Posted: 24 December 2008 8:19 PM Subject: SOG Ventilation system
Having a look around
Posts: 31
Came across this product on the internet and wondered if any one has had one fitted and just how effective it is, how simple to install and if happy with the way it works
It costs £100 (plus any fitting) and for some one doing a lot of caravaning, it would pay for it's self in very short time.
Posted: 26 December 2008 8:17 AM Subject: RE: SOG Ventilation system
Mike:
Thanks for the thanks.
Don't forget to get the correct SOG kit for your Thetford toilet and, if the toilet has a manual flush (common in caravans I believe), that you'll need to lead a 12V power-supply into the toilet-cassette locker.
SOG-kit prices do vary a bit, so it might pay to shop around for the cheapest. Here are some links (in no particular order) to be going on with and some of the websites allow you to download installation instructions so you can get an idea what the work involves.
Posted: 26 December 2008 8:55 AM Subject: RE: SOG Ventilation system
A posting machine
Posts: 387 Location: Hampshire
If your toilet access hatch comes within your awning you would need to have a serious rethink. The preferred option is a roof vent but this quadruples the rework.
Posted: 26 December 2008 10:12 AM Subject: RE: SOG Ventilation system
Epic contributor
Posts: 1094 Location: BIRMINGHAM. Auto sleeper Nuevo ek 160bhp automatic
Had one for nearly a year now, best bit of kit that i have used, fitting is quite easy i beleve, (disabled couldn't do it myself) but it took longer to read the instructions than it did to fit.
Pete
Posted: 26 December 2008 6:53 PM Subject: RE: SOG Ventilation system
It's perhaps worth mentioning that everyone who has so far replied positively to Mike's original posting is a motorcaravanner.
Despite being a SOG fan myself, I'm not 100% sure whether adding the system to a caravan would be justified financially. We use campsites infrequently and, even on those rare occasions, don't bother to exploit the sanitary facilities. Besides using our motorhome's toilet for the purpose it's designed for, I also use it as a handy water-receptacle when I dry out the adjacent shower cubicle. As a result, our motorhome's toilet-cassette requires emptying every 48 hours or so and, if I were using smell-masking chemicals, the expense would be significant. Normal caravanning practice (as I understand it) involves much greater use of campsite 'san facs' and would permit the toilet-cassette between-emptying interval to be much longer.
I suppose what I'm saying is that the near-£100 cost of a SOG kit would, for a caravanner, buy an awful lot of toilet chemicals that would last for an awfully long time.
Posted: 26 December 2008 7:56 PM Subject: RE: SOG Ventilation system
Having a look around
Posts: 31
Take your point Derek, but we enjoy CL sites and use our own facilities. The concept of no smell and no chemicals appeals very much.
We have been looking for some time now, (as I'm sure you will have noted) for either a motor home or a caravan and have looked at many second hand ones - only to be put off by the toilet smells where chemicals have been overused or just left their sickly smell.
For us, the benefits of a SOG unit out ways the savings you rightly point out by staying chemical should one not be using the caravan as much as a motor home. Getting older - I find it easier to empty the loo long before it is near to full - so maybe the savings will be greater to us than a regular caravaner
I have followed all the links you kindly noted, I'm impressed with all that has been said, and I'm most certainly going to buy the system.
The next question - will I be able to fit it myself?
These instructions cover early and current bench-type Thetford toilets and the C-200 range of swivel-bowl models, but not the latest C-250 variant. Photos of a C-250 + SOG are available on
My Hobby's toilet is a C-200 model and the SOG installation instructions for this Thetford model were reasonably clear.
Provided that you have basic DIY tool-skills and a basic knowledge of caravan 12V electrics, I don't think you should have much difficulty fitting the kit yourself, though anyone contemplating a task involving drills and saws should always keep the carpenter's cardinal rule of "measure twice - cut once" uppermost in mind.
Posted: 28 December 2008 10:05 PM Subject: RE: SOG Ventilation system
Lives on the forums
Posts: 548 Location: Kent
We had our SOG fitted at the Peterborough Show this year. Although not a cheap bit of kit, the benefits are great. I can use the loo after him if you know what I mean!!!! We would certainly recommend SOG to anyone, and fit one on our next motorhome.
Apparently putting one of those smelly tree car freshners in the filter box of the SOG sorts out problems if the toilet is the same side as the awning.
We found that not only saving on the chemicals that are otherwise needed in the loo, some countries are now going 'green' and it will be harder to empty if you are using chemicals in your casette. Hymer motorhomes are now being built with SOG already fitted for this reason.
Posted: 29 December 2008 8:06 AM Subject: RE: SOG Ventilation system
A posting machine
Posts: 387 Location: Hampshire
Rapido-lass - 2008-12-28 10:05 PM
Apparently putting one of those smelly tree car freshners in the filter box of the SOG sorts out problems if the toilet is the same side as the awning.
I think that might only address the "smell issue". It does not "sort out problems" of pumped venting a toilet waste holding tank into what is for many a living space. The cassette tank sits there for hours with bacterial breakdown products filling the void only to be pumped out when used.
Each to their own though.
Posted: 29 December 2008 8:20 AM Subject: RE: SOG Ventilation system
Lives on the forums
Posts: 548 Location: Kent
I think that might only address the "smell issue". It does not "sort out problems" of pumped venting a toilet waste holding tank into what is for many a living space. The cassette tank sits there for hours with bacterial breakdown products filling the void only to be pumped out when used.
Fair point, but I did say 'apparently' - I am only going on that part by what I've been suggested by others in that situation, as I don't have that scenario.
I know this might sound daft, but how about trying to fix one of those tumble dryer venting hoses from the SOG vent to the outside of the awning to overcome the problem?
For me I would find a way around it as I wouldn't be without my SOG.
