Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 

Go Back   Montana Owners Club - Keystone Montana 5th Wheel Forum > MOC Technical Forums > Additions & Improvements
Click Here to Login

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 09-29-2020, 06:18 PM   #1
Mikendebbie
Montana Master
 
Mikendebbie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Austin
Posts: 2,390
M.O.C. #21044
Combo Splendide installation in 3921FB ?

Looking at getting a vented combo splendide washer/dryer. I have been researching the install procedure and have not found anything for my unit.
As you can see in the screen shot below from the Montana website (not pic of my unit) the washer hookups are in the corner cupboard. The water/drain/electric connections are in the upper cabinet, as well as the decal on the wall "cut here for dryer vent".

Can I/should I install the combo unit in the upper section of the cupboard? I don't think the shelf has a label on it for "250 lbs capacity". I would feel better about installing it on the bottom section with a pan - but that means I have to cut thru the divider shelf and poke the hoses and dryer exhaust up thru the shelf to get to the connections. These cuts would probably impact the integrity of the shelf. The hoses might be ok (smaller cut along the backside of the shelf) - but I do not want my dryer vent going vertical thru the shelf then turning left to exhaust...not good. I suppose I could find the studs in the lower section and cut a dryer vent hole down there (I have not started looking at it yet).

The second screen shot shows where I would try to put the vent holes for either the upper installation or the lower installation. I have not yet measured or looked for studs at either of those locations - but it seems like the vent hole should line up like this to eliminate multiple turns in the vent hose.

Looking for advice and/or war stories from someone who has done this type of installation before. TIA.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	2020-09-29_18-36-01.png
Views:	73
Size:	639.3 KB
ID:	7413   Click image for larger version

Name:	y2020-09-29_19-02-57.jpg
Views:	57
Size:	131.8 KB
ID:	7414  
 
__________________
MikenDebbie Aggie ‘77 in the sticks near Austin TX
2019 Chevy 3500 High Country DRW
2018 Montana 3921FB
Aussie Gus + Texas Heeler Jimmy
Mikendebbie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2020, 06:34 PM   #2
sourdough
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Lamesa
Posts: 621
M.O.C. #26010
I haven't been in that trailer, but I have been in hundreds of others and IMO there is NO way I would ever think about putting a w/d combo on that shelf. The shelf won't support it, the walls won't support it. If you got it in you would find it falling out the door or on the floor after the first trip or so (ask my friend in his Big Horn). Something that heavy, that jerks and moves that much needs to be on the floor....and it still shakes.

As far as the shelf, this one came with a shelf as well. I had the stackable units installed and you really can't even tell there was ever a shelf there - but they are stackable and I didn't want the shelf.
__________________
Danny and Susan wife of 55 years
2019 Ram Laramie 3500 6.4 4x4 CC 4.10 SRW
2020 Montana High Country 331RL
sourdough is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2020, 09:49 PM   #3
Montana Man
Montana Master
 
Montana Man's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Carson City
Posts: 2,017
M.O.C. #21963
First, good job on the photos with drawings. Personally, I would mount the unit on the bottom. Mine had a base to set a unit on but even then it needed reinforcement. If your plumbing connections are above the washer then lucky you. You will have access to the valves. I wouldn't trust the "cut here" sticker, a stud finder is your friend. Then, vent straight out or slightly lower than the outlet on the unit. After installation, I would build a removable shelf above the unit and call it done. Let us know how it ends.
__________________
2016 3160, Legacy, Sailuns, Splendide 2100 xc vented, 1 1/2" axle lift blocks, disk brakes. 2014 Ram 3500 SRW SWB 4X4 6.7 Aisin Mega Cab, EBC slotted disks and brakes, Titan fuel tank.
Montana Man is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-30-2020, 09:29 AM   #4
1retired06
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Lake Gaston
Posts: 8,773
M.O.C. #12156
I installed the combo in both our 3655 and our 3910. Not a difficult job, does require some muscle. Agree, install must be on the floor not a shelf. Do not trust the decal for the vent, it was way off on the 3910. Mark a spot that is the most direct shot from the back of the unit to the wall, and then make sure that spot is clear of electrical, wall studs. Biggest headache I had was getting the unit over the lip across the cabinet floor entrance, ended up with a ramp setup. It was tight, I had to get 90 degree elbows in order to get to the water hookups, and vent hose was a PITA as I wanted it as short as possible. We got the combo in by putting two come-along straps underneath the unit and sliding it over the ramp and into the pan and two thirds of the way in, doing the vent hookup. I removed the shelf for the install, and replaced it with 1/2 plywood stained to match, and cut it into two pieces, which allows me to lift the back piece off and have easy access the back of the combo if necessary. To ensure I did not screw up the 4 inch wall cut, I first checked with my studfinder, marked the hole, using my smallest bit drilled holes at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 locations plus the center. I also started the cut on the inside, and when my holesaw penetrated the outerwall, finished the cut from the outside in. Did have to remove the stair rail to get the unit up the steps.
__________________
Mike and Lorraine
2002 3655 FL, 2005 3650RK
2010 3665RE, 2015 3910FB
F350 crew cab dually 6.7
1retired06 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-12-2022, 01:11 PM   #5
jpjoiner
New Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2022
Location: Granbury
Posts: 5
M.O.C. #31162
Combo W/D in 2021 3931FB

This is a great primer for me here. Good description with screenshots and markups. I'm curious how your install turned out ultimately. Could you share some "after" pics?
jpjoiner is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-12-2022, 06:37 PM   #6
Mikendebbie
Montana Master
 
Mikendebbie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Austin
Posts: 2,390
M.O.C. #21044
Based on info gained from reading this forum - we purchased separate units in June 2021 and the dryer is vented. I bought a black exterior vent for the dryer. Ultimately -I wussed out because I was having a “back” episode at the time and I paid a local RV service company to do the install July 2021. I bought all the pieces and parts and gave it to them. The dryer is on the shelf above the washer on the floor. For reasons I don’t know - they did not install the pan under the washer. I did not discover this until days before we were leaving for a 2 week trip Oct 1, so I just blew it off. We had not tested the units at home when we got the RV back and I did not noticed the missing pan. It was still in the box and they had layed it under the table. I did not discuss the pan with them - I just assumed it was part of the full install. I have the pan in my garage. I will install the pan one of these days.

DW absolutely loves the washer and dryer. They work great. I think she ran loads while we watched TV in the evening.
The RV is closed up out back of the house currently. Next time I open it up I will take some pics and post.
__________________
MikenDebbie Aggie ‘77 in the sticks near Austin TX
2019 Chevy 3500 High Country DRW
2018 Montana 3921FB
Aussie Gus + Texas Heeler Jimmy
Mikendebbie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-12-2022, 07:08 PM   #7
jpjoiner
New Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2022
Location: Granbury
Posts: 5
M.O.C. #31162
Awesome thanks Mike. We are selling our previous 5th wheel now, 2014 Columbus), with a vented combo unit we installed in 2016. Has and still does work fantastic. After reading some forums and watching a few tube videos I realize now the dealer didn't do the best job installing but didn't seem to make much difference. They also didn't put a drip pan and the dryer vent is higher, ~12", than the outlet on the machine. Pretty sure it was just easier for them. I know now. I'll be attempting to get some kind of drawing from Keystone to make sure I'm drilling in the right place and will move forward in teh next week or two with install. All seems straight forward.
I am curious about routing the drip pan drain.
Any ideas there??
jpjoiner is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-12-2022, 08:10 PM   #8
Mikendebbie
Montana Master
 
Mikendebbie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Austin
Posts: 2,390
M.O.C. #21044
Jpjoiner - you will not get that information from keystone. They will tell you to “go thru your dealer”.

Based on reading lots of posts and watching some YouTube videos - some use a stud finder and some have used a tiny drill bit to do some exploring to locate studs. I would have done the drill bit method…don’t own a stud finder presently.

I had a 2011 Jayco (stick and tin) travel trailer I bought used in 2014. I was thinking about moving the TV mount to a different wall. I called Jayco and asked if they had stud layouts for that wall. They emailed me complete framing drawings for all four exterior walls and the interior walls. Now that they are in the Thor family - no idea if they still offer that service. Alpenlite was equally accommodating with my ‘93 fifth wheel.
__________________
MikenDebbie Aggie ‘77 in the sticks near Austin TX
2019 Chevy 3500 High Country DRW
2018 Montana 3921FB
Aussie Gus + Texas Heeler Jimmy
Mikendebbie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-12-2022, 09:00 PM   #9
Carl n Susan
Site Team
 
Carl n Susan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Carmichael - CA
Posts: 7,323
M.O.C. #4831
Wait for a damp, dewy morning and the studs will be obvious from the outside. That is the time to figure out where the hole should be.
__________________
Carl (n Susan)
There is more to life than fuel mileage.
2012 Montana 3700RL Big Sky Package towed by a 2015 Ford F350 6.7L PSD 4WD CC LWB

Carl n Susan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-16-2022, 05:21 AM   #10
jpjoiner
New Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2022
Location: Granbury
Posts: 5
M.O.C. #31162
Thanks for the reply guys. I'll update once I have the unit installed. Safe travels to all.
jpjoiner is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-23-2022, 07:55 PM   #11
jpjoiner
New Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2022
Location: Granbury
Posts: 5
M.O.C. #31162
Allrighty then.

Carl n Susan, unfortunately I'm in far West Texas so i't be too old if I waited for that cool damp morning so believe I'm going to try the stud finder method. Good excuse for a new one right about now.

Also, MikenDebbie, you're right about not getting anything for Keystone. Said they don't have anything they can share. Guy was nice enough just not very helpful. New WD will be here Tuesday so I'll try to do some documentation and share any learnings for others. Lots of tube videos on this so sure doesn't seem that difficult. Till then.
jpjoiner is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-24-2022, 06:48 AM   #12
Mikendebbie
Montana Master
 
Mikendebbie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Austin
Posts: 2,390
M.O.C. #21044
Carl n Susan, unfortunately I'm in far West Texas so i't be too old if I waited for that cool damp morning so believe I'm going to try the stud finder method. Good excuse for a new one right about now.

Just to followup on Carl's point - here is a pic of what the stud locations look like on a cool-damp-dewey morning...
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	2022-06-24_7-47-37.jpg
Views:	12
Size:	52.0 KB
ID:	12284  
__________________
MikenDebbie Aggie ‘77 in the sticks near Austin TX
2019 Chevy 3500 High Country DRW
2018 Montana 3921FB
Aussie Gus + Texas Heeler Jimmy
Mikendebbie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-24-2022, 07:02 AM   #13
DutchmenSport
Montana Master
 
DutchmenSport's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Anderson
Posts: 2,544
M.O.C. #22835
In April 2021 we had installed a stackable Splendid washer and dryer. I knew the units were very heavy and the space allocated in my Montana was not desirable, especially since the closet shelf collapsed 3 times. And then I finally rebuilt the interior and reinforced everything. So I knew the cabinet would NEVER support 2 machines like this.

My washer/dryer space is located in the rear bed room. One set of doors in this cabinet face the bedroom. The other side opens into the bathroom, so you can access the cabinet from both directions. This made install a bit easier.

The thing I was most worried about was the water heater. It sits on the floor, flimsy rails stapled into the Styrofoam support the shelves above that. The thought of everything collapsing on the water heater was unthinkable.

So, before the install, I did some prep work.

Here's a "before" photo of the cabinet.



The first thing I did was remove the shelves.





Then I built supports from the bottom up. I do not have photos of that completed work, so to give you an idea, I added lines in these photos where I added the supports. I first measured very carefully and I made sure each piece fit very, very tight. I wanted really good support. I left the original cheezy stapled rails on the walls. I did not remove them. I ran parallel (new) supports under the cheezy supports and then wedged uprights under them from the bottom (floor). I then used a ton of liquid nails to hold them place and then screwed a couple screws into each piece to help hold it in place so the Liquid Nails would set up. Between the Liquid Nails and the screws, those new supports will NEVER come out or fail.

After the bottom shelf was supported, I laid 3/4 inch plywood on top of the original cheezy supports. It was cut tight to fit, and it was a challenge getting it in. This was the new base floor. Then I built the second tier the same way. I left all the original cheezy supports on the walls, so if we ever sold the camper, I could simply remove the washer and dryer and replace the original middle shelves, between the 2 main ones.

Here's some photos of what I did. I had to draw the lines to indicate where I added the supports, since I didn't get photos of that:







The end result was a success. Thousands of miles bouncing over the roads and absolutely no issues with the shelves.



We did end up keeping the doors off the cabinet on the bedroom side. The washing machine and dryer doors opens left. Then the cabinet doors were in place, neither door opened wide enough to use comfortably. We kept the door and they are stored away in our garage at home. Again, if we ever sell the camper, I'll put them back on.

Yes, this took a lot of work. It took me about 3 days to do all the fitting, cutting, measuring, re-measuring, and cutting new pieces because I miss measured and they ended up too short or did not fit tight enough for what I wanted. Then I took the time and painted all the visible supports a brown color to match the rest of the trailer trim, and of course I sealed the 3/4 inch plywood with water sealer treatment before installing (there were 2 of these for each main shelf.

Yes, it took work, it took time, and my red DNA is imbedded in those walls forever, But the end result was worth it. So, yes, you can use the upper shelf .... if you take the time and effort to do it right!
__________________
Who you are right now is a sum total off all you use to be.
2019 Montana High Country 375FL
2014 Chevy Silverado Duramax, 6.6L Dually
DutchmenSport is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-24-2022, 07:11 AM   #14
DutchmenSport
Montana Master
 
DutchmenSport's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Anderson
Posts: 2,544
M.O.C. #22835
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mikendebbie View Post
Just to followup on Carl's point - here is a pic of what the stud locations look like on a cool-damp-dewey morning...


I'm glad to see mine is not the only one that does that!

__________________
Who you are right now is a sum total off all you use to be.
2019 Montana High Country 375FL
2014 Chevy Silverado Duramax, 6.6L Dually
DutchmenSport is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-25-2022, 06:45 AM   #15
jpjoiner
New Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2022
Location: Granbury
Posts: 5
M.O.C. #31162
Wow DutchmenSport great looking project.
Appreciate the detail too.
Considering your support/strengthening methods for my Montana shelves.
Just need to add a little heft to hold up a few more doodads and whatnots.
Safe travels.
jpjoiner is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Montana RV, Keystone RV Company or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 10:36 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.