Components required:
- Campervan Sink Unit
- Micro-switched Cold Feed Tap e.g. Comet Florenz or Comet London
- Submersible Pump
- 2M Blue Fresh Water Pipe
- 2M Convoluted Waste Water Pipe
- 3M Twin Core Cable
- Hose Clips
- Fresh and Waste Pipe Fixings
- Cable Crimps
- 10L- 20L Fresh Water Containers
- 10L- 20L Waste Water Containers
A campervan sink setup usually involves a micro-switched tap and submersible pump, perfect for an onboard water supply of 10-20L. This system is simple to install and ideal for smaller campervans. Larger vehicles may use a more complex system, but for now, we’ll focus on a basic setup.
Planning is crucial when installing your campervan sink. Pay special attention to the arrangement of fresh water and waste water pipes. For optimal flow, ensure a consistent downward slope from the sink. This prevents water from getting trapped in dips.
For those with full-length furniture, a popular spot for the fresh water container (up to 20l) is next to the driver’s side wheel arch, tucked into the campervan’s side furniture. This location allows easy access via the rear doors. More importantly, it optimizes storage space at the front of the van. Check out Fig 1 and 2 for reference.
In smaller furniture designs or removable pod units, the campervan sink’s water and waste are typically stored in the lower compartment. This placement allows for easy access and removal. The capacity is usually around 10 to 12 liters. Refer to Fig 3 for a clearer picture.
It is easiest to pre-plan the route for pipes and drill relevant holes before the sink is fitted in place.
An 18mm clearance hole through the furniture board is used for fresh water pipe routing and a 25mm hole for waste water pipe. See Fig 4.
The waste pipe route for the campervan sink can vary. It can lead to an onboard waste container, similar in size to the fresh water one. This is usually stored within the van’s internal cupboards. You’ll often see this setup in removable pod units (refer to Fig 4).
Alternatively, the waste pipe could exit through the van floor. This ends with a short tail underneath the van. From here, it can be directed into a portable waste container as needed (see Fig 5).
The last option for managing waste water from your campervan sink is to direct the waste pipe through the floor and into an under-vehicle waste tank. This setup works best for larger van conversions or motorhomes. It’s also a good choice if you need to carry more water, like when installing a shower (see Fig 6).
Fitting
First, cut the shape needed for the campervan sink. Most sinks come with a full-size cutting template. Be sure to leave enough room for the waste kit and tap under the sink.
It’s usually simpler to install the tap into the sink before fitting it into your worktop (see Fig 7). This provides better access to the sink’s underside to tighten the fixing nuts. However, hold off on installing the waste kit at this stage.
Start by threading the water and waste pipes through any clearance holes in your furniture. Next, position the campervan sink but don’t secure it yet. You might need to lift the sink to attach the water pipe to the tap.
At this point, the sink should be loosely positioned. The waste and water pipes should be threaded through and extended by about 200mm each end.
Now, place the fresh water container and thread the water pipe and pump wire through the top cap. If you’re using a 2-part lid design (like our 10l and 12l containers), fit the water pipe through the middle hole and the pump wire through the smaller side hole. Ensure both fit snugly (see Fig 8).
If you’re using a more basic single piece lid then a single hole is drilled in the top, 18-20mm in diameter. Both the water and pump wire must pass through the same hole, the fitting needs to be snug but also allow the cap to be rotated around the water pipe so that it can be unscrewed.
First, make sure the water pipe is long enough to fully remove the water container from the storage cupboard (see Fig 9). If it’s too short, removing and refilling the water container could be challenging.
Ensure the water pump touches the container’s bottom inside the furniture cupboard. Attach the water pipe to the pump stem using a stainless-steel hose clip.
Next, bring a 12v twin-core cable from your 12v battery or Power Management Unit to the campervan sink end. The 12v cable should have a 5-10 amp fuse close to the battery. You can use a leisure battery or your main vehicle battery as a power source.
If power comes directly from a power management unit like the PMS3 or PC180, a suitable fuse will already be in the unit.
Remember, remove the fuse from the circuit during installation.
Finally, connect the pump, tap, and battery cabling as shown in the diagrams below (see Fig 10). Leave each cable slightly longer so you can tie up the cable loom once installation is complete.
Alternatively, a connection/junction box can be used, the connections can be seen below in Fig 11. The wiring diagram shows a basic looping circuit with the tap operating as an inline switch. When the tap lever is lifted the circuit is completed allowing the pump to activate.
The tap micro-switch cables might look identical. If so, it doesn’t matter how you connect the tap wires. Sometimes, both cables are white, but the negative one has a black line running its length. In some taps, brown means (+) and blue means (-). In others, red is (+) and black is (-).
Next, secure the connected water pipe to the furniture side about 200-300mm below the campervan sink tap. This prevents pressure on the tap stem, which could cause leaks (see Fig 12).
Connect the water pipe to the tap using a hose/jubilee clip. Some taps have fixed tails, while others have flexible ones (see Fig 13).
Now, connect the waste pipe to the waste kit. Heating it in hot water makes it more flexible and easier to attach to the waste kit stem. A hose clip is optional. Do this before fitting the waste kit to the campervan sink underside.
Avoid over-tightening the waste kit as its thread insert, usually housed in a plastic surround, can easily get damaged.
Finally, secure all pipes/cables with suitable clips. Reinstall the fuse, turn on the tap, and check the system for leaks (see Fig 14).
You can download a printable PDF version of this how to guide here.
