Weight saving ideas - dual purpose "stuff"

The aircon system must be about 30Kg worth if you dont need it!!
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davep10000 said:
The aircon system must be about 30Kg worth if you dont need it!!
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thanks Dave... on wednesday i am taking van for last minute checks to my old garage who love me and my van.. (me more than the van!!) and i will ask the owner what he thinks and how long it might take, but i would probably have to leave that till i return... but that much 30kg extra storage is well worth having. i cant imagine me using the A/C (even if was capable of being re-gassed) as i understand A/C is only useful when driving and would eat up battery power if stationary. i think i would also have to work out if i have enough spare capacity in my current storage lockers to store an additional 30kgs of stuff if i were to do this.
 
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Going right back to the original thought of dual purpose stuff, I've got a few daft bits and bobs that double up. Nothing earth-shattering or weight-saving but I'll set the ball rolling... I'd love to hear about other people's ideas too.

Obviously, teatowels double as rattle-stoppers when on the move. The pan bit of my dustpan and brush has a strong rubber strip along the edge, so it doubles as a squeegy to clean down the bathroom/shower tray, etc.

I've got a potato peeler that doubles as a cheese slice for sandwiches and the like... this sort of thing.

Peeler.jpg


Love those silicon heat mats... I've got a large one for hot pans etc but it doubles as a non-slip mat on the worktop and to keep the kettle out of mischief when I'm driving. Two smaller ones can be for smaller pans, as coasters or used to get hot double-handled things out of the oven. Talking of which, my grill pan doubles as an oven baking tin and my 2 decent pans can be used on the hob and in the oven but mostly I use a little steamer set which, as someone else said, doubles as a colander. Oh and I've got one of those silicon pan lids that just flop onto any pan.

My cab passenger seat was raised up years ago to swivel, meaning whoever sits there needs a footrest of some kind, or their feet swing like a child in a high chair :) I bought a large, flattish, click-lock storage box for all my sewing, mending, sticking and fixing bits & pieces and that doubles as a footrest and is stored under the seat.

I've got one of those Fiamma awning centre rails that I store upright in the window tie-backs by the passenger seat... it's doubles as my day to day coat hook!

Rather than use a box or folding crate, I've got all my cleaning bits and pieces stored in an old washing up bowl, which doubles as a foot bath or outside dirty jobs bowl, like scrubbing the bbq, etc. Yes, I dettol it after feet have been in there! :lol-053:

I've also got a couple of old phones on board with PAYG sims for different companies to my normal phone... mainly to cover all bases because I'd hate to be stranded alone in the middle of nowhere without a signal. Anyhoo, I put music on these old phones and bluetooth them to a speaker, so they double as media centres.
 
hairydog said:
We use a small, flexible rubber bucket to store cleaning materials. Very useful, very adaptable.
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Excellent idea HD but I get teased a lot for being an epic cleaner... afraid a bucket wouldn't be big enough for me! :raofl:
I do have a squishable bucket in my locker though and that's used for all sorts.
 
Minisorella said:
Going right back to the original thought of dual purpose stuff, I've got a few daft bits and bobs that double up. Nothing earth-shattering or weight-saving but I'll set the ball rolling... I'd love to hear about other people's ideas too.

Obviously, teatowels double as rattle-stoppers when on the move. The pan bit of my dustpan and brush has a strong rubber strip along the edge, so it doubles as a squeegy to clean down the bathroom/shower tray, etc.

I've got a potato peeler that doubles as a cheese slice for sandwiches and the like... this sort of thing.

View attachment 67089


Love those silicon heat mats... I've got a large one for hot pans etc but it doubles as a non-slip mat on the worktop and to keep the kettle out of mischief when I'm driving. Two smaller ones can be for smaller pans, as coasters or used to get hot double-handled things out of the oven. Talking of which, my grill pan doubles as an oven baking tin and my 2 decent pans can be used on the hob and in the oven but mostly I use a little steamer set which, as someone else said, doubles as a colander. Oh and I've got one of those silicon pan lids that just flop onto any pan.

My cab passenger seat was raised up years ago to swivel, meaning whoever sits there needs a footrest of some kind, or their feet swing like a child in a high chair :) I bought a large, flattish, click-lock storage box for all my sewing, mending, sticking and fixing bits & pieces and that doubles as a footrest and is stored under the seat.

I've got one of those Fiamma awning centre rails that I store upright in the window tie-backs by the passenger seat... it's doubles as my day to day coat hook!

Rather than use a box or folding crate, I've got all my cleaning bits and pieces stored in an old washing up bowl, which doubles as a foot bath or outside dirty jobs bowl, like scrubbing the bbq, etc. Yes, I dettol it after feet have been in there! :lol-053:

I've also got a couple of old phones on board with PAYG sims for different companies to my normal phone... mainly to cover all bases because I'd hate to be stranded alone in the middle of nowhere without a signal. Anyhoo, I put music on these old phones and bluetooth them to a speaker, so they double as media centres.
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This is one i can definitely so very easily, thank you, i also recently started using my Aldi Bio washing up liquid which i had previously only used for the Cassette for my laundry as well.... DOH ... only took me 2 years to work that one out !!

Thank you
 
hairydog said:
Slats are much better than a board for a bed base, because they allow the mattress to breathe. Otherwise, there will be mould underneath in time.
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To be fair, we only use the front bed occasionally and it uses the couch cushions which I don't think will be particularly breathable. If it was the main bed I would maybe go for slats, although more work than making goalposts out of box steel, drill some holes through the crossbar, clamp the ply to it, drill through and fix it with gutter bolts which are dome headed. Took me half an hour at most, job done. And it is extremely light. Bob.
 
I use 2.4 Bar (35psi) front, 3.0 bar (44psi) rear - which seems about right for road use (This is on the vehicle as recommended as well).
I sometimes go a bit higher on a longer trip, or fully laden - say 2.6 / 3.2 bar.



Dave.
 
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My dog is dual purpose. In fact he has more than two uses:

1. Large hot water bottle if weather is cold.
2. Barks loudly if strangers approach van.
3. Wakes me up in morning if I sleep too long.
4. Makes me go out for healthy exercise even when it is cold and wet.
5. Pre-washes all pots and pans to avoid greasy bits going down the plughole and into the grey waste.
6. Cleans out all jars, plastic containers and tins so I don't have to waste hot water washing them for the recycling.

Although he couldn't really be classed as a weight saving item.
 
Caz said:
My dog is dual purpose. In fact he has more than two uses:

1. Large hot water bottle if weather is cold.
2. Barks loudly if strangers approach van.
3. Wakes me up in morning if I sleep too long.
4. Makes me go out for healthy exercise even when it is cold and wet.
5. Pre-washes all pots and pans to avoid greasy bits going down the plughole and into the grey waste.
6. Cleans out all jars, plastic containers and tins so I don't have to waste hot water washing them for the recycling.

Although he couldn't really be classed as a weight saving item.
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I'm sure you think all this practices are so admirable... but being a non-dog person they fill me with horror to be honest - especially 5 and 6 !!! but you may have been joking about those... who knows ??
 
Why a potato peeler or cheese slices?

A couple of sharp knives, one small one large does it all .

Even thrown out the cork screw.... Screw top bottles or boxes.

Only buy ring pull cans Sono need for a tin opener either.
 
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rockape said:
Your hardly trying to fly a B17 back to an airfield after enemy action over Germany.
By the way ,you have forgotten all of the machine guns, dingys and radio set.
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Agreed the 2 situations can hardly be compared, That's why for instance I wouldn't advocate jettisoning excess diesel as
a weight saving measure, or attempts to get back to base weight legal. I was just proposing 'sensible' weight saving measures in the context of m/homing ! Nor would I advise, say throwing out a pair of knickers from a moving m/home, that would be a measure too far. LOL

One mans (or womans) ruthlessness is an others extravagance.
 
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Byronic said:
Agreed the 2 situations can hardly be compared, That's why for instance I wouldn't advocate jettisoning excess diesel as
a weight saving measure, or attemptsts to get back to base weight legal. I was just proposing 'sensible' weight saving measures in the context of m/homing ! Nor would I advise, say throwing out a pair of knickers from a moving m/home, that would be a measure too far. LOL

One mans (or womans) ruthlessness is an others extravagance.
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oh i dont know... there are some on here might not want to own up to following me for such a purpose.... but slunk away when they realised i had arrived at the laundrette...... i have my standards - honestly i do !!!
 
ricc said:
Why a potato peeler or cheese slices?

A couple of sharp knives, one small one large does it all .

Even thrown out the cork screw.... Screw top bottles or boxes.

Only buy ring pull cans Sono need for a tin opener either.
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You could make chips out of my peelings if I try to use a knife! The cheese slice bit is just a bonus :raofl:
 
delicagirl said:
i am redoing my spreadsheet for weight ready for the next trip. i am trying to be ruthless and looking at each item and thinking - does this have at least one use? is it really essential?

have our community got some interesting dual-triple-purpose items in their vans?

Tips for getting weight down.... thank you
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Good afternoon,

If you drink tea, boil water and tea leaves/bags in an enamelled iron "Billy" , and then pour direct into cup (use strainer for loose tea leaves). No need for additional tea pot.
Billy also gets used for boiling water to make coffee or for washing.

My biggest weight saving has been the removal of the front passenger seat and its base (six bolts, that are returned to their holes in the floor); almost 3 stone ( about 19 kg).
The extra area in the front of the van will take a folding bicycle and other items, which may also reduce the load on the rear axle.
The redundant seat and base now occupy a position in my conservatory from where I can view the urban wild life in comfort.

Regards,
Martlet.
 
Minisorella said:
You could make chips out of my peelings if I try to use a knife! The cheese slice bit is just a bonus :raofl:
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I was going to say the difference in waste between using a knife and using a peeler would be more than a potato peeler would weigh (and take up in room for that matter)


(Weirdly I love peeling potatoes and can do a full Sunday dinners worth in around 90 seconds :D )
 
wildebus said:
I was going to say the difference in waste between using a knife and using a peeler would be more than a potato peeler would weigh (and take up in room for that matter)


(Weirdly I love peeling potatoes and can do a full Sunday dinners worth in around 90 seconds :D )
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I think you're the only other person I've met who enjoys the challenge of speed peeling potatoes as much as I do... or at least the only person who's confessed :raofl: :eek:
For me it's a case of finding some fun in an otherwise mundane task.

Maybe we should organise a competitive 'peel off' next time we're at a meet - all-comers welcome :wacko:
 
Minisorella said:
I think you're the only other person I've met who enjoys the challenge of speed peeling potatoes as much as I do... or at least the only person who's confessed :raofl: :eek:
For me it's a case of finding some fun in an otherwise mundane task.

Maybe we should organise a competitive 'peel off' next time we're at a meet - all-comers welcome :wacko:
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Sounds like a plan :)
Maybe we should cancel the Chip Shop run and get a big chip pan to go over the fire pit?
 
why bother peeling... buy washed spuds and cook em peel and all
 
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