RV Inspection And Care - A NRVIA certified inspector explains how you can inspect and care for your own RV.

The Truth About RV Washer Dryer Combo Units

RV washer and dryer combo machines are usually found in larger rigs like Class A motorhomes. This is because they take up a certain amount of space that smaller rigs just can’t provide. But for many RV owners, giving up the space for a washer and dryer combo is well worth the trade-off.

Everybody has to do laundry at some point. And if you don’t have a built in washer and dryer installed in your RV, your choices are limited. In fact, you will most likely have to wash your clothes at either a campground facility or a nearby laundromat. And there are drawbacks for both of these choices.

Either way, you will probably have to sit with your clothes while they are being washed and dried. Whereas having the washer/dryer in your RV allows you to do other things while the laundry is being done. Also, the machines in campgrounds and laundromats can be dirty at times and even greasy from the previous users. Then there is the expense involved in using those machines that can also add up over time.

Pros And Cons Of RV Washer/Dryers

The main benefit of an RV washer and dryer combo unit is their convenience of use. You lose no travel time to bring your clothes anywhere else to do laundry. You also don’t lose the time babysitting your clothes while they are being done. In fact, the combo units use the same drum to both wash and dry, so you don’t even have to transfer clothes from washer to dryer. And these machines do a very good job and are known to be reliable.

The cons of RV washer/dryer combos is mainly related to their size. Because they are designed to take up as little space as possible, you can’t do large loads of laundry. This may be an irritation at first if you are used to doing laundry in larger washers at home. But as you learn to use the machine correctly, you simply adjust to the smaller load size. And you plan on doing laundry more often to make up for the smaller loads.

You will also notice that during the spin cycle, the vibration from the washer will shake the RV a little bit. Again, this is a minor issue for most but some find it disconcerting when compared to a home washer. Also, you will have to get used to the machine washing clothes in a different way. When we first got our Splendide washer, my wife thought it wasn’t working properly. This is because the drum would just roll back and forth for a while. Then it would roll over a few times, then go back to the back and forth motion. After a call to the manufacturer assured us that it was designed to work that way, we let it do its job. And sure enough, our laundry came out just fine.

How To Use A Washer/Dryer Combo

As mentioned above, you will need to adjust the size of your laundry loads and do them more often. Although the combo unit can both wash and dry your clothes automatically, you may choose to air dry your laundry. Some RVers put a portable drying rack in their shower for this purpose. This allows you to wash more loads while air drying them as they are done with the wash cycle.

Also, you will need to use a laundry detergent that is made for these washers. It will be labeled “HE” (High Efficiency) on the detergent bottle. Tide makes a great detergent for these units, but most other laundry brands have their version as well. If you use regular laundry detergent, it will produce too many suds and overflow. So be sure to use the HE version of your favorite laundry detergent.

You also can use a mild fabric softener like Downy but no dryer sheets can be used in these units. And every few loads you will want to empty out the lint trap that is usually located at the bottom of the unit.

What Is The Best RV Washer And Dryer?

This is the Splendide washer/dryer in our bedroom:

Our Splendide RV washer and dryer combo — **Our Splendide washer/dryer combo**

For many RV owners, the best RV washer/dryer combo is made by Splendide. However, Splendide makes both a ventless and a vented model. And there is a big difference in customer satisfaction between those two models. By far, the preference of most RV owners is for the vented machine. On Amazon the vented units have a 4.5 star rating and the ventless model only 3.5 stars. So my recommendation is definitely for the vented model.

If your RV did not come with a washer/dryer combo installed, make sure that is has been plumbed for it first. And be sure that your RV electrical service can handle the additional load one of these machines can place on it. Then have it installed by a professional who is familiar with this kind of installation. Otherwise, you can have a mess on your hands that can be costly to fix.

Here is the Splendide washer and dryer combo that I recommend for your consideration:

I hope that this discussion of washer/dryer combo units for RVs has been helpful. Please let me know if you have any questions that I didn’t answer. You can include them in the comments below. As always, have safe and happy travels my friends!

The Best RV Air Compressor For Your Rig

One of the most important components of an RV is its tires. After all, that is your connection with the ground when you are traveling down the highway. So you need to pay even more attention to your RV tires than you normally do to the tires on your car. And this means that you need to determine what is the best RV air compressor for your particular rig. And then use that compressor regularly to keep your RV tires inflated properly. So let’s take a look at the RV tire inflators that I recommend for your consideration.

12 Volt RV Tire Inflators

There are several manufacturers of 12 volt portable air compressors on the market. And many of them are not very well-made. But there is a brand of 12 volt RV air compressors that is widely regarded to be the best by many RV owners. That is the Viair brand. They are known for their quality of build and their smooth, capable function while in use. And they hold up to regular use well.

Viair makes 4 different tire inflators for the RV market, depending on what kind of RV you have. For Class B RVs, the model 89P works great and comes with a 20 foot hose. If you have a towable RV, the model 300P works well and comes with a 30 foot hose. For Class C RVs, the model 400P is the best choice and comes with a 60 foot hose. And finally, for Class A motorhomes, the model 450P does the job very well and also comes with a 60 foot hose.

The idea with making so many models is to be able to offer these units at the size and price point that fits your RV. Of course, you can always buy a larger Viair model than is recommended for your rig and it will work fine. And this might be a good strategy in case you might sell your current RV and buy something larger.

All Viair models come with clamps to attach to your battery as a power source and plenty of hose for your RV size. They are all lightweight and easy to use. And some RVers I know of have even mounted their Viair compressor permanently in their rig and hooked it up to their 12 volt power system. Just click on the images below to get more information and specs on the Viair product line for RVs:

120 volt RV Air Compressors

While Viair clearly makes the best 12 volt air compressors for RVs, some RVers choose a 120 volt model instead. In fact, one of the most popular RV tire inflators is a pancake-style compressor made by Porter Cable. One drawback to this style of RV air compressor is its size and weight. If you have a smaller RV it may not be the best choice for you and a Viair unit may work much better. But for those who have ample storage space, these smaller pancake compressors can be very versatile.

In fact, the versatility of these compressors extends well beyond their use as just tire inflators. Since they are true 120 volt air compressors, they can often be used for small repair and remodel jobs around the RV. They can easily run most air-powered tools and that can be very useful in such situations. But they are also very competent RV tire inflators too. Since they can produce up to 150 psi, that will allow you to inflate almost any size RV tire easily. But unlike the Viair models, you will also need to get the hose and connections needed to inflate your tires.

Of course, as mentioned, these compressors run only on 120 volt electricity. And this means that you will either have to be plugged into shore power or use a generator to operate them. But if this is not an issue for you, the cost of one of these air compressors is very attractive. In fact, they can be much less expensive than the Viair compressors mentioned above. I personally use one of these units myself for its overall versatility and power to inflate my motorhome tires quickly. Click on the link below to learn more about the Porter Cable air compressor. And you can also see what others have said about it as well.

My recommendation

In my opinion, if you choose an RV air compressor from one of those in this article, you can’t go wrong. Any of the Viair models will be a good purchase. They will be light and efficient but will be limited only to inflating tires. If you choose a pancake compressor, it will take up more room. But it is also more versatile and can be used for other projects around the RV. But all of these air compressors are well-reviewed and have stood the test of time.

So I hope this information has been helpful for you. Having the right air compressor is important as you learn to maintain and care for your RV tires. Have safe and happy travels my friends!

Which RV Water Filter System Is Best For You?

Some kind of RV water filter system is a necessity for RVers. But especially for those who travel a lot. That’s because the water supply at some campgrounds can leave a lot to be desired. You will find bad tasting and awful smelling water, along with dirty water that has sediment in it. And since we all understand how important it is to have clean water for drinking, bathing and washing, here are a few ways to make sure that your water is safe to use.

Use An RV Cartridge Filter

One of the most popular RV water filter systems in use is an outside cartridge filter. These can be placed somewhere in line with your water hose before it attaches to the RV. It doesn’t really matter much whether it is attached at the water faucet or by the RV water inlet. Just as long as you have it inline before the water from the campground goes into your RV.

The beauty of these kind of RV water filters is that they will treat all of the water that is going into your rig. So whether it is kitchen or bathroom water, it is being filtered before use. All you have to do is take a stroll through almost any campground in the country and you will see these filters in use. They are usually blue in color and easily spotted. And for most people they work very well as they filter down to a 20 micron level. In fact, out of almost 3,000 reviews on Amazon, they have a 4.5 star rating. So a lot of people are happy with what they do.

There are certainly other RV water filter systems that filter water to a higher degree. But for most people this little filter does the job very well. And the cost is affordably low. So this is a good place to start when filtering the water going into your RV. Just click the links below to read the reviews on these filters.

Higher Quality Whole-RV Filter System

Now if you want to take whole-RV water filtration to another level, there are plenty of options. But one of the most cost-effective is to use a higher level carbon filter that filters down to 5 microns or so. Some RVers use this filter instead of the blue ones mentioned above. But some also add in this kind of filtration in addition to the blue filter.

Again, for most people this will be just fine. You can either use this kind of filter on the outside of the RV, or install it permanently inside. Either way, it is simple to use and the filter cost is very reasonable. In fact, they usually last for about 3 months at a time if being used on a regular basis. We use this kind of filter along with the blue filter above and we are happy with the water quality we get. Check out the reviews on this product at the link below.

High Quality Drinking Water Filtration

But when it comes to our drinking water, most of us want to make sure that it is up to very high standards. So although the above-mentioned filters will work very well, I have another suggestion for your drinking water. Of course, there are any number of high-dollar water filtration systems available. These include reverse osmosis, 2,3 and 4 stage filters, and even ultraviolet water filtration. But if you look at the real world reviews of most of these products on Amazon, they are not rated any higher than the ones already covered.

But there is an RV water filter system that will virtually replace all need for bottled water of any kind. And it will be much less expensive in the long run than those high-dollar systems. It’s called the Berkey water filter and many RVers use it for their everyday drinking water. It is a gravity fed unit so you have to refill it manually. But the resulting water is incredibly clean no matter how dirty it may be going into the filter. In fact, the Berkey helps eliminate bacteria, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, viruses, and more.

The Berkey RV water filter is also portable allowing it to be used either at home or in the RV. And since it uses no power to operate, it’s perfect for boondockers. It also is cost-effective as it can filter 6,000 gallons of water before needing a filter replacement. So if you drink two gallons of water a day the filters will last you almost 10 years!

You can find out more about the Berkey RV water filter system by clicking here.

I hope this discussion of RV water filtration has been helpful. Have safe and happy travels my friends!

How To Use An RV Electrical Adapter At Home

If you like to plug in your RV at home before a trip, you have plenty of company. It makes it easy to get some of the appliances, like the refrigerator, going in advance. And if you need the lights or want to power up some devices or the batteries, you can do that too. So this article will help explain how to use an RV electrical adapter at home safely.

Why Is An RV Electrical Adapter Needed At Home?

Most RVs come with either a 30 amp or 50 amp electrical system. And when you go to a campground, they are all set for either one. But sometimes you have to use an electrical adapter to plug in your RV at the campground . This is because you may have a 50 amp RV but the campground only has a 30 amp service available. Or you may have a 30 amp RV and only 50 amp campsites are available. Either way, an electrical adapter is needed in these cases. You can learn more about these kind of RV electrical adapters and check out the user reviews at the links below:

So what happens when you plug in your RV to your electrical service at home? Well, most residential houses do not have a 30 amp or 50 amp service. In fact, most of them will only have either a 15 amp or 20 amp electrical line that you can plug into. So clearly, another adapter is needed to be able to plug the RV in to your electrical service at home safely.

How To Make The Connection

The electrical service at your home is different from that found at a campground. And the electrical plug is not the same either. So clearly, you will need another RV electrical adapter to make the connection at home. Fortunately, adapters for 50 amp to 15 amp services are available. The same is also true for 30 amp to 15 amp electrical adapters. So if you choose to power your RV at home, be sure to have the correct adapter on hand to do so. Of course, if you have a 30 amp or 50 amp RV electrical service installed at home, these will not be needed. You can learn more about the 15 amp electrical adapters that I recommend at these links:

One other point to remember. Don’t forget to use the proper extension cord for your electrical connection if one is needed. The wiring in your extension cord needs to be up to the task of delivering the full amperage to your RV if needed. So don’t just grab a cheap extension cord for this task. It’s best to use an RV extension cord that matches the power draw of your electrical line. This will just make sure to keep things safe while your RV is plugged in. If you are on a 15 amp line, use a 15 amp RV extension cord. If it’s a 30 amp or 50 amp line, use the matching extension cord there as well. You can learn more about the RV extension cords for each amperage at the links below:

Your RV’s Power Usage At Home

One final note needs to be made about plugging your RV in to your home electrical system. That is that you can make the connection safely, but you must monitor and adjust your power usage in the RV. For instance, 50 amp RVs are designed to be able to use 12,000 watts of power simultaneously. That’s why they have 2 air conditioners and all those appliances in them. 30 amp RVs are designed to use 3600 watts of power at the same time. Usually there is only one air conditioner and fewer appliances in those RVs.

Now when you plug in to a 15 amp service at home, you can only use 1800 watts of power simultaneously. This is a big step-down for a 30 amp RV and a huge step-down for a 50 amp RV. So you have to make sure that you are only using enough appliances or devices in your RV that will not overload the 15 amp line. This means that air conditioners are out. And many large wattage appliances are out. So it may be possible to power your refrigerator on electric along with some lights. You may also be able to charge up some of your devices and use small appliances. But if you go beyond this, you will probably be tripping electrical breakers regularly. So make sure you conserve power as much as possible when plugged in to a 15 amp line.

I hope this helps you learn more about how to properly plug your RV in to your home electrical system. Have safe and happy travels my friends!

Correct RV Tire Pressures For Every Rig

There is endless discussion about RV tire pressures in the online RV forums. There are almost as many opinions about it as there are RVers. But what I am going to share with you in this article is what you need to know about tire safety. And safety is a big factor when we talk about RV tires. The bigger the rig, the more important you monitor your tires and use the correct RV tire pressures for your tires.

This subject really is no joke because your RV tires are the only connection you have with the ground. And if you suffer a blowout while driving, it can be a dangerous and scary situation. So lets find out how you can determine the best RV tire pressures for every rig out there.

What Is The Correct Tire Pressures For Your RV?

You will hear a lot of thoughts about what the correct RV tire pressure should be for every rig. Some will say to just go by what is printed on the tire sidewalls. Some say to ignore that and use the tire charts usually found inside the RV. Others have a general idea of what tire pressure they like to use and think it fits everyone else as well. So what is the correct air pressure to use in your RV tires?

The truth is that tire pressure is most accurately determined by the load placed on them. The most correct RV tire pressure is the one where it takes into consideration the weight that is being placed on that individual tire. And you might think that RVs have their weight evenly distributed between the axles, but that is often not the case. And very often the RV owner has used their storage unevenly too. So more weight may be on one side of the RV than on the other. And the only way that you will know that is to weigh the rig and find out.

How To Weigh Your RV

So how do you find out how the weight is distributed in your RV? Many people take the RV to a truck scale like CAT scales found at Love’s truck stops. Or they may use another method that weighs the weight on each axle. This is certainly better than nothing and will give you a good picture of what your axle weights are.

But the most accurate weights for tire pressure are determined by weighing the RV at each tire position separately, instead of just using the overall axle weight. That’s because RVs are not very balanced vehicles to begin with. And then people start putting their cargo in the storage areas without thinking about weight distribution. So the weight on a tire on the left side of one axle can be very different from that on the other side. Only by weighing the rig at each tire position will you know that.

There are two main companies that weigh RVs at each tire position and you usually find them at RV rallies across the country. The two top companies that do this properly are Escapees Smart Weigh and the RV Safety Education Foundation (RVSEF). But Escapees Smart Weigh does have some permanent locations where you can get your RV weighed properly too. Here is a link to those weigh centers.

How To Find The Correct RV Tire Pressures

Once you have the accurate weight that is on each tire, now you can determine the correct tire pressure. To do that, you make use of the tire manufacturer’s tire inflation chart. It will tell you the correct tire pressure for the weight that particular tire is carrying. These charts can be easily found online by just Googling the the tire manufacturer and model of tire on your RV.

The general rule of thumb is to use the tire pressure for the tire with the most weight on that axle. In other words, one tire on the axle may have 3000 pounds on it and the other may only have 2000 pounds on it. So use the tire pressure for the tire that has 3000 pounds of weight on it for both tires on that axle.

What To Do If You Haven’t Been Weighed Yet

So now you know how to establish the correct RV tire pressures for your rig. But what do you do before you get weighed properly? The fail safe approach to tire pressure in this case is to run the tires at their maximum cold air pressure. This figure will be listed on the tire sidewall.

If the tires on your rig are the size and rating that your RV manufacturer recommends, this is a safe tire pressure. This maximum cold pressure for the tire is appropriate for the maximum weight that the tire could safely carry. As long as you are within the safe load limits of your RV, the maximum tire air pressure will be fine. The ride may be a little stiff, but it will be safe.

This is because the main enemy of RV tires is heat. And under-inflation is what causes heat to build up in the tire. If you are a little over-inflated for the weight, that should not present much of a safety issue. Also, keep in mind that the maximum tire pressure is cold pressure. This is before the RV has been driven anywhere. As you go, the tire pressure will exceed the cold pressure limit as the tire warms up. And that is fine. The tire manufacturer has built the tire to be able to safely do that.

But be sure to get your RV weighed properly as soon as possible. Then use the tire manufacturer’s tire pressure guidelines for the weight on each RV tire. That is the best and most accurate tire pressure for any RV rig. I hope this primer on determining the correct RV tire pressure for your rig has been helpful. As always, have safe and happy travels my friends!