Hey guys, we have a 2008 Forest River Sandpiper 345RET. We bought a vented Splendide washer/dryer combo. Although the plumbing is set up for the unit, the vent is not. Does anyone have any ideas on the placement of these vents? If not, is good method to find the best place to put the vent so that we won't tear anything up?
My washer/dryer and its vent were factory installed on my motorhome, but here are few thoughts that may help you: Although it can be a pain to install and remove, I would test fit the washer/dryer to make certain the vent and hose will be in the correct location before cutting the wall. A stud finder that measures wall density would be very helpful to avoid cutting any framing inside the wall. Finally, I would start with a small hole, cut carefully from the inside (not through to the exterior) to be sure that there was no wiring in the area. You can always make the hole bigger to fit the vent after determining it is safe to cut.
Last year I removed and spray painted the dryer vent, as the plastic was starting to yellow from the sunlight. Lowe's sells spray paint made to adhere to plastic which has worked well.
I asked the dealer how they do it. They drill a pilot hole from the inside at the desired location. Then they slip an L-bent wire into the hole to check for any interior obstructions within the diameter to be cut.
I bought the proper size hole saw to do mine. I don't have it here to check but I think it was 4-1/4 inch. Just make sure you don't cut too large a hole.
You'll fret over the location many times before cutting. Remember to avoid any exterior decals too as they may tear before they cut. Like most things, cutting the hole is the scary part. Everything else is cake!
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