If you’ve just purchased a caravan, you’re no stranger to the fact that the work has only just begun. A new caravan needs all sorts of add-ons and upgrades before it’s ready to be called a home (even one that’s away-from-home). And if you’ve purchased a used caravan, it probably needs a fair degree of retrofitting in order to fit your specific requirements and preferences. Among the most important upgrades that a caravan (new or old) needs, is a good-quality sink.
The importance of the right caravan sink
Independent parts, appliances and furniture within your caravan can be repaired or replaced without interfering with the rest of your mobile home setup. With the sink, however, the situation is a little different. A leaky sink can spell doom for the fabrics and floor finishes of your caravan. At the very least, it can but the brakes on your caravanning holiday fun, leaving you on your knees mopping up the floor and inspecting all corners of your caravan for water damage.
And there’s more. Like the other parts of your caravan, your sink should have a basic level of quality – enough to prevent frequent repair costs at the very least. It should also be the right size and shape to fit your compact caravan kitchen and ideally contribute towards saving some additional room for other tasks. So let’s run through some important parameters to consider when buying a sink for your caravan.
Sink material
Caravan sinks are typically made of plastic, acrylic, stainless steel or ceramic (or equivalent solid-surface material). Of these, plastic sinks are the cheapest, so if you’re on an exceptionally tight budget, these could do the job for you. Remember, though, that an inexpensive plastic sink will most likely have a short life-span. It’ll be very susceptible to damage in the form of scratches, cracks and eventual breakage. Acrylic or stainless steel sinks are therefore a good investment, offering much longer shelf-lives for a small bump in price. Of these, stainless steel sinks are easier to clean and can emulate the look of your home kitchen. Acrylic versions are good if you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to a solid-surface/ceramic sink. Both acrylic and solid-surface sinks are typically scratch resistant and come in a wide range of colours.
Space saving features
When outfitting your caravan with parts and accessories, maximising its usable space should be your priority. Even your choice of caravan kitchen sink can have an important role to play here. For instance, some caravan sinks are designed with covers that double up as work surface area when the sink is not in use. This amounts to an extra couple of square feet of kitchen counter space – a great bonus for a compact caravan.
Spare parts availability
A caravan’s kitchen sink is hardly a standalone insert. It is closely integrated with your motorhome’s plumbing and functions in conjunction with a full range of parts – drains, plugs, faucets, pipes, and so on. When buying a sink for your caravan, you need to make sure that it is compatible with the original fittings that are in place. If you’re buying the full ensemble including the sink and its accessories, you would need to ensure that its spare parts are easily available. More often than not, it isn’t the sink itself that is damaged, and simply replacing a drain or length of pipe can save you a huge replacement exercise (and expense).
We hope the above guidelines will help you in your hunt for a new caravan sink. Choose wisely, and as much as possible, invest in a product that lasts you a few years rather than one that makes you repeat the entire exercise again a couple of years down the line.
DISCLAIMER* Please note, this advice is general in nature and we strongly recommend consulting the product manual and where relevant, a professional installer.
