Although the motorhoming lifestyle is great and it feels like you are on a permanent holiday some of the boring and mundane chores of life still need to be done. Washing is one that can take a lot of time and money if you use a Laundromat or caravan park laundries every week so here are a few options.

Space is the biggest hurdle in having a washing machine so for the smaller motorhome or campervan a machine is usually not an option. In our bus we made room for a twin tub. As there were four of us travelling I made it a priority to make the space and fit one. It was a second hand one that cost us a case of beer but was not working when we got it. The mechanics of such a beast are very simple so it was easy to fix. The $25.00 was the best investment we made in the building of the bus. Old twin tubs use very little water and even less power so both were easy to overcome. As we had an invertor we did not need to worry about the power side of things.

In the photo you can see the waching machine in the corner which is easily accessed when the moke is out. When the moke is stored you can still access it with long arms

Machines can also be fitted permanently - that is connected to power, water and waste - in a bathroom or in a bin with easy access to the outside. Another option I have seen in a bus is to have the machine under a bench in the kitchen. A bench that has a return out into the middle of the bus creates a dead space at the apex and therefore a good space for a machine.

For those who can afford the room and the power for a new water efficient front loading machine be careful and aware of the time it takes to do a load. We have met a few people who are disappointed with this arrangement as the cycle takes so long and draws so much power. A 600 watt draw on your batteries (for a cold wash) is not much but when that is constant for 90-120 that minutes that is 50 amps and hour or up to 100 amps per cycle. Make sure that if you are planning to run it from your battery bank you choose a machine that has a cold wash option as the power draw from heating of the water will be too great for even many of the larger invertors.

If a machine is out of the question then the other alternatives include hand washing in many different receptacles with the spinning done by hand or old fashioned mangle or wringer. The wringer mounted on the tow bar is a good option although one motorhome I have seen has the wringer under the kitchen sink which slides out upside down then flips up to be over the sink. Washing buckets are available that have a plunger arrangement attached which can be plunged up and down by hand to agitate the clothes.

Other small machines are available where a barrel type receptacle can be either hand agitated or run off power to be electrically agitated. Spinning or wringing still needs to be done by hand though.

Another option is to use the natural motion of the vehicle movement and put the clothes, soap and water in the bottom of the shower or a bucket and allow it to slosh around whilst driving. By the time you arrive at your destination clothes are clean and ready to rinse.

Drying is then another issue. It is often frowned upon to be hanging the washing out all over the place in a free camp and can attract unwanted rangers or others who want to move you on. If in an appropriate place, under the awning is a good alternative. Our bus was an old one that still had the overhead hand rails in it when we bought it. We left one of them in for the purpose of drying the washing. It worked very well when driving, as we had somewhere to hang the wet clothes – they were usually dry by the time we arrived at our destination.

Bull bars can be a great washing line. They also make a great mounting point for a string or rope line

If you want to get technical you can make a cupboard over the fridge. The hot air rising from the fridge is wasted out the vent unless redirected over the washing hanging in the cupboard. A great idea if you have the room.

There are many drying racks available though from the mini hills hoist variety that you put up and down, to the racks you can put out on the bull bar or the more permanent racks that fit to the outside of the van and slide out. The best place to see all the options is a camping, caravanning or motorhome show which usually has all the options for sale.

Washing is a chore but there are many options out there depending on space, budget and how many you need to cater for. If you have a family and want to travel on a long term basis I suggest you consider this aspect seriously.

As for ironing, remember you are either on holidays or having a change of lifestyle. The usual dress is shorts and t-shirt. You will learn that if it needs ironing you don’t need it. Some will find this a foreign concept – try it – you will learn that there is more to life – enjoy it.