunks would be a bit intrusive on headroom. The Over the dinette cabinet can be ordered from Scamp for $150.00 and about the same in shipping costs. A number of people have just put up an open shelf, often matching measurements of certain accessories or games that they want to store there.  I think I am going to explore that option. In my mind I envision a place to get stuff off of the table when it comes time to make up the bed. My major concern is properly supporting the shelf. Remember the Scamp is nothing more than a fiberglass shell. No wooden frame exists to screw things into. All additions would require drilling through the fiberglass and either bolting or riveting. I imagine the shelf would have to be supported from above. That means drilling through the roof. Something I am not looking forward to.

Another project is a folding countertop extension. Looking at adding about 18" of countertop next to the stove. this would be hanging over the lower bunk.  This too would have to be mounted directly on the fiberglass cabinet. So I'd need to figure out how best to support a folding bracket or hinges.

I'd appreciate any comments from anyone with experience with fiberglass (campers or boats)


* UPDATE: Apparently some models of the 13 come with back and side upper cabinets ( over the dining/bed area.

Some assembly required

As the title states, some assembly required. I am in the process of assembling the bits and pieces that I need to update or replace old or outdated, or even missing items.

My first goal was to reinvigorate the propane system and install a new two burner cooktop. I found one on eBay for only $36.00, and it looked suitable. It fit right in the empty hole from the missing cooktop. I then needed a new propane regulator, and finding one wasn't as easy. You see the problem is I am cheap. Some people may say frugal, but I am just cheap. I went to the local RV dealer, only 52 miles away, and looked over their "Giant closeout sale" that did not include any of the stuff I needed. Their two stage propane regulator was around $70.00, so I thought surely I can find one cheaper. Amazon had one for $16.70, they also suggested that I purchase a regulator to tank hose. Only problem was the two did not fit. The regulator had a flare connector and the hose had a NPT connector. NEWSFLASH! NPT stands for Normal Pipe Thread. A quick trip to the Home Dept plumbing department turned up nothing that would convert these to fit each other. Luckily Amazon returns run smoothly and they soon replaced the hose with a proper one with a flare connection. Now I'm cooking with gas.

Here's a bunch of stuff that I have purchased so far. I still need a deep cycle battery, and a AC to DC converter/charger. I guess RVers call that a Power Center.

LED lights for the yet to be reinstalled 12V system. Including two singles to replace existing fixtures, and a new double dome. The Scamp currently does not have any overhead lighting. Talk about cheap, these were only $15.00 and $19.00

A double 12V cigarette lighter style socket that will be mounted into the cabinet ( somewhere yet to be determined). I purchased this at a local marine supply store.

A 400 watt DC to AC inverter. This too will be mounted so that I can easily access it. It has two 110V plugs and a single USB plug. It will be wired directly to the battery...when I get one of those. I'm hoping that this will be adequate for the few times I would need to briefly run 110V stuff when not attached to shore power. I do however find myself flirting with the better endowed 700 watt inverters.

The People's Camper

Now that I have been on my first night I have started to see some of the issues involved with owning a 1987 camper. Age is always a factor when it comes to older cars or campers. In some cases parts can only be obtained in junk yards. But where does one find a junk yard for fiberglass campers?  By way of history this is not the first old moving thing I have owned. My first car was a powder blue and primer grey 1970 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Convertible. My mother has been quoted to say that all she ever saw of that car was my ass. I had my head inside the engine compartment more than I drove it. But it was a Volkswagen, and aided by John Muir's book "How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive" I felt that there was nothing not fixable. The Ghia was basically a dolled up VW Beetle. Many of the mechanical bits were the same as the Bug, and were easy to find as they often spanned many model years.

In a way I have come to see the Scamp as the Volkswagen of RVs. The 1987 model isn't that much different than the 2011 model. I can go on-line or call the factory and order everything from body parts to interior accessories. I can even order a complete toilet and shower kit. This lessens the fear factor when attempting repairs or modifications. I have already had to order a new inside door handle and rubber gaskets for the door. I was just about to order the propane tank hold downs until the guy I bought the Scamp from called and said he found them in his garage. I've talked with the factory reps about ordering and installing additional overhead cabinets. Initially I wanted another cabinet to mount over the dinette at the rear of the camper, but just yesterday I saw a photo of an additional side mounted cabinet. I need to do some research to see if this was available for the 13'. It may have only been for the 16' or19'. Or I could just call the factory.

First Night

Meant to post this last night ( New Year's Eve)...

So after getting the camper home a break-in trip was planned. My friend John who owns a 24 ft camper was planning an early October week in the Monadnock mountains in NH. Specifically Crotched Mountain. We do an annual Kite festival there for the Crotched Mountain School for brain injured children and young adults. It is part of their family day event. We fly kites outdoors for the kids and parents, and indoors with specially adapted kites for the kids in wheelchairs. Yes, kites fly indoors and no, we don't use fans.

Anyway, the trip was planned to go to a NH State Park. John had been there for a couple of days and was there to greet me and guide me into my camping spot. Remember I have never backed up with a trailer. We gave it a few attempts, but the short wheel base of my Tucson, combined with the very short Scamp made it nearly impossible. The slightest turn of the steering wheel made the Scamp swivel as if on a pivot. Soon I started smelling burning clutch ( My Tucson has a manual transmission), so we stopped the lesson and I pulled in to the site rather than backing in, and used the trailer dolly to position the Scamp.

At the campground besides water there are no hook ups. John has a quiet Honda Generator, which was great because I still don't have a functioning 12 volt system. We ran a cord from his generator to my Scamp. This at least gave me interior lights.

Things I learned right away:
1. It gets cold in the mountains in early October.
2. An electric heater could have made life more bearable.

The temperatures dropped to below freezing by bedtime. I had a small Propane two burner camp stove, so I thought I would crack a window and heat up the Scamp before bed. This did in fact work, but the camper quickly lost most of the heat and sleeping was difficult even with a heavy sleeping bag. Every time I turned I hit a cold spot and was jolted awake. The next morning cooking breakfast and coffee was enough to quickly heat the camper.
I don't advise using your propane cooker as a heat source. Unlike catalytic heaters the flame of a cooktop is inefficient, and lets off loads of carbon monoxide. So cracking a window, which is also required of catalytic heaters, is mandatory.

I'm looking into a 1500BTU catalytic heater. The Coleman Sportscat will do the trick I hope. Otherwise a built in RV furnace could cost about $600.00 Luckily for me I would only need heat for a few days at the beginning and end of the season. I don't see myself winter camping anytime soon.