Being able to do laundry on the road in your RV can be a game-changer, especially for full-timers (like we were for more than 20 years). But many rigs don’t have the room to accommodate a two-unit washer/dryer setup. One alternative is a washer-dryer combo for an RV, and that’s our focus in this post.
We’re examining the load capacity of combo units, as well as their washing/drying capabilities. We’ll also explore the pros and cons of having a combo unit and the type of RV that may be best suited to a combo laundry system. The 43′ 2005 Newmar Mountain Aire we used to travel in allowed us sufficient room for an apartment-size washing machine and separate dryer. However, we had an RV washer-dryer combo in the rig we had before the Newmar, so we’ll also weigh in briefly with our thoughts based on our own experience.
Lots to cover, so let’s get to it!
What Is an RV Washer-Dryer Combo?
An RV washer-dryer combo is a combination of a washing machine and dryer, all in one. It’s a compact unit that combines the washer and dryer into a single drum, allowing it to serve as a combination unit. So, you wash your clothes and then use the same machine to dry your clothes.
How Do RV Washer-Dryer Combos Work?
A single-drum washer-dryer combination utilizes the same drum for both washing and drying. These typically feature automatic cycle changes and operate on 120V power, as opposed to 220V, like most household machines. They clean and dry your clothes in a similar fashion to a regular washer and dryer, but they’re designed as a single compact unit for use in smaller spaces (like RVs). And, while these units do take up less space, they also require more time (more on this in a bit).
Combo RV washer-dryer units may be vented or non-vented. A vented dryer is what you’re likely used to in your sticks & bricks home: warm, moist air from the drying process is blown outside through an exterior vent. This is a more efficient alternative to the non-vented option.
A non-vented dryer has a condenser that uses both the warm outside air and cool air inside the dryer drum. The resulting condensation effect is what pulls the water from the laundry. This water is then typically pumped through to the RV grey water tank via the drain.
Portable washer/dryer units are typically non-vented, while stackable units are typically vented. Washer-dryer combos for RVs can be either. Vented units work better. However, ventless units have more installation options because you don’t need a route for an exhaust pipe through the outside wall.
Pros and Cons of Washer-Dryer Combos for RVs
There are benefits as well as drawbacks to washer-dryer combos. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of these compact laundry units.
Pros
- No more need to go to laundromats (although you may choose to for large amounts of laundry).
- They combine one unit for both washing & drying so they take up half the space.
- A combo unit can be a great way to do small loads while out on the road.
- You can put a load of dirty clothes in and remove a load of clean, dry clothes once the cycle is completed.
- You don’t have to leave the RV to do laundry, allowing you to multi-task around the rig or campground.
Cons
- Combo units tend to have small drums and comparatively small wash capacity. These units can’t handle larger loads of laundry.
- The compact washer/dryer size tends to result in wrinkled clothes.
- The units are heavy and take up space in a small RV.
- You can’t generally use these while boondocking because they’ll use up too much water and power. (However, this issue is true for separate washer & dryer installations as well.)
- While a front-loading washing machine can be fairly well stuffed and still get clothes clean, with a combo washer/dryer you really have to remove about half the load for it to dry in a reasonable time frame. This means that one washer load equals two dryer loads. This is why many people choose to use a drying rack or mini clothesline, allowing half the load to be air-dried while the other half is run through the dryer.
- The most common complaints about these combo units are that they don’t clean or dry well or fast, and the clothes come out of the drying cycle very wrinkled. These complaints vary from machine to machine (and owner to owner, since not everyone’s expectations are the same).
- Clothes drying laundry rack for energy savings and gentle air drying so clothes last longer; for indoor use
- Durable, lightweight steel with a Chrome finish that protects against rust and mildew
- EASY TO INSTALL – Retractable clothesline installs in minutes. All hardware included for laundry room, balcony, or RV.
- SPACE SAVING – One-touch retractable clothesline keeps small spaces tidy. Perfect for apartments, bathrooms, and RVs.
Examples of RV Combo Washer-Dryer Units
There are several washer-dryer combo units available on the market that are suitable for RVs. You want to look for the most energy-efficient machine you can find. As always, read reviews thoroughly, because some perform better than others in terms of cleaning and drying clothes. And, again, when you’re shopping for a washer-dryer combo for an RV, you’ll want to keep in mind the need for a machine that uses 120V power and not 220V.
There are a couple of different types of washer-dryer combos available, including vented, non-vented, and portable. Let’s take a brief look at a few of the main players in this category:
Equator Version 2 Pro 24″ Compact Combo Washer Dryer
This unit is a 110V front-loading 1200 RPM washer-dryer combo with dimensions of 22″ D x 23.5″ W x 33.5″ H<. It features an LED color display and convertible venting, allowing it to function as either a vented or ventless unit. It has a 13-pound load capacity, comes in a variety of colors, and weighs 161 pounds. [amazon box="B07NYB3GB1"]
KoolMore 2-in-1 Front Load Washer and Dryer Combo
This is a 2.7 cu ft electric (120V) front-load washer-dryer combo. It offers 16 wash cycles and 4 dry cycles, including a “fast” 20-minute wash cycle. It features an LED display and a maximum spin speed of 1300 RPM. KoolMore’s combo washer-dryer has dimensions of 23.1″ D x 23.4″ W x 33.5″ H and it weighs 171.6 pounds.
![KoolMore 2-in-1 Front Load Washer and Dryer Combo, 2.7 Cu. Ft., for Apartment, Dorm, RV, 16 Wash and 4 Dry Cycles, Compact Space Saver [White] [120V] (FLC-3CWH)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41A3cO60MhL._SL160_.jpg)
- Electric All-in-One Washer Dryer Combo – This front loader washer and dryer lets you add in dirty laundry to get it washed up and dried without...
- Adjustable Wash and Dry Cycles – Along with a fast 20-minute wash cycle there are 16 individual washing cycles and 4 drying cycles to better support...
Splendide 2000S 120V Washer Dryer
Splendide’s 2000S is a vented front-loading washer-dryer with a 15-pound load capacity, an 11-pound dry capacity, and an 8-gallon water capacity. It has 10 wash cycle options and three timed dry cycles. This unit has dimensions of 23.5 x 23.5 x 33.2 inches and vents out the back.
- Item Package Dimension: 33.2L x 23.5W x 23.5H inches
- Item Package Weight - 155.0 Pounds
COMFEE’ 24″ Washer and Dryer Combo
This is a 2.7 cu ft combo unit offering 26 pounds of washing capacity and 15 pounds of drying capacity, a “Washing Machine Steam Care” cycle, and an overnight wash & dry feature. It can be programmed for 16 different cycles. This is a vented 120V unit that weighs 161 pounds and measures 25.2 x 23.4 x 33.5 inches.
- 【Wash and Dry in One】COMFEE's all-in-1 Ventless Washer and Dryer Combo has multi modes to meet different washing demands - steam care, overnight...
- 【Reduces Wrinkles and Odor】 COMFEE' 2.7 Cu.ft washer and dryer combo is equipped with steam care, which significantly cares about your health. The...
The other type of washer-dryer combo for RVs is a portable washer-spin dryer. These use a spin system to essentially remove some of the water from the clothes, rather than thoroughly drying them. This type of laundry unit is significantly lighter in weight and far less expensive than the traditional washer-dryer combo units noted above. But there’s also a trade-off in performance, of course.
Let’s take a quick look at one of these washer/spin dryer units:
Giantex Portable Mini Compact Twin Tub Washing Machine
This is a top-loading portable washer and dryer, though the “dryer” section is actually a simple spin dryer. It weighs only 28 pounds and measures 24.8″ W x 15″ D x 28.5″ H. To use this type of unit, you’d place your laundry in the washing section (rated capacity 11 pounds). After washing and running the rinse cycle, you’d run the “spinner dryer”. It has only half the capacity of the washer, so you’d spin one half of the laundry, and then spin the other half.
Clearly, this type of unit is for very small loads, but for a solo traveler, it might be just what’s needed. After you spin dry, you can use a drying rack or a portable clothesline, like those we posted above, to finish drying the laundry.
- 【Easy to Operate】: This is our portable mini compact twin tub washing machine which is easy for you to operate. Saving so much time that you don't...
- 【20LBS Large Capacity】: Washing tub: place clothing in the wash tub section, rated washing capacity: 12 lbs. Run the rinse cycle for the desired...
Our Experience Using an RV Washer-Dryer Combo
As we noted at the beginning of this post, we had a combo washer-dryer in our first RV — a Splendide. While it was better than not having a washer/dryer at all, it did have some drawbacks. It certainly didn’t wash and dry as well as the separate washer & dryer configuration we later had in the Mountain Aire.
The machine wasn’t very deep, resulting in a very small capacity. It also tended to leave our laundry pretty wrinkled, even when we split one wash load in half to dry it in two loads. We found ourselves using a laundromat quite often, but we still appreciated having it on board for keeping up with small wash loads. And even a little combo unit could handle our washable rugs!
Once we bought our second rig, a 43′ Newmar diesel pusher, we had the luxury of plenty of space to accommodate a separate washer & dryer. However, if we hadn’t had sufficient space, we would probably have considered an alternative to going to a laundromat, such as these combo units, for example.
Our friends Nikki and Jason Wynn had a Splendide washer-dryer combo on their Fleetwood Excursion. If you’d like to see their Splendide in action, spend a couple of minutes with Nikki and she’ll show you around!
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Jay
Wednesday 3rd of September 2025
It appears that the answer to the question in this excellent article about whether the combination washer/dryers are any good is, essentially, no or, perhaps, better than nothing.
Because of their size and weight, you really need these to be factory-installed. However, we added a 120V, residentual, Sears-Westinghouse, stacked W/D in our first MH,a 1986 Fleetwood Southwind. That washer was a top-loader. These dryers are all limited by being 120V and up to 1600 watts and both the W/D tend to have very long washing cycles compared to home units. Long cycles contribute to clothing damage. Using your dryer with 2 roof-airs while cooking with your microwave oven can challenge your circuit breakers!
Our current MH has separate, stacked, Splendide W/D and they're centered across the rear of the MH, thereby sacrificing closet space. The dryer drum is larger than the front-loading washer drum. The washer seems to be water-efficient, using about 10 gallons, if that. The dryer performed terribly until we discovered that the standard dryer vent, located way above the engine, was painted shut by the manufacturer! After we remedied that, it has performed remarkably well. Wrinkling can be mostly avoided by not totally drying the clothes, but some items might still need to be ironed using a small, portable ironing board. Since then, the manufacturer has switched to using a brand we never heard of.
Our prior coach had a stacked Majestic brand W/D factory-installed on the passenger side. The dryer's drum was relatively small and about the same size as the washer's drum. The dryer, which didn't have a lint filter at all, dried clothes by heating the drum and blowing air through it. Everything came out hot and wrinkled. The dryer's drive belt broke but we were able to get the dryer out of its cabinet and onto the bed to replace the belt. Getting the dryer back and reattaching its exhaust hose was a real chore. It was in the Majestic dryer that some coins somehow get inside the dryer's drum mechanism and thereafter they noisily bounced around whenever we used it. Therefore, one needs to be especially diligent about checking pockets before laundering!
As mentioned in the article, W/Ds in an RV are luxury items that are almost all factory-installed and therefore the buyer will rarely have an opportunity to decide on models or features. They are difficult to service (servicing residential refrigerators in RVs is probably worse). Unless you are full-timimg, they're not cost-effective compared to using the commercial ones in most full-service campgrounds, just more convenient. We have limited our on-board clothing to 4-5 days worth because that's all that the W/D can effectively handle even with separate washes for colored and white items. Washing bedding items really puts the W/D at its limits. Bulky items like bed spreads and comforters will need to be washed at home or commercially.
Alan Resnicke
Friday 23rd of September 2022
We're full-timers in a Newmar Bay Star 3414 (35') gasser. No washer or dryer, even as an option. Wife hates laundromats and requested "something," so she did the research and we bought a Splendide. We weren't using the dining table & chairs, so we removed them to make space for the combo unit (which we plumbed to its own external fill and drain hoses through the back wall of the slideout and vented thru the driver's side wall). Wife also built me a desk/work station over it. Much more useful to us. Newmar confirmed the living room slide it's on will take the additional weight with no issue. Wife shakes out drying clothes mid-cycle to prevent wrinkles. Had it for four years now with almost no issues (dryer vent clogged once and made things a little exciting, but clearing that path is now on my maintenance checklist). We'd certainly do it again if needed.
TheRVgeeks
Saturday 24th of September 2022
Wow... great way to personalize your RV, Alan! Sounds like it's working great for you!
LadyCash
Tuesday 6th of September 2022
We bought LG Energy Star compact stackable washer (fits in closet made for washer/dry in our 5th wheel) and opted for line drying. Our clothes are clean and no wrinkles. The savings not going to laundromat more than pays for the washer. We have had the pleasure of using a 120v dryer at a workamp gig. IMO, it takes 2-3 times longer than standard house or commercial dryer. After reading many reviews on combos and seeing the price tag, was our reason for not getting one initially. I recommend doing research and getting what works best for you and your situation.
TheRVgeeks
Tuesday 6th of September 2022
Sounds like a perfect setup!
John
Monday 5th of September 2022
We have the Splendide wash/dry combo in our DP and we really like it. It's small but dries clothes really well. I was very surprised at how hot it gets for a 120v dryer. We aren't full timers so our loads are usually small, still I was impressed the first time I used it.
John S.
Sunday 4th of September 2022
I know a couple that went from no washer in their RV to a combo unit. They confirmed your comments of small loads and they still used laundromats a lot.
They have a Class A coach but decided storage room was more important than a larger & faster separate washer/dryer. After five months of the combo unit they were reevaluating that decision.
Note: Their coach was pre-wired and pre-plumbed for a combo unit. To put in the big dryer they need a vent to outside which also played into the decision making.
Did you put in a dryer vent for your dryer?
TheRVgeeks
Sunday 4th of September 2022
No surprise about their rethinking their decision. As full-timers, we value space as well. But not enough to give up our awesome washer/dryer pair. We didn't need to add a dryer vent. It came with one from the factory.