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Nice install. That is a pretty sink. What is the stainless grill on the left side backsplash?

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John


"I only exaggerate enough to compensate for being taken with a grain of salt."


LE2 #92 (sold),   Black Series HQ19   

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That looks fantastic, nice job. Thanks for the info, I had never looked at FRANKE before, I have all Grohe fixtures in my house and we love the quality of their products. FRANKE Quantum line looks interesting too...

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Randy


One Life Live It Enjoyably


2017 F350 6.7L SRW CC LB


2015 Oliver Elite II Hull #69

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I love the sink and faucet you installed. Very clean lines and modern as you say. I would have Oliver install the same in ours except I do not want to lose the drawer space. We converted our flip down drawer to a real drawer last year. Do you think the faucet you used would help with the original sink/faucet combo splash issue? I have never liked the Oliver’s kitchen faucet. It is too tall and seems over sized for the sink to me.

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Yvonne & Doug


2017 Legacy Elite II, twin bed


Hull #223


2017 Ford F-250 Lariat, crew cab

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Overland -

 

Nice job! And, it looks good too. I've just never had an eye for these kind of things. Yes, I think that I know when I see something that looks tasteful but usually trying to design it myself doesn't turn out very good. Obviously you can do both - design and make it look good.

Bill

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2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist"

Near Asheville, NC

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I love the sink and faucet you installed. Very clean lines and modern as you say. I would have Oliver install the same in ours except I do not want to lose the drawer space. We converted our flip down drawer to a real drawer last year. Do you think the faucet you used would help with the original sink/faucet combo splash issue? I have never liked the Oliver’s kitchen faucet. It is too tall and seems over sized for the sink to me.

 

This particular version of the faucet is probably the least likely to work with the existing sink, though it might. The only reason I say that is just because of the size. It does send the water straight down instead of angled to the front so that alone might make it work with the original sink. Also, Grohe doesn't have nearly as aggressive of an aerator so the water comes out in a more gentle stream. They make another version that's the same height, but the spout turns down and the sprayer is smaller and pulls down instead of out. And they also make a smaller version that's about half the height and I think a little shallower and that one might be the better choice. We actually debated on getting the smaller one, and it would have been fine, but the larger one was on sale at the time.

 

 

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I have all Grohe fixtures in my house…

 

Lucky you, lol. I feel like I've downgraded every time I go from the trailer to the house. I tell my wife that the trailer is much more expensive per square foot than the house, so it deserves better fixtures. I'm not sure she buys the argument, but she does like the end result.

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Wow that is a beautiful sink and install!

I have never been all that happy with my sink/faucet combo.

I was looking at getting at least a new faucet as mine does not reach far enough in to the sink.

But the sink you found would be much more functional.

So is your Franke Vector sink 17"wide x 22-3/8" long (flange to flange) x 9" deep? Just making sure.

 

I'll be running out to my Elite to see if it will fit! Hope it does.

Thanks for the post.

 

Dave

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2015 Oliver Elite, Hull 107


1998 Ford E-250, 5.4 liter

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Yes, that's the one. Sorry that it won't work.

 

Here's some more detailed, I hesitate to call them instructions, but...

 

The existing cutout on mine was actually slightly wider due to the mounting hardware on the original Elkay sink, but I had to cut out in front and back.

 

I started by taping down the template and marking both cuts. I located the sink in really about the only location it would go. I needed to leave enough space at the rear to turn the faucet handle, and at the front I was about as close to the fiberglass face of the cabinet as I could get. But basically, I tried to match the side and front reveal and that worked out pretty well. I tried using a Bosch T130 grit blade to cut the fiberglass, but though it made a nice cut, it was too short in a couple of spots so I had to switch to a longer T141. That one actually worked well, though the cut was rougher and it did chip in a couple of spots, but only slightly and not nearly so much as would show past the flange. I taped around the cut with masking tape to keep from scratching the countertop.

 

After that, you'll need to remove the drawer trim using a razor blade to cut the caulk, then remove the screws where the sink will go (I think there were 4, 3 across the top and one on the left side), and then cut out the wooden brace working underneath. I used the jigsaw and cut the right side, then marked the left side of the cabinet to the depth of the sink. Then I cut the left side out from the front corner to the back of the sink. I think I did two cuts working toward each end. You could go ahead and cut all the way to the back if you wanted, since you'll just end up with a corner of the cabinet sticking out. You can then remove the brace and side piece together. The fiberglass on the front is fairly thick, and when you put the trim back, it will cover most of where you cut, so there's little risk of doing real damage. But work carefully nonetheless.

 

I would test the flatness of your counter before trying to place the sink, and if it's bowed like mine, go ahead and shim it flat before doing what I did and having to scramble to fix it before the silicone on the sink set. The center of the cabinet has a little platform, maybe 2" wide that you can use to set whatever shims you use. I used a couple of pieces of the wood I had just cut out.

 

Also before you set the sink permanently, just rest it in place and mark where you will need to cut the drain, since the drain on the new sink is at the rear. I think I cut it at about the halfway point. Perfect precision isn't necessary. You should have plenty of play at the trap to twist the drain to the correct angle.

 

Once it's all flat, just run a bead of silicone around the sink and set it in place. Mine set in pretty flat and just a couple of taps with a wooden block pushed it flush to the counter.

 

Next you'll need to trim the drawer trim so it will fit around the sink. It's soft enough to cut with a utility knife. The cut will be hidden by the drawer front so you only have to be as careful as your conscience allows. Then clean up the old caulk - I went around it carefully with a razor blade, then cleaned up the rest with minimal spirits. I actually only removed the caulk around the top and left side and pulled it out to work, but I think it would have been easier to just remove the whole piece. I taped it back to the inside of the cabinet to set it in place and then went around painstakingly with caulk. I'm a terrible caulker, and since I was going to use the same caulk to glue in the blocks around the sink, I was using the 3M 4200 which is a real bear to work with. But I managed. I noticed this morning that I need to go back in one spot that was a little thin.

 

Since I had some 1x2 pvc left over from another project, I cut that into 4" lengths and used four of those to block around the sink on the right side where the counter wasn't level. I had a few blocks of oak that were about 3x3x2 that I used on the back. The sink has a flange on each side that I glued to. On the front, I ended up with about ½" between the face of the sink and the inside of the counter, so I cut a few strips of ½" plywood to block there. I made those strips the full depth of the sink since I used those to secure the drawer front back in place. That's not necessary, since the drawer overlaps the trim enough that you could secure the drawer with a bead of caulk around the top and sides. But I had in mind to use the velcro, so I needed a few blocks for that. I taped all of the blocks in place so they wouldn't move and left them overnight. The next morning I removed the tape and the temporary shims I had for the countertop.

 

And that's pretty much it. The rest is just following the instructions for the faucet and sink drain. If there are any plumbers reading, stop now because I have to confess that I used silicone on the drain basket and fittings. But I figured with all the bumps and vibration that silicone would be better in the long run than plumber's putty. If you use the basket that comes with the sink, then everything should clear the existing drawer cut, or at least it did on mine. I did get a low profile elbow, which as I said is cheapy plastic, but it works and since it slips inside the old drain I didn't have to worry about measuring and cutting. You'll need to glue a PVC-plastic compression adapter to the old drain. It's called something else, but you get the idea. Just spend several minutes staring blankly at the plumbing fittings at Home Depot and eventually you'll figure it out. That's my approach, at least.

 

The only other thing I did special was to zip tie the existing plumbing lines as secure as possible while I was in there. I don't like that Oliver just lays a lot of the plumbing in place without securing it and I've already had one fitting crack due to vibration, so whenever I'm anywhere near a water line, I zip tie.

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Nice to see that someone else zip ties the plumbing lines. I've never had a leak or any lines/connections crack, but I simply didn't like how the lines moved around in the compartment with the water pump. So, I zip tied and used "Gorilla Tape" to secure anything that moved. Many times this was done by simply securing one moving thing to another - now at least these lines all move less than they did before. "An ounce of prevention". While I was doing this, I also covered all water lines that I could reach with foam pipe insulation. Partly this was done because I had some left over from a house project. In addition to keeping some of the hot water a tad warmer than it would be otherwise and keeping the hot away from the cold lines, the main benefit was that the insulation reduced the amount of movement in those lines and/or prevented them from hitting or rattling against other items down in the dungeon.

 

Bill

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2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist"

Near Asheville, NC

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I do like the existing faucet. It allows us to fill a big pot for, corn, clams, and lobsters. Usually we have a wye outside that lets us, with a hose, fill and clean pots..but not always. Seems like when we meet up with folks in this part of the world, those items are requested to be on the menu. A straight stream or a rinsing spray works for us while doing dishes. I do like the thought of making the tilt out piece into a short drawer. Maybe will have to look into that for a spring project. But got to crawl under the unit first and grease those 16 zerks again. Think Spring in the north east...

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  • 3 years later...

We don't even have our ollie yet, and I'm already making plans to change out the sink.  Love what you've done here....and I hope that between the two of us, @MarkV and I have the skills to get this done.  (He's in charge of cutting the fiberglass, though....)

 

mb

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MaryBeth
Boulder, CO

2022 Elite II #953
TV: 2021 Ford Expedition Max Platinum, Max Tow Package

COKSMONESDTNUTWYmed.jpg

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