My so called "luxury" camper come with decent kitchen faucet, but cheap bathroom and outside shower valves.
Hated those things and they come some freeze damages so was on the market for good replacement.
Lately found thermostatically controlled kitchen faucet with diverter and shower, so that was exactly what I was looking for.
Model number DE-002
Had small issue with ebay seller who send it with no shower hose and stop answering my email, so will not recommend him.
Here is the old faucet that was pretty annoying to use and was wasting lot of water for adjustments.
Here is new faucet on the bench. It come with backflow preventive valves, but I did not install them as they would prevent winterizing.
Enlarging holes
Hooking up under the sink. I cut the pex and install threaded adapters where the faucet hoses attached to. Did not want to spend $60 on crimping tool, so used hose clamps on pex
Final look. The 2nd hole come very handy for soap dispenser. The dispenser bottle would not fit on it becouse of P-trap, but the dispenser come with long tubing that will suck the soap from bottle standing under the sink.
Now I set the temperature on right knob and forget it.
Open flow with left knob and will wait for warm water to come. No more going back and forth for flow and temperature adjustment. That can save quite some water.
Now outside shower. Bought that valve on ebay.
Cutting bigger hole for new valve
Attaching hoses to new valve. I was able to flex the pex enough to attach original fittings to new valve
Final look. That valve has plug in hose and temperature adjustment by turning single handle. It come with sink sprayer, but the hose will accommodate any standard shower.
I can store the hose in the compartment, but for sanitary reason will probably take it inside. Still have to figure out how to plug the other hole.
Hated those things and they come some freeze damages so was on the market for good replacement.
Lately found thermostatically controlled kitchen faucet with diverter and shower, so that was exactly what I was looking for.
Model number DE-002
Had small issue with ebay seller who send it with no shower hose and stop answering my email, so will not recommend him.
Here is the old faucet that was pretty annoying to use and was wasting lot of water for adjustments.
Here is new faucet on the bench. It come with backflow preventive valves, but I did not install them as they would prevent winterizing.
Enlarging holes
Hooking up under the sink. I cut the pex and install threaded adapters where the faucet hoses attached to. Did not want to spend $60 on crimping tool, so used hose clamps on pex
Final look. The 2nd hole come very handy for soap dispenser. The dispenser bottle would not fit on it becouse of P-trap, but the dispenser come with long tubing that will suck the soap from bottle standing under the sink.
Now I set the temperature on right knob and forget it.
Open flow with left knob and will wait for warm water to come. No more going back and forth for flow and temperature adjustment. That can save quite some water.
Now outside shower. Bought that valve on ebay.
Cutting bigger hole for new valve
Attaching hoses to new valve. I was able to flex the pex enough to attach original fittings to new valve
Final look. That valve has plug in hose and temperature adjustment by turning single handle. It come with sink sprayer, but the hose will accommodate any standard shower.
I can store the hose in the compartment, but for sanitary reason will probably take it inside. Still have to figure out how to plug the other hole.
So my Sprinter projects is coming to finishing part and as much as I love the thermostatic faucet, it is no longer available(Duda still has it but for inflated price)
Thermostat is especially important in new conversion as I plan to use alternator power to heat the water for night showers. Meaning W/H is set to high temperature and scalding might become a problem.
So changed my design and used under the sink thermostat to use with factory faucet.
So hot water coming under the sink is mixed to preset temperature before reaching faucet hot side.
Having kitchen sink behind shower, I made reduced temperature pipe going to it as well.
the design looks like a maze, but it should work and the thermostats cost in the range of $29, so no big expense needed.
Thinking about it, I could install the thermostat right behind W/H, but I like the convenience of adjusting knob under the sink.
Click For Full-Size Image.
Click For Full-Size Image.
Thermostat is especially important in new conversion as I plan to use alternator power to heat the water for night showers. Meaning W/H is set to high temperature and scalding might become a problem.
So changed my design and used under the sink thermostat to use with factory faucet.
So hot water coming under the sink is mixed to preset temperature before reaching faucet hot side.
Having kitchen sink behind shower, I made reduced temperature pipe going to it as well.
the design looks like a maze, but it should work and the thermostats cost in the range of $29, so no big expense needed.
Thinking about it, I could install the thermostat right behind W/H, but I like the convenience of adjusting knob under the sink.
Click For Full-Size Image.
Click For Full-Size Image.
The new one is thermostatic as well and when I hate water restrictors as well, the pump has its restrictions when boondocking, while I don't care about water savings when on hookups.
I have 2 Truck Campers, what is another story, but lately, since the aged one is not gaining any offers, I decided to make new project and use good interior in Sprinter van conversion. Obviously don't want the lousy, factory faucet in new project.
Made a topic about it in TC section, where I intend to have this topic as well, but I made double posts at the time and moderators deleted the one in TC section, leaving this one.
Still the original in this topic faucet works for 3rd season perfectly and we spend 2 months this year on Alaska trip.
I add 8" shower head to it.
I have 2 Truck Campers, what is another story, but lately, since the aged one is not gaining any offers, I decided to make new project and use good interior in Sprinter van conversion. Obviously don't want the lousy, factory faucet in new project.
Made a topic about it in TC section, where I intend to have this topic as well, but I made double posts at the time and moderators deleted the one in TC section, leaving this one.
Still the original in this topic faucet works for 3rd season perfectly and we spend 2 months this year on Alaska trip.
I add 8" shower head to it.
I am on the market for another faucet and seems Chinese sellers on ebay discontinued them.
Still available at mentioned DUDA ENERGY
But then, I like experiments and found this faucet. It is design for floor mount over claw-feet tub, but if I skip the extension, it should fit the sink.
What design you guys like better?
Still available at mentioned DUDA ENERGY
But then, I like experiments and found this faucet. It is design for floor mount over claw-feet tub, but if I skip the extension, it should fit the sink.
What design you guys like better?
UPDATE - Two years later (almost to the day)!
Went about prepping the camper on Friday for a short one-night getaway on Saturday. I filled the water tank, and then turned on the pump so I could put a few gallons in to the black water tank. Imagine my surprise when my shiny new faucet started spraying water in to the sink!
I grabbed some wrenches and took it apart. There is a fine crack in the base!
Of course, this stuff is never discovered unless it is right before a camping trip. I ordered a replacement faucet, but I needed to go camping first. I grabbed my Dremel and ground off the chrome around the crack. Nice bright shiny brass underneath. I could NOT see the crack in the brass. Mixed up a batch of JB Weld "Kwik" and slathered it up. Re-installed the faucet and turned the water on the following morning. No leak.
I have no idea why this cracked. The camper lives in a heated shop when not in use, so I have never winterized it because it is never frozen. So it couldn't have been a frost crack due to freezing. This is heavy brass, and I would think any impact capable of cracking the brass would first crack the fiberglass sink it is mounted in to. Maybe the brass was cracked during manufacture, and the chrome was keeping it from spraying? Then the chrome finally fatigued and cracked.
Anyway, I like the faucet, but my experience (and others on this thread) seems to indicate there may be quality issues with the product. YMMV!
-Eric
Went about prepping the camper on Friday for a short one-night getaway on Saturday. I filled the water tank, and then turned on the pump so I could put a few gallons in to the black water tank. Imagine my surprise when my shiny new faucet started spraying water in to the sink!
I grabbed some wrenches and took it apart. There is a fine crack in the base!
Of course, this stuff is never discovered unless it is right before a camping trip. I ordered a replacement faucet, but I needed to go camping first. I grabbed my Dremel and ground off the chrome around the crack. Nice bright shiny brass underneath. I could NOT see the crack in the brass. Mixed up a batch of JB Weld "Kwik" and slathered it up. Re-installed the faucet and turned the water on the following morning. No leak.
I have no idea why this cracked. The camper lives in a heated shop when not in use, so I have never winterized it because it is never frozen. So it couldn't have been a frost crack due to freezing. This is heavy brass, and I would think any impact capable of cracking the brass would first crack the fiberglass sink it is mounted in to. Maybe the brass was cracked during manufacture, and the chrome was keeping it from spraying? Then the chrome finally fatigued and cracked.
Anyway, I like the faucet, but my experience (and others on this thread) seems to indicate there may be quality issues with the product. YMMV!
-Eric
I think whole USA has code that require such back flow preventive on faucets hooked up to city water, but in RV you are the king.
I spend 25 years in house remodeling, where BFP valves are required even on garden hoses. Owers remove them becouse they are annoyig and cost troubles.
In those 25 years have never heard about city water contamination and actually I never heard about city water outage at all.
I think I would rather buy lottery ticket, than worry about it.
I spend 25 years in house remodeling, where BFP valves are required even on garden hoses. Owers remove them becouse they are annoyig and cost troubles.
In those 25 years have never heard about city water contamination and actually I never heard about city water outage at all.
I think I would rather buy lottery ticket, than worry about it.
Check valves allow 1-way water flow, so it will work wiht your way of winterizing.
I don't usually winterize in CA, but during winter preparation I am trying to empty whole system, so back-draining would not work.
I don't usually winterize in CA, but during winter preparation I am trying to empty whole system, so back-draining would not work.
