What you are actually seeing
- Lint left on dark clothes after every load
- Loads that are dry at the edges and damp in the middle
- A musty smell on clothes that were clean going in
- A scorched or hot-cloth smell
- Not this fault: Lint on clothes that came out of the washer
Ranked causes on a Contoure dryer
- Vent run restricted, crushed or lint-packed — Ranked here because: a coach installation is tighter than any domestic one and the venting and clearance shortcuts taken during the build show up as faults later
- Outside vent flap stuck, screened or blocked — Ranked here because: an RV vent run is short, tightly bent and easy to crush behind the appliance
- Drum seal worn so air bypasses the load — Ranked here because: a door latch and gasket that has been slammed by road motion is a routine finding
- Lint filter blocked, filmed or not seated — Ranked here because: coach appliances are used intermittently and stored for months, which produces its own fault pattern
- Load too large for the drum — Ranked here because: coach appliances are used intermittently and stored for months, which produces its own fault pattern
What to check, and in what order
- Run water onto the lint filter and see whether it passes straight through
- Run the machine and feel the airflow at the outside vent hood
- Disconnect the duct at the back of the machine and clean the whole run
- Dry a half-size load and compare the result
Steps you can safely do yourself
- Disconnect the duct at the back of the machine and clean the whole run — Tools: vent brush, vacuum, screwdriver — Estimated time: about an hour
- Dry a half-size load and compare the result — Tools: none — Estimated time: one full cycle
- Look at the outside vent flap while the dryer runs and clear any screen or lint mat behind it — Tools: flashlight, gloves — Estimated time: about twenty minutes
- Look for lint escaping around the door opening and inside the cabinet — Tools: flashlight — Estimated time: a few minutes
- Run water onto the lint filter and see whether it passes straight through — Tools: none — Estimated time: a few minutes
Safety
Safety
unplug-before-service branch-circuit-15-20a
When to call a technician
there is a scorched or burning smell, which is urgent the vent run cannot be cleared from either end the drum seal has worn and lint is escaping into the cabinet
Nearest pages
What this page does not cover
Not this fault: the family pages for the refrigeration, cooking and laundry lines Not this fault: model-specific pages once the model and serial label is read
Links: - [Common CONTOURE Dryer Problems](/blog/contoure-dryer-problems) - [Common Contoure Microwave Problems](/blog/contoure-microwave-problems) - [Common CONTOURE Refrigerator Problems](/blog/contoure-refrigerator-problems) - [CONTOURE Dryer: Abnormal Noise or Vibration](/blog/contoure-dryer-abnormal-noise)
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
