SOI

Summer 2012 Scamp Owners International Volume XIV Number 3

In This Issue

News

Jim and Julie Cassaday’s (Waynesville, NC) 1927 Model T and 1998 16-foot Scamp. Yes it can pull ourScamp. It’s powered by a 350 Corvette engine, AC, cruise control, and stereo. Photograph by J. & J. Cassaday

From The Editor’s Desk The ParkLinerSOI Profile Great ParksBook Corner Recipe CornerStrange-Unusual RVs What’s NewHints - Tips SOI MailbagModifications - Changes Tech CornerFuture ScampCamps Fort Clinch

Page 2 SOI News Summer 2012

Rod CransonEditor

Visiting one of the big guns atFort Clinch in Florida’s Fort

Clinch State Park nearJacksonville.

From the Editor’s Desk

Bakken Shale in the WillistonBasin in eastern Montana andnorthwestern North Dakota.

The summer travel/camping season is upon us infull bloom. I trust you haveplans to take advantage of thewarm (dare I say HOT?)weather to use your trailerover the next few weeks andmonths. On our return tripfrom Florida in April, we had

serious plans to head west to the Pa-cific Northwest - a visit to Crater LakeNational Park in southern Oregon.However, after watching the price offuel threaten the $4.00/gallon mark, ourplans quietly slipped away. The finalshock came with a phone call to friendsin Medford Oregon, just west of thepark. This was in May and they re-ported that regular gas was over $4.20/gallon! So, the west will just have waitanother year - or til we get over theshock of the fuel prices.

I am hoping some of the encour-aging reports of major new petroleumdiscoveries will play favorably into thissituation to ease the cost of fuel for rec-reational travel. The U.S. GeologicalSurvey (USGS) recently completed anassessment of the undiscovered oil andassociated gas resources of one of thepetroleum bearing Formations (the

Bakken) in the U.S. portionof the Williston Basin in east-ern Montana and westernNorth Dakota. They estimatedundiscovered volumes of 3.65billion barrels of oil, 1.85 tril-lion cubic feet of natural gas,and 148 million barrels ofnatural gas liquids in theBakken Shale. That amount ofpotential fossil fuels should

have an impact on the energy supply ofthe U.S. - and perhaps the price of fuel.

And, the fact that it is “home grown” isimportant to this country’s energy securityfor the future.

Of course the economy is anothermajor factor that folks must consider whenthinking about travel or planning trips. Ifthe promise from the Williston Basin, alongwith other areas, can be realized in the nearfuture, our economic future should im-prove. Lets hope these promising eventswill have a positive effect when they canbe brought online in an environmentally safeand responsible manner.

This issue is rich with reports from SOIMembers related to all sorts of things.Thanks to everyone who contributed ar-ticles and information to share with others.To my way of thinking, this aspect of theSOI News is likely the most important andinteresting features of each issue - learningwhat others are doing and where they aretraveling. Why don’t you give a little thoughtto something you can contribute - a trip,modification, recipe, picture for the cover,hint/tip you‘ve found handy or somethingothers would enjoy reading? I am alwayslooking for folks to share the story of theirlife for the SOI Profile column and howyour “egg” has influenced it.

A few years ago I was in the marketfor someone to pickup the job of editingthe SOI News. In fact, I tried it twice andgot no takers. Guess what? The opportu-nity has appeared again and it would benice if someone would like to assume theEditor’s job. The process of keeping, pre-paring, publishing and sending out thenewsletter is well established and can bereadily transferred to another member. Ifyou like to write and be in contact with agreat group of folks who really enjoy trav-eling in our little fiberglass “eggs,” this is afun job.

I extend my best wishes for a fun andsafe summer of “Scamping.”

Rod

Summer 2012 SOI News Page 3

The ParkLinerA new competitor was introduced

recently in the small fiberglass trailermarke t , the1 5 - f o o tPa rkL ine r.According toa spokesmanthe mission ofthis new RV issimple: ”Builda better fiber-glass trailerthan the com-

petition.” They have designed and createda hassle free and well thought out prod-uct. The light weight fiberglass body of thecamper allows it to be towed by smallerfuel-efficient vehicles. ParkLiner is basedin Gibsonville, NC, using part of an oldtextile mill. Like most of the small fiber-glass rigs, these trailers are sold from thefactory and there are no plans to create adealer network.

Park Liner, Inc. was started in Janu-ary 2010 by designing plugs, body moldsand cabinets. The first unit rolled off theline in the spring of 2011. In less than ayear of production, a modest four trailerswere built. In 2012 they plan to produceone unit per week by midyear Then, planscall for doubling production. However,there are just 3 full-time employees and

some part-time help -so it willtake timeto establishthe busi-ness.

T h eb a s eweight oft h e

ParkLiner is 2,100lbs built on a 3,500lb. axle with 14-inchtires, It has an inte-rior height of 6-foot4-inches, that allowsplenty of headroom.The width is 6-foot7-inches. The two-piece fiberglass shellhas an interior lengthof 12-feet while the overall length is 15-feet. Depending on options, a ParkLineris priced between $14,500 and $17,500.

The ParkLiner has a clean designwith reduced wind resistance because itlacks a roof top air conditioning unit. Theoptional air conditioner is a window typeunit mounted below the side dinette.Standard features include an Optima BlueTop battery, microwave, propane fur-nace, 6-gallon water heater, 12 gallonfresh water tank, shower, 2-burner stove,screen door, electric water pump, bikerack receiver, and much more. Other op-tions include a bunk bed (that can be con-verted into a couch for daytime use),flush-mounted toilet with 30 gallon blacktank, refrigerator, dual batteries and othergoodies for a comfortable and enhancedcamping experience.

The rear folding table and bunkoption are two ways that a ParkLiner canbe customized to the buyer’s specificneeds. This rear table is called “TheMagic Table” and it is multi-functional.While it serves as the table for the di-nette, it can be folded in half for roomierrear seating. Or, it can be folded awaycompletely to create additional benchseating. One nice feature of the ParkLineris the 21-feet of overhead storage, thereare 10, and more underneath the dinetteseats.

So another small “fiberglass egg”becomes a Scamp (and Casita) competi-

The newest “Egg” to be offered to the small Fiberglasstrailer market by Park Liner, Inc.

The ParkLiner interiorshowing the sink, stove and

dinette area with the“Magic” table set up full

size.

An interior view of the smallertable, dinette benches andsome of the ten overhead

cabinents.

The ParkLiner features a twopart fiberglass shell a framesupported by a 3,500 lb axle

and 14-inch wheels.

Park Liner Photographs

Page 4 SOI News Summer 2012

tor. There have been several introducedrecently and it is going to be interestingto see how the ParkLiner does in thefuture. More specification details, op-tions and a series of images can be foundon their web site: www.parkliner.com.Or, for more information on theParkLiner, contact them at: Park Liner,Inc., 106 Railroad Ave Suite G,Gibsonville, NC 27249. PH: 1-800-418-2120

SOI Profile

Jim and Julie CassadayWaynesville, NC

The Cassadays havemade major modificationsand changes to their 199816-foot Scamp. Outsidethey have added solar pan-els, electric jacks, genera-tor, T.V. antenna andbasement storage and sev-eral others. Perhaps mostinteresting is their screenroom that increases theScamp’s living space con-siderably. There is evenmore modifications/

changes inside. Two of these are fea-tured in the Modification/Changes col-umn (see page 10). Others include: mi-crowave, wall mounted T.V.,cedar linedcloset, extra 110v outlets, DVD player,and shortened table, again among oth-ers.

In addition to all these, Jim hascompletely rebuilt and modified a 1927Model T Ford to use as a tow vehiclefor their Scamp. It’s sometimes called

a doctor’s coupe, bought from the origi-nal owner in 1967 in Tampa. Jim was al-ways building cars for other people, butnever got to finish his own. When they re-tired Julie said “now it’s time for you toget the T done.” My goal for the T was tolook original but with late model runninggear and conveniences.

The body is all original, no rust. I builta stronger frame to handle the upgrades,the engine is a 350 ci Corvette with over350 hp, transmission is a 700R4 overdrive,rear end is 10 bolt GM, front end is allchrome plated with disc brakes. It has airconditioning, stereo, cruise control and tiltsteering with the original Model T steeringwheel adapted to it. The interior is done inultra-leather. Like with the Scamp, kindof go overboard with upgrades. Their rigis featured on the cover to this issue.

Jim attended Manatee CommunityCollege located in Bradenton, Florida. Heenjoyed a career as a System Managerwith the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Julie at-tended real estate sales, broker and ap-praisal schools. She was Vice Presidentand Broker with Bayshore Reality inBradenton. Both retired in 1998.

They enjoy traveling, especially withtheir Scamp. Among their trips to date are:followed Route 66 and the Trail of Tears

Jim and Julie Cassaday with GiGi, their“daughter,” during a visit to the London Bridge

in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

GiGi enjoys riding in herspecial stroler.

Photographs by J. & J. Cassaday

Jim and Julie have adapted a screen room totheir 16-foot Scamp to provide additional

living space.

Summer 2012 SOI News Page 5

in Oklahoma, a visit to Roswell, NewMexico (but didn’t see any aliens), manyinteresting areas in the southwest - includ-ing the Grand Canyon - on the way toArizona. They found the Bourbon Trail inKentucky really interesting as well as theRV Museum in Elkhart, Indiana. Withthese trips in the completed column, Jimand Julie are planning to go to otherplaces, including Quartzite, Arizona. Theyfind that traveling with their Scamp, theymeet the nicest people - often other SOIMembers (met the McAdams at a reststop in Texas).

Jim enjoys building hot rods and re-storing classic cars (see their Model TFord on the cover).Painting, gardening andantiques are hobbies thatJulie enjoys. Of course,traveling and campingwith their Scamp rankshigh on their list of fun ac-tivities along with the long list of modifi-cations noted above.

The Cassadays have two sons;James and Timothy. They have four grand-children. James lives in Queen Creek, AZ,along with our 2 grandchildren McKennaand Macklaen. Timothy, with his wifeTommie and grandkids TJ and Katelynn,lives in Bradenton, FL. Their only “daugh-ter,” GiGi, has four legs and is completelyspoiled. GiGi was a big hit with all theScampers attending ScampCamp 2012in Sebring. Of course, GiGi lives with themand enjoys their many trips.

Great Parks

Fort Clinch State ParkFernandina Beach, Florida

Fort ClinchState Park is locatedabout as far north asyou can get inFlorida - right on theAtlantic coast northof Jacksonville. Themajor attractionhere, other than the great ocean beach,is a civil war era coastal fort (see com-panion article on page 16). It is one of

Florida’s oldest, desig-nated a state park in1935. A year later, the Ci-vilian Conservation Corpbegan restoring the build-ings at the fort. Then, in1937, the CCC began

building campgrounds and roads in thepark.

There are a number of natural com-munities within the park that encompassnearly 1,500 acres between the oceanon the east and the Amelia River alongthe west. Maritime hammock of live oaks,draped with Spanish moss, and coastalgrasslands on the open dunes cover themajority of the park. Among the abun-dant wildlife is the slow moving gophertortoise, that livesand reproduces insandy areas.

There areseveral swimmingand fishing sitesalong the beaches -one with a pier thatis nearly a milelong. In addition, a

The Fort Clinch Fishing Pier is nearly a mile long.

Photographs byS.K. and K R. Cranson

The Beach Campground, one of two in the park - notethe Scamp in the center of the image.

In faith there is enough lightfor those who want to believeand enough shadows to blind

those who don’t.Blaise Pascal

Fort Clinch is one ofFlorida’s oldest,

designated a state parkin 1935.

Page 6 SOI News Summer 2012

challenging six mileoff road bike trailand a number ofhiking trails windthroughout thepark. Visitors canenjoy birding andshell/shark toothcollecting along themiles of beaches.During the firstweekend of eachmonth “soldiers”

perform re-enactments of everyday fortoperations depicting relevant activitiesfrom the year when the fort was built.

There are two campgrounds - theBeach (on the Atlantic Ocean) with 21sites and the River Campgrounds has41 sites. All have electrical and waterhook-ups and modern restrooms withshowers. The address is Fort ClinchState Park, 2601 Atlantic Avenue,Fernandian Beach, FL 32034. Phone:904-277-7274. This is a popular park,so reservations should be made as earlyas possible.

A modern restroom with hot shower at theBeach Campground.

A view along one of the pavedpark roads that provide miles

of riding for bikers.

Trailers & Fifth Wheels MadeEasy: Bill’s Hints - Dollar for dollar,this book offer more information abouthow to operate a travel trailer or othertowable RV than any other book pub-lished today. It’s a little book - onlyabout 59 pages - but packed with con-cise information about how to operatea towable RV in a safe and efficientway. The author leads the readerthrough the important features of a newRV step-by-step, allowing them tolearn as they get acquainted at their ownspeed. His information will also comein handy later when problems occur,

as they al-ways do. Au-thor BillBryant is a4 0 - y e a rRVing vet-eran, whoknows hiss t u f f .Throughouthis book arehundreds of“Bill’s hints.”For example,here are a few that involve liquids: - Al-ways protect your plumbing with a pres-sure regulator. - Always taste the waterbefore adding it to your fresh water tank. -Never leave the black water dump valveopen when connected to a sewer. --Makeice at night, the refrigerator works better.The book is not a repair manual and it’snot filled with boring stories. Rather, Bill’sHints is organized by major systems com-monly found in towable RVs, concisely andclearly explaining ‘HOW TO USE” themcorrectly the first time. These follow eachsection and directly address DOs andDON’Ts for avoiding problems and forgetting the most enjoyment from your RV.Almost every hint alone could save the RVerthe purchase price of the book many timesover. This book is a must-have for the newRV owner, but even experienced RVers willbenefit from what they learn. Published2005. Cost $7.88

When one tugs at a singlething in nature, he finds it

attached to the rest of the world.

John Muir

Summer 2012 SOI News Page 7

Foil-Wrapped Potatoes*by Stacey Nelson, Minnesota

4 med un-peeled Potatoes,cubed, 4 C

½ C onion, chop4 tsp fresh parsley, chop½ tsp salt1/8 tsp pepper4 T margarine or butter

Grill Directions1. Heat grill. Cut four 18 x12-inch

pieces of heavy-duty foil. Place 1/4 ofpotatoes and onion on each piece of foil.Sprinkle each with 1/4 of parsley, salt andpepper: top each with 1 tablespoon ofmargarine. Wrap each packet securelyusing double-fold seals, allowing room foreat expansion.

2. When ready to barbecue, placefoil packets on gas grill over medium heator on charcoal grill 4 or 6 inches frommedium coals. Cook 45 to 55 minutes oruntil potatoes are tender, rotating pack-ets several times during cooking. Yield 4servings.

Stacey’s note .. . This recipe canalso be cut in halffor two people. Wesubstituted some ofthe spices, usuallyit is whatever wehave on hand;oregano, basil, etc,- they all taste

good! And we find you can do this usingmedium coals on a wood fire.

* from Scamp Owners Favorite

Recipes - S.O.I. Cookbook byAlice Vernezze. The SOI Cook-book can be ordered from Aliceby contacting her . By PH: 321-794-3181, or her E-mail:ezzeal@bellsouth.net or at 610Robins Way N., Satellite Beach,FL 32937. Cost is $5.00 pluspostage/handling.

Strange-Unusual RVs

If you surf around on theinternet a little, really unusualRVs are often found. Here area few I recently discovered.Have you seen any examples ofstrange RVs, especially fiber-glass eggs, in your travels or online? If so, perhaps you wouldbe willing to share them withother SOI Members. When yousee one of these, take a pictureand learn whatever you canabout it; owner, location, how itwas made, etc. Then send theeditor the image and details fora future issue of the SOI News.

You can pull a Scamp with just aboutanything - image by Patrick Janke taken

in Independence, MO in March, 2012

Watermellon Scamp - This little traileralmost looks good enough to eat! We have

no idea where this photo was taken orwho did it, but do know it is one very cute

RV! Have you seen anyhing like this?

This lunch pail was purchasedfor $17.95 at Smallwood’s

Harvest Country Store on U.S.Highway 2 near Leavenworth,WA. Image and note from Issue

527 of RV Travel.

Randy Grubb’s Decoliner Flash Gordon’sMotorhome. This 26-foot polished alumi-

num beauty features a flying bridge,complete with driving station and room for5 passengers on the roof. It uses the chassisfrom a 1973 GMC Motorhome and a 1955

White cab-over engine.

Page 8 SOI News Summer 2012

Great Trip - Wehad the most marveloustrip last summer. Pickedthe Scamp up inHelendale, CA andended up visitingYosemite, Crater Lake, Mt. Hood, Colum-bia River Gorge, the Olympic Peninsula,Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, BlackHills, Badlands and back to CT. We didmake a side jaunt to Backus, MN to theScamp factory as we had some electricalproblems- the air conditioner cover hadfrayed a few wires as it had jiggled loose.

What’s new

New Product - It is calledNewGlass 2. We put it on our 5th

wheel late last summer and remember,we live in the subtropics where the sunis seriously strong all year round. Wethought we would give it a test and fol-lowed the directions. Afterwards, wetook it on a month long camping tripinto the Smokey Mountains. Then,brought it home and let it sit until Janu-ary, when we took it to Michigan for amonth, including our time in the UP. Ithas been sitting in the sun since then,too. I can see how the trailer still shines.Our unit is a 2007. It was very easy toprep and apply. We are done with allthe other products we’ve tried on fi-berglass over the last 40 years or so.Cost: $39.95 or 2 bottles for $34.95each. Check it out atwww.newglass2.com. Carolyn Wil-son, Bokeelip, FL.

New Truck - We just orderedthe new type of hitch that Scamp is put-ting in all 5th wheels now. Our old onewon’t work in the new truck, so wespoke with Kent. He was VERY ac-commodating and nice. We are veryconcerned that the new truck will betoo tall for the Scamp, but Kent as-sures us that it will clear. There are prob-lems with some of the new trucks, butFord 4WD is ok. We will give it a try.It will be a real problem if we have toraise the thing more, as it is up as highas the factory would go and we have15" tires, too. The truck rails are 56-inches over the wheel. Carolyn Wil-son and Dan Green, Bokeelip, FL.

Interesting Article - A piece inthe May/June 2012 RVwest Maga-zine featured an interesting article on

Fiberglass Eggs. It relates a story of a fam-ily that “upgraded” from a 1974 13-footBoler to a 1974 Scamper Camper (aScamp?). They have sold the Boler andwere sad to see it go. “It really is a bear-and bug-proof tent” was one of their com-ments from their many trips into remotecountry.

Hints and Tips

Meal Preparations - Prepare morecomplicated meals when you have fullhookups. It’s easy to clean up afterwardbecause you have plenty of water and noworry about holding tank limits. Considermaking a double portion and freeze half fora future meal. When boondocking, keeprecipes simple; use paper plates which youcan burn later to start your campfire.

Prepare Ahead - Before leaving ona trip, prepare some of your meals at home,then freeze them. On occasions when youneed to conserve water, heat up one of themeals. You won’t waste water cooking andwashing pots and pans. The meals alsocome in handy when you’re in a hurry anddon’t have time to prepare a meal.

Summer 2012 SOI News Page 9

good to get the Scamp news. Doug andGinny Smith, Garden, MI.

From Oregon - Thank you forsending me the Scamp renewal formagain. I really appreciate your diligence.I had lost it during the holiday confusion,and thought I had sent it in. It is reallynice of you to follow up with a reminder.I think what you do for the club is won-derful. (I am) out in California, using myScamp all the time, and still planning tomake a campout. These are some shotsfrom a recent trip up to Oregon. thanksagain. Lorie Thomsen, Forest RanchCA.

New SOI Members - We are inthe process of deciding about ordering aScamp 13-foot trailer and were so ex-cited to learn about your group! We be-long to a similar group of owners for themake of our sailboat and have found heirinput to be invaluable over the years! Al-though we have never seen a Scamp be-fore in our part of the Pacific Northwest,we are hoping that your members will beable to provide answers to some of ourconcerns. We wonder about towing aScamp with a Ford Escape and the op-tions/modifications they feel are a “must”for both the trailer and car.

Thanks and maybe one of thesedays we will be able to attend one of theScampCamps or get one organized in ourcorner of the world! Don and JonieForan, Richmond, British Columbia,Canada

Gas Price Note - I got the Spring(SOI) Newsletter . . . on page 2 was talk-ing about $4 per gallon gas. Right now Ifigure $4.50 a gallon when planning a trip.

The factory people were terrific. Calleda day ahead and they took us right in. Wehad them install a bike hitch on the camperwhile there. They also gave us some ba-sic instructions and pointers which we hadnot received from the previous owners.

We are planning a short trip toAcadia in Maine mid-June. We hope tohead to the southwest for a longer trip inthe future. Also would like to see some ofthe Chesapeake Bay area. Time will tell.Do you have any forthcoming tripsplanned? Hope you do. To a fun 2012filled with Scamp adventures. Thanks,Ingela Helgesson and Frank Walsh,Gilford, CT.

Another Good Winter - Great is-sue as always. We did our usual wintertrip to Tahquamenon Falls State Park. Wewere there for a little over 2 weeks with aweek before and after in Cadillac atMitchell State Park, where there areheated bathrooms! It wasn’t as cold asusual and the dog sled races were can-celed, but we were able to use our snowshoes enough to enjoy being in the backcountry. We don’t know where we aregoing this summer or when. This is ouryear to take a big camping trip, but it willbe later in summer and into fall. We alter-nate big boat trips with big camping trips.Again thanks for all the work you do. I’venever questioned the minimal fee to be-long to SOI. It’s one of the greatest val-ues I know! Carolyn Wilson, Bokeelip,Fl

Looking for Spring - Well it isn’tSpring here in the UP (mid-April). We hadsnow on the ground this morning!! Springwill get here in a month or two. All is wellwith us. Had a warmer winter in GulfShores and the fishing was OK. Always

Page 10 SOI News Summer 2012

Modifications and Changes

New Fridge - We have done a coupleof upgrades that SOI members may findinteresting. The first is we installed a newrefrigerator thathas a Danfosscompressor - itoperates on 12vor 110v. Ifplugged into110v it changesover to operateon that voltage.And, as soon as it’s unplugged it returns tooperating on 12v again. The fridge will runoff a battery for 3 days and doesn’t have thetemperature variations.

Also, we built a sink for the bathroomusing oasis foam for a mold thenfiberglassing the mold. Julie only wantedcold water for brushing her teeth. The

If Canada is on the route I use $5.50up there. Last July we camped at Lib-erty Harbor RV Park in Jersey City, NJat $65 a night for a spot on a black topparking lot. One afternoon we walkeda few blocks uptown to a local pub withan outdoor beer garden and had a fewbeers and lunch. At the table next to uswas a commodity broker from WallStreet. In our talk he ask if we had anRV - I told him a Scamp. That (brand?)he did not know of. We got talking thecost of fuel. He said to look for $4.00this year, $4.50 in 2013, $4.50 to $5.00in 2014 and by 2018 $5.50 to $6.00 agallon.

I have looked at other campers,but the Scamp type campers look likethe campers we will see more of in thefuture. Last month we looked at theParkLiner and the Lil Snoozy at the rallyin Tennessee. The Lil Snoozy is a yearold now and has come a long way. TheParkLiner is new and only five havebeen made so far. It has a way to go.Price is another big actor for fiberglassunits. For the same cost one can get alot more in a standard RV unit, but thenthe fuel mileage goes to pot.

We are on the road 10 to 20 daysa month year round. Happy Camping.Courtland Pieper and Darlene Allen,Port Byron, IL. (5-4-12)

Summer Plans - Thanks for allthe work you do to give us the SOINews. We are heading to Acadia,Maine for a few days in June, 14th to18th. My husband, Frank, put theScamp’s wheels back on and is gettingit cleaned up. The weekend beforeFrank is taking grandson, Jack (12) upto a campground in the northeasternpart of CT. While washing the Scamp,

a woman walking by made the comment,“Oh, it is so cute” and that it is. To a funsummer! Frank Walsh & IngelaHelgesson, Guilford, CT.

Quiet Summer - It’s hard to believethat it’s been nearly 2 years since we metup with your caravan in Glacier NationalPark and headed north together. I’ll be re-living the trip at my blog - www.hine.co -day to day. Thank you again for draggingus up to Whitehorse. No big Scampingadventures for us this summer. Ilse’s play-ing tennis again. I’m bicycling and flying myradio controlled airplanes. That’s not to saywe’ve permanently parked the Scamp. I’vealready spent 14 night in it in Colorado,Utah and Kansas in the past 6 weeks. Justcloser to home this summer. Have fun upthere in Michigan this summer. Greg andIlse Hine, Boulder, CO

Summer 2012 SOI News Page 11

Tech Corner

Golf-cart BatteriesIf you want to take your rig away

from the convenience of shore powerhookups and visit the really great out-doors, you’ll be relying on your rig’s self-contained features. Among those is theelectric side, and by extension, one of thefirst lessons learned by new RVers (andmaybe one of the hardest) is to take goodcare of your “house” batteries. But what

kind of batteries should your RV haveto power its pump, lights, and other in-ternal low-voltage stuff?

Many RVers swear by the use ofgolf cart batteries over conventional RVdeep cycle batteries. There are somegood things to be said for the golf cartbatteries--they have thicker internalplates, which usually makes for a longer-lasting battery bank. Since they’re de-signed to push around heavy golf carts(and heavy golfers) they usually have amuch higher amp-hour capacity.

Still, keep in mind a golf cart bat-tery is a six volt battery. To replace thetypical RV storage battery, you’ll needtwo of them--twice the footprint--tomake one usable battery. The two bat-teries will need to be hooked up in se-ries, that is, the negative terminal of oneof them must be hooked to the positiveterminal of its partner. Then the free ter-minals of the batteries--a positive and anegative--will be hooked to your RVbattery leads.

Be sure to get MATCHING golfcart batteries, and best to buy new wher-ever possible. Remember, when you goto calculate your amp-hour capacity inthis installation, the two batteries in se-ries DO NOT add amp-hour capacity:Two matching golf cart batteries eachwith an 85 amp-hour capacity wired inseries is still JUST an 85 amp-hour bat-tery. And yes, you can parallel wirebanks of series wired 6 volt batteries toincrease your amp-hour capacity. Modi-fied from the RV Travel Newsletter:Issue 529.

Tire Temperature and PressureFirst off a Tire Pressure Monitor-

ing System (TPMS) is recommended.Even if you check your pressure with a

6-Volt deep cycle golf cartbattery.

Courtesy Photographs

Typical Tire Cross Section

plumbing is hid-den under thesink. Jim andJulie Cassaday,Waynesvi l le ,NC. Photographs by

J. & J. Cassaday

Tank Rack - Many RVers use a BlueBoy container to assist in emptying theirgrey water and black water tanks whilecamped at one location for a period oftime. However, the tank can be awkwardto transport while traveling. Jack

Vernezze (Satellite Beach, FL) solvedthis problem by having a rack installedbelow his 5th Wheel Scamp. The steelframework was welded to the Scamp’sframe and he uses a shock cord andlocking bike cable to secure the tank.Photograph by K R. Cranson

Page 12 SOI News Summer 2012

good digital gauge every morning, howwill you know if you drive over a nail asyou pull out of the campground at thestart of your day’s travels?

A tire pressure monitoring system(TPMS) is an electronic system de-signed to monitor the air pressure in-side the pneumatic tires on various typesof vehicles. They report real-time tire-pressure information to the driver of thevehicle, either via a gauge, a pictogramdisplay, or a simple low-pressure warn-ing light.

A direct TPMS employs pressuresensors on each tire, either internal orexternal. The sensors physically mea-sure the tire pressure in each tire andreport it to the vehicle’s instrument clus-ter or a corresponding monitor, some-times also the temperature inside the tire.

The indirect TPMS do not usephysical pressure sensors but measureair pressures by monitoring individualwheel rotational speeds and other sig-nals available outside of the tire itself.TPMS are provided both as originalequipment (factory installed) as well asan aftermarket add on.

Next, you need to get your realindividual tire loads with the RV fullyloaded to be sure you are not overload-ing any individual tire. You have a TirePlacard that indicates the recom-mended cold tire inflation you shouldfollow until you know your real loadsand calculate your personal minimuminflation levels.

The general guideline for pressureincrease of about 2 percent for every10°F, so if you set your cold pressureto 80 psi before starting a trip with anair temperature of 45°F you may seeyour cold pressure has increased to 86psi the next morning when it is 85°F.

If you watched your tire pressure dur-ing your trip you might see the tires run fromfive psi to 20 psi above your cold pressureas the tire temperature warmed up to 20°to 50°F above the ambient temperature.

This increase in tire temperature is af-fected by many variables such as load,speed, air movement around the tires (in-ner duals will usually run hotter) and mois-ture content of the inflation air and actualtire inflation.

Also, if it starts to rain you will see avery quick drop in tire temperature and anattendant drop in pressure as the waterdraws away the heat being generated in thetire. By Roger Marble, modified fromRV Travel Newsletter.

Safe Tires SpeedsIt is best to think of a tire’s “maximum

speed” is like the engine red line. Can youexceed the red line on your engine? Yes,occasionally, but is it good for the long termdurability of your engine? You will agreeagree it’s not a good practice for your en-gine - or tires.

A tire has a finite life - heat and cyclesconsume that life. Heat comes internallyfrom under inflation, overloading, fast speedand externally from spending all your timein the South where temperatures are higherthan in snow country. Cycles are simplymiles.

Heat generation occurs inside the tirestructure at the molecular level. It is not lin-ear so one mile at 75 mph “uses up” moreof that limited life than two miles at 40 mph.It may be that a mile at 80 mph is worsethan two miles at 60mph.

The maximum speed rating is alsobased on the assumption that the tire hasnever been operated while ‘flat.” Note thata loss of 20 percent of the minimum infla-tion needed to carry the load is considered

One example of a Tire PressureMonitoring SystemCourtesy Photograph

The SOI Bird Sez“Do you have or use a Tire

Pressure Monitoring System?”If so, how about sharing your

experience with other SOIMembers.

Image by Kurt Cranson

Summer 2012 SOI News Page 13

with hiking and biking trails. There aremodern washrooms and showers and thesmall town of St Malo is only one mileaway. We will be using Bay 11 for elec-trical and Section A for non-electrical.This is a popular park in SouthernManitoba so please make your reserva-tions as early as possible so we can campas close together as possible. Reserva-tions at the Park’s Website will start onMonday April 2rd, 2012 at: http://prsasr.gov.mb.ca. If you plan to attendthe event please check the RALLY CAL-ENDAR on the http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/ andRSVP to me as there have been somechanges from what we did last year.Hosts are: Rick Mooyman at:rick.mooyman@shaw.ca and RollandHoffman. Note: You will need a pass-port to cross the border.

Rocky Mountain Egg Rendez-vous - 2nd Annual will be at Camp Hale ,near Leadville, Colorado onAugust 13th to 16th , 2012.This is a Group Camp site withno hookups that only cost $86per night to reserve for up to100 persons. Donations willbe appreciated to cover thisexpense. More information canbe found at: https://s i t e s .goog le .com/s i t e /rockymountaineggrendezvous/Early arrivals can be accom-modated in the same campground for $10per night beginning on August 9th. Hostedby: Thom Rowland,amtt1@comcast.net.

Eggfest Duluth 2012 - Septem-ber 19th to 23rd, 2012 at Buffalo ValleyCamp near Duluth. Autumn Color should

Sheep grazing along the road into CampHale - location of the Rocky Mountain Egg

Rendezvous.Photograph by G. Hine

Future ScampCampsSt Malo Provincial Park - August

17th to 19th, 2012, located 45 minutesSouth of Winnipeg and 45 minutes Northof the Canada/USA border on Highway59. This park has a nice beach area along

flat. Also, if the tire has ever been repaired,the speed rating marked on the tire mayno longer be accurate. In that situation,you need to consult the manufacturer’s pub-lications to check its policy.

There are different requirements fortires in Europe than the USA and Canada.In Europe vehicles are capable of higherspeeds (100+ mph). However, in NorthAmerica we have speed limits that do notallow driving at excessive speeds.

So, the emphasis is placed on han-dling, not “all out” speed. The same con-struction features required to achievehigher speed ratings also improve handling.So, in the Americas a speed rating alsotends to be a performance or handling rat-ing.

The author knows of no highway tirethat can run its entire life of 40,000 to90,000 miles at its maximum speed. Thetests to establish the speed rating only re-quire an hour or so and most of the testtime is well below the maximum. This testis used to measure the rate of heat energygenerated with tires failing due to operat-ing temperature that are too high.

Finally, if you tow a trailer that hasST type tires you need to remember thatthey are rated at 65 mph maximum. A fewtrailers come with commercial tires that areonly rated to 62 mph. So your maximumspeed is based on the lowest rating of allyour tires. Modified from RV TravelNewsletter, Issue 529.

Page 14 SOI News Summer 2012

be peaking along the North Shore fora scenic drive opportunity. The DuluthAir show featuring the Canadian AirForce Snowbirds is planned for 22nd

and 23rd. Other Duluth and Superioractivities are similar to those from ourgathering last June. A link to a websitewith details for this event will be postedas soon as it is ready. Most arrange-ments will be similar to those we usedlast year. The registrations can be madeby telephone after April 1st with Darrellat 218-590-8774. Mark your calen-dars and pass the information to fellowfiberglass RV travelers. The Eggfest

website is:www.site.google.com/site/eggfestduluth For ques-tions, contact Dave orDiane Parr atdaneca99@yahoo.com

Land Between theLakes ScampCamp - Oc-tober 4th to 6th, 2012 (Th -Sa). Tentative plans include

a Campfire meet and greet on Thursday (nofood served), Friday will include a tech ses-sion, group photo and Cindy’s CatfishKitchen. An open house is planned for Sat-urday along with a garage sale, door prizesand potluck dinner. A detailed schedule willbe provided upon arrival. If you have aDutch oven, bring it. Experienced cooks willbe on hand to assist with Dutch oven cook-ing. Reservations (six months in advance) inthe Black Oak Loop near sites B-25 andB27 (host and co-host sites) in the PineyCampground at: www.lbl.org or PH: 800-525-7007. After making your reservations,please send an E-mail(archernashville@aol.com) to the hosts,Dennis and Susie Archer.

ScampCamp 2013 - February 11thto 16th, 2013 (M - Sa). Plan to join us earlyfor the 15th annual gathering by calling ex-actly 11 months to the day to make your

reservation. Call: 800-326-3521 to makereservations, then email or call Dick andLynda Freed, the hosts, to report your in-formation. Even if you have to cancel youwon’t lose all your money - the park with-holds only one day’s fee. Freed’s email is:richfreed@aol,com, Phone number are:814-449-9596 and their address is: 511Lauterbach, Frostproof, FL 33843. High-lands Hammock State Park is located at5931 Hammock Rd, Sebring , FL 33872.Come join us for a great experience.

Land Between the Lakes Scampersenjoying a potluck meal.

Photograph by K. and J. Johnson

Scamps at ScampCamp 2012 at HighlandsHammock State Park, Sebring, Florida.

Photograph by K R. Cranson

ScampCamps

Gatherings of Scamps, and other small fiberglass RVs that join in, atvarious locations across the country are organized and hosted by SOIMembers and others who wish to share the attractions of their area.These meetings have become a tradition of the group since the firstgather over fourteen years ago. All ScampCamp are independent ofScamp Owners International, with all arrangements made by theindividual(s) hosting the event. SOI does not sanction or financiallysupport any gathering or other activities conducted by the Scampowner host. SOI’s involvement is simply one of announcing theseevents and offering suggestions to anyone interested in planning andhosting such a gathering. These suggestions may be requested and willbe sent as an attachment to an E-mail entitled Hosting aScampCamp Guidelines.

Summer 2012 SOI News Page 15

forts, but when the Civil War started in1861 only 42 had been started with 30 ofthose completed.

Like many of the Third System offorts, the actual compound is pentagonalin shape with an inner and outer wall.There are corner bastions along the outerwalls and several structures in the interiorcourtyards, including a two-story bar-racks. The fort was named in honor ofGeneral Duncan Lamont Clinch after hisdeath in 1849. General Clinch was animportant figure in the First and SecondSeminole Wars who also fought in the Warof 1812. Almost five million bricks wereused in its construction. Some were madein Georgia and shipped to the site whileothers were manufactured locally fromimported materials.

By 1860 only two bastions and onethird of the brick walls were completed.The ramparts, guardhouse and prison were

finished with other buildings invarious stages of completion. Nota single cannon was yet in posi-tion. Fort Clinch was never com-pletely finished or occupied byregular army troops.

The Civilian ConservationCorps (CCC) began restorationstarting in the 1930s. The Stateof Florida bought 256 acres(~1.0 km2) that included the aban-doned fort and the surrounding area. FortClinch State Park including the fort,opened to the public in 1938. The fortitself was closed to the public duringWorld War II and used as a communi-cations and security post, but re-openedafter the war ended. The fort was placedon the National Register of HistoricPlaces in 1972. State Park personnel re-enact military life at the fort, which is openfrom 8:00am till sundown, year-round.

During various weekends living his-tory presentations are scheduled for thefort. These portray activities when the fortwas occupied by active military units -both Union and Confederate re-enact-ments are involved. Living history dem-onstrations include cooking over fires,baking bread, carpentry as well as theroutine daily dutiesthat soldiers carriedout while stationed atFort Clinch. In addi-tion to the restoredfort and the re-en-actments, there is amuseum with a niceassortment of dis-plays about the fortshistory and a giftshop. There is asmall entrance fee toenter the fort.

A few of the dozens of guns mounted on theparapet around the fort

The Adminstration Building is one of the manystructures inside Fort Clinch.

One of the spiral stairwayleading up to a gun position.

The Quartermasters supply room stockedwith many period items from Fort Clinch’s

active time.

View of a bunk room in the mainbarracks building.

Photographs by K R. Cranson

Continued from page 16

Page 16 SOI News Spring 2012

SOI NewsSummer 2012

Volume XIV Number 3Published quarterly for Scamp owners andintended solely for their education, enjoy-

ment and entertainment. Neither SOI or thispublication is sponsored or supported by, noris there any relationship with Scamp Travel

Trailers or Eveland, Inc.Address communications and contributions to

SOI News2

5e

Fort ClinchK R. Cranson

Fort Clinch is a 19thcentury brick fortress locatedon a peninsula a little NE ofJacksonville, Florida, alongthe Amelia River - now withinFort Clinch State Park. Thesite had been occupied byvarious military troops since1736. The fort was built hereto guard the mouth of the St.Mary’s River and protectcoastal shipping lanes.

Construction of a fort,which later became Fort

Clinch, was begun in 1847. It was seizedby Confederate forces in early 1861 toprovided a safe haven for the south’sblockade runners during the early yearsof the Civil War. Later, Federal forcesrecaptured the fort giving the Union con-trol of the Georgia and Florida coasts.It also served as a base of Union op-erations in the area throughout the CivilWar. In 1869, Fort Clinch was placedon caretaker status and remained sountil 1898. Then, it was occupied dur-ing the Spanish-American War only tobe abandoned afterwards.

Looking back through history,when the United States gained indepen-

dence in 1783, theseacoast defensefortifications werein poor condition.In 1797 Congressappointed a com-mittee to studycoast defense alongwith funds to con-struct a number offortifications - thesebecome known as

the First System. Twenty-one locationswere selected for construction, mostly withlow walled structures and slopedearthworks protecting wood or brick walls.However, little was done and few werebuilt.

With the establishment of West Pointin 1802, engineers could be trained in theU.S. eliminating dependence on foreignengineers. A few years later, new concernsabout a possible war with Great Britainprompted President Thomas Jefferson torevisit coastal fortification programs. Sev-eral fine forts were started, but generallyprojects went unfinished, with little prepa-ration to resist the British in the coming Warof 1812. These became known as the Sec-ond System.

So, the War of 1812 again showedup the ineffectiveness of our coastal defensesystem. In 1816 Congress appropriatedover $800,000 for a seacoast defensivesystem which is known as the Third Sys-tem. At this time President James Madisonselected a French military engineer, Gen-eral Simon Bernard, to design a networkof coastal fortifications along the Atlantic,Gulf of Mexico, and Pacific. The originalplans identified nearly 200 sites for new

Aereal view of Fort Clinch illustrates the design of theThird Series of Civil War forts along the eastern coast.

Courtesy Photograph

The Civilian ConservationCorp played a critical roll inrestoring Fort Clinch while

the state park was beingdeveloped.

Photography by K R Cranson

Continued on page 15