loop Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Good evening I am a proud owner of a 1983 toyota dolphin motorhome 4-speed trans since beginning of 2007. Unfortunately, I have not used it as much as I have wanted to. It is in very good mechanical shape because it came from New Mexico and was used over the years and did not just sit around like some have. Because I have not used it for camping/sleeping/living etc, the inside is a big project however. I am trying to weigh my options since I will be moving form the Massachusetts area. Since the inside is not in great shap I was considering the option of using it as a hauling vehicle to move my things to my new location. I am not sure how much weight it can bear but I have seen Uhaul use these same trucks. The rear axle had been replaced and it now has the 6 lug nut rear axle, not the 5 which I believe is a crucial factor in deciding whether it can take the weight. I am not very certain however, and wondered whether any Toyota camper doctors out there had any ideas/comments/concerns. Thank you much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodybagger Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Good eveningI am a proud owner of a 1983 toyota dolphin motorhome 4-speed trans since beginning of 2007. Unfortunately, I have not used it as much as I have wanted to. It is in very good mechanical shape because it came from New Mexico and was used over the years and did not just sit around like some have. Because I have not used it for camping/sleeping/living etc, the inside is a big project however. I am trying to weigh my options since I will be moving form the Massachusetts area. Since the inside is not in great shap I was considering the option of using it as a hauling vehicle to move my things to my new location. I am not sure how much weight it can bear but I have seen Uhaul use these same trucks. The rear axle had been replaced and it now has the 6 lug nut rear axle, not the 5 which I believe is a crucial factor in deciding whether it can take the weight. I am not very certain however, and wondered whether any Toyota camper doctors out there had any ideas/comments/concerns. Thank you much There is a big weight difference between the U-haul box and the little fiberglass house. I pulled my 1987 mini-cruiser over the truck scales and weighed just under 4,000lb rear and about 1,250lb front - completely empty. No water, provisions, luggage, or anything. I don't remember the exact weight, but it will vary from model to model anyway. I would not load the rear axle very far above 4,000lb. I suggest you top off the fuel tank and drive it to a truck stop and pull across the scales. It might cost 5 bucks if you're not buying a hundred gallons of diesel fuel. Make sure they give you axle weights, not gross vehicle weight. And if you have the 6 lug 1 ton axle, try to keep it under 2 tons. If you intentionally overload it, try to keep the weight forward and drive slower to decrease impact loading on the axle. Note that adding 1 lb in the extreme rear adds 2 lb to the rear axle load and subtracts 1 lb from the front axle... (rule of thumb). 1 lb centered over the rear axle adds 1 lb to rear axle load only. 1 lb added halfway between rear and front axles increases the load on each by 0.5 lb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loop Posted March 9, 2009 Author Share Posted March 9, 2009 So do those old Uhaul Toyotas have different rear axle capacity then? Basically, is the 1 ton 6 lug axle the strongest one offered by toyota? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keitholivier Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 The single wall box on the back of the U haul weighs a lot less than the "MDF+Siding+insulation+sheathing" of the Dolphin. Not to mention the weight of the oven, heater, inverter/battery/shower/toilet/grey-black water tanks/fresh water tank/cabinets/closet/sofa/benches/captains chairs. It would be like comparing the weight of a empty garden trailer, to the same trailer with a full load of trash on it... Most of the MH's tend to be totally maxed out or over gross weight. The U haul basically just has the chassis, fuel tank and aluminum box sitting on it. The difference is the amount you can load into it. Even if your MH is gutted, the construction of the walls and roof doesn't match. And did you tear out the old stuff under the floor (black/grey/fresh water tanks & plumbing ? How would you get anything sizeable into the beast ? Surely the side door is too narrow ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loop Posted March 9, 2009 Author Share Posted March 9, 2009 Thank you for your patience and please excuse my ignorance. At this point I don't have many options. I am relocating so I can either sell it the way it is (has some water damage) or Strip all the junk out of it and use it as a moving truck (unless you don't recommend it) or (less likely) spend some time fixing it up although this might be costly because the roof needs to repaired. (BTW, I was told not to mess with the roof. Does anyone know why it would be so complicated?) Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loop Posted March 15, 2009 Author Share Posted March 15, 2009 There is a big weight difference between the U-haul box and the little fiberglass house.I pulled my 1987 mini-cruiser over the truck scales and weighed just under 4,000lb rear and about 1,250lb front - completely empty. No water, provisions, luggage, or anything. I don't remember the exact weight, but it will vary from model to model anyway. I would not load the rear axle very far above 4,000lb. I suggest you top off the fuel tank and drive it to a truck stop and pull across the scales. It might cost 5 bucks if you're not buying a hundred gallons of diesel fuel. Make sure they give you axle weights, not gross vehicle weight. And if you have the 6 lug 1 ton axle, try to keep it under 2 tons. If you intentionally overload it, try to keep the weight forward and drive slower to decrease impact loading on the axle. Note that adding 1 lb in the extreme rear adds 2 lb to the rear axle load and subtracts 1 lb from the front axle... (rule of thumb). 1 lb centered over the rear axle adds 1 lb to rear axle load only. 1 lb added halfway between rear and front axles increases the load on each by 0.5 lb. yes i do have the 6 lug 1 ton axle isn't that better for weight purposes? why then keep it under 2 tons (4000lb) when you earlier mentioned more. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 Ugh 1 ton = 2000lb, 4000lb is a bit overloaded already. The normal toy is a 1/2 ton truck, the 6 bolt takes it up to a full ton capacity. So adding a house on the back takes it to grossly overloaded even though its empty. Removing the house stuff (stove, water heater, toilet)is only going to reduce the weight by 500lb or so, I mean an empty water tank does not weigh much. If your gonna do it, put the heavy stuff low and between the front and rear axles. Light stuff behind the rear axle and lighter stuff in the cab over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bajadulce Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Removing the house stuff (stove, water heater, toilet)is only going to reduce the weight by 500lb or so.That seems like a good estimate. I agree, the house stuff doesn't weigh that much. It's all the "necessities" that we all bring on board that weigh us down. If your gonna do it, put the heavy stuff low and between the front and rear axles. Light stuff behind the rear axle and lighter stuff in the cab over.That makes sense. We should pack our motorhomes this way too. I think when I redesign my new interior, I'll take your advice. Right now my marine batteries are conveniently located in the storage space under my rear dining seating. Guess they'd do better in front of the wheel wells not behind them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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