Scamp vs. Escape

[ChuckPK]

For those who chose an Escape 5.0 vs the Scamp Deluxe 5th wheel, what were your reasons?

 

[Donna D.]

I own a 16' Scamp, I know ALL it's bad build quality issues. It's a good starter trailer for the price. The 19' 5er is the same quality and the wrong layout for me. Scamp used 28 thru-the-body rivets just to hang the dang curtain rods in my trailer! The dump valves are weird. Not connected between and must move the hose just to dump black to gray. Scamp has very few personal options available. LEDs aren't even an option. They install (as an option) an A/C unit that requires a 3000 watt generator to run it. I can't pickup and carry a generator of that size and if I wanted a Honda generator of that size, it typically costs $2300+.


I could go on and on. IF budget is a major concern, the Scamp would be okay. Any trailer will get you were you want to go.

 

[CWood]

Scamp hasn’t updated since 1950! No storage, small fridge. poor design, tiny windows, weird bed and hard to get into the bed. Parents owned one and had to tighten the bolts at least once a year. Funky hitch that is unique to scamp. Escape is a tad wider and it is just enough that it just seems roomier inside with no wasted space. My 5.0 pulls so well that at times I forget it’s back there but for my constant mirror check. It has 15” tires and double axles so it rides better than scamp.

 

[escape artist]

For those who chose an Escape 5.0 vs the Scamp Deluxe 5th wheel, what were your reasons?

Hi: ChuckPK... Looks to build quality... and every thing in between. Plus the 5.0TA is a real 5th wheel. Sat beside a Scamp 19 at a rally once and started to count rivet caps. Lost count at 47 on the one side alone. :whistling: Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

 

[ericw]

For those who chose an Escape 5.0 vs the Scamp Deluxe 5th wheel, what were your reasons?

I owned a 13' Scamp and have a 21' Escape. The Scamp was a no frills basic economy trailer. It worked great for us but we wanted more room, better layout, nicer interior, less rivets, more insulation, bigger fridge, and lots of options/flexibility Scamp the company just didn't do, etc.... We decided what we really wanted and were willing to pay for and then chose the trailer that matched those requirements the best.

 

[Fox hunt]

double axle is a must for me

 

[Brian B-P]

The 5.0TA is substantially wider than the Scamp 19'; that size difference, construction and quality differences, and tandem axles probably make the difference for most buyers. Of course, the smaller size and single axle (and price) lead many people to the Scamp.

Ironically, many recent 5.0TA owners have installed the Andersen Ultimate hitch system, which is functionally about the same thing as Scamp's "weird" hitch, but in a different ball size.

 

[CWood]

I have the Anderson....the ball doesn’t change but there is a plate that is added. Not an issue to remove...

 

[rubicon327]

LEDs aren't even an option.

Even the new trailers? Scamp finally added some LED products to their parts page awhile back so I figured they were finally moving to LED’s.

 

[Doug2000]

4 years ago I looked at a Scamp Fifth Wheel at a Campground. The said it was 10 years old, the fibreglass was in poor condition, many spider crack and chips. It made the 40 year old Trillium look good. It almost seemed like the Scamp fibreglass was thinner. That’s my observation.

 

[dmetz]

I had a 19 Scamp for several years. I have had a 5.0TA for 3 years. I had a Casita for one year between the other two. I liked the Scamp just fine until I started checking out Escapes online. My husband and I went to the Escape factory and ordered a 5.0 on the spot. It is so much roomier. There is more storage. I disliked having to turn on a pump to drain the shower water in the Scamp. I also disliked having to hook up the sewer hose in two different places; one for black water and one from gray water. The bed in the Escape is better because one doesn't have to crawl over the other getting in and out of it. After having the Escape, I would never go back to a Scamp.

 

[Donna D.]

Even the new trailers? Scamp finally added some LED products to their parts page awhile back so I figured they were finally moving to LED’s.

I guess I was thinking more like LED fixtures as an option, not just buy some bulbs on the parts page. Give Scamp another ten years, they'll get there.... maybe ;D

 

[Oldtimer-ESC]

We also looked at scamps when researching. Didn’t like like they were single axle and the floor was wood not fiberglass. Subject to rotting out down the road

 

[Donna D.]

....and the floor was wood not fiberglass. Subject to rotting out down the road

That's a maintenance issue and all trailers have them. The OSB Scamp uses for the floor is resin coated, not raw wood. Rot happens from the top down. IF maintenance isn't done on the plumbing, vents and windows, any trailer will leak.


The 'wood' floor in my 31 year old Scamp is in perfect condition.

 

[EscapeBoulder]

We had a Scamp 16'er for 10+ years, and now an Escape 19'er for 8 months.

We loved our Scamp, and it treated us well for +/- 40,000 miles thru 47 states and 5 Canadian Provinces. The bottom line is you get what you pay for.

The Scamp is less expensive than an Escape, but with good treatment & maintenance, should last a long time. Yes, some of the features are a little "funky" like all the thru hull rivets, and the need to move the dump hose between the black & gray tank outlets. But those are small inconveniences.

We've found Escape made of much better quality. Escape seemed flexible with our build requests. Their customer service / support is truly world class & exceptional.

I feel I should repeat that: Escape's customer service / support is truly world class! The absolute best.

Regarding features of either... you get what you pay for.

So... If you can afford it, from my personal experience, I'd recommend an Escape. But if you're "budget constrained", then you can still have a grand time with a Scamp.

Also... when it comes time to trade up or out, both trailers, if well maintained, should hold their value well. We sold the Scamp mentioned above for 82% of its original cost! And plan to hold on to our Escape for the foreseeable future.

 

[RicVic]

Sounds like someone opened up a kettle of worms. I don’t think I can add anything to it.

 

[Mike Lewis]

I toured a Scamp fifth-wheel trailer at an "egg" rally in Pennsylvania several years ago, when I was researching a possible RV to buy after retirement. I was disturbed by how narrow the center ailse was in the Scamp. I thought that this wouldn't do for long-term travel, and in fact that experience made me give up the idea of buying a fiberglass trailer for a while. Later when I toured an Escape I was impressed with how much more space there was for moving around. This led me to eventually buy one.

 

[Brian B-P]

... the floor was wood not fiberglass. Subject to rotting out down the road

As already mentioned, floor rot is typically the result of water from the interior (due to plumbing leaks or body leaks); the most effective design to ensure rot is to put a layer of fiberglass under the plywood, trapping water in the wood. That's why Escapes have planned drainage under the floor. Perfectly sound 30+ year old wood-only floors are normal.

 

[ChuckPK]

Great comments!

Thanks to all for the extremely helpful comments! They have made my decision much easier.

 

[MyronL]

Back East fiberglass trailers for sale a bunch of years ago were as common as hens teeth so when a guy in upstate NY put a 1986 16 ft Scamp on EBay I probably paid too much. But it did look good inside, and the five serious hull breaches outside looked to me like a fun project. I jumped on it. I was especially charmed by the beautiful shiny new wood flooring.

Then I got it home and began the obvious repairs and some serious cabinet work. That's when I found out, underneath that beautiful floor there was major wood rot. Around the door, behind the counters, directly under windows. A weekend project became a whole winter into spring project.

Lesson learned, with a used Scamp, never take anything for granted. Not complaining, I like to say it kept me out of the bars. I should also mention, when I sold it I got twice what I paid for it.