Washer & dryer

[Bonnie]

Alrighty then!  What about a washer and dryer?  Conflicting opinions, I understand.  I've  read vented is the way to go; that makes sense.  But are any of the stacks out there really good enough, efficient enough to sacrifice the space?  There'll be plenty of storage space in ours for off-season things, but there's just something in the DNA of a woman that makes it difficult to turn a nice bank of drawers and the wonderful cabinet above them away!  (And I'm not convinced a Duet or other all-in-one type can do it all, and do it  well.)  We're gonna be full-timing here for about 15 months, then we'll move to the next job assignment and continue there for a similar length of time, then perhaps we'll slide into retirement - that part remains to be seen.  I chose to take the rig without the W/D, but it's prepped for it;  I just can't decide whether it's smart being we're full-timing.  I admit I'm a freak about laundromats - feel the need to wash the washer before I use it, and dryers sometimes have gum, ink or jagged spots where items snag or tear.  Just can't decide;  need to read alot more of what you all say.

It occurs to me this post ought to go elsewhere, so if Staff needs to move it, no worries. 

Howard, we're in the Amarillo vicinity for this job, but we know about Garner SP and some wonderful, quiet cabins in Concan (Uvalde County) - we love the Hill Country, and our rig will eventually be there.  Our kids and Grands live outside of Houston, but all of us love going to Concan.  Thanks again for the hearty welcome.

 

[Karl]

Bonnie,

You'll get both pro's and con's on the subject of washer/dryers in an RV. I bought a used RV a few years ago that already had one, and it worked great. Being a single full-timer (not counting Hercule, The Attack Cat), I can find better things to do with my time than sitting in a laundromat. Recently the timer on it became erratic, so I had it replaced under the service contract with a new Splendide vented w/d. The old one, a Kariba, was the non-vented type which uses considerably more water to dry the clothes. The new one is quite energy efficient, uses little water, and does a great job of both washing and drying with 9 different wash programs. The capacity is 1.9 cubic feet, which they say is about 8 lbs dry weight per load. One consideration is that if you wash a full load, you should remove about half of it for the dry cycle and do it in two batches. This will allow the clothes to tumble more freely and helps to avoid wrinkles.

I personally wouldn't be without one.

 

[Ron]

We have a Splendide washer/dryer in our 99 Eagle and would not be fulltiming withou it.  Sam uses it all the time.  Karl is correct in splitting the loads for drying but that is not a problem.  Like karl mentioned the vented type is the only way to go.  Have never heard anything good about an unvented washer/dryer.

 

[Betty Brewer]

We've been ful timing for almost 3 years and do not have a washer dryer on board.  I have huge  sliding drawers in their place.  We go to the Laundromat about once every 17 days and spend no more that 1.5 hours there.  I am not a freak about Laundromats, however  I have found that RV park washers and dryers are usually quite clean and well kept.  If I go to a city laundry I take a cloth to wash out the washer before use and after use  too.  I  do miss being able to do a small delicate cycle load, on occasion as I could with  my home washer.  It is such a personal preference.  None is "Better" than the other...just your own choice.  I do love the storage and often ask what would I do with all that stuff if I had to put a washer in it's place.  No one could convince me to give up that storage for a washer, nor do I think anyone should try to convince me.  It's a personal preference.

Betty

 

[Jim Dick]

Bonnie,

We have a vented Splendide in our Dream. Yes, vented is the only way to go! My wife would not be without it. It won't do large loads but the convenience of not having to haul stuff to a laundromat and being able to fold and put away the clothes immediately makes it worth while. As stated before, it is a personal choice but it might be hard to make without trying it.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

We do not have a washer/dryer, though the rig is prepped for one.  Our rig is a 35 footer, so perhaps the required space is somewhat more significant to us?  We generally go to a laundromat (campground or city) about every 12 days and spend about two hours.  But if in a campground with a laundromat convenient to our site, will sometimes toss a load or two in "as needed".  To us a laundry run  is no more significant than a trip to the grocery store.

 

[2006F350]

Gotta ask the dumb question. All previous RV's have not been preped for such, but my latest 5W is, so I totally unfamiliar with this. The preping as I can tell consists of both water connections and the drain, but where do it vent? What is the difference between the vented and non-vented?

Thanx ahead of time.

Larry

 

[Ron]

What is the difference between the vented and non-vented?

One works fine and the other doesn't work worth a darn.  The none vented type uses more water and really takes for ever to dry.  One description I heard was it don't ever really dry it just runs till your tired of waiting for it.  Usually the vented type is vented through the outside wall directly in line with the outlet on the washer.

 

[Tom]

Here's a link to the web site of a major manufacturer of both kinds of washer/dryer for RVs: http://www.splendide.com

 

[Karl]

Larry,

A non-vented type heats up the wet clothes with hot air which causes the moisture in them to evaporate, creating steam, but not as hot. Then the outside of the drum is rinsed with cold water, causing the moisture to condense out of the air, collect on the inside wall of the drum (Just like setting a cold drink out on a hot, humid day), and runs down to the bottom where it is pumped out thru the normal wash/rinse drain. This process is repeated until the timer runs out. It is true that the clothes are not bone dry, but there's a plus to that - you don't end up with wrinkles baked into your clothes. Also, many people make the mistake of opening the door to check the dryness. This is a no-no, because it lets too much heat escape and lengthens the drying time. Experience will tell you when they're dry. The little bit of remaining moisture is quickly dissapated into the surrounding air. Given a choice, vented is better than non-vented. It uses less water and dries faster, but you don't always have a choice. If the space for the washer/dryer doesn't have access to an outside wall for the vent, your only good alternative is the non-vented type. Yes, you could run a vent through the roof in some instances, but that's not recommended, and you certainly don't want to vent the moisture to the inside of the coach. In a perfect world there would be no need for the non-vented type, but Splendide and other mfg'rs recognize that sometimes second best is still far better than nothing at all, and make available both types.

 

[Jim Dick]

Larry,

The vented type would have the vent mounted on the sidewall of the coach. This would be done at the time of installation.

 

[Bonnie]

I had to chuckle reading three thumbs-up replies from men, but Betty confirmed my feminine DNA theory.    I, however, am undecided.

I've read the Splendide website and bookmarked the page for the 2100 model - more time and thought will have to go into this, to say nothing of the investment.  Do any of you know whether a rig has to be hauled to a service location for the vent kit to be installed, or have you made the hole in the wall yourselves, and installed it?  Sorry for one more noodlehead question, but do RV appliance dealers actually come out to where you're parked, do the vent work and install the W/D?  (I haven't found a Splendide dealer in the local yellow pages yet to call and ask...)

 

[Jackliz]

Howdy, Bonnie.
We had a Splendide washer/dryer combo in our first motorhome, a 1995 Serengeti and have the same in our present 1993 Blue Bird Wanderlodge. Having the machine in the coach is a real convenience. I know for sure that my machine is clean.  On the other hand, it will not handle a blanket, rugs nor big towels. Both machines were vented to the outside of the coach. In the Serengeti, the washer/dryer was venter through the sidewall, in the Wanderlodge
it is vented through the floor.
Regards,
Liz

 

[Ron]

I had to chuckle reading three thumbs-up replies from men, but Betty confirmed my feminine DNA theory. 

I can assure that my response is in accordance with Sam's position on this subject.  I like it because it makes Sam happy and if Sam is happy then all is good. ;D ;D

 

[Jim Dick]

Bonnie,

I think you'll find all the thumbs up are responses relayed from our spouses.

 

[Karl]

Bonnie,

I have the 2100 that you're looking at. Great machine, but none of them are so-it-yourself projects. Firstly, they are heavy; around 175 lbs. Mine had to be brought in thru the bedroom window with the help of a fork lift and 2 men. Secondly, you really need a good hole saw to get thru the wall, and it usually needs to be cut from both the outside and the inside because of the wall thickness. Thirdly, you should have experience in getting the hole in the right place. Nothing worse than an 'extra' 4" hole in the side because your measurement was off.

Because of the weight, tools required, etc. I doubt that you'll find someone to install it at your location. Best to go to an RV shop, or Camping World will install it for $170.

Jim,

No spouse; my thumbs up came from Hercule, The Attack Cat ;D

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

And my "thumbs down" has Nancy's enthuisatic support. No lobbying on my part either - her choice from the git-go.  But then, we are not squeamish about laundromats and, with a 35 footer, definitely need the 30 inches x 4 of drawer space that would be displaced. With a 40 footer it might be more of a toss-up, but am not sure even then.

 

[Jeff]

While at the National factory last week they had a new Splendide with minor dents that they priced at 600.00 and Sue went through  the whole evaluation process again. We had w/d in our Pace Arrow but do not in the Tradewinds although it is plumbed for one in the bathroom wardrobe closet.

After seeing how much of the closet she would lose we are still laundromat customers. ;D

 

[JerArdra]

Bonnie,

I really like our on-board Splendide and wanted one even if Ardra didn't but she wanted one too.  When Ardra used to use laundromats at a campground sometimes we had to wait an hour or so until a machine was free or try again the next day.  Also, many times 1-2 machines were available but we needed 3-4 machines so this considerably increased the time spent washing.  In some cases we didn't want to wait for the campground washers and driers to be available so then we'd have to go off in a strange town and try to find a laudromat.  The driving around can waste a lot of time when you want to do something else. 

Some people at campgrounds put their clothes into a washer or the dryer and go off and don't return when the clothes are done.  Removing their clothes so you can use the washer or dryer CAN cause quite a bad scene.  If your husband is Steven Segal by all means remove their clothes but have him with you when you do. 

Ardra also didn't like it when people brought their cats and dogs into the laundry room and put them up on the folding table.  Also, if you're a non-smoker, sometimes smokers are in there smelling up your clean clothes.  Finally, did you ever wash clothes in a hot laundry room with three or four dryers running when it's 100 degrees outside, 90 percent humidity, and no air conditioning?  NOT FUN!

I always carried the clothes to and from the campground laundromat for Ardra.  When we used a city laundromat I went with her because of security concerns.  Laundromats are sometimes in neighborhoods that I did not want to be.

Life is SO much better with our own washer.  Often Ardra puts a load in when we leave to go somewhere and sets it on both wash and dry.  When we return the entire load is washed and dried - a wonderful feature with things like towels.  Now if the machine would just fold the contents too Arda would be even happier!

By the way, we "store" our dirty clothes right in the washer-drier drum and wash them when it gets filled up.  No more big laundry bags full of one or two weeks of dirty clothes.

Also, Ardra folds on the bed which is a GREAT folding table and it's clean!

JerryF

 

[Bonnie]

You guys are great with all your replies!  Thanks so much.  Still undecided, but have recently found a Maytag front loader with front controls and its companion dryer - their dimensions are identical to the Splendide, but the washer is 2.4 cu ft capacity and the dryer is 3.7 cu ft.  Both have stainless drums.  These would stack. 

It'll take some time and thought, but we've at least decided to live without the use of the cabinet of drawers and shelves, and decide in time whether we want the convenience of having the W/D.  It'll be delivered tomorrow, and we're real excited to get acquainted with our new home-on-the-range!  We've also resigned to the fact the rig'll have to be hauled somewhere for the installation, BUT we're asking around at the Amarillo area RV places just in case other arrangements can be made.  Either we hire someone to haul it for us, or we pay someone extra to come to location.  Maybe something can be worked out;  we'll see.

Well, tomorrow ought to be interesting...    Exciting....  Horrifying...  You know the feeling...  ???  Bonnie

P.S.  Jerry, your post came in just as I was posting, so I had the chance to add this.  Each and every point you made about the laundromat I know about!  I agree with!!  And I already said to Steve that we could store laundry in the drum, just like you and Ardra do!  Wow!  ESP!