Best Camper Van Sinks – Which Are the Best for Van Life?

Selecting the right style of camper sink for your van conversion is one of the most important decisions during the plumbing process. That’s because you will use your sink countless times throughout your day to prepare meals, wash dishes, brush your teeth, and occasionally wash your hair. It’s one of those van life items you use daily 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 equipped with accessories that have been instrumental to van life.

In this post, we will discuss some of the key attributes that all RV sinks should have and detail why we believe this Ruvati model is the best sinks for camper vans.

So, if you’re ready, let’s get started!

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases. Though we may earn a commission, the price you pay always remains the same.

Three Critical Attributes for a Camper Van Sink

Below are three of the most important attributes we believe camper sinks must have.

1. Spacious, But Compact

Though space inside your camper van or RV is limited, it doesn’t mean you’re obligated to buy a small sink. We often see camper sinks that are extremely space-efficient but impractical for everyday 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 only for hand washing, not for day-to-day dish cleaning.

2. Deep

A proper dishwashing sink must be deep enough to hold your largest 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.

What We Like About the Ruvati RV Sink

We love that our Ruvati sink was explicitly made for camper vans and RVs. This includes the overall shape and all the different accessories that come with the sink. In the picture below, you can see all the parts included in the Ruvati sink.

1. Large Interior Dimensions

The interior bowl dimensions of the Ruvati RV sink are as follows:

• 11.5″ Side-To-Side
• 11.5″ Front-To-Back
• 9″ Deep

These dimensions have been perfect for us to 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 dishes & cookware inside the sink.

We carry some relatively large dishes, frying pans, and pots in our cabinets, but our camper’s sink quickly takes care of them all.

2. Useful Included Accessories

Because our sink was manufactured specifically for campers, the Ruvati sink comes with several accessories that come in handy for van life. These accessories include:

Dish Colander

One of our favorite sink accessories is the colander. At campsites 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 finish 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 it 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, which sits on the bottom of the Ruvati sink, is a great addition. This wire grid allows us to set our dishes inside the sink without 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 just a high-quality product in general. The stainless steel bowl is easy to clean, doesn’t rust or dent, and is scratch-resistant.

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 worthwhile if you can manage it. If you’ve read any other posts in our van build guide, you’ll know 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 features similar to the Ruvati sink but at 40% of the price.

Popular Camper Van Sink Accessories

Below, we listed several of the most popular accessories for camper van sinks.

• Pull-down faucet
• Drain
• Grey water tank

Pull-Down Faucet

No sink setup is complete without a faucet. And the shape and style of the faucet can really make or break your van life cooking experience. In our experience, you don’t want to have to prepare meals and wash up afterward with a tiny faucet. It just makes the whole experience a frustrating nightmare.

That’s why we recommend using a full-size pull-down faucet. Models like the one we recommend below point directly down into the middle of the sink, making meal prep and dishwashing duty quick and effortless.

Need more info? Read our camper van faucet post to learn why we recommend these full-size faucets.

Camco Drain

A drain tube must be fitted underneath the sink to lead the dirty water to the grey water tank. There are several ways to piece together a complicated tubing system, but in our experience, the Camco drain hose is the quickest, easiest, and cheapest solution. The flexible hose also makes it one of the most space-efficient options for van conversions.

Grey Water Jerry Can

We recommend using portable jerry cans to hold the dirty water from the sink. We use this 6-gallon Reliance water container in our camper van and love its convenience. The container is easy to dump at any public restroom, and the jerry can is small enough to fit under the sink efficiently.

For more information on how to build your own plumbing system, download our free plumbing diagrams eBook.

How To Install a Camper Van Sink

You’ll need water tanks, plumbing tubes, a water pump, and much more to build a complete sink system.

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

Final Thought: Don’t Make Dish Washing Even More Cumbersome

We understand dishwashing is no fun and is an inconvenient chore, especially when you’re tired from traveling after each day.

But dishwashing can become a quick and easy process with the right RV sink, though it might still not be exciting.

We also believe that when dishwashing 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 choose to cook ourselves.

To get a more in-depth look at our kitchen and everything in it, read our camper van kitchen essentials.

Please let us know in the comments section below if you have any camper van sink questions.

Happy building!