Water System/Kitchen Appliances

Talking about water systems, we’re focusing on the sole purpose of having a functioning Kitchen/water system.

First, you will want to decide on how much, how big your water jugs will carry and you’ll need two of them (Clean water/Dirty water). For my clean water I chose a 7 Gallon Reliance Jumbo-Tainer (I actually bought two of them; to have back up), and one 2.5 Gallon Reliance Water-Pak for my dirty water – I do recommend getting them the same size because now I’ll have to ensure my dirty jug doesn’t overflow back into my sink! (I didn’t think about that at the time).

Clean Jug
Dirty Jug

** Updated Water System **
Travelling across the country, I honestly hated using the two blue jugs because refilling them in MY Van setup was not ideal.
So this 85L Tank was installed in early 2023, it’s been such a game-changer! I simply put a hose into the back of the van ((as shown in photos)) and fill up the tank! It can last anywhere from 2-2.5 weeks (depending on how many people are in the van and how much I use at a time.

Below is everything you need for a successful water setup and kitchen!!

Sink

For my sink, I went with simple, because I didn’t need anything over the top, fancy! I chose an affordable 15″ x 15″ sink that fits perfectly with the size of the countertop but also gives you the size you need to get any job done!


Faucet

I have seen two different styles of faucets; I chose this one because again, I didn’t need anything super fancy – however, I do think this style would be rather beneficial for being more versatile and I’ve seen this in others builds.

Below is everything you need for a successful water setup and kitchen!!


Water Pump

The purpose of having a water pump is for general water transfer from your clean jugs to your faucet. The recommended pump for my build was this one.


Water Pump Switch

I’ve seen it done a couple of ways for the water pump switch (such as a foot pump) however, the company that did my water hook up recommended this one because it was small and super easy to use! Having it wired and built right beside the sink was ideal 🙂


Fuse & Waterproof Fuse Holder

Just like every other mechanic that will need power in your van, you’ll need a fuse!! I was provided this one as it was damp proof, water-resistant and ideal for automotive use!

November/December Update: I switched this for a 400amp Fuse as the previous 60amp was not strong enough to support my van’s previous electrical setup!


Fridge

The type of fridge could be accounted for how much traveling you’ll be doing, therefore how much food you need. This is one item that will take up a chunk of your power so from experience, you want to look at a 12 Volt Fridge as option A, however, you could opt for a cooler or 110 Volt Mini Fridge.

Here is my back story; my number one priority with the fridge was it had to have a freezer, my dog’s food is meant to be stored in the freezer and I wasn’t changing what he eats for the road. I had seen 110v Mini Fridges in other vans so I knew it was possible, however, the risk you take when choosing a 110v Fridge is the amount of power it will take up, so you may spend less money on the fridge but a lot more on the solar/batteries to support that simple item.

It’s a pick your battle scenario. 

Looking into fridges and quickly realizing the cost of a 12v Fridge, it was a hard pill for me to swallow in cost on what seemed like such a simple item, a fridge..

Nonetheless, if the freezer was my priority my only option was this Dometic 12v Electric Powered Fridge/ Freezer, if I could go back in my build I may have reconsidered this MASSIVE item let alone purchase but I do have to say, it’s perfect. It was worth the money when I can be on the road for over a month at a time and my fur baby has more than enough space for his food and mine 🙂

If you were to go with a 110 mini Fridge, check out this one, where I’ve seen it done in Divine on the Road’s Van Build! And Finally, a very easy, cheaper option is a simple Cooler!! Check out this Chilly Ice Box from Chilly Moose Canada or another popular brand, Yeti Canada.

Regardless of what you choose, ensure you pre-plan where it will be in your build so you aren’t having to build around it like I did, with my beautiful toolbox-looking fridge.

Cassandra Rae, xo