Use One of These 5 RV Sink Options to Upgrade Your RV’s Bathroom/Kitchen

Whether the sink(s) in your RV are aged or damaged, or you’d simply prefer a different design, replacing an RV’s kitchen or bathroom sinks can be a pretty straightforward upgrade.

Most RVs have two sinks – one in the kitchen/galley, and one in the bathroom. Some larger rigs have more than one bathroom, and, of course, each bathroom generally has a sink. Our Mountain Aire had a split bathroom — the shower and main sink in one area, with the toilet and a second smaller sink in a separate, private room (the WC).

Whether your kitchen sink or bathroom sink (or both) needs an upgrade, replacing most camper sinks is a DIY project that you can likely handle. If you’d prefer to have professional assistance, any plumber can replace an RV sink, so you shouldn’t need to take your rig to an RV repair shop. If you want to replace your existing sink with a standard residential sink, it’s possible that some adapters might be required for your plumbing, so be prepared.

Let’s talk about upgrading your rig with a replacement kitchen or bathroom sink.

What’s an RV Sink?

Really, an RV sink functions pretty much just like any other sink. Hot and cold water are plumbed into the faucet, and the sink directs waste water down the drain. In this sense, there’s virtually no difference between the way the plumbing is laid out and the way the fixtures operate in an RV sink vs a sink in a sticks-and-bricks house.

There may, however, be differences in the materials from which a sink is manufactured for use in an RV. That’s especially true in smaller rigs, where space and weight can be a bigger issue.

What Are RV Kitchen and Bathroom Sinks Made Of?

Most RV kitchen sinks are made of either stainless steel, acrylic, plastic, or Corian.

Plastic

The most common type of sink found in many RV bathrooms and kitchens is made of plastic. That’s especially true in smaller, less expensive rigs because they’re lightweight and cheaper (both the RVs and the sinks). The downside to plastic sinks is that they can sometimes crack, and they also stain & scratch more easily. Their construction and lighter weight also give them a cheaper look and feel.

Acrylic

Acrylic sinks are less prone to cracking and staining than plastic. They’re molded using heat and typically have a solid fiberglass backing.

Corian/Solid Surface

Corian is a popular brand of solid-surface material made from 1/3 acrylic polymer and 2/3 natural minerals. It offers a high-end appearance along with good durability. Our Mountain Aire had Corian counters and sinks, and we were really happy with them. See our post “How Do You Clean a Badly Stained Corian Sink? for more information on maintaining them.

Stainless Steel

On RVs, stainless steel sinks are more commonly found in kitchens than in bathrooms, although not always. Our new Outdoors RV 19MKS travel trailer has stainless steel sinks in both locations. Stainless steel is generally very durable, but it can get scratched. It’s also a bit heavier than the lightest-weight options, so may not be as desirable in very small RVs where weight considerations are high.

Porcelain

Occasionally, you may find a bathroom sink in an RV that’s made of porcelain. This is likely to be a surface-mounted, vessel-style bathroom sink, and usually in higher-end rigs. Porcelain is extremely scratch- and stain-resistant but weighs more than just about any other option.

How Is an RV Sink Generally Mounted?

As in a sticks-and-bricks house, RV sinks are either top-mounted or under-mounted.

Top-Mounted

A top-mounted RV sink is mounted through the top of the counter. These are sometimes referred to as “drop-in sinks”.

A top-mount sink is a less expensive option than an under-mounted model and is easier to install. They also tend to work well with any type of counter because the lip of the sink completely covers the edge of the countertop. The downside is that you can’t wipe anything on the counter directly into the sink, since the lip of the sink overlapping the counter prevents that.

Under-Mounted

With an under-mount RV sink, the sink itself is installed from under the counter, so the edge of the sink is below the countertop.

Under-mounted sinks are more expensive, and it’s generally recommended to have them professionally installed. This is because they need to be well sealed so that water can’t leak into the gap between the counter and the sink. Another downside to an under-mounted sink, when used in the kitchen, is the higher potential for chipping the edge of the counter with heavy pots and pans.

On the plus side, under-mounting allows you to easily wipe anything on the counter (water, crumbs, etc) into the sink since there’s no overlapping lip like in a top-mounted sink. All three Corian sinks in our Mountain Aire were under-mounted, which we think provides a higher-end look and feel.

Are RV Sinks a Standard Size?

RV sinks are not a standard size. Sink drain holes are usually standard at 2 ⅛”, but the sizes and shapes of RV sinks can vary widely depending on the RV type, age, size, and a number of other factors. This is why it’s especially important to take proper measurements when you’re planning an RV sink replacement.

You’ll want to carefully check the dimensions of your current RV sink, including the depth, but you’ll also need to consider the plumbing beneath it and the placement of the fixtures. Are they mounted through the sink itself, or just through the countertop, and how many holes are there?

If you’re replacing the fixtures of your RV sink as well, you can simply purchase them together and rest assured that the sink will have the proper placement for the fixtures. But if you’re replacing only the sink basin itself, you’ll need to choose one with the placement of fixtures in mind.

Note that some RVs, ours included, are equipped with standard residential faucets. However, the plumbing in an RV can be slightly different from standard residential plumbing. For information and a video tutorial on how we upgraded the faucets in our motorhome, check out our post and video on RV faucet replacement.

Can You Replace an RV Sink with a Residential Sink?

In many cases, you can use a residential sink to replace your RV sink. This is most likely to work in the kitchen instead of the bathroom, particularly if you have a smaller RV. But again, it’s important to take careful measurements before attempting to do this.

The size and position of the faucet holes are important, but you’ll also want to make sure the lip of the new sink works on the RV counter space. You’ll also need to make absolutely sure that the depth of the sink you purchase will fit into the space beneath your countertop. And again, you’ll need to consider the placement of fixtures and the plumbing beneath the RV sink.

5 of the Most Popular RV Replacement Sinks

Here are five replacement sinks for RV kitchens and bathrooms.

RecPro RV Double Stainless Steel Sink

This 17″D x 27″W x 16″H double stainless steel sink is a popular choice for RV kitchens with double basins.

This self-rimming, top-mounted (drop-in) sink is a standard RV size for a double-basin kitchen sink. It has a brushed stainless appearance and weighs 10.38 pounds. This model will replace a plastic double-basin RV sink of the same size and will likely be more durable and easier to clean.

Elkay Dayton Single Bowl Drop-in Stainless Steel Bar Sink

Many smaller RVs use kitchen or bathroom sinks that are the size of a bar sink. Bar sinks work very well in RV applications (if the size matches). This top-mounted, drop-in sink is made of high-quality 300 series stainless steel. The dimensions of this sink are 15″D x 15″W x 5.2″H and it has a 2″ drain hole. It weighs 2 pounds.

RecPro Oval RV Bathroom Sink

Here’s an inexpensive oval RV sink from RecPro that fits into a 20″ x 17″ space. Full dimensions are 17″D x 19.5″W x 6.5″H, and the sink (without hardware) weighs 1.55 pounds, making it a lightweight choice. Made of scratch-resistant plastic, this drop-in sink is appropriate for faucet systems that use three holes.

RecPro RV Rectangle Bathroom Sink w/Brushed Nickel Teapot Faucet

This RecPro RV bathroom sink comes with brushed nickel fixtures to replace the entire sink unit. This is a plastic sink with dimensions of 14-3/4″ x 12-1/4″ x 6″ and a weight of 3.1 pounds. The faucet height is 6 inches.

RV Caravan or Boat Hand-Wash Basin

This type of sink is frequently found as a feature of smaller Class B RVs and van campers. This stainless steel basin sink has a folding faucet and a tempered glass lid. The faucet can be rotated 360° for versatile use, and the tempered glass lid can serve as additional counter space when closed.

The underside of the basin has a rubber “silencing pad” designed to dampen noise when water hits the sink. The dimensions of this sink unit are 14.57″D x 16.54″W x 6.3″H, and the sink itself is made of 304 series stainless steel.

How to Remove an Old RV Sink

If you’d like some assistance removing your old RV sink, here’s a video that does a great job of laying out the process.

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