Community Forums

Jim & Trish Chandler · 01-07-2009, 01:23 PM

Hope everybody had a good and safe holiday season!! We have a 35MKO and I am about to install the Maytag stacked washer dryer set in it and am looking for information from anyone who has installed one. All of the hook ups seem to be there except the vent for the dryer. The dryer will sit on top of the washer but before I go cutting a 4 inch hole in the side of the Excel, I thought I would search to see if anyone could give me some measurements on where... Any information will be greatly appreciated!

Jim & Trish Chandler · 01-07-2009, 01:23 PM

Hope everybody had a good and safe holiday season!! We have a 35MKO and I am about to install the Maytag stacked washer dryer set in it and am looking for information from anyone who has installed one. All of the hook ups seem to be there except the vent for the dryer. The dryer will sit on top of the washer but before I go cutting a 4 inch hole in the side of the Excel, I thought I would search to see if anyone could give me some measurements on where... Any information will be greatly appreciated!

ExcelRVGuy · 01-07-2009, 02:12 PM

Hello Jim.

The sidewall is "safe" to cut your 4" hole directly behind your dryer. We block in for it assuming the dryer will be hung on the wall but for those who just want to sit the dryer directly on the washer, simply measure the correct place for the hole and drill away. It's best drill from the inside first, until only the pilot hole protrudes through the fiberglass, then go outside and drill to the inside, using the pilot hole for a guide.

Be careful screwing your vent on the outside that you don't strip the screws when going through the fiberglass. You should drill a pilot hole through the fiberglass so you don't crack it when screwing the vent on.

thanks,
Bryan

Jim & Trish Chandler · 01-07-2009, 03:05 PM

Thanks for the reply Bryan. I purchased a 4.25 inch hole saw from Home Depot and a dryer vent with louvers. Do you know if the factory uses a different size for the hole? Is the vent itself a special RV vent? Thanks for the quick response.

Jim

rockintom · 01-07-2009, 04:34 PM

Jim,
I haven't done an install on a RV...so take that into consideration. I understand the washer should have a "water catch pan" with a drain and hose, under the washer, just incase the washer springs a leak. Are you installing that too? Just checkin' rockin'

Jim & Trish Chandler · 01-07-2009, 04:45 PM

HMMM... That really sounds like a good idea... Can I get one at Home Depot or is that an RV specialty product?? I knew it was a good idea to put this project up on the forum...The washer and dryer is supposed to be delivered to us here at the campground this Saturday.

rockintom · 01-07-2009, 08:12 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jim & Trish Chandler:
Can I get one at Home Depot or is that an RV specialty product?? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I couldn't find it at the HD website....but that doesn't mean anything. I'd give them a whirl. Here's link for you to take a look at it.
Drain a way

MakinSmoke · 01-08-2009, 02:54 AM

Jim,
We have PI Service Center installed washer and dryer. Take care to stop the drips when installing the hoses to the washer and to the faucets. Those little $.25 washers will be the first thing to go and cause a problem later.

Also, on our L36CLO, the dryer covers the access panel to the shower control valve (faucet), the guts of which are plastic. It was a bear to remove the dryer off the wall and install a new (brass guts) shower control valve when our OEM started leaking. I'm just saying and ounce of prevention...

Keeping the dryer vent hose lint free is an issue for us. My suggestions are to place your vent hole between the stacked washer and dryer and not to attach the vent hose to the wall permanently so you can access it to run the vacuum hose up inside to remove accumulated lint. A lint free hose and vent significantly increases the dryer efficiency.
And this is critical...keep a window wide open
when using the dryer. Good air flow INTO the coach also improves dryer efficiency.
These problems are all mine. The solutions I gleaned from this (Excel Owners) forum.

rockintom · 01-08-2009, 06:18 AM

I can assure you cleaning the dryer vent is as close to the W/D Virg will ever get. SirKnowItAllDoesLaundryToo

Jim & Bona · 01-08-2009, 08:19 AM

While on the subject of the dryer vent, this AM I finally got tired of the dry cycle getting incresingly longer as time passes. A quick look at the outside exit on the vent showed the plastic grillwork to be completely lugged with lint. Short, but deep, thought suggested the best solution to be to clip out the grillwork with side cutters and take my chances on bugs coming in (the flapper door is still in place). Surgery is complete and dryer is working like new again.

SKIA: Whaddaya think?

P.S.: I do laundry too.

rockintom · 01-08-2009, 08:47 AM

Jim,
I would be concerned about the birds nesting in those things. They LOVE to do a deep nest in there and have their babies there too. What's so hard about a monthly cleaning of the vent? This, of course, is coming from someone who doesn't have a W/D in their rig, so I'm a SME!!!

We got the rig W/D ready...and waited to see if we wanted it considering the extra weight....we opted out. I think in the almost 4 years of FTing..there has been about 3 times we wished we had one. If you figure it up it takes a lot of quarters to pay for the W/D. Maybe next time, maybe not.

Jim & Trish Chandler · 01-08-2009, 08:49 AM

OK... UPDATE.. Thanks to all who replied, this will go better now. A quick call to PI this morning and Donna is sending me the drip pan they use at the factory, overnight, and will have it tomorrow... Thanks Tom, that is one of those important details. As for the dryer vent; I spoke to one of the techs that installs the washer/dryers at the factory. He suggested I stack the dryer on the washer and measure the distance from the floor up to the vent outlet of the dryer. Then cut the hole for the vent at the same height so the vent hose would be a short and straight shot to the vent. This should prevent lint from having a place to accumulate. (Thanks Virgil) So I will wait for the unit to get here before I cut the hole. If all goes well I should be able to install the drip pan tomorrow and the washer/dryer on Saturday. That should make Ms Trish happy.. more time to goof off as opposed to waiting at the coin laundry for my BVD's to dry... Ah.. Life is good. Thanks again for all the brain power!

rockintom · 01-08-2009, 09:07 AM

Sounds like you are ON IT!!!! Good luck and let us know the details of your install...a few pix would be nice! RockinTheLaundryGuy

LindaH · 01-08-2009, 09:59 AM

I would DEFINITELY install a washer pan!

If you're just going to sit the dryer on top of the washer, how are you going to secure it so it doesn't slide off as you're traveling down the road??? Ours was done at the factory, and the dryer is hung off the wall several inches above the dryer (which also provides room for laundry supplies).

As for the plastic "grid" on the outside of the vent, I wish the factory would take that off before they install the vent. As Jim & Bona have discovered, the grill acts like a lint catcher which not only slows down drying, it can be a fire hazard. We had to spend an hour or so cutting the grid off and then fishing out as much lint as we could. The flapper door in front of the grid prevents any bugs coming in when the dryer isn't on, and I don't think they'd come in when it's on...at least we haven't had any problems with bugs.