bestbowl

Thanks. Are you positive that it is not part #1130? as 2115 shows for a later year (1993+)?

My left airbag blew on me and now I'm slanted! I cannot find airbags for this to save my life. My mechanic says he'll just take out the airbags and put in heavy duty 5000 pound springs for $1000.00 (parts & labor). I cannot imagine paying $1000.00 just to replace a little piece of popped rubber. Anyone have any ideas such as where to get some rubbers or if I should just go with the thousand dollar springs? Also if I can find these airbags what's the average/ max I should pay in labor to have them installed? And; anyone know the gross weight of the 1987 21 foot Dolphin? Much thanks in advance.

Hello, I have an 87 Dolphin and none of the AC power is working (sockets, air conditioner). All the fuses and wiring look good and I have tripped the breakers several times (the breakers were not tripped/ off to begin with). I just bought it and the AC power has never worked for me. I was wondering if this is common and if there is something that I should check first (i.e. dead power converter etc)? Thanks in advance for any ideas!

Hey Bob, Is your hitch 37" or 39"? Thanks

Wow, that's serious...

Yeah, I think I will have to take it to U-Haul or somewhere to see if they have something that will work. I think most receivers are special order specific to vehicle so it may be tough. I know the frame is 37" wide so maybe one of those latter ones you linked may work. Bob up above says a '92 Dodge Caravan is the ticket. Maybe I'll check into that... Do you have links to those first two small receivers just for kicks?

I have been checking into receivers like the two small bolt on type at the top of your post to bolt onto the steel tongue just behind the bumper that's welded very heavily to the frame and is very solid. The only problem I can see encountering is that the tongue is only 2" wide then it intersects with the rear of the bumper. Unless the bolts on either of these receivers are 1" apart then the front bolt will be over the bumper. I suppose I could bolt the rear bolt of the receiver into the steel tongue and the front into the bumper but I'd rather keep all weight off of the bumper. I don't know... What do you think? Also do you have links for these two receivers? Thanks

Thanks. The problem with all these bumper type hitches is that not only is the bumper on 80's Dolphins extremely weak but there is absolutely no clearance between the back wall tongue frame and the bumper itself. It is impossible to put anything around the bumper. It is basically connected to the back wall of the Dolphin.

The ladder seems to be a more chinsey attachment than the bumper weld- I can shake it around. It seems just bolted into the aluminum with small bolts. The bikes weigh 50 pounds a piece. I cannot imagine 100 pounds dangling from the spare tire or the ladder... Neither attachment is too solid.

The bumper (and I thought all of the 80's bumpers) have no clearance between the rear of the bumper and the steel tongue that is attached to the frame. There is no gap between the rear wall of the camper to the front of the bumper which would make it impossible to get a bracket or u-bolt around the bumper...

How did you get that around the bumper? My bumper (and I thought all of the 80's bumpers) have no clearance between the rear of the bumper and the steel tongue that is attached to the frame. There is no gap between the rear wall of the camper to the front of the bumper.

Wow, that sounds nasty for just a little bike rack. I was hoping to just bolt into the frame or the little 2 inch steel tongue the is welded to the frame (behind the bumper). I am not much of a welder. What do you figure a project like this would cost to get down professionally? Thanks

Yeah, it's been a long tough search. Ridiculous... Bikes are a must with a Dolphin. We should invent something and become millionaires. We'd have a monopoly. By-the-way. I did "upgrade" my bikes. That's why they way 50 pounds each. They are lithium ion cell powered and can do a 60 mile run at 30 miles per hour...

I figured as much although I won't be "towing". I will be carrying bicycles. I would think that after 30 years of Dolphining someone would have come up with something for carrying bikes... I could not imagine driving an RV any distance without bring along a bike or two. Anyway I was hoping it would be old news in a forum like this and someone would have figured out that an '87 Toyota Silverado (or whatever) hitch is the same. I suppose I am overly optimistic ;-)

Hello, I have been searching the net for weeks in a failed attempt to find some sort (any sort) of trailer hitch receiver that I could mount on an 87 Dolphin. It seems impossible without constructing one from scratch and welding it... Does anyone know of a hitch receiver that I could use that would hold a bike rack and 100 pounds of (heavy) bicycles. The Dolphin has the standard 4 inch square bumper but it is attached very close ( 2 mm ) from a piece of steel welded to the frame which I believe eliminates the use of the standard Curt bumper receiver which I am not even sure I should use being that the bumper is not too solid anyway. I assume I need some type of standard universal hitch receiver I just don't know which one would be best and obviously I'd rather not drill and weld... Maybe I ask too much. Much thanks in advance for any ideas.