A guide to RV washing machine and dryer options
If you’re travelling, having to wash your clothes at some point is inevitable. John Hughes explores some of the options from using a bucket through to the various RV washing machine types available.
A more casual approach to the clothes we wear (and possibly how many days we wear them) is part of the appeal of caravanning. Yet sooner or later we are all going to have to do the laundry, and campground laundry rooms aren't always at hand or desirable. In this article we share some of the better ways we have seen washing machines installed which could give you some food for thought when shopping for a van. And your laundry is not complete until the clean clothes are dried so we will look at some options there too.
Washing machine winners
I think it would be fair to say most of the caravans I review these days come with a washing machine, or they are made available as an option. Having a washing machine on board means you can avoid using communal washing machines in caravan parks. Some people just don’t like the idea of putting their clothes in machines where “who knows what’s been in there?” Others also appreciate that the cost of using caravan park machines over extended periods is not insignificant. Plus, you are tied down to waiting for the park machine to finish before you can get on with your day. In our travels we have been delayed from starting our washing on more than one occasion because other users have been too slack to remove their washing in a timely manner. Bringing a washing machine with you also enables you to keep on top of laundry when you are camping off grid — provided you have a decent inverter and can manage your clean water wisely.
Like everything else caravanning, there are limitations. Most notable is that recreational vehicle (RV) washing machines have quite small wash load capacities. Bigger machines will be at their limit with two queen bed sheets at once and a couple of pillowcases. Smaller machines may only handle one sheet at a time.
Washing machine types
At the most basic level, washing machines are divided into wall-mount and floor-mount products. Floor mounts can be further divided into top loader and front loader machines. In the vans we review here, we most often see wall mounts or top loader floor mounts. I suspect front loader floor mounts are not such a popular option because they are heavier and getting clothes in and out is more difficult.
We have done a comparison of some of the important specs for top loaders and wall mounts. Jared Pearson, product manager at NCE was generous with his time to share some data and knowledge. We’ve documented prices and product weights as this can be helpful to understand the impact of adding a machine as an optional extra when shopping for a van. Understanding water consumption helps determine how long until you need to top up the freshwater tanks and also be aware how much you are putting into grey water tanks.
New release NCE top loader machines are available in 2.5kg and 3.5kg models and both are cold wash only. The smaller unit retails for around $349, weighs 16kg and has a water consumption between 15L and 20L depending on the cycle. The run time is between 20–35 minutes and the power consumption is quoted at 235W. The larger unit retails for around $369. The specs don’t jump up a great deal. It weighs 18.5kg and uses between 15L and 26L of water, running between 20–35 minutes too. It has the same power consumption of 235W. Jared pointed out that these new-generation top loaders are more efficient than predecessors, using around 20 per cent less water on short cycles. Top loaders can also handle a few more clothes for a given load capacity (kg) as the vertically oriented drums can hold more water than the horizontally oriented front loader drums.
Moving onto wall mounts, NCE offers a 3kg capacity front loader retailing for around $1020 making it nearly triple the price of a top loader. Jared tells us the cost is due to much more sophisticated electronics. The weight is the same as the top loaders at 18.5kg. The new NCE wall mount has a built-in element to heat the incoming cold water. This requires a power usage of 1300W which is significantly more than the cold water-only top loaders. The quick wash runs for 15 minutes and skips the heating function. The standard run cycle time is 27 minutes and raises the water temperature to 40°C. Alternate functions can raise the water temperature up to 90°C. Run times can be extended up to 180 minutes. Interestingly the machine does not use more water on extended cycles. It just agitates the clothes for longer.
Quickly covering off-floor mount front loaders, they are significantly heavier and similarly priced to wall mount front loaders. A Camec 2.5kg floor mount front loader model we checked outweighed 34kg and retailed for around $900.
Handy hints
Jared shared with us a few handy hints. Try to load the machine to be as balanced as possible. Wall mount machines will add more water in an attempt to equalise unbalanced loads — which is not helpful when you are off-grid without much water. Ensuring that the van is parked level will help with the washing machine sensing a balanced load. Lower the corner steadies on your van to reduce the amount of vibration felt in the van during the spin cycle. Do not leave wet clothes or operate the machine while driving. This will put extra load on the bearings in the drum. An advantage of a top loader is the drum can be filled from an external water source such as a creek when free camping. Jared’s rule of thumb is if you are prepared to drink the water then it's fine for the machine. If the water looks dirty it could stain your clothes or have contaminants that could damage the machine.
Washing machines and layouts
If you are in the market for a van with a washing machine, here are a few things to consider with floor versus wall mount. Floor mounts tend to make the bathroom feel much larger as it keeps the walls clear, and it is accentuated if the free wall space is used to install a larger mirror. You also get more continuous bench space. If it’s a top loader your benchtop will need to be hinged to gain access to the machine and you will be able to get your clothes in and out from a standing position. If it’s a floor-mounted front loader you can have a continuous bench space, but you will have to get down on your hands and knees to get the laundry in and out. Floor mounts eat up under bench space that could otherwise be used for another storage cupboard. And of course, a wall mount is the flip of all this — you gain under-bench storage space, and you give up wall space. Another consideration is mounting integrity. If you are unlucky enough for the mounting to come loose on a wall mount your machine has a long way to fall and can do a lot of damage bouncing around while travelling. Conversely, a floor-mounted machine can’t go far.
It’s also worth noting that some caravan manufacturers have done some different/ clever things with their washing machine installations. Lyfe Caravans installs its wall-mount washing machine in an external compartment which keeps the interior looking sleek. The only downside I can see is you would have to keep some space free in front of the machine or move some stuff around to be able to open the door. But if you happened to have a plumbing leak it wouldn’t cause as much drama as a flood in the bathroom. Evernew Caravans tackles the potential leak scenario differently by installing a drip tray underneath the washing machine located in the bathroom. The drip tray is fitted with a drain in the floor which directs potential water directly out of the van. I am not saying washing machines leak all the time, but it is nice to see companies that have put contingencies in place. The other honourable mention goes to the Great Aussie Caravans’ Tonka which has the most impressive bathroom/laundry I have seen in a caravan. The front load washer is at a nice height to reach into the drum with minimal effort. The substantial benchtop return has heaps of horizontal work surface with enough room to put a real-size laundry basket at exactly the right height to transfer the clothes to the washing machine without bending.
Manual washing
There are simple alternatives to using a washing machine. Perhaps the simplest of all is a portable washer — aka, an old-fashioned bucket. A technique used by seasoned travellers is to chuck the laundry in with a bit of water and laundry detergent into a bucket. It’s critical to have a bucket with a decent waterproof sealed lid. The bucket is then strapped down in your car or van in readiness for when you are driving. And as you have probably guessed by now, the motion of being on the road does the water and clothes agitation for you, rather than relying on hand washing and determination. There are some detergents such as wool wash that do not need to be rinsed out of the clothes. Therefore, you can skip rinsing and save time and water. You will, however, need to do some old-fashioned hand ringing of clothes before hanging to dry.
Another manual method is a plunger wash bag. Basically, it’s making use of a dry bag and what looks likes an ordinary toilet plunger with an extendable handle. For those who don’t know a dry bag is usually used by boaties to put stuff in and protect it from getting wet. It becomes waterproof by rolling the top of the bag over a few times and clipping it shut. In this instance, it's being used in reverse with the bag being used to contain water, detergent and clothes. The plunger is used to agitate the contents by hand. Our Editor, John Ford, has tried one out and reports you get a bit of a workout using the plunger and it does a better job of getting the soapy water right into the clothes than the ‘driving with a bucket’ technique. The wash bag makes squeezing the water out of your clothes easier than hand wringing too. What makes the wash bag different from a regular dry bag is it has a little drain valve. This enables you to push most of the water out with the bag shut. Then by kneeling on the bag, you can squeeze a lot more water out of the clothes. Plunger wash bags are available in various sizes and retail for around $70–$90.
1. Add detergent and water to a dry bag
2. A plunger is used to get the soap into the clothes
3. Drain the water once finished
Drying
There are a number of caravan-specific dryers on the market. The most space-efficient are the washer dryer combo systems. NCE offers a variation of its 3kg wall mount washer which also has a 1kg drying capacity and retails for around $1250. It is the same product weight of 18.5kg as the washer only equivalent. The dryer function load capacity is 1kg. Jared advises that van dryers have limited heating capacity, and you need to run them for a long time. You shouldn’t expect the same results as a domestic clothes dryer and outdoor drying on a drying rack or clothes line is always best. A caravan dryer is great for ‘finishing off’ drying if outside conditions can’t complete the job.
You should be aware that drying clothes inside a van takes the water out of your clothes and transfers it into the room. Jared has discovered that because the drying process is gradual it doesn’t create condensation. Old-fashioned air drying a lot of clothes inside the van should be avoided as it definitely can lead to dampness. If it is necessary to dry clothes inside the van it is critical to ventilate well to extract the moist air. One potential location for air drying is to place the clothes on some form of hanger inside the shower with the vent open.
Simple outside drying solutions include hanging off ropes or using a portable clothesline. Being able to move a clothesline around means you can chase the sun or wind or move it under an awning if rain is on the radar.
The wrap
We all have to do laundry on the road. Washing machines and even dryers can make these domestic chores easier when you have access to power and enough water. There are some old-school and some more fancy ways to get the washing done manually if you want to keep things simple. Probably the most important thing to know about getting the laundry done is to use sunshine and wind to avoid drying clothes inside your van to prevent moisture build-up.
Thanks to NCE for its invaluable contribution to this article. Learn more at nce.com.au
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