Well friends, it has finally happened. Over the Thanksgiving holiday I was able to have a full sized washer and dryer installed into our new laundry closet in Puerto Vallarta (PVR). I worked with a Whirlpool rep in Mexico to get an electric dryer. Typically only gas dryers are available in Mexico. He put me in touch with a salesperson at El Tio Sam appliance store in PVR that I can recommend to anyone interested. Attached you will find a link with the product specs of the Front Load Maytag Washer Model 7MMFE8999SW sold in Mexico. http://maytag.com.mx/productos/lavanderia/lavadoras/epic/7mmfe8999.htm

It matches the electric dryer they had available in PVR, dryer model MED9700SQ from the USA ....
http://maytag.com/catalog/product.jsp?src=Dryers&cat=17&prod=76

So far I am pleased with the performance of both. The washer is incredibly quiet and cleans clothes well. The dryer makes a soft rattling noise that seems to go away when it heats up and/or is filled with a heavier load. I'm still playing with the programs and don't particularly care for the preset wash temperatures and spin speeds associated with certain cycles that I can't seem to alter, but more on that later.

To set the context, here is a picture of the hallway that contains the laundry closet. The two double doors on the right are the laundry closet. I do not know how to upload multiple pictures in one post, so I will follow with a pic of the washer and dryer. And I'll enclose one last pic of the view off of the terrace just steps from the laundry closet.
Happy Holidays to All,
John.

Here is the new lavanderia...

The view of Los Muertos beach just steps from the laundry. I wish I was there right now!!!

Hi! John, what a great view of Los Muertos Beach, either when your doing Laundry or not and able to be down at the Beach.

I'm glad to hear that you were able to find someone to help you to be able to get the actual Dryer that you wanted, being Electric, instead of Gas. It is always so rewarding to know that if you can ask around, you no doubt will hopefully find someone who knows how to get you into contact with others for your needs.

You've got great looking Wood Louvour Doors on your Laundry Closet and your new Maytag Washer & Dryer look great there. I hope that you will have great Laundry Washing & Drying with them.

Thank you for sharing your beautiful view of the Los Muertos Beach area and your new Machines.

Peace, Blessings, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, Steve
SactoTeddyBear@aol.com

Heavens! What happened at that beautiful beach to warrent such an awful name "Los Muertos" -- the dead ones...

I've been to PV and the Los Muertos beach/pier twice now - love to go back again.

Ahh, yes, just a short stroll down the beach to the blue chairs . . .

Oh, and congratulations on that shoe horning job with the laundry pair, and for not giving up on your pursuit of the right dryer for your needs. Such a deluxe pair for a vacation home. I'm impressed!

Impressive! Congratulazioni I must say! Really a stylish laundry room hehe, plus I can't believe such a beautiful place can be called "los muertos"!!!

CONGRATS!

May I be so bold as to ask for a few pics of the rest of the place?

The kitchen interests me.......

I'm sure the "Los Muertos" moniker originated long before Liz & Dick put PV on the map back in the early 60's. It would be interesting to know how this beach picked up its name. The Mexican culture does have a fascination with death and I would venture to say that "Los Muertos" is not considered a negative connotation among the citizenry. Perhaps this beach was and/or still is the site of some sort of festivity or observance on 11/2.

Another curious one is "La Ropa" beach in Zihuatanejo. I can't shake the colorful image of a beach upon which the sand is covered with wet clothing. Hmmmm. . . this strikes me as an appropriate destination for an off-shore AW convention!

Could you make some videos of the machines?

Congratulations on the new machines! I have the same set branded with the KitchenAid name, and am very happy with them.

14 kg capacity?! Seems *a little* exaggerated...

funguy10: there are already some vids on YouTube: look for "Whirlpool Duet" or "Bauknecht Big", which is the German version.

Beautiful beach, BTW!

Here are a couple of explanations courtesy of www.cuatesycuetes.com...

Long ago, this was the place where the gold and silver ore was brought from the Cuale Mines by mule drivers to be loaded onto ships. On one occasion, when the ship's crew was preparing to move the ore from the beach to the waiting ship, they were set upon by a band of indians who slaughtered the sailors with machetes and left the beach covered with the unburied dead bodies. It was several days later that some mule drivers arrived, found the dead sailors, and buried them right there on the beach. Ever since then the beach has been known as Los Muertos Beach.

Another version claims that pirates or smugglers set up an ambush, and when the ore-laden mule drivers appeared, they killed them and stole the gold they were transporting.

Today, the only gold you will find is in the threads of swimwear, or perhaps what is packaged within... and the only pirates... well, I leave it your imagination.
Let's just say that physical danger on the beach is not highly likely in this day and age.

I’m afraid that I have not yet graduated to video making capabilities, but perhaps this is a next step for me. As for 14kg capacity, yes, it may be big, but I no longer have to send out the kitchen rugs, patio chair cushions, etc. This machine handles it all… And it is very frugal with water usage, so there isn’t excessive environmental impact. Interestingly the box in which the washer was delivered said “Made in Germany”. Was my machine manufactured by Bauknecht?

Thanks to all (mille grazie por l’amico Italiano) for the warm wishes. You guys will never know how reassuring it was to have your input and suggestions as I was planning the purchase and installation of these units.

If you wish to visit our penthouse condo, Puesta del Sol, you may contact me to see if it is available and/or to see more photos (Toggleswitch, I’ll send a Flickr link with more photos as requested). We occasionally rent to friends that we trust to respect it as our home.

Thanks again.
Kind Regards,
John.

John, yes, from the looks of that washer it's very similar in design to my Bauknecht-made Duet. You should see "made in Germany" on a sticker inside the door opening on the washer as well.

Ralph