Last weekend while the weather was nice I did a little upgrading to our outdoor kitchen at camp. I’ve needed a place to wash off muddy hands and someplace I could wash dishes. In the past we would just use water from the rain barrel for handwashing but that meant stooping down and sometimes when you are tired you may just want a quicker way to get the water.
The rainwater from the barrel is not drinkable, so this is only a solution for quick cleanups and we are always safe with how we use water on the property. For dish washing the water is always boiled and we bring water from home. The way I’ve plumbed this sink I could also connect it to 5-gallon water bottles from home and eliminate the need to constantly boil water for washing.
The pump is powered by a 12v battery and I also have a small solar panel which can keep the battery charged when needed.
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This setup was simple and only used the following parts:
- 12V, 35 Ah Sealed Lead Acid Battery (small solar battery so it fits in the ammo can)
- Ammo Can (weather proof battery and cable storage – measure to make sure your battery will fit inside)
- 12v Pressure Diaphragm Water Pump with Faucet/Tap and Pressure Switch
- Wells Stainless Steel Single Bowl Sink (found mine cheap as an Amazon open box return)
- Camco Flexible Camper/RV Drain
- 3/8″ ID PVC Vinyl Tubing
- Small hose clamps if needed for attaching the tubing to the pump
I purchased these parts over the past two years and finally got around to taking it to camp. I worked out all the wiring of the pump at home to save some time when installing. I’m not an electrician but the pump came with a wiring diagram.
The PVC hoses are easy to disconnect which will come in handy this winter for winterizing camp.
Since the water from the sink will need to be able to drain somewhere I used a camper RV drain kit which screws to the bottom of the sink and has a flexible drain hose that I mounted to the back leg of the kitchen under the sink. Biodegradable – nature friendly soap will be used and the sink water will be collected in a 5-gallon bucket for proper disposal.
I mounted the pump under the counter so that it would be out of the weather and out of site. The kitchen counter is not connected so the boards can be removed for easy access to the pump.
I made a short video of the process so that you can get an idea of the whole process.
I also mounted one of my Lehman’s Oil Lamps above the sink. I love all types of oil lamps! It slips out of its holder so that it can be stored inside the tent when we aren’t “home”. The blue box is the controller for the solar panel but I haven’t yet decided if I’ll mount it permanently. If I do mount it I’ll need to find something to cover the USB ports or the dirt (mud) dauber will fill them for me.
All cleaned up and ready for camping! The sink is not yet attached but I hope to finish that part up this coming weekend.
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