Do RV Parks Have Washers and Dryers?

RV parks offer several essential amenities, including showers, running water, and electricity. However, many campers wonder how and where to wash their laundry. After all, not all motorhomes include built-in laundry machines, and being able to wash your clothes at a campground can be tremendously helpful.

Most RV parks have washers and dryers for paying campers. However, they usually only have one or two of each appliance, so you’ll have to wash and dry your clothes when unused. You can also bring portable laundry machines and connect them to the RV hookups.

Throughout this article, I’ll explain how you can wash your clothes at an RV park and how you can find out whether or not your desired campground has laundry machines.

How To Know If an RV Park Has Laundry Machines

You can find out if an RV park has laundry machines by checking their website or calling beforehand. 

Many RV parks have maps showing where the laundry machines are located, allowing you to plan your trip accordingly. Another option is to get a campsite with water and electrical hookups to wash your laundry in your motorhome.

Here’s the step-by-step guide to learning all about an RV park’s laundry facilities:

1. Call the RV park for the latest and most accurate information about their washers and dryers. Just because an RV park has laundry machines doesn’t mean they function properly. You don’t want to visit an RV campground to learn that you can’t wash or dry your clothes during your stay.
2. Print out a map of the RV campground or screenshot the online map on your smartphone. You’ll find it much easier to access the laundry machines if you know the RV park’s layout. Furthermore, most RV park maps have a legend that shows icons for the washer and dryer.
3. Book your camping trip at a campground with RV hookups. All RV campgrounds with hookups also have laundry machines. If you have hookups, you can use your motorhome’s laundry machines or find the washer and dryer provided by the RV park.

Ask the campground the following questions when you call about the laundry machines:

• How many laundry machines do they have?
• What are their respective capacities?
• Do you have to pay to use the laundry facilities, or are they included with the camping fee?
• What kind of detergent and dryer sheets are you allowed to use? Can you bring your own supplies, or do you need to buy specialty supplies?

How To Wash Clothes At an RV Park that Doesn’t have Laundry Machines

To wash your clothes at an RV park, you’ll need to find the laundry facilities, wash them in a bucket, or use a portable washer. You can hang your clothes to dry, dry them in the on-site drying machine, or use a portable dryer.

Follow these instructions to wash your laundry at any RV campground:

1. Wash your clothes in the provided washer, a five-gallon bucket, or a portable laundry machine. You can put your clothes in the bucket, fill with water, toss in some detergent, and agitate them by scrubbing them. Drain the detergent and add fresh water to rinse the clothes. This method might seem old-school, but it gets the job done, and you have fresh clothes while camping.
2. Use hot water if you wash your clothes with your RV’s water supply. Portable laundry machines and built-in washers use the RV’s water, so remember to maintain your RV water heater if you want to kill bacteria and thoroughly remove detergent from the clothes after scrubbing them.
3. If possible, use the RV campground’s drying machines. They offer the best way to dry your clothes, often without spending a dime. Many RV parks offer free laundry facilities, while others require a small fee. Check ahead to find out which drying option is your best laundry solution.
4. If there’s no dryer at the RV park, or it’s occupied, you can always hang your laundry out to dry with a portable laundry line. Connect one end to your RV and the other to a nearby tree. This portable clothesline (available on Amazon.com) has 12 clips for several articles of clothing. It’s a stretchy bungee cord with a hook on both sides to mount it.

Many RV parks don’t have more than one or two laundry machines. This issue means you’ll either have to wait a long time to use them or you’ll have to use one of the previously mentioned alternatives.

Final Thoughts

Being able to wash your laundry at an RV park can make a huge difference in how long you stay at the campground. That being said, it’s also important to ask ahead of time. While most RV parks have laundry facilities, the last thing you want is to leave earlier than intended or, worse, settle for dirty laundry!