Burro and Scamp trailers

[Lotsahorses]

I'm getting close to having my 1949 1 ton GMC flatbed ready to go on the road and am now in the process of making some decisions about building a camper on the bed of the truck vs pulling a camper on wheels.  I'm looking at a 17 foot widebody Burro and a 13 foot Scamp.   This may seem blasphemous but I considered taking the Scamp off its trailer and putting it on the bed of the truck.  I'm looking for feedback on the pros and cons of the Burro/Scamp/Casita campers and also any experiences with self made campers on a flat bed.   I'm getting old and getting out there sooner is overcoming all sorts of intellectual discussions in my head.   That's why I'm soliciting advice from you seasoned travelers.  I'd like to do dispersed camping primarily and pulling a trailer concerns me but I'm not really looking to do expedition level back roads either.  The mountains and high plains are my favorite environment.   This truck has the grunt to pull the passes and the brakes to stop it.  It's only limitation is speed and once I'm out in the area I want to be in that is not an issue.  I will probably do dry camping even if I get a camper with tanks etc.   If time weren't a concern I'd probably build on the flatbed to have a shorter rig.  
Any thoughts are much appreciated.   I hope to be seeing some of you out there on the road this year-I was sorry to miss the RTR last year.

 

[Sabatical]

You know Lotsahorses, every option requires compromises. Each time we travel we end up talking about what might work better and we always circle back to what we have. It works for us. We haul a 19' travel trailer and haven't ever had any trouble on blm roads. That being said, we only have a few years of experience and only on blm roads in southwest arizona. Others will chime in i'm sure on other areas, but plenty of folks either haul trailers or have truck campers and most are happy with their choices.

We've talked about scamps and dreamed of a fifth wheel for a time, to shorten the overall wheelbase. Our reason for not going with a fiberglass unit is that it seems like it would be difficult to modify their built in systems.

In our current trailer we removed so many factory items to lighten the load and because we didn't want or need them. Furnace, water heater, flush toilet, microwave, stereo system, bathroom vanity.... Boondocking gets so much easier and more enjoyable when your living space is tailored to your needs and desires.

Our next rig will most likely be a home built trailer for a number of reasons. The nice thing about that project is that it won't be hurried since we already have something. Maybe that's an option for you...a cheap trailer that will work for a bit while you build your truck camper.

Whichever way you go, good luck. There's no greater joy than getting out there and realizing your dreams.


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[Cammalu]

If you're worried about clearance I've seen several eggs that were raised.


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[Alcatraz]

I hear you, the cabin fever is building in me too.
Mount it. When traveling keep it simple.
I am not a fan of towing anything. A trailer is an accident waiting to happen, not to mention the added expense's and parking space.
Keep the height as low as possible.
The 49 was a good looking truck, what did you use in place of the flathead?

 

[SoulRaven]

I had remembered that someone had done this in one of the forums that I frequent: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f56/burro-on-flatbed-42873.html

 

[Queen]

I'd grab an egg in a heartbeat and mount it on the flatbed. Nice tight dry living space without the hassle of towing, sounds about perfect!

 

[mayble]

Why not start out towing and see how it goes?
It's the quickest route "out there", and if you find it too limiting you can change it up later.
You could also set up the trailer in an accessible base camp, and make excursions to more remote areas in your truck.
*Disclaimer: Not a "seasoned traveler" yet, just an obsessive planner/dreamer/enabler

 

[hepcat]

I've had five Scamps and one Burro. While I liked the Scamps, and wouldn't hesitate to buy another, my counsel would be to grab the Burro wide body. They're not without issues, but the living space is significantly larger; especially the bed. The last few Escondido Burros had some pretty significant QC issues. Mine was a Sac City, IA-built Burro with insulation. If I had the choice, because of the later model flat door, I'd look for an Escondido Burro. The curved doors on the Sac City Burro didn't seal well. Not a big enough problem that would cause me not to buy one; but there was a 1 1/2" gap at the bottom of the door. I was able to seal it with rubber gasket material.

https://flic.kr/s/aHsiNSquPW

And I'd recommend just towing the trailer. In the long term, mounting an egg on your classic truck is only going to irreparably diminish the value of both.

 

[speedhighway46]

Burro has long been out of business, cheating many buyers out of their down payment deposit during the last death throws of their final year or so. Burros were double shell fiberglass, with insulation packed between the two layers. Over the years the insulation tended to slide down and compact at the bottom.

I would also check Casitas; they too make a 13' model if you are looking for "small." Casitas, in my opinion, have always been the Cadillac of fiberglass "egg" lightweight travel trailers

Good luck; post pictures!

 

[Dgorila1]

Mount it! Screw towing if you don't have to, especially in the travel plans you mentioned.

 

[LeeRevell]

Then again, there is an advantage in parking the TT for use as a base camp, and to maintain possession of a good camp spot, then using the TV for excursions.
To each his own. I find no problem towing small trailers.

 

[Lotsahorses]

Lots of great thoughts. The one post that grabbed me was don't put an egg on the truck-ultimately it diminishes the value of both. Probably true. I'm really torn about this. I promised myself I was going on a Western adventure this May....maybe a Burro and pull it with my Suburban. I can get out soon and not push the antique truck project faster than it wants to go. The 1949 got a new exhaust system and front end alignment today and we hope to do a differential swap in a week or so to gain about 8-10mph on the top end. And then I could always build the camper for the truck and put it on jacks so that it could be detached when not being used-just makes the build more complicated.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

I'm getting close to having my 1949 1 ton GMC flatbed ready to go on the road and am now in the process of making some decisions about building a camper on the bed of the truck vs pulling a camper on wheels.  I'm looking at a 17 foot widebody Burro and a 13 foot Scamp.   This may seem blasphemous but I considered taking the Scamp off its trailer and putting it on the bed of the truck.  I'm looking for feedback on the pros and cons of the Burro/Scamp/Casita campers and also any experiences with self made campers on a flat bed.   I'm getting old and getting out there sooner is overcoming all sorts of intellectual discussions in my head.   That's why I'm soliciting advice from you seasoned travelers.  I'd like to do dispersed camping primarily and pulling a trailer concerns me but I'm not really looking to do expedition level back roads either.  The mountains and high plains are my favorite environment.   This truck has the grunt to pull the passes and the brakes to stop it.  It's only limitation is speed and once I'm out in the area I want to be in that is not an issue.  I will probably do dry camping even if I get a camper with tanks etc.   If time weren't a concern I'd probably build on the flatbed to have a shorter rig.  
Any thoughts are much appreciated.   I hope to be seeing some of you out there on the road this year-I was sorry to miss the RTR last year.

I have a '51 Dodge 1T and have thought about the same thing; putting a small Scamp on the back.  Some issues are:

 - Any more than 8' long effects my departure angle (especially if it is on the frame).
 - It's a long way up to the floor of the trailer; better if I put Scamp directly on the frame.
 - High center of gravity.  Same as a hard sided camper.
 - Less room than a truck camper (no cab overhang).
 - Have to butcher the skirt on the TT to get the floor to sit on the flatbed.  Another reason to put directly on frame.

I understand about these projects going at their own speed (and cost).

 -- Spiff

 

[LeeRevell]

I once nearly bought a 13' Scamp from a hunting buddy, but the inside layout didn't work for me. Crosswise bed is way too short and no stand up height. All systems were junk. So, either do a total rebuild inside, or get a van and have a self propelled camper built up to suit me. I choze the latter.
A 17' Scamp might work better, though still has the height limitation.

 

[Lotsahorses]

The flatbed on my truck is original and only 9ft long.   I had even thought of an s250 military shelter as an option but too small I think.

 

[RVTravel]

The 13' scamp has 5 inches more stand up height than casita.

 

[DannyB1954]

If you're worried about clearance I've seen several eggs that were raised.


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On most trailers the axle is above the springs. Often hunters and off roaders would move the axle to below the springs. This wold raise the trailer quite a bit. 

I would tow. I have a pickup that I converted to a flatbed. I thought about building a camper on the back. I bought a trailer instead. There were a couple of reasons. The bed of the truck is 3' above the ground. Add another 7', put a vent fan or A/C on and now the top of the camper is 11' off of the ground. Low branches and uneven ground, (top heavy + sideways momentum will cause a pucker effect where the seat makes contact with your bottom).  

Park the trailer in a reasonable spot, then go rock crawling with the pick up. Another advantage is you can put a shell on the pickup for storage, or make an overnight camper back there.

 

[hepcat]

I promised myself I was going on a Western adventure this May....maybe a Burro and pull it with my Suburban.  

That's a good plan, IMO.  Those egg-on-antique-truck things are interesting, but not very salable later.   When you're done, you can't sell the trailer, and no one is interested in the classic truck any more 'cause it's got a fiberglass trailer grafted onto it.   For travel, the Suburban/Burro setup sounds a lot more practical.  And when your '49 is done, you can tow the Burro with it.

 

[Lotsahorses]

I'm looking at trailers and hunting for something midsize like 14' in fiberglass. Thanks to everyone for the help.

 

[LeeRevell]

Keep in mind, the stated length of egg trailers includes the tongue. Thus, the classic 13' Scamp has an 11' fiberglass body.