Vanlife Customs 101: Camper Van DIY Sink and Water System
Six years ago Dave, our fearless leader, built his first van in a backyard in Boulder, Colorado. One conversion lead to another, and Vanlife Customs has been rocking and rolling ever since. Long story short, we love supporting the DIY community because that’s where we started.
So, after dozens of emails, posts, comments and calls - we’ve decided it’s about time we start sharing some of the stuff that took us a few years to figure out. We will do our best to post other “how to’s” when we can. Please be patient with us, we’re a small shop with a lot going on :)
Without further adieu, this is the DIY version of a Vanlife Customs sink and water system.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
Two 7-gallon water tanks (one fresh water - one gray water)
14" Stainless Steel Sink with drain
Braided Stainless Steel Faucet Connector
Camco Anti Rust Flexible Camper Drain Tap with Hose System
Power Switch Push Button
Wire Connector for Push Button Switch
PVC + FITTINGS
Garden Hose Quick Connect
1/2" Male to 1/2" PVC Pipe Adapter
1/2” to 3/4” Hose Barb
3/4” x 1/2” Brass Garden Hose Adapter
19 1/2” of 1/2" PVC Pipe
NYLON TUBING + FITTINGS
1/2” x 3/4” Braided Vinyl Hose Tubing
Flojet Water Pump Port Kit (comes with pump)
Two 1/2” Hose Clamps
OVERVIEW
This DIY sink set-up was designed to be as simple, repairable, and as convenient as we could build it. All parts are readily available and the 7 gallon tanks are large enough to hold adequate water but small enough that they can be filled and emptied with ease.
MATERIALS
STEP 1:
Assemble the PVC + FITTINGS. This is the pick up line which will be inserted into your fresh water tank.
STEP 2:
Assemble the NYLON TUBING + FITTINGS. This will be the pick up tube which feeds the water pump.
STEP 3:
Mount and wire the water pump and power switch. If you aren’t comfortable with electrical we highly recommend enlisting the help of a friend or a professional for this step. Please read and refer to the instructions on both the pump and the push button switch.
Mount the pump and switch
Wire the pump to the switch. (We removed the green wire that is included on the push button wire connector. This wire keeps the blue LED light on at all times. We prefer to have the light on only when the pump is powered on.)
Wire the switch to the van. In this case the green wire is our hot wire and the black is our ground wire.
Step 4:
Install the sink and faucet. In this version, we use a cold water only faucet.
Step 5:
Connect all of the plumbing.
Step 6:
Give yourself a pat on the back, and pour yourself a tall glass of water from your new sink!
Please let us know what other Vanlife Customs 101 topics you would like us to cover in the comments below, or email us with your ideas!
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