If you read about our struggles doing laundry on the road in my post, "Airing Our Clean Laundry," it will be no surprise that we decided to take the bull by the horns and buy a dryer to use with the washing machine we had already purchased. As with most fifth wheels below 34', our 32-footer does not have pre-plumbed-and-wired space anywhere in the rig for a washer/dryer set or combo, so it took a little ingenuity.
Our purchase of the Giantex washing machine happened well before we went full-time, thinking that, in the case of not having a laundromat available, at least we would be able to hang clothes outside on a line. The Giantex washer allowed us to use the shower for water and drainage and I installed a splitter and quick-connect system from the shower head fitting for easy hookup and disconnect. I also set up a storage spot for it next to the dresser in the bedroom. It has a 1.6 cu. ft. (8 lbs.) capacity, about half of the average household washing machine, but otherwise it is a fully automatic washer/spinner, just like at home, sans an agitator. In addition to rainy weather, one serious problem we have encountered in more and more parks around the country is a rule against hanging clothing outside to dry. Since we dislike using park or small-town laundromats for several reasons (pet hair, excessive lint, color staining, rising expense, poor temperature control, and the latest incompatible payment cards, to name a few), we found a solution- a home-style dryer that uses 110v power and has excellent heat venting. The Costway dryer uses 850W and can dry up to 10 lbs., a good pairing with our washer. Its relatively small size allowed me to make space in the 5th wheel's basement and I don't even need to move anything to use it. Just pop open the compartment, open the dryer door and set the controls. Per their description, "According to the material and weight of the cloth, you can set the time length or different mode for drying: Cool (0-20mins): cool down the temperature, Warm (30-120mins): dry and cool cloth, Anti-wrinkle, Hot (120-200min): for drying large quantities or bulky item, Air dry (0-80mins) run with cool air to freshen." Both of these machines are relatively quiet, another huge bonus for RV living. Doing laudry once per week is now convenient and takes only part of a day, unless we're doing linens and towels. This is one of the few drawbacks of having such small units. The size aspect and the time spent in having to move, connect, disconnect and dry off the washer when needed prevented 5 stars on the washing machine, while the dryer's often limited ability to dry a full 10 lbs. of wet clothing as advertised keeps it at just 4 stars. Regardless of the downsides, we highly recommend this particular pair of machines for doing laundry in an RV. 
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AuthorJack Huber is a new full-timer and an author and photographer. He and some fellow RV'ers will be sharing their favorite (and not so favorite) travel technologies and accessories in this review blog. Archives
August 2019
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