We are looking to make a 'practice' run this Spring, making a cross country trip for 6-8 weeks. It could very easily lead to a full-time period, depending on how it (and some work items) works out.We've spent up to 62 days camping in a year in our Hybrid.The single biggest problem we had was LAUNDRY!We do not have, nor do we have the room, for a washer/dryer combo. In our 'Dream Class A' we'd have one :)A couple years ago we went to the laundromat for the first time in quite a few years and it COST like crazy! Both time and money.We've thought about shipping dirty clothes home and buying new on the road, having a fresh set sent to us every once in a while by relatives (pre-boxed, #1, #4, etc), laundromats, sythetics, etc.We really do not want to spend a lot of time/money on laundry for this first trip. It is supposed to be more Adventure than Chores, if you know what I mean. DD will be 13 and we want this time with her while she still wants it with us ;)So other than a combination washer/dryer unit, care to share some tips or your experiences, or suggestions for laundry?

DiskDoctr wrote:We are looking to make a 'practice' run this Spring, making a cross country trip for 6-8 weeks. It could very easily lead to a full-time period, depending on how it (and some work items) works out.We've spent up to 62 days camping in a year in our Hybrid.The single biggest problem we had was LAUNDRY!We do not have, nor do we have the room, for a washer/dryer combo. In our 'Dream Class A' we'd have one :)A couple years ago we went to the laundromat for the first time in quite a few years and it COST like crazy! Both time and money.We've thought about shipping dirty clothes home and buying new on the road, having a fresh set sent to us every once in a while by relatives (pre-boxed, #1, #4, etc), laundromats, sythetics, etc.We really do not want to spend a lot of time/money on laundry for this first trip. It is supposed to be more Adventure than Chores, if you know what I mean. DD will be 13 and we want this time with her while she still wants it with us ;)So other than a combination washer/dryer unit, care to share some tips or your experiences, or suggestions for laundry?My suggestion would be to consider the stackable w/d set instead of the all-in-one. They are fine I'm sure but a stackable set allows you to to be drying while washing another load and the capacity is usually bigger. We have the whirlpool w/d stackable and they work fine.

we just bite the bullet and do the laundry every 10 days or so. we find a laundrymat in a big parking lot if we can and spend the night there. or if we stop over at a nice campground with a laundry room, we do it there. It takes about half a day to do three or four loads and get them dried and folded and re packed.

The Laundromat option will save you the most time. Not sure how much laundry you're talking about but you'll have multiple washers and dryers to use. Or find a place with the bigger machines. Wherever you're staying, ask the seasonals or annuals where the best place is to do laundry.

We don't have a washer/dryer (got the prep but no appliances)....converted the area to linen/storage closetWe hit the CG laundries or laundromats in town.Pick a day and do the chores.....simpleJust like doing the dishesMaking the bedsDumping the tanksFilling the propaneSetting up/tearing downWashing the rigChecking the tiresNot a whole lot different than dong the chores are homeThey have to be done and 'somebody' has to do them

Jack Reacher buys new cheap cloths every 3 or 4 days because he thinks it's cheaper then a Laundromat and he doesn't like to carry a suitcase. My wife and I like to carry stuff with us and a laundromat once every 8-10 days is cheaper then buying new clothes.

Laundry? | Good Sam Community

52 Replies

jnharley
Explorer
Dec 19, 2013
There are places in the dryer drum where the urine sat and I could see it and smell it. Not sure how you would ever fix that, I suspect that they were just wiped out with no warning for the next person who used the dryers. I never used those machines again. At least I know what was washed and dried in my machines.
JimK-NY
Explorer II
Dec 18, 2013
Going to the Laundromat on a frequent basis is a real nuisance. Before starting out as a fulltimer, I accumulated over 30 sets of underwear and socks. I also have a large number of T shirts. My wife and I usually hit the Laundromat every 3-4 weeks. In a pinch, I might have to rinse out a few items but can push it to 5-6 weeks. At that point we also have a couple of sets of bedsheets and towels. Every other trip we also launder the dinette cushion covers and the cat bed. It does not seem to matter how much we have it always takes about 2 1/2 hours. Costs are usually about $20 for the whole pile. Big deal.
calewjohnson
Explorer
Dec 17, 2013
Drop it off and have the laundromat do it. I am military and we full-time….I do not have the time to do the laundry sometimes. When I am on the road, traveling between school and what not, I use Yelp to find a decent wash-n-fold. I take my own detergents and drop it off. It can cost us $45 for a week/family of four, but it is worth it, sometimes. Though, we do use the laundromat sometimes.

Cale
noplace2
Explorer
Dec 17, 2013
restlesswind wrote:
I keep track of just about all money spent on most everything.
Looking back over the past year,we have spent $131 on laundry.
We do not have laundry facilities in the 5th wheel.

A tad over $11 per month does not seem as though it would be a major
expense for fulltimers

In 13 years fulltiming those figures just about mirror ours. We're closer to $10/month, but that's over a few more years. The limited load stackables, etc have never appealed to us.
noplace2
Explorer
Dec 17, 2013
daily double wrote:
You can increase the interval between laundry days by turning your under wear inside out and wearing them a day then turning them backwards etc.:B

LOL! A person after my own heart!!
DiskDoctr
Explorer
Dec 17, 2013
paulcardoza wrote:
We found a laundromat that will transfer our clothes from the washer to the dryer for us, for $1. We drop everything in the washer and head off to a local breakfast spot. 90min later we head back and the load is just about dry. A total of less than 20min in the laundromat and a week's worth of clothes are done.

We'll have to keep a look out for that one!
paulcardoza
Explorer
Dec 16, 2013
We found a laundromat that will transfer our clothes from the washer to the dryer for us, for $1. We drop everything in the washer and head off to a local breakfast spot. 90min later we head back and the load is just about dry. A total of less than 20min in the laundromat and a week's worth of clothes are done.
JimM68
Explorer
Dec 16, 2013
our first m/h had a w/d...
DW, after attempting to use it, declared it worth nothing at all.

We use the campground facilities, perhaps once a week.
Dirty clothes go under the bed.
We don't sit and watch the machines do our laundry, we cruise, site see, shop, and go back when it's time to dry or time to load em up.

M/h #2, setup for a w/d that doesn't exist, that cabinet is HUGE, and will fit lots of stuff, towels, linens, spare blankets, dog bones, LOTS of stuff.
Trap
Explorer
Dec 16, 2013
skipnchar wrote:
If you have your own laundry on your rv too can spend an entire day doing what you can do in an hour at a public laundry. Spend the rest of the day going what you came there to do.

Yes you could spend an entire day if you let it build up that way, or like DW does, put a load in before we leave in the morning and dry it when we get back.

Her no 1 rule was no w/d no DW. Also we seem to need less clothes and towels etc. by having a w/d on board.
DianneOK
Explorer
Dec 15, 2013
Disc....that's why we are here....and you are most welcome ! :)

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Laundry?

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