My major modification, or really an addition, was to install a residential washer and gas dryer set in the garage of the 5th wheel toy hauler. The laundry facilities are in the forward garage wall. They're off center towards the left exterior wall. The doorway leading from the garage into the living room is just off camera to the right near the right exterior wall. This gave me enough wall space to set the machines side by side leaving a gap between the left exterior wall and the dryer, and a gap between the dryer and washer. And also without being too close to the doorway. Measure two, three, four times and spend the money once.
The washing machine needs to be level when operating. Since the trailer had been on open ground for a few weeks with a lot of rain, I had to "fine tune" the level of the trailer so the washer could be leveled before securing it to the floor. With this done, anytime I level the trailer, the washer is also level.
I was very fortunate to have a gas distribution block mounted on the outside of the left frame rail from the factory, well forward of the wheels. One of the three ports of the block was not used. This allowed easy access to propane. A gas line was installed from this block running back to the garage where the laundry facilities are and up through the floor right behind the dryer. A hole was cut through the exterior wall for the dryer vent.
There is a shut-off valve (yellow handle in picture) installed in the gas line just a few inches away from the distribution block. I leave that valve closed all the time and open the valve only on laundry days.
The dryer had to be converted to burn propane. This was nothing more than changing the gas nozzle with the appropriate nozzle for propane. The dryers normally come with the natural gas nozzle installed. The propane nozzle is available on the web for a few models of the leading brands of dryers. There was a sticker packed with my nozzle kit to apply near the controls to indicate the dryer has been converted to propane, date, kit number, etc.
After the gas line was installed, the dryer converted to propane, and the vent through the wall installed, the dryer was set near its final position, and the gas and vent lines were connected, and the gas line was pressurized. After the gas line was given a few minutes under pressure, leak tests were performed at every joint in the gas line. No leaks were detected. Then the dryer was plugged in and tested for proper operation. No problems.
The dryer was then moved to its final position, leveled, and secured to the floor with the type of brackets used in mobile homes. These brackets are also available on the web. Each foot of both machines are secured to the floor with these brackets for a total of eight brackets.
The flexible yellow gas line behind the dryer is secured to the wall using a cable-stay. This cable-stay has a rubber insert to prevent damage to the cable, or whatever else you need to secure, like a flexible gas line.
I can't tell you how much gas the dryer uses. But after using it for a couple of years, my WAG is that it uses no more than what the furnace might use, perhaps less. We started doing laundry only on a full tank of propane to make sure we wouldn't run out during a drying cycle. Later on, I installed a two-stage gas regulator that switches tanks automatically. So now, we don't pay any attention to how long we've been drawing from the active tank, as long as the backup tank is full. This also allows us to stay on the active tank until it's empty. We don't end up with both tanks only partially full.
After the dryer installation and testing was complete, the washer was set near its final position, and the drain and water lines were connected. The washer was plugged in and checked out. No problems.
After testing the washer and confirming everything was fine, it was moved to its final position, leveled, and secured to the floor.
The washer can be damaged while bouncing down the road. To prevent damage during shipment, the manufacturer installed a Styrofoam piece in place over the agitator that's designed to prevent the tub from being bounced around sideways in all directions. I kept the foam packing piece and leave it installed in the washer removing it only on laundry days.
Another point I should make has to do with the grey tank for the washer. This holding tank is intended to tank water from perhaps only a few loads of the small, RV style, washers. Consequently, I thought the tank may possibly be too small to hold all of the water from even just two full size loads from a residential washing machine. I watched the level indicator, but they really aren't very accurate. Mine toggled to the "Full" segment before the second load finished draining. So to be on the safe side, we never do more than one load without connecting to the sewer and leaving the dump valve open so the water can drain through.
Our laundry day routine is to take the foam piece out of the washer, turn on the water, go outside and turn on the gas, hook up sewer hose, and open the dump valve. We usually do three or four loads on laundry days. But if we need to do one load out-of-cycle without a sewer connection, there's plenty of capacity in the tank. Then when all the laundry has been done, I just do the reverse, close the dump valve, rearrange sewer hose, turn off the gas, turn off the water, and reinstall the foam packing over the agitator.
The real "drop test", so to speak, for the newly installed laundry machines was a road trip to Alaska and back. We did laundry perhaps ten times or more in the three months round trip to Alaska via the "scenic route". The laundry machines didn't move at all and worked just fine, and still do. We can also do laundry while operating on generator power since the gas dryer only needs 120 volts.
The ability to do laundry on generator power comes in handy in the aftermath of a hurricane when the power may be off for days or even weeks. Or in areas, or times, where you just may not have access to commercial power. I've read that some BLM and Army Corp of Engineers land with RV sites may have water, and a dump station nearby, but no power. I can tank 60 gallons of gas for the generator.
I did not actually do this work myself, except I did install the new gas regulator after just a few laundry days. I bought the regulator at Ace Hardware. I have an RV mechanic near our home base who did the laundry installation. He does good work, the first time. But he ain't cheap. Him and his helper did this job in the RV park.
Contact me if you have questions, want more details, or for the contact information for my RV mechanic.
Happy trails.
Dave
The washing machine needs to be level when operating. Since the trailer had been on open ground for a few weeks with a lot of rain, I had to "fine tune" the level of the trailer so the washer could be leveled before securing it to the floor. With this done, anytime I level the trailer, the washer is also level.
I was very fortunate to have a gas distribution block mounted on the outside of the left frame rail from the factory, well forward of the wheels. One of the three ports of the block was not used. This allowed easy access to propane. A gas line was installed from this block running back to the garage where the laundry facilities are and up through the floor right behind the dryer. A hole was cut through the exterior wall for the dryer vent.
There is a shut-off valve (yellow handle in picture) installed in the gas line just a few inches away from the distribution block. I leave that valve closed all the time and open the valve only on laundry days.
The dryer had to be converted to burn propane. This was nothing more than changing the gas nozzle with the appropriate nozzle for propane. The dryers normally come with the natural gas nozzle installed. The propane nozzle is available on the web for a few models of the leading brands of dryers. There was a sticker packed with my nozzle kit to apply near the controls to indicate the dryer has been converted to propane, date, kit number, etc.
After the gas line was installed, the dryer converted to propane, and the vent through the wall installed, the dryer was set near its final position, and the gas and vent lines were connected, and the gas line was pressurized. After the gas line was given a few minutes under pressure, leak tests were performed at every joint in the gas line. No leaks were detected. Then the dryer was plugged in and tested for proper operation. No problems.
The dryer was then moved to its final position, leveled, and secured to the floor with the type of brackets used in mobile homes. These brackets are also available on the web. Each foot of both machines are secured to the floor with these brackets for a total of eight brackets.
The flexible yellow gas line behind the dryer is secured to the wall using a cable-stay. This cable-stay has a rubber insert to prevent damage to the cable, or whatever else you need to secure, like a flexible gas line.
I can't tell you how much gas the dryer uses. But after using it for a couple of years, my WAG is that it uses no more than what the furnace might use, perhaps less. We started doing laundry only on a full tank of propane to make sure we wouldn't run out during a drying cycle. Later on, I installed a two-stage gas regulator that switches tanks automatically. So now, we don't pay any attention to how long we've been drawing from the active tank, as long as the backup tank is full. This also allows us to stay on the active tank until it's empty. We don't end up with both tanks only partially full.
After the dryer installation and testing was complete, the washer was set near its final position, and the drain and water lines were connected. The washer was plugged in and checked out. No problems.
After testing the washer and confirming everything was fine, it was moved to its final position, leveled, and secured to the floor.
The washer can be damaged while bouncing down the road. To prevent damage during shipment, the manufacturer installed a Styrofoam piece in place over the agitator that's designed to prevent the tub from being bounced around sideways in all directions. I kept the foam packing piece and leave it installed in the washer removing it only on laundry days.
Another point I should make has to do with the grey tank for the washer. This holding tank is intended to tank water from perhaps only a few loads of the small, RV style, washers. Consequently, I thought the tank may possibly be too small to hold all of the water from even just two full size loads from a residential washing machine. I watched the level indicator, but they really aren't very accurate. Mine toggled to the "Full" segment before the second load finished draining. So to be on the safe side, we never do more than one load without connecting to the sewer and leaving the dump valve open so the water can drain through.
Our laundry day routine is to take the foam piece out of the washer, turn on the water, go outside and turn on the gas, hook up sewer hose, and open the dump valve. We usually do three or four loads on laundry days. But if we need to do one load out-of-cycle without a sewer connection, there's plenty of capacity in the tank. Then when all the laundry has been done, I just do the reverse, close the dump valve, rearrange sewer hose, turn off the gas, turn off the water, and reinstall the foam packing over the agitator.
The real "drop test", so to speak, for the newly installed laundry machines was a road trip to Alaska and back. We did laundry perhaps ten times or more in the three months round trip to Alaska via the "scenic route". The laundry machines didn't move at all and worked just fine, and still do. We can also do laundry while operating on generator power since the gas dryer only needs 120 volts.
The ability to do laundry on generator power comes in handy in the aftermath of a hurricane when the power may be off for days or even weeks. Or in areas, or times, where you just may not have access to commercial power. I've read that some BLM and Army Corp of Engineers land with RV sites may have water, and a dump station nearby, but no power. I can tank 60 gallons of gas for the generator.
I did not actually do this work myself, except I did install the new gas regulator after just a few laundry days. I bought the regulator at Ace Hardware. I have an RV mechanic near our home base who did the laundry installation. He does good work, the first time. But he ain't cheap. Him and his helper did this job in the RV park.
Contact me if you have questions, want more details, or for the contact information for my RV mechanic.
Happy trails.
Dave
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