Installing a sink and faucet in a camper van is important if you plan to cook meals in your vehicle. But you don’t need to have a fancy, complicated water system just to deliver clean water to the sink. In fact, you can easily do just fine with a simple removable water container, a pump, and a few other components.
In our camper van, we carry a 7-gallon water tank that is easy to remove and fill wherever we have access to clean water and we have a portable grey water tank that we can dump in any public toilet. It’s easy, convenient, and practical for life on the road.
In this post, we show you how to build a camper van sink & faucet system that is simple to install and flexible, depending on your travel style. Whether you enjoy staying at full-service RV parks or wild camping, this simple water system can excel in both environments.
By the end, you’ll be able to install the very same water system as in the diagram below.
In the diagram above, we use a portable water container, which we use and prefer. But in this post, we will ALSO show you how to connect to an RV-specific fixed water tank.
So if you’re ready, let’s get started.
Step 1:
Choose Sink, Faucet, & Water Tank
If you haven’t already, you should choose which sink, faucet, and water tank type you will use because you need to know the dimensions of each product in order to plan their location.
(If you already know which products you will be using, skip to Step 2)
Sink Recommendation
We use a 15×15″ Ruvati Sink specifically manufactured for RVs & camper vans. The sink is spacious, deep, and it’s robust design holds up well against the daily grind of van life. (Read our Ruvati Sink review for more info.)
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.
Faucet Recommendation
We love our goose neck faucet, which comes with a 2-way spray nozzle. The faucet head easily detaches from its mount to make cleaning dishes a breeze. Read our faucet review for more info.
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.
Water Tank Recommendation
Water tanks for camper vans come in many different shapes and sizes. There are fixed water tanks and there are removable containers (i.e. jerry cans). Each style has their own pros and cons.
Read our water tanks post to learn more.
While fixed water tanks are great if you plan to stay at RV parks with water hookups, we prefer portable water containers for maximum flexibility. These plastic water jugs are easier to take out and fill in a diverse range of environments, including gas stations, National Park campsites, Walmarts, and when traveling internationally (e.g. Mexico).
Product Recommendation: This removable 7-gallon tank lasts us ~4 days. Because the tank can be removed (with a quick-release fitting), it is easy to fill and clean. Useful cap design for attaching a PEX straw to draw water. Hard rigid plastic is durable for van life.
PEX Pipe Recommendation
Throughout our plumbing diagrams, you will see thick blue and red lines. These are PEX pipes and we recommend using them to plumb the water lines between the water tanks, faucet, and showers. PEX is lightweight and easy to cut & connect. It is the preferred option when compared to standard copper pipes and PVC tubes.
The below PEX starter kit comes with blue and red pipes, fittings, crimp clasps, and all tools.
Convenient all-in-one plumbing kit. Includes blue & red 1/2" PEX pipe, ring clasps, brass fittings, and assembly tools. Everything you need to get started ASAP.
Step 2:
Plan Sink Install Location
Planning the layout ahead of time is a smart choice because space inside the van is limited and you’ll want to maximize the efficiency of your space usage. Making a layout plan also helps you know the dimensions of your kitchen counter before constructing it.
In the diagram below you can see how we accounted for the sink area, which includes our fresh and grey water tanks. area in this bird’s eye view of our van layout plan. We also made room for a fixed water tank under our benches, which is to feed our outdoor shower.
We used Adobe Illustrator to make our layout plans, but you can create a similar diagram using any free drawing software that you already have on your computer. To learn more how you can make your own floor plan, check out our camper van layout creator.
Step 3A:
Connect Portable Container To Pump
Follow step 3A if you will be using a portable water container. If you opt for a fixed RV tank, skip to Step 3B.
3A-1: Modify Tank Cap
Water containers, in general, weren’t designed with the intent of being integrated into a plumbing system. They were manufactured just to hold water and to dispense the water through a spout or spigot.
Therefore, we will modify the tank cap so that the container can connect to a water pump and have water drawn from it.
Important To Know:
If you are following our guide, we highly recommend the 7-gallon Reliance Aqua-Tainer. The cap of this particular tank has a threaded center hole (originally to fit a spigot) that we will take advantage of.
Cap Modification Diagram
Follow the diagram below to connect the water container cap to the appropriate fittings. The blue PEX pipe will be inserted into the tank and acts as a straw that draws water from the bottom of the container. Scroll past this diagram to see how this modified cap looks in real life.
Hover over the yellow circles for more product-specific information.
If you follow the diagram above, you should end up with a tank cap that looks like in the photos below (we used red PEX instead of the blue PEX that is in the diagram). All the components fit together into one complete unit.
NOTE: You may need to insert additional rubber washers to ensure a tight fit between fittings.
Materials List
Aside from the water container, below are the four additional components you will need to connect to the container’s cap.
Perfect all-in-one starter plumbing kit. Includes all basic materials & tools.
Inserts through Reliance cap's threaded hole and attaches to NPT-GHT adapter.
Adapter to switch from NPT to GHT threads.
Makes it easy to separate the water tank from the water system to refill with water.
3A-2: Connect To Water Pump
Follow the diagram below to connect the water container to the water pump.
Materials List
The Shurflo water pump is one of the most popular 12V pumps used in van conversion. It’s what we use. It provides strong water pressure and easily connects to the leisure batteries.
Compact electric water pump for camper vans & RVs. Can be installed in any direction and comes with attached wires to connect to the leisure batteries. Recommend to purchase filter, accumulator, and silencing kit to complete pump installation.
Below is a list of all the other components you will need for complete this section.
Connects to quick connect fitting via GHT threading and changes to NPT threading.
Reduces vibration from the pump, helping to quiet water pump when in operation.
Filters out harmful particles before they enter the water pump and cause damage.
Once your completed, skip the below Step 3B (for fixed tanks) and head straight to Step 4 to connect the water pump to the faucet & sink.
Step 3B:
Connect Fixed RV Tank To Pump
In this step, we connect a fixed RV tank to the water pump. Although fixed tanks cannot be removed for water refill, they have the advantage of being able to hold more water than portable water containers.
3B-1: Fixed Tank Set Up
A typical fixed water tank has four ports.
- Air vent port
- Water inlet/fill port
- Drain port
- Water outlet port (to pump)
Before connecting the tank to the water pump (via the outlet port), we show you how to connect the other three ports.
NOTE: For the water inlet/fill port, we provide two filling options. You will need to choose which one to use.
Materials List
Below is the list of materials you’ll need to set up the fixed water tank.
Connects to fixed water tank and allows water to drain out of tank.
Attaches to fixed water tank and connects to 1/2" ID braided hose.
Clamp's 1/2" ID braided hose onto 1/2" barb fitting.
Plugs RV tank's water inlet port to prevent leak. (Used in conjunction with Camco water fill tube).
Inserts into fixed water tank to fill tank with water.
Connects the water inlet dish to the recommended spouted water tank.
Attaches to van's exterior and allows you to fill water tank from a public source.
3B-2: Fixed Tank To Pump
Below is the diagram that will connect the fixed tank to the water pump.
Materials List
The Shurflo water pump is one of the most popular 12V pumps used in van conversion. It’s what we use. It provides strong water pressure and easily connects to the leisure batteries.
Compact electric water pump for camper vans & RVs. Can be installed in any direction and comes with attached wires to connect to the leisure batteries. Recommend to purchase filter, accumulator, and silencing kit to complete pump installation.
Below is the list of materials to connect the water tank to the pump.
Perfect all-in-one starter plumbing kit. Includes tubing, basic fittings, and tools.
Reduces vibration from the pump, helping to quiet the pump when in operation.
Filters out harmful particles before they enter the water pump and cause damage.
Compact electric water pump for camper vans & RVs.
In the next step, we show you how to connect the water pump to the faucet and sink.
Step 4:
Connect The Water Pump To The Faucet & Sink
Regardless of if you chose to use a portable water container (Step 3A) or a fixed RV water tank (Step 3B), following Step 4 will show you how to connect the water pump to the faucet and sink.
Refer to the plumbing diagram below to see which components you’ll need to complete the system.
Materials List
Below is the list of materials to complete this section.
Required adapter to attach water pump to accumulator.
Maintains water pressure to help deliver a smoother flow of water to the faucet.
Makes 90-degree turns in your PEX pipe tubing.
Connects to the faucet's water inlet tubes & PEX pipe.
We've been using this exact faucet for over 4 years and love it.
Installation Steps
- Attach the water pump to female-female adapter.
- Connect the female-female adapter to the accumulator.
- Attach the accumulator to the pump silencer tube.
- Connect silencer to the 1/2″ PEX to 1/2″ NPT Male adapter.
- Connect the adapter to 1/2″ PEX pipe.
- Using PEX elbows to direct the PEX pipe towards the PEX to 3/8″ angle valve.
- Connect the stop valve to the faucet’s inlet tubes.
Step 5:
Connect Sink To Grey Water Tank
The last step is to connect the sink to the grey water tank. In the below diagram, we use a portable jerry can to collect the used water. (Hover over the yellow markers for more product-specific information)
Material List
Below is a table listing all the products you’ll need to complete this step.
Perfect high-quality sink for van life. Spacious, tough, and comes with useful accessories.
Best drain tube for camper vans & RVs. Connects to any sink threading and comes with flexible hose to direct water to grey water tank.
Ideal container for grey water since Camco sink drain fits snuggly into funnel, when inverted inside container.
Installation Steps
- Attach the Camco sink drain hose to the drain under the sink.
- Stick the other end of the drain hose into the grey water tank.
Additional Reading
- Read our Ruvati Sink review
Enjoy reading? Check out our van “Plumbing” category page for more similar content.
Conclusion: Building A Camper Van Sink System Is Easier Than You Think
And there you have it! We hope you found our camper van sink setup guide informational and insightful.
If you followed our diagrams piece-by-piece, we’re sure you’ll have set up your camper sink in no time. For other useful plumbing articles, be sure to check out the links below.
For more general build information, be sure to read our camper van conversion guide, with over 80+ articles.
Happy plumbing!
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