washer/dryer combo

Is it worth having one in the RV?

[email protected] said:

Is it worth having one in the RV?

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I'm on my third one, wouldn't be without it

That depends on how you use your RV. If you're a weekend camper or are gone from home no more than two weeks at a time, probably not necessarily, but still handy. If you stay in the RV much longer than that, it's really nice to have. Beats laundromats. DW is glad we have one in the fifth wheel.

kdbgoat said:

That depends on how you use your RV. If you're a weekend camper or are gone from home no more than two weeks at a time, probably not necessarily, but still handy. If you stay in the RV much longer than that, it's really nice to have. Beats laundromats. DW is glad we have one in the fifth wheel.

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Agree with this.  We added one to our new 5th wheel, first one we have had and it has proved to be a worthwhile addition since we are full-timers, but I suspect non-full timers who spend considerable time may benefit as well. 

My wife sometimes complains about the wrinkled clothes, and the small loads that have to be done frequently(we full time).

That being said, she had to take the quilt off the bed to the local laundromat the other day(no way we're going to fit a queen sized quilt in that machine)and by the time she got back the only thing she had to say was,"Boy, I'm glad we have the washing machine!".

I had heard about the wrinkling issue, and have read about how to minimize it from the good folks here. One, don't overload the washer; two, if doing a heavy load, take out some of the load before drying. The what's left, then dry the rest. As far as the small loads, just keep up with the laundry. Drop a load in first thing in the morning, go do what you need to do for the rest of the morning. Clothes will be ready for folding by lunch. If behind on laundry, just drop another load in. It will be ready to fold by supper. We full time, and I still work full time. DW generally does a load a day most days, and maybe two when changing sheets and pillow cases.

Yeah, she knows how to avoid the wrinkle issue, just doesn't always happen that way.  Sometimes if we leave for the day we just set it to go ahead and dry when it's done washing.  That way the wet clothes don't sit in the machine all day.

Then there was the whole "wash a new purple tapestry with a set of white sheets" deal.    I told her I love our new lavender sheets.

We've had one in our 5th wheel for the last 5 years and love it. Then again, we live all winter in the trailer. I've always said that if my DW was given a choice of the combo or me, she'd have to think about it she likes it that much.

Tara Loves ours!! ;D ;D

Ernie

If you will be in your rig for more than weekends or short vacations, and if you will be in full hookup sites often enough, they are great. We have a stacked unit that handles loads faster since you can wash and dry concurrently. However I have friends with combo units, and they like them too. With us the complication is that we dry camp a lot. Our solution is to look for a full hookup site every 7-10 days to get all the laundry done! When you factor in how much a laundromat costs, the campsite fee becomes pretty small.

[email protected] said:

Is it worth having one in the RV?

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Are you looking for a RV and wondering if a Combo unit is worth it OR do you have a RV and thinking about adding one?

IMO the washing side of it is OK.  The drying side not so much. 
Most home dryers (if electric) run on either 220V or 240V - UNLIKE everything in a RV is 110V or 120V.
So that means the dryer doesn't dry as well as a home unit, and takes a lot more time to dry to even come close, at least
in my RV it does.  So with that said Yes I'll keep my combo - but when I have a large load (especially of shirts) I will
use the laundry at a RV park if they have one.

But like others said it depends on how long your going to be away from home.  Most people could pack enough clothes for a week
or more and then do laundry when they arrived home.

But if your a Full Timer or even a Snowbird your going to have to do laundry while away.  And most people that have them wouldn't
give them up.  But someone that has never had them would think going to a Laundry Mat was normal - so it just depends on a number
of things whether it's worth it to you.

Three more things are, like said, with a combo you have to wash and dry before you can start another load.
Also IMO you can't start it up and go away for the day unless you don't mind wrinkled clothes - because they will be that if
they sit for even a short period of time before the clothes are removed.  And lastly they are not as big as home machines
so you have to do wash more often by comparison to what you do at home.

Hope that helps some....

I think my loving wife is due for a new washer

When we were shopping for our current MH the DW was giving her stamp of approval, walked into the bedroom and saw the Splendie she was sold. She never before hinted about a W/D.

We are generally out 7-10 days and find that it cuts down the amount of clothes we bring. And we frequent a park that has an indoor pool, so it is great to dry towels in the Western Oregon rain. Plus we usually have a grand child or two or more along.

We find our self's planning trips with FHU so we can do laundry. It is great not to lug dirty laundry in to wash when we can do it onboard. For the most part we keep 2/3 of our cloths in the MH.  And it acts as a hamper. 

Gizmo100 said:

I think my loving wife is due for a new washer

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So, do you plan to give her a hand saw and a board and tell her to make a new one?

As others have said, it depends on your camping habits. We go for no less than three week trips and will taking 3-4 month trips beginning this year, and my wife is quite happy that we have one. Biggest problem is load size; you just can't put much in if you want it to function properly. If you have a problem with it drying, it's probably because your load was too big. The instructions will tell you to limit your loads to something 2 towels and a shirt. Don't know how accurate that is because I don't have the owner's manual in front of me, but you get the idea- the loads have to be really small. That means to keep up with the usual laundry my wife and I have, she has to do one or two loads every day we're on the road. Another negative about it is the time it takes to do a load; usually around 3 hours from start to finish. When we are parked at a destination, that isn't a problem, since we'll be out doing things while the unit is working. The biggest hassle the wife has is getting to a destination after traveling for five or six days and having that many daily items to wash.

Otherwise, I have to give our unit high marks and state that we wouldn't want to be without it. It sure beats going to a laundromat, especially if you don't have a toad.

We love ours.

IBTripping said:

So, do you plan to give her a hand saw and a board and tell her to make a new one?

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I like to spoil her...So I'll spring for the new one.

A washer/dryer was a requirement when we bought our current motorhome!  Love it!  I hate Laundromats and my husband hates waiting for me - so HE was the first to specify the requirement.  :

ArdraF

Well from the sounds of it (since everyone said we), if you are a couple then it sounds like a big YES.  So I am guessing this item is at the top of the list with the better halves. Not alot of men look at a RV and think "I want a washer dryer", we just want to know if there is anything on board to help us catch, store, and cook fish

djw2112 said:

... Not alot of men look at a RV and think "I want a washer dryer", we just want to know if there is anything on board to help us catch, store, and cook fish

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Perhaps that impression is there, but I suspect a lot of men are like me and prefer the W/D also (that was a must for our purchase), not just because of the wife wanting it, but to eliminate the need for laundromats -- we're often involved with those trips, even if the wife does most of it, and most of us want to keep her happy, too.