Washer-dryer Combo

[susan.charles@windstream.net]

God has recently blessed me with my lifelong dream of owning a Class A motorhome. When we purchased it about six weeks ago we added a splendide washer/dryer combo. When the machine is in a spin cycle the whole motorhome vibrates. I'm trying to find out if this is normal. Any information would be appreciated. Thanks, ccmsm

[garykd]

Hi ccmsm,

For me yes, it is normal. Sometimes worse than other times. It depends on how the load is when the spin cycle starts. If the unit faces forward the vibration will be worse than if the unit faces the side of the coach. It is easier to shake a coach sideways than it is to shake it lenghways. I fastened the front feet of my unit to the floor of the compartment it is housed in. There are brackets you can buy to accomplish this. I also put a 2X4 wedged in across the top of the unit. This makes the unit very solid with regard to the coach. It seems to keep some of the vibration inside the W/D.

[Guest Wayne77590]

Our WD is back against the wall in the bedroom. The door faced to the front of the MH. Depending on the load in the machine there is some vibaration, but so far it is negligible. It uses its own anchor points with screws holding it to the "pressed board" flooring.

So, try to lighten the load some and see what happens.

[captpatricia@yahoo.com]

The combo has a small capacity and I have found it is poor in handling heavy items.. some towels and small bath rugs... and it can be unbalanced with these items particularly... Good luck with your new RV and happy travels.

[tbutler]

I'm sure that the location within the coach affects how much vibration you get. Our unit is located just forward of the rear axle on a side wall facing the center line of the coach. When it goes into the spin cycle which doesn't last too long, we get a good bit of vibration and noise. We hardly notice it running at other times. Load balance will affect how any washer spin cycle shakes. An unbalanced load in a home washer will set it shaking violently. Experiment with your washer, a larger or smaller load may work better. Obviously, a single garment like a pair of jeans could put it off balance. With a side loading washer, you can't open the door and redistribute the garments around the tub so there isn't much you can do other than enjoy the ride!

[MONTIE]

I have a new motor hoe that did not come with a washer/dryer combo, it is plumbed for a combo unit. I have been looking for a unit and had decided on the Splendide WDC7100XC Laundry Center. I noticed that this unit was not vwented to the outside. Do I need to have a vented or non-vented unit. I am concerned about moisture in the coach.

[satchthemo@yahoo.com]

Best to vent to the outside and have a high quality vent cover installed outside.

We love our combo-now if only it could hold twice the load.

[jjgnn@yahoo.com]

I agree that sometimes they rattle and roll, but I would never give it up. Look in the handbook and you will probably see there is a fast and slow spin choice. I keep mine on fast spin, because it probably does a better job slinging water out of the clothes.

When you think of the limited space and all the features you get in one of these units, it is a wonder it works at all. Remember, they are made in France.

I am perfectly satisfied with mine. I need to stop overloading it, though. My fault.

[tbutler]

God has recently blessed me with my lifelong dream of owning a Class A motorhome. When we purchased it about six weeks ago we added a splendide washer/dryer combo. When the machine is in a spin cycle the whole motorhome vibrates. I'm trying to find out if this is normal. Any information would be appreciated. Thanks, ccmsm

I have made a discovery recently. Our Splendide went into an error mode a little over a week ago. I contacted Westland Sales (the Splendide sales and service for the US) and they were very helpful with diagnosing the problem (a partially melted plug on the control board) and getting me the materials (several new plugs and a new control board) I needed to repair the washer/dryer.

In the process I had to remove the w/d from its cabinet. When I did, I noticed that one of the two 1" corner brackets that anchor the front of the machine was broken. When I put the w/d back in its cabinet I installed two new corner brackets. Now, we hardly notice the w/d when it goes into its spin cycle. Replacing the broken bracket has made an amazing difference. If your unit vibrates strongly, you might check to see if the machine is anchored to the floor with brackets. These are add-ons installed at the factory. Perhaps all machines do not have them and if they did at one time but the brackets break, they are useless.

It took some digging to get to the brackets. Our w/d has a carpet strip on a 1x1 inch wood strip that covers the base of the machine. The brackets were under that and were screwed into the frame of the machine and the floor of the cabinet. There is a removable cover on the base of the Splendide that must be removed to get to the machine frame. The brackets were located near the corners of the machine where the front feet are. For replacements I went to the hardware store and purchased standard 1" corner brackets. The holes didn't match exactly but were close enough that I could use them on the washer. I put the screws in the cabinet floor in a slightly different location so they were in fresh wood.

[WGPuckett@aol.com]

We have a combo in our Bounder. It's in the kitchen about midway facing the center line. There is a little vibration at times but little sound at any time. We love it. Wish the one at home was that quiet!!!!

[Shary]

Our newly purchased 2007 Winnebago 38J did not come with a washer/dryer. We are full timers and would like your

opinion if the Splendide washer/dryer is worth giving up the storage space.

[five]

The Splendide is a great machine. We prefer the combo rather than the stackable...like the storage space. The reason for the vibration is the high rpm it turns to get the water out of the laundry.

[Guest BillAdams]

We have had, used and loved the Splendide for over 10 years. If my new coach came with a stacked set Janet would be even happier but only if this did not come at the expense of storage space. We are full timers and we have been full-timers since 1997. Our first coach 94-99 had no W/D option so it was off to the laundry room or nothing. Not bad while part-timing but completely unacceptable once we were full-timing.

Many choices are available. The Splendide is an excellent unit (as long as you get the one where the dryer vents to the outside) but it may or may not be the best if you have the room for a stacked unit.

[-Gramps-]

We have an all in one and don't need the space it uses at the moment. We have no workable space to have a stack-able combo. It all depends on whether you presently have more than enough storage space that you can give some up. If you have to sacrifice space that you need, probably not worth it in my wife's opinion.

[Shary]

Thanks for all the input. Guess I will find another place to store the shoes. (I only have room for the combo)

I do have a couple more question, I hear that the washer can only hold one pair of jeans and perhaps a shirt.

Sounds like such a small load for the time it takes. Is this true? Can it hold a set of queen sheets? and about how long to wash a load?

[ccmsm]

We're glad we added the washer-dryer. We use it every trip and hardly notice the vibration anymore. We have always used the Splendide detergent sold at camping world. The last trip out my wife had some allergic reaction to the clothes she washed with this detergent. Do ya'll use this detergent or are there some alternatives? Thanks, ccmsm

[Guest BillAdams]

You can use any detergent you like. You may have to experiment with the amount if you use regular powder or liquid but if you use the detergent marked HE you will have a low sudsing detergent designed specifically for front loaders.

[Guest LindaWatson]

The washer dryer is normal because the vibration of this increases when the speed of the machine and load increases don't worry about that. I have gone through the motor home interiors resources on online.

[sundancev]

This Splendide combo unit is superb and the factory service (telephone and email) is even better. They talked us through pump replacement with little pain. We feel very lucky to have this unit with us and even though the loads are necessarily small, we cope very nicely with it. Yes it vibrates like crazy when it starts spin cycle, but well worth it. We are also full-timers. Whortons

[cobrafang61]

I would try it with nothing in it and see if its of balance? or off center somehow? see if its mounted properly.