washing machines

Submitted: Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 07:14
ThreadID: 86784 Views:4172 Replies:6 FollowUps:13
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Hi All

We are a family of four (kids 7and 5) we are buying a new van and travelling around Australia and working for 2 to 3 years. We have done loads of free camping in the past but spent 3 weeks in a caravan park a few years ago it cost me a bomb to do the washing and dry our clothes (as it was raining). We want to add a washing machine and considering a dryer but am so confused on what to do.
Do I go a smalll machine or a larger one? We want to keep our costs very low while on the road. But still I have children so illness and mess will follow me on the road. Also can caravan parks and showgrounds electric hook up cope with washers and dryers? Will a 2.4kva generator work them as well?

Can any one with family living long term in there van let me know what you do, costs and time spent dealing with washing.

Thanks CJ.
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Reply By: snoopyone - Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 08:44

Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 08:44
We use a Lemair toploader It only holds 2kg so takes a while to do the washing and only uses cold water.
Would take a whole day to do a family wash.

Also uses a bit of water but does rinse and spin as like a home machine.
Only weighs 17kg

The new model is about $450.

The other option is a Dometic frontloader but it weighs 51kg and costs $1300.

Weight is the biggest consideration in a van and a washer and dryer would be very heavy with a family van I would think.
Do you have an annexe Hang the washing under that.
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Follow Up By: Chris J1 - Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 12:51

Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 12:51
yes we will have an annexe to hang washing and a portable clothes line and rope to swing between trees.

But it is during the wet season that concerned me this is going to be our new home for a long time.
We have to follow my Hubby's work not the seasons so we could be in wet season and the heat all at once.

Do you have yours in a fixed position or do you move it each stop. Also do you put foam wedges in around the bowl to protect it during travel.

Thanks
CJ.
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Follow Up By: snoopyone - Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 18:20

Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 18:20
We carried it in the car for the first few months. Had a floor behind front seats for it and the Waeco.
Bought a new van so its in a cupboard at the end of the bench.

Put the original styrene piece in the top when travelling
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Reply By: Gone Bush (WA) - Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 09:20

Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 09:20
Here's a couple of choices.

We have this one:

Mini Washing Machine

This one take take a bit more:

5kg Model

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Follow Up By: Chris J1 - Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 12:53

Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 12:53
thank you so much for the link if you know of anyone with the 5kg I would be interested in knowing how it runs. As this would be a great option for us does it have a brand name?

CJ.
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Reply By: br218885 - Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 10:07

Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 10:07
Hi
We have been on the road full time now for 8 yrs. In our 1st 2 yrs I worked out it was costing us approx $600. a yr to wash and sometimes dry. We had a Jayco Westport 25 ft. Had no room for a washing machine inside. Before paying $450.00 for a Lenair 2.2 kg we purchased a NEC 4.5 kg washing machine from a second hand shop for $250.00. It paid for itself in no time. We had a front kitchen and the dealer told us to lay it down on its front as we didn't have the foam to stop the bowl moving. we put it on a non-slip mat and it never moved. We would lift it up and put it on blocks outside under the awning. I made a cover for it out of rubber backed curtain material and would cover the electrics with a garbage bag under the cover so that if it rained it would be fine. The NEC washing machine had two handle indents and could be lifted easliy in and out of the van. Good luck. We have now purchashed a new van with a 2.2 kg Lenair. I have to wash our towels and sheets in the washing machines in the caravan park as the Lenair is too small. If you free camp the Honda 2 drives the washing machine. If we were in a park we hooked the water up to the tap on the draw bar of the van. When free camping would cart water in the 25 lt drums. Would save the water from the rinse and wash the next lot in the rinse water.
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Follow Up By: Chris J1 - Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 12:45

Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 12:45
Hi and thank you for your helpful information. As we have 2 kids would you be happier to have the nec back so you could wash sheets if you needed to?

I prefer for it to be built in rather than lift in and out in case Hubby away with work or something I don't want to encourage any injuries if I might be on my own with the kids at some stage of our travels.

Thanks CJ.
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Reply By: Member - Old Girl (QLD) - Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 19:22

Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 19:22
We have a plastic 7kg twintub. Its light and narrow enough for me to lift in and out the caravan. Regarding dryers remember any heating element will draw heaps of power. I use a camping clothesline make sure its a good quality one with pegs, ours spent 8 months at the beach and no rust. We are a family of 5.
Sharon
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Follow Up By: Chris J1 - Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 20:51

Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 20:51
A 7kg sounds great can you tell what brand it is and where I might get one.

Thanks
CJ.
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Follow Up By: Member - Old Girl (QLD) - Tuesday, Jun 07, 2011 at 00:15

Tuesday, Jun 07, 2011 at 00:15
Betta Electrical
I looked at so many before deciding on the twin tub. I figured you can watch the water you use better and can fit so much in one load. We bought a twin connection for the mains pressure tap and ran a seperate hose straight to the tub.
Were not traveling atm its sitting in the container ready for our next long stint.
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Reply By: Member - Alan John C (WA) - Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 19:24

Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 19:24
Hi we are living out of our van and after a lot of home work my wife found a twin tub 6kilo and by washing in the right order saves a lot of water and will run easily on our 2kva honda. Haier XPB60CS Twin Tub Cost August 2010 $350 regards Alan, Lyn.

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Follow Up By: Chris J1 - Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 21:13

Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 21:13
Hi Alan and Lyn,

Thank you so much for this information. I have had a look at the machine on line but I can't find the weight of the machine, do you know what weight it would be?

I gather you don't need much water to run this machine and can I use only just cold water?

Thank you for your help.
CJ.
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Reply By: paulnsw - Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 19:34

Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 19:34
Haier 5kg would be ideal and is a compromise between physical size weight and capacity.
Haier 5kg washing machine
These have proven to take the travelling. Keep the package foam in the top when travelling.
Haier 5kg will happily power from a 1kva QUALITY generator like Yamaha EF1000iS

I would not consider a dryer travelling. No brand of dryers travel well and take up a lot of space. Need Yamaha EF2400iS to power a dryer.

There is a combined LG washer/dryer 8kg but won't travel.

Lemair 2kg for a family is useless. Not even really big enough for a couple. 3kg for a couple would be ideal.
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Follow Up By: snoopyone - Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 19:54

Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 19:54
Oh well we must be a clean couple then as we managed with a Lemair for 18 months without any probs
.
Just requires a bit of organisation.

A rather uninformed comment I think.

Only thing we couldnt do in it were blankets.
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Follow Up By: paulnsw - Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 20:21

Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 20:21
This post has been read by the moderation team and has been moderated due to a breach of The Personal Attacks Rule .

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Follow Up By: Member - Toyocrusa (NSW) - Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 20:52

Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 20:52
Struth, we have Dio and Faulic Macvitte all in one here.
Cheers,Bob

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Follow Up By: Chris J1 - Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 21:33

Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 21:33
Hi Paulnsw,

Thank you for the information on the Haier. That is such great info I am wanting to enjoy our work/travelling holiday and don't want to spend everyday washing because I do like clean clothes and linen and I had thought that 3kg would not cut it in my family. Especially when a child is sick all over their bed in the middle of the night and doonas and sheets would need to be washed (past experience).

I was thinking I may have to throw something out to compensate for the weight of a front loader and spend a bomb to get a good size machine. Do you know if you can run the haier on cold water only?

Well the dryer is now out if desperate I shall pay in a caravan park.

Once again thanks so much for your veiw.
CJ.
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Follow Up By: paulnsw - Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 21:51

Monday, Jun 06, 2011 at 21:51
Chris sure you can run it on cold water only.
If you use Biozet powder it is extremely low sudsing compared to any other detergents. Is environmentally friendly as you can get and can be dumped safely anywhere away from water courses, but importantly washes exceedingly well and importantly only needs to be rinsed once. When you are low on water or have to hump buckets, having to rinse only once is a big thing.
Another option that works very well to reduce the chore of washing when travelling is a 20L canoe drum. That is a 20L round drum with a large screw on top. Put the a 1/3 scoop of Biozet and 2/3 fill the drum with water, and put the kids clothes in there. Give the drum a good shake. Travel to next town, find tap or public toilet and rinse clothes and refill drum with clean water. Put clean clothes back into clean water. When you stop at camp that night, spin clothes and put spin water back into drum. You then have water for next days clothes. You would have a 20L drum for your clothes and one for the kids. Not ending up with a big pile of washing travelling when limited space is a must do not an option. Keeping on top of the chores is essential for happy travelling. Generally we don't use the washing machine much, but do constantly use the spin dryer everyday or every second day. If you have 4 Seasons hatches you can put 4 rails in the combing of the hatch to hang clothes. Use net curtaining rails and clips from Spotlight that clip in. No pegs needed, unclip the rods and slip the crutches of the underpants and bra straps etc over the rod. Dry while you are travelling and keeps them out the way. Put the rods lengthwise of where you walk or if above the bed cross wise.
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Follow Up By: snoopyone - Tuesday, Jun 07, 2011 at 08:23

Tuesday, Jun 07, 2011 at 08:23
This post has been read by the moderation team and has been moderated due to a breach of The Personal Attacks Rule .

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