The galley sink, like many other Westfalia components, is a handy and compact feature that makes cooking and kitchen cleanup easier, with no need to haul big jugs of fresh water around, or to wash your dishes out in the rain and bugs.
With a Vanagon Westfalia Camper, you have everything AND the kitchen sink!
Introduction
Tucked away beneath the main galley cabinet lid is the stainless steel sink, right next to the two-burner stove. The sink’s water is supplied by one of two sources:
Onboard water tank
Concealed beneath the rearmost galley cabinet is a 13.2-US-gallon (50-liter) plastic water storage tank. It is easily filled from a home or campground water hose via the external filler port, the rearmost of the three hookups located on the driver’s side (before filling the tank, be sure the drain cap on the underside of the van is secured). You’ll need a key to unlock the filler port, to prevent tampering. Inside the tank is a small submersible water pump, which sends water to the sink via a hidden hose routed behind the cabinets and fridge.
After a trip, this supply tank should be drained and cleaned and dried, for proper hygiene; see below.
High-pressure ‘City’ water connection
This is the forward-most of the external camper hookups, and accepts a standard garden hose. Connect the other end to a campsite water supply. The standard city water supply pressure of 40-50 PSI may be too much for the old plastic connectors and supply hose inside the van, so you may consider an aftermarket pressure regulator made for this purpose.
At 10.5 inches (265 mm) in diameter, and just 1.7 gallons (6.4 liters) capacity, the sink is … of humble proportions. But it’s large enough to fit a few plates and a couple of bowls, and is perhaps best used for washing dirty dishes individually.
It’s also just the right dimensions to store a vintage tea kettle (color matched to our Ivory Vanagon, and featuring the same number of dents), which I picked up in a thrift store several years ago while travelling. Such a kettle, or a modern equivalent, is great for heating water for instant oatmeal, coffee, or dishwashing. Or, of course, for tea.
Just to the left of the sink, mounted to the underside of the kitchen cabinet lid, is a protective heat shield. On Canadian models, this deflector is permanently affixed; on US models, this heat shield can be unsnapped and hinged downward to lay flat, to serve as a drain board when washing & drying dishes (note the angled surface and small drain slot over the sink).
NOTE: Many new Westfalia owners mistakenly assume this heat shield/drain board is a griddle or hot plate. It is not, and this will quickly discolor and buckle the heat shield, and food will stick and burn. DO NOT USE IT AS COOKING SURFACE.
Checking the Water Level
Turn on the main switch (G) on the kitchen control panel. The left column of lights indicates the remaining volume of fresh water in the storage tank as follows:
(C) Green: 13.2-10.5 US gallons (50-40 liters)
(D) Yellow: 10.5-4.0 US gallons (40-15 liters)
(E) Red: 4.0-0.8 US gallons (15-3 liters)
Turning on the Taps
Before using your kitchen sink, be sure to remove the drain cap located on the underside of the van, just behind the left-front wheel. Replace after using.
The knob on top of the sink faucet controls the water flow: turn the knob counter-clockwise in the direction of the “T” mark to activate the tank pump and draw water from the onboard storage tank, turn clockwise toward the “C” mark to draw city water when connected to an external supply.
If your sink has not been used in some time, it may take a few tries for the pump to prime the supply lines and for water to flow from the tap.
You can also install an aftermarket hands-free foot switch to turn the tank pump on/off, which makes rinsing dishes and cookware easier.
Draining
Just like your kitchen sink at home, the Westy sink has a drain stopper/strainer so you can fill the sink right up. When done washing, simply rotate the stopper to allow the water to drain out, straining large food particles and debris which might otherwise plug your P-trap or drain line.
Whether camped in an established campground or in the backcountry, it’s important that “gray” water—used dish and hand washing water—not be dumped on the ground. Connect a hose to the drain outlet on the underside of the van and run this to a campsite wastewater collection hookup, or use your own portable gray water collector.
Water System Care & Maintenance
After each trip, as part of your basic routine, pour a half-gallon of hot fresh water down the sink drain to flush any debris from the P-trap, then rinse and dry your gray water bag.
Remove the cap from the bottom of the water storage tank to drain the unused water, and maybe drive around like this for a bit to allow any remaining water to slosh out.
If you notice stale tastes or odors from your Westfalia water system, try adding an ounce of RV water freshener to each tankful. This can help reduce the taste of plastic, metal or sulfur, and eliminate algae and slime buildup in your water tank.
For more seasonal care to keep your water system clean and healthy, see “Winterize Your Westfalia for Storage.”
Finally …
Along with the stove and refrigerator, the water supply and sink system is just another of the ingenious features that makes a Westfalia Camper a home. We use ours regularly, and besides the periodic cleaning and maintenance mentioned here, have only recently had to replace the original 35-year-old main water pump.
It’s a convenient feature for meal prep and cleanup, and provides cool drinking water and hot coffee in the morning. Heck, I once even replenished a leaking engine coolant system with water from the kitchen sink!
Hi! Thanks for the helpful post.
I have a quick question about driving with the water tank full. Is this recommended? My partner and I tried this at the beginning of our last trip and within an hour started to hear a whomp whomp sound coming from the back left. We drained the water to be safe and it seemed to go away…but would come back periodically. We are slightly worried that the extra weight from the water could have dislodged something. But as van owners of 6 months, we also know that it could just be a coincidence and that the van regularly starts making new sounds 🙂
Any and all advice would be very helpful,
Thanks
Kevin
Kevin,
Yes, you can certainly drive with a full water tank–it’s one of the great things that makes a Westy a Westy!
I don’t see how a full water tank would cause a rhythmic sound like you describe, though the added weight could certainly exacerbate another underlying problem. I would be more inclined to suspect something related to the left-rear wheel, especially if the sound gets faster and slower with your road speed.
A tire suffering from belt separation would make a sound like this, so have a tire shop inspect your tires for bulges, flat spots, etc.. Many owners don’t realize that these heavy camper vans really require light-duty truck tires; passenger-car tires often don’t last long before coming apart on the road. Here’s more info on choosing appropriate tires for your Westy:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=118284
An easy DIY test would be to move that wheel to another location on the van, like the right-front, and see if the sound moves with it.
Other possible causes for the odd sound you’re hearing might be a failing CV joint, or a worn wheel bearing, though that would be more of a constant rumbling sound and is actually quite rare on vans with less than 200,000 miles.
Good luck, and drive safe!
For my sink to come on I have to turn the little toggle switch towards the battery, is this correct.
John
Yes, sounds like your sink is working correctly!
I have a 92 Eurovan camper. When the water in the sink went down the drain, it leaked all over the items in the cupboard below? Any ideas? It’s difficult to access the drain from the cupboard underneath, as it seems the utensil drawer can’t be removed only pulled out. Thanks for any advice.
Like any leak, the key always is to trace it upward to its source. I suspect in this case you’ll find that the P-trap or one of the related fittings or hoses has cracked and is leaking.
Here’s a kit to replace much of it:
https://www.gowesty.com/product/-/2424/p-trap-sink-drain-kit-?v=
I’m not sure about the EuroVans, but on the Vanagon Campers, the utensil drawer can be removed by pulling it all the way out, then releasing a couple of plastic catches on the slider rails. This allows the drawer to come completely out for better access to the under-sink area for repairs.
Hope this helps!
When I turn on the sink knob, water pumps to the sink and also to the inlet on the side. Why?
My electric water pump for the kitchen sink (Dometic) only dribbles out when I turn it on. It has worked adequately in the past. I assumed the pump was faulty so I replaced it, but the new one didn’t work any better. I think maybe the pump needs priming to work properly. The pump is located next to the tank about halfway down the side of the tank in a horizontal position. This is where it was originally installed. Why doesn’t it work properly?
My van ia a 1985 VW Westfalia Vanagan. I’d appreciate some help if you can.
Larry
Larry,
Every post-1983 Westfalia I’ve worked on has utilized an in-tank water pump:
https://www.gowesty.com/schematic-details.php?id=69&product_id=2428
Some earlier models used a pump located beneath the kitchen sink, but I believe Westfalia found this was too far a distance to prime the pump, so later models used the in-tank design.
It’s possible a previous owner installed your external pump, and that your hunch may be correct: the pump is unable to prime itself.
You might try mounting your existing pump lower so that any water in the tank has a better chance of self-pressurizing the pump. Or, replacing with an in-tank pump may be needed.
Hope this helps!