Does anyone have a central vac system? I'm making up my wishlist for an upcoming shopping spree in the States and am trying to decide if such a system would make sense in a class C. I was thinking of installing it under a dinette bench. I found a Dirt Devil system for under 250$, which is probably close to what I would have ended up paying for a more RV-friendly vaccuum cleaner, so cost isn't really the issue here. I like the idea of only having to pull out a hose when I need to vaccuum, something I need to do daily since I have two cats, one of whom sheds as as much as four cats.

Thanks,

We have one standard in our 37 foot Day Dreamer Fifth Wheel. Neither my wife nor I like it. It does not have much suction power when you put the 25 foot hose onto it. Now on the other hand the built in floor vacumn that turns on by kicking the plate and sweeping the floor into the slot works great. We have a small Dirt Devil vacumn to vac the rv.

Jim

If you plan to suck up cat hair, you will need a powerful vacuum with a beater brush if your rig has carpet. Most people are not happy with the built in RV models. For starters, the hose and attachments alone take up almost as much space as a compact upright. Some people prefer a canister model, but we found a compact upright works best for us. It came with an attached hose that stores on the unit, along with all the various attachments. The handle telescopes into itself so it is only about 3 feet high and easily fits in a closet. It seems to work well for us, and it did not cost anywhere near $250.

Thank you both for your input. Perhaps I could get your opinion on the actual system I was looking at? The RV Upgrade Store happens to carry it:

http://www.rvupgradestore.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=23

Jim, you say you have a Dirt Devil; how satisfied are you with the brand? The central vac I'm looking at is a Dirt Devil.

Rif, I can't imagine a handheld vac smaller than this system. Could you please tell me the make and model of yours?

Thanks again!

Rae,
We have a Dirt Devil central vac in our 5th wheel and have not been happy with it since we have two dogs. Just doesn't have enough suction to get all the hair up even though it has the beater bar brush attachment on the end. We "inherited" an upright vac that someone discarded from the last campground we were at (Seasonals who move out throw out all kinds of great stuff). We couldn't believe the difference it made in getting the floors cleaner. Wouldn't get a central vac again.

Linda, good enough for me, then. Looks like I need to look for a smaller upright!

Thanks!

Ours is a Eureka Optima. You can do a Google search and find reviews and pricing. I think we got ours at Wal-Mart for about $60.

I looked at the one you referenced. If you add up the space required for the hose and all the attachments, I think it would be close to the same.

quote:

Originally posted by Rif:
Ours is a Eureka Optima.

Thank you!

I feel there's no sense reinventing the proverbial wheel. Rather than trying to come up with a short list of potentially suitable products to do x, y, or z I find it much more useful to come to this forum and get recommendations for specific products that work for RVers. I can then compare them in person and make up my own mind.

I really appreciate the help.

Cheers,

I loved my central vac in my stick and bricks. Sorry it has been 8 years since we left it I don't remember the brand. It had great power it was quiet the hose was 30 ft but light weight and I had two access points that enabled me to reach the whole house. The powered beater brush attachment was great for carpet had a setting for tile floors also a crevice tool among other accessories.

On a Tetoner discussion group there were pros and cons about the Dirt Devil unit. One comment that may be of interest was that what ever brand you install make sure the hoses are not "kinked" during installation. That will dramatically cut suction power. Also don't be afraid to buy residential products for your RV. Once they put RV on the box the price goes up but not necessarily the quality.

I found this website Central Vacuum Store

and comparison chart that may be helpful Central Vac Comparisons

as you gather info.

We don't have one in our current rig but will definitely have one in our next. In the mean time we had a Hoover upright worked great but it was heavy and inconvenient to store. So two years ago we bought this unit when it first came out. It was not inexpensive but has come down in price $235-$299. At this point in my life I want convenience and I don't scrimp when it comes to RV maintenance. I don't want to spend any more time than I have to on cleaning.

It doesn't have attachments which is a drawback but we had a wet/dry Dust Buster to get in the corners. Two months ago it wore out, we coincidentally received a gift certificate for Walmart so bought this compact 2 gal Shop Vac to use on the ceiling, in crevices and DH loves it for the car and truck.

SHOPVAC 2-gal size

Safe Travels,

JM, thanks for your input. You gave me something else to consider--perhaps I'd be best with a wet/dry unit rather than a traditional unit. That 2 gallon shop vac would probably be perfect.

Hmm...

Cheers,

.....ravenpolaris:....go with a small [2-4 gallon] wet and dry vacuum for those times that one has a "flood" of some sort....plugged shower or sink....over flowing toilet...rain leaks in an forgotten window-muddy shoes and water filled boots/coats dripping....open window in tow vehicle.....water filled canvas that is not movable when puddles are big......rain filled awning that you are afraid will rip if you try to dump it....... wet carpet....water in bottom of freezer....soaking wet dog that won't go back out in storm[shows teeth]......just to name a few of the reasons that one needs a method of drying out a wet area....from my personal experience -BTW. geofkaye

To the wet/dry vac add a powered beater bar and you have a winning combination, good vacuum,a beater bar, suck up water and shampoo the rug.

Shop around flea markets look for the vacuum repair guy, I picked mine up for $20.

geofkaye and Joe, thanks for the information you provided. I can't fathom why I don't yet own a wet/dry shop vac. On the shopping list it goes!

Cheers,

I installed the Dirt Devil central vac and even though it came with a small suction powered brush attachment, it wasn't very useful. I then purchased a used powered beater brush head that came from a home system and it works great. No complaints with the system now. Dirt Devil should at least have an electric head as an option.

Check it out on my Projects Page

Thanks for the link, great ideas, glad to have the "how to's" available.

Safe Travels,