Introduction

Pretty near the top of my wish list in a basic campervan conversion would be a sink with a tap and running water.  Its pretty easy to install a cold water system, so why not!

Well, you obviously need a unit to house the sink and somewhere secure to store the water tank as well as a power supply.  Hopefully you will have already dealt with the power issue by installing a second battery (see Electrics). 

Installing Running Water in a Campervan

You need:

• A sink unit (often combined with a stove)
• A tap with integrated switch to turn the pump on
• A small submersible water pump
• Enough water pipe / hose
• A fresh water tank
• A waste water tank (unless you plan to stick the waste through the floor - only recommended if you only ever plan to be parked up somewhere where this will be acceptable!)
• A length of corrugated black waste water pipe

Most of the things you need to set up your own campervan water system are available in our online shop.  All this should set you back less than a couple of hundred pounds, and in my van I sourced all this for around £100.  As with all things in your conversion installing running water requires a fair amount of forethought and preparation to get things in a good place.  I planned out where things would fit before embarking on any alterations.  The key issues are:

• Having space for a reasonable sized water tank (mine is 30L which gives enough water for just under a week if you're primarily using it for drinking and cooking).  Remember you will need to access this to fill the tank frequently but it also makes sense for this to be reasonably near the sink so as to cut down on the length of pipe required.  This also puts less pressure on the small water pump.  You will also want to remove the tank occassionally to give it a good clean, so try to make it relatively easy to remove - I have a plywood panel screwed over my tank so that once a year or so I just have to unscrew 6 screws to take the tank out completely - this also makes replacement an easy proposition.
• Equally important is a wastewater tank, preferably a good size so you don't have to empty it every few washes, again sited near and below the sink.
• Room and access to fit the piping required between the water supply and the sink and the sink and wastewater tank.
• Access and a way to connect to a power supply for the water pump and tap.

I have sink/stove combi which is situated in a unit at the side of the van under the sliding window (for ventillation while cooking).  The water tank is in a unit to the right of the stove, upright with a small hatch for access and refilling.  The waste tank is down on the floor to the left of the unit.  I've gone for a compromise between the space required for the tank and the need to refill.

Many people seem to think that the whole tap, pump, water tank thing is complicated but it really isn't even slightly.  For sure adding hot water starts to get a bit more involved, but just adding cold drinking water to a campervan conversion is dead simple and is a hugely desirable and cheap addition to any campervan conversion - so what are you waiting for!

Questions

Q: How do you stop the wastewater tank getting all festy?

A: Good question!!  The best solution is a combination of things - The main solution is to minimise the amount of waste food, drink and chemicals e.g. soap, toothpaste etc which you wash away down the sink and to clean out your wastewater tank regularly.   Alternatively, don't worry about using it for whatever but replace your tank reguarly.  I used an old car windscreen wash tank which will be cheap and easy to change.

Q: I'm thinking of putting a shower in my campervan and need hot water.  How do I do this?

A: Simply, you need some form of water heater - many campervan water heaters have a gas burner.  Some also have a mains electricity heating element which can be operated at the same time as the burner to heat things more quickly.   Most campervan water heaters are now of the 'storage' variety meaning it does take a little time for the water to heat up and you are restricted by the volume which can be stored (which has implications on space).  However, instantaneous water heaters (which as the name suggests heat water instantly) are no longer recommended by the NCC which advises that these should be replaced by approved storage heaters.