Question Replacing a washing machine in a Newmar Class A motorhome

[Jim]

I removed the bed and set the dryer on the platform, put plywood on the floor and used a floor jack to get the washer over the toilet and to the bed platform. From there, a hand truck to get it to the front door and thought I had it whipped. Couldn't figure a way to get it over the passenger seat though, so I recruited a good friend to lift it. I also used 1/2 of a 10' extension ladder to make a "ramp" to slide it down the steps. It is a heavy little bugger. On install, instead of screwing the brackets to the side of the new machine, I lined the two sides on top of the washer with 3M two sided tape, then set the dryer on top and installed the top wood bar. Hasn't moved in over 8k miles. The wife absolutely LOVES the new washer. A tip: It seems to do better when full rather than small loads.

Thanks for the write-up Jim. We did almost everything the same but I didn't have to take the dryer out of the bathroom, we just slid it over by the toilet.

I used two 2x4s to build a slide over the entry stairs, which allowed me to walk between them. A friend helped by pulling on a strap we wrapped around the washer while I pushed from below. It went right up without any issues. The 2x4 setup also let me attach a smaller crosspiece at the top, preventing the slide from spreading apart, while at the same time, distributing the weight evenly to avoid putting too much pressure on the tile lip at the top.

Fortunately, the passenger chair hadn’t been installed yet, so we didn’t have much trouble lifting the washer over the seat mounts.

And yes, two-sided tape turned out to be the best solution. Reattaching the aluminum plates that Newmar used to secure the washer/dryer would not only have been a real hassle, but I just couldn't warm up to the idea of drilling holes in a brand-new washer. Such a bizarre way to do something that tape accomplished so much more easily.

At the end of the day, the most frustrating part was attaching the vent hose back onto the dryer. The vent exiting the dryer only has about 2" to zip tie the hose to, and you have to do all this through a 6" access area that is inside a bathroom cabinet. But with an ample amount of griping, whining, and a few chosen **)^ words, I finally got it.

 

[lostinfla]

Yeah, forgot to add, I made a stand out of scrap lumber to slide the dryer out and hold it while installing the vent....

 

[Jim]

So does anyone want/need any of the part off this Whirlpool before I haul it to the dump? Selector knob, legs, anything?

 

[Neal]

Yes, I'll take the washing machine selector knob please. @Texas Clodhopper may want the door lock mechanism which is opposite the handle you pull to open the door (backside).

 

[lostinfla]

Fred and Lamonts Whirlpool parts.

 

[Texas Clodhopper]

Yes, I'll take the washing machine selector knob please. @Texas Clodhopper may want the door lock mechanism which is opposite the handle you pull to open the door (backside).

I cleaned the latch and that seems to have fixed my problem.

 

[Rich W.]

An update on my new Splendide set: As stated earlier, I was experiencing a lot of heavy shaking on the spin cycle, seemingly worse than my old whirlpool ( which seemed like a simulated earthquake in the coach). I tried small loads and low speed spin at first and that was not helpful. Setting the spin on high seemed to speed help a bit, but not much.

Today I loaded the thing full, spin speed still on high, and it did not shake at all. So it seems a full load ends up more evenly distributed and thus more balanced. I didn’t pack it in but filled it to capacity.

I’ll see if the results are repeatable but so far I am encouraged. Clothes may not come out quite as clean (don’t know yet) but that would be a reasonable trade-off for a smooth spin cycle. I used three pods and set it for extra rinse to that may compensate for the full load.

On a side note, as with @lostinfla and @Jim I also used VHB tape to secure the dryer to the top of the washer. I bought the kit but I didn’t want to drill holes in $2000 worth of new machines either, and I’ve had very good results with VHB tape in other applications. I was also surprised to see that I paid over $70 for the mount kit - didn’t notice when I bought it, but was glad to return it at that price. If I were to mount the dryer that way I’d make my own mounts for around $2.

Now if I could just get the USB-C charge port on my IPad to cooperate…