Combo Washer/Dryer Units

[GaryB]

Hi All - As I'm in the final stages of making my decision about a 5th wheel, I'm leaning toward a unit that can only accommodate a COMBO washer/dryer (not a stackable one, unfortunately). Based on reading previous posts, do I understand correctly that the VENTED units work fairly well, especially as compared to the NON-VENTED units which supposedly aren't too good??

Also, will ANY household vented combo unit be OK (Whirlpool, Kenmore, etc., assuming it runs on 110/120V and fits the space footprint)?? Or are there other considerations as well?? I'd like to get as large of a combo unit as possible, since I'll have 70"x80" king bed sheets to wash.

Thanks!!
Gary

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Venting is needed to make the dryer work in a reasonable fashion.

Yes, any stackable washer & dryer that fits will work, though you want to make sure the dryer is switchable to 110V operation and not 220V only. As far as I know, all the major brands are, but check before buying.  You could wire the dryer for 220V operation if you think you will always have 50A service available, but most are wired for 110. If your rig is pre-wired for a washer/dryer, it will probably be 110V.

Water consumption is a potential concern, from the point of view of both intake and amount of waste to be drained away, so a model that uses less water is probably a wise choice. Naturally, those tend to be the more expensive models...

 

[jamesnaddie]

Check out Spledide.  They are made in Italy but used in Foretravel and are small and perfect for a TT.  They wash about 1/2 as much as a home unit ande dry about 1/3 but are fine for traveling.

 

[UK-RV]

We have the Splendide washer/dryer in our Expedition.

Be aware that you will not really be able to use your washer/dryer when boondocking due to the amount of fresh water used and grey deposited.

You will also have to get used to the whole vehicle shaking when the machine takes a spin etc - a good spellchecker is important on your laptop for the puropse [!] of spotting the wrong keys when trying to type and shake at the same time  ;D

You will need a site with 50A hookup if you have any need to run the washer/dryer and your air con at the same time.

However, having had most of our clothes ruined by dirty washer/dryers in CGs, we really appreciate having our own machine in the RV.

Paul

 

[Karl]

The Splendide washer/dryer is amazingly stingey with water usage, so a load or two is not a  biggey, assuming you have reasonable sized fresh water and grey water tanks. During washing, it uses a lot less electricity than during drying, so I usually dry my clothes outside when boondocking. A non-vented w/d uses a LOT of water, strange as it may sound, to dry clothes, but I'll give you the details if you want. You can do a full set of king sheets and pillow cases plus a few other things in a single load.