Looking To Reduce Weight: What Does The Cabin A/c Unit Weigh (85 Dolphin)?

[stevlars]

We are back from about a 3000 mile trip from Oregon to Northern Arizona and Southern Utah and back to Oregon. Given the experience, we are wanting to jetison as much unneeded weight as possible in order to make driving in hot temps and climbing passes easier on the Dolphin. We learned heaps on the trip about dumping gray and black water and traveling with as little fresh water when traveling in hot weather, but I want to reduce as much more weight as I can to avoid overheating and attempting to give the Dolphin a break from working so hard. I am interested in things others have done to lighten up their Toyhomes and I'll take any comments on what I'm thinking of doing below.

The following are things I'm thinking of removing:

- roof 110 A/C unit (I mistakenly said "Cabin A/c" in the title of this topic)

- couch (will replace with a sheet of plywood which would accept trundle bed pads if we have a guest)

- awning (seems like overkill big on our Dolphin - may go to something small and simpler/lighter for shade)

- shorten electrical cord (bring along heavy duty extension cord if we ever want to plug in)

- gut heavier metal pieces out of not-used-at-all oven and convert space to storage

- Other things to remove?

Cheers

Edited July 11, 2014 by stevlars

[WME]

IMHO

1. OK, remove the A/C. Replace with a Fantastic fan.

2. Couch not worth the trouble

3. Awning remove it, DON'T replace with anything. Any replacement will weigh almost as much as the rollup.

4. Power cord, not worth it.

5. Remove the entire stove, replace with a stove top and make a storage space under the stovetop.

Further reductions may result in a conflict between being "green" and being light.

A. Paper plates and plastic ware.

B. Fewer cooking pots.

C. Less food. There is always a store near by to buy stuff.

D. Less clothes

E. If you didn't use it on this trip, leave it behind on the next trip.

A full tune up and correct tire pressure will let your RV roll easier, sorta the same thing as reducing weight to let it roll easier.

[twoblocked]

We boondock extensively in Northern Arizona and Southern Utah. I know the anxiety of watching gauges climb ballistically on some of the ruthless climbs here. (we're currently on the Bryce Plateau at 8,000ft)

The "diet" didn't work for us. A few pounds saved didn't seem to make any difference climbing in hot weather. We still ran VERY hot, 230F engine, 225F transmission.

So this winter I added ANOTHER transmission cooler. For a total of three transmission coolers. Our climb out temps are now reasonable.

Last July - Phoenix to Flagstaff 105F ambient, 2,000ft to 8,000ft. Engine temp 230F, Transmission temp 225F, 3,500RPM V6, 4.56:1 differential.

This July - Phoenix to Flag 100F ambient, 215F Engine, 190F Transmission.

We get to keep our camping goodies and give the little Toyhome a huge benefit.

[Gary_M]

Also if you don't need the hot water, consider winterizing your hot water tank. A lot of people don't realize that tank is usually full and holds a good bit of water.

[stevlars]

Thanks for the replies and comments regarding weight. I totally agree with paring down to only what is needed at the time. We brought way too much food. From now on will purchase as we go.

Regarding trans temp sensor, where is your sensor located? Our auto trans went out going up Cedar Canyon, about 10 miles from Cedar City. We were "guests" at St. George Transmission for about 1.5 weeks whilst they overhauled the trans. They did a test on our radiator (new CSF metal rad that I had recently installed) and the trans cooler. Both tested fine, so they said there was no need for a new trans cooler. There was also discussion about putting in a trans temp sensor, but the mechanic there was not keen on installing it on the oil pan. In the end, I decided to just wait and add it later. Now I am wondering where the best location for the sensor is. Suggestions?

[stevlars]

Hot water heater. That is a good one. Just drain before driving?

Regarding the roof A/C, anyone know how much it weighs?

[linda s]

Most roof AC's weigh around a hundred lbs. Some a little more some little less. Fair amount of wind resistance from it too. Add to that all the people who have a roof problems because of the weight and if you live where it's not really needed dump it

Linda S

I have a small portable room AC I take with me when I'm going to be somewhere hot and will have hookups. Weighs about 40lbs and works pretty good. Only have to bring it when I need it

[WME]

Is your radiator 1 row or 2 row??

[Odyssey 4x4]

Is your radiator 1 row or 2 row??

If it's the same CSF I have, it's 3 row.

[chefdave]

Hi
removed my roof top a/c estimated weight 30-40kg. feels better on road less tilting on corners pulls slightly better up hill less likely to kick down. Less twitchy in cross winds. no real mpg improvement

[zero]

The following are things I'm thinking of removing:

- roof 110 A/C unit (I mistakenly said "Cabin A/c" in the title of this topic)

- couch (will replace with a sheet of plywood which would accept trundle bed pads if we have a guest)

- awning (seems like overkill big on our Dolphin - may go to something small and simpler/lighter for shade)

- shorten electrical cord (bring along heavy duty extension cord if we ever want to plug in)

- gut heavier metal pieces out of not-used-at-all oven and convert space to storage

- Other things to remove?

Cheers

The Coleman Mach 1 I removed from my Minicruiser weighs 85 lbs. The Fantastic fan I replaced it with weighs 14 lbs. 71 lb. saving.

I cut the lead-cable off my RV but not to save weight. I made it only 2 feet long. Makes it easy to plug into the DC to AC inverter inside the camper and power all the AC outlets. When that rare time comes that I'm at a campground with AC power - I just use an extension cord. Overall, I assume very little weight saved.

Pretty hard to make a weight difference that's substantial enough to notice and still have the RV useful as an RV. Mine gets heavier all the time and I can't say I notice any difference on hill climbs or MPGs. Changing the rear axle ratio and cutting down on wind resistance is apt to help more overall. The awning IS heavy and also causes quite a bit of wind resistance. So do the big rear-view mirrors. Cutting the weight is hardly going to change anything when going down the flat highway. Hill climbs - yeah - but I doubt you can cut enough to hardly notice.

[Bob C]

I dumped the roof a/c to cut weight, wind resistance, and gain interior head room. I installed a Maxxfan and love it. We never used the A/C and almost never camp with hook-ups.

I keep about 5 gallons of water in my fresh tank and never haul water in the waste tanks. We have never even used the toilet but it is there in case of an emergency.

Cutting the amount of clothing can save weight,

Things that I take that weigh quite a bit: tools, jumper cables, a good hydraulic jack, camp chairs, stabilizing jacks. I have helped out many people with the tools and jack. You would be surprised at how many people take off on a trip without checking to see if they have a jack that will fit their trailer and no lug wrench for the trailer. On our trip to Yellowstone, I jump started 2 vehicles the first week.

[twoblocked]

Regarding trans temp sensor, where is your sensor located? ........ Now I am wondering where the best location for the sensor is. Suggestions?

I installed my temp sensor in the pan, brazed in a fitting for it. (you need to be very mindfull of the location as you could accidently screw the sensor into a working piece of the transmission) There is discussion on this forum about placement, some say install in the outflow, some say install on the return, I say install one where you can, these temps are all relative.

So sorry to hear about your transmission failure. I hope everything worked out.

[FredNewell]

Slightly off topic, but related...

Whatsa used roof air worth on CList??? Any experience?

[zero]

Slightly off topic, but related...

Whatsa used roof air worth on CList??? Any experience?

There were two here in NY offered for free on Craigslist within the past month. Both ads said they were working.

[zero]

I just added 160 watts of solar to my Minicruiser roof. Two 80 watt panels. Total weight - 66 lbs. But I added a 3000 watt inverter and a 2nd house battery to go along with the solar so that adds another 80 lbs.

[Gary_M]

Hot water heater. That is a good one. Just drain before driving?

I have a 6 gallon tank so that's some weight loss. Not sure how yours is setup. I have shut-off valves that would keep it from pulling water from my regular water tank. Just draining it might pull the little water you have reserved from you main tank.

[stevlars]

I just looked back at the order for the radiator: CSF, 2-row/AMR 850.

I'm interested in the idea of adding a "second" trans cooler. Definitely want a trans fluid temp gauge. Again, where is the best place to locate the trans fluid temp sensor?

Thanks for all the advice. The roof A/C and awning are definitely coming off. This forum is great!

Steve

[stevlars]

Got it on the location of the trans temp sensor. I'll put some thought into it before I attempt anything.

[WME]

If you have an external cooler adding another one is a chance for leaks. Instead install a new larger single unit. A flat plate cooler is approximately 30% more efficient that a round tube design.

On my Escaper I installed one. With some design work I installed it in front of the AC condenser. I also had it flowing in series with the factory cooler in the radiator.

Climbing a 10,000ft pass in the summer, pulling a 5x8ft enclosed trailer. My transmission temps were in the 210 range. The temp sensor was mounted in the transmission output line.

[stevlars]

If you have an external cooler adding another one is a chance for leaks. Instead install a new larger single unit. A flat plate cooler is approximately 30% more efficient that a round tube design.

On my Escaper I installed one. With some design work I installed it in front of the AC condenser. I also had it flowing in series with the factory cooler in the radiator.

Climbing a 10,000ft pass in the summer, pulling a 5x8ft enclosed trailer. My transmission temps were in the 210 range. The temp sensor was mounted in the transmission output line.

Thanks for the input. I think I'll try installing the temp sensor & gauge to see what the temps are before deciding on another trans cooler.

[WME]

Sounds like a plan.

Just how hot is your engine temp during a long climb? Many toys go to the over 1/2 way mark

[jmowrey]

I look at it as a budget balancing situation. I try to remove some weight when I add some. Leave a little fresh water behind on the trips I want to take firewood along. Keep the fuel tanks less than full. My Dolphin has an auxiliary tank that brings my total fuel supply to 34 gallons. I don't fill up for trips I know won't use that much fuel.

And I believe the little things can add up. I removed two useless old speakers mounted into the factory locations in my coach. Four pounds gone. The fold down step at the entry (used to create a step-less floor surface in front of the stove) was something we never used. I took it out. Another four pounds gone. I will also be removing the heavy cast iron pull out entry step. We use a much more useful plastic step stool. It has two steps instead of one and though I haven't weighed the cast iron step yet, I don't doubt it will be significant.

[stevlars]

On a lark today, I removed the couch from the Dolphin (ours is a model 300, so has the long couch/bed in the middle of the camper). Only took me about 15 minutes to remove it. It came out in three pieces which totalled 76lbs. I was a little surprised that it weighed this much, but it does have a steel frame. Now, on to removing other things...

[stevlars]

Sounds like a plan.

Just how hot is your engine temp during a long climb? Many toys go to the over 1/2 way mark

Unless we were driving at night the engine temp gauge will climb to about 3/4 or a little above. I haven't let it past that as I will pull off and let the engine cool for at least 30 minutes. I've done this on a couple of long climbs, one of which was from Panaca to Pioche, Nevada in mid-90 degree heat. For major passes this last trip, I drove at night. We went from Page, AZ to Mexican Hat and up the Moki Dugway (up to 10% grades) to Cedar Mesa. On the way back, I descended in near darkness to the Colorado River to Hanksville to Capital Reef/Torrey, over some major mtns to Esclante and on up to near Bryce National Park arriving some time after 1am. The temp gauge did fine climbing over 9,000ft. when temps were below 80 degrees. My hope with lightening the load is that we can reach a point where the Dolphin will stay cool at warmer temps. If not, I don't mind driving late as traffic tends to be very light and temps are cooler.

[stevlars]

I look at it as a budget balancing situation. I try to remove some weight when I add some. Leave a little fresh water behind on the trips I want to take firewood along. Keep the fuel tanks less than full. My Dolphin has an auxiliary tank that brings my total fuel supply to 34 gallons. I don't fill up for trips I know won't use that much fuel.

And I believe the little things can add up. I removed two useless old speakers mounted into the factory locations in my coach. Four pounds gone. The fold down step at the entry (used to create a step-less floor surface in front of the stove) was something we never used. I took it out. Another four pounds gone. I will also be removing the heavy cast iron pull out entry step. We use a much more useful plastic step stool. It has two steps instead of one and though I haven't weighed the cast iron step yet, I don't doubt it will be significant.

I too am going to replace the cast iron steps with something else. Not sure what, yet.

[stevlars]

I would hesitate to take off the awning if you are getting rid of the AC. That awning is going to help keep your rig cooler and more liveable too. You park that side of the rig facing the sun which reduces the heat build up. If you have a screen room for it you can hang out there in the evenings and even sleep out there if needed. If it is raining outside you are not stuck being indoors in a very small space all day. Plus you can cook outside instead of heating up the interior with the stove. You can curtain off a corner under the awning and use it for an outdoor shower/dressing room. To me an awning essentially can be used to double the living small in a small RV and that is certainly worth the extra weight.

The awning on our Dolphin was an afterthought - a rather costly one at that (I have the receipt for what it and installation cost). It seems like an awning you would put on a bigger rv. I want something to provide shade in the desert, but something smaller and lightweight. Being able to attach and secure to the Dolphin would be nice, but I also might be nice to have it free-standing. This last trip we ran into sand flees that were small enough to penetrate the Dophin's screens. An attachable/detachable screen house that we could sit in and possibly sleep in on hot desert nights.

[WME]

More random thoughts

Make sure that you have a good 15lbs radiator cap, and use a proper anti freeze mix. 230 deg won't hurt anything if everything is up to suff. So we're back to slow a bit and let the engine rev is a lower gear.

What kills an engine is when the coolant boils and forms steam pockets inside the engine. Steam conducts far less heat than liquid. A higher pressure radiator cap and a proper anti freeze mix won't boil until 267 deg

My Escaper has a 3 row brass radiator.

Go to Ebay and search for Bag Awning in the RV parts. A pop up works OK but you have to store ti somewhere.

[stevlars]

More random thoughts

Make sure that you have a good 15lbs radiator cap, and use a proper anti freeze mix. 230 deg won't hurt anything if everything is up to suff. So we're back to slow a bit and let the engine rev is a lower gear.

What kills an engine is when the coolant boils and forms steam pockets inside the engine. Steam conducts far less heat than liquid. A higher pressure radiator cap and a proper anti freeze mix won't boil until 267 deg

My Escaper has a 3 row brass radiator.

Go to Ebay and search for Bag Awning in the RV parts. A pop up works OK but you have to store ti somewhere.

Thanks. I'll check the rad cap and coolant mix. I did the search for "bag awning" and I see that there are lots of options. Thanks!

[zero]

. Definitely want a trans fluid temp gauge. Again, where is the best place to locate the trans fluid temp sensor?

Depends on what your definition of "best" is. My preference is to read the temp of the hottest oil in the trans and that's going to be in the output line going TO the heater/cooler in the radiator. Many companies that sell gauge kits will tell you to install in return line that gives you are reading of the oil AFTER it's cooled. Not what I want to know. A Tee-fitting in the output line is what I regard as "best" for the info I want. Putting one in a clutch-pressure test port or the oil pan is another way to do it. Sensor at the bottom of the trans in the pan will not give you a reading of the hottest oil though. Oil in the pan is oil that has just been cooled and being sucked up by the pump to be sent through the trans to get heated again.

In regard to extra or bigger coolers - I suspect that at least with my rig - a bigger cooler would not do much unless it had fans with a thermal switch. I say that because the only time my trans has gotten up to 230 is when climbing a steep hill very slowly. Slow enough where I doubt air-flow is very good on the cooler. Recovery is very fast. My trans temp can reach 230 when I get to the top of a hill but once on the flats - it only takes a few minutes to cool right down to 170-190F.