Foretravel Owners' Forum

I am considering installing a central vac in the basement. My experience with central vacs made for RV's is that they s... because they don't suck much. Has anyone installed a  small  house central vacuum? I was looking (on the web) at an Imperium central vac, the dimensions are small enough to install in the basement, not sure how I would run the piping but I do believe it could be done. Am I delusional or has someone done this before ??? ?

Roland

We have a central Dirt Devil in our '12 Nimbus. Great suction. Very good quality long hose. Can get refill bags at camping World.

We really like our InterVac... George installed it in 2011.  Great suction, and replaceable bags.  Have had two different central vac systems in previous homes, but the canisters in those systems (which appear similar to the Imperium) were fairly large (in the garage) and did not have bags (messy & difficult to empty - and one motor failed after 5 years).

Here are the related posts:

George's post & pictures regarding the installation: What did you do to your coach today. (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=13754.msg80615#msg80615)

My post on sourcing:  What did you do to your coach today. (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=13754.msg80705#msg80705)

Manufacturer's website (the product is made in the USA):  Vacuums for your Home, R/V, Garage and Yachts - interVac Design (http://www.intervacdesign.com/)

tothetrail's post on their installation of an Intervac:  InterVac Central Vacuum Installation (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=17582.msg117927#msg117927)

Hope this helps!

Our original factory installed vacuum works great but getting out and stowing the hose is a pain. We bought and carry a basic Oreck upright vacuum. The way Trip sheds, it picks up at least two standard poodles worth of dog hair per day and the bags last four times as long as the central vac.

We looked at central vacs too.  We have one in our home.  For the coach we went with a Dirt Devil upright with a HEPA filter and a hose that you can use with a crevice tool, an upholstery tool and another small brush.  Suction is good.  Long enough cord so that we can plug in in one spot and do the whole coach.  It takes up much less space than a long hose, a wand and all of the attachments.  Plus it was only about $50 at Target on sale.  We can go through several of these for the price of a built-in.  There was some concern about the belt in the thing.  A year on the first one.  A spare is at the ready.

We don't have a pooch any more.  We measured her Malamute spring shed in grocery bag units.  She was with us for almost 17 years.  In any case, we are always amazed at how much we vacuum up even while we are careful not to track in to much.  It's nice to keep up with it.

Roger

The nice part about InterVac is the "stretch hose" (Stretch Hose, 40 Feet (http://www.intervacdesign.com/p32/Stretch-Hose-40-Feet.htm)) that comes with the unit.

The stretch hose (stretches to 40 ft, and compresses to 8 ft for storage) is a little bit of a challenge.  The suction is so powerful that it tends to keep the hose mostly compressed.  However, I put one foot on the hose, one hand about 3 ft from the grip, and it is easy to use and reaches to both ends of our 36' coach (and Madelyn Brenneman says, it reaches all areas of their 42' FT).

The stretch hose and ALL the accessories store nicely in one of the under-refrigerator cabinets:


Kent... don't forget Keith's post about the Dyson vacuum... to vacuum Trip that is!!  :))

Pat that hose is pretty cool but getting it out from under the cabinets is the problem. Now if we could teach Trip to open the door and hand us the hose, well that probably ain't happening.

We bought a vacuum dog brush attachment and it works pretty good but you have to change the bags or empty the vacuum every 10 minutes. Remember, he sheds a complete Cosmo equivalent every day. It sure is a good thing he is such a great dog.

Hey, Kent....  you need to save that fur.... then you can send it to this place in Ottawa where they will spin it, dye it, and knit you a hat... or mittens... or a scarf!!  :))

Handspun Yarn from pet cat and dog fur (http://www.jumaka.com/spinning/petfur.html)

Or to California:  VIP Fibers - Hand Spun Yarn from your Very Imnportant Pet (http://www.vipfibers.com/)

Pat, seriously we have been thinking the same thing. His undercoat is as soft as any fiber I have ever seen. We will actually check out your leads. Of course, how many people would wear clothing made of dog hair? I guess if we just called it Anatolian Fur, most people wouldn't even know it was from a dog. VIP fibers even listed the Anatolian. That looks like a pretty good business based on their prices. I love my dog but $98 for a hat and I have to knit it myself???

Sorry Roland. Didn't mean to hijack your thread.

Actually, VIP is in our community in Texas.  Steve and I have met Victoria and her husband (we were their "preferred guest" hosts on their initial homebuilding visit).

No, we do not have Posse Pullovers :P

Kent, No problem..........I'll adopt 'Trip'.  ;)

Michelle, that's great news. We will just start sending garbage bags of Trips hair to you and you can hand deliver it for us. We wouldn't trust that treasure with just anyone.

I can send an envelope or so ... I keep getting leftover wisps every time I suck the dust from under the edge of the slide floor.  Trip is the gift that keeps on giving!!!