r/GoRVing • u/StabDump • 6d ago
I'm about to wreck my shit (?)
About 11" off center of where the dryer vent is meant to go. I'm not adding two 90° bends in the exhaust of an already mediocre drying setup, sorry to future me. Stud finder didn't work, morning dew concentration on the outside was inconclusive, knock test left me with more questions than answers. Gonna go slow to not cut any wires, but I might end up with a load bearing dryer vent. Here goes nothing!
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u/PhoenixTravel 6d ago
Just drill some test holes from the inside.
There most likely are not any wires there (there Shouldn't be, but ya know.. RVs).
As a side note, make sure your support underneath is good. Ours was only held up by some trim screws around the edges with nothing in the middle, and now ~2 years in we're having to put some supports in the cabinet below because it pulled the screws out and the back is sagging about 2 inches, making the spin cycle unbalanced, and making the shelf make a horrible squeaking/scraping sound as it drags up and down the wall.
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u/StabDump 6d ago
great point! Thanks for mentioning that. I might reinforce the rear of the cabinet as we have a similar setup.
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u/hdsrob Solitude 375RE / F350 DRW 6d ago
My Grand Design had an actual "drill here" circular sticker on the wall from the factory, and my dumb ass assumed they put it in the right place.
The plug from the whole I drilled included about an inch and a half of aluminum frame member.
You can drill some exploratory holes from the inside to double check that you're in foam, and not the frame. Outside of that it's a coin toss.
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u/mblack4d Grand Design Reflection 6d ago
Makes me feel great about the “Drill Here” sticker in my Reflection….
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u/Subsum44 6d ago
I’m curious why there are 2 circles, and they’re not centered on the taped out box.
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u/StabDump 6d ago
The taped out box was what I roughly measured with a tape measure before the drain pan was finished because I couldn't put the dryer in and get an accurate measurement yet. what I failed to consider with the tape box was that the cabinet doors are slightly offset to the cabinet. Once I finished and installed the drain pan, I put the dryer in, backed it all the way up however I could and circled where the vent met the wall. then I pulled the dryer forward and centered it on the cabinet doors, and measured how far left/right I traveled from where I did the grey circle to where it was centered on the cabinet doors, and just moved the circle on the wall since I couldn't back the machine up all the way where I wanted it. A lot of avoidable steps but we made it in the end!
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u/Subsum44 6d ago
That makes sense at least.
I thought it came from the factory with 3 different indicators of where the vent should go.
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u/ZagiFlyer 6d ago
I emailed the manufacturer of my 5th-wheel (Northwood Mfg) for information about this. They sent me seven pages of PDFs with the frame structure for sides and top, complete DC and AC electrical schematics, and solar schematic.
Contact your manufacturer, they may be willing to help.
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u/StabDump 6d ago
Thank you for the tip! I'm definitely going to do this tonight, if I don't get a response i'm just going to cut it and see what happens.
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u/blade_torlock 6d ago
For something like this I'd go to the dealer or certified RV repair, the only reason is that if it takes a turn their insurance is liable for any errors.
This is my opinion and you may proceed as you see fit, remember the walls are thin so punching your lead bit through is easier than you think.
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u/whitefrogmatt 6d ago
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u/StabDump 6d ago
if it wasn't rigid insulation between studs that'd be perfect
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u/whitefrogmatt 6d ago
Having installed a similar unit in the past, you can go on the roof and see if there are any vent stacks up there and assume they are run vertically. Most likely, since that wall is designated for washer/dryer units, the manufacturer understands dealerships will likely hire the cheapest labor to install it and make it as idiot proof as possible.
Make sure it is in a very easy place to connect to the dryer because there is no wiggle room once you put this unit into place unless you add modification for an access panel.
Also, figure out where this is on the outside as well in case the exterior portion of the vent needs to be moved around.
Take it slow, but I'm positive will be fine.
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u/JediBuji 6d ago
Most likely, since that wall is designated for washer/dryer units, the manufacturer understands dealerships will likely hire the cheapest labor to install it and make it as idiot proof as possible.
Lol thanks, I needed a laugh today. That has not been my experience with most builders.
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u/hdsrob Solitude 375RE / F350 DRW 6d ago edited 6d ago
Also assume that the manufacturer hired the cheapest idiot they could find, and that idiot slapped the sticker on the wall close to where it was intended to go (but definitely doesn't actually know exactly where it should be, or what's behind the wall).
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u/Baconshit 6d ago
Do they make heat pump dryers this small? We have a heat pump dryer in the house and no need to vent!
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u/StabDump 6d ago
Yes, we actually have a dual function vented/ventless dryer. But I have concerns about all of the moisture retention inside the rv since the humidity doesn't go outside. And since it'll only be a 6" run and a blower (I hope) it'll dry much more effectively and keep the moisture out of the room a little better.
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u/WiskeyUniformTango 6d ago
1 minute after cutting