We have long known father convenience of having a 12v refrigerator in your vehicle, and it goes without saying that every Van build should have a fridge and sink as part of the galley unit.
This side galley design is small to allow for room for walking past as well as being large enough to fit our needs.
Keep reading to see how we build a simple…
Van Fridge Sink Unit
Van Fridge Sink Unit – Design Thinking 🤔
Some ideas we thought about before, during, and after the build.
- Under Counter Slide Out Fridge: Many van conversions feature a drawer mounted slide-out fridge as a way to utilize space. I really like this idea and wanted to incorporate something similar in our Van fridge sink unit. Even though a drawer mounted slide-out fridge would be great in some situations, Ultimately, we decided against it because of access issues when the cargo area is being used.
- Fresh and Grey Water Tanks: Fresh and Greywater tanks would be nice, although the added inconvenience of having to empty them, and the fact that we won’t be “full time” swayed us against having both. Instead, we will just have one 5 gallon water container as our freshwater tank.
- Bigger 12v Refrigerator: We seriously considered upgrading our current fridge to a larger model. But after using our trusty CF25 for a seventh summer, we decided to see just how long it will last and keep using it.
Let’s Take a Look at What We Have To Work With?
The Fridge – Dometic CF25
If you read the review of our Dometic CF25, you will know that we have owned this fridge for many years now. We have now used it in three different vehicles. This compact 12V refrigerator is small, but we have learned techniques to make the most of the available space. 
The Frame
We originally built this frame to hold the fridge in place for our Chevy Astro. It was modified for use in a Honda Element, and now we have decided to modify it again and use it in our Ram ProMaster Weekender Van Life Conversion.
The Water
Another camping item that we saw no reason to replace. Our Reliance Aqua Pak. This 5-gallon water container fits nicely behind the rear wheel well.
The Sink
Another carryover from our camping supplies, a set of stainless steel bowls. Conveniently, they happened to be the perfect size to fit above the water jug storage space.
and Faucet
We had plans to use a foot pump as part of our water system but changed our design after seeing this Battery Powered Water Bottle Pump. We are not washing dishes or using large amounts of water, so this pump had worked out well.
Coming up with a design using parts we already have.
How We Built Our Van Fridge and Sink Unit
The Tools
- Mitre Saw
- Circular Saw
- Jigsaw
- Drill and Drill Bits
- Scotch Brite Scuff Pads
- Carpenter Pencils
- Paint Brushes
The Materials
- Glue
- One-Step Stain and Polyurethane (Classic Black)
- Varathane Stain Carbon Grey
- Varathane Polyurethane
- Black Enamel Paint
- ¼”-20 Threaded Inserts
- ¼”-20 Machine Screws
- Finishing Washers
- ⅜” Baltic Birch Plywood
The How
This is not so much a How-To, more me showing you how I made it. You can do it the same way, or you can draw inspiration from this post and make something with your own ideas
Step-1 Painting and Bolting in The Fridge Frame
Initially, we only planned to use the old frame temporarily. But after having the fridge mounted for a while we decided to incorporate it as part of the Van Fridge Sink Unit.
Step-2 Framing in The Water Container
We used the threaded inserts and ¼-20 machine screws to fasten the water enclosure together.
1×2 furring strips help to stiffen up the panels and make a place to install more threaded inserts.
Step-3 Cutting an Access Hole For The Water Container
We added thickness then cut a hole in the side panel to allow for easy in and out of the water container. 
Step-4 Cutting Out The Counter Top
We traced out the fridge opening from underneath before cutting it out with our jigsaw.
For the sinkhole, we found a plate that was a little smaller than the sink bowl, traced it out, and then cut with the jigsaw.
Step-5 Stain and Seal
Everything is sealed with two coats of one step polyurethane stain and seal.
Our Van Fridge and Sink Unit Is ✅ 
Another project is done and the van is starting to look like it is “finished”, but let’s be honest, there will always be something you want to change or another project to do. All in all, we are extremely happy with how everything is starting to tie together.
Some Other Parts Of Our Van Kitchen
Winter Is Coming – See How We Heat Our Van
- Chinese (Webasto Copy) Parking Heater First Look
- Parking Heater Installation
- Van Heater Air Duct System – Update / Upgrade
- Van Carbon Monoxide Safety
Check Out These Other Cool Van Projects
- Mounting Robe Hooks To Our Van UniStrut Rails
- Installing Our Van Mini Safe
- Van Window Trim
- Campervan Kitchen Pod – Mini-Prep Area
- Unistrut Van Roof Rack
Thanks for reading, and remember to always take the road less traveled!
Wow! My wife and I recently paid our house off and are looking to build a camper van, We were getting frustrated by only finding full live in vans for inspiration ! I changed my search criteria and boom I found your blog! You’re literally you have building something I’ve been sketching up, even down to the bench seat bed swiveling seats and promaster van! At least this is my idea of what we should do. I’ll be building the rear of the van a little different But I finally have something to show my wife. Hopefully this dials up the stoke meter😀