Probably a dumb question

[zin01]

Ok so I travel for work and live in a 5th wheel. So I want to get a full size nice front load washer and dryer like you would have in your house. Will this work? I know the dryer would have to run off 110 and they are heavy but besides that it would probably work right?

Thanks in advance 

 

[Conquest aka Robert]

I have front load in S&B and they are VERY heavy the front has a big block of concrete to balance it. I would be worried first about 1 getting inside the RV. Don't think I would want to try and put it in through a window ;D 2 The shear weight of it sitting in the rig depending where could throw off your pin weight 3 The spin cycle mine spins and sounds like a jet engine not sure how your rig would like it when a load goes out of balance. I could almost see it knocking a hole in the THIN walls of RV's.

By the way NOT A dumb question!!! 8)

 

[jerrybell]

I'm out of my element because I don't have front loading laundry appliances and my TT doesn't have a laundry.  Are you planning to purchase a gas dryer?  If you are thinking electric dryer: Do you know if you can purchase a full-size dryer that has a heating element that operates on 110V?  A quick Google on this showed primarily compact dryers which operate on 110.

With the washer I would wonder about water heater capacity.  I guess a front load washer uses less water than a top loader but how many gallons of hot water do you need to run a load in a full-size washer?  Another quick Google indicates the front loaders use 20 to 25 gallons of water per load.  So you may get by with 6 gal of hot water on an individual warm cycle since there would be some cold water mixing in to make up the 11 gallons or so used per cycle.

Is your trailer equipped for a laundry?  If not, are you prepared to install electrical, plumbing, and venting necessary to accommodate these?

I know I didn't give you answers but these seem like the things you need to understand to determine if this is feasible.

 

[captsteve]

Some of the newer Class a coaches have stackables and they work well. I see no reason you can't install on of the set ups in your 5er. I would look at the apartment models at lowes or home depot.

Go to a rv deaers and look at a new class a and get some model numbers.

 

[John From Detroit]

The problems I see are size, Weight and water consumption.


Electric dryers (Home type) are 240 volt so you need one that burns propane.  Those eat propane (Quite a bit of it) and 120vac only.

The washer can use a whole lot of water, As much as 30 gallons per wash cycle or more.  In my RV that's the capacity of the wash water tank.

 

[SeilerBird]

There is no way you can run a household washer and dryer in an RV on batteries and propane for very long. You will have to be hooked up to water and power. That usually means you are sitting in an RV park. Just about every RV park I have ever been in has laundry facilities on site. I would much rather use their laundry facilities than have a washer and a dryer taking up valuable space in my RV. They are just too big and my RV is too small.

 

[byrogie]

The only dumb question is the one that is not asked....

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Quite feasible - some Rvs come factory equipped that way.

Most dryers can be run on 120v instead of 240 and the integrated stack set is usually designed with 120v power in mind. They are also available with LP gas heat.

http://www.maytag.com/Laundry-1/Laundry_Laundry_Appliances_Dryers-3/102120050+4294966401/

You will need RV park power and sewer to use them - the washers use a lot of water as well as 15 amp circuit for the washer & dryer motors. 20A if you want the electric heated dryer. Installation requirements for the Maytag stack washer/dryer can be viewed here:
http://www.maytag.com/digitalassets/MGT3800XW/Installation%20Instruction_EN.pdf

The install specs say the floor must be capable of 500 lbs (which includes a load of clothes and water), but we had a stack set in our stick house many years ago and I don't recall it being all that heavy. I could move it by myself, so I'm guessing about 250 lbs?

You will also need a standard washer drain stand pipe plumbed to your gray tank or perhaps direct to the tank drain, and a vent to the outside for the dryer.

Splendide makes a stack washer/dryer under their Ariston label. That may be a bit kinder to the RV environment than a house model. 120v, about 215 lbs (empty) and 24" wide.
http://www.splendide.com/splendide_stackables.htm

Be advised that drying takes a long, long time on 120v.