There is always some skepticism when I initially mention that we have a washer/dryer combination in our RV and that, indeed, the exact same device is used for both washing and drying.
I suppose it seems logical that something that sounds so ridiculous would act oddly and need more maintenance than your typical washing machine or dryer used in a home.
It sounds logical, but I spent four years living in my RV full-time before I learned how to properly clean and operate the washer/dryer combination in my vehicle.
Oh, and I got a new one for no reason at all, other than the fact that I didn’t know how to care for it correctly.
That really took place.
Thus, yes.
The manual I wish I had four and a half years ago is available here.
I hope it spares you money and problems.
Please leave a comment if you have any ideas for things I should include in my routine.
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Specs for Our RV Washer/Dryer Combo
A Splendide 2100XC washer/dryer combination is what we have.
When we purchased Meriwether (our RV) in 2014, he had the 2100XC.
When I was with Caspian in 2016, we once again purchased the same combination since we had always been pleased with it.
You must be interested in that entire ordeal.
However, I’ll reserve that until the end as it isn’t the main subject of this article.
Maybe you’ll go before then, in which case I won’t have to face the humiliation.
Cleaning the Outside of Your RV’s Washer and Dryer
Our RV’s dryer and washer vent outdoors
A vent from your washing and dryer that exits your RV has to be cleaned often.
Even though our diesel RV is tall, a step stool or small ladder may still be used to reach the vent.
Cleaning out the vent shouldn’t require unscrewing the lid.
In fact, if at all possible, try to avoid unscrewing it since doing so will ultimately strip the holes.
Eric removes the cover’s fins and reaches inside with a Zip-It drain cleaner to remove the lint.
We can’t fully clean the whole vent with the Zip-It since it isn’t quite long enough.
If you’ve managed to thoroughly clean the vent’s whole length, please let us know.
It doesn’t take long to do this task.
To get the most out of your washer/dryer combination, try to do it once each month.
Cleaning the Inside of Your RV Washer and Dryer
Elegant 2100XC
Before a few months ago, I had no clue how to thoroughly clean the interior of my washer/dryer combination.
The same issue I experienced in 2016 that led to the need to replace the whole unit has returned, and my machine has begun taking an eternity to dry a load of laundry.
This time, a buddy recommended reading an article from Indianapolis’ Makarios RV.
The directions were quite strange.
Similar to a verbose magic spell that has no real effect.
However, I took a gamble, and it paid off.
My dryer was back to working perfectly.
It turns out that small lint particles collect in the appliance’s tiny openings.
This prevents sufficient ventilation and prevents clothing from drying.
Are you ready to attempt my magic trick? Let’s begin:
- Ensure that the washer and dryer are entirely empty.
- Ensure that the dryer is turned off.
- Set the washer to the #11 cycle. Because our water heater isn’t large enough to utilize hot water, I only use cold water. Warm or hot water wouldn’t really make much of a difference, in my opinion.
- Only add bleach on the first cycle. Although I placed the bleach in the detergent section, if you’d like, you could certainly pour it straight into the drum.
- Start by turning the device on. When the washer fills with water, you’ll hear and watch it happen.
- Push and hold the Start button until the green lights turn on and then go off when the water stops entering the drum (you’ll hear it stop). Turn the button off.
- Once again, press and release the Start button. The drum will begin to fill up with more water.
- Push and hold when the water stops flowing. As soon as the green light turns on, begin. Turn the button off.
- Switch to the #2 cycle on the washer.
- Select Extra Rinse from the menu. It will turn on the green indication light.
- To start the cycle, press and hold the Start button.
- Clean out the drum completely when the cycle is finished. Make sure the lighting is adequate so you can view all of the inside surfaces. To remove any lint that may be stuck there, run your palm down the bottom of the glass door. To clean behind the rubber seal, where debris often gets lodged, gently pull up the bottom of the seal.
- Steps 3–12 should be repeated twice more. Each cycle lasts for almost an hour and a half.
After cleaning my unit, some of the lint fell out.
I was astonished at how little lint I discovered given how broken my dryer was.
If you have the same experience, don’t be shocked.
It just serves to emphasize how little it takes to create a problem.
This is something Makarios RV advises you to perform every three months.
You can go longer between cleanings if, like us, you dry camp and don’t use your own unit for a while.
But if you observe that drying is taking longer than usual, you should try this first.
Yes, That’s The Story.
Therefore, my horrible tale.
The largest sum of money I have ever squandered in my life.
In 2016, my combination wasn’t drying.
The same load would go through the dryer many times, yet the garments would still be moist.
At the time, I was heavily pregnant and intended to cloth diaper our future child.
I explained to Eric that rather than spend money attempting to repair our “old” washer/dryer, I’d rather invest in a new one.
Meriwether was 12 years old at the time, so I assumed the unit had petered out.
Therefore, we contacted Quick 2 Fix, a mobile repair service we had previously used, and bought a new Splendide 2100XC while advertising on the internet that our washer/dryer was for sale.
We admitted that we didn’t know what was wrong with it or whether it could ever be corrected.
I don’t know why we didn’t think of it sooner, but we contacted Meriwether’s previous owner to inquire about the age of the present washer/dryer after we had already paid for the new one and set an absurdly low asking price for the one we were selling.
I thought the first owner had installed it, but no.
It had been installed by the second owner, the man who sold it to us.
My stomach dropped.
I was aware that he had only possessed Meriwether for a little period of time and had hardly ever utilized him.
In other words, the “ancient, broken” washer/dryer was still very much functional.
But at that time, nothing could be done.
The customer afterwards sent us a joyful letter saying, “My husband was able to get it operating straight immediately.”
Now, I can hardly contain a grin.
