Take shorter trips so you don't need to wash anything? Take more clothes? You know you can get four days out of a pair of underwear, right? (normal, inside out, inside out backwards and normal backwards) Just trying to be helpful.

Are you going to be in campgrounds or boondocking? If the latter then you'll run out of water pretty quick.

 

I used a 1.6 cu ft stacked combo unit. Its okay but I was size restricted to 24". If you have more than 24" there is better options.

 

We went with the stacked units, separate washer and dryer, make sure dryer is outside venting. that way you can be doing two loads and rotate through. Also, surprisingly, and you didn't ask, but our biggest favorite add-on was the dishwasher. my wife poo-pooed the idea, but since she/we have been using it, its been a god-send. no more dishes piling up in the sink.

 

 

It's a drawer style Fisher - Paykel like this: https://www.fisherpaykel.com/us/kitc...4SCHTX9_N.html

BTW, if you are planning on ordering new to be built to spec, order any and all options you *remotely think* you might want in the future. Reason is two-fold, factory installed = factory warrantied, and all those options are discounted as part of your deal. If you decide to add after the fact, the add-on will be at dealer pricing, plus their labor rate to install. On my Cardinal, dealer quoted me a price 30% off MSRP. Then we added options, washer/dryer, dishwasher, slide toppers, bike rack receiver, outside entertainment center(TV), and all those were sold to me at the 30% off as well.

 

I would go with a Splendide for the washer/dryer. I agree with the stackable and the dryer being vented outside. The all in one washer/dryer take forever to dry. We have Whirlpool and they are ok. We camp alot without sewer and can take 4 showers and wash 2 loads before empting tank. Since the washer only uses water for the size of load, we do small loads. One load is mine, one hers, so it does all of our clothes for the day. Makes trips easier as we take less clothes, no big laundry load when we get back.

 

We have had both and separate units work better in my opinion. My wife washes everything as we camp so there is nothing to wash when we get home. Put a drain pan under the washer if you can. Put some vibration pads under it also Shake Away The combo units are OK but if you spend a lot of time camping I think you will like the separate units.

 

I just bought and installed a Splendide vented washer/dryer combo, wife and I installed in a couple hours, 5w was factory prepped. I did put the drain pan under and used a boat through hull to get any water to the outside. I found the best price at PPL Motor Homes and picked it up at their TX store. If you do the install you will need a 4" hole saw for the vent. Unit does 15lbs at a time and we weighed a couple loads which were larger than we thought. Wife does a load every couple days while we watch TV evenings. We put an expandable curtain rod in the shower and she hangs the clothes while just slightly damp, takes the wrinkles out of shirts and sheets.

 

Even if you don't get a W/D up front, ask your dealer to install the dryer vent prior to you taking delivery. Our 371MBH has washer and dryer prep and they installed it for free before our PDI.

 

...in response to your clothes cleaning issue, we travel often and long western US trips, so I offer this as an alternative consideration not knowing your specific needs and situation. We have found it very convenient and inexpensive to take our "dirties" in to a laundry where they are laundered and returned folded. We have never failed in finding this a decent solution. For two weeks of clothes and bedding, etc. the cost (determined by per pound when taken in) is usually around $25.00, Around the biggest Nat, Parks, it can be more expensive, so we usually find that laundry facilities in the smaller towns. Benefits: no need for the appliances and attendant weight and space taken up, no need to buy the cleaning supplies, less use of H2O if you boondock, less effort doing the domestic duties, This may not work given your situation, but is an alternative to consider if it does.

 

Sounds like a good excuse to take a long lunch in town and then do some grocery shopping. What's the usual turn around time when they do the laundry for you?

If my wife finds out that she doesn't have to do laundry she might be more enthusiastic about camping.

 

Jim, if it works for your type of use of the RV, you just identified the beauty of the "outside laudry" option. Happy wife, happy life. We usually see "next morning" service if we take it in in the afternoon, and same day (3-4hours) if we take it in before that liesury lunch you speak of. It sure does work well for us. Expecially on the last leg of a trip so there's one less major cleanup chore that needs to be done upon return. How many fishing poles could you buy with the $$ you would have spent on the washer/dryer and installation