400 fold down sink not draining well

falcon1970

After studying the drainage issue for awhile I have come to the conclusion that the issue stems from the fact that the sink on the (pre-2020) TAB 400 is poorly formed.  The basin of any sink should slope towards the drain-regardless of the drain size.  Unless there are restrictions in the drain pipe the water will drain.  On my TAB the sink does NOT slope towards the drain.  The low point appears to be several inches to the back (drivers side) of the drain.  However, I discovered that if I apply slight downward pressure on the front (passenger side) of the sink the water will move to the drain.  I have no idea how that slight downward pressure will affect the hinges in the future and it is annoying to have to coax the water out of the sink.  It would be a good PR move for nuCamp to offer current owners some sort of discount for retrofitting the improved sink.  Although I would wait to see if it truly is improved and not just different.

Verna

I use a small squeegee to push/pull the water to the drain. It’s better than using a washcloth and  always having a wet washcloth in the bathroom.

I do agree on the fact that the rear of the sink is the low point. I accept it, and figured out a way to dry the sink that works for me. 

Michigan_Mike

N7SHG_Ham said:

@Michigan_Mike assuming the 2020 sinks work better, would they easily swap into previous year 400's or is that unknown?

I would imagine that the sinks are compatible.  I'm planning to visit the factory in April and will post up additional information when I speak to a factory rep.  

b407driver

FYI, here is an image of the 2020 sink:

Michigan_Mike

I had some work done on my trailer at the factory on Friday and I had them install the new rectangular sink as shown above.  Let me just say that the upgraded sink is “the cat’s pajamas” and works like a charm.  No more flipping the sink up and water running down the wall and no more “raise the sink up to drain” as that problem goes away immediately.  The sink stays in place via magnets built into the plastic and you can turn the faucet on full blast and the large drain is up to the challenge and water leaves quickly.  It also has a large sink stopper with a nice pull handle to allow for easy usage.  

Here are some photos of the new sink assembly and note that there is a lower drain dump area below the sink that catches any residual water left in the sink.  The new upgrade does not have the toothbrush holder but not an issue as I’m happy that you can now use the sink handily and flip it up in the stowed position until the next use! 

JeffroNC

How much did it cost?

ecyfoto

How much did that retro-fit cost you if you don't mind me asking?

tbbycat

seems to me NuCamp should be picking up the bill

Michigan_Mike

ecyfoto said:

How much did that retro-fit cost you if you don't mind me asking?

The sink replacement mod isn’t cheap and is about $572.50.  But the problem goes away completely, you can actually use the sink, flip it up, water dumps into the lower chamber under the sink, empties into the gray tank and no more wiping residual water out after use or having it splash on your feet below.  

Don’t shoot the messenger as the prior sink installed was what was available at the time from nuCamps manufacturer and obviously they realized the first design was faulty, requiring a new model.  Plastic moulds and extrusion is unfortunately a very costly and time intensive venture. 

Tab_400

Thanks, @Michigan_Mike. Was the $572 including the install? Or just the parts?

Michigan_Mike

I had other work done on the trailer but was told that that was the cost of the sink change out.  

tbbycat

If Nu/Camp installs a sink in their trailers knowing full well that the darn thing doesn't even work then it should be up to them to make it right.  Thoughts on this anyone?

JEB

tbbycat said:

If Nu/Camp installs a sink in their trailers knowing full well that the darn thing doesn't even work then it should be up to them to make it right.  Thoughts on this anyone?

My sink does not drain as well as I'd like.  But to say that it "doesn't even work" is a gross overstatement.  It does work--just not as efficiently as it could.   Showing that the earlier sink design is a defect of such sufficient gravity that replacement ought to be on nuCamp's dime would be tough.  The Company certainly made an improvement, but it doesn't make all prior iterations defects.

tbbycat

Perhaps I did overstate, however, the sink is clearly faulty.  I don't think we can disagree on that. My point is this; any company which installs a part on their product which they know is faulty should in some way be accountable be it an automobile or a dishwasher or a vacuum cleaner, whatever.  My 400 was, for me, a very expensive purchase compared with my other trailer and I have trouble with the attitude that I should just pay the $572.00 out of my own pocket to fix it.  

Verna

@tbbycat, if you feel you need to communicate your feelings to nüCamp, please send an email to customerservice@nucamprv.com 

BigGrover

I was looking at mine again today here at the camp ground.  Wondering if I could drill a couple of 1/4" holes near the back to facilitate the draining when upright to catch any water left in the sink?

Verna

@BigGrover, I use a small squeegee to move the water towards the drain. It works well for me. 

BigGrover

I will try to locate one, we've been using a sponge but the we have a wet dponge to dral with.

Verna

Look on Amazon, @BigGrover, for a pair of 5” red squeegees. They are the perfect size. 

BigGrover

Thanks @Verna,

Verna

@BigGrover here is what I use.  I hated the wet microfiber wash clothes. This stores behind the faucet when you close the sink.

JEB

tbbycat said:

Perhaps I did overstate, however, the sink is clearly faulty.  I don't think we can disagree on that. My point is this; any company which installs a part on their product which they know is faulty should in some way be accountable be it an automobile or a dishwasher or a vacuum cleaner, whatever.  My 400 was, for me, a very expensive purchase compared with my other trailer and I have trouble with the attitude that I should just pay the $572.00 out of my own pocket to fix it.  

Actually, we can and do disagree. The sink is not broken. You are just unsatisfied with the level of performance of the older design. Big difference.  Taken to its logical extreme, your theory suggests that nuCamp would be obligated to retrofit at its cost every unit it ever produced every time it made an improvement to its existing designs. The company would quickly go bankrupt. 

tbbycat

Well, I heartily disagree but at least we can all agree to disagree. 

Verna

Okay, so now there is an agreement, could we please go back to the original intent of this discussion?

Any further questions as to why about the original design will be sent to customer service@nucamprv.com by the owner with the question. 

Verna
T@B Admin

AustinRoamers

Our dealer inspected the sink (2018 model) as it was unusable. We were told it was toothpaste and hair dried in the line. I'm skeptical as it was never used for shaving. And what good is a bathroom sink that can't be used to brush teeth? I can happily handle wiping out some residual water and jiggling the sink to drain - this was a far bigger problem. We'll see if it drains at our next outing....

Tabfortwo

Ok people can defend the sink and nucamp all they want but this sink a piece of crap the drain hole is a whopping 5/8' on the inside of the drain and there's not a vent. You should never need to squeegee the sink dry that's just ridiculous. The drain line is a flexable couragated pipe that has alot of ridges and when it goes into the gray tank that is held in with some kind of putty. There's not even a fitting. Best thing I did was take it out and throw it away.  I now have a real sink with an 1 1/2 in drain it works amazing. No squeegee for me.

BigGrover

@Tabfortwo, didn't you run your drain to the vent pipe?  How did you plug the hole for the original drain?

Tabfortwo

Cut a piece of plastic and epoxied it in. 

BigGrover

Thanks, I am considering the same mod.

Tabfortwo

Alot better than the 500 + option