Question Replacing a washing machine in a Newmar Class A motorhome

[redbaron]

Don't forget taxes and maintenance, add all that back in too...you will still be under valued in this market.

 

[Neal]

Don't forget taxes and maintenance, add all that back in too...you will still be under valued in this market.

Still under FL warranty as well.

 

[Everglades]

Well I am done. It was not as bad as I thought it would be, just a little cramped in the bathroom with the toilet being right in front of the washer and dryer. I removed the cabinet doors, the screws holding the feet of the washer and the piece of wood on top of the dryer. Then pulled the units out about half way and removed the plates on both side that held the 2 units together. Then took out the dryer ( they could have made the vent hose about 8" longer and that would have made it a lot easier to remove and reinstall) Then 2 of us were able to lift the washer up and out of the cabinet over top of the toilet and carried it out the front door. I did not have to do anything to the front door, it fit with a inch or so of space. Put the new Splendid machine in, hooked everything up and I am done. The Splendid is about 3/4" narrower than the Whirlpool so the dryer hangs over a bit on one side but no big deal.

 

[Everglades]

Still under FL warranty as well.

Also, Neil I see you have the HWH Active Air. How do you like it? Was it worth the money?. We get a lot of swaying back and forth in campgrounds with rough roads, and sometimes on some uneven roads. Does the active air stop that?

 

[J&JD]

Yep, I'm going to remove all that and be prepped to save their time. I just did all that when I removed the units myself into the bathroom to get into my washer to check for problems. So again, I think the $140 is well spent for the labor, I just have to decide if I want to replace the two units and with what, Whirlpool recent or Splendide. Just trying to figure out if I want to take a swing at selling this coach after my Newmar visit which will be "newed up" again with a new windshield, new upholstery, new carpet. Not sure what I could realistically get for the coach, that's for another topic, with all the mods, some of which are major. Just want to capitalize on the sellers market if the opportunity presents itself but I'd probably have to wait 1-2 years to re-enter the RV market.

So, if I read this right, you’re willing to go coachless for a couple of years, correct? Don’t know if I could do that.

 

[Neal]

Also, Neil I see you have the HWH Active Air. How do you like it? Was it worth the money?. We get a lot of swaying back and forth in campgrounds with rough roads, and sometimes on some uneven roads. Does the active air stop that?

HWH Active Air is amazing. You have to be over 8 mph for it to engage so campgrounds may not help much but other roads definitely. Strong winds while driving, rapid lane changes, overall much improved stability, and air leveling is very nice too.

So, if I read this right, you’re willing to go coachless for a couple of years, correct? Don’t know if I could do that.

I don't want to buy right back into the seller's market but could. First thing is to see what I can get for this coach in the current market situation. Obviously I have the "other RV" that I'll be spending quite a bit of time with, and I have a lot of work I have to knock out with the business and I have not mastered being productive from the RV so I will be RVing less in the next year regardless of having this coach or not. All subject to change of course, moral is I love this coach and what I've done with it but I need to see if this opportunity is one I can't pass up and upgrade to something larger for potential future fulltiming if that is ever in the cards or in the near term. I would probably regret letting this coach go, I realize that. I'm thinking it all through and will continue to do so until post Newmar which I'll be there Sept 27th for probably two weeks.

 

[Neal]

Loads of laundry continue to be just fine. While the door lock issue was real, easily fixed by bumping out the back side with a few washers, the other issues I do believe are user error - putting too much clothes in a compact washer. With the proper discipline of using the whirlpool washing machine properly it appears to me it works just fine. Time will tell, I have between now and end of Sept for my Newmar service visit to see how things go. But they've been going just fine with the knowledge above.

 

[J&JD]

Loads of laundry continue to be just fine. While the door lock issue was real, easily fixed by bumping out the back side with a few washers, the other issues I do believe are user error - putting too much clothes in a compact washer. With the proper discipline of using the whirlpool washing machine properly it appears to me it works just fine. Time will tell, I have between now and end of Sept for my Newmar service visit to see how things go. But they've been going just fine with the knowledge above.

DW is way ahead of the curve on this one @Neal. She is very careful of how the washer & dryer are loaded. I’m not even allowed to load them as she knows I’ll screw it up. Maybe you need a knowledgeable travel companion to help with these tasks. Elli may not be the answer, at least not for loading the washer.

 

[Neal]

You mean two people can be inside one of these? Where does the "other" person put their stuff? I guess the back seat of the toad could work.

 

[bowpulpit]

I installed new a Splendide washer and a dryer I bought from Camping World on sale in October. So far we love them....work great. They will fit through the door but it's tight. I took moving blankets and covered the wifes captains chair, the dash and anywhere else I thought would be in the line of fire. I used two appliance straps and fastened them tight around each unit. They made for great hand holds. Then I had my grandson (who is a beast) help me bring them in. The washer is the heaviest as you know because of the concrete counter balancers contained within. Next issue was lifting it up and over the toilet and get it in the cabinet. We took both doors off and to my amazement my grandson lifted that thing up by himself over the toilet and into the cabinet. He blew me away doing so. Nice to be young and so stout. The dryer we brought in the same way and left it in the salon as I had work to do before it could be put in place. When it came time to put it in I used the straps again and believe it or not but I was able to lift it myself and set on top of the washer. Not something i'd reccomend for everyone but worked for me. Good luck with getting your situation fixed Neal.

 

[Neal]

Two loads today and still running great. So as of now sticking with what I have. I think the crucial part is using the machine properly, not overloading it.

 

[J&JD]

Two loads today and still running great. So as of now sticking with what I have. I think the crucial part is using the machine properly, not overloading it.

Only 3+ years of use to figure it all out….not bad @Neal. Good thing I have an intelligent DW that keeps me straight on this type of stuff. Hope the washer keeps chugging along so you won’t have to trade for that Essex???

 

[Goose man]

how do you get the washing machine in/out of the coach?

 

[oceansideb]

You're lucky to have the room to get a 24" machine in and out. I have 22 1/2" and that's after removing the pocket door into the bathroom. I've searched and there is not many (two) REAL washers that fits that dimension - Panda just came out with one. I say real because there are a couple .9 or .6 cu ft, like hand washing in a sink.

May I ask how you took the pocket door off? We're trying to install a washer/dryer in our 5th wheel and the opening with tuhe picket door is 1/2" too narrow. How do we get the door off? TIA

 

[Rich W.]

Two loads today and still running great. So as of now sticking with what I have. I think the crucial part is using the machine properly, not overloading it.

Late to this party and dont feel like reading the last 53 posts. What issue(s) are folks having with the stacked washer/dryers?

My machines were moving around too much (either while driving or during the simulated earthquake of the spin cycle) and dryer actually broke some of the louvers in the cabinet doors. I came up with a good fix that was easy enough. Used VHB tape to attach a piece of aluminum angle to the machine and then screwed said piece of angle to the cabinet wall. The thing can’t move now.

Anyone else experience this issue?

 

[Jim]

So @Neal, is the washer still working?

The washing machine in our rig stops working in the middle of a load of clothes. Error code is A-10. I can generally turn it off, restart it, and it’s fine for a while. It’s always been a little quirky and we’re at the point where we either need to get it looked at or get a new on. The washer is original to the coach, so that makes it 8-9 years old.

It’s a Whirlpool and I don’t know if I should just toss it or spend the money to get it repaired.

 

[Neal]

My Whirlpool is still working great. I've seen that error code at times in the past, can't remember if that's the one to clean the filter which is in the lower right of the machine, in my case it's a labrador retriever accumulated in the filter. Typically the washer has problems when putting too many clothes in it and it becomes unbalanced, try smaller loads.

In my research I found all compact washer/dryers have low ratings, they are not as reliable as typical residential units. Once learning how to use mine properly it works great especially after @J&JD's tip to bump out the back of the lock with a few washers so the lock action is tighter.

 

[GlampDaddy]

So @Neal, is the washer still working?

The washing machine in our rig stops working in the middle of a load of clothes. Error code is A-10. I can generally turn it off, restart it, and it’s fine for a while. It’s always been a little quirky and we’re at the point where we either need to get it looked at or get a new on. The washer is original to the coach, so that makes it 8-9 years old.

It’s a Whirlpool and I don’t know if I should just toss it or spend the money to get it repaired.

@Jim - You'll know when it's time because you'll be tired of the nuisance. We replaced our aging Whirlpool POS washer last week with a fancy, new Splendide. Jeanette loves it...'nuff said. The replacement process was fairly simple - just hire a couple of muscle-bound neighbors and supervise closely to protect doorways and new upholstery. Painters' tape on the doorways helped. BTW, if you have to remove the washer for repairs, just go ahead and get an new one...doesn't cost that much more!

 

[Neal]

@Jim - not mentioning names, but someone got me to spend a lot of money on golf clubs too.

 

[Rich W.]

Just bought these for our little desert winter home. The were no provisions for laundry and the closet (the only place we could put it) was too small for conventional machines. But given a little RV experience, the solution was obvious and I’m quite happy with it all. Around $2000 for everything and a lot of retro-plumbing work, but well worth it.