How I Added a Laundry to My Camper and You Can Too!! PLUS MORE HIDDEN STORAGE!

Eight weeks on the road is going to be a lot nicer! We now have a wonderful laundry! If you can find 18"x18"x35" you can have a wonderful laundry room too!! Here's how I did it.

 Remember, out camper is smaller than our truck.

First I bought a

Washing Machine 

Then I found a place to put it -
The existing wardrobe and shelf were just the right fit.



Before I get into the nitty gritty on how I remodeled the closet into a laundry, I want to show you the cute little dryer I got to go with it! Unfortunately, it won't fit in the same space, it's a bit too wide. We really only bring it when we go to an area that is difficult to dry clothes outside. (think Louisiana, Oregon, Coastal SC, etc)

It does a good job - it plugs into a regular electric outlet.

First I removed the door and shelf

There was a "2x4" area across the back that I thought was structural, but when I took the decorative molding off, it was just some wires

 - so I covered them with a wire protector. They will not be in the way of the washer.

The camper bathroom is right on the other side of this wall. This makes it simple to route the water & drain lines to the washer. I wanted to see what was in the wall before I drilled through it. 

Turns out that it has a vent pipe running up it, which makes it 3 1/2" thick! That's wonderful! I have plans for this space!

I moved the wardrobe door to the top of the doorway. This area will become our new closet.

Next I built a panel that exactly fit into the doorway.



I attached molding across the top and bottom that is screwed to the wardrobe with 4 easily accessible screws. This way if I need to get the washer out for any reason, I can quickly remove the panel.

The Propane/Carbon Monoxide Detector is located in the front panel of this area.

There is 3/4" inch within the frame of the front wall, so if I box it out a bit with a frame, the detector won't extend into the 'laundry'.  This is important because the washer just fits exactly and I didn't want to put pressure on the detector or the washer.

First I removed the existing front panel and made a new panel with a hole a little larger than the alarm. This panel will fit across the front of the frame, which gives me the 3/4" clearance I need.

I then cut the frame pieces with a channel that slips over the face of the panel

First the two on top & bottom

Then slip in the two side pieces.

Put the alarm in, and screw it down.  I moved the sides in tight. I could have cut the top/bottom pieces to be flush, but the saw is a long way from the camper lol, besides I think it makes it look like lincoln logs.

You can see that the alarm is protected front and back.

Mounted it to the front of the "Laundry Room"

Next I drilled through the bathroom wall for the water and drain hoses. When the washer is not in use, they will not be hanging out :)

Looks great!

But what about the inside? where will the clothes go? 

Our new wardrobe!! Much nicer, actually - we don't have to bend down to see what's in there. It even has a light now! 

The wardrobe 'floor' is a sturdy removable shelf that lifts out when we want to use the washer.

 We gained great storage with the 3 1/2" wall. I added about 5 feet of 4 1/2" shelving!! Right now I mostly have empty boxes & bottles on there to see what will fit

- oh and the laundry soap and clothespins!!

Two shelves were specially sized for paperback books.  Each shelf has an eye on one end and a hook on the other. A 10" bungee cord holds everything securely. 

Usually you can get things in and out without releasing the cord, but if you have to release it, the cuphook as the front hook makes it easy to attach it back.

The shelving is simple. 

First attach the brackets, then nail the shelf on top.

 A brad nailer makes the job quick and easy!

This is the one i have and I love it!!

Can't wait to go camping!!!

Coming soon, a post on how we moved the TV and hung it with invisible reinforcement.
UPDATE - TUTORIAL HERE - HANG A HEAVY ITEM WITH INVISIBLE STRENGTH