RV Dishwasher Installation
(2021 Update) We recently made a video about our RV dishwasher install and a review of how our Furrion dishwasher has been working out for us. Back when we lived in our Koala Travel Trailer for 6 months we did all our dishes by hand and it wasn’t bad. However, back then it was just the two of us. We could leisurely do dishes together while talking. Now that we have two kids it’s either one of us watching kids and the other doing dishes, or the evening is spent doing dishes after the kids go to sleep. We would rather have time together or get other things done. Click below for our RV dishwasher install and review:
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Choosing an RV Dishwasher
When first starting to research our options, we found three types of RV dishwashers. The first was a countertop model that makes for a really easy install. The downside is having to sacrifice precious countertop space.
Next up were a Vesta model and a Furrion model that were the drawer kind and are the right size to replace your oven. Which is great if you don’t use your RV oven. We use our oven regularly and didn’t want to sacrifice it. Putting these models elsewhere in the RV wouldn’t have been practical.
Furrion makes another model that is taller and only 18″ wide. It fits pretty well into the island of our 2018 Jayco Pinnacle 37MDQS by removing the 3 drawers at the far right side of the island. After planning out where we could put the things that currently resided in those drawers and thinking through the plumbing and electrical logistics, we decided to get this one and moved forward with the purchase and install.
The Installation Process
The model we purchased was the Furrion 18″ Built-in Dishwasher. We ordered the RV dishwasher directly through Furrion. On Furrion’s website it appears our exact model is no longer available, but it looks like the comparable option is the 18” Top Control Built-in Dishwasher.
In 2018 the dishwasher cost us a little over $500. The price has definitely gone up. We made some additional purchases from Amazon for the pipe assembly (https://amzn.to/34AWHao), a dishwasher drain connector kit (https://amzn.to/3vE5Z1h), and from Home Depot for various plumbing components.
The general steps for installation are as follows:
- Removing three drawers
- Unscrewing and removing crossbars between drawers
- Cutting out the bottom section where the wood cabinetry meets the floor
- Cutting out some extra wood left and right to ensure the perfect fit and moving a cabinet door over slightly
- Ensuring the island charging tower is in the upright position (this will forever remain up after the install as there is no longer room for it to be recessed)
- Relocating the electric outlet for the charging tower inside the island further to the left to make room for the dishwasher
- Plugging in a splitter to the single electric outlet to be able to plug in both the RV dishwasher and the charging tower
- Putting the RV dishwasher in
- Replacing all of the piping from the sinks to the P-trap using a set of drain pipes (Amazon plumbing pack) that would replace all of this and included the waste tee for the RV dishwasher drain
- Teeing off of the plastic hot water line with enough adapters to connect both the hot water for the sink and the hot water for the RV dishwasher and zip tying it to the drain pipes to provide strain relief
- Connecting dishwasher drain hose to the new waste T with dishwasher drain connector kit
- Secure the RV dishwasher by screwing it into the cabinetry in the front
- Test running the RV dishwasher and correcting for any leaks by tightening down some connections
Post Install Verdict
The RV dishwasher has been wonderful so it was a great decision for us. We are not missing the drawer space at all. The convenience of using the dishwasher has freed up so much time for us. Our counters and sink are no longer cluttered with dishes waiting for us to get the chance to clean them.
Water usage hasn’t been a problem for us this far. Water usage varies depending on the wash settings. According to the manual heavy wash uses 4.41 gallons, normal and light use 3.54, and speed uses 2.7 gallons. We’ve run it on the speed load while hooked up to a 15 amp electrical connection and without sewer hookups. We still continue to wash some things by hand but this modification has been life changing!
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If you’d like to see our RV tour or read more about the buying and inspection process for our truck and RV and other RV related features, then check out some of our other posts:
- RV TOUR // Full Time Family of 4 // Living in a Jayco Pinnacle 37MDQS
- RV Inspection and Pick-up Process
- Purchasing our 2016 RAM 3500 Dually
- Purchasing our Jayco Fifth Wheel
- RV Office Setup and Connectivity
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We just ordered a 2019 Pinnacle and is comes with dishwasher prep. Our dealer is checking to see if they will install one at the factory. How quiet is it. Thanks…………very good article!!
That is exciting to hear about your Pinnacle. Even better that they may be able to install a dishwasher at the factory. Ours is pretty quiet. The loudest thing is when it beeps at the end. Congratulations and I wish you many happy adventures!
I’m about to buy a dishwasher for our GD Reflection 5th wheel. My question is, you said that you connected this to the hot water supply. My hot water supply is extremely hot. I’m told this is not adjustable and by design because of how small the tank is. I’ve not measured it, but I’m assuming it’s over 120 degrees straight out of the pipe and the dishwashers that mention it say that the max inlet temp is <120 degrees. Is your hot water extremely hot? Have you noticed any adverse effects of that on the dishwasher? Thanks for the video!
Our hot water heater is pretty hot too. You could always measure your hot water temp at your kitchen faucet. If it’s 120 degrees at the water heater then it probably isn’t that hot by the time it gets to your sink. The dishwasher itself heats the interior up over 170 degrees which is enough to sanitize the contents over 15 minutes or so. Everything is still working well 4+ years later.
Love this idea so much and can’t wait till we get out next travel trailer to have a kitchen island for a dishwasher.
My other question is with the stove and replacing the gas burner with an induction cook top. I have one pinned on Amazon that others have used, have you ever thought about that or done that?
Thanks! We love our dishwasher and think it’s a great addition if you have the space. Replacing the stove isn’t something we’ve personally considered since we use ours all the time, but have heard of others replacing their ovens/stovetops for other things.
This Danby dishwasher is the best purchase I have made in years. It actually made life simpler, this dishwasher is the perfect size for my tiny kitchen and fits my faucet fine.