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Old 05-26-2017, 10:02 AM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Live in laundry - skoolie style

happy Friday,

I'm researching laundry options now - electric, W/D combo units, non vented VS vented, manual etc etc.
Me and my two K9 fur babies (combined weight of 165 lbs), will be living on board full time, so being able to do laundry when & where necessary is on my MUST have list.
Please share any experience you have with on board laundry machines. Any feedback on these;
Splendide WD2100XC
LG – Model # WM3455HW
EdgeStar – Model # CWD1510S
The Wonder Wash - crank handle
The Laundry Pod - crank handle

Any other suggestions???

with gratitude,


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Old 05-26-2017, 10:13 AM   #2
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I do not have first hand experience with any of those specific models but I do have general experience with laundry on the road and having a washer dryer in my RV.

I started with a vent free washer dryer combo. Cost about $1100... What a great idea!! Washer & dryer in such a compact space and no venting required!!

I used it for about 3 months through a summer. It would not dry the clothes well enough so we put a clothes line out. That lasted until the end of summer then we started using the laundrymat again. I tried for over a year to sell the unit and finally wound up giving it away.

I currently have a Whirlpool stacking W/D set in my rig. Work fine but can only be used with full hookups as one load of laundry uses 2/3 of my water tank and similarly fills my grey tank.

I have me several sailing cruisers that use the hand crank model and are pleased with them. They are certainly more work and smaller capacity but can do a small load with a couple of gallons of water and no electricity. BIG plus if you intend to do any boondocking.

Good luck on your quest.
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Old 05-26-2017, 10:23 AM   #3
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This won't be the answer you want. You've got to buy food, so obviously you're in town sometimes. Stop at a laundromat.

I did the home laundry thing this past summer. It was difficult to get my clothing clean and nearly impossible to wash blankets. Drying home washed clothing is another issue not suited for a bus, especially if there's any rain or even heavy morning dew.

The point is washing clothing with various devices is very time consuming in comparison to stopping at the laundromat for an hour on you're trip to get groceries.
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Old 05-26-2017, 11:26 AM   #4
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Hey someone else has seen the Laundry Pod! I have that saved in my maybe pile, I might get it later if my current plan doesn't work out: I plan to do my laundry in my bathtub by hand and hang them up on a drying rack with a fan on them, like people did in college when they didn't wanna pay the extra quarters for the dryer.

I also considered stopping by laundromats. That would work well for things like blankets.
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Old 05-26-2017, 12:11 PM   #5
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We do the Laundromat. We find the most interesting people and have the best conversations while we're there! A couple years back we had the little wash pod that uses a gallon of water, it was ok, but it started to leak from the seal @ the cap. Honestly wouldn't have been a big deal if you don't leave it upside down like we did.
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Old 05-27-2017, 07:18 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PNW_Steve View Post
I do not have first hand experience with any of those specific models but I do have general experience with laundry on the road and having a washer dryer in my RV.

I started with a vent free washer dryer combo. Cost about $1100... What a great idea!! Washer & dryer in such a compact space and no venting required!!

I used it for about 3 months through a summer. It would not dry the clothes well enough so we put a clothes line out. That lasted until the end of summer then we started using the laundrymat again. I tried for over a year to sell the unit and finally wound up giving it away.
.....
hi Steve,
Yes this is very helpful, thank you. I don't know why the combo units aren't vented. Or at least have the option to vent.....that would be ideal.
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Old 05-27-2017, 07:28 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shambhala Tinbolle View Post
hi Steve,
Yes this is very helpful, thank you. I don't know why the combo units aren't vented. Or at least have the option to vent.....that would be ideal.
you can get the vented combo washer\dryer, the vented models are recommended by most rv people, and from what I read about them they, they seem to work well, but take a long time and small loads. We where thinking about one, but I think I would want the extra space for storage, but will see I might change my mind, for now we use laundry mats
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Old 05-27-2017, 07:44 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Destroymix View Post
We do the Laundromat. We find the most interesting people and have the best conversations while we're there! A couple years back we had the little wash pod that uses a gallon of water, it was ok, but it started to leak from the seal @ the cap. Honestly wouldn't have been a big deal if you don't leave it upside down like we did.
Thank you Destroyomix, Robin and Dreamweaver! Laundromats are one of the greatest places to have varied and 'interesting' conversation . I'm a big fan of good conversation - sadly it's a dying art.
I intend on using laundromats on our travels, totally fine with it, but I've been dreaming about doing this project for over 20 years - i want to do it well and make every consideration in the foundation stages.

Doing laundry is a natural part of life, yet it's one task that can fall by the wayside. At points in my life i've had to do laundry by hand with no indoor plumbing - quite a challenge in a Canadian winter. Hence i don't want to overlook the effort involved in even just washing bed sheets.

This will be my home. I wouldn't build a brick/mortar home and say, 'aw i don't need laundry facilities'. For me figuring all these details out and creating my dream space is part of the adventure. Wringing sheets, jeans and towels by hand isn't so much fun though .
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Old 05-27-2017, 08:37 AM   #9
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I personally plan on using a washer/dryer combo unit that was given to me. But I would like off-grid accommodations as well.

I'd like to get a hand crank or foot pump washer (which you can empty water from and continue to crank/pump dry) and a clothesline (or a retractable one above the shower if putting a clothesline outside isn't acceptable in certain areas). This saves water and electricity, and if you needed to wash big things like bed linens you could go to a laundromat while you go into town to run other errands. If you don't need the off grid laundry stuff for a while, like if you're in an RV park, you could store it under a bed until you do. If you want to just wash clothes by hand in the sink or something you could get one of those old school clothes wringers, since routinely wringing out clothes can cause long-term damage to your hands.
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Old 05-27-2017, 12:33 PM   #10
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For those of you that give up space in your bus for a laundry system, more power to you. That's a lot of water and power usage.

I've also done the hand washed method for long periods of time. It does wreck your hands. It might be ok on a hot summer day, but the rest of the year it really sucks.

Ideally I'd also like to be able to wash my clothing in my bus. It's not just washing clothing that's the problem. If you want to put away clean dry clothes without it taking several days to wash and dry, go to a laundromat while you're in town.

I still have a clothes line inside my bus, just above the windows, from trying to dry clothing during the winter. Not that it rains much in Oregon during the winter or anything like that. The clothes line stayed since it's handy for lots of things like wet towels, but my laundry is washed and dried in an hour while I'm in town getting groceries. Yeah, it cost $5 or $8 to wash a load or two. There's no maintenance or broken down machines. I've gone through three sets of washers and dryers over the past ten years. Laundromats are cheap by comparison.

That said, I respect anybody's choices.
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Old 05-28-2017, 12:18 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wendysdrivethrudude View Post
I personally plan on using a washer/dryer combo unit that was given to me. But I would like off-grid accommodations as well.

I'd like to get a hand crank or foot pump washer (which you can empty water from and continue to crank/pump dry) and a clothesline (or a retractable one above the shower if putting a clothesline outside isn't acceptable in certain areas). This saves water and electricity, and if you needed to wash big things like bed linens you could go to a laundromat while you go into town to run other errands. If you don't need the off grid laundry stuff for a while, like if you're in an RV park, you could store it under a bed until you do. If you want to just wash clothes by hand in the sink or something you could get one of those old school clothes wringers, since routinely wringing out clothes can cause long-term damage to your hands.
manual options are smart backups. I'd go foot pump for any non-electric options.
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