First a question - if I wanted to remove said Splendide, how does one remove that carpeted board that's on the floor in front of it, other than a big crow bar and hammer?
The revelations - the top of the cabinet over the washer, (which is the bottom of the cupboard) comes off. It's in two pieces, the very back strip is about 4 inches wide, under it is a similar piece of plywood that might or might not be screwed down. Remove it and you can get at the water shutoff valves, etc
If the carpeted board is a little "lip" an inch or so high, you lift (yes, ugh!) the unit over the board.
Been there, done that several times (or, Steve has). The unit weighs somewhere over 120 lbs so be careful.
Michelle
Yes, it's the little lip of which you speak. Question, why have you had to remove it several times???
In our 1997 U295, I removed carpet from the front base of the compartment holding the W/D. Starting from the bottom up it was easy to remove the carpet that was stapled to the wood. After the carpet was out, a strip of wood that formed a lip in front of the W/D was exposed. I removed three screws (internal square drive) holding the strip of wood so that the W/D could slide forward. I put a wooden box the same height as the W/D platform in the hallway. I was able to tug/drag the W/D to the platform. That allowed me to remove the top of the W/D and fix a loose wire.
Over our W/D is a cedar closet. I did not find a way to remove the bottom of the closet to get at the back of the W/D. The door in front of the W/D and closet is full height. I had to remove it to get enough clearance to pull out the W/D. The screws in the piano hinge holding the door are short and long. About every third or fourth screw is long. If you have to remove the door, keep track of the order of the screws.
I reversed the procedure to put everything back. Try to seal the dryer vent in order to keep water and drafts out of the coach. We had some water come near that area during a severe thunderstorm. I think it came through the dryer vent.
Your results may vary. ;)
1) We'd upgraded our 2000 to the 2100XC model in 2008. Camping World installers apparently sliced part way into one of the supply hoses with a box cutter and we sprung a leak several months later when we were on good water pressure. Had to pull the unit out and get new hoses from Westland Sales (they covered it under warranty) since the fittings aren't standard washing machine ones.
2) The drain hose came out of its retaining clip on the back of the unit last year and would make an annoying tapping sound during the spin cycle. Steve pulled the unit out to see what was going on, re-secure it, and to install foam pipe insulation on the water lines to keep them quiet. While doing so, we discovered the ABS pipe for the washer air admittance valve had a crack in it, so he repaired that crack and we replaced both air admittance valves (the other is for our shower). Explains why we occasionally had "stinky coach syndrome" when we hadn't run the washer in a while and would turn on the Fantastic Fan.
3) Accidentally knocked one of the feet off (on that carpeted lip) when reinstalling for #2, so back out it came.
I still love having the washer in the coach. Having workamped for a couple of seasons I've seen what people put in campground machines :o
Michelle
Thanks Michelle, I didn't mean to be nosy, but was thinking, if the machine itself has that many problems it would further tilt me towards removing it. I see that's not the case. I'm not going to do anything with it for now, until I winterize it and decide then. The water was shut off to it, I hope not because it had a leak :))
J.D - Well, you definitely have a different door setup, mine are separate for the washer. The cabinet base just lifted right off. I'd stared at it awhile and it came to me (like a vision ;D) there's got to be a way to get at the valves, and sure enough, there was. Pulling that lip off sounds a lot easier than trying to lift it over. Besides being smart, Steve must be awfully strong.
I knocked the rubber covers off the feet when I was putting the machine back in. I also had to pull it out, put the rubber feet back on, and then push it back into place. The task is not for those who are not willing to do a lot of tugging, jiggling, pushing, grunting, etc.
After I fixed it, DW decided it was not satisfactory to use. She compares all washing/drying systems to the big Bosch units we have at the house. No other units will compare favorably. I plan to leave the W/D in the coach. She might deign to use it for towels or bed linens.
I did not have a Splendide in my 1989 OREG. Got one in the 1999 U-270, and have one in the current U-320. Would not be without it as I am often in a campground with full hook ups. In that case it is very handy. My mom lives in the coach full time Nov. to May in FL, and she does virtually all her wash in that machine. Exceptions might be if she wants to do a BIG load, and then she will go to the laundry at the RV park.
Only thing to consider - the machine will wash twice as much clothes as it will dry, so either run small loads, or be prepared to spit the load for drying.
If you plan on boon-docking - it may not suit your needs, as it does consume and produce quite a bit of water per load.
Try using it to warm your towels while you are in the shower.
You will create an instant fan...
Another great use is if you spring a leak and have to clean it up. Had my sprayer hose for the toilet catch on the foot flush arm and it was stuck in the fill position. IT kind of wet the carpet a bit so we would stomp on the towels and get them soaking then put them in the washer on spin cycle. Worked great and much easier than wringing them out. Also, spilled some stuff on the rug in the kitchen, just throw it in the washer and it is clean and good as new.
They are not as good as our home units but if you have the hookups you can use them and get the stuff clean. In fact you can fold your jeans and put them in the dryer after you wash them and they will stay folded...
Would not be without one.
The splendide is a very good LITTLE unit. The biggest mistake people make is putting in too much soap. It takes very little. It washes best with full load. There should be just enough room at the top for your hand to fit. As someone else mentioned, because of its small size, after you wash, romove the cloths, shake out the wrinkles and put 1/2 back it at a time to dry. This is more required of the splendide than larger washers because of its size. But as a rule of thumb in gthe washing world, you should have a much larger dryer than a washer. This is why Laundrymats smallest dryers are 30 puunders. Air flow around the cloths is a must for fast wrinkle free drying.
Bob X Laundry mat owner, 96 U320;
I had a front loading Maytag in my sticks and stones house. (sniff, sniff gulp ... sad to say goodbye) We will have a Splendide in our "new" coach and I am all set, because I have been making my own detergent for the last 3 years. The idea is not suds, but to make the water "slippery", so the dirt comes out of the fabric. I will give the recipe to anyone who asks ... works fine for us and is very gentle for sensitive skin.
What do you need for hookups? 50 amp? City water? Sewer hooked up?
Hi Carol,
OK, I'll bite...please sent our recipe for detergent. Maybe even post it for all to see.
Jim
2002 U320
308-440-5154
After washing a full load of permanent press, Suzanne dries a half load of T-shirts &/or slacks (rarely use them) to 1/4 fold. . .shorts 1/2 fold. . .with 3 or 4 of the spikey rubber balls, sold at Wally Mart, Bed, Bath & Beyond, etc. Mostly dries with minimum wrinkles. Does the same with jeans. ;D :)) :P
After many years of buying "HE" detergents for front loading machines, I found this recipe on the internet. Both Jeff and I are pretty sensitive to commercial detergents and have to be careful ... but I hate dingy clothes. About 15 minutes of elbow grease makes enough detergent for a loooong time. The hardest part is grating the soap!
An old fashioned box grater ... use the finest shredding area ... 1 bar of Fels Naptha or Zote soap. (You can use any soap you like, but these are the ones I like best. Deodorant soaps like Irish spring are not recommended.)
Add to the grated soap : 2 cups Washing Soda, 2 cups Borax, 1 Cup Baking Soda. Mix it real well to distribute the soap "flakes" and the powders. 1/8 to 1/4 cup is what I used in my front loading full-sized machine at home. Start with less, add a bit more depending on the type of water or level of crud on the clothes. I always used a bit of plain white vinegar in the rinse cycle, and a dryer sheet for the dryer. Eco-friendly and very cheap, but it truly does the job. If you hate it, it is still a cheap experiment. I have used up little soap slivers that get annoying in the shower and just grated them up with the Fels. There are lots more recipes on the internet ... some folks like a liquid, but this is easier. I store it in an airtight plastic container and use a 1/8 C coffee scoop to measure.
I haven't met my Splendide, yet. Don't know if it has a dispenser for fabric Softener (where I would add the vinegar) or how I will manage. But I am confident that this formula does a good job and is easy on the machine.
It should - I think most Splendide's have a softener compartment in the dispenser.
I appreciate the recipe - I usually buy Country Save detergent but need a back-up plan if we run out on the road. One of the Posse is highly skin sensitive when it comes to detergent.
You'll find that about a tablespoon of low sudsing formulation (commercial or home made) is about all you need in the Splendide.
I also use the spiky dryer balls instead of fabric softener. Fluffing the load between wash and dry cycles, and not overloading or overdrying is key to reducing wrinkles. Fortunately Steve and I are laid back about looking a tad rumpled ;)
Also wonderful after showering in the morning to dry the towels, especially in a damp climate.
Michelle