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TheCamper

In the summer of 2004, we acquired a 1966 Serro Scotty travel trailer.  The trailer had been abandoned by a former tenant who lived in Jason's parent's rental house.  The tenant had no title for it and had no vehicle large enough to transport it.  Originally, Jason planned to strip it down to the frame and build a utility trailer out of it, but as soon as Janine saw it, she fell in love with the little Scotty.
 
The trailer is a 1966, 13 foot gaucho model.  The 13 foot length includes the 10 foot trailer and 3 foot hitch.  It has a kitchen with a propane stove, sink, and icebox (ice chest).  It also has a dining area that folds into a small bed, a couch that folds into a larger bed, and several cabinets. 
 
When we got the camper, the stove was missing, the icebox was missing, and the original propane furnace was missing.  The furnace is the only appliance we decided not to replace.  We attended a Scotty rally in 2004 at Scottyland Campground and picked up a used ice box from Bob "Chicken-ka-Bob" Chestnut.  We also met lots of fascinating people there who also own Scotty Campers.  A few months later, we bought a used (and mostly rusted) original stove from another Scotty owner.  Jason rebuilt the stove and painted it.
 
Work was slow in the beginning.  Some of the roof seams had leaked and part of the ceiling had rotted away.  We replaced the ceiling piece and sealed the roof with silicone (although not very well).  Some of the interior had been repainted, but not very nicely.  We sanded and repainted it all.  Most of the interior wiring had been stripped out.  We rewired the inside the trailer for 110v service and added lights and outlets and also rewired the exterior towing lights.  The flooring was all peeling up, so we started scraping it off.  Some came off easily and some, not so easy.  Several of the windows were broken and the glass had to be replaced.      We had to run a new propane line to the stove and had to replumb the sink.  We removed all the aluminum skin from the outside.  Some of the framing had to be replaced under the skin.  3/4" Styrofoam insulation was added and the skin was put back over top using new stainless steel screws and new rope caulk putty.  All windows were removed and resealed with new caulk and stainless steel screws.  The back window frame was also broken and had to be replaced.  The inside of the door had rotted away, so we pulled the door apart and rebuilt the framework.
 
When Jason first started working at his new job in Michigan, he towed the trailer there and lived in it for three weeks in April and May 2005.  It was rustic, with no floor covering, and no cushions, but it worked well. 
 
We removed the rear bumper and rebuilt it stronger.  We will repaint it and reattach it by bolting it instead of welding it like the original.  We stripped the paint off of the hitch and plan to repaint it as well.  We bought a vinyl floor remnant and have it all cut and ready to be glued down.  We bought new foam for the cushions , but still need to make some new cushion covers.  We also need to make some curtains.
 
We hope to have the camper "usable" by summer of 2007 and hope to attend a rally or two.
 
Scotty Links:
 
Serro Scotty Camper Enthusiasts  [SSCE yahoo group]
The National Serro Scotty Organization  [NSSO yahoo group]