Sink strainer/stopper

[ZachO]

I’ve only owned two campers, and both had this setup and problem. I push this in the drain, and it takes two or three tries to get it to hold water. Is there a better way? I boondock basically all the time, so water conservation is really important. Watching two or three tries of even 6 or so ounces of water go down the drain is frustrating. Both in the loss of fresh water, and filling the grey water tank.

Anybody come up with solutions, or am I the only one with this problem?

[alan H]

Have you tried one of those large flat rubber stoppers for bathtub

[Zennifer]

We bookdock only- we use a plastic dish tub inside the sink instead of holding water in the sink. We actually wash in a dish tub at home....started after my dayghter’s NICU stay and never went back. Sometimes we drain into the sink, sometimes we drain it right into the grey water tank (external)....but it works well and is easier to keep clean. I also like doing dishes at the picnic table when it’s forgeous out...and the dishtub and aplastic squirt water bottle let’s me do that!

[Zennifer]

And with a dishtub, you can be REALLY water miserly.

[ZachO]

The way the sink drain is set up (really narrow and deep), I'm not sure the flat type stopper would work. Anybody find differently?

The dish tub might be the best option. I really dislike adding more stuff to my camper...but some things are worth it.

Thanks!

[k corbin]

Just head to a local neighborhood hardware store and buy a cork like stopper to fit your sink. Sinks have a few different sizes so take a measurement of your drain opening. The sink I purchased for my trailer project did not come with a stopper or drain basket so I had to buy those items at the hardware store.

If that approach does not work then remember that hardware stores sell black rubber corks in a wide variety of diameters. The corks are tapered. You can also purchase replacement stopper chain and put a screw into the top of the cork to secure it.

The black rubber stoppers are in the small parts bins near the nuts and bolts area. The replacement stopper chain is in the aisle with the sink fittings.

Hardware stores seem to be the place I shop most often. I am always involved in projects of one type or another that need hardware. I make more trips per month to the hardware store than I do the grocery store

[ZachO]

Thanks Karin. I think I was avoiding those because I had tried the white rubber ones on chains in the Chinook, and the chain always tore out, leaving me having to dig the stopper out of the drain with a knife. But driving a screw into it would hold up better..

[Spanke]

Maybe something like this?



https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Silicone-...SAEYMVVTW&th=1

Spanke

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by ZachO

...
The dish tub might be the best option. I really dislike adding more stuff to my camper...but some things are worth it.
...

Indeed. My dish pan sits in the sink and I can wash my face, brush my teeth, do the dishes, and in each case save the water to use later for flushing the commode. Even when there is plenty of water, I tend to do this as practice for boon-docking where the water supply is tight or a hassle. If you ever boon-dock or need to be stingy with water, the tub is pretty much essential gear.

[Doctor Harold]

Maybe you should try cutting off the little feet, or trimming them to make them narrower so they fit in the corresponding holes easier. Also clean the rubber sealing surface with a ScotchBrite to remove oxidation.

Harold

[ZachO]

Thanks! Reading a bit about the OXO plug, it looks like it relies on water pressure to form a seal. When I do dishes, I don't typically use enough water to even cover the entire bottom of the sink, so I guess it wouldn't work. Looked promising at first.

I'll try trimming and then cutting the feet on the current stopper and see how that works. If it doesn't...then I guess a dish tub it is!

Thanks again.

[Doctor Harold]

Unless I'm wrong, the feet keep the stopper from sealing so that the stopper acts like a strainer unless you turn it a bit so that the feet enter holes in the drain allowing the stopper to go in further so that the sealing part mates with the drain and stops the water flow.

If the rubber has swelled from age and the little feet keep the stopper from going far enough into the drain to seal, no amount of water will help seal it.

Trimming the feet's four sides should solve the problem. Cutting off the feet will solve the problem too, but it will then no longer have the capability of being a strainer.

Good luck, I look forward to hearing if you are successful.

[ZachO]

I guess I probably should, but I actually never use it as a strainer. I try to keep any chunks of stuff out of the sink anyways. So that wouldn't be an issue. I've got a backup in a drawer so it's pretty low risk for me to try trimming or cutting the feet, so I'll definitely give that a try this weekend.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

[ZachO]

Cutting off the feet didn't really work. It did make it consistent, though. It consistently drains slowly. It's workable, but loses water a bit too fast for my liking. I may be going with a dish pan.

Thanks for the advice. I'm guessing part of my problem is that I don't use more water. More water would be more weight on the stopper and it would form a better seal. But there's just no reason to use more than maybe an inch of water in the bottom of the sink for dishes, so...

[Doctor Harold]

The rubber on your stopper probably has hard bits that keep the softer parts from sealing. Try sanding the rubber surface where it contacts the drain with about 100 grit sandpaper, or maybe a wire wheel gently. At this point you have little to lose. I imagine you don't have a sandblaster, but when car bodies are sandblasted they do not remove the rubber trim, they sandblast it too, and the rubber looks pretty much like new afterwards. The hard bits are removed and the sand just bounces off the parts that are still pliant.

[ZachO]

Thanks. I may try that. The stopper is pretty new. I think I bought it new shortly after buying the trailer, two years ago. Right now I'm using what I think is the one that came with the trailer, which I've held onto as a backup. You'll notice the difference. It actually seems to work pretty well...Not sure why I ever replaced it.

[Byron Kinnaman]

There are many ways to conserve water filling the sink to wash dishes isn't one of them.


A small amount of water is pot will generally do then rinse with a small amount to water heated on the stove, even using the same pot to heat the rinse water.


Our Scamp has a 12 gallon fresh water tank. We've managed for at least two weeks with out running out. I think most people use way more water than necessary.

[Doctor Harold]

Yah, I didn't realize until now that we were talking about two different stoppers.

[k corbin]

I think what you might want to consider doing is purchasing a new bar sink drain fitting set that has both the drain piece that fits into the sink along with the drain stopper that is the perfect fit. It is not that difficult to change out but you will need a wrench and some plumber's putter. You should be able to find these at the big box stores or hardware stores, if not there then Amazon or Ebay will have plenty of choices. It will be much easier than trying to find something to work with a vintage drain fitting. Toss them both out and start over!

[ZachO]

Thanks everyone.

As I mentioned, I don't fill the sink, which is part of the issue. I think if I did, the water pressure would be enough to seal the stopper. I use just about enough water to cover the bottom of the sink.

You do good on water conservation! I have somewhere around a 20 gallon tank. It lasts me a week. But I take showers. I agree most people use way more than necessary. When I'm "camping", I use very little, but I live out of my camper in the summer, and go to a mostly-office job. So during the week in the summer, I use the camper like a house. I'm very very water conscious in comparison to people living in houses. Compared to how water conscious I am when I camp, a little less.

I'll look into all the suggestions.