# Dishwasher Installed



## freefaller25 (Mar 19, 2006)

Hello All,
I finally got around to installing a drawer dishwasher in our camper. I came by the machine through a special arrangement (not stolen







) with the intention of putting it in the Outback. Now it is there but I have to wait to de-winterize before I can test the connections and button everything up. I still need to caulk around the counter top and install the various trim pieces. We do a lot of cooking in the camper and this will sure make the pans clean up easier. It is much more efficient with the water usage and drys too!

Tony


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## Crawfish (Sep 14, 2005)

Tony, I was wondering when you was going to get around to installing that dishwasher. Glad to hear you are finished with the mod. I will be checking it out at the summer rally along with a cup of that great tasting coffee from your coffee maker.









Leon


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## fl_diesel (Feb 15, 2006)

Crawfish said:


> Tony, I was wondering when you was going to get around to installing that dishwasher. Glad to hear you are finished with the mod. I will be checking it out at the summer rally along with a cup of that great tasting coffee from your coffee maker.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


And I will bring my dishes over to test it out then too...


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

That's very cool, Tony!







(Just can't let my DW see it!)

It looks like you added a little spacer between the counter and the cabinet. Is that correct, or was that white band already there?
Also, does this use the OEM water heater, or have it's own?

Doug


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

Now THERE'S a mod. I can appreciate!!!

Nice job! Once you get it all done (and tested







) some details re: installation, hook up, etc. would be wonderful...!!!!


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## 'Ohana (May 20, 2007)

Wow







now that's a cool mod









Unfortunately







If I was to do a mod such as that, it would take away my puppy dog's chores to do when camping









Ed


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

That has got to be one of the coolest mods ever








I'd like more info on the make and model...
Can't wait to hear how it performs!


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

I have *two* dishwashers in my Outback....one is 11yrs old and the other is 8yrs old.


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

That has GOT to be my favorite Outback mod ever. Very nicely done


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## Lady Di (Oct 28, 2005)

Wow!

And some people say they are roughing it when camping.


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

Lady Di said:


> Wow!
> 
> And some people say they are roughing it when camping.


Who said that


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## Calvin&Hobbes (May 24, 2006)

wow! now that is a cool mod......I'm trying to figure where I could put that in our RQS! What is the brand and model #? what kind of problems did you encounter?


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## campingnut18 (Mar 11, 2004)

hey tony nice mod.








ill do all the cooking if you wash them...















lamar


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## 3LEES (Feb 18, 2006)

Cool mod Tony.

My DW has her own dishwasher...me!

I figure that if she can do the cookin', I can do the washin'.

Dan


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Paper plates...campfire...dishes done!


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## Scrib (Jun 28, 2005)

I do believe that this might be an Outbacker first


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## whodey (Feb 9, 2007)

Nice mod. A few questions though, if it dries, what kind of electric usage are you looking at? Did you need to add an extra breaker? If so, what size?

Mike


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## freefaller25 (Mar 19, 2006)

Hey thanks for all the great comments. Let me try to answer the questions with the best information I have now.

I couldn't stand it and had to fire the thing up. I didn't want to connect the city water so I just dumped about a gallon of the pink stuff in it to see if it runs. I connected our generator and it fired right up. It is nice and quiet too. Spring better get here soon so we can put some dirty dishes in there.

-	The model is a Kenmore Elite single drawer dishwasher available only from Sears
-	Fisher Pykel also makes something similar available several places
-	I added a 2" wide by 3/4" thick poplar slat to the left side of the original counter top. The slat was spray painted semi-gloss white with the last coat from a chilled can to get some texture on it. A small spacer block at the front matches the height of the counter top trim.
-	A ¼" spacer was added to the back of the counter top and right panel to bring it out a little. A ¾" spacer would give a better fit but then the counter would extend beyond the main cabinet fascia and I didn't want to deal with that. A caulk bead will cover the ¼" spacer in the end
-	Some reinforcement was needed along the front of the cabinets to tie the dishwasher frame in, nothing special just with scraps.
-	The original right panel and fascia are re-used.
-	A 1.5" hole was cut through the cabinets to run power and water lines
-	Power was taped into the GFI circuit right above the dishwasher, no new breaker, just a junction
-	The washer draws I guess 400-500 watts max and uses only a small AC fan for drying. I don't know the exact numbers
-	Hot water was tapped from the supply at the back of the outside kitchen; a T and a 8' steel braded line were used
-	A 5/8" hole was drilled in the PVC drain line between the two sinks and a 1/2" threaded barb fitting was tapped in and silicone sealed in place. The dishwasher drain line connects to the barb fitting
-	The washer is made for home use with 120degree inlet water, the high temp from the outback should make the cycles shorter (the heater in the dishwasher will barley be needed), if it is connected to the cold side the cycles will be longer as the integrated water heater is a few 100 watts I guess
-	I will have to add circulating pink stuff in the washer as part of the winterizing routine
-	I think a drawer lock will also be needed during travel as the washer is made to open easily and not made to be transported
-	I think the biggest limiting factor is the retail cost of the machine. (The company I work for bought the machine for testing and when we were done I bought it with a big discount. It worked great in our tests.). The other parts of the install were not too bad. Everything is available at Lowes. I am no good at working with wood so I think the job must not have been too complicated. I guess it took about 10 hours work at my slow pace and with a few mistakes needing correction along the way.
- A mod like this can really make the DW happy and we all know that when the DW is happy everyone is happy








-	We will see how useful it is and if it stands up to life in the Outback.

Tony


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## ALASKA PFLOCK (Jun 24, 2007)

Quick cover your ears Blaze, Jake and Jessie...our 4 legged dishwashers, sanitize feature not included.


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## tentr4life (May 10, 2006)

What was in that space before the dishwasher? In our 27rsds that is where the furnace is.


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

tentr4life said:


> What was in that space before the dishwasher? In our 27rsds that is where the furnace is.


In the 28RSDS that area is a shelf for a DVD/VCR and a general storage cabinet.

Happy Trails,
Doug


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## Justman (Jul 22, 2006)

Oregon_Camper said:


> I have *two* dishwashers in my Outback....one is 11yrs old and the other is 8yrs old.


Hey, me two!! Except I have three!


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## MaeJae (May 12, 2005)

I really like that! It would be perfect for my BIG coffee mugs and
morning dishes or utensils. We like to use real plates for steak.
or pasta meals.... That would be great. We use paper most of the time but...
It would be nice not to be strapped to the sink after "real" dishes were used.

Hey! It would be perfect for the blender cup! or the Magic Bullet cups!!!

Is it deep enough to hold an oblong crock pot crock?

MaeJae


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## Txcamper (Apr 3, 2006)

That looks really nice... the wife would like that and a washer/dryer also.


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## wtscl (May 22, 2007)

THAT'S GREAT!! DW thinks I'm crazy always reading all of these posts, but I learn so much, and you guys have some GREAT ideas. I would have NEVER thought to put a dishwasher in that spot. I have the same cabinet and DW seemed REALLY interested until I told her how much a new one was. I plan on keeping my eyes open though.


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## fspieg (Jul 31, 2006)

Txcamper said:


> That looks really nice... the wife would like that and a washer/dryer also.
> 
> I was having bad wi-fi connections and my post got posted twice.. I know how to edit, but how do we erase our posts?


Looks good! Keep us posted on how well this holds up to mobile use. If you ever put a cloths washer in a RV make sure it is designed specifically for that use. Ask my father in-law. He put a whirlpool top loader in his Travel Supreme. After several months there was serious major damage from shaking the trailer. Even the DW tried to explain this to him but he was just to stubborn to listen.

Rick


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## H2oSprayer (Aug 5, 2006)

$850?? Sears wants $850 bucks for one of those units. Generally, we use the paper plate / fire method of washing dishes. As for our morning cup of coffee and our daily utensils, unless we use a bunch in one day, we will let them collect through the day and wash them all after dinner. On the occasion that we use "real" plates, I could bribe the boys to wash them for many years to come for $850. Although, if one of those landed in my lap, I definitely have a place in the OB for it.







Very nice mod and thanks for the description on the install. Would you say this was a





















or a




























mod?


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## Thor (Apr 7, 2004)

freefaller25 said:


> Hello All,
> I finally got around to installing a drawer dishwasher in our camper. I came by the machine through a special arrangement (not stolen
> 
> 
> ...


Outstanding

















































Love it.

Thor


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## Husker92 (Feb 11, 2006)

Great idea!







It's Very Very cool!

Do you know how much water it uses during a run?

For all the Mods performed, We need a special gallery folder with the 10 greatest TT mods and a rating system.

Happy Outbacking!

Steve


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Husker92 said:


> For all the Mods performed, We need a special gallery folder with the 10 greatest TT mods and a rating system.


I would say this one would go in the Top Ten.

Now you have me thinking....I'm going to create a new thread on this "Top Ten Mods" idea.

LInk to Top Ten Mods Thread


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## easttexan (Oct 24, 2007)

Glad to see this. My dish washer is getting old and I really need to replace *her*,,,, er, I mean it.


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## Northern Wind (Nov 21, 2006)

Sign me up! This now moves way up on my list of future mods!

Steve


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## ssrrchase (Oct 20, 2004)

Very, very nice! I agree, it's one of the top mods.


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## RizFam (Feb 25, 2006)

Outstanding!


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

LOVE IT !! Nice job !!


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## robbntoni (Jun 16, 2009)

Sayonara said:


> LOVE IT !! Nice job !!


this disdwasher is the best mod i'v seen. will be looking for one for us. cant wait untell my hubbie gets home to show him this. toni


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## zrxfishing (Sep 12, 2007)

freefaller25 - any updates on how the dishwasher is working and holding up to the abuse of a camper while on the road???


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## JerseyGirl86 (Mar 30, 2009)

I am totally fascinated by the dishwasher! It just about brought tears to my eyes


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