Installed new kitchen faucet!

[Stefrobrts]

On our last trip my hubby was grousing that the short, fixed position faucet in the kitchen sink was making it hard to do dishes. He could hardly get a pan under it to wash it. Well, I want to make doing dishes as easy on him as possible, so I went to Home Depot and browsed their faucets until I found one I liked - an American Standard Cadet Bar Faucet. It has a tall neck and swivels. This afternoon I decided to install it.

Now, I don't really know anything about faucets. But I dug in, and using only the tools in my trailer toolbox, I was able to remove the sink, install the new faucet, and get everything hooked back up and resealed - in less than two hours! I was amazed to find that the new faucet fit perfectly into the old holes, and the threads were even the same on the underside where the water hoses hook up. If I had known how easy it would be, I would have done it sooner!

[swebster]

nice job! I need to replace my leaky kitchen faucet soon. I really like the style you chose.

[rluhr]

Great upgrade, Steph!

Since we have nearly-identical Caravels, you know I have to go get that faucet now, don't you?

[thenewkid64]

Steven,

With as good a co-pilot as she is make the DW happy and install a pull out sprayer single handle Moen. Got all 3 of mine at Lowe's. I can get you the model number if you want it. Look in my gallery and you will see it. I have the same one in the house because mine liked it so much.

Rich, That will look good in your vintage coach

Stephanie, That is the way it is with many things Airstream. It really is not that hard once you figure it out, or to quote PeterH "once you read the directions"

[swebster]

Brett - good point. Yes..please give me the info and include the SS bowl sink info as well.

[thenewkid64]

Here is a link to the faucet. The base plate is optional.

http://www.lowes.com/lkn?action=prod...0000866-87315C

Here is a link to the sink:

http://www.homeclick.com/showpage.asp?itemid=914

Remeber you will need a standard home size strainer for it. The plumbing is no big deal I needed 1 tailpeice, for the rest I reused the parts from the sink I took out. They also make a teak cutting board to cover it should you want the extra counter space.

Let me know if you have questions on the counter top redo I have done 2 so far

[Stefrobrts]

Brett, I love the stuff you chose. If I was going to redo the counter, I'd definitly get the round basin.

Rich: You definitly need to do this - I couldn't believe how easy it was. I picked out that faucet because I thought it still looked kind of plain, and since I'm trying to keep things as vintage as possible, it looked like it fit.

Only problem is now I'd like to do the same in the bathroom but the sink in there is molded into the countertop and can't be removed, so I guess I'd have to do it blind. I might put up with that faucet for a while longer.

[hhuber]

Steph,
I love your faucet too and actually just got a simmilar one but of course it's in the box. I think my bathroom faucet has to come first-the spout part sticks out about 1 inch into the bowl and thats it. You can barely even wash hands. I'm afraid to fool with that fiberglass though.
Heidi

[Stefrobrts]

That's exactly the problem. I noticed last time out that I was bumping my hands on the basin trying to wash them. But reaching around behind that fixed basin doesn't look easy. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad now that I've done it once.

Too bad we're all on different ends of the country. It would be fun to get our little Caravels together

[thenewkid64]

Stephanie,

It may be accessible form the rear door but you will have to be bendy to get in there, or have a low bench to lay on to work from that position. The fittings will be the same.

[Stefrobrts]

Nope, no rear door on a Caravel. I think the only way in is to reach through the little cupboard below the sink. At least there's a lot of room behind the faucet, the kitchen faucet was so close to the wall I had to remove the sink just to have room to turn the wrench.

[thenewkid64]

There is a special wrench for the fittings on the bottom of the faucet that is designed to slip over the pipe and extend below the sink. You might be able to rent one for a local plumbing house or real hardware store. They look like the cheap spark plug wrenches I used to get in my snowmobile tool kits but with a slot cut in them.

[mtpalms]

What a nice looking faucet.

Glad the install went so easy for you, but it made me chuckle: We replaced our old Phoenix, generic style faucet, with a new Phoenix, generic style. Not only did the new one not come with flanges, but the flanges on the old one weren't flaired, so my husband had to drill out the new faucet to make the old ones work. A 5 minute job turned into a 60 minute ordeal, as things will.

[victrola]

Stephanie,

I love the faucet and sink in your kitchen! Is the countertop original or did you replace it? We have a 65 Caravel and the counter top feels spongy behind the stove and sink. I'd love to do it in one piece with a backsplash. Sounds like a major deal though.

I always like reading your threads and I've learned so much from everyone.

We're replacing the axle right now but I'm anxious to get into the interior.

Thanks for any info you can share.

Vickie

[Stefrobrts]

Hi Vickie,

My countertop is original, and solid, so I guess I'm lucky. Yours has probably just suffered the effects of water getting on it over the years. It might also have had water leak in from the refrigerator vent above and run down to the countertop.

Because nothing is a stright line in an airstream, it might be a challenge to put in a new countertop, but you wouldn't be the first one to do so. check out the vintage-vacations caravel and dwinicks Caravel for some mild to wild Caravel kitchen ideas.

[Tinsel Loaf]

That's one I need in our kitchen. I keep hitting the low one and chipping dishes. I try to hide em but when the boss finds the chips she gives me what-for.

[Edie]

Originally Posted by Tinsel Loaf

I keep hitting the low one and chipping dishes.

Yeah, Brett tried that kind of thing with my laundry. He kept ruining my silk blouses, hoping to get out of laundry duty. Instead, he bought me a bunch of new silk blouses.

I am suprised you have dishes that will chip in your AS. We always have Corell or melamine. And did you know that paper plates don't chip and can be "done" in the campfire each evening?

[JohnG]

I really like the way that looks...................Nice choice and nice job.

[53flyingcloud]

Originally Posted by Stefrobrts

That's exactly the problem. I noticed last time out that I was bumping my hands on the basin trying to wash them. But reaching around behind that fixed basin doesn't look easy. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad now that I've done it once.
Too bad we're all on different ends of the country. It would be fun to get our little Caravels together

Stefrobrts~
Nice piece of work~!
Hey, don't exclude us GT'ers.~
FWIW:
I've gotten about half-way into my bathroom sink and, faust.. these things are a "Bear" to take apart~!
So far, I've found the screws under the lip of the counter but, decided that I need to get in under it from the outside rear compartment door to remove the fittings, etc..
Grrrrr, this isn't going to be easy~

Again, extremely nice work~!!
ciao
53FC