👚 15 BEST Caravan Washing Machines Australia (+ Using Off-grid)

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When you’re on the road for more than a few days, having to get on top of the laundry that’s piling up is inevitable. Today Here we explore the many caravan washing machines available in Australia so that you can figure out which one is best suited to your set-up.

Caravan washing machines include fully automatic washing machines, wall-mounted washing machines, portable washing machines, plus manual washing options.

The small caravan washing machines are awesome for throwing the clothes in, pushing a button and walking away with a cuppa, all in the convenience of your own caravan.

Not everyone has the power or water needed to run a washing machine while caravanning or camping, however there are a range of caravan washing machine choices available, no matter what your set up is.

When it comes to drying your clothes, there are 10+ caravan washing line ideas!

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TOP LOADER Caravan Washing Machines

Camec Top Loader

Camec do 2.5kg and 3kg top loader washing machines, which are fully automatic and can be inbuilt into a cabinet inside your caravan. Most modern caravans come with the option of including a washing machine from build these days.

The Camec caravan washing machines have 6 – 7 different washing combinations, including a ‘Quick Wash.’ Plus, the LED display shows you how many minutes are left on your wash cycle.

Make use of the ‘High’ and ‘Low’ water level adjustments for different load sizes. The 3kg washing machine has the option for a hot or cold wash. Note that while the cold wash only uses 235 watts of power, the hot wash will draw 1035 watts.

Sphere Top Loader

The Sphere caravan washing machine is a handy little top loader that is typically installed in Jayco caravans for customers who opt for the built-in washing machine. You can choose between a 2.5kg or a 3.3kg unit.

This is the machine that I used for four years and truly appreciated it with every load that I put through. They are a hardy mini washing machine, perfect for avoiding caravan park laundry queues.

The Sphere top loader has 5 different wash settings, with an easy-to-read control panel and LED ‘Time Remaining’ countdown screen. This machine only has a cold wash, which is all you really need, plus a barrel stabiliser basket for travelling.

NCE Top Loader

NCE offer a top loader caravan washing machine in both 2.5 kg and 3.2 kg capacities. This unit is quite similar, but cheaper than the Sphere top loader with 5 programmable wash settings, an ‘Off Balance’ sensor and barrel stabiliser basket for travel.

Aussie Traveller Top Loader

Aussie Traveller Top Loader washing machines are available in both 2.5kg and 3.2kg capacities. The standout features include 5 cycle options (from rapid to full wash), plus a drum stabiliser that doubles as a washing basket.

FRONT LOADER Caravan Washing Machines

Camec Front Loader

The Camec front loader caravan washing machine is specifically designed for those situations where space is limited and the washing machine needs to go under a bench or inside a cupboard.

Be aware that the front loader is heavier and a bit bigger than the Camec top loader counterpart. This washing machine has it’s own heater if a hot wash is needed, so only a cold water connection is required.

With the Camec front loader you’ll get a whopping 15 wash programs, including 3 different ‘Quick Wash’ modes.

Take note that you can’t change which way the door opens, so that might be a pain depending on where you want to situate the washing machine in your van.

CARAVAN LAUNDRY ACCESSORIES

Pegless Clothesline →

All-in-one Washing Sheets →

WALL MOUNTED Caravan Washing Machines

Camec Wall Mounted

The Camec Wall Mounted Teardrop is quite a slick and modern looking washing machine. The 2.5 kg system can solve some of those large space restriction issues in a caravan or RV. If you don’t have any under cabinet space available, you might just be able to squeeze the Teardrop on a wall or into a cupboard.

It has undergone rigorous vibration testing to make sure you’re not going to walk in and find your washing machine on the floor. The Camec wall mounted washing machine has a child lock, plus the ability to do a heated wash (95ºC).

NCE Wall Mounted

The NCE Wall Mounted Caravan Washing Machine has a 3 kg capacity with 6 programmable wash settings, including a hot wash. As this machine has no belts, it’s very quiet with a transparent door and child-safe mechanism.

If you’re looking to fit a washing machine into your caravan or RV cupboard or have some spare wall space, this guy might suit you.

Although this NCE machine isn’t as stylish as the Camec one, the price point is actually fairly similar. There isn’t as much information available for the NCE as the Camec wall mounted washing machine either.

Winia (Daewoo) Wall Mounted

Daewoo, which is now known as Winia, was the first company to come out with a mini wall-mountable washing machine. The Daewoo Wall Mounted Washing Machine was originally a 2 kg piece, but these days there is a range on the market from 2 kg to 3.5 kg.

They’re a stylish machine with low-noise and 6 programmable wash settings. The ‘Quick Wash’ will have your washing done in just 15 minutes.

PORTABLE Caravan Washing Machines

If you don’t have an in-built caravan washing machine, but still want the convenience of being able to push a button and have your clothes washed on the road, here are some options.

Single Tub Portable Washing Machine

The single tub Portable Washing Machine is an all-in-one with both a wash cycle and spin cycle. Included is a 15-minute timer so that you can switch it on, let the machine do its work and you kick back with a coffee.

This is the only washing machine I know that comes with a shoe brush. You can wash up to four pairs of shoes at a time in this machine, which can be handy on the road when you’re dealing with dust and mud.

Twin Tub Portable Washing Machine

The Twin Tub Portable Washing Machine is quite a popular piece of equipment for many caravanners and campers. They’re generally 4.6 kg – 5 kg and require you to wash in one tub, then move your washing to the next tub for spinning it dry.

Like the single tub, this is run with basic turn dial knobs and has a 15 minute timer, so you can set it and walk away. It’s easy to move around with handles attached.

MANUAL Washing Machine Options

If you’re not after a 240 volt powered washing machine, but would still like to be able to get things washed while travelling, here are some manual off-grid options for you.

Keep in mind that with these manual options, you won’t be able to spin dry your clothes, so hand-wringing is required.

Ezywash

The Ezywash Rotary Washing Machine has been around for quite a few years and is proving to be a very handy little unit for manually washing clothes without elctricity.

It has a capacity of 2.2kg, uses less water than hand washing and has an integrated drainage tube for emptying the water out.

If you want to see the Ezywash in action, check out the great video below by Going Overland. They walk you right through how to use it, with a few tips to make it even more efficient.

One of the common complaints with the Ezywash is the flimsy frame, so Going Overland even show you how to easily overcome that by creating your own metal frame (if you’re handy on the tools).

▶️ VIDEO: Using an Ezywash

Scrubba Wash Bag

The Scrubba Wash Bag is a popular manual washing machine for travellers who like to be able to quickly and easily hand wash clothes on the go. The bag folds up very compactly for storage and takes only a few litres of water per wash.

This handy washing bag has an internal washboard to help scrub up your dirty clothes, plus a viewing window so you can keep an eye on what’s happening inside the bag (i.e. how dirty the water is getting).

Bucket & Lid

A really cheap and easy solution to washing your clothes in a caravan, camper or while camping is the old bucket and lid option. This is the way I initially washed our clothes on the road for the first few months, before discovering how to use my washing machine off-grid (more on that below!).

The process is cheap and simple, but I can tell you that using this as my primary form of washing for the four of us on a daily basis got pretty old, pretty quickly. I’d rather use the bucket & lid method as a secondary option to using a washing machine.

Agitation Barrel

Another spin on the bucket & lid washing machine is the Agitation Barrel. In fact, it doesn’t even have to be a barrel, you can use any container that has a good, sealable lid. Some people use a hard plastic storage box, which you can get from Bunnings.

The method behind the agitation barrel is to get your vehicle to do all the work, which acts as a manual washing machine that you would use on travel days.

Keep in mind that the bigger your barrel is, the more water you’ll need to fill it.

For this washing method to work effectively, you really need a tap at the bottom to be able to easily release the water. If the barrel or container doesn’t have a tap, you could add your own.

Hand Washing

The final way to wash your clothes while caravanning and camping is the old fashioned way – hand washing. It’s cheap, simple and effective. If you only need to wash your clothes on odd occasions or in small batches, this could be the way to go.

If you’re going to be washing every other day for a family, I wouldn’t recommend hand washing as it’s very tedious, time consuming and hard on your hands.

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OTHER Caravan Laundry Options

Caravan Park Laundry

If you don’t want to bother carting around a washing machine or have to worry about hand washing all of your items, then opting for Caravan Park Laundries is a great idea.

Using park laundries largely depends on how often you plan on staying in caravan parks though, so bear that in mind. You can find campground laundries in Caravan Parks, Showgrounds and even some Transit Centres.

The machines are usually quite large, meaning that you can literally get 2 – 4 times as much washing into one load as you would with a caravan washing machine. Especially handy when it comes to washing linen, towels and blankets.

Laundromats

In addition to using park laundries, heading into town and using a Laundromat is another option for washing clothes on the road. Their industrial grade machines are usually larger than an average machine, which is a huge plus.

The gamble you always take with Laundromats is counting on a washing machine being available for you as you walk in the door. There can be a fair amount of sitting around and waiting while frequenting Laundromats.

Don’t forget to take your own washing powder or detergent, otherwise you may find yourself having to purchase a tiny little pack for $2 – which will only do you for one load!

A benefit of utilising Laundromats is that you can be washing your dirty laundry in one machine, while drying the previous load in a Clothes Dryer. If clothesline space is limited, this can be a good option for getting on top of the laundry pile in one quick sweep.

PROS & CONS of Caravan Washing Machine Options

Now that we’ve gone right through the variety of options available for caravan washing machines and getting washing done on the road, which one is going to be the best for you?

Here’s a quick look at the pros and cons of caravan washing machines, portable washing machines, manual washing options and public laundries.

Making the right choice for you is going to depend on your budget, set-up, storage space, weight allowance, plus available access to power and water while travelling.

Can You Run a Caravan Washing Machine Off-grid?

If you want to have the luxury of using a caravan washing machine off-grid, it is entirely possible depending on your set up.

You may have noticed that all of the automatic and portable washing machines draw around 240 watts of power when in use (for a cold wash). So, if you have a solar and battery set-up, all you need is a minimum 300 watt inverter to plug your washing machine into. Alternatively, you could use a generator if you wish.

As for water, most wash cycles use around 20 litres (give or take a little). While Free Camping, I opt to put our clothes through a ‘wash cycle’ only. Then I skip the ‘rinse cycle,’ which typically double rinses and uses an additional 40 litres of precious water. After the ‘wash cycle,’ I go straight to the ‘spin cycle,’ then the clothes are done and ready to hang out to dry.

The video below will show you how to use the washing machine off-grid and even how to utilise creek water, if you have one near your campsite.

▶️ VIDEO: Doing Laundry Off-grid in a Caravan

The trick when not rinsing is to only use a small amount of detergent. Wool Wash detergent is said to not need rinsing out, so many caravanners and campers opt for the Wool Wash.

When I do find myself hooked up to power and water at a campground, I then take that opportunity to make sure all of the washing goes right through the full cycle of Wash, Rinse and Spin. It all works out in the end.

I hope after reading this post on caravan washing machines, you’ve found a good solution for your own family and set-up. Unfortunately, just because you’re travelling, it doesn’t mean the washing pile is going to stop multiplying!

Below are two more posts that will help you get your laundry on the road sorted in a jiffy.

MORE LAUNDRY POSTS:
◆ 10 Caravan Clothesline Ideas →
◆ 11 On-Road Laundry Tips →

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