5 of the Best RV Sinks: Upgrade Your RV’s Kitchen & Bathroom

Whether your RV sink has seen better days or whether it’s just not as useful as you’d like based on faucet height or some other feature, it’s generally a pretty simple upgrade as long as a few things remain standard.

Most RVs have two sinks – one in the kitchen/galley, and one in the bathroom. Some very large rigs have more than one bathroom and, of course, each bathroom generally has a sink.

Whether your kitchen sink or a bathroom sink (or both!) need an upgrade, replacing most camper sinks is a DIY project that you can likely take on if you desire to do so.

Otherwise, if you’d prefer to have professional assistance, any plumber can replace an RV sink. You shouldn’t need to take your rig to an RV repair shop for this upgrade, although if you choose to replace your existing sink with a standard residential sink, it’s possible that adapters will be required for your RV plumbing.

Let’s talk about the simplicity of upgrading your rig with a sink replacement (or two)!

What’s an RV Sink?

An RV sink is just like any other sink. Hot and cold water are plumbed to the sink and fixtures open and close the tap to deliver hot and cold water.

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 & bricks house.

There may, however, be differences in the materials from which a sink manufactured for use in an RV are constructed.

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 RV bathrooms and many RV kitchens is made of plastic because plastic sinks are lightweight and are also the least expensive.

The downside to plastic sinks is that they can sometimes crack and can stain & scratch easily.

Acrylic

Acrylic sinks are less prone to cracking and staining.

They’re molded using heat and typically have a strong fiberglass backing.

Corian/Solid Surface

Corian is a popular brand of solid-surface, non-porous material made from 1/3 acrylic polymer and 2/3 natural minerals. (See our post entitled, “How Do You Clean a Badly Stained Corian Sink? for more information on Corian.) It offers a high-end appearance along with durability.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel sinks are more commonly found in kitchens in RVs, not generally in bathroms.

Stainless steel sinks are generally durable, but they tend to scratch, and they’re also a heavier option.

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.

A porcelain sink is extremely scratch and stain-resistant, but does weigh more than just about any other option.

How Is an RV Sink Generally Mounted?

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-mounted sink is a less expensive option than an under-mounted sink and is easier to install. They also tend to work well with any type of countertop because the edge of the countertop is completely covered by the lip of the sink.

The downside is that you can’t wipe anything on the counter directly into the sink… the lip of the sink overlapping the counter prevents that.

Under-Mounted

With an under-mounted RV sink, the sink itself is set under the counter, and the edge of the sink is set below the countertop.

Under-mounted sinks are more expensive, and it’s generally recommended to have them professionally installed. This is because under-mounted sinks need to be very 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 potential for chipping the edge of the counter with heavy pots and pans.

But, 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.

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, the RV’s age and 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 not only take careful measurements of the dimensions of your current RV sink, depth included, but you’ll also need to consider the plumbing beneath the sink 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 purchase the basin with the placement of the 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 our 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.

However, it’s imperative that you take very careful measurements before attempting to do this.

Obviously, the length and width of the sink hole are very important, of course, but you’ll need to ensure 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 RV 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 sink 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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