Washer/dryer Questions

[Lndeatr]

Have a 2020 4007. Using it more for out of town work than recreation. Want to install a washer/dryer. Questions.

1. What brands do you recommend? Combo washer/dryer or separate stackable?

2. Did you install a pan and if so where does it drain?

3. I see a sticker on the wall for a dryer vent? Is the ducting there? Where does it vent to.

Thanks....

 

[david-steph2018]

We do not have a W/D in our Road Warrior, but one thing I can say is do not believe the sticker for the dryer vent location. There is NOT any ducting in there. Before you drill there, be careful because you could drill into a wall frame, check for a stud.

Wife and I were discussing this yesterday evening, we seen a Cyclone in the park, at the dryer vent the outside is blackened around the vent. Not having a W/D I would think the drain pan would need to drain into the drain line for the W/D, so if a leak starts, it will drain out.

 

[cookie]

I'll add my two cents here.
The previous post is correct about the possibility of drilling through a wall stud. Drilling small exploratory holes will aid in preventing that. But I gotta wonder, how many dealer installed vents have been drilled through a stud and no one is the wiser. I think I recall some info from a long time ago where someone at Heartland said that if you drill out one wall stud it is not a problem.
I recommend the Splendide stackable. Only because that's what we have and it works well for us. There are other brands that probably work equally well. Others should chime in with their preference.
A drain pan is a must as far as I'm concerned. And it can not run into the drain line. It must drain to the outside. Unless there is a P-trap in that line, and it's kept wet, you will get sewer gas coming in. Look for a way to run a hose or PEX to drain outside. Make sure it all runs downhill.

Peace
Dave

 

[danemayer]

We also have the stackable Splendide washer and dryer and are happy with them. I agree that before drilling the vent hole, you'll want to drill very small exploratory holes. When actually drilling the vent hole, I recall someone describing that they used a hole saw, starting by running it in reverse against the fiberglass exterior to avoid tearing up the area around the cut. And I agree with Dave on the drain pan.

 

[Lndeatr]

We also have the stackable Splendide washer and dryer and are happy with them. I agree that before drilling the vent hole, you'll want to drill very small exploratory holes. When actually drilling the vent hole, I recall someone describing that they used a hole saw, starting by running it in reverse against the fiberglass exterior to avoid tearing up the area around the cut. And I agree with Dave on the drain pan.

So your vent is just straight through the wall? Just making sure they don't prep with ducting in the wall. Thanks.

 

[danemayer]

So your vent is just straight through the wall? Just making sure they don't prep with ducting in the wall. Thanks.

Ours was a factory install, but you can purchase an exhaust vent from Amazon or other places. The exhaust vent has a rain cover and flap on the outside, with a short metal duct that fits through the opening. The flexible or rigid duct from the dryer attaches to that short duct.

 

[JohnDar]

The drain line for the machine should already be there with the water outlets for it. As for the drain pan under the machine, you definitely want one. Depending on the position the machine is in, you may be able to drain it straight down by drilling a hole in the flooring for some PEX tubing to pass through and running it out of the underbelly.


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[thewanderingeight]

The location for our W/D was in the middle of the rig (Milestone 370flmb) in a closet which left us with limited options. There was no place for a dryer vent, and if we went with a stackable unit, we would have lost the use of the closest for any clothes.

We ended up going with a combo ventless unit from GE. I was worried about how well the ventless part of the dryer would be but we have been pleasantly surprised. The clothes feel kind of damp when you first take them out, but by the time you sort them and put them away, they are perfectly dry. There are eight of us traveling in the RV full-time so the unit gets a lot of use! The install was "easy" since we didn't have to worry about drilling out a vent and I just used the hookups that were pre-fabbed into the spot. I put easy in quotes as there weren't a lot of steps involved, but trying to actually get this heavy unit into the RV and into place was a bit of a challenge. We used the furniture wrist straps which helped a lot. The drainpipe that is pre-installed should have a diaphragm structure in it, so make sure you push the outlet hose down in there as far as it will go, otherwise, the water may not drain properly. I do not believe a drain pan would fit in with the unit even if we wanted one.

 

[Jim Posz]

Our previous Sundance 5th wheel had the W/D hookups in the front closet, a common location. When we installed the drain pan in it, I drilled a hole in the center of the closet floor and ran the drain hose to the outside through the opening behind the hitch. BTW, we have the Splendide combo and have been happy with it. Put in dirty clothes and a little soap; take out clean, dry clothes.

 

[JohnDar]

The location for our W/D was in the middle of the rig (Milestone 370flmb) in a closet which left us with limited options. There was no place for a dryer vent, and if we went with a stackable unit, we would have lost the use of the closest for any clothes.

We ended up going with a combo ventless unit from GE. I was worried about how well the ventless part of the dryer would be but we have been pleasantly surprised. The clothes feel kind of damp when you first take them out, but by the time you sort them and put them away, they are perfectly dry. There are eight of us traveling in the RV full-time so the unit gets a lot of use! The install was "easy" since we didn't have to worry about drilling out a vent and I just used the hookups that were pre-fabbed into the spot. I put easy in quotes as there weren't a lot of steps involved, but trying to actually get this heavy unit into the RV and into place was a bit of a challenge. We used the furniture wrist straps which helped a lot. The drainpipe that is pre-installed should have a diaphragm structure in it, so make sure you push the outlet hose down in there as far as it will go, otherwise, the water may not drain properly. I do not believe a drain pan would fit in with the unit even if we wanted one.

The drain pan is only slightly larger than the base of a combo unit. In our 3670, the hook up was in the closet in the nose of the rig and sideways. I installed the pan after a leak developed in the water distribution housing that I discovered by seeing water dripping off the king pin.

The weight of a combo unit is due to the big concrete counterweight above the drum.


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[JohnDar]

Just thought I'd follow up with photos of how I installed the drain pan in the nose of the 3670. I could not figure out how to remove the sliding mirror doors, so I had to move the machine within the confines of the closet by hand while on my knees. Made a little easier by slipping Teflon furniture pads under the feet of the machine to slide it on the carpet.

Many new combinations of expletives were developed during the process. Some of them were directed at the parentage of the dealer's installers that put the machine in without a drain pan under it.

The actual leak was my fault for taking a shortcut while winterizing the machine at the end of a season.

 

[lynndiwagoner]

I put a drain pan under my Splendide and ran the drain hose into the main drain pipe. Never have smelled any kind of sewer gas so there must be a trap in the basement area. Not guaranteeing that your model would work that way.