GypsyWindTraveler

Hey =) one of your covers wouldnt happen to be one of the larger 17x24 ones would it? (I think its about that size) our overhead vent above our bed is the larger one and its been cracked and leaking and we got sprayed with the sprinklers a few nights ago and decided its time to reach out and try to find one lol... ~~~`Eli

They are really only 100 pounds? iv been told by at least a half dozen RV goers over the last few months that my AC is 400+ pounds... mayhap I have a very large one or something? if its only 100 pounds thats going to make my job much easier =) Thanks for the info!

Its Big, Heavy, and im never going to use it!!... I was told the weigh like 400 pounds or something? Whats the best way to get rid of this thing? we need extra load weight for the summer, we have a 1984 toyota dolphin. maybe someone here wants it? not sure if it works or not, we never have hookups too power. not really sure if its hard to disconet or anything I should be wary of? -=^..^=- Thanks

has anyone here switched to a solar powered refrigerator? Iv seen this one popping up online lately but am about $2,000 away from haivng it lol. We want to take out the old 4 burner stove/oven and take out the propane fridge on our 84 dolphin and replace it with this solar fridge/chest freezer thing.. http://www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/spinoff2003/er_1.html wondering if anyone has one and if they like it

Hey Shanda, Congratz on your new sunrader and welcome too the fourms! Its good too see musicians and artists picking up these old rigs to use.. Im kinda sad that im selling my 84 sunrader =( It just got too small for my girlfriend, myself, and my kitty and all our gypsy toys and instruments lol... part of me wants to hold onto it to use again someday but we are probebly going to sell it to get some solar panels and a solar fridge.. anyways.... hopefully we will cross your path sometime so we can enjoy some of your music! hope it all goes smothly for you! blessings to you as well friend! ~~~Eli & Gwen & our little gypsy kitty

Iv only really been keeping an eye out on RV's for about 2 years now but I havnt seen something like this before http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/rvs/637845216.html he claims its only 17ft long, its a Toyota RV.... is it just a really small dolphin type? pre the one piece fiberglass of the sunraders? It looks small and cute =)

also was wondering if anyone had any helpful tips on where to go for information on how to build solar ovens and the such, finding only limted information in my searches.

We recently purchased a 1984 dolphin. It has a roof AC that seams like its heavy and pretty worthless too me since you apparently have to have it conected to a hookup for it too have enough power to run. Iv been living out of a sunrader now a dolphin for 2 years and have only hooked up to someones power once or twice.  So I really dont see myself useing the AC ever. and the smae goes for the oven. Im going to be doing most of my cooking from a Wok and only need one burner on the stove for that. And the Oven is nice but I will only very rarely use it. so I thought maybe Ill take out the roof AC. And put in a custom solar oven with the reflectors on the roof where the AC was and a attachable box for the interior we can place our food in too cook. Does anyone know if the roof AC's are easy too take out? or what size the hole left would be? ~~`Gypsy wind Traveler ~Eli

Congratz on the new RV, We too just purchased a 1984 Dolphin with a rear dinette style floorplan. We are loving this layout so much! Our stove is super noisey as we drive around, we live in our dolphin and so use it for daily driving. We are still trying to figure out a good way to quiet it down. As far as converting the rear dinette into a Bed. in ours at least the table poped straight up and off of the poles and the poles pulled straight out of the floorboards. Nothing was screwed in or latched. The table didnt really fit as the piece to convert the area into a bed so we took the measurments and went to home depot to get wood cut. We kinda converted out back area into a workshop/lounge with a few hinged compartments. Someone told me that it should have come with a extra board that fits there. I asume ours was just lost over the years. Hope you find the questions to your answers and hope you enjoy your dolphin as much as we are!

hey Allen, How would I go about finding more information on the Norcold refridge? I am looking for something that works so I dont have too keep the camper level, I live in a dolphin and we are never ever ever level. So I cant use the fridge =(

do you have to buy online? or is there somewhere in SD you found it? We are just now tackeling the black water tank issue...

This is something that I would be very interested in seeing, as me and my girl live in our RV sometimes we need to have good advice where to go to get things fixed up.

Awsome!, thank you for the info, the link didnt work, do you have another by chance? anything I can learn about it is much welcomed. Im still alittle afraid of all the propane hookups. They run the fridge, water heater, and furance im told. found some of the copper tubeing so far while replacing the interior wood. They look in good order but im wary of propane. im hopeing i can find someone to help me hook it all up for the first time. Thanks again!. We just put the first coat of sealent on the aluminum roof and replaced some 1/4 inch pannels on the interior where water damage was. ~~~Gypsy wind

 ya I thought it was going to be hard to switch from driving the sunrader to driving the dolphin but honestly, it feels about the same. I actually feel a little more confident in driveing this one.... I think the roof of the dolphin is tin? someone told me. Im trying to think if it would be a good idea to redo the fiberglass on our old sunrader before trying to sell it off.

Me and my wonderful girlfriend and our kitty just moved from our 18ft sunrader to a 20ft dolphin with a really comfy uperbed area and a bathroom and kitchen. These Dolphins are incredible! Drives so smoothly. We lucked out and ours is a 1984 with 33,000 on the engin. We got it for a pretty low price beacuse of the roof leaks but Iv already repaneled the interior roof with 1/4inch red oak panels. We are soon going to get to work on the roofs exterior and with covering the interior with small patches of gypsy fabrics =) I cant even begin to describe my excitment for having this much more space to work in. Iv already started sketching out ideas for turning the back table area into a loung with a art/workspace. We have already replaced the wood where the back benches are and are working on replacing the wood up against the window so I can have some shelfs and storage for my leatherwork tools and supplies. We have all working tanks, and we think the stove and fridge work but Im still not quite sure how all of the Propane hookups work. Or the Electrical. Is there anyone out here in Southern California who is comfertable with the workings of a Dolphin? or could point me towards how to safely check all the propane hookups? this is a very exciting week for us =) ~~~the Gypsy Wind Traveler.

about how much does the whole process of buying and having a rear axel put on cost? I just spent another $900 getting the leaf springs replaced this last week, and am not out of income and out of $... im guessing having the read axel replaced is another $1,000+ I think the both of us living out of it with all of our art materials (im a leatherworker) will probebly be about the weight limit.... Thank you all for all the information. This is something iv been worrying about alot lately since we live in this full time. Iv already been in one really bad car accident, I definitly dont need my home tumbeling off the road as well. Im going to try to find somewhere to weigh it at once it gets back from the shop this week...

Thank you for the info Dennis, Thats what I was afraid of, mayhap ill think about putting a larger vent we can crank open in it. do you happen to know anywhere online with designs or ideas for larger vents such as that? thanks again!

Ill definitly keep an eye out for the 6 lug axel. Hopefully I can find one at some point. Iv definitly been rethinking what I carry in the RV. I definitly want to cut down the weight. But seeing as me and my girlfriend live out of it, vend out of it, make our art in it, we have to carry alot of stuff around. mayhap we should trade/sell it and get a larger one sometime soon lol

On my 18ft I have two tires on each side on the rear axel but only 5 bolts. Is there a single tire rear axel with 5 bolts as well? or do all the 5 bolt style have two wheels like the floater axel style? thanks again for the info!

I was currious if any has had experience cutting and manipulating and changing the fiberglass on the older sunraders. I have a 1982 18ft sunrader that needs just a little more space inside. Would it be possible to cut the fiberglass directly behind the upper front windows and add about 2 feet of material in between the window area and the seal and then reseal it all together... The upper bed area is just extreamly small and not really enough space to sit upright in there. this would probebly be a project I would be tackeling by myself as soon as I find a piece of property to use for a bit.

I am getting the Leaf Springs on my 18ft Sunrader replaced and was told that I should have to worry that the Axel is a 5 lug nut type. They seamed to know about the recall of the 5 nut type of axels and told me that since my camper is only 18ft and that im getting new leaf springs on it that the new suspension will make it so that I dont have to worry about getting the axel replaced. It makes sense to me, If heard a few people say that the 18ft type are fine and not to worry about them breaking. Was just curious if others thing this was a good idea or if I should still try to find a way to get the axel replaced as well.

Hello! I have a 18ft Sunrader that I have been living out of for the last year. But now it is me, my partner and our kitty living out of it as well as trying to do our artwork and vend out of it. I bought the vehical for about $3,000 and have put several $2,000 into mantinace and repairs. We are looking to try to trade it in for something just a little larger. If anyone is interested please let me know. I love this little 18ft model, but for the three of us it is getting just a bit cramped....

I am getting two difernt solar powered roof vents and a Solar Powered Fan for my Sunrader later this week. Has anyone had experience installing these? I have never cut any holes in the fiberglass/roofing so im kind of hesitant to just start away at it. Does anyone know any places to get information on how to do this for first timers? Im sooo excited to finally be getting some ventilation and a fan on here! *does a lil dance* -=^..^=-

Your sunrader there looks beautiful. Im definitly going too have too pull out the windows to reseal them.. Im just a little bit scared that im going to break the windows pulling them out. This is really my first RV/Camper and I live in it so I dont really want too be without a window somewhere if it breaks. Do you know of any site with step by step instructions on how to do this? or mayhap know someone in CA that I might be able to trade/bargin with to help me with this process? I so wish I had one of thoes scaffolds in your photo. That would make repainting this Black Beast a way easier job as well!!!! Thanks for the info! -=^..^=-

hmm... I didnt know that propane lasted that long when running a small ridge... I thought I would have too replace tanks every weekish.. .Ill definitly look into a small one from a slavage place. Thank you greatly! -=^..^=-