The Great American Road Trip. Day 11. Backus, MN.

Today is the day we pick up our Scamp!  We are headed now to Backus, Minnesota.  

We have 4 no-baby-break hours to go before we get to Backus.

If Minnesota is known for being the land of 10,000 lakes, then it must also be known as the land of 10,000,000 gigantic grain silos.  I have seen a lot more silos than lakes.

There is not a lot out here.

Made it!

We arrived to Backus just after 3:00 pm.  Although Scamp closes at 4:30, we found out at about 1:30 that the person who shows the Scamps upon pick up leaves at 2:00.  This would have been good to know at any other time, since we are driving from CA and would have planned accordingly.  Thankfully they were able to scrounge someone up to show us our trailer.  There were two other couples picking up their trailers at the same time, that obviously didn't get the memo either.

It is like a sea of Scamps at the factory.

This one is ours!

So exciting!

I don't think I mentioned HOW we got our Scamp.  There is about a year wait list for a Scamp travel trailer.  We were looking into used ones since we wanted one by this summer, but meanwhile put our name on a cancellation list at Scamp.  They usually get one cancellation every few months, but we needed one that fit our specific needs, it had to be a 13' trailer with bunk beds in the front (which means no bathroom).  Lo and behold, just a few weeks after getting put onto the list, there was a cancellation and our sales person, Nick, called us first (I jokingly asked him to move us to the top of the list and he did), so we became proud Scamp owners within two months of deciding it was the trailer for us.  The only catch was that the trailer was in Minnesota, and we weren't.  They do have a delivery service, for a cool $2,000 we could have had it brought to us, but we would rather put that money towards a family vacation.  And so here we are, in Backus, population of 250.

While we waited to be shown our trailer, we got to see the factory, and each step of the trailer making process.

 

Scamps are so lightweight (1,200-1,500 lbs for the 13' standard) that they are easily within the towing capacity of our Subaru Outback.

Since Scamps are fiberglass, and the main seam is on the side, they are not known for leaking.

Scamps are so so so cute.

Nick is showing us a Rolodex of his customers who have decided to participate in their gift program.  The chunk that he has within his fingertips are the CA customers.  If you choose to participate, if someone near where you live wants to look at a Scamp you are contacted to show yours.  If the person buys it you are given $50.  That being said, if you show yours to a random person at a restaurant or gas station or whatever and they buy one, you get $200.  Pretty sweet!  

We are ready to Scamp!

The tire cover on the back was a special order that Eric made soon after our purchase, which he found on Scamp Facebook group that he is a member of.  It was my Mother's Day present and I love it.

Just a few minutes away from Scamp is Ruttgers Pine Mountain Camping Resort, which has great (well earned) reviews and pristine facilities.  

 

The screen door on the Scamp is the best!  

Because Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes, it is also the land of mosquitoes.  

We love Ruttgers, and we LOVE our new Scamp!