We have been traveling around Houston lately. We are staying at an RV park on the outskirts. We went exploring and we found an outdoor shop like a rustic lodge. They had a fishing pond, several rocky streams stocked with trout, a room-size aquarium and stuffed animals on the walls.

We looked around for a tent for camping for our sons. They want to go RVing with us and our trailer is not big enough, and mother is not patient enough, to have them in the travel trailer with us. We looked around and had decided on one tent, when I remembered that I had visited a site online that had good prices on a Texsport Cool Canyon Tent.

When went home, I went online and found the Texsport Cool Canyon Tent for less than $100. This camping tent is fire-resistant and measures 8 feet x 10 feet by 5.3 feet (height). The tent has a silver polyurethane coated rain fly, polyurethane-coated walls made of taffeta and a front rain fly. The tent is secure and easy to set up. It has a rip-stop polyethylene floor, speed clips that secure the tent to the frame, and no see-um mesh door (with storm flaps) and windows.

Now, I have no excuse. The boys will be going on our next trip. I will let y’all know how it turns out.

I am in the process of updating the blog posts I had written on lightweight trailers from 2007 to 2010.  I will start with the ones I have written about before and then see if I can find some new ones.  The economy has been hard on RV manufacturers and I expect I will find some travel trailers are no longer made.

ScampTrailers.com

Small campers are very economical; especially important with today’s high fuel costs. All three size Scamps have been designed to be towed by small cars, SUVs, mini vans, and trucks. The aerodynamic design assures high fuel efficiency and most people can tow the Scamp with a vehicle they already own.

Scamp Standard Fifth Wheel Trailer

I originally wrote up the Scamp 19-foot fifth-wheel in April of 2010.

All photographs and floor plans are from the ScampTrailers.com website.

Overall length: 19 feet
Overall height: 8 feet 10 inches
Overall width: 6 feet 8 inches
Interior length: 17 feet 10 inches
Interior height: 6 feet 3 inches
Interior width: 6.5 feet
Approx. weight: 2000 lbs.

Tires: 13” C load radial, spare tire wheel and cover
Hitch weight: 400 lbs. approx
5000 lb. hitch, 3500 lb. axle
electric brakes
Torsion bar suspension
Mounted stabilizer jacks
Safety chains

Fiberglass construction, R15 insulation, 11 gauge steel frame, fiberglass coated floor
Dual gas tanks, 12 gallon fresh water tank
20 amp power converter, 12 and 120 volt lighting, 25’ service cord, porch light, outside step
Sleeps one to six: table converts to bed, sofa converts to bunks, queen size bed in loft

Two burner stove, sink, ice box
Fiberglass cabinets
Upholstered interior, cushions, carpet
Wood panel interior doors
Sliding windows/screens with curtains, rear opening window, roof vent
Privacy room (for porta-potty)
Closet

Scamp Custom 5th Wheel Trailer

If you choose a custom Scamp 5th wheel, you have the same excellent construction with additional floor plans and amenities. This plan has upgraded woodwork, toilet and shower and stairs to loft, among other upgrades.  This 5th wheel will sleep 4 comfortably.

Scamp Standard Travel Trailers

Scamp also manufacturers a lightweight 13-foot and 16-foot travel trailer, with and without front bathroom or bunk beds  Below are two layouts for the standard 13-foot and five layouts for the standard 16-foot lightweight travel trailer.  The 13-foot can sleep 4-6 people without the bathroom. The 16-foot can sleep 4-6 people dependent on configuration.

Scamp Custom 13-Foot and 16-Foot Travel Trailers

If you choose a custom Scamp 13 or 16 foot lightweight travel trailer, you have additional floor plans and amenities.

Conclusion

I see Scamp travel trailers and 5th-wheels at campgrounds and on the road.  On the road, they look like they are easy to pull.  In the campgrounds, they look very livable. ScampTrailers.com has an owners’ club and a parts store, accessible via the website.  One thing the website does not have is the prices.  However, looking at used Scamp trailers, I would guess the 5th wheel is over $20K, especially if you upgrade.  As for the 13 and 16-foot travel trailers, I would just be guessing. However,  the Scamp line of trailers are well-built, aerodynamic trailers. Notice that no interior space is wasted.  Depending on where you live, you may want to add the air conditioner and an awning.

If I did not need the space for sleeping, I would want a bathroom or at least a porta-potty in a privacy room.  You can do away with interior bathrooms completely by setting up a tent in the shade with a porta-potty, toilet paper, hand sanitizer and a jug of water.  If you have little ones, line the floor of the tent with plastic. Hang lights or place solar lights along the pathway to the tent and no one gets lost.

While looking for prices, I did recognize the fact that Scamp Trailers hold their value,

I just finished the series on Preparing for Disaster. One thing I should have expanded upon is the importance of tarps in any emergency.

I will never forget standing at the door to my home, watching hail smash all the windows and skylights in my travel trailer. We ran around trying to find something to keep the water from coming into the trailer. Finally, we put opened umbrellas in the skylights and cardboard in the windows. A good tarp would have made the job so much easier and efficient.

I had the same problem when my roof started leaking, I had nothing to put on the roof to keep the rain out. In fact, I tried to put plastic on the inside of the roof and wound up falling through the ceiling into my bedroom. Lesson learned.

I have learned that a good tarp can save your roof, travel trailer, car, motorcycle, and riding lawnmower. You can use tarps for covering pools, lumber stacks, hay bales, open construction sites and even to provide a fire-resistant barrier for your tent when camping.

Roofs Covered Before Hurricane

Think of tarps as problem solvers. I had no idea there were fire-resistant tarps, snow-fence tarps, gym floor-covering tarps, sports field-covering tarps or lightweight backpacking tarps.  If you have always purchased your tarps at your local hardware store, you may want to take a look at what you are missing.

Tarp Surfing

While looking at tarps, I discovered a new sport!  Tarp surfing is the ultimate answer to the “I’m bored”  litany that children always sing when the parents are all set to put their feet up and relax. All you need is the tarp, a level surface, a slight breeze and a skate board. Set it up and prepare to be the most popular parents on the block.