Splendide, was PT-42 Front Heaters

[Don Bradner]

I don't know if it is only because we've never had a used Splendide, or
something else, but we don't find them nearly as bad as they are made out to be
by those that don't like them.

My wife would submit to flaming matchsticks under her fingernails in preference
to spending 60-90 minutes in a laundromat. Yes, she does lots of small loads in
the Splendide, but they occupy little of her time, and generally what is washed
is also dried in the same load amount.

One of her requirements in searching for a Bird was either that it had a
washer/dryer, or I installed one. While installation on a unit not pre-plumbed
for a washer/dryer was not easy, we are probably lucky that it did not have one,
since again we started with new. I first installed one 2 SOBs back, although
that one was pre-plumbed, and the last SOB was purchased new with the
washer/dryer standard.

Her only significant complaint about current models is that they have a few
minutes of safety lockout after stopping - she would rather not be protected and
be able to open it at will.

On 11/24/2007 at 4:46 PM Pete Masterson wrote:

>The Splendide 2000 (and another, larger model, the 2100) are
>combination washer-dryers that (in theory) washes then dries a load
>of clothes. The problem is that the washer is _very_ small (1.5 cu ft
>or about 10-12 lbs. of laundry) and the dryer only dries 1/2 what the
>washer can wash. The dryer, using only 120 vac, takes _forever_ to
>dry. (The model 2100 is about 20% larger.) New, these things cost
>about $1000... so they're hardly cheap. A load uses up to 15 gal of
>water (not bad), so they're not too bad for use in an RV. You can
>visit Camping World's web site and search on Splendide to get the
>full details.
>
>No, you're not likely to have one on a 77FC35 -- I don't know when
>they were first available, but I don't think they were common much
>before the mid-80's. A lot of high-end coaches are fitted with these
>washer/dryers and a few folks think they're great. Me, I can't see
>doing 1 sheet at a time. My wife has it figured that it's good for a
>load of her undies -- and that's about all. We prefer to go to a
>laundromat and use however many machines necessary to get everything
>done at once -- about 60-90 minutes later and everything is done and
>folded and we're outa there.
>
>Pete Masterson
>'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
>aeonix1@...
>On the road at Lockhart, Texas
>
>
>
>On Nov 24, 2007, at 2:17 PM, Dorn Hetzel wrote:
>
>> For the uninformed, what *is* a Splendide 2000 ? Am I likely to
>> have one on
>> my newly acquired 77FC35 ?
>>
>> Dorn Hetzel
>> *new* 77FC35
>> Hogansville, GA
>>
>> On Nov 24, 2007 2:40 PM, Rob Robinson wrote:
>>
>>> Kurt I agree on the Splendide. Threw it and the 75lbs sliding
>>> tray it
>>> sat on
>>> out the second day I owned the coach. The useful space left over is
>>> amazing.
>>> Put the vacuum cleaner, laundry hamper etc in the space. Stephen
>>> is right
>>> on
>>> the valves....silicone spray or a silicone grease if you
>>> prefer....works
>>> great.
>>>
>>>
>>> On 24/11/2007, Stephen Birtles >>> 40hotmail.com>>
>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> For the Dupree Valves you either need to lubricate the valves with a
>>>> silicone grease or replace the seals
>>>> If you need parts let me know we have them
>>>> Stephen Birtles 77fc35
>>>> dupreeproducts .com
>>>>
>>>> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com >>>> 40yahoogroups.com>
>>> ,
>>>> Kurt Horvath
>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Pete,
>>>>>
>>>>> A little note about the INFERNAL Splendide 2000. If you run it be
>>>> sure your Grey water dump valve is open. Mine flooded the coach last
>>>> Oct. No damage that didn't clean up. but, it could have been a real
>>>> disaster. I caught it just in time. I really think it isn't cycling
>>>> correctly. The water in the showers was up about 12" from the bottom
>>>> of the glass and leaking out slowly, I had water covering the tiles
>>>> and just about ready to soak the carpets for and aft. I'll tell you
>>>> one thing I have found the Duprez valves hard to open by hand,
>>>> but not
>>>> on that day. That day one quick yank and the parking lot was
>>>> flooded.
>>>> Thank God I drained 4 days of Grey water the night before. Or it
>>>> would
>>>> have been one smelly, stained, ruined, interior. My advice if you
>>>> keep
>>>> If you keep that.Pc.Of.S_it. Don't turn your back on it. In fact
>>>> once
>>>> I get it out of the coach I think I'll make my first U-Tube movie on
>>>> how well it absorbs LEAD!
>>>>>
>>>>> Kurt Horvath
>>>>> 95 PT-42
>>>>> 10AC
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ----- Original Message ----
>>>>> From: Pete Masterson
>>>>> To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com >>>>> 40yahoogroups.com>
>>>
>>>>> Sent: Saturday, November 24, 2007 9:27:41 AM
>>>>> Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] PT-42 Front Heaters
>>>>>
>>>>> Well, keep in mind that the variations on the theme are almost
>>>>> endless. Forward salon had dual sofas, sofa/chair cabinet, sofa/2
>>>>> chairs with small cabinet and several other variations. Dining area
>>>>> ('95) mostly seems to be table with two 'loose' chairs, but it
>>>>> could
>>>>> have been a booth or some other arrangement (if requested).
>>>>> Appliances seem to have endless variations as well... My coach
>>>>> is all
>>>>> electric -- a plus in that we have a full-size home-style
>>>>> refrigerator. The electric cook top (120 volt, not 220) is a bit
>>>>> slow
>>>>> to warm up. The downside is that boondocking is barely practical as
>>>>> the refrigerator sucks the batteries down in about 6 hours. Next
>>>>> time
>>>>> I need to stay off the grid (and not run the generator), I'm
>>>>> going to
>>>>> pull the breakers on the inverters to see how much that extends the
>>>>> battery life.
>>>>>
>>>>> The basic layout you describe sounds rather like the top floor
>>>>> plan,
>>>>> with a significant rework of the bathroom layout. But BB tended
>>>>> to do
>>>>> a lot of 'custom' arrangements, when requested, and would do
>>>>> "mix and
>>>>> match" of components when necessary. Frankly, the behind the
>>>>> refrigerator shower is a tad small -- your bathroom sounds a little
>>>>> more convenient. (I also think I've seen photos of a coach with a
>>>>> similar bathroom somewhere in the past -- and it could have been a
>>>>> layout used in 93 or 94...)
>>>>>
>>>>> Depending on the year, BB had 'spec' coaches and custom built
>>>>> coaches. The spec (speculation) models were built when they
>>>>> (apparently) didn't have a firm order and/or to fill dealer
>>>>> stock --
>>>>> I think my coach may have fallen into that category. It has
>>>>> fewer of
>>>>> the deluxe options* than many other coaches. It may have been built
>>>>> as a "low price" model (if a coach selling for around a half-
>>>>> million
>>>>> dollars in 1995 was "low price"). Other coaches were more fully
>>>>> loaded based on the customer's wishes. I think they also built
>>>>> one or
>>>>> two "show" models with every possible option that were used for
>>>>> promotional purposes before they were sold. So, there are a lot of
>>>>> variations on the theme out there.
>>>>>
>>>>> *I don't have a basement tv/entertainment system -- and as best
>>>>> I can
>>>>> tell there never was one. Also, the power drapes are absent and
>>>>> there
>>>>> is no aux. compressor -- or even a Microphor compressor. (Run the
>>>>> engine to flush the toilet??) Previous owner had a Microphor
>>>>> compressor installed and I carry a "contractor' s compressor"
>>>>> with me
>>>>> to air up the dump valves when I'm in a longer term RV park. I
>>>>> don't
>>>>> miss the basement entertainment center nor the power drapes.
>>>>>
>>>>> With all the custom arrangements, an unfortunate by product is that
>>>>> the owners manual is a bit general or vague -- with no real
>>>>> standardization, things tended to be in different places. And even
>>>>> some basics (like the fittings for the shock absorbers*) seem to
>>>>> vary
>>>>> from coach to coach even in the same model year.
>>>>>
>>>>> *Henderson's Line Up commented that my shock absorber mount was
>>>>> different than that used on another '95 that they'd recently
>>> serviced...
>>>>>
>>>>> I don't have a basement tv/entertainment system -- and as best I
>>>>> can
>>>>> tell there never was one. Also, the power drapes are absent and
>>>>> there
>>>>> was no aux. compressor -- or even a Microphor compressor. (Run the
>>>>> engine to flush the toilet??) Previous owner had a Microphor
>>>>> compressor installed and I carry a "contractor' s compressor"
>>>>> with me
>>>>> to air up the dump valves when I'm in a longer term RV park. I
>>>>> don't
>>>>> miss the basement entertainment center nor the power drapes.
>>>>>
>>>>> I agree that the Splendide washer/dryer is a joke. Mine is in the
>>>>> bottom half of a full-height linen cabinet next to a full height
>>>>> closet. I plan one last effort to ensure that the Splendide is
>>>>> working to its fullest capability before I simply remove it from
>>>>> the
>>>>> coach to get the space it uses up for additional storage. I need to
>>>>> (1) make sure that the air-operated vent cover is opening (it
>>>>> sounds
>>>>> like it is) and (2) ensure that the vent line isn't clogged with
>>>>> lint, etc. This is one of those lower-priority projects that I
>>>>> haven't gotten around to yet. I have found that the dryer
>>>>> function is
>>>>> helpful to give a finishing touch to sox that didn't get fully
>>>>> dry at
>>>>> the laundromat.. . and little else.
>>>>>
>>>>> Pete Masterson
>>>>> '95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
>>>>> aeonix1@mac. com
>>>>> On the road at Lockhart, Tx
>>>>>
>>>>> On Nov 23, 2007, at 8:56 PM, Kurt Horvath wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Pete,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I looked at the brochures at Millercoachworks. com again. my
>>>>>> interior is not there not even close.
>>>>>> I have two sofas. The kichen is on the road side with an angled
>>>>>> refer. The sink is near the sofa end and the 2 burner gas top
>>>>>> stove
>>>>>> is near the fridge the burners are side by side. Curb side table &
>>>>>> 2 chairs. The bathroom has the sink up against the back of the
>>>>>> angled fridge in a half round cabinet, then the commode,the 1/4
>>>>>> round glass shower, all on the road side. The curb side bath
>>>>>> starts
>>>>>> at slide out pantry then there is a countertop about 4' long
>>>>>> over a
>>>>>> set cabinets a door with two shelves then three drawers, The
>>>>>> armoire has a washer / dryer, what a waste of space, anybody want
>>>>>> to buy it, Splendide 2000, on the left side. The right side you
>>>>>> can
>>>>>> hang clothes and has a laundry hamper. It has mirrors everywhere
>>>>>> except in the shower. Very revealing. After this the bedroom is
>>>>>> generic BB with the exception that it has no mirrors behind the
>>>>>> Headboard, it has a real window.Headboard is on the roadside.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Kurt Horvath
>>>>>> 95 PT-42
>>>>>> 10AC
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> __________________________________________________________
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>>>>>
>>>>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Rob, Sue & Merlin Robinson
>>> 94 WLWB
>>>
>>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>>
>>
>>
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