Bathroom sink upgrade - T@B 400

Kevin@7

I know this has been done by a few to address the slow draining sink in the older 400 models...which I have.   I was prompted to do this because I was never too crazy about the plastic,  see little value with the folding sink, and hated waiting for it to drain.  I'm just not keen on paying $500 for the upgraded design.  An early freeze last year made me take the sink out and inspect everything so, as most projects get started, thought now's the time.  After trying this out on a few trips I don't feel it gets in the way or makes the space cramped.  Some of the negatives is that you're adding about #20 (those porcelain sinks aren't light) so I had to put extra thought in making sure it's well reinforced and supported for all the vibrations in travel.  That's why you almost never see the RV manufacturers do that kind of thing but there's not too many options for sinks this small.  The faucet is a bit overkill but it's so nice and was only $23.  I usually go overboard on making everything serviceable so it took a while to think it through but in the end it prompted the oval pockets which add visual interest and extra storage.  I'm still working out some details on how to close off the lower portion while making it easy to access.  That should always be a priority for pluming so you can inspect the ticking time bombs.  Also, need to add finishing trim to hide some of the interfaces.

Sink:   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086VFQNDC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Faucet:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QCRFG5J/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Pluming:  All found at typical hardware stores

Kevin@7

Some closeups.

Kevin@7

Removing the outside faucet you can get nice access to the connection.  Here's the original interface....



Here's the upgrade.  By just opening up the hole it's quite easy to interface with standard pluming.  P-trap and vent is already there so no need to add.  I got lucky that all the pluming was simple and standard even the 45 bends to get to the sink offset.   No crazy mish-mash of fittings.  Drains like a champ.

Denny16

very nice job, indeed.  

Cheers

ADRawli

That is a superb upgrade.  Wow.  Did I say “wow”?  I meant WOW! It looks like you even got birch to match.  Be sure to add pics when you get the final finishing touches done. 
Nice work, and the curves and angles even show an eye for the art of it!  Impressed!

DenisP

@Kevin@7  I can't thank you enough for your detailed posting.  I had upgraded to the new 400 square sink a few months ago and plumbed a new trap with transition to the small original "corrigated tubing.  I wrongly assumed the corrigated tubing went directly to the gray tank and I didn't want to disturb that.  Your pictures/posting cleared up my issue and within a very short period I had simplified my plumbing and improved the drain.

ontheroad

Love the birch detail..well done!

Kevin@7

@denisP your very welcome.  I too assumed that and my first question with the slow drain as it may not be vented properly.  I always like to get to the root of the problem so I first wanted to really see what was going on.  It's actually quite easy to get access below by taking the outdoor faucet off.  Just remove the screws and tear away from the caulking and epoxy. The engineer in me always wants to take everything apart.  That doesn't always work out so well :(.  It did in this case.

Kevin@7

@ontheroad & @Denny16 Thanks! 

@ADRawli It's not a perfect match but Baltic birch is quite common and I think that's what they use.  I'll upload more pictures as this evolves.

The Baltic Birch I use is the multi-ply high quality stuff you wont find at most of the big box stores except maybe Menards.  I get mine from Rockler when they run their sales.

DenisP

@Kevin@7 the funny thing is I had the outdoor shower open after I installed the sink to change it to a quick disconnect. Never looked closely at the drain. 

Thanks again. 

Kevin@7

@DenisP That's a good idea on the outdoor faucet.  That's my next project as the freeze cracked mine.  It's nice having it stored there but not a huge loss for all the hassle dealing with that cheap hose and faucet which never really worked all that well.  I would say to really do the original design right and easily retract you need an ultra flexible hose.

gspdx

DenisP said:

@Kevin@7 the funny thing is I had the outdoor shower open after I installed the sink to change it to a quick disconnect. Never looked closely at the drain. 

Thanks again. 

@DenisP what is the unit you used to replace the outside shower?

gspdx

Kevin@7 said:

I know this has been done by a few to address the slow draining sink in the older 400 models...which I have.   I was prompted to do this because I was never too crazy about the plastic,  see little value with the folding sink, and hated waiting for it to drain.  I'm just not keen on paying $500 for the upgraded design.  An early freeze last year made me take the sink out and inspect everything so, as most projects get started, thought now's the time.  After trying this out on a few trips I don't feel it gets in the way or makes the space cramped.  Some of the negatives is that you're adding about #20 (those porcelain sinks aren't light) so I had to put extra thought in making sure it's well reinforced and supported for all the vibrations in travel.  That's why you almost never see the RV manufacturers do that kind of thing but there's not too many options for sinks this small.  The faucet is a bit overkill but it's so nice and was only $23.  I usually go overboard on making everything serviceable so it took a while to think it through but in the end it prompted the oval pockets which add visual interest and extra storage.  I'm still working out some details on how to close off the lower portion while making it easy to access.  That should always be a priority for pluming so you can inspect the ticking time bombs.  Also, need to add finishing trim to hide some of the interfaces.

Sink:   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086VFQNDC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Faucet:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QCRFG5J/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Pluming:  All found at typical hardware stores

Really nicely done.  I like it!

DenisP

@gspdx I used the original outside shower, replaced the shower hose and shower head with the

RV Exterior Spray Port Hook-Up Connector. https://www.recpro.com/rv-exterior-spray-port-hook-up-connector/

I drilled a hole in the housing and mounted the connector after removing it from the housing. I connected the new quick connection using a 12 inch flexible plumbing fixture from the local Home Depot. 

ChrisFix

@Kevin@7
Very nicely done mod!
Did you free hand those curved cuts or do you have something better?
They look absolutely perfect.
Again, nicely done!!

Kevin@7

@ChrisFix Thanks!  I cheated and used a cnc.  Although maybe not as good I can imagine a jigsaw and drum sander can get you pretty good results.  The nice thing about a cnc is you can use the cutout as an access door.

ChrisFix

@Kevin@7
Nice...I thought that might be the case. Do you have your own, or are there services out there to do one-off projects?
I'm thinking about doing the closet mod on my 2021 T@B 400 that another forum member posted - adding storage pockets to the back wall of the wardrobe. A CNC would be an ideal way to make the cutouts look great like yours do.

Kevin@7

@ChrisFix I have my own.  To me it's an awesome addition to my shop and I highly recommend but there is a bit of a learning curve and it's still a pretty good investment.  There are many options at a reasonable cost these days.  I'm pretty sure many services would do it for you if you search around.  I may be able to help you out for maybe just cost of materials and if you pay shipping.

ChrisFix

@Kevin@7
Thanks for the info and kind offer. I'm going to work on the plans for what I want to cut and will let you know when I have something more concrete to discuss.
I'm also going to look at what CNC options are out there...I really didn't know that it was even an option for home use.

Kevin@7

@ChrisFix Absolutely.  It used to be a very heavy investment but these days there are so many options and demand that cost has really come down.  Take a look around on forums, etc and do some research.  You don't wan't to go too cheap or you'll spend all your time dealing with problems.   My machine is a build your own from CNCrouterparts.com.  It's on the upper end but quality is great and by building it myself it saves cost.

AustinRoamers

Dang, that's purty!

Kevin@7

@AustinRoamers Well thank-ya kindly

Michigan_Mike

Well done Kevin (Looks awesome!) and thanks for taking the time to share your work with the photos, write-up and interaction with the community.  These types of mods are innovations that spur creativity and further evolve these trailers and I know that nuCamp appreciates people like yourself who are generous in sharing their ingenuity with the community.  

Bravo!!!

Kevin@7

Thanks mike!  I'm glad to hear it was useful.  I do hope nucamp considers some further improvements or extra options for that sink in the future

Denny16

The mod was grand, very nice looking.  Like the extra storage area.

As for the original sink setup, I think nuCamp was trying to maximize the wash room area for showering with the folding sink.  My take, is having two sinks in such a small trailer, normally used by a family unit, is redundant.  We got our TaB 400 without the washroom sink and pedestal, which gives even more room in the small shower area.
cheers

Horigan

Denny16 said:

The mod was grand, very nice looking.  Like the extra storage area.

As for the original sink setup, I think nuCamp was trying to maximize the wash room area for showering with the folding sink.  My take, is having two sinks in such a small trailer, normally used by a family unit, is redundant.  We got our TaB 400 without the washroom sink and pedestal, which gives even more room in the small shower area.
cheers

Was this from the factory?  Can you post a picture of what they put in its place?  Just curious what this looks like having just removed my folding sink.

Denny16

Yes, it was from the factory in 2018.  There is just a blank panel covering the wall that would have been behind the sink unit.  The base is the same, since this is part of the black tank.  The sink drain was not installed, so no hole in the tank cover/shower pan bit.  

The slow draining on the 2018/2019 round folding sink is down to its 3/4- inch drain hose, that is adapted into the standard 1.5-inch drain, the small drain hose is restricting the flow rate of the sink drain.

cheers

jimcenname

I am not the carpenter that @Kevin@7 is so I took the factory sink out and installed a maple panel and towel rods. Never did use that sink. 

Denny16

@Horigan
Here is a pix of the factory no sink install on our 2018 TaB 400:

As you can see, there is a blank white pebble textured plastic panel where the sink unit would be.
cheers

Horigan

Thanks for sharing.  Looks like a nice blank palette for adding shelving, towel racks or whatever, and doesn't have the drain hose at the bottom.

Amazonica

That looks fantastic! VERY nicely done.