Camper Van Faucets: Which Are Practical for Van Life?

When building or renovating your camper van’s kitchen area, one of the most important decisions you can make is what type of faucet to get. There are many different shapes and styles of faucets, but not all types are appropriate for camper van living.

Whether you are meal prepping, washing the dishes, or filling a water bottle, you will use your faucet multiple times throughout the day. And hundreds of times during the week! So, it is worth thinking strategically when selecting the perfect faucet for your camper van.

In this post, we’ll identify several important characteristics all van faucets should have and recommend some of our favorites. Below, we list a faucet similar to the one in our own van (our faucet was discontinued).

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Four Attributes All Van Faucets Should Have

Whether the faucet was too small, ill-designed, or just cheaply built, no one should ever have to experience a bad faucet, especially for van life. To help you narrow down your ideal model, we list four of the most important attributes every faucet should have.

1. Spray water in the Middle of the Sink

Have you ever tried washing dishes using a faucet that had a short neck? It’s next to impossible to wash larger plates and cookware without constantly clanging them on the edge of the sink. Instead, look for a faucet that reaches up and over the back of the sink and pours right in the middle. Dish duty becomes much less annoying!

2. Dual Spray Feature

Sometimes, you just need a high-pressure spray (for cleaning). And other times, a smooth, aerated stream is more useful (for everything non-cleaning). Get a faucet that has both modes!

3. Swivel Head Design

With limited space in a camper, items that can be pushed out of the way to create more space are perfect for mobile living. (That’s why the Lagun Swivel Table is so popular for RVs.) And the same idea is true for faucets. When not needed, like when brushing your teeth, camper faucets should be able to simply just get out of your way with the flick of your hand.

4. Pull-Down Neck Design

Maneuvering dirty plates and cookware under a locked faucet head is incredibly frustrating. That’s why getting a faucet with a head that can be detached from its base and moved around is so critical. It makes dishwashing much easier. Not to mention that spray cleaning the sink becomes a cinch.

Best RV Faucet? Our Recommendation

When we were researching which faucet to get for our camper van, we were dead set on getting a full-sized faucet. Not one of those gimmicky, space-saving ones specifically made for mobile homes.

We wanted a faucet that made it easy to:

• Cook & prepare meals
• Clean dirty dishes & cookware
• Swivel out of the way to create space

So, we purchased a beautiful gooseneck faucet for our camper van. And after five years on the road, we STILL love our choice.

Over the last few years, we’ve noticed that these style faucets are becoming increasingly popular within the camper van and RV communities. And it’s easy to see why.

What We Like About Our Camper Faucet

Beautiful in form and useful in function, these pull-down faucets have everything you would want in a faucet.

1. Dispenses Water In Center Of Sink

Unlike many smaller RV faucets that we’ve seen, these gooseneck faucets stretch up and over and dispense water straight down into the middle of the sink, as opposed to just inches from the back sink wall.

This is HUGE for us.

This has made washing dishes so much quicker and easier. This is especially true when washing larger items, like our frying pan.

2. Two spray modes

We love that with a simple button push, we can change the nozzle’s spray mode between a smooth, aerated stream and a high-pressure spray.

Having two different modes gives our faucet greater functionality and precision based on the specific task at hand.

Specifically, we use these two different spray modes for the following purposes.

Aerated Stream

• Washing fruits & vegetables
• Filling water cups
• Brushing teeth

High Pressure Spray

• Washing dishes & cookware
• Washing the sink
• Hair washing – when desperate 🙂

3. Removable nozzle

For more control, the faucet’s nozzle can be easily removed from its holster and re-positioned to direct the flow of water better. This feature is especially useful when cleaning the sink and washing larger cookware, like frying pans and large pots.

4. 360-Degree Swivel

Sometimes, we just want to move the entire faucet out of the way to free up the sink space. This is especially true when we’re brushing our teeth and washing the sink.

With these gooseneck faucets, rotating the entire faucet neck completely out of your way is easy and effortless.

This picture shows how the entire faucet neck rotates completely out of the way, freeing up the whole sink space.

What We Don’t Like About Our Faucet

If we’re being completely honest here, there really isn’t anything we dislike about our pull-down RV faucet.

While our faucet does take up more space than a smaller, traditional camper-style faucet, we feel that the benefits considerably outweigh the reduction in space efficiency.

Final Verdict? The Best Faucets For RVs & Campers

We want our faucet to achieve two objectives. To make it easier to:

• Cook meals
• Clean dirty dishes

And we think our gooseneck faucet does just that. And for the price the APPASO faucet is sold at, you get a great quality product for a great price.

It’s a great value.

Other Recommended RV Faucets

If the APPASO faucet isn’t exactly what you’re looking for, several other faucets that would be perfect for a camper van caught our eye. Best of all, each of these water faucets is under $100.

Looking for a sink? Check out our RV Sink Review to learn why we love our sink for van life.

Popular Camper Faucet Accessories

Below are the five most popular faucet accessories used in van conversions. These four parts and components are used regardless of which camper faucet you purchase.

• Sink – Getting the right sink is just as critical as the right faucet. The Ruvati Sink has been perfect for us.
• Water Pump – Pumps water from the freshwater tank to the faucet. Runs on 12V.
• Pump Filter – Removes small grains and sediment before the water enters the pump.
• Silencer Kit – Water pumps can be a tad loud for some. This kit muffles the pump and reduces the vibration when the pump is working.

For more parts & installation instructions, Download our free plumbing diagrams eBook.

FAQ

Can you use a regular faucet in an RV?

Yes! You can successfully install any residential faucet in an RV or camper with the right fittings. In fact, we recommend using a full-size residential faucet in your camper to make meal prep and dish cleaning more convenient.

Are RV faucets standard size?

Although RV faucets come in many different shapes and sizes, the connection points will be standardized with a 3/8″ female NPT for both hot and cold water hoses.

How To Install A Faucet In A RV

When you’re ready to install your faucet in your camper/RV, be sure to check out our faucet & sink installation guide. The post includes:

• Detailed diagrams
• Step-by-step instructions
• Recommended components

Check out our faucet & sink installation guide to learn about which fittings you’ll need for a successful installation.

Final Thought: Make Dishwashing A Breeze With The Proper RV Faucet

Doing the dishes after a long day isn’t anybody’s idea of fun. This is especially true in van life.

• You’re tired
• In a cramped space
• Just want to clean up quickly

But with the right faucet in your camper van, you can make cleaning up quick and as least cumbersome as possible.

If you’re looking for the best RV faucet for your camper, you can’t go wrong with these beautiful and functional gooseneck faucets.

Happy building!