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SOI
News
Fall 2010
Scamp Owners International
Volume XII Number 4
Alaska participants leaving Jasper, Alberta, heading for the Alaska Highway in Dawson Creek.
Photograph by K R. Cranson
In This Issue
From the Editor’s Desk
Ford House Car
E-Bikes
Comments
Hints & Tips
Leon’s Logic
EggStream Makeover
Modifications & Changes
SOI Mailbag
SOI Profile
Dinosaur Country
Future ScampCamp
Alaska Adventure
Page 2
SOI News
From the Editor’s Desk
Has anyone ever
asked you about “full-timing” in your Scamp? I occasionally get that question
and have heard of people
doing so. After living in our
5 th Wheel over three
months on the Alaska Adventure, I have a new appreciation of that life style.
However, it was a great
time with several other
SOI Members. Check out
Part 1 of our trip starting
Rod Cranson
on page 16.
Editor
A
big
SOI
Sharon and Rod at the Columbia Ice Field in
THANKS goes out to
Jasper National Park with the Athabaska
members who have conGlacier in the distance.
Photograph by B. Castle
tributed articles for this issue. The note on electric bikes, The
Eggstream Makeover, Front Bunk
Modification and hints and tips can
serve as good examples. Maybe you
have similar ideas you would like to
share - why not send them in along with
images to help illustrate them?
Think about these. If you have an
experience while traveling with or
working on your Scamp (or other small
fiberglass egg), please consider sharing it with others. Think about parks you
have visited, modifications or changes
you have made to your trailer, or other
ideas that other SOI
Members would enjoy
learning.
I would also like
to thank Bob and Bev
Deaton for sharing their
travel experiences in
the SOI Profile (see
page 10). Their travels
in a 13-foot Scamp is
Part of the Alaska Aoventure group sharing a
amazing! How about
campfire at a campground near Jasper, Alberta.
your experiences with
Photograph by K R. Cranson
Fall 2010
your Scamp - what’s your story? Why not
consider sharing them with other SOI
Members?
Have you attended a ScampCamp
during 2010? There have been many in
various parts of the country. This brings up
the idea of the future ScampCamps being
offered - there are still two in October this
year. And, of course, the big gathering in
Sebring, FLorida, during February 2011.
Maybe you have an idea for a gathering in
your area? It is great fun to host a
ScampCamp and really not very complicated. I have a set of suggestions and guidelines that will assist you in planning and
hosting a gathering - just send me an email request.
With this issue, the four 2010 issues
of the SOI News will be completed. More
than 25 new members have joined SOI
over the summer season to bring the membership to over 500. I have updated the
2010 SOI Membership Directory and it
is available to all members. If you would
like the current version, just send an E-mail
with your request. Of course, a completely
new directory will be published with the
2011 Spring issue of the newsletter.
Also, with this issue, the 2011 subscription renewal is included as an attachment with the newsletter. For renewals received by this December, the 2011 Winter
issue is planned to go out in early January.
It would be a great help to the editor if you
can return your renewal before the first of
the year. Thanks
Rod
“A friendship founded
on business is better than
a business founded on a
friendship.”
John D. Rockefeller
Fall 2010
1937 Ford House Car
This is one of only six said to have
been made per year in the mid-’30s at the
Ford plant in St. Paul, Minnesota. Very
few others - perhaps none - remain on the
road, and certainly not in such amazing
original condition. The only other known
example was supposedly housed in the
Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. But that turned out to be an early
1920s Model T conversion, the curator
told me. He said he’d never seen anything
like this ’37!
When discovered in a garage (under
a heavy cover) in Northern Minnesota in
August 2001, it had only 19,000 miles,
and the owner’s manual was still in the
glove box in like-new condition! Apparently, it had always been garaged and
treated with much TLC as a collector vehicle.
The interior, all wood lined, was still
the way it appeared in the ’30s and ’40s,
complete with framed photos of the original owner on his travels, mainly to Florida,
and his cabin in the North Woods, plus
other memorabilia from the era.
It was built on the ’37 Ford Pickup
frame and cowling and powered by a 60hp flathead V8 with aluminum heads. The
rear framing is all wood, with the metal
skin wrapped around it. The roof structure is also all wood, over which the heavy,
waterproofed canvas top is still securely
fitted. The structure of the body is solid,
appearing from underneath to be all oak
SOI News
and still in a remarkably unaltered, undamaged condition.
The door frames
are thick, solid
oak, and oak is
visible around
the window
openings and on
the four side windows in back though all are painted over.
The Ford was a big hit at this campground once we got that great old flattie
V8 hummin’! Note the expanding roof
and the original dark green color, which
had been repainted. I figure the canvas
roof was originally painted in reflective
silver to keep it from getting too hot inside. All four side windows open, while
the back one tilts out to three positions.
The windshield
also tilts open at
the bottom for
natural A/C while
driving.
Editor’s
Note
The
images
were
taken
in
August
2001
on a road in
the
Chippewa
N a t i o n a l
Forest
north
of
Grand
Rapids,
MN.
This
information
and images were shared with me
via E-mail.
The E-Bike Option
Many use low end scooters (50cc)
and/or bikes for alternate transportation
and recreation. They save money and are
fun to ride. There is a new option, the Ebike. E-bikes go for 20 miles in hilly terrain at 20 mph (federal limit for a bike).
If you already own a mountain bike it can
Page 3
Page 4
SOI News
be converted to an E-bike with a
kit. It costs about $900 for lithium
or $600 for Lead Acid and uses
the same battery technology as hybrid cars - Lithium ion.
Here are some of the advantages of the E-bike: no maintenance, no emission, no gas or oil,
This E-bike looks like a typical bike charge it up anywhere there is
note the battery case on the rear
electric power, even Solar, lithium
carrier.
Courtesy Image
ion batteries lasts for about 1200
charges, costs pennies to recharge
(estimated 0.005 cents per mile), no
training required, no excise tax and tax
refund for some brands, attaches to an
existing bike, easy to install (takes about
an hour), you can get exercise when you
want - just peddle up steep hills (the
motor does 90% of that work) can use
an existing bike rack, does not affect the
bikes performance - you can still use it
as a bike.
The only serious disadvantage is its 20 mile range - longer
in non hilly terrain, up to 35.The
E-bike is legally a bike, meaning
you can ride it anywhere a regular bike can go. It is really liberating - just plug it in to recharge
and you are “ready to ride.” There
are an estimated 200,000 Ebikes in the U.S. (2009). Here
are a few links to several
companys and a forum that provides
good information.Bike kits:
Made in the U.S.:
http://www.e-bikekit.com/
Made in Canada:
http://www.bionx.ca/en/
Full Bikes: Pedego
http://www.pedegoelectricbikes.com/
searching-for-electric-bicycle/
104Schwinn:
h
t
t
p
:
/
/
w w w. s c h w i n n e l e c t r i c b i k e s . c o m /
Fall 2010
Default_usa.aspxBike forum: http://
w w w. b i k e f o r u m s . n e t /
forumdisplay.php?258-Electric-Bikes
Comments
Converter notes- My 2004 has an
American converter which has performed
flawlessly for 6 years now, in fact I have
left it hooked up for winter storage several times. I have used them to retro fit
when rehabbing older trailers as well. I
think that there are three primary factors
in the failures strictly by limited observation, the first two apply to most electronic
failures:
1) Initial quality... bad solder joints,
defective assembly, or faulty components
which eventually show themselves. So If
you get a good one, you get a good one.
2) Ventilation... poor ventilation due
to installation location, fan failure, or dust
build up.
3) Battery failure... A battery can fail
to take a charge for various reasons, some
of which can cause the converter to work
full time at maximum load while accomplishing nothing. This can destroy the converter by overheating it. High resistant
connections to the load can cause the same
result.Of course any converter can fail, and
general initial quality is a factor, but I have
found failures to be more common in applications where the unit is installed in a
closed compartment such as the side
dinnette seat, where ventilation was not
possible. I would suggest the addition of a
vent under the seat where needed and
occasional removal of the cover to clean
and check for fan operation.Floyd Clark
Another Converter Comment - I
justify my converter because it maintains
my battery without attention and when
hooked to shore power provides me with
Fall 2010
DC power. I have an InteliPower made
by Progressive Electronics. It works so
good that I bought one for my boat. Both
are almost twelve years old and still do an
excellent job (knock on wood). I camp
with a group that have had converter
problems. I convinced them to replace
theirs with InteliPower converters and
they too have had trouble free service
since. If my converter performed like the
many, that are discussed on this forum, I
like you, would wonder why owners had
them. Bob Kotch
Bow Wavesfrom semis (large truck/
trailers rigs) has been mentioned regarding the drag wake from the trailer. I’m sure
we’ve all felt the buffeting behind those big
rigs, especially in small light cars.
Motorcycle riders REALLY know the
drill. Recently I have been studying
aerodynamics and learned something
new. The technical term is vortex
shedding and the characteristic pattern is
called a Karman Vortex Street. It is a term
from fluid dynamics for a repeating
pattern of swirling vortices caused by the
unsteady flow separation of a fluid over
bluff bodies.
Think miniature tornadoes created
by the big trucks. An important fact for
anyone towing small trailers to understand,
is how these vortexes can spin off those
big rigs. They alternate from one side to
the other, over and over again. The rhythm
varies with conditions and can be dangerous. Think how high a kid in a swing
by “pumping” with each pass. Adding a
little energy each time at the right point
really amplifies a pendulum. Trailer sway
involves similar physics. So when following 18 wheelers, if you start feeling like a
pinball, being ready to use the trailer
brakes is a good idea. I actually like it
SOI News
Page 5
that most big trucks don’t like to go as
slow as me because I don’t get boxed in
for a long time. Cheers, Kamper Bob.
(Modified from a comment on the Yahoo Scamp web site)
Hints and Tips
Awning Pull - If you have an awning with a strap used to pull it out and
allow a controlled return to its case, here
is a tip on how to store the strap. When
the awning is extended, the strap is completely out and can be a nuisance. If you
can roll it up into a small coil and fasten it
with a clothes pin, it is neatly stored out
of the way.
Propane Check - It is always wise
to check for leaks whenever you have
your propane tank refilled. This can be
done using a soapy mixture. One suggestion is to use a wide-mouth bottle of
children’s bubble-blowing solution and a
used toothbrush. This is excellent for detecting small leaks - most brands are nontoxic, inexpensive, and a small bottle can
last several years.
Black Water Tank - The blackwater tank should not be left open, even
when attached to a sewer, except when
emptying it. A liquid level is essential to
prevent the build-up of solids. The use
of a chemical like “Odorlos” will do a
good job of liquidfing solids, but only
when in solution. Comment by Floyd
Clark (on the Yahoo Scamp site).
VIN Location - On Scamp trailers the Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN) is towards the front of the “wish-
Leon’s Logic
“I know you have some
ideas that other SOI
Members could use - send
them to the editor!”
Page 6
SOI News
bone” (frame) on the top, usually close
to the jack. It is probably (maybe) covered with paint - if that is the case, try
paint stripper and a brass brush to remove the paint. The letter and numbers
are small. Scamp Manufacturing has
been helpful in telling where to find the
numbers and sent me a list of the codes
that would verify the years of production. (A comment on the Yahoo Scampers web site).
Editor’s
Note:
If
you
have a hint or comment that
other SOI Members could use in
managing/caring
for
their
Scamp, why not send it to the
editor.
Eggstream
Makeover
by Lawrence Walters
The Scamp –– More than we
bargained for?
Carol and I picked up our 1980
16-foot Scamp RV trailer in California. Minimal work to make it towable
was having the taillights wired, a 7-pin
electrical connection, tires
and battery. The electric
brakes were only working
on one side, which made it
jerk to one side whenever
the Ranger’s brakes were
applied, so I was forced to
disconnect the trailer
brakes. That made it necessary to drive 30 mph on
downhill grades (with the
emergency flashers on),
Lawrence and Carol Walters with their
which was an experience in
refurbished 1980 16-foot Scamp
itself.
Fall 2010
The trailer door kept coming open until
I bungied it closed. Actually, we got tired
of people pulling up alongside of us yelling/
pointing to the trailer. We tried yelling back
“why don’t you close it, then?” but no one
offered. Thus began our first RV experience. We realize we set the public appreciation for RV’ers back half a century. We
spent our first “RV” night in a Walmart parking lot in Bakersfield, California!
We towed it back to Oregon and thus
began the restoration project. The major
items needing replacement were done by
an RV dealership, like a new axle/brake
assembly (ordered from the Scamp factory,
$645), checking out the propane system,
repairing plumbing, replacing the wheels.
(Thanks, Lassen RV.) There was dry rot in
the flooring at the rear, about 18,” so we
removed that section and replaced it with
two layers of flooring, cementing them together and completely resealing them.
The Scamp’s appliances were in good
shape, including the converter, stove, water heater, 4.6 cubic foot refrigerator, and
heater. Leaks around the toilet (porcelain!)
required R & R of the toilet gasket. The
black water tank had been stored with
waste water still in it, so that unpleasant task
allowed me to become intimately familiar
with the “bowels” of the Scamp. The
shower floor was caulked with silicone, in
fact the prior owners must have had stock
in silicone. We removed the old silicone,
replaced it with 4” rubber molding, and resealed it with, guess what, silicone.
We sewed new cushion covers, another new learning experience, curtains, and
carpet. Ripping up the old carpet was
simple, but the thin foam pad was totally
dry and had to be scraped and wirebrushed to prepare the surface. We found
a carpet remnant the perfect size (5' x11')
in the perfect color. At the same store we
Fall 2010
found a laminate table-top remnant, as the
hardware in the original pressboard table
had been mistreated, ripped out of the
screw holes. We built a new table out of
lighter but stronger plywood, glued the
laminate, and covered the edge with brass
molding. Even though we used the old
table as a template, it was very difficult to
enter/exit the dining seats, so we had to
redo the table top to accommodate that
necessity, (for our larger guests, of
course).
We didn’t need the front bunk beds,
so we removed the (heavy) plywood top
bunk support, and covered the two bottom cushion foam pieces into a single cushion. We used Velcro instead of zippers
for cushion cover closures, which worked
quite well. We were amazed to find out
the foam had held up very well for its age.
We installed an AM/FM/CD stereo
radio/speakers ($148), and mounted the
speakers under the dining seats in the small
angular area, which worked very well.
Installation of a small 700-watt microwave ($40) under the top cabinets required removal of the (only 120V hardwired) fluorescent light, but the over-range
vent hood light provided adequate lighting for that side of the kitchen area. The
sink area was not lit at all, so we installed
a new dome light that really brightened
up that counter.
Storage space was totally inadequate, so we installed three shelves in
the “coat closet” next to the sink area,
which made for a nice pantry. We left a
6” opening under the third/bottom shelf
to allow storage of trailer jackstands,
wheel blocks, small hydraulic jack, and
tire changing tools. We reversed the hinges
on what we now call the “pantry” door
so it opened toward the sink area for convenience. The shelves are two 12” high,
SOI News
Page 7
one 6”. We also
installed a full
length mirror on
the inside of the
bathroom door.
The paper towel
rack was relocated on the inside of the pantry
door at the 6”
opening level, so
as to make it
available but out
New curtins and cushion covers were part of the reworked
of sight, one of
bunk area in front of the Scamp.
several spacesaving ideas. The newer Scamps have
nice upper cupboard spaces, but we decided to mount nothing that required putting new holes in the exterior.
I’m in the process of restoring the
exterior gelcoat surface in a two-step
process. Oxidation has certainly taken its
toll, but the exterior is in extremely good
condition, so it’s well worth
the effort.
Carol and I had completely overlooked the awning until just the other day.
What a thrill it was to roll
out the red-and-white awning and set it up. A thorough scrubbing with Simple
Green and it was in like-new
shape.
We named our Scamp
“EggStream.” Reason:
Well, it is an “egg,” it is an
extreme makeover, plus I
always wanted an Airstream
pulled by a Suburban, but
could never afford that. I
recall the time I was filling
my car at a gas station when View of the new table and bench seats with the
this guy drove in next to me
kitchen area on the right, and new carpet.
Page 8
SOI News
with just such a beautiful combination. I
told him about my earlier goal, and he asked
me if I ever accomplished it. “No,” I replied, “I had to settle
for a bicycle and a pup
tent!” (Which was
true, until now).
Our project has
been a true learning
View of the kitchen area showing the placement of
experience. Not sure
the microwave.
I’d call it a “labor of
love,” but Carol and I have shared a
new experience together, and we truly
love our “Eggstream” makeover. Plus
we are beginning a new (RV) experiAll photographs by L. & C Walters
ence in the autumn of our lives, and
look forward to enjoying the fruits of
our labor. Knowing what we know
now, would we do it again? You’d have
to ask Carol that question; my male
ego might not tell you the truth.
For those who care to know, the
make-over took four weeks, cost us
$3,400. Oh, and we have reservations
at an Oregon Coast RV park planned
to use that gathering for our “shakedown” cruise. Hope to see you on the
road. We’ll be the Scamp with the door
open. Would you mind closing it for us?
Photos do not show the sweat and
blood.
Modifications and Changes
by Susan Park
Finished bunk modification
Simple Bunk Modification I’m writing to share the most recent improvement to my“new” to me, but used
Fall 2010
2001 13-foot Scamp. I’m not a skilled carpenter by any stretch. I had to hire someone to add some shelves in the camper and
install new carpeting for me. However, the
simplicity of this fix is something that even I
could have tackled on my own!
I’m a widow, and there are no small
children that will be camping with me. I do
occasionally bring a friend with me, but
these friends are not so close that they sleep
in my bed. Therefore, when I went looking
for my 13-foot Scamp, I determined to
forgo on the bathroom option and head for
the sofa/bunks/single-bed option instead, so
that I would have a second bed available
for a guest to use.
Once I got my Scamp, I crawled into
the lower bunk and realized very quickly
that it was a tighter space than I had imagined. I hit my knees on the top bunk when
I tried to roll over, and I found it difficult to
get myself in and out between the metal bars
without hitting my head on the upper bunk.
Next, I set it up as a sofa by lowering
the top bunk into the sofa-back position.
Very quickly, I learned that this did not work
either. The back fits on a slight angle because of the curved walls of the Scamp,
and it makes the bottom bunk cushion much
narrower than when it is set up in the full
“bunk” position. I found it too narrow to
sleep comfortably, even when I was laying
on my side.
This meant that when I brought someone with me, I would probably have to
tough it out and give up my own bed (the
“Table”) so my guest would be comfortable. Unwilling to accept that situation, I
ended up just crawling under the top bunk
again where I could see how the top bunk
was attached to the Scamp wall. And while
laying there, I hatched my plan.
This turned out to be the SIMPLEST,
yet most important improvement on my
Fall 2010
Scamp. Here is how my builder used my
idea:
1) He removed the hinged top bunk,
putting the hinges away for safe-keeping
in a marked baggy for possible replacement by the next owner.
2) He moved the top bunk cushion
(the one with the board underneath) down
into the bottom position so that it was
actually laying on the fiberglass storage
area below. The two wells that hold the
bottoms of the metal poles in place do
not affect this whatsoever, as they are very
shallow and they fall UNDER the board.
3) From there, we added the actual
sofa seat cushions back on top of what
used to be the top bunk, with the small
one placed in the back against the curved
wall. This made a mattress of doublethick cushions in the format of a single bed.
This should make a VERY comfortable
single bed for guests that are no longer
claustrophobic!
This is a comfortable and easy NoCost fix if you don’t need those bunks
for a small child and need to have an adult
sleep there instead. The two metal bars
tucked down easily into the back of the
bed area against the curved wall, where
they can stay out of harms way until the
bunks have to be set up again by a future
owner.
The really nice thing is that there are
plenty of pillows around to throw against
the front wall of the Scamp in order to
Close-up of bunk cushions made as a bed.
SOI News
Newspapers being prepared to make a
pattern to fit the memory foam pad.
All photograhs by S. Park
make it seem more like a sofa, and then
they can be moved back to the two beds
when it is time to sleep.
I also cut a newspaper pattern to
get the proper shape, then cut an old
queen-sized memory foam pad down to
the proper size for the “Table” bed. I’m
currently adapting a double-size duvet
zipper-cover to fit around it. That should
be a more comfortable bed as well, once
I add that on top of the regular seating
pads that serve as the mattress.
I’ve read through a few years of
back-issues of SOI magazine, but didn’t
really see that anyone had made this
simple change, so I thought I would relate my experience in case someone else
out there needed this modification. (New
Scamp Owner!)
Splatter Panels - I see that
sometimes you publish the modifications that people have done
to their Scamps. I wanted to forward you a photo of one modification we made right after purchasing our 16' Scamp in May
of 2007.
We were concerned with
splatters from the stove staining
Page 9
Page 10
Photographs by S. Misemer
SOI News
the felt-like wall surrounding
the window. We used a vinyl
ceiling panel that was purchased at the local Menard’s
and the finishing edge pieces
for all four sides. After making a template for the window
cut-out, I traced the pattern
onto the panel and was able
to cut it with a regular pair of
scissors. The edge slides easily under the flourescent light fixture. The
whole panel was attached with the rough
side of 1 inch strips of velcro. The
matching (smooth) portion of the velcro
is not needed. The velcro adheres to
the felt wall quite nicely. The nicest part
is, the whole panel is removable! We’ve
used our Scamp 3 times our first summer and, yes, when you cook - you
splatter gravy, grease, and sauces. The
clean-up is very simple.
Thanks for keeping us posted with
updated newsletters! Stephanie
Misemer, Rapid City, South Dakota
Scamp Employee - Long-time
Scamp-Eveland, Inc. employee Charlotte Borman, their bookkeeper, for
some twenty years had a heart attact in
April. SOI Members may have met
Charlotte over the years. (from an Email message)
Scamp-Eveland, Inc. Note Thank you so much! You do such a professional job with this and we appreciate all your efforts and your thoughtfulness in sending us a copy :-) Have a
great traveling summer :-) Thanks again,
All of us at Scamp Sales.
A Great Trip- Thank you so much
for the news letters which we are
Fall 2010
reading with great enjoyment. We just got
back to North Dakota from a 5,500 mile
trip to New Hampshire and then up to
Quebec, Canada where we went around
the Gaspe Peninsula. It was 450 miles
around and what a beautiful trip that was.
We never saw so many huge churches in all
our life and went to mass at Perce one
Saturday night - the church was so nice and
very large. The only thing was we couldn’t
understand anything as all was in French.
Also, there were only about 30 people at
mass and there is only one a week. It’s a
shame as those lovely old building are going
to deteriorate.
From there we did the UP in Michigan
and that was a very nice trip also. The whole
time we were gone, we had rain two days so
were able to be outside to prepare food and
enjoy.
We just got our Scamp in August, 2009,
from Backus so are still ironing out some
wrinkles and getting used to the smaller
space. We used to be full-time RVer with a
37 foot Titanium with two slides. It was
quite an adjustment for me (Vida), but Carl
thinks it is great. We have made some
changes inside so it is getting quite
comfortable now. We are thinking about
going to Sierra Vista, Arizona this winter.
Scamping along for now, Vida and Carl
Carroll,
SOI Profile
Bob & Bev Deaton
Susanville, California
Bob and Bev may hold the record for
traveling with a Scamp - they have logged
more than 90,000 miles on their 2006 13foot Scamp! Nicknamed “Lil Critter.” Since
they retired in 2005, they have visited all
Fall 2010
48 states and gone coast to coast in
Canada, including Newfoundland and
Labrador, twice. During the 2009-10
winter season they toured the eastern half
of Texas (did the western part the year
before) and Florida.
They have travel to family reunions
in Washington state and Minnesota. “We
do not use freeways unless we just have
to get somewhere. Usually, our route is
on secondary roads and we just “puttsy”
along.” For example, in 2009 while going to Texas for a fiberglass rally, they
drove all day and only got 56 miles closer
to the rally location - there are just too
many things to see on the side roads.
With retirement in 2005, they agreed
that “we would not rush and would not
fuss about the price of gas.” Although,
the 19.4 mpg average they get while towing the Scamp makes it easy not to “fuss.”
They will complete our dream of thoroughly looking a the U.S. and Canada
soon enough. Until then, “we don’t have
to be anywhere at any time unless we
want to -without Scamp it is very easy to
follow our dream.”
So far our favorite locations include:
Monument Valley in northeastern
Arizona,
Canadian Rockies in British Columbia and Alberta,
Newfoundland and Labrador,
Canada,
New England States with all their
steeples and small towns.
These are not in any particular order - each was #1 when we remember
their details.
Future travel plans, possibly in 2011,
include a trip to Alaska, using the Alaskan Ferry to Alaska and return on the
Alaska Highway.
The Deaton’s Scamp was pur-
SOI News
chased new with A/C, awning, icebox,
dual gas tanks and seamless flooring. In
2007, they returned to Backus to have
rear overhead cabinets and a 12 volt
ceiling vent installed. In addition, they
have added a group 27 battery, fold up
awnings on all windows, a Honda 2,000
watt generator, electric brakes, microwave, memory foam mattress, and a
oversize storage container on rear end
over the spare tire. Other alterations include removing the top bunk, table and
hardware, and the water tank and hand
pump.
Bob enjoys flying - he is a private
pilot - and has several antique
Chevrolets. His collection includes a
1927 coach, 1931 fire truck and a 1952
four door sedan. They travel with three
dogs, Molly, a Shitzu (3 years old),
Sissy, a Yorkie (a year old) and Baby, a
Cockatiel (the oldest at 22 years). Reunions and Finn Fests (Bev is Finnish)
are some of their favorite activities.
Bob and Bev have three children
living in England, New York and the
California Mojave Desert. Nine grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren complete their family.
Editor’s Note: Would you
like to share your Scamping
experiences
with
other
SOI
Members? It’s a great way for
everyone to get to know you
better. The editor has a one
page outline to assist members
with preparing an SOI Profile
article. Just request the SOI
Profile
Guide.
“Reality is merely an
illusion, albeit a very
persistent one.”
Albert Einstein
Page 11
Bob and Bev with their dogs
and “Lil Critter” at the 2010
ScampCamp in Sebring,
Florida.
Photograph by S. K. Cranson
Special Offer
Purchase an SOI Ball Cap
and receive an embroidered SOI Patch FREE!
$16.00 ( including postage)
Send your order and check
to the SOI Editor,
226 Iris Avenue
Lansing, MI 48917
Page 12
SOI News
Dinosaur Country
On our way to meet the
other SOI Members heading for
Alaska, we stopped in
Dickinson, North Dakota. One
of the neat attractions in this small
town along I-94 (exit 61) is the
Dakota Dinosaur Museum. This
The Dakota Dinosaur Museum in
part of the country is rich in diDickinson , ND
nosaur fossils and many have
been discovered in both North Dakota
and Montana.
The Dakota Dinosaur Museum is
a nonprofit corporation established in
1987 to preserve and display specimens
collected in the region. Much of these
were part of a large personal collection,
several thousand specimens, belonging
Triceratops sculpture at the
Dakota Dinosaur Museum
to Larry and Alice League.
The museum, some 13,400 square
feet, includes 11 full-scale dinosaurs
representing the Triassic-Cretaceous
periods of the Geologic Time Scale. It
also features 3 full-scale dinosaurs outside, exhibits of a real Triceratops skeleton, and one of the best Triceratops
skulls ever discovered. In addition, there
One of the many dinosaur
exhibits at the Fort Peck
are thousands of rock and mineral speciInterpretive Center
men exhibits.
Hours for the Dakota Dinosaur
Photographs by K R. Cranson
Museum are 9 am to 5 pm from May 1
through Labor Day. There is an entrance
fee. Additional information is available
on
their
web
site:
www.dakotadino.com.
Moving west across the North
Dakota-Montana boarder, and into the
Missouri River Country, is the Dinosaur
Trail. The roads making up this loop are
about 350 miles long and circles the
Fort Peck Lake and Dam - three to five
The SOI News editor checking
days are suggested for those seriously
out the “Peck rex” dinosaur
skull.
interested in dinosaurs. There are sev-
Fall 2010
eral museums with dinosaur exhibits along
the route: Pioneer Museum in Glasgow, Fort
Peck Interpretive Center, Garfield Country Museum in Jordan, and the Phillips
Country and Great Plains Dinosaur Museums in Malta.
While all of these museums feature
dinosaur displays, the Fort Peck Interpretive Center is a world class facility. The
central exhibit there, “Peck’s Rex,” is the
most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton
ever discovered. It was uncovered in 1990
near Jordan south of Fort Peck Lake.
The Fort Peck Dam backs up the
Missouri River for some 135 miles creating a lake with a shoreline that exceeds
1,500 miles. It is the 2nd largest dam in the
U.S. and 8th largest in the world. The
Charles M. Russell Wildlife Refuge completely surrounds the lake. The dam was
constructed during the depression (19341940) to provide flood control, hydroelectric power, and recreational opportunities.
It is one of six dams on the Missouri River
managed by the Army Corp of Engineers.
Most of the Alaska trip participants met at
the Down Stream Campground at Fort
Peck.
Future ScampCamps
Land Between the Lakes
ScampCamp - October 15 - 17, 2010
(Friday & Saturday nights) at Piney Campground near Dover, Tennessee. Participants
will plan their own daily activities and prepare their own meals. There will be a group
campfire on Friday and Saturday evenings.
When you arrive you will be greeted by the
host, Dennis Archer, with updates and
additional information. Only cost will be your
camping fee - the 2009 rates were $18 for
30 amp electrical hook-up. Water hook-
Fall 2010
ups are NOT available in this section, but
water hydrants are conveniently located
to all sites. Reservations may be made by
calling 800-525-7977 or at www.lbl.org
six months in advance. Specify Piney
Campground, Shortleaf Loop, and attempt to get a space near Site 308 (anchor site). After making your reservations
please send email with site number to Dennis at [email protected]. Hope to
see you there.
Egg Camp- The Egg Camping Club
is planning a Fall Rally in Cherokee, NC
October 21-24, 2010 We would like to
invite anyone who is going to be around
the Smokey Mountains. The Fall is a very
pretty time of the year. There is plenty of
things to do in Cherokee and the surrounding area. So come join us. To make reservations call Happy Holiday RV. 1-877782-2765. Tell them you are with the Egg
Camping Club. Submitted by Cindy
Jones E-mail:[email protected]
ScampCamp 2011 - February 7
(Mon) to 12 (Sat), 2011. Plan to join us
early for the 13th annual gathering at Highlands Hammock State Park in Sebring. To
make your reservation call 800-3263521, then email or call Alice Vernezze,
the host, to report your information. The
sooner you do this the easier my job is.
Even if you have to cancel you won’t lose
all your money - the park withholds only
one day’s fee. Alice’s email is:
[email protected], Phone numbers are:
321-773-2676 (home) or 321-501-3181
(cell), and address is: 610 N. Robin Way,
Satellite Beach , FL 32937. We travel
during the summer, so the cell phone works
then. If you have a GPS system, Highlands
Hammock State Park is located at 5931
Page 13
SOI News
ScampCamps
Gatherings of Scamps, and other small fiberglass RVs that join in, at
various locations across the country are organized and hosted by SOI
Members and others who wish to share the attractions of their area.
These meetings have become a tradition of the group since the first
gathering over ten years ago. All ScampCamps are independent of
Scamp Owners International, with all arrangements made by the
individual(s) hosting the event. SOI does not sanction or financially
support any gathering or other activities conducted by a Scamp owner.
SOI’s involvement is simply one of announcing these events and
offering suggestions to anyone interested in planning and hosting such
a gathering. These suggestions may be requested and will be sent as an
attachment to an E-mail entitled “Hosting a ScampCamp Guidelines.”
Hammock Rd, Sebring , FL 33872.
Come join us for a great experience.
Alaskan Adventure
Continued from page 16
British Columbia) for the evening at Mile
“0” Campground. Of course, Dawson
Creek is the official beginning of the
Alaska Highway - Mile “0” - and everyone gathered there with their trailers next
morning for the official start to Alaska.
Our general routine was to drive
about 200 miles each day and stop at attractions that looked interesting as listed
in The Milepost. Fort Nelson became
our destination for our 4th day since we
left Glacier National Park. Often we
stayed at different locations as some of
the group liked only dry camping (it was
much less expensive) while others selected
an RV park with hook-ups. Everyone
was ready to roll by 8 am the next morning - it seems they were eager to get to
Alaska! Most of the vehicles had a CB
radio, so our communications were good
as we caravanned. They allowed the lead
vehicles to alert those following about road
We gathered at Mile “0” in
downtown Dawson Creek to
start up the Alaska Highway.
Photograph by R. & S. Cranson
Page 14
Our group pauses for a group
picture at the Alberta British Columbia border.
Photograph by B. & C. Castle
We camped at the Liard River
Hotsprings and enjoyed a dip
in the warm water.
Photograph by R. & S. Cranson
Ilsa Hine checks out the signs
in Signpost Forest at Watson
Lake.
Photography by G. Hine
SOI News
conditions and, more importantly, any
wildlife encountered along the highway.
With so many RVs together, it was important to allow faster traffic to work
through the convoy and the CB’s
helped with that also.
June 8th dawned bright and clear,
but a bit cool (49o F) as we left Fort
Nelson. Made a lunch stop at the
Northern Rockies Lodge along
Muncho Lake - a neat log building with
a giant map of the area in their dinning
room. This was also a gas stop for
some - and an expensive one at $1.75/
liter ($6.68/gallon-OUCH!). It was
also a good day for wildlife - big horn
sheep, buffalo and four black bear - all
right along the road. The folks at Liard
River Provincial park were most helpful and saved sites for our group in their
campground for that evening. It is a
popular park with a nice campground
featuring paved roads and sites - even
WIFI. Of course, the attraction here is
the Liard River Hotsprings - temperature about a hundred degrees oF or so
- and most of our group enjoyed a refreshing dip.
Watson Lake was our lunch stop
the next day (June 9) and the famous
Sign Post Forest where visitors have
posted signs from all over the world. It
was fun to walk through the signs looking for your home town - we found
ours (Lansing, MI) right away. The Visitors Center is there also with friendly
helpful folks that provided great information and suggestions for things to do
in the area. Again, the group split up
for the evening’s camping, some at the
Rancheria RV Park and others at the
Continental Divide V Park.
Early the next morning we
crossed the continental divide and ex-
Fall 2010
pected to stop
- but there was
nothing commemorating its
location - a bit
of a disapNorthern Rockies Lodge.
pointment. Our Photograph by R. & S. Cranson
arrival
at
Teslin, however, was more exiting. As we
started to descend down to the town, a turnout and overlook allowed a great view of
the Nisutlin Bay Bridge, longest on the
Alaska Highway. During the day, a trucker
picked up on the CB channel (8) we were
using and talked to us for several miles as
we assisted him through our group. The neat
part was that he gave us some useful tips
about the highway conditions ahead that we
would encounter.
Later, we arrived in Whitehorse and
found the Hi Country RV Park just east of
town. It worked out well for everyone as
they offered both dry camping and hookup and it was convenient to town - several
of us needed to have our vehicles serviced
and take on some supplies (groceries and
propane). In addition, Whitehorse offered
several attractions of interest - Miles Canyon, the sternwheeler riverboat Klondike,
the Old Log Church and more. It was also
a reunion as Bill and Cris Pinzer caught up
with us to rejoin the group at the campground (see Editor’s Note for details). We
camped here two evenings.
The Riverboat “Klondike” rests along the
Yukon River in Whitehorse.
Photograph by R. & S. Cranson
Fall 2010
Before leaving Hi Country RV Park
the next morning, we gathered for a group
picture - the only one we had with everyone present along the Alaskan Highway.
Greg and Ilsa Hine had to start back to
Washington State while the rest of us continued on. This section of the Alaska Highway is some of the worst with plenty of
frost heaved sections and construction
projects. It was an exciting day for some
of us, however, as a good sized grizzly
bear was feeding right beside the highway.
The weather turned cool and rainy and a
few of us
stopped at
Snag River
Provincial
Park for
t h e
evening.
A grizzly bear grazing near
Like most
Big Creek along the Alaska
of Yukon’s
Highway.
Photograph by S. Cranson
parks,
there are no hookups and they have vault
toilets, but they are reasonably priced usually just $15. This one offered a bonus, a shelter with a wood stove and wood
- we built a fire, had a potluck, and spent
the evening chatting.
Our worst road was before us as we
headed out on June 13 - many bumpy areas, some gravel sections, and construction. After arriving at the Yukon-Alaska
border, we paused at a turn-out for a
group picture at the “Welcome to Alaska”
sign - in the rain. Crossing into Alaska at
the customs station was routine, but the
road didn’t improve much - for another
few miles - then on to Tok. We were now
on Alaska Time - 4 hours earlier than Eastern Standard Time. Our first stop in Tok
was the Visitors Center to ask some questions and pickup some materials about
points of interest that lay ahead. There
SOI News
were a couple of nice campgrounds near
Fast Eddie’s Restaurant for the evening
and most of us elected to have lunch there.
The restaurant had free WIFI, so it was
an opportunity to catch up on E-mail.
Most interesting, this was where I chatted with an Italian fellow traveling in
Alaska, western Canada, and the western United States on an old (1982?) medium sized scooter (about 250 cc) that
he brought from Italy.
The next day several of us decided
to take a day trip across the “Top Of The
World” highway (part of the Klondike
Loop Road) to Dawson City - a distance
of about 200 miles from Tok. Of course,
it required a stop at Chicken along the
way to visit “Downtown” Chicken and
Pedro, the big gold dredge on display
there. After lunch in a Dawson City park
along the Yukon River, we spent several
hours walking and driving to the famous
sites in this famous Yukon city (established
with the 1996-97 Klondike gold rush).
Among the fascinating attractions were
Robert Service’s Cabin, Jack London
Museum and Cabin, the Keno River
Boat, and the Palace Grand Theater,
among others. About 4 pm the little ferry
(it was free!) carried us back across the
Yukon River for the return trip to Tok.
Page 15
Our entire group at the Hi
Country Campground in
Whitehorse.
Photograph by R. & S. Cranson
The Pedro Gold Dredge, a
major tourist attraction in
Chicken along the Taylor
Highway.
Photograph by R. Cranson
Part 2 in the 2011 Winter issue
Editor’s Note: Our group
included: Steve & Mary Blasko,
NJ; Carol Caldwell, PA; Bill &
Connie Castle, MO/CA;
Rod and
Sharon Cranson, MI: Jim & Betty
Durkee, MI; Greg & Ilse Hine,
CO; Bill & Chris Penzer, MI; Ed
Smith and Betti Hagberg, FL.
There
were
7
Scamps
and
a
Casita.
The
Penzer’s
had
a
mechanical problem with their
tow and had stay behind for
repairs before they could head
into Canada.
Robert Service’s cabin in
Dawson City.
Photograph by R. Cranson
Page 16
SOI News
Alaskan Adventure
Part 1
K R. Cranson
For us the trip began
on May 25 when we left
Lansing, MI heading for
Fort Peck, Montana. Our
route was through
Michigan’s Northern Peninsula, then continuing
across Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and
into Montana - most of the
way on U.S. Highway 2.
Our SOI group met at Glacier National Park in After a couple days in
the St. Mary’s Lake Visitor Center before
Medora, ND to visit
starting into Canada.
Theodore Roosevelt NaPhotograph by G. & I. Hine.
tional Park, we arrived at
the Down Stream Campground in Fort
Peck, MT. It was May 31.
Four other Scamps arrived at the
campground as scheduled to begin the
trek to Alaska (see Editor’s Note for
those involved in the trip). The next
morning we caravaned west on U.S. 2
and arrived at St. Mary’s Lake Campground on the eastern edge of Glacier
National Park where two other participants awaited the group. There were
now seven Scamps and a Casita ready
to cross into Canada for the drive to
Dawson Creek and the
beginning of the Alaska
Highway. The next
evening, June 3, we had
our first gathering with everyone at the St. Mary’s
Lake Visitor Center - the
weather was windy and
on the cool side.
On the morning of
June 4, we all gathered in
Three rigs of our group take a break at a
the Visitor Center parking
turnout to admire the spectacular scenery in the area to begin the drive
Baniff-Jasper National Parks.
north into Canada. Our
Photograph by B. & C. Castle
Fall 2010
route for the day was U.S. 89 to the Canadian boarder, on into Alberta, then highway 2 north toward Calgary. To avoid
Calgary traffic, we followed a route southwest of the city that passed a huge erratic
(large rock transported by a glacier) known
as the Okotoks Erratic. This brought us to
the Trans-Canada Highway (Canada 1) and
a campground just outside Banff National
Park.
Our rigs line up in a Wal-Mart parking lot in
Grande Prairie before starting the Alaska
Highway at Dawson Creek.
Photograph by G. & I. Hine
The next day was dedicated to visiting Lake Louise, the Columbia Icefield and
the magnificent scenery of Banff and Jasper National Parks. On June 6 we left
Whistler Campground near Jasper and
drove the Yellowhead Highway (Canada
16) to highway 40, then north to Grande
Cache, Grand Prairie, and Dawson Creek
(just across the provincial boundary into
Continued on page 13
SOI News
Fall 2010
Volume XII Number 4
Published quarterly for Scamp owners and
intended solely for their education, enjoyment and entertainment. Neither SOI or this
publication is sponsored or supported by, nor
is there any relationship with Scamp Travel
Trailers or Eveland, Inc.
Address communications and contributions to
SOI News