Companion ezywash washing machine

Don't know that brand but we have taken a small plastic one many many places and it has been worth the trouble of carrying it. We have done our washing at Docker River on the GCR and on the Nullarbor, saved a fortune on caravan park fees to access their washing machines. Would recommend a twin tub as it uses a lot less water. Even if you intend to stay at caravan parks it would be a good idea as we have seen people do some terrible things to park machines, i.e. dog blankets etc., cuts out the chances of picking up something bad. We wouldn't travel without it now.
Geoff

It might be OK if you could train a kid to turn it for an hour or so!
We have found a plastic canoing storage barrel wirh screw on lid (a large plastic bucket with clip on lid would be fine) to be all we need. In the morning we half fill it with warm water, some detergent and a dash of cheap napisan if liked and stir in clothes. This travels in van or vehicle, sloshing away. When we stop another bucket of water for rinsing and all is done. Wringing is the only pain but your tribe could help twist wet clothes in a towel if weather is not suited to drip drying!
This system is very cheap and takes up little space/weight. Clothes get remarkably clean with little time or effort.
An advantage of the barrel shaped container we use is that, if you don't drive for a few days, you (or kids) can roll it around for a while full of washing to achieve the same effect as an Ezywash!
We stop at a caravan park or town laundromat every now and then to give sheets and towels etc a good wash and spin. Lynne

Hi,
We are going around Australia on an open-ended trip with four kids under 10. We've been gone since January 2010, so we are used to doing this now.

We have a Dometic 2kg washing machine in the caravan. It uses 50L of water (approximately) for a wash cycle. We are mainly self-sufficient and free camp, which means that most times we can't use the washing machine. For six people, that would mean running the washing machine every day. When we can carry 300 L of washing up water (100L drinking water as well) it is not justifiable to use regularly.

Of course, we will use it somewhere if water is plentiful, but at a rest area in the middle of the desert where they supply 300 L of washing up/drinking water for emergencies we feel it would be too selfish to run the washing machine.

Summary: washing machine is nice to have, but can't use it often due to high water consumption.

Hope this helps,
Amy