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Old 02-01-2014, 11:49 AM   #1
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Question Lightweight RV'ing: ideas and things you've discovered

Hey Gang,

Forum has been pretty quiet so I thought I'd toss this out there and see what we get. Some of us have to be more mindful of our CCC's than others. Some of us have plenty of CCC but need to worry about the combo load on the tow vehicle. Maybe some of us just like to pack light. At any rate, if you've been mindful of your gear what types of things have you used or substituted in the interest of packing lighter?

For instance, just because I have the full amenities of kitchen in my unit doesn't necessarily mean that I need to pack a Corelle place setting for 8 when a stack of paper plates and red solo cups will do just fine. I don't necessarily need a full compliment of pots when my camp cookware still works just as well on the stove as it did the Coleman camp stove.

Here is mine so far:

Aforementioned paper plates and red solo cups
Big Agnes Chair One camp chairs (2lbs each !): https://www.bigagnes.com/Products/De.../chaironeblack
Big Agnes 3 Forks Shelter (7lbs 11oz):
https://www.bigagnes.com/Products/De...eeforksshelter
Keeping only the 18oz jar of Happy Camper in the trailer instead of a huge bucket of it. Use only the huge bucket to refill the 18oz jar as needed:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=A4O7Q1XKDUHQV
Microfiber Towels instead of the big bulky ones:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

So lets have at it. What are you using that is functional and weight conscious?
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Old 02-01-2014, 12:20 PM   #2
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For outside and breakfast cooking - we use an electric griddle with a power cord home run to the pedestal (so I don't overload the TT electric service) ...If I'm grilling - it's over a campfire. This setup saved us about 20-25# over a gas grill...

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Old 02-01-2014, 12:23 PM   #3
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We got the microfiber towels for a trip to Haiti but did not think of them for our camper. When we had our popup we were space conscious so we bought some smaller stuff. For our new camper we might take some more but since we have not gotten everything weighed yet we don't know how efficient we need to be.

We still have some stuff from our tent camping days so we will probably use them. I did get so e advice on things from th long long honey moon (have to google it)
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Old 02-01-2014, 12:27 PM   #4
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We use a lightweight screen tent vs an "EZ-Up" Canopy....that shaves about 40-50# off the payload....

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Old 02-01-2014, 12:44 PM   #5
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Upgrading to aluminum rims shaved about 15# off my dead weight....

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Changing out my WDH to a proper set-up shaved off a whopping 50#!!!!

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Old 02-01-2014, 12:59 PM   #6
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Instead of installing additional frame mounted stabilizers - I purchased Camco's Aluminum Jacks. This saved about 8-10# and I'm really happy with how rock solid the TT is now...

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Old 02-01-2014, 01:27 PM   #7
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I don't travel with anything in the fresh water, black water, gray water or hot water tanks whenever possible....that's up to 350# weight savings for my rig.
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Old 02-01-2014, 02:13 PM   #8
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For this year I purchased Swagmans (2) Bike Rack which we will use as a lightweight and versatile platform for Bikes (or) Tote (or) Wet Outdoor Mats....etc. By removing the spare tire from the bumper and going "minimalistic" with the rack and (2) aluminum bikes - the net add was only 35# on the bumper....except now the weight is distributed across the length of the bumper.

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Having the option to carry bikes (without adding a lot of weight) this camping season is a big victory for us....
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Old 02-01-2014, 07:52 PM   #9
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I leave my teenagers at home… this gets rid of a lot of dead weight and attitude too ..lol.. Seriously though, when we are on the road and want to keep the weight down, I switch out to ultralight lawn chairs, and leave the screen tent at home. If I need to I could dump half my dishes.. (I have dishes for 12,) a bunch f dvd's, decorative accessories and extra bedding, and I could try to shop for just one day of groceries at a time. We have been guilty of buying cases of pop "on sale" but then not considering the weight involved as we haul them all over the USA. The barb Q is heavy, but I havn't sacrificed it yet. I do go through my trailer each spring and unload anything we havn't used for a while, so it is an ongoing process.
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Old 02-01-2014, 09:37 PM   #10
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I'm with Lady Wendolyn. I take what I want but aggressively pare the things that don't get used. Also have a pack for just me vs. when I have the kids. Reduces blankets, towels, etc.
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Old 02-01-2014, 10:07 PM   #11
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We don't shop until we get close to our destination when we're going more than 100 miles. No reason to lug food/ice for 5 across the country. In the words of Will Smith, "Dey got food dere".
We also don't fill the fresh tank until we're close. 2x one gallon jugs allow us to flush the toilet in transit. Same goes for the generator gas cans.
We ditched physical media a long time ago, a WDTV Live with a 256GB SSD allows us to take a good portion of our movie/tv library with us in a portable, light-weight, power friendly package.
I went from a large plastic do-everything toolbox to small purpose-built pouch.
I ditched the lego style leveling blocks for plain old wood. It's much lighter.
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Old 02-02-2014, 07:32 AM   #12
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Another area I've tried to focus on is "dual purpose" items to avoid / reduce extra weight. If you own a bigger rig - you probably throw a bottle jack and a four-way lug wrench in the TT for emergencies. That's upwards of 8-10# of payload I'd rather have for other things...

My TV scissor jack and TT Camco Aluminum stabilizer jacks are abundantly adequate to lift and secure the TT if I need to change a tire. My lug nuts for the TT now match my TV so I don't need two different lug wrenches.
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Old 02-02-2014, 07:13 PM   #13
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When I changed from my popup to my 184BH, almost everything carried over. Since then, I have added way more to my camper than I thought i would. I am probably carrying around 100 bounds of extra stuff. I need to re-access my needs. Ill probably start with toolbox, and work my way down.

I only travel with minimum water for toilet and hand washing on the road.

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Old 02-02-2014, 08:27 PM   #14
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My wife and I spent years camping with what fit in the trunk of a Buick SkyHawk. After that there's not much I can do to make my 4400lb trailer light. Mostly I try to bring less stuff.
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Old 02-05-2014, 05:23 PM   #15
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Along the vane of "multi-purpose - multi-use" I carry (2) 5 gallon buckets with snap-on lids. One I keep my water products in (regulator, hoses, filter system, etc.)...the other bucket holds the "nasties" (charcoal, fire starters, muddy boots, sewer gloves, whatever). The buckets are lightweight and stand-up perfectly underneath my bunks for storage, the lids seal airtight, and at the campsite you can use them for firewood, campfire dousing, step stools, trash cans, rinsing, footstools........
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Old 02-05-2014, 06:40 PM   #16
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That's a good idea about the buckets. I like the stool aspect of them. I have Rubbermaid bins but its not quite the same !
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Old 02-06-2014, 12:31 AM   #17
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If I'm travelling far and in the mtns I usually fill my propane tanks closer to the destination. We don't watch tv but have kids movies on an iPad for my son if it's really bad weather and he gets bored of the games. And no water in the tanks till near destination.
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Old 02-06-2014, 07:15 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Threebutchers View Post
For outside and breakfast cooking - we use an electric griddle with a power cord home run to the pedestal (so I don't overload the TT electric service) ...If I'm grilling - it's over a campfire. This setup saved us about 20-25# over a gas grill...

[ATTACH][/ATTACH]

How much does this folding table unit weigh???
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Old 02-06-2014, 12:09 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by Salsa03 View Post
How much does this folding table unit weigh???
It weighs 25lbs....the griddle weighs 1lb....(yes - I've weighed the entire trailer contents - lol)
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Old 02-07-2014, 06:30 AM   #20
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Originally Posted by Threebutchers View Post
For this year I purchased Swagmans (2) Bike Rack which we will use as a lightweight and versatile platform for Bikes (or) Tote (or) Wet Outdoor Mats....etc. By removing the spare tire from the bumper and going "minimalistic" with the rack and (2) aluminum bikes - the net add was only 35# on the bumper....except now the weight is distributed across the length of the bumper.

Attachment 10554 [ATTACH][/ATTACH]

Having the option to carry bikes (without adding a lot of weight) this camping season is a big victory for us....
Wish I could use that rack on my TT, I hate putting bikes inside. Also, you you still carry your spare else where or leave it at home?
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