I had wanted to pose the question, what are the one or two most important things all of you use on a daily basis, and could not imagine functioning without. But then I started working through this section of the forum and found a few posts that served the bill: top 10 lists, for instance. However, I began to feel slightly overwhelmed with the sheer number of items people own/use/have added to their RVs. So I'm looking for some feedback on just how many of these things are a really, truly good idea for any full-timer, and how many are just nice to have if you want them? Such as, RO systems, water filters, residential fridges, dehumidifiers, two-pane windows, solar panels, hydraulic leveling systems . . . just to name a few of the 'top 10' items I can recall offhand. Thanks for sharing your feedback, experience and advice on these and anything more!
I should also mention we will have a fifth-wheel; I'm sure that impacts some of these items. No plans to have w/d or d/w.
-- Edited by In Laymans Terms on Tuesday 3rd of November 2015 07:26:59 PM
Barbaraok said
07:10 PM Nov 3, 2015
Double-pane windows are a must. Help keep cold or heat out, keeps noise out too. Wouldn't have rig without them. If only the big front windshield on the MH could be double pane, life would be wonderful.
Leveling system also a must, but whether it is electric, hydraulic, or air, depends upon the rig, it's size, etc.
My 3rd, for fulltiming, is a washer-dryer.
Barb
2riker2go said
04:39 AM Nov 4, 2015
Agree with Barbaraok. Also I know my husband would say surge protection system and water pressure regulator would be a must.
Terry and Jo said
09:00 AM Nov 4, 2015
I'd say all of the above is good, and DEFINITELY on the power protection device. We didn't start out with one and was in a mobile home park for 3 years before retiring. The power source in that place wasn't great (had two power issues with the incoming lines - open neutral and bad electrical connection), and I think they might have contributed to knocking out our first Whirlpool washing machine. We now have one of the Progressive Industries units hard wired into our system and it has the remote display.
In a pinch on our fifth wheel, the leveling system (hydraulic) will even let me raise it enough to change tires.
Since we had issues within 2 years with our RV fridge, we modified our Mobile Suites for residential refrigerator. Love that one.
Terry
The Bear II said
09:14 AM Nov 4, 2015
Since you already have a 5th wheel it really depends on how basic you feel comfortable with. When we first began RVing we didn't even carry a TV. Our entertainment was to sit in front of the fire and burn sticks in the evening and go exploring during the day. Read books or play board games....
Currently we have just about every electronic device, small appliance imaginable... including a Wii game system, 2 TVs inside and one outside, Deep fryers, waffle irons, full size Kitchen Aid mixer, counter top ice maker plus an ice maker in the freezer, washer dryer and many other convenience items. According to my wife these are all necessities.
I would like to go back to basics....
You'll learn what is important and what is unneeded. depending on the lifestyle you want to have while RVing.
Neil and Connie said
02:23 PM Nov 4, 2015
In Laymans Terms wrote:
RO systems, water filters, residential fridges, dehumidifiers, two-pane windows, solar panels, hydraulic leveling systems . . . just to name a few
It really depends on what you want…as Howard and Linda are fond of saying there isn't any wrong way to do this thing.
We have a dishwasher and would not be without it…it fits in a spot that would be pretty much wasted for storage anyway and it does 2 days worth of dishes on about 2 gallons of water…I can't wash them in that little.
Washer/Dryer…we don't have one and don't want one. The problem with most RV W/D setups is that they're smaller so you have to do more loads and heavy stuff like towels or jeans might need a regular washer instead as some W/D are pretty small. More loads mean you have to do laundry a couple times a week or maybe even every other day. Going to the campground or a nearby commercial laundry lets me do it all in a couple of hours and then I'm done for 10 days or so.
Residential fridge…we have one and would not have gotten an RV type…lots of fire and other problems with them, they don't work as well as a residential, there's more space in the residential model…and I like my ice cream well frozen which can be an issue. Drawback is you need a bigger inverter, more batteries and solar if you want to boondock much.
Stuff like water regulators, lots of water hoses with quick disconnects, and filters are pretty much gotta have parts…as are sufficient tools, jack pads, chocks, bug spray in a pressure sprayer, awning tie-downs, power protection system, power pedestal testers, adapters for 50/30/20 plugs in various genders, levelers, and a host of other stuff…but I don't think you can really skimp on those. Dual pane windows are pretty much a must if you are in hot or cool areas…much cheaper to maintain inside temps.
You asked about daily basis though…for us it would be the residential fridge, dishwasher, hot water kettle and Aeropress for the morning coffee, and our Breville 800 countertop oven. We have the convection microwave but did not get a gas oven. The Breville bakes, broils, and toasts…pretty much everything a real oven would do…it's like a toaster oven on steroids. We also got a 2 inch memory foam mattress topper for our bed. Between that and our various computers and iDevices that's pretty much everything we use every day.
Oh yeah…forgot to mention. Beer mugs that live in the freezer to stay cold and real glass stemless wineglasses. I ain't drinking out of no Solo cup.
Barbaraok said
07:53 PM Nov 4, 2015
Neil and Connie wrote:
Washer/Dryer…we don't have one and don't want one. The problem with most RV W/D setups is that they're smaller so you have to do more loads and heavy stuff like towels or jeans might need a regular washer instead as some W/D are pretty small. More loads mean you have to do laundry a couple times a week or maybe even every other day. Going to the campground or a nearby commercial laundry lets me do it all in a couple of hours and then I'm done for 10 days or so.
There are a couple of misconceptions in the above statement. First, is that the w/d can't do towels or jeans. We do 2 large bath towels & 2 hand towels in a load. Jeans - 2 pairs at a time along with 2 or 4 T-shirts. The trick is to make sure you balance the load. We do queen size sheets and queen size flannel sheets in the w/d. As to doing it every other day - so what? Throw a load in and go do something else. There is no 2 - 3 hours sitting in a laundromat waiting on laundry, we're out and about. I also often use a delayed start, throw a load in and then have it start about 5 am - so we get up to warm fresh towels.
BiggarView said
08:24 PM Nov 4, 2015
So as we follow this particular part of this thread, I have to say both Neil & Connie as well as Barb make good points about the W/D as a must have or not depending on your choices. I guess the economics of one choice over the other seems to be the decider for us. If they come out more or less equal, then the option with the best lifestyle enhancement will be the winner. At least that would be our choice. As you can see, we all have different priorities that suit our particular needs and desires.
FWIW, Brian
TRAILERKING said
08:53 PM Nov 4, 2015
I've been thinking about taking out the Splendide W/D and put a large wine cooler/fridge in it's place. We don't use the W/D at all just tried it a couple times.
And yes...............The Breville is the best investment since I heard Bjoyce mention it.
-- Edited by TRAILERKING on Wednesday 4th of November 2015 08:54:51 PM
In Laymans Terms said
09:17 PM Nov 4, 2015
Wow - this feedback is amazing, everyone. Thank you for the time and effort you put into explaining the whys and wherefores. It really gives us great insight into what a change fulltiming will be compared to our usual weekends and two- to three-week holidays in our camper.
A couple questions I have based on the comments above - and pardon me for being clueless - how is the residential fridge different from a typical RV fridge, other than (I'm guessing) size? Does it still run off propane? From a couple answer above, it sounds like it can be retrofitted into a fifth wheel that comes with an RV fridge, is that right?
I never would have imagined using a d/w, but the water usage is a good point. Never thought about it actually using less water, so thanks for that point, Neil and Connie.
The Breville sounds amazing - I will be looking that up online. Does anyone use their propane oven inside their camper much? I've never used one in the 20 years I've camped, but I thought fulltimers might.
Finally, I have to laugh: a stemless, stainless-steel wineglass is on my Christmas wish list - no red Solo cups for me either!
2riker2go said
04:46 AM Nov 5, 2015
I started out using the oven, but it was a pain to light the pilot light. Then I figured out how to use the convection oven in the microwave and I haven't used the other one since!
TRAILERKING said
07:57 AM Nov 5, 2015
In Laymans Terms wrote:
Does anyone use their propane oven inside their camper much? I've never used one in the 20 years I've camped, but I thought fulltimers might.
When we had them in our camper trailers we just used them to store pots and pans. Our motorhome now doesn't have an oven. It just has a micro wave/convection oven. We use the micro wave a bit. The convection oven part of it we used a few times but it would generate a lot of heat while using it. Now with the Breville convection.....we use that when we need an oven. It works faster and better in my opinion. Grandaughter and I have made many cookies. muffins, and cup cakes in it.
Bill and Linda said
08:19 AM Nov 5, 2015
In Laymans Terms wrote:
I should also mention we will have a fifth-wheel; I'm sure that impacts some of these items. No plans to have w/d or d/w. -- Edited by In Laymans Terms on Tuesday 3rd of November 2015 07:26:59 PM
Assuming full-time or “part-time full-time" - not just weekending:
This is our list of must have to protect the trailer and ourselves.After these items listed below preferences start to take shape and “it depends” in our view.For example, many want a residential refrigerator because they have had issues with RV type units or simply want the space.But because we boondock a bit and in spite of the fact we have reasonably big batteries and solar we want an RV refrigerator. So far ours (all of them) have served us very well over many years.But that’s a choice, not a “must have” in our opinion.
That said, assuming we are going travel and not be stationary most of the time here are “must haves” for our trailer in a general order of importance to us with the exception of one and two on the list
G114 “H” tires (Most important safety upgrade one can purchase)
Disc Brakes on 8K axles (not loaded right to the max)
Progressive Industries HW50C electrical power protection
Dual pane windows
MOR/ryde IS suspension system
Air-ride pin box or hitch
AGM or similar “maintenance free” batteries and a backup converter. (No 12 volts – nothing works in a trailer)
Water softener (to protect the plastic plumbing – water is “hard” almost everywhere)
Not part of the trailer, but a truck big enough to tow the trailer within all ratings and it must have an effective exhaust brake with an on/off switch regardless of brand.
That’s our list of generic necessities for safe travel.After those, “It depends” on many other personal or style factors.
Bill and Linda
Terry and Jo said
09:08 AM Nov 5, 2015
In Laymans Terms wrote:
A couple questions I have based on the comments above - and pardon me for being clueless - how is the residential fridge different from a typical RV fridge, other than (I'm guessing) size? Does it still run off propane? From a couple answer above, it sounds like it can be retrofitted into a fifth wheel that comes with an RV fridge, is that right?
Nicole,
With regards to the residential refrigerators, they are all completely electric, thus Neil and Connie's comment about the inverter and extra batteries if boondocking. The inverter allows the refrigerator to run while one is not hooked to an electric pedestal in a park or campground. As for retrofitting, it can be done, but one must 'measure, measure, measure' to insure that the refrigerator chosen will fit into the spot.
In our case, we had an RV fridge that gave out after only 2 years of use full-timing. Even though we have an extended warranty that would have repaired or replaced the RV fridge, we elected to go residential to avoid having one go out again in a short time. While some have had good luck with RV fridge's, being we are full-time, it was important to us to modify our coach and install a residential. The modification required making some changes to the space where the fridge sits and choosing a fridge that easily fit into the new space. That's the reason for the 'measure, measure, measure.'
Should the modification interest you (I don't remember if you already have an RV), I posted an extensive thread about our modification for the residential. If you'd like to see what we did, the link below is to an RV Dreams thread where I posted links to a couple of other forums and several links to my blog where I posted comments and pictures of our process.
And yes, the residential does a LOT BETTER job of keeping ice cream cold and firm.
Terry
Barbaraok said
10:13 AM Nov 5, 2015
2riker2go wrote:
I started out using the oven, but it was a pain to light the pilot light. Then I figured out how to use the convection oven in the microwave and I haven't used the other one since!
Our propane oven has never been lit! It is where I store my Cuisanart Griller along with a couple of other things. Have had convection ovens for years and love them. Our micro/conv oven is great for everything I want to bake.
Barb
TRAILERKING said
10:31 AM Nov 5, 2015
Another handy item we got was a portable single burner induction cook top. Those things are amazing at how quick they cook and no heat transfer. Just need all metal/magnetic cookware or they don't work.
Bill and Linda said
11:13 AM Nov 5, 2015
Terry and Jo wrote:
In Laymans Terms wrote:
A couple questions I have based on the comments above - and pardon me for being clueless - how is the residential fridge different from a typical RV fridge, other than (I'm guessing) size? Does it still run off propane? From a couple answer above, it sounds like it can be retrofitted into a fifth wheel that comes with an RV fridge, is that right?
With regards to the residential refrigerators, they are all completely electric, thus Neil and Connie's comment about the inverter and extra batteries if boondocking. The inverter allows the refrigerator to run while one is not hooked to an electric pedestal in a park or campground. As for retrofitting, it can be done, but one must 'measure, measure, measure' to insure that the refrigerator chosen will fit into the spot.
And yes, the residential does a LOT BETTER job of keeping ice cream cold and firm.
Terry
We don’t have an ice cream issue with our “RV” refrigerator.Didn’t with the previous one either.Ice cream is nice and hard. We’ve been very happy with our RV fridge.But again, we travel and boondock so the criteria is different for us.
It takes a lot, relatively speaking, of battery amp hours (size of battery capacity) to run a residential fridge vs. the RV unit which requires almost no electric power when on "gas." That equates to less battery weight and cost as well as solar capacity and roof space for panels. Naturally the RV unit can also run on electric only if desired and you have electric plug-in power available at a campsite. More flexibility.
We have 600AH of batteries and we’d have to increase that by at least 300AH more to have a residential unit and still have the same overall capability for boondocking we have now.But that’s our criteria.Might be different for you and certainly is for others. "It depends"
BTW, Howard and Linda stuck with their RV refrigerator unit for the same reasons we did according to Howard’s post concerning the choice.
Make a choice based on your criteria – and living situation.Gather data from all views. Enjoy the research.
Bill
Bill and Linda said
11:16 AM Nov 5, 2015
Barbaraok wrote:
2riker2go wrote:
I started out using the oven, but it was a pain to light the pilot light. Then I figured out how to use the convection oven in the microwave and I haven't used the other one since!
Our propane oven has never been lit! It is where I store my Cuisanart Griller along with a couple of other things. Have had convection ovens for years and love them. Our micro/conv oven is great for everything I want to bake.
Barb
Same for us. When we had an oven in another rig it was a good place to store the bread. Don't have one at all in this rig. Opened up a lot of space for cabinet storage under the range. Convection M/W's have been great for us.
NWescapee said
11:56 AM Nov 5, 2015
One comment on the use of an oven, we have only the convection oven. 2 previous TT's had the propane oven that we rarely used so when we decided to go full time, I knew I didn't want one. Convection oven works well for most baking and we've actually started using the grill a LOT more for cooking things, such as pizza and stuffed fish fillets, that I had always cooked in the oven before. A bit of a learning curve, but on warm days, it's great not to heat up the rig.
Bill and Linda said
12:45 PM Nov 5, 2015
NWescapee wrote:
One comment on the use of an oven, we have only the convection oven. 2 previous TT's had the propane oven that we rarely used so when we decided to go full time, I knew I didn't want one. Convection oven works well for most baking and we've actually started using the grill a LOT more for cooking things, such as pizza and stuffed fish fillets, that I had always cooked in the oven before. A bit of a learning curve, but on warm days, it's great not to heat up the rig.
Not to get too far off the tread, but Linda, who does the grilling and I’m very thankful for that, loves the infra-red version of the Webber grill. She said it took just a little time to get calibrated to its fast cooking – higher temps. But she loves it. We (she) grill out a lot.That’s a style thing but nonetheless . . . The trailer cooktop LP gas range is used little and we had a fold down cover made for it as part of the custom build to provide more useable flat counter space.We use that space, as an example, for a single burner induction cooking appliance.Love the induction – uses very little power relative to being electric and doesn’t heat up the rig. But we still have the gas range for boondocking when required.
All these comments show the OP there are many ways to live this life.
Someday said
12:55 PM Nov 5, 2015
Layman, be sure to always keep in the back of your mind, that just as some folks like to drive a mini cooper others like to be in a huge gas guzzling SUV. In RVing terms, some folks like ourselves are real homebodies that love to cook/bake our food at home rarely eating out so we do use our propane stove/oven almost daily, albeit we have learned to adapt compared to SnB cooking somewhat. Others love to smoke, grill, cook outside, and many others hate cooking and eat out a lot or utilize many pre-packaged foods. No one way is right or wrong it's how YOU chose to live/roll.
Again whilst some are OK with full hookups to do several small loads daily in their Washer/Dryer combo others that maybe are off grid a lot prefer to spend an hour half once every couple of weeks or thereabouts with presorted laundry put in 3 machines for half hour and then into 2 or 3 dryers. We for sure prefer onboard convenience, and the next rig will definitely have the stacked W/D (the teeny combo we currently have I always have to iron what little it holds). For us right now, we use a combo of onboard if hooked up but mainly of late as we are rarely in an organised CG we tend to use laundromats.
What's right for one couple/person is not necessarily the best option for another. Carefully think how you will likely travel based on what appeals more to you. Will you be mainly full hook up and how much laundry will you generate? Do you insist on fresh towels daily or twice a week? Clean Jeans daily or every three days? Are you homebody cooks or do you tend to like eating out at restaurants a lot and maybe only heat up tins or microwave foods for the most part? Are you receptive to learning to cook in these newer convection type ovens and/or will you mainly cook outside on a grill/slow cooker etc. It's all about individual choices, but it's wonderful to get others perspectives on what bugs or doesn't bug them about the various things. After all it's the latter that gives us our "Ahh, Ha" moments.
Personally we love, love, love the past year having a residential fridge/freezer, finally after 15 years of having a "Nevercold". Whilst I notice one person said that their ice cream is always hard and cold in their RV fridge, we experienced the opposite, in addition we also love the fact we can now store a full size pizza in it's box in the newer residential one, that we couldn't in the old RV specific one. Would we change it out for those things alone, absolutely not = it died and to replace it after 11 years in this rig, it was going to cost us an arm and a leg - we decided to do major upgrades with solar, flat screen tvs, etc and what we saved on the Res fridge over the replacement RV one gave us half towards all the upgrades we did. It was a question of economics for us.
Depending on your natures/personalities will dictate so much as well. Some folks everything has to be "just right" so to speak, whereas others just don't sweat the small stuff, and will make do and improvise. Also often what you've never had you never miss - but once you've had it, well then all bets are off! Only you know yourself best as to what you can and can't live without and what trade offs you are willing to make.
SD.
In Laymans Terms said
07:55 PM Nov 5, 2015
Wow - I really appreciate all the well-thought-out answers and lists, and details from your personal experience. It's fascinating to compare the differing viewpoints on the value of one item versus another, and also the commonalities that crop up. You have given us lots to think about! What I'm sorting out in my mind is that there seems to be a clear list of daily requirements, based on the simple reality of RVing, and then a divergent list of wants that are as unique as each one of us and our personal circumstances. It will be VERY interesting to see how many items we BEGIN our travels with, and what we will add, remove or customize after a year or so! At the start of this thread, I clearly stated I would not be interested in a d/w; I'm having second thoughts about that item now :)
And thanks, Someday - I love your perspective on life!
Hdrider said
08:40 PM Nov 5, 2015
Like others have mentioned, everyone has different tastes and desires and needs.
We fulltimed our first 1 ½ years on the road with a coach that had the “RV refer” and a combo unit washer drier and far less creature comforts than our current coach and had no complaints. We were happy to be on the road.
We now fulltime in a coach with a residential refer and certainly enjoy the extra space it provides and not having the propane worries in the back of my mind. Our last coach had 600 amp hours of battery and 560 watts of solar on top and hardly ever had to run the generator if we had good weather while boondocking. In our new coach we have 900 amp hours of battery and 1120 watts of solar on top and STILL hardly ever need to run the generator while boondocking if we have good weather so don’t let people scare you away from a residential refer to easily, it’s not a big deal and we LOVE the residential and now would never go back to the RV refer.
We now have a stacker washer & drier and do like it better than the combo unit and honestly would really hate not having it. But at least having some sort of washer drier is a must for us.
A good EMS is also very important and it was the first thing we installed in both coaches.
A good water filter system is important to us also. We don’t have the most over the top system but we do filter and run our water through a water softener and have had good luck so far even though others have better systems.
And a good mattress is important, you have to sleep well to enjoy life.
bjoyce said
10:14 AM Nov 6, 2015
I held back to see what others said and now I will add my list of items we are glad to have that were not mentioned. We wake up each morning knowing the time and approximate outside temperature, since we have a projection clock that alternates between time and showing the outside temperature. Many companies make these, ours is a La Crosse. For us, knowing the time and temperature without getting out of bed is comforting. Now if we can keep our cat from knocking it over on occasion, life would be good.
With a diesel motorhome we had a time when we were getting check engine lights and having to drive many miles to find out what they meant. We picked up a Silverleaf VMSpc and run it on an old Windows laptop while going down the road. It has helped us with check engine lights and has a much better fuel gauge than the motorhome. The geek in me also likes all the real time information being displayed.
We also love our Magnum 3000 watt hybrid inverter/charger. Right now we are driveway camping with a long 15 amp extension cord, but can run our microwave, Breville Smartoven and a hair dryer, since we have the shore set to 10 amps and the hybrid will add amps to the incoming electric.
Our internet setup is very important to us. We have both Verizon and AT&T mobile hotspots going through a Pepwave Surf SOHO router. Each of us has an Android tablet, each of us has a laptop, we have a wireless all-in-one printer, and we have a couple other laptops for special purposes.
Diane loves her Wii for Zoomba and other exercise games.
We do not have satellite TV and do not miss it. We do have a Bluray player and HDTV.
We love our residential fridge, especially the huge 10cuft freezer. We like our vented combo washer/dryer and use it all the time. We use our Breville Smartoven most days to toast and other days to bake or roast. We do not have a propane oven, but do have a convection microwave that is rarely is used as an oven anymore. We use our propane cooktop all the time, making pasta, rice, one dish meals, etc. We make meals that we can eat multiple times and rarely make something that only lasts one meal. We do not own an outside grill. When on our own, we eat breakfast and dinner in, with an occasional lunch out. When with others, we often end up out for dinner. We love our fancy Sleep Number mattress.
-- Edited by bjoyce on Friday 6th of November 2015 10:17:27 AM
-- Edited by bjoyce on Friday 6th of November 2015 10:19:00 AM
-- Edited by bjoyce on Saturday 7th of November 2015 10:04:57 AM
Terry and Jo said
08:41 AM Nov 7, 2015
Follow up from one of Bill's comments. We have an indoor/outdoor thermometer with two remotes. The base sits near my desk on the kitchen counter, one remote is outside and under a slide so that it stays out of the sun, and the second remote is located in the underbelly near the water manifold. The thermometer can be set to where it cycles through and displays each remote in order and the base has its own thermometer to give us an idea of what the temps are inside. I can be sitting at my desk in the winter and keep an eye on the temperatures outside and in the underbelly.
We supplement our furnaces with electric heaters, so if I think the underbelly is getting a bit cool, I turn off electric heaters and let the furnace work more. That way, the furnace can add heat to the underbelly area. Also, by using the electric heaters, the furnaces don't have to work so much. We've been in full-time in our Mobile Suites now for about 4 1/2 years and have never had any problems with the furnaces.
Now, if one is "chasing the warm climate," having these would be unnecessary.
Terry
-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Saturday 7th of November 2015 08:42:42 AM
Camper Chronicles said
04:12 PM Nov 8, 2015
This is a very tough question. If you buy all the "must haves" you could be spending tens of thousands of dollars. After a year on the road I would stay my top two items are quality tires (we had two flats with the cheap ones that came with the RV and the second could have resulted in a serious accident) and voltage regulator and surge protector (because we experienced a power surge in Florida that fried our box and would have resulted in serious damage if we would not have had it. Other than that, buy every warranty you can afford because we have used ours.
Trace
In Laymans Terms said
04:55 PM Nov 8, 2015
I agree, Trace, and that's why I've found this thread so informative and entertaining! It's really fun to see what people love and use on a daily basis - the answers have been wide-ranging and sometimes surprising :) But it's been greatly educational for me, with my nearly 30 years of camping experience yet never having spent more than three weeks in a row in my unit, nor spending more than about 40 days total in a camping season. There are items listed I've never heard of, much less imagined needing! What this has helped us determine is that we need those safety and functionality items, such as the tires and surge protector you mentioned, as well as dual-pane windows and some kind of convection oven/indoor grill. As for many of the other items, I think life on the road will dictate what we need versus what we want, and finances will dictate what we buy!
Hdrider mentioned installing an EMS - what is that?
Neil and Connie said
05:42 PM Nov 8, 2015
Barbaraok wrote:
There are a couple of misconceptions in the above statement. First, is that the w/d can't do towels or jeans. We do 2 large bath towels & 2 hand towels in a load. Jeans - 2 pairs at a time along with 2 or 4 T-shirts. The trick is to make sure you balance the load. We do queen size sheets and queen size flannel sheets in the w/d. As to doing it every other day - so what? Throw a load in and go do something else. There is no 2 - 3 hours sitting in a laundromat waiting on laundry, we're out and about. I also often use a delayed start, throw a load in and then have it start about 5 am - so we get up to warm fresh towels.
Hmmm…maybe there are larger ones than I've seen but still it comes down to personal preference…ya wanna do laundry 3-4 days a week or every 10 days.
For us we go with the latter…sure, it takes a couple hours total but I wander up to the laundry and start them then come back in a half hour to put them into the dryer then come back to fold. On a nice day I just take my iPad along and read a bit while waiting. Some folks like to have it all done every 10 days…some don't mind the start it and let it run.
From a cost standpoint I think the laundry comes out ahead but that depends on how long the W/D last I think. I spend maybe 200 bucks a year on quarters…get them 100 bucks at a time from the bank. The W/D option was something over 1000 if I recall correctly. However…we didn't make the decision on cost but rather on what we wanted to do. We've always done laundry every 10 days even when we lived in a sticks and bricks…others do a load every night or two but that isn't us.
-- Edited by Neil and Connie on Sunday 8th of November 2015 05:48:28 PM
Barbaraok said
07:11 PM Nov 8, 2015
If you do laundry every 10 days, assuming a 365 day year, that is 36.5 laundry days, say 36 for ease of use. I never can get ours done for less than $10 both washing & drying, (1 dark, 1 light/white, 1 sheets/lingere) so that would be about $360 per year. Three years and you've paid for an onboard w/d. Just another factor to consider when one is looking at fulltiming.
There are many threads on the "yes or no washer/dryer" and "combo washer/dryer versus separates" on this forum. We all have our reasons for preferring one over the other and we are happy with our combo. My mother-in-law requires her own due to chemical sensitivities.
Terry and Jo said
09:00 AM Nov 9, 2015
bjoyce wrote:
There are many threads on the "yes or no washer/dryer" and "combo washer/dryer versus separates" on this forum. We all have our reasons for preferring one over the other and we are happy with our combo. My mother-in-law requires her own due to chemical sensitivities.
To add to Bill's comment, the laundromat might be a good option for most people, but if anyone has allergies or other reactions to pets or pet hair, then having their own washer and dryer could really be important. I remember seeing one RV park laundromat that had a sign saying no items that might have pet hair on them. Needless to say, that could include one's clothes, if they let their pets onto their laps or beside them.
If the RV parks don't have enough washers and dryers, one would also find themselves paying for the gas to drive to the laundromat elsewhere. In our case, we are 15 to 20 miles from the nearest laundromat, other than the one in the park. If that were occur regularly, that cost would need to be added to the cost of the washing and drying.
In Jo's case, it is easy for her to find something to do in the coach while laundry is being done, which is about twice a week. Sheets and towels get done once a week.
Terry
BiggarView said
09:43 AM Nov 9, 2015
We continue to weigh the W/D options. Adding to Terry's comment... the cost of fuel to go to the laundromat can be mitigated by combining it with other activities. That however goes part and parcel with one's lifestyle routines and options. On the flipside, doing laundry in the rig can involve additional electricity usage (if you are on a meter) or genny time and fuel if that is needed to accomplish the task of doing the laundry. I have no idea to what extent those "costs" actually are, but they have to add up over time. I haven't seen any discussion of the life expectancy of a RV washer and dryer under "normal" FTer use.
Barb's calculation, while fundamentally good, leaves out the costs I mentioned. Real world data is needed to accurately paint that picture. Further, I have found the average price of a W & D is closer to 1200-1300 before taxes and possible shipping charges or other expenses to actually acquire the units. Using the 360/yr for laundromat expenses that puts the pay off time frame up to 4 years not including the aforementioned W/D operating costs. My search through the forums has not produced any meaningful insights into how long W/Ds last in FT RV living applications. If they last more than 4 years, I would think that having onboard laundry facilities becomes cost and lifestyle effective. I am starting to lean toward having such capabilities.
On the general subject of requirements/needs/preferences/wants... We agree with Bill and Linda, on the need for the suspension, tire and brake upgrades in addition to any rig infrastructure items that protect it's systems, especially in FTing applications. The jury is still out on most other things like solar, extra batteries, various gadgets or other bells and whistles.
FWIW, Brian
-- Edited by biggaRView on Monday 9th of November 2015 09:47:02 AM
bjoyce said
10:12 AM Nov 9, 2015
We should get back to the main subject. We replaced our Splendide combo at around 9 years when we could not fix it getting slower to dry. But, our new one, a 2100XC, has a periodic maintenance procedure that clears the lint out of the innards and brings the drying time back to what it was. There was no such procedure for the 2100 we used to own, so maybe a 2100XC will last longer than our 2100 did if you do the procedure. I know of no one that runs their own washer/dryer while not on hookups and some are plumbed by the RV manufacturer directly to the discharge and not to the grey tank. I do know people who run a load while going down the road while running the generator. Again, having a washer/dryer is a choice and those that due have made that choice and those that do not have made theirs. Its an individual decision, just like RV type, brand, gas versus diesel, boondock versus full hookups, preferred campground choices, memberships yes/no, etc. We all make many choices based on our own wants, needs, finances, life history, etc., and it does not make us inferior or superior to others.
-- Edited by bjoyce on Monday 9th of November 2015 10:13:20 AM
Barbaraok said
10:21 AM Nov 9, 2015
Brian,
Since the W/D is a 120V system, the back of the napkin calculation is at 90 min for drying and using the 20 amp breaker as the maximum that could be pulled will give you 2400 watts over 90 minutes = 3.6 KwHr. At 12¢ per KWH that gives about 43 cents per drying cycle. I neglected the cost for the washing part because it is really minor compared to the drying cycle. But certainly figuring 50¢ per load for electricity is a good approximation. 8-10 yrs seems to be the time frame of replacement that we have seen.
Barb
ticat900 said
10:31 AM Nov 9, 2015
2100XC is a great machine because its larger capacity drum(wash a larger load) I prefer the stacking washer dryer system(currently have) but if I was in need of a single all in one unit the 2100XC is a great choice.I have one but not in the MH.its in our out door kitchen system. I have heard of people running the wash while driving down the road but you need a large grey tank like the better larger diesel pushers have. The direct discharge would most likely be on trailers with small grey tanks( my guess) If you are full time and have the space I highly recommend a washer/dryer system of some sort. The new platinum splendide non vented incandescent dryer system combo works great if you don't have a way to externally vent the dryer
-- Edited by ticat900 on Monday 9th of November 2015 10:32:44 AM
Bobc said
11:57 AM Nov 9, 2015
we have order a new trailer and decided to go with the W/D after much debate, once we got by the cost the biggest thing was after spending 35 years in a house with a washer drier, we did not want to dealing with laundromats on a regular bases.
I know some are good, but also some are Bad, the difference in Money to us is not worth the time spent in a bad laundromat.
Just our choice.
BiggarView said
12:05 PM Nov 9, 2015
Thanks Barb.... more data to plug in. It does appear that, economically, the "in house" laundry facilities are the way to go for most laundry needs. (at least for us).
Bill and Linda said
01:41 PM Nov 9, 2015
In Laymans Terms wrote:
Hdrider mentioned installing an EMS - what is that?
This is the electrical insurance policy for your rig.It will save the electrical system and the electronics / fridge in your coach someday.You just don’t know what day that will be. Campground power is not like power to a house. Bad things happen all the time in campgrounds for various reasons.
These are available for less money.This is the MSRP but less expensive elsewhere for the exact same unit from Progressive Industries.
Bill
In Laymans Terms said
07:59 PM Nov 9, 2015
Thanks for the clarification on the EMS system, Bill.
I had to kind of giggle at your comment a bit above, Bill Joyce, about getting back to the main subject - which, although you'd never know it by reading the last half of this thread, was actually about what one or two items are an absolute must have, versus just a preference or want! The w/d versus laundromat is clearly a topic people feel very strongly about :)
If nothing else, the many suggestions above have helped me realize that electrical and safety issues fall high on the need list, while the want list is a real 'laundry list' of items - heehee!!!
Barbaraok said
08:28 PM Nov 9, 2015
But to some, like me, the onboard w/d was a MUST HAVE or I wasn't going fulltime.
Barb
Bill and Linda said
08:45 AM Nov 10, 2015
In Laymans Terms wrote:
Thanks for the clarification on the EMS system, Bill.
If nothing else, the many suggestions above have helped me realize that electrical and safety issues fall high on the need list, while the want list is a real 'laundry list' of items - heehee!!!
In our personal list of “must haves” from way above on the thread you will notice the Progressive Industries EMS is #3 on the list.Only after tires and brakes as to importance. This is much more than a “surge protector.”
An expression I picked up from Jack, “Ask me how I know this?” says it all – experience.
I had wanted to pose the question, what are the one or two most important things all of you use on a daily basis, and could not imagine functioning without. But then I started working through this section of the forum and found a few posts that served the bill: top 10 lists, for instance. However, I began to feel slightly overwhelmed with the sheer number of items people own/use/have added to their RVs. So I'm looking for some feedback on just how many of these things are a really, truly good idea for any full-timer, and how many are just nice to have if you want them? Such as, RO systems, water filters, residential fridges, dehumidifiers, two-pane windows, solar panels, hydraulic leveling systems . . . just to name a few of the 'top 10' items I can recall offhand. Thanks for sharing your feedback, experience and advice on these and anything more!
I should also mention we will have a fifth-wheel; I'm sure that impacts some of these items. No plans to have w/d or d/w.
-- Edited by In Laymans Terms on Tuesday 3rd of November 2015 07:26:59 PM
Leveling system also a must, but whether it is electric, hydraulic, or air, depends upon the rig, it's size, etc.
My 3rd, for fulltiming, is a washer-dryer.
Barb
I'd say all of the above is good, and DEFINITELY on the power protection device. We didn't start out with one and was in a mobile home park for 3 years before retiring. The power source in that place wasn't great (had two power issues with the incoming lines - open neutral and bad electrical connection), and I think they might have contributed to knocking out our first Whirlpool washing machine. We now have one of the Progressive Industries units hard wired into our system and it has the remote display.
In a pinch on our fifth wheel, the leveling system (hydraulic) will even let me raise it enough to change tires.
Since we had issues within 2 years with our RV fridge, we modified our Mobile Suites for residential refrigerator. Love that one.
Terry
Currently we have just about every electronic device, small appliance imaginable... including a Wii game system, 2 TVs inside and one outside, Deep fryers, waffle irons, full size Kitchen Aid mixer, counter top ice maker plus an ice maker in the freezer, washer dryer and many other convenience items. According to my wife these are all necessities.
I would like to go back to basics....
You'll learn what is important and what is unneeded. depending on the lifestyle you want to have while RVing.
It really depends on what you want…as Howard and Linda are fond of saying there isn't any wrong way to do this thing.
We have a dishwasher and would not be without it…it fits in a spot that would be pretty much wasted for storage anyway and it does 2 days worth of dishes on about 2 gallons of water…I can't wash them in that little.
Washer/Dryer…we don't have one and don't want one. The problem with most RV W/D setups is that they're smaller so you have to do more loads and heavy stuff like towels or jeans might need a regular washer instead as some W/D are pretty small. More loads mean you have to do laundry a couple times a week or maybe even every other day. Going to the campground or a nearby commercial laundry lets me do it all in a couple of hours and then I'm done for 10 days or so.
Residential fridge…we have one and would not have gotten an RV type…lots of fire and other problems with them, they don't work as well as a residential, there's more space in the residential model…and I like my ice cream well frozen which can be an issue. Drawback is you need a bigger inverter, more batteries and solar if you want to boondock much.
Stuff like water regulators, lots of water hoses with quick disconnects, and filters are pretty much gotta have parts…as are sufficient tools, jack pads, chocks, bug spray in a pressure sprayer, awning tie-downs, power protection system, power pedestal testers, adapters for 50/30/20 plugs in various genders, levelers, and a host of other stuff…but I don't think you can really skimp on those. Dual pane windows are pretty much a must if you are in hot or cool areas…much cheaper to maintain inside temps.
You asked about daily basis though…for us it would be the residential fridge, dishwasher, hot water kettle and Aeropress for the morning coffee, and our Breville 800 countertop oven. We have the convection microwave but did not get a gas oven. The Breville bakes, broils, and toasts…pretty much everything a real oven would do…it's like a toaster oven on steroids. We also got a 2 inch memory foam mattress topper for our bed. Between that and our various computers and iDevices that's pretty much everything we use every day.
Oh yeah…forgot to mention. Beer mugs that live in the freezer to stay cold and real glass stemless wineglasses. I ain't drinking out of no Solo cup.
There are a couple of misconceptions in the above statement. First, is that the w/d can't do towels or jeans. We do 2 large bath towels & 2 hand towels in a load. Jeans - 2 pairs at a time along with 2 or 4 T-shirts. The trick is to make sure you balance the load. We do queen size sheets and queen size flannel sheets in the w/d. As to doing it every other day - so what? Throw a load in and go do something else. There is no 2 - 3 hours sitting in a laundromat waiting on laundry, we're out and about. I also often use a delayed start, throw a load in and then have it start about 5 am - so we get up to warm fresh towels.
So as we follow this particular part of this thread, I have to say both Neil & Connie as well as Barb make good points about the W/D as a must have or not depending on your choices. I guess the economics of one choice over the other seems to be the decider for us. If they come out more or less equal, then the option with the best lifestyle enhancement will be the winner. At least that would be our choice. As you can see, we all have different priorities that suit our particular needs and desires.
FWIW, Brian
I've been thinking about taking out the Splendide W/D and put a large wine cooler/fridge in it's place. We don't use the W/D at all just tried it a couple times.
And yes...............The Breville is the best investment since I heard Bjoyce mention it.
-- Edited by TRAILERKING on Wednesday 4th of November 2015 08:54:51 PM
A couple questions I have based on the comments above - and pardon me for being clueless - how is the residential fridge different from a typical RV fridge, other than (I'm guessing) size? Does it still run off propane? From a couple answer above, it sounds like it can be retrofitted into a fifth wheel that comes with an RV fridge, is that right?
I never would have imagined using a d/w, but the water usage is a good point. Never thought about it actually using less water, so thanks for that point, Neil and Connie.
The Breville sounds amazing - I will be looking that up online. Does anyone use their propane oven inside their camper much? I've never used one in the 20 years I've camped, but I thought fulltimers might.
Finally, I have to laugh: a stemless, stainless-steel wineglass is on my Christmas wish list - no red Solo cups for me either!
When we had them in our camper trailers we just used them to store pots and pans. Our motorhome now doesn't have an oven. It just has a micro wave/convection oven. We use the micro wave a bit. The convection oven part of it we used a few times but it would generate a lot of heat while using it. Now with the Breville convection.....we use that when we need an oven. It works faster and better in my opinion. Grandaughter and I have made many cookies. muffins, and cup cakes in it.
Assuming full-time or “part-time full-time" - not just weekending:
This is our list of must have to protect the trailer and ourselves. After these items listed below preferences start to take shape and “it depends” in our view. For example, many want a residential refrigerator because they have had issues with RV type units or simply want the space. But because we boondock a bit and in spite of the fact we have reasonably big batteries and solar we want an RV refrigerator. So far ours (all of them) have served us very well over many years. But that’s a choice, not a “must have” in our opinion.
That said, assuming we are going travel and not be stationary most of the time here are “must haves” for our trailer in a general order of importance to us with the exception of one and two on the list
G114 “H” tires (Most important safety upgrade one can purchase)
Disc Brakes on 8K axles (not loaded right to the max)
Progressive Industries HW50C electrical power protection
Dual pane windows
MOR/ryde IS suspension system
Air-ride pin box or hitch
AGM or similar “maintenance free” batteries and a backup converter. (No 12 volts – nothing works in a trailer)
Water softener (to protect the plastic plumbing – water is “hard” almost everywhere)
Not part of the trailer, but a truck big enough to tow the trailer within all ratings and it must have an effective exhaust brake with an on/off switch regardless of brand.
That’s our list of generic necessities for safe travel. After those, “It depends” on many other personal or style factors.
Bill and Linda
Nicole,
With regards to the residential refrigerators, they are all completely electric, thus Neil and Connie's comment about the inverter and extra batteries if boondocking. The inverter allows the refrigerator to run while one is not hooked to an electric pedestal in a park or campground. As for retrofitting, it can be done, but one must 'measure, measure, measure' to insure that the refrigerator chosen will fit into the spot.
In our case, we had an RV fridge that gave out after only 2 years of use full-timing. Even though we have an extended warranty that would have repaired or replaced the RV fridge, we elected to go residential to avoid having one go out again in a short time. While some have had good luck with RV fridge's, being we are full-time, it was important to us to modify our coach and install a residential. The modification required making some changes to the space where the fridge sits and choosing a fridge that easily fit into the new space. That's the reason for the 'measure, measure, measure.'
Should the modification interest you (I don't remember if you already have an RV), I posted an extensive thread about our modification for the residential. If you'd like to see what we did, the link below is to an RV Dreams thread where I posted links to a couple of other forums and several links to my blog where I posted comments and pictures of our process.
The Saga of a Residential Refrigerator
And yes, the residential does a LOT BETTER job of keeping ice cream cold and firm.
Terry
Our propane oven has never been lit! It is where I store my Cuisanart Griller along with a couple of other things. Have had convection ovens for years and love them. Our micro/conv oven is great for everything I want to bake.
Barb
We don’t have an ice cream issue with our “RV” refrigerator.Didn’t with the previous one either. Ice cream is nice and hard. We’ve been very happy with our RV fridge. But again, we travel and boondock so the criteria is different for us.
It takes a lot, relatively speaking, of battery amp hours (size of battery capacity) to run a residential fridge vs. the RV unit which requires almost no electric power when on "gas." That equates to less battery weight and cost as well as solar capacity and roof space for panels. Naturally the RV unit can also run on electric only if desired and you have electric plug-in power available at a campsite. More flexibility.
We have 600AH of batteries and we’d have to increase that by at least 300AH more to have a residential unit and still have the same overall capability for boondocking we have now. But that’s our criteria. Might be different for you and certainly is for others. "It depends"
BTW, Howard and Linda stuck with their RV refrigerator unit for the same reasons we did according to Howard’s post concerning the choice.
Make a choice based on your criteria – and living situation. Gather data from all views. Enjoy the research.
Bill
Same for us. When we had an oven in another rig it was a good place to store the bread. Don't have one at all in this rig. Opened up a lot of space for cabinet storage under the range. Convection M/W's have been great for us.
Not to get too far off the tread, but Linda, who does the grilling and I’m very thankful for that, loves the infra-red version of the Webber grill. She said it took just a little time to get calibrated to its fast cooking – higher temps. But she loves it. We (she) grill out a lot. That’s a style thing but nonetheless . . . The trailer cooktop LP gas range is used little and we had a fold down cover made for it as part of the custom build to provide more useable flat counter space. We use that space, as an example, for a single burner induction cooking appliance. Love the induction – uses very little power relative to being electric and doesn’t heat up the rig. But we still have the gas range for boondocking when required.
All these comments show the OP there are many ways to live this life.
Again whilst some are OK with full hookups to do several small loads daily in their Washer/Dryer combo others that maybe are off grid a lot prefer to spend an hour half once every couple of weeks or thereabouts with presorted laundry put in 3 machines for half hour and then into 2 or 3 dryers. We for sure prefer onboard convenience, and the next rig will definitely have the stacked W/D (the teeny combo we currently have I always have to iron what little it holds). For us right now, we use a combo of onboard if hooked up but mainly of late as we are rarely in an organised CG we tend to use laundromats.
What's right for one couple/person is not necessarily the best option for another. Carefully think how you will likely travel based on what appeals more to you. Will you be mainly full hook up and how much laundry will you generate? Do you insist on fresh towels daily or twice a week? Clean Jeans daily or every three days? Are you homebody cooks or do you tend to like eating out at restaurants a lot and maybe only heat up tins or microwave foods for the most part? Are you receptive to learning to cook in these newer convection type ovens and/or will you mainly cook outside on a grill/slow cooker etc. It's all about individual choices, but it's wonderful to get others perspectives on what bugs or doesn't bug them about the various things. After all it's the latter that gives us our "Ahh, Ha" moments.
Personally we love, love, love the past year having a residential fridge/freezer, finally after 15 years of having a "Nevercold". Whilst I notice one person said that their ice cream is always hard and cold in their RV fridge, we experienced the opposite, in addition we also love the fact we can now store a full size pizza in it's box in the newer residential one, that we couldn't in the old RV specific one. Would we change it out for those things alone, absolutely not = it died and to replace it after 11 years in this rig, it was going to cost us an arm and a leg - we decided to do major upgrades with solar, flat screen tvs, etc and what we saved on the Res fridge over the replacement RV one gave us half towards all the upgrades we did. It was a question of economics for us.
Depending on your natures/personalities will dictate so much as well. Some folks everything has to be "just right" so to speak, whereas others just don't sweat the small stuff, and will make do and improvise. Also often what you've never had you never miss - but once you've had it, well then all bets are off! Only you know yourself best as to what you can and can't live without and what trade offs you are willing to make.
SD.
And thanks, Someday - I love your perspective on life!
We fulltimed our first 1 ½ years on the road with a coach that had the “RV refer” and a combo unit washer drier and far less creature comforts than our current coach and had no complaints. We were happy to be on the road.
We now fulltime in a coach with a residential refer and certainly enjoy the extra space it provides and not having the propane worries in the back of my mind. Our last coach had 600 amp hours of battery and 560 watts of solar on top and hardly ever had to run the generator if we had good weather while boondocking. In our new coach we have 900 amp hours of battery and 1120 watts of solar on top and STILL hardly ever need to run the generator while boondocking if we have good weather so don’t let people scare you away from a residential refer to easily, it’s not a big deal and we LOVE the residential and now would never go back to the RV refer.
We now have a stacker washer & drier and do like it better than the combo unit and honestly would really hate not having it. But at least having some sort of washer drier is a must for us.
A good EMS is also very important and it was the first thing we installed in both coaches.
A good water filter system is important to us also. We don’t have the most over the top system but we do filter and run our water through a water softener and have had good luck so far even though others have better systems.
And a good mattress is important, you have to sleep well to enjoy life.
I held back to see what others said and now I will add my list of items we are glad to have that were not mentioned.
We wake up each morning knowing the time and approximate outside temperature, since we have a projection clock that alternates between time and showing the outside temperature. Many companies make these, ours is a La Crosse. For us, knowing the time and temperature without getting out of bed is comforting. Now if we can keep our cat from knocking it over on occasion, life would be good.
With a diesel motorhome we had a time when we were getting check engine lights and having to drive many miles to find out what they meant. We picked up a Silverleaf VMSpc and run it on an old Windows laptop while going down the road. It has helped us with check engine lights and has a much better fuel gauge than the motorhome. The geek in me also likes all the real time information being displayed.
We also love our Magnum 3000 watt hybrid inverter/charger. Right now we are driveway camping with a long 15 amp extension cord, but can run our microwave, Breville Smartoven and a hair dryer, since we have the shore set to 10 amps and the hybrid will add amps to the incoming electric.
Our internet setup is very important to us. We have both Verizon and AT&T mobile hotspots going through a Pepwave Surf SOHO router. Each of us has an Android tablet, each of us has a laptop, we have a wireless all-in-one printer, and we have a couple other laptops for special purposes.
Diane loves her Wii for Zoomba and other exercise games.
We do not have satellite TV and do not miss it. We do have a Bluray player and HDTV.
We love our residential fridge, especially the huge 10cuft freezer. We like our vented combo washer/dryer and use it all the time. We use our Breville Smartoven most days to toast and other days to bake or roast. We do not have a propane oven, but do have a convection microwave that is rarely is used as an oven anymore. We use our propane cooktop all the time, making pasta, rice, one dish meals, etc. We make meals that we can eat multiple times and rarely make something that only lasts one meal. We do not own an outside grill. When on our own, we eat breakfast and dinner in, with an occasional lunch out. When with others, we often end up out for dinner. We love our fancy Sleep Number mattress.
-- Edited by bjoyce on Friday 6th of November 2015 10:17:27 AM
-- Edited by bjoyce on Friday 6th of November 2015 10:19:00 AM
-- Edited by bjoyce on Saturday 7th of November 2015 10:04:57 AM
Follow up from one of Bill's comments. We have an indoor/outdoor thermometer with two remotes. The base sits near my desk on the kitchen counter, one remote is outside and under a slide so that it stays out of the sun, and the second remote is located in the underbelly near the water manifold. The thermometer can be set to where it cycles through and displays each remote in order and the base has its own thermometer to give us an idea of what the temps are inside. I can be sitting at my desk in the winter and keep an eye on the temperatures outside and in the underbelly.
We supplement our furnaces with electric heaters, so if I think the underbelly is getting a bit cool, I turn off electric heaters and let the furnace work more. That way, the furnace can add heat to the underbelly area. Also, by using the electric heaters, the furnaces don't have to work so much. We've been in full-time in our Mobile Suites now for about 4 1/2 years and have never had any problems with the furnaces.
Now, if one is "chasing the warm climate," having these would be unnecessary.
Terry
-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Saturday 7th of November 2015 08:42:42 AM
Trace
Hdrider mentioned installing an EMS - what is that?
Hmmm…maybe there are larger ones than I've seen but still it comes down to personal preference…ya wanna do laundry 3-4 days a week or every 10 days.
For us we go with the latter…sure, it takes a couple hours total but I wander up to the laundry and start them then come back in a half hour to put them into the dryer then come back to fold. On a nice day I just take my iPad along and read a bit while waiting. Some folks like to have it all done every 10 days…some don't mind the start it and let it run.
From a cost standpoint I think the laundry comes out ahead but that depends on how long the W/D last I think. I spend maybe 200 bucks a year on quarters…get them 100 bucks at a time from the bank. The W/D option was something over 1000 if I recall correctly. However…we didn't make the decision on cost but rather on what we wanted to do. We've always done laundry every 10 days even when we lived in a sticks and bricks…others do a load every night or two but that isn't us.
-- Edited by Neil and Connie on Sunday 8th of November 2015 05:48:28 PM
"Hdrider mentioned installing an EMS - what is that? " - http://www.progressiveindustries.net/ (RV Surge and Electrical Protection)
To add to Bill's comment, the laundromat might be a good option for most people, but if anyone has allergies or other reactions to pets or pet hair, then having their own washer and dryer could really be important. I remember seeing one RV park laundromat that had a sign saying no items that might have pet hair on them. Needless to say, that could include one's clothes, if they let their pets onto their laps or beside them.
If the RV parks don't have enough washers and dryers, one would also find themselves paying for the gas to drive to the laundromat elsewhere. In our case, we are 15 to 20 miles from the nearest laundromat, other than the one in the park. If that were occur regularly, that cost would need to be added to the cost of the washing and drying.
In Jo's case, it is easy for her to find something to do in the coach while laundry is being done, which is about twice a week. Sheets and towels get done once a week.
Terry
We continue to weigh the W/D options. Adding to Terry's comment... the cost of fuel to go to the laundromat can be mitigated by combining it with other activities. That however goes part and parcel with one's lifestyle routines and options. On the flipside, doing laundry in the rig can involve additional electricity usage (if you are on a meter) or genny time and fuel if that is needed to accomplish the task of doing the laundry. I have no idea to what extent those "costs" actually are, but they have to add up over time. I haven't seen any discussion of the life expectancy of a RV washer and dryer under "normal" FTer use.
Barb's calculation, while fundamentally good, leaves out the costs I mentioned. Real world data is needed to accurately paint that picture. Further, I have found the average price of a W & D is closer to 1200-1300 before taxes and possible shipping charges or other expenses to actually acquire the units. Using the 360/yr for laundromat expenses that puts the pay off time frame up to 4 years not including the aforementioned W/D operating costs. My search through the forums has not produced any meaningful insights into how long W/Ds last in FT RV living applications. If they last more than 4 years, I would think that having onboard laundry facilities becomes cost and lifestyle effective. I am starting to lean toward having such capabilities.
On the general subject of requirements/needs/preferences/wants... We agree with Bill and Linda, on the need for the suspension, tire and brake upgrades in addition to any rig infrastructure items that protect it's systems, especially in FTing applications. The jury is still out on most other things like solar, extra batteries, various gadgets or other bells and whistles.
FWIW, Brian
-- Edited by biggaRView on Monday 9th of November 2015 09:47:02 AM
We should get back to the main subject. We replaced our Splendide combo at around 9 years when we could not fix it getting slower to dry. But, our new one, a 2100XC, has a periodic maintenance procedure that clears the lint out of the innards and brings the drying time back to what it was. There was no such procedure for the 2100 we used to own, so maybe a 2100XC will last longer than our 2100 did if you do the procedure. I know of no one that runs their own washer/dryer while not on hookups and some are plumbed by the RV manufacturer directly to the discharge and not to the grey tank. I do know people who run a load while going down the road while running the generator.
Again, having a washer/dryer is a choice and those that due have made that choice and those that do not have made theirs. Its an individual decision, just like RV type, brand, gas versus diesel, boondock versus full hookups, preferred campground choices, memberships yes/no, etc. We all make many choices based on our own wants, needs, finances, life history, etc., and it does not make us inferior or superior to others.
-- Edited by bjoyce on Monday 9th of November 2015 10:13:20 AM
Since the W/D is a 120V system, the back of the napkin calculation is at 90 min for drying and using the 20 amp breaker as the maximum that could be pulled will give you 2400 watts over 90 minutes = 3.6 KwHr. At 12¢ per KWH that gives about 43 cents per drying cycle. I neglected the cost for the washing part because it is really minor compared to the drying cycle. But certainly figuring 50¢ per load for electricity is a good approximation. 8-10 yrs seems to be the time frame of replacement that we have seen.
Barb
2100XC is a great machine because its larger capacity drum(wash a larger load) I prefer the stacking washer dryer system(currently have) but if I was in need of a single all in one unit the 2100XC is a great choice.I have one but not in the MH.its in our out door kitchen system. I have heard of people running the wash while driving down the road but you need a large grey tank like the better larger diesel pushers have. The direct discharge would most likely be on trailers with small grey tanks( my guess)
If you are full time and have the space I highly recommend a washer/dryer system of some sort. The new platinum splendide non vented incandescent dryer system combo works great if you don't have a way to externally vent the dryer
-- Edited by ticat900 on Monday 9th of November 2015 10:32:44 AM
I know some are good, but also some are Bad, the difference in Money to us is not worth the time spent in a bad laundromat.
Just our choice.
Thanks Barb.... more data to plug in. It does appear that, economically, the "in house" laundry facilities are the way to go for most laundry needs. (at least for us).
To be a bit more specific in most cases:
http://www.progressiveindustries.net/#!ems-hw50c/cjk6
This is the electrical insurance policy for your rig. It will save the electrical system and the electronics / fridge in your coach someday. You just don’t know what day that will be. Campground power is not like power to a house. Bad things happen all the time in campgrounds for various reasons.
These are available for less money. This is the MSRP but less expensive elsewhere for the exact same unit from Progressive Industries.
Bill
I had to kind of giggle at your comment a bit above, Bill Joyce, about getting back to the main subject - which, although you'd never know it by reading the last half of this thread, was actually about what one or two items are an absolute must have, versus just a preference or want! The w/d versus laundromat is clearly a topic people feel very strongly about :)
If nothing else, the many suggestions above have helped me realize that electrical and safety issues fall high on the need list, while the want list is a real 'laundry list' of items - heehee!!!
Barb
In our personal list of “must haves” from way above on the thread you will notice the Progressive Industries EMS is #3 on the list. Only after tires and brakes as to importance. This is much more than a “surge protector.”
An expression I picked up from Jack, “Ask me how I know this?” says it all – experience.
Safe travels,
Bill and Linda