I’ve seen many lists by RVers of must haves and I suppose the number one must have that hubby wanted was a diesel engine. Me, I don’t know anything about or care to know about the engine, that’s his department…but, we did purchase a diesel pusher when we bought our motorhome.
It’s nice with its wood cabinets, porcelain tile floors, central vacuum, dishwasher, and bathtub! With arthritis and fibromyalgia, hubby always makes sure I am as comfy as possible, for example, the bathtub!! He insisted on getting that wonderful addition so I can soak my aching body. The bathtub was an extra bonus for sure as well as the adjustable mattress on our bed! If I am not comfy then I can’t sleep, so a good mattress was on the list as well.
As for other must haves you’ll see on lists, are things such as a water filter, water pressure regulator/monitor, surge protector, jack pads, RVing GPS, RVing apps for traveling info and camping (there are multiples), reliable internet access, and even more items but there’s just too many to list right now. Maybe I’ll do another post about the essentials we find necessary but what about that number one convenience that we had to have?
Before we bought our motorhome, we asked other RVers about having a washer and dryer or a washer/dryer combo. Of course, I already had my mind made up.
According to the folks who say they camp and travel as cost effective as possible, their answer was, “Nah, you don’t need a washer and dryer. They take up too much space and most campgrounds have a laundry facility.” Those who travel and camp on the luxury side said, “YES! You need a washer and dryer!” I know that not everyone has the funds to travel and camp with such luxuries. If we didn’t have the funds, then we would just stay home but that’s us.
To me, there was only one answer to having a washer and dryer – YES! Why? The UCK factor as well as time/energy! There is no way that hubby is going to go to a laundry facility and he surely wouldn’t want me going! Our reasons why were/are:
• We don’t feel comfortable using a washer and dryer that others have used
• We don’t feel comfortable sorting and folding clean clothes on a table that others have used
• We don’t want time and energy to be wasted doing laundry in a public facility, whether at a campground or a few miles down the road
• We don’t want to carry coins or dollar bills for the machines, nor do we want to purchase a laundry card which is mostly good at one specific laundry facility
Traveling across the country, we’ve stayed at some nice campgrounds. Most had onsite laundry. We’ve made it a habit to take a peek inside some of the facilities just to see the conditions for ourselves.
Nearly all of the facilities and machines looked nice, the buildings and floors were clean but inside some of the washers and dryers we found yucky stuff! It just made me nauseous! Even if you can’t see filth in the machines, you have no idea what’s been in them! And, who wants to waste time cleaning filth left behind from someone else? Not me! I’d rather do laundry by hand! Even at home, our own washer gets dirty from unseen particles that builds up over time, so we sanitize ours once a month. Same thing for the dishwasher.
At one facility, a camper was complaining about pet hair being all over their freshly washed and dried clothes from someone who had obviously laundered pet beds and blankets. At another campground, a camper complained about ruining clothes from a melted crayon in the dryer. Another, the same thing only it was a black marker! At yet another facility, a camper was upset because of oily residue on their freshly washed clothes, while another complained of dirt on their sheets, assuming someone before them had washed rugs.
Not only is it cleaner but doing laundry in your own washer and dryer is faster and easier! I am not roughing it, I want all of the possible conveniences of home. For example, what’s up with RVers who put their toilet paper in the trash instead of flushing it? You can read about that here. How GROSS is that? Makes no sense to us. We flush ours and have no problem, I mean, come on, that’s why you have a toilet, right? If I’m going to have to bag up my dirty toilet paper then I might as well camp in a tent and go do my business out in the woods!! We camp at sites where there are full hookups (water, electricity, and sewer). We’ve boondocked a couple of times but not for long periods. I did not like the experience at all. Our motorhome is self-sufficient and able to be off grid for at least 7-10 days but it is not mine or hubby’s preference.
There are different types of RV washers and dryers as well as brands. Lots of RVs come with either stackable washer and dryer units or washer/dryer combos. Some dryers are vented while others are ventless. However, the combos have smaller drums so they can only wash a small load and from what we’ve heard, they take a long time to complete even a small load, like several hours! They also tend to result in wrinkled clothes.
If your RV doesn’t have a washer and dryer and you’re thinking you might want to add a set or the combo unit, you’ll want to check for plumbing, venting (unless you buy ventless), closet or space measurements for proper fit, and check the electrical wiring. Not all RVs are wired to run residential dryers if that is the type you choose to purchase.
Our set is a residential size GE Spacemaker Washer and Dryer like above. Both have plenty of room for our clothes as well as sheets, blankets, and towels.
I recently saw this GE Profile Washer/Dryer Combo for residential use. Isn’t it a nice color? The dryer part of it is ventless. It looks like it has more room than the typical RV combo unit.
Now, it’s your turn:
• If you’re a RVer or thinking about becoming one, what’s your number one convenience that you want?
• Do you camp in a tent, travel trailer, or motorhome?
• Have you ever boondocked?
** DO YOU ATTEND BLOG PARTY LINKUPS?
We’d like to invite you to ours. See current link parties here!
62 Comments
Leave your reply.