Laundry Considerations

[Tikvah]

How many of you have a washer/dryer in your coach?  No, I'm not talking about your wife
What style do you like?
I've seen a few that use just 110v
I was thinking of mounting a pair of front loaders in the baggage bay, but they all seem to be 33-1/2" high and the baggage bay is about 32" max.

Any ideas?

[JohnEd]

I want one of those washer/dryer combos that load at the front.  Over the years those have been upgraded by the mfr to spin at higher and higher rates.  They get most of the water out by cent force before the dry cycle.  The older ones take a long time to dry......BUT......they make a "vent less" model that takes FOREVER.  Don't get a ventless one is what I have been told.  Check the spin rate against the models currently available.  They hold very little and look to be good for under garmenmts mostly but they do everything.  They use less water and soap because they don't fill a tub.  They are pretty space efficient, as well.

John

[happycamperbrat]

I have given a washer/dryer combo serious consideration and really dont think the space requirement is worth it for us. When we are on the road we take enough space for dirty clothes, but a trip to the laundry mat shouldnt be a problem. Plus Im pretty finicky about sorting clothes and doing a full load at a time, so it can really pile up depending on how long we are out. Laundry mats are an extra expense but really worth it IMO. Sometimes though for one reason or another I couldnt go to the laundry mat and instead opted to hand wash a few things in the shower stall then hang to dry in the stall.... worked fine for us.

[Bill 340]

W have a combo washer and dryer, it works great, not big loads but if you wash what you wore the previous day, it keeps up. It was THE MAIN request from the boss when we started traveling.Ace has an almost new one for sale last I heard,

[robertglines1]

We use the apartment size whirlpool washer&dryer stacked (front loader) 120 volt. We do not boonedock much and are usually with full hook ups. Dryer a little slow but good. runs off gen set fine.  Bob

[skihor]

We had an older Splendide washer/dryer unit in our coach when we bought it. 1 set of clothes pretty much filled it up and the 110 V dryer took 1 1/2 hours to dry. Also each load used 12 gallons of water. On the road that means, with a 45 Gal grey tank, we each could have a shower and do 2 loads, and the grey tank was full. It should be no problem going at least 1 week between laundry time. we go two weeks and go to the laundramat early. do multiple loads at the same time. Unless you have hook-ups it just isn't worth the space or hassle. If you have hook-ups get an apt. stackable at the least, The Splendide isn't much more than a toy.

Don & Sheila

[Chopper Scott]

We camp by streams and put up clothes lines!! If it's during a drought and the stream is only a trickle I go commando to save on water. If it's bone dry....... well sometimes those camp hosts can get upset! Jealous I guess....

[JerryC]

I too use a Splendide combo/washer/dryer with the electric dryer NOT the condensation one.  It washes great and quite a bit but if clothes are large or a lot you may have to split up to dry so as to get dry and not all wrinkled.  It spins at a very high speed and the clothes are almost dry before they even start drying - I think the dryer element is about 1500 watts.  Do laundry going down road with no problem.  Even picked up this new unit at an RV surplus Center in N IN - a scratch n dent one for a greatly reduced price.  Uses less water and soap than top loaders for sure.

[TomC]

I have one of the older Splendide ventless washer/dryers.  The way to drying the clothes is simple-dry for an hour (anymore doesn't seem to do much more drying) then hang all the clothes up around the inside for another hour-and they are dry.

But-I am going to have another Splendide washer/dryer in my truck, but the vented type.  The new machines have brushless motors that are quiet, faster spin, and dry quicker.  I will always have a washer/dryer on board because I'm not fond of public washers where you don't know what, who, or what was left behind by the last person.  Sort of like asking you to wear someone elses underwear.  Good Luck, TomC

[demodriver]

I agree with Tom. My family and I went to a laundry mat in Louisina this spring. It was one of the nastiest places I have been to.

We left and bought new close at wally world. 

We will have a stackable in our bus.

[Len Silva]

If you have the space for a stackable then I think using a Propane dryer makes sense.  Far more efficient than a 120 volt dryer.

[luvrbus]

The new Splendide 2100 combos like the one Jerry has do dry on electric has 3 setting not like the old 2000 model that used water to dry in about 3 hrs still has the same problem it will wash a larger load that it will dry at one time 

good luck

[bsharpe]

Hey Tikvah,

  Did you ever figure this out?   We have a 102a3 as well and were looking to do the same (put them in a bay).

[scanzel]

I thought of putting mine in the bay also but if traveling you cannot get to it unless you stop and if it is raining when camping you will need to go out and open up the bay doors to get to it. I am sure the wife is not going to be the one that goes out in the rain or dark. You also need to make sure the water can be pumped up to your holding tank.

[Jeremy]

On the question of size in the original post - there are plenty of 'compact' tumble dryers available that are scalled-down versions of the usual domestic size. I also stumbled across - and bought for the bus - a compact washing machine that is the same as a regular front-loader in all respects, but about two-thirds of the size. It's a Zanussi and it works fine - I've actually used it quite a lot, but of course it won't take a load as big as a regular machine.

Jeremy