Selecting the right type of camper sink for your van conversion is one of the most important decisions during the plumbing process. That’s because you will be using your sink countless times throughout your day to prepare meals, wash dishes, brush your teeth, and also the occasional hair wash. It’s one of those van life items that you use every day and take for granted, but hardly ever think about and appreciate.
We understood that we would be utilizing our sink every single day. So we splurged and bought the Ruvati RV sink. And four years later, this sink has been worth every dollar. It’s made of solid industrial materials, spacious, and comes equipped with accessories that have been instrumental to van life.
We love our Ruvati sink. Spacious design and solid stainless steel construction will meet your demands for a high-quality & robust sink solution. Includes cutting board & drying rack, which nestles inside the sink during driving days. Makes dish-washing duty a breeze.
In this post, we will discuss some of the key attributes that all RV sinks should have and detail why we believe the Ruvati RV sink is the best sink for camper vans.
So if you’re ready, let’s get started!
Not what you need? Check out our van “Plumbing” category page for more similar content.
3 Critical Attributes For A Camper Van Sink
Below are three of the most important attributes that all camper sinks must have.
1. Spacious, But Compact
Though space inside your camper van or RV is limited, it doesn’t mean you are obligated to buy a small sink. All too often, we see camper sinks that are extremely space efficient but impractical for every day use.
Instead, look for sinks that are square (or rectangular) in shape. Since they provide the most volume per given area, they’re the most space efficient.
Also, stay away from ornamental sink bowls. They’re really only for hand washing, not for day-to-day dish cleaning.
2. Deep
A proper dish washing sink needs to be deep enough to hold your biggest dishes, plates, and cookware. Dealing with shallow sinks is a nightmare.
3. Durable & Easy To Clean
Function over form. A camper sink will experience a lot of heavy use. Get a sink made from a material that won’t be prone to chipping or scratches.
Download our free PDF to help build your van's plumbing & water system. From the fresh water tank to the pump and finally to the faucet and shower, this free eBook has you covered. 12+ pages of detailed diagrams and product recommendations.
What We Like About The Ruvati RV Sink
We love that our Ruvati sink was made specifically for camper vans and RVs. This includes both the overall shape and all the different accessories that come with the sink. In the picture below, you can see all the different parts that are included in the Ruvati sink.
1. Large Interior Dimensions
The interior bowl dimensions of the Ruvati RV sink are:
- 11.5" Side-To-Side
- 11.5" Front-To-Back
- 9" Deep
And for us, these dimensions have been perfect for us to easily clean our dirty dishes, day-after-day. And it may not seem like it at first, but sink depth is an underappreciated, dimension. It’s a critical dimension to consider when you need to fit larger dish & cookware inside the sink.
We carry some fairly large dishes, frying pans, and pots in our cabinets but our camper’s sink easily takes care of them all.
2. Useful Included Accessories
Because our sink was manufactured specifically for campers in mind, the sink comes with a number of accessories that come in very handy for van life. These accessories include:
Dish Colander
One of our favorite sink accessories is the colander. When we are at a campsite with a sink station, we use this ‘dish basket’ daily to transport our dirty & clean dishes back and forth.
The colander also serves as a drying rack and nestles neatly inside the sink when we’re finished washing the dishes. This keeps all our dishes conveniently out of the way to dry.
Hardwood Cutting Board
Also included with the Ruvati sink is a beautiful cutting board made from African Mahogany.
But the best part of this cutting board is that the boards sits perfectly flush to the top of the sink. So you don’t have to worry about storing the board when you’re on the road.
Included Bottom Grid
The included grate that sits on the bottom of the Ruvati sink is a nice addition. This wire grid allows us to set our dishes inside the sink without them touching the sink’s bottom, which is usually wet, gross, and a tad slimy at times.
Also, the wire grid allows the wet dishes to drip away from the colander and freely flow into the drain.
3. High Quality Stainless Steel
The Ruvati RV sink is really just a high quality product in general. The stainless steel bowl is easy to clean, doesn’t rust, doesn’t dent, and is scratch resistant.
We love our Ruvati sink. Spacious design and solid stainless steel construction will meet your demands for a high-quality & robust sink solution. Includes cutting board & drying rack, which nestles inside the sink during driving days. Makes dish-washing duty a breeze.
What We Dislike About The Ruvati RV Sink
It’s no secret, the Ruvati sink is more expensive than your average sink. And we understand that this sink may be outside the budget of many van converters.
But given how often we use our sink and how convenient it is to wash dirty dishes, we think this sink is a worthwhile splurge, if you can manage it. If you’ve read any of our other posts in our van build guide, you’ll know that we’re all about making long-term van life more viable and comfortable. And we think this sink is one of those products that makes nomadic living easier.
Budget Alternative RV Sink
Admittedly, the Ruvati RV Sink isn’t the cheapest option on the market. If staying within a strict budget is a concern for you, we recommend the Valisy sink. It comes with many similar features as the Ruvati sink, but at 40% the price.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
VALISY 15x15 inch 304 Stainless Steel Square Topmount Drop-In Small Workstation Kitchen Bar... |
$159.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
Need a faucet, too? Read why we think our camper faucet is ALSO the best for van life.
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Popular Camper Van Sink Accessories
Below we listed four of the most popular accessories for camper van sinks.
- Faucet – The Ruvati sink accepts almost all types of faucets. This APPASO faucet is our favorite.
- Camco Drain – This drain was made for camper vans in mind and attaches to the bottom of the sink for easy drainage.
- Portable Grey Water Tank – We use this portable jerry can to collect our sink water. It’s easy to dump at any public bathroom or official dump station.
- Fixed Grey Water Tank – For a more RV-friendly alternative, these fixed grey water tanks are a popular choice.
We've been using this exact faucet for over 4 years and love it. We love the two different spray modes, the pull down spray feature, and that the hole faucet swivels out of the way when not needed.
For more information on how to build your own plumbing system: Download our free plumbing diagrams eBook.
How To Install A Ruvati RV Sink
In order to build a complete sink system, you’ll need water tanks, plumbing tubes, a water pump, and much more.
In our other post, we teach you how to build your own sink & faucet system for your camper van. Included in our post are:
- Detailed plumbing diagrams
- Step-by-step instructions
- Individual product suggestions
Enjoyed reading? Check out our van “Plumbing” category page for more similar content.
Final Thought: Don't Make Dish Washing Even More Cumbersome
We understand, dish washing is no fun and is an inconvenient chore, especially when you’re tired from traveling after each day.
But with the right RV sink, though it might still not be exciting, dish washing can be made to become a quick and easy process.
We also believe that when dish washing is easy, it encourages us to cook in our camper van more frequently rather than eating out, which has helped us save money every time we chose to cook ourselves.
To get a more in-depth look of our kitchen and everything in it, be sure to see our camper van kitchen essentials.
Go Back: DIY Campervan Build Guide
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