Installing A Dishwasher In A RV

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When we first made a list of must-haves for our fifthwheel a dishwasher did NOT make the cut. Sure, it would be nice but it wasn’t a deal breaker. Fast forward 2 years add in a toddler and shelter in place orders and suddenly a dishwasher seemed of utmost importance. So today Im giving you the deets on our experience with installing a dishwasher in a RV.

Selecting A Dishwasher

First, let’s start with which unit we installed and why. Obviously space is a HUGE factor so we needed something compact. That said, I wanted the output to be worth the sacrifice in space. I didn’t want to give up a huge chunk of my kitchen storage just so I can have a unit that washed 2 plates at a time(ya feel me??). We found the 18″ Frigidaire Dishwasher to be the perfect size for our space.

The next factor for us was weight. Some residential units are pushing 200 lbs and even the so called “compact” units come in over the 100 lb mark. Luckily, the Frigidaire Dishwasher we selected only weighs 54 lbs. We both felt like this was a safe weight to be adding to our space.

Installing the Dishwasher

There are basically two things that every unit will need: water and power. For us, this meant the easiest place to put the dishwasher would be our kitchen island. The island in our unit houses the sink and two electrical outlets. After a ton of brainstorming and measuring and measuring AGAIN we decided the right end of our island would work best. We had to sacrifice 4 drawers and 1 electrical outlet but it was totally worth it.

Q removed the drawers, hardware, and outlet first(we have a project coming soon that will recycle these drawers!). Then he cut the cross pieces with a reciprocating saw and finished the small adjustment cuts with a jigsaw. The cuts were pretty straight but we didn’t stress to make these absolutely perfect as the dishwasher has a rubber flange that covers the face of the cabinets along the whole front edge.

Lastly, he hooked up the electrical to the existing box and used the Snappy Trap Drain Kit to hook up water. The kit really simplified the plumbing portion of this whole instal and it fit perfectly under our sink. Luckily Q is pretty handy and some of our previous renovations have given us a crash course in both plumbing and electrical. I’d say this job only takes an afternoon start to finish.

Was It Worth It?

This unit is advertised to hold “8 place settings” at a time. I wasn’t sure what that really meant for our family of 3 when we were shopping around. Now, I can say it holds a “full day” of dishes. That means all the dishes we use for 3 meals a day and countless snacks(hello toddler life🤦‍♀️). This even includes pots and pans(although I still hand wash our cast iron)! Overall, Im pleasantly surprised at the capacity.

We’ve used mostly the “normal” and “heavy” cycles but there are several others and even a handful of additional options. Things like heated dry, sanitize, delay wash, etc. The wash quality is awesome(even with little rinsing) and the noise level is minimal.

Its only been a short time but I already feel like its worth EVERY cent spent and inch of space sacrificed! If you’re just a weekender a dishwasher is likely a luxury you can do without. If you’re a full-timer I would say GO FOR IT!

So tell me, does your RV have a dishwasher? If not, have you considered installing a dishwasher? You know I’d love to hear all about it in the comments below!