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Multiple toilet cassettes


Guest Derek Uzzell

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Guest Derek Uzzell
In the "embarrassing noises" thread of 13/11 Ian Stewart says "I carry (German style) a *spare* cassette". When I was researching the market for our first motorhome I noticed that the Hymer A-Class options list contained two toilet cassette entries, one costing about £80 and the other around £300. I remember asking a Hymer rep at a leisure show to explain the difference and was told that £80 just got you a spare cassette, but for £300 the cassette was built in to provide an 'overflow' facility. At that point I'd never seen a Thetford toilet and, for a long time after, I envisaged some sort of sophisticated set-up with waste filling up one cassette then being automatically diverted to the next. The reality, of course, is much less complex with a full cassette having to be swapped manually for an empty one stored in a dedicated 'built in' locker. This option is available on some other German motorhome makes (in fact it's a signature feature for Frankia). It's also quite common to find German motorcaravanners with vehicles having external storage carrying an extra cassette (or even several extra cassettes) to extend the interval between waste emptying. If your 'van has a suitably sized external storage drawer that can cope with the weight then carrying a 2nd cassette is straightforward. As long as there's the space inside the vehicle it's also not that hard for the DIYer to construct a proper storage locker with an outside door. Or you could house the cassette in a motorhome's 'garage', under a fixed bed or in a seat locker. But the simplest way to provide dedicated storage may be to use Fiamma's recently introduced cassette carrier (about £45). This is a heavy-duty grey plastic oblong box (L510mm x H280mm x W295mm) designed to accept a C200 (swivel bowl) cassette. On the top edge of one end of the box there's a hinge that you screw to the underside of your vehicle's floor and the whole thing works rather like a spare-wheel cradle. The box hangs down from its hinge, you pop in the cassette, put the separate lid in place, then raise the box to the horizontal and secure its fixing attachment to the floor above. (Worth bearing in mind that a cassette containing waste should be vented during storage to allow for the internal build up of gasses, but how this is best done will depend on the storage method employed.) Last month we happened to see the Fiamma product in a French accessory shop and the box and fixings looked pretty sturdy. But we did snigger over the imagined effect if, with a full cassette inside, the box suddenly dropped down from beneath a fast moving motorhome. Don't think I need to elaborate...
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Ye Gods!!! What's all that about then? I've never heard of such a complex palava! If people have a real problem with capacity of this sort then why the hell don't they opt for 'vans with a marine toilet and proper holding tank? Life really is too short for these kind of shenanagins!! Regards Neal
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You seem to be on a bit of a roll tonight with your quirky comments neal. What if you already have a m/home with a cassette type arrangement? Seems perfectly logical to me to carry a spare cassette if you already have this set up. The only thing i'd add to dereks info is that a full cassette is a mighty hefty thing and just screwing the holder to the floor might not be sufficient, i'd prefer to bolt it to be on the safe side. pete.
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Guest Ian Stewart
Two points. Last person I spoke to with a marine toilet fitted in his motorhome commented on the fact that it can be difficult (in the UK) to find a disposal point. As to mounting under the van, probably fairly awkward trying to put a full cassette into position and then remove same later for emptying. I think I prefer, and feel safer, having it stored in an outside locker.
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Sorry Pete, but I just can't believe the struggles that some people endure! Ian, I've had 3 motorhomes over the past 15 years, all with marine-type toilets and holding tanks. I haven't yet a "show-stopping" problem with dumping legally and conveniently. Personally, I believe it is much more user-friendly. Regards Neal
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Neal - if you've had so much experience of marine tolets, I do so hope it has never blocked! Ours has on three occasions. Love it, but sometimes a cassette and a spare (we fill a 17 litre cassette in 24 hours, just 2 of us!) looks very attractive. And yes we have motored around with the whole lot full and the cassette full and struggled to dump it ethically - it's OK we did find somewhere. Thankfully when it doesn't block we manage fine using an external cassette. It will never be stored under the van, Fiamma style!!! At least the fittings would never be left long enough to seize as the spare wheel nuts do!
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I’m with Neal: Ye Gods!!! What is the problem? If you have a bog (sorry) standard Thetford you can empty it down any loo, and that obviously includes any public loo that you can park reasonably near to. If you are so far from civilisation that there is no loo within 20 miles, then I guess it would be OK to dig a hole and bury the contents. If marine toilets cause you so much hassle why bother with them?
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Norma Blocked? Nope, not yet. How does it block? All mine have had the toilet mounted above the holding tank so, you've got toilet bowl, valve, drop to holding tank, 3" diameter dump valve and sewer pipe. You do need to treat the holding tank like the old-fashioned Elsan bucket-type toilets by ensuring that all solid matter is always covered by liquid. No, you do not need a sight glass in practice; just a "feel" for it! (perhaps that was the wrong term!!). If in doubt at any time just add a couple of litres of water (and maybe some chemical). Regards Neal
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Guest Derek Uzzell
I'm always intrigued by the reactions to a proactive posting. I thought this issue was worth raising as I had been perplexed myself by the concept of the 'designed in' multiple toilet-cassette motorhome and the idea of carrying a spare cassette apparently raised eyebrows in an earlier thread. Can't see why motorcaravan marine toilet systems should, as a general rule, be superior to cassette ones, or vice versa. Marine systems are well suited to large motorhomes, cassette systems to small ones: somewhere in the dimensional centre either system would be appropriate but, as far as I'm aware, it's the designer not the buyer who always decides this. If you own a large motorhome your usage pattern will probably differ radically from that of owners of small motorhomes and that difference will influence which toilet system is preferable. (Why am I saying this - it's so obvious?!) Motorhomes with marine toilets have no attraction for me. It's nothing to do with the toilet system itself just that vehicles with it would be too large to park at my home. (I'm also unconvinced of the merits of the Dometic vacuum toilet as the cassette is of such limited capacity.) With the Thetford 20litre bench-toilet cassette I used to budget for needing to empty it every 3rd day, but I'm much warier of our present 17litre version in this respect. Even with the bigger variant we've been camped off-site knowing the toilet cassette was approaching full and it wasn't a fun experience. At an aire de services we once encountered a motorcaravanning couple whose cassette had become so full neither had dared use it that morning. In both instances having a back-up cassette would have offered piece of mind and it should certainly be useful if you've got children, a smallish 'family' motorhome and don't rely on campsite facilities. I note Bill's comments about emptying cassettes in public toilets. Yes, I've done it and it can be a mucky business due to the pretty much unavoidable splashing. I haven't tried the burying trick as I don't carry a spade, nor have I followed the traditional seaside maxim of emptying the cassette on the rocks when the tide's ebbing. I believe most people would prefer to use assigned emptying points whenever possible - motorcaravanners as a breed get enough undeserved flak for having unsavoury habits without adding fuel to the critical flames. As for the Fiamma carrying box, I accept all the points made about it as valid. If using bolts for attachment is practicable then that method should be better. It's very likely that loading or unloading a full cassette won't be easy, but, if your 'van hasn't got external or internal storage suitable for carrying a spare, then the Fiamma product is an option worth considering. Besides which, if the 2nd cassette is for emergencies only, you shouldn't be employing it that often. Anyway, now you all know about it.
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Neal - Can I assume you have a Laika? Our marine toilet is the same principle. It blocks at the blade between the two tanks, the top and holding tank. There is no option of using the facility without extra water, as it part of the flushing system. Hubby has no large bowel so lack of fluid again is not the issue. We now carry a metal coathanger (know the inside workings of the blades intimately) and have bought veterniary goves - they go up to the armpit. I'm sure I don't need to continue! 3 blockages in the last 18 months. Now we make sure we regularly wash through the system to prevent stagnation.
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Guest Brian Kirby
The main advantage of two tanks seems to me to be to allow normal upright walking while carrying both to be emptied. I've always found the lean induced by carrying just the one tank a bit of a nuisance, as you tend to bash yourself on the tank side leg, if you see what I mean - or at least I do! Further advantage, if you do happen to drop the emptying spout cap into the proverbial, you have a spare. I guess I'm a bit biased however, since we nearly always use sites and thus mostly their facilities. Will it be a new form of snobbery? We're two tank motorhomers! With apologies Brian
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