Community Forums

heyaim · 07-29-2011, 09:12 AM

What kind of vaccuum do you use in the RV? A little stick vac? Mini Shop Vac?

We usually only get to go camping 5 weekends + 1 vacation week per year. During our weekend getaways I just vaccuum when we get home. Well our vacation week starts Aug. 14!

Going a whole week without cleaning the floors drives me crazy. We track in way to much grass/dirt from being outside all the time.

Currently, we don't have a basement. I'm hoping that changes this weekend...we are going to look at several newer-to-us motorhomes with full basements and about 4'+ longer!

Finhawk · 07-29-2011, 10:04 AM

I bought a Dyson-----works great on everything including pet hair

JRNOLL · 07-29-2011, 10:21 AM

We bought a mini shop vac, and have used it for about 5 years with no problems.

Clay L · 07-29-2011, 11:00 AM

We have tried three different vacs including a Eureka Whirlwind and a Shark - I don't remember what the other one was. None of them worked very well in our opinion.

A few years ago I took the Eureka into a vacuum sales and repair shop and told him I wanted something a lot better and still small since it was for a motor home. He tested the suction and the airflow on the Eureka (said the airflow is more important than the suction) and came up with a Super Fastvac 500 Vacuum made by Schneider Industries in California. It has 85 inches of water lift and 115 cubic feet of airflow. That was over twice what the Eureka had and over three times what the Shark had. It's pricey - list is $170 but it does a heck of a job. I also bought a vacuum powered carpet brush head that cost another $38 and unlike the one that came with the Shark, it is hard to slow down.

It's small: Weight = 4.5 pounds, Dimensions =7”x12.5”x4.5” but powerful and comes with the usual attachments plus attachments for cleaning computer keyboards and the like. Those work great on the motor home dash.

Vacuum shops carry them but I haven't seen them at the mass merchandisers like Target or Walmart. I have seen it at Amazon and other places for as little as $80.
The web site is HERE if you are interested.

njs42 · 07-29-2011, 12:44 PM

We have an Electrolux which does a super job---very efficient---but has a smaller storage space for what you take up. Easy change of bag however. We like it especially because it folds very nicely into a smaller storage---but work like a big vaccum. Sorry it is not here to get the model (it stay with the MH) but look on line. Little pricey as I recall---but you could use it at home no problem.

Tha_Rooster · 07-29-2011, 03:55 PM

I use a built in dirt devil and use the dyson on it when we get home.

HD4Mark · 07-29-2011, 04:15 PM

We also have the Dirt Devil central vac built in but with two dogs and no beater bar/brush it doesn't cut it on the rug so we drag along a Eureka upright.

AFChap · 07-29-2011, 04:16 PM

Dyson DC24 All-Floors ...it is the mini-Dyson. It picks up an amazing amount of "stuff" in a small space. We also have a built-in Dirt Devil (under the name Maxum2000) ...it works ok for little cleanups but wasn't doing the job we wanted for full-time living.

cutrell01 · 07-30-2011, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by heyaim

What kind of vaccuum do you use in the RV? A little stick vac? Mini Shop Vac?

We usually only get to go camping 5 weekends + 1 vacation week per year. During our weekend getaways I just vaccuum when we get home. Well our vacation week starts Aug. 14!

Going a whole week without cleaning the floors drives me crazy. We track in way to much grass/dirt from being outside all the time.

Currently, we don't have a basement. I'm hoping that changes this weekend...we are going to look at several newer-to-us motorhomes with full basements and about 4'+ longer!

For your situation I would just get an inexpensive upright vacuum and do a more through cleaning when you get home. It's hard to keep everything out of RV when camping, especially with kids and pets. This is what we do and we spend 3 months in Florida during winter time because we are retired and have son and family living in Florida.

MSHappyCampers · 07-30-2011, 10:01 AM

We went to Sears and found a small portable vac (not a shop vac) with LOTS of suction! Don't remember what we paid for it but we are very happy with the performance! Happy trails

Senior Chief · 07-30-2011, 10:07 AM

I just bought the Eureka Easy Clean handheld. It has excellent suction, a brush roller and a hose with an onboard crevice tool.

Works great on the hair from the St. Bernard!

bluepill · 07-30-2011, 10:14 AM

Got a cheap no-name "reconditioned" upright for about $32 at a Dollar General type store. It's fairly light and small, and does a good enough job on carpet and vinyl while we are on the road. For a good cleaning, we use the home upright and a big shop vac.

Gary RVRoamer · 07-31-2011, 05:05 PM

We have an Intervac built-in now.

Ray,IN · 07-31-2011, 10:51 PM

Before we retired, DW kept a small stick-type in the 5er, and really cleaned when we returned home. It worked out well. Now she has a cannister-type Dirt Devil(w/carpet head) in the 5er. The one thing I really do not like is_ it is bagless. I hate cleaning it out, and a replacement HEPA filter costs as much as a package of bags for our Electrolux at home.