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Old 11-09-2011, 06:30 PM   #1
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Central vac or not

Fellow travelers, my wife and I have been trying to decide on whether to go with a central vacuum system, mounted under the deck, or to just use an upright, or canister type. The cost really isn't that much different but I just wanted to get all of your ideas on what you use.

Thanks
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Old 11-09-2011, 06:56 PM   #2
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We looked at a 5er with central vac and decided it wasn't worth the money .
we also had a hand held vac that we bought for camper and never used it . we just swept everything up .
just my opinion .
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Old 11-09-2011, 07:00 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by f1100turbo View Post
We looked at a 5er with central vac and decided it wasn't worth the money .
we also had a hand held vac that we bought for camper and never used it . we just swept everything up .
just my opinion .


Same here. We have the minimum carpet option so not much to vacuum except bedroom. We can use the shop vac when home. Certainly wouldn't be a deal breaker for me.
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Old 11-09-2011, 07:18 PM   #4
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We have always traveled with a very small but powerful shopvac. We keep it under the bed. I think the hose for the central vac would be larger than the whole vacuum and would not be portable. I used ours last summer to clean up a large sticky spill in the car's carpet, using it as a wet vacuum. I could not have done such an excellent clean up with anything else I know of.
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Old 11-09-2011, 07:19 PM   #5
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I have one of these (which, BTW, cost $80 at costco). It is great and takes up very little space.

Electrolux EL1030A Cordless 2-in-1 Stick and Hand Vac Electrolux EL1030A Cordless 2-in-1 Stick and Hand Vac
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Old 11-09-2011, 08:29 PM   #6
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I've never found a hand vac or stick vac that was powerful enough to do a danged thing. We use a stick vac to the best of it's ability while we are out, but when we return home we clean the camper with our home vac that we feel is too bulky to take with us. If I had the gumption, I'd install a central vac. Powerful enough to clean and not in the way.
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Old 11-09-2011, 08:47 PM   #7
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We had central vac in our 5th wheel and loved it, would have gotten it in our Georgetown if had been availablle. I ordered the carpet attachment for it and it worked great and so handy.
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Old 11-09-2011, 08:53 PM   #8
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We installed the Dirt Devil® Central Cleaning for RVs and very much like it! It fit in an otherwise difficult to use space (under dinette bench seat, behind pull-out drawer. It doesn't pull too much power from my battery pack and inverter, incredibly powerful, plus the hose is long enough that I can stretch it out the door and vacuum out the nose compartment. It also allows us to store extra quilts and pillows in vacuum bags, and if we use one, we can still pack it back in the bag.

There was a 110v outlet right next to where we wanted to mount it, so we just tapped into the back of the outlet box for a power source. Very easy to install!
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Old 11-09-2011, 08:57 PM   #9
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We have a central vac in our 2008 Georgetown 378TS that I installed in the locker just under the fridge. It came with a retractable hose and attachments that fit quite well in one of the bedroom drawers. the wand extension goes in the cupboard with the WD. We only have carpet in the bedroom and in the cockpit, with the balance being tile, and find that it picks up everything better than a broom.
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Old 11-09-2011, 09:03 PM   #10
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I also have that same stick vac from costco. Works good enough for a quick cleanup after a weekend. I have 2 dogs and one of them is a Husky and she sheds quite a bit. It is good for picking up her fur. I wouldn't trust if for a real deep clean though.

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Old 11-10-2011, 08:39 AM   #11
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When we picked out our 378TS my bride (war department) (ball and chain) (better half) (other descriptive terms for spouse) was disapointed that it didn't come with the built-in vac. We had had one in our fifth wheel and she loved the convenience of it. The first mod to the new MH was to install a Dirt Devil under the bed. The hose is long enough to reach under the front driver's seat. Easy to install and don't have to worry about storage of a regular upright cleaner.
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Old 11-10-2011, 09:13 AM   #12
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My DW liked the idea of having the Dirt Devil central vac as we keep our TT at a RV storage lot and it is to big to bring home. After reading this post I am thinking a wet/dry vac would be better as we have small children. Home Depot has a very good tool box sized one for half the price of the Dirt Devil (4.9 out of 5 with 36 reviews).

4.5-Gallon Wet/Dry Vac-WD4522 at The Home Depot
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Old 11-10-2011, 12:17 PM   #13
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My Wife would rather just sweep. We've tried the shark hand vacs which do good but more of a paint to get down on floor and vac etc. Sweeping is just quicker all around.
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Old 11-11-2011, 07:49 AM   #14
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We installed the Dirt Devil® Central Cleaning for RVs and very much like it!... incredibly powerful, plus the hose is long enough that I can stretch it out the door and vacuum out the nose compartment...
Same thing for us in our 378, my wife like it very much!
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Old 11-14-2011, 09:16 PM   #15
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For those with the dirt devil system...where did you mount? I'm thinking under bed but where do you get power? Did you hard wire port and does the port include switch to turn on and off?

Thanks
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Old 11-14-2011, 09:44 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by Tbeasley77 View Post
For those with the dirt devil system...where did you mount? I'm thinking under bed but where do you get power? Did you hard wire port and does the port include switch to turn on and off?
Mounted ours under one of the dinette bench seats. It has a drawer under the seat, but taking the top off the seat there was more than enough room behind the drawer to mount the Dirt Devel. Also enough room in the same location to store the hose, wand, all of the attachments, and a pack of spare bags.

There was a 120v outlet immediately adjacent, so I just pulled power off the outlet.

No switch to turn it on and off is necessary, because like a home built-in system, there are contacts in the flap for attaching the hose (which I mounted next to the outlet). When you open the flap, the unit turns on. Remove the hose and close the flap, and the vac shuts off.

Hope that this helps...
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Old 11-14-2011, 09:54 PM   #17
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Very helpful. Do you have pictures by chance? Thanks
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Old 11-14-2011, 10:08 PM   #18
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Sorry, I never took any pics of that, but the install was simple. I only had two "problems":

1) The factory original 120v outlet was JUNK. So I replaced it with a standard outlet from Home Depot. I also installed it in a "new work" box so that the connections would be protected. That took about 30 minutes. Less than $10 for the upgraded box, outlet, and cover plate.

2) Rather than try to cut the hole for the hose connection wall plate with a jig-saw, I wanted to use a a hole saw. Not a problem... I own one.... but where is it???

Spent about 45 minutes looking for it before my son asked me what I was looking for... "Oh, that? I loaned it to my buddy"..... Needless to say, he was sent to retrieve it immedietely!
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Old 11-14-2011, 11:01 PM   #19
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Ours in under the dinette bench. The install is very easy. The plate for the hose has a built in switch. When you open the port the Vac. will start. We have an outlet beside the bench. For a small Vac. it has a lot of power. Would recommend it to any one the hose and all of the acc. are in a wicker basket under the bench.
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Old 11-15-2011, 10:24 AM   #20
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No matter where you put it if it is in a enclosed area, like under the bed, you must provide some kind of venting for the exhaust from the vacuum. We installed under the bed and the suction was not what it should be because there were no place for the air to be expelled after leaving the vacuum unit itself. Cut a couple of 2 inch holes with a hole saw in the paneling on the back side of the bed platform and all is good now.
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