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Water Without Sink?
- Thread starter lorieandkeith
- Start date
Cary Winch
Camp-Inn Staff
This is where I get to play Mythbuster.
Omitting the sink gains you almost no extra storage space. The sink itself does not impede much on the storage and the water storage is under the trailer so does not take away at all. If you are having to carry jugs of water and a empty jugs to put your gray water in those take up far more space than the couple inches of space eliminating the sink might gain.
We will be the first to say that the sink is too small for doing the dishes. Dish washing is best accomplished in a plastic wash tub or two setting on the dining table and using the trailer's built in sprayer hose. However, the sink will get used all day for everything else from brushing your teeth, to rinsing a coffee cup or washing your hands. That is the point Jenn is making, once you have the sink you will find you can't be without it.
Generally our experience has been that eliminating the sink and water system adds to the work load at the campsite, not the other way around. This is because if you still are washing things up the hassle of storing and carrying water and dealing with the gray water (yes, you still have to properly store and dispose of gray water if doing the dishes without a water system) are far more difficult than with our built in system.
Maintenance is very simple. Drain the tanks after a long trip and refill the fresh water from a hose and put it in the garage. Winterizing is far simpler than most people expect. Please watch this video on how to winterize the trailer to see how little there is to do:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_OUJOj2UhE
Hoses? With on board water there is no need to bring hoses with you unless you are going for a long enough period of time that you will need to refill the tank which is then one drinking water hose. Some customers carry one of those collapsible hoses in the storage area for just in case they need to refill on the road. Gray water is a simple case of evaporating on a hard surface so cracking the drain valve open when driving down the road is generally all there is to it.
Cary
Omitting the sink gains you almost no extra storage space. The sink itself does not impede much on the storage and the water storage is under the trailer so does not take away at all. If you are having to carry jugs of water and a empty jugs to put your gray water in those take up far more space than the couple inches of space eliminating the sink might gain.
We will be the first to say that the sink is too small for doing the dishes. Dish washing is best accomplished in a plastic wash tub or two setting on the dining table and using the trailer's built in sprayer hose. However, the sink will get used all day for everything else from brushing your teeth, to rinsing a coffee cup or washing your hands. That is the point Jenn is making, once you have the sink you will find you can't be without it.
Generally our experience has been that eliminating the sink and water system adds to the work load at the campsite, not the other way around. This is because if you still are washing things up the hassle of storing and carrying water and dealing with the gray water (yes, you still have to properly store and dispose of gray water if doing the dishes without a water system) are far more difficult than with our built in system.
Maintenance is very simple. Drain the tanks after a long trip and refill the fresh water from a hose and put it in the garage. Winterizing is far simpler than most people expect. Please watch this video on how to winterize the trailer to see how little there is to do:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_OUJOj2UhE
Hoses? With on board water there is no need to bring hoses with you unless you are going for a long enough period of time that you will need to refill the tank which is then one drinking water hose. Some customers carry one of those collapsible hoses in the storage area for just in case they need to refill on the road. Gray water is a simple case of evaporating on a hard surface so cracking the drain valve open when driving down the road is generally all there is to it.
Cary
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And the stove is stored in its own space. Pull out when needed, store when not needed. Either way you need a stove, where will it be stored if not in the galley? Only thing is the built in stove can't be used on the picnic table.
I love the built in sink and stove!
Jean
I love the built in sink and stove!
Jean
I love the sink and stove. I agree with Sue that the sprayer is fun especially when you are changing the nozzle and forget to turn the water off. Like Cary said, I use a collapsible tub to wash dishes and use the sink to rinse the dishes. I also have the sink cover that expands the counter when not using the sink. Highly recommend it.
I carry this hose for when I need to fill up and if I have full hookups at the campsite:
http://www.amazon.com/American-Speciality-RT25-Handi-Hose-Reel/dp/B009IJQ5OY
I carry this hose for when I need to fill up and if I have full hookups at the campsite:
http://www.amazon.com/American-Speciality-RT25-Handi-Hose-Reel/dp/B009IJQ5OY
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hiadventurer
Junior Ranger
Agreed! We love our sink...so convenient. ..its perfectly sized...the stove is awesome the burners are far superior to any portable stoves...boiling water in minutes!
I considered getting my trailer without a sink. Cary pointed out the benefits and I changed my mind. I am still glad I did. I also believe it will be better when I need to sell my trailer. Since a lot of us are buying these after we retire we don't know how long we will be using them. I do understand that if you are traveling full time and unexpectedly end up in a place where it is freezing you could run into problems.
When I pull into camp I don't have to pull out a dishpan until I am ready to wash dishes. I always wipe my dishes with paper towels so they don't contain any food particles. I can then rinse them in the sink and set them aside until I want to get out the dishpan. Sometimes if I just use a few things I will wipe them out with clorox wipes after rinsing in the sink.
I really enjoy my stove too. I do carry an extra one burner that I can use if I just want to stop for something to eat or make coffee. I can use that and not have to move the refrigerator. And once again I think about resale value.
When I pull into camp I don't have to pull out a dishpan until I am ready to wash dishes. I always wipe my dishes with paper towels so they don't contain any food particles. I can then rinse them in the sink and set them aside until I want to get out the dishpan. Sometimes if I just use a few things I will wipe them out with clorox wipes after rinsing in the sink.
I really enjoy my stove too. I do carry an extra one burner that I can use if I just want to stop for something to eat or make coffee. I can use that and not have to move the refrigerator. And once again I think about resale value.
birder526
Novice
We all have our routines and equipment that serve our particular needs. There's no right or wrong way! It is great to hear what everyone does! For us, filling up one or two water bricks at a campsite isn't a hassle. We set up our dishwashing station on the smaller table and our portable 2 burner stove on the other table. Even if we gain only a small amount of extra storage space without the sink, it's come in handy. Overall, we like the simplicity of our sweet teardrop!
This is where I get to play Mythbuster.
Omitting the sink gains you almost no extra storage space. The sink itself does not impede much on the storage and the water storage is under the trailer so does not take away at all. If you are having to carry jugs of water and a empty jugs to put your gray water in those take up far more space than the couple inches of space eliminating the sink might gain.
Ehhh, an item I wouldn't value vs. any storage space ... winner: no sink.
And my water-toting items "nest", so we're really only talking about space for one item.
The best option is ... an option, which means we can all have what we want.
Omitting the sink gains you almost no extra storage space. The sink itself does not impede much on the storage and the water storage is under the trailer so does not take away at all. If you are having to carry jugs of water and a empty jugs to put your gray water in those take up far more space than the couple inches of space eliminating the sink might gain.
Ehhh, an item I wouldn't value vs. any storage space ... winner: no sink.
And my water-toting items "nest", so we're really only talking about space for one item.
The best option is ... an option, which means we can all have what we want.
OK, I discovered a downside of leaving dirty dishes in the sink when you travel: I left a couple of glasses in there. Despite the fact that they are "sturdy" and don't break when you drop them....they did break, probably by just crashing against each other at 50 mph over and over again for a few hours. Oh well.
-Al
-Al
I am a fan of having water and a sink. I have been using 2 gallon water jugs with a spigot for my water supply. I carry them in the sink any time the galley lid is down. We once filled a jug to capacity and made a dramatic change in altitude. The jug kind of exploded, not a problem, it was in the sink. I also use the outboard sprayer for washing hair. I can't do it in most campgrounds but I am usually boon-docking. With clean hair and a wash cloth I feel like I have taken a shower. Paradise!
lorieandkeith
Novice
I have no memory of starting this post, but noticed it so I thought I would chime in. We went ahead and ordered the sink, but don't use it as intended. As several posters have noted, it really is about personal preference and since Campinn gives us the option, we have the best of all worlds.
Generally, we do long hauls. We rarely do a weekend, but occasionally do 30 days or so. Since Keith is a great cook and cooks almost everything from scratch, I think we might use more water than the norm. I also use water bricks and I am in charge of filling and hauling the water. But I can imagine us using it in the future.
We love using the sink for storing liquids on long hauls. E.g. vinegar, olive oil, soy sauce, tamari, laundry detergent, kitchen soap. I pack it in quite nicely and have never had anything break in 1,000's of miles.
The one thing that I would strongly agree with is the Mythbuster comment by Cary. I think the sink doesn't take away any storage space. I agree with AlCat...it gives some different type of storage space.
Generally, we do long hauls. We rarely do a weekend, but occasionally do 30 days or so. Since Keith is a great cook and cooks almost everything from scratch, I think we might use more water than the norm. I also use water bricks and I am in charge of filling and hauling the water. But I can imagine us using it in the future.
We love using the sink for storing liquids on long hauls. E.g. vinegar, olive oil, soy sauce, tamari, laundry detergent, kitchen soap. I pack it in quite nicely and have never had anything break in 1,000's of miles.
The one thing that I would strongly agree with is the Mythbuster comment by Cary. I think the sink doesn't take away any storage space. I agree with AlCat...it gives some different type of storage space.
It is fun to hear everyone's perspective, and as said, there is no right or wrong way, just what you think will meet your needs. But I am wondering where the portable 2 burner stove mentioned is stored while still providing more storage space in the camper than the Camp-Inn stove does when it's stowed, as well as a couple of water bricks vs the built in tanks under the camper. For those who chose not to have the water storage, sink, and or stove, and say they don't miss having them, it does kind of make me wonder if you can really not miss something you've never had? On the other hand, we have all of those things, and I can't imagine not having any of those without it being very inconvenient, like it was when we tent camped, but we do cook pretty much cook all of our meals, and do use the sink for washing dishes , and for storage when traveling. But as they say.....different strokes........
Van_and_Terri
Ranger
As my father said, “if everyone liked vanilla, it would be the only flavor made”. We bought our 550 used and it didn’t have a water system or sink. Coming from a tent, it really wasn’t an inconvenience to us. Less to worry about too. Camp on!
SethB
Ranger
We bought our 550 used, and it *did* come with water system and sink! Our previous camper, an in-bed pickup popup, also had a water system. We never used it - who wants a sink in your oh-so-tight bedroom? But, lots of other users liked them just fine!
Now that we’re in a CI with separate sleeping and kitchen spaces, I expect we’ll find the water system useful.
(We’ve only had it a few weeks, and not camped yet)
It will be nice not to be carrying the full 3 or 6 gallon jug across the campground, or carrying a dishpan of soapy water to the graywater disposal.
But, here’s a favorite quote:
In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they aren’t!
Certainly, to each their own! Camp on!
RShep
Novice
Four one gallon Arizona Tea containers fit perfectly where the sink would be and are very durable wide mouthed and have a nice handle. I also carry a carboy https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008VET4Q8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
which rides in the TV behind front passenger seat. These when topped off provide 6.5 gallons capacity. For additional capacity I can add some more Arizona Tea containers. I carry 2 stoves, gas and electric which fit stacked in the stove storage compartment and can be moved to any location you chose. Like not having plumbing, pumps or permant water or propane tanks. I refill my 1 lb propane bottles (don't believe all the Youtube instructions). Living in Florida the AC is essential and if you plan to travel to hot humid climates or to resale I would highly recommend the AC.
which rides in the TV behind front passenger seat. These when topped off provide 6.5 gallons capacity. For additional capacity I can add some more Arizona Tea containers. I carry 2 stoves, gas and electric which fit stacked in the stove storage compartment and can be moved to any location you chose. Like not having plumbing, pumps or permant water or propane tanks. I refill my 1 lb propane bottles (don't believe all the Youtube instructions). Living in Florida the AC is essential and if you plan to travel to hot humid climates or to resale I would highly recommend the AC.
Van_and_Terri
Ranger
We have serial 386 (second owner) which was ordered without a sink or tanks. Since we camp at mainly State Parks, we don’t miss it. If you plan on boondocking, I would definitely get the sink.
SethB
Ranger
Funny to hit this thread when it popped up on my “new threads” page. Hey, I posted here before our first season in the CI.
That’s now in the rear-view mirror. We’ve used the sink quite a bit. I still fill the water boiler from a jug, but the sink is *very* convenient for a quick rinse of the fingers when cooking, or rinsing off utensils, dishes, etc. As was said above, it’s not really for doing the dishes, but so handy for many, many other things!
That’s now in the rear-view mirror. We’ve used the sink quite a bit. I still fill the water boiler from a jug, but the sink is *very* convenient for a quick rinse of the fingers when cooking, or rinsing off utensils, dishes, etc. As was said above, it’s not really for doing the dishes, but so handy for many, many other things!
I have a similar philosophy about keeping things simple mechanically, thus no plumbing, pumps, water tanks, propane. However, I use the 7 gallon Reliance water jugs and have 2 of these (only use both when boondocking). It's pretty simple to switch on and off the spigot and no pumps to break or fear of freezing. Using a short hose (3 feet) makes refilling the jugs much easier. A 5 gallon bucket makes for a great "sink" and can be used to douse the campfire when needed.
I used to refill the disposable propane tanks till I found the Flame King Refillable Tanks. I've acquired 6 of the tanks as well as the adaptor to fill them from the 20 pound tanks. It has a small hex wrench valve to open it when filling that is easier than pulling up the relief valve from the disposable tanks.
That's an interesting idea with the electric stove. I've only got my propane but it sure heats quickly. I do carry an electric kettle though for coffee and heating water for nighttime water bottles.
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