silverbike Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 We met an Austrian couple in Greece whose van has a holding tank that will take 3 weeks' worth. The mind boggles! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yeti Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 747 - 2012-06-15 1:09 PM pepe63 - 2012-06-15 11:17 AM Concidering the number that give the impression that they wildcamp,I'm a bit suprised that we haven't been swamped with locations/solutions..... :-S Members who wildcamp will not post on a thread like this. Why not? ..... Ask Rupert. No need to ask.just go to www.wildcamping.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mardee Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 We empty the cassette in public toilets. We choose one in a quiet location and clean up any splashes. We always use eco friendly chemicals. We have a septic tank at home and empty the cassette at home so see no problem in using public toilets when necessary. The reason we choose those in quiet locations is that there can be a smell initially after emptying and that may give us motorhomers a bad name if lots of people were using the toilet immediately after us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 peejay - 2012-06-15 10:55 AM One other tip to make the tank go just a bit further is not to put your loo paper down the cassette, we keep a small bin in the loo and put it in there, you soon get used to it, every little helps. Pete We used to do that in our ambulance conversion, rather than in the porta-potty ... which brings me onto another question for other 'wild-campers' ... what do you do with your rubbish???? :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 Mel B - 2012-06-13 10:56 PM As our toilet cassette is quite small we're lucky if it lasts 3 days in normal use so we need to sort something out for ourselves. I've had a shuftie at the underside of our motorhome and have identified a couple of suitable places to easily attach a toilet waste carrier, however, there's no way I'd pay for the 'proper' version so I've picked up some brackets/bits from a car boot sale today which I can make a carrier out of. I did look up the cost of an extra cassette for our toilet (Thetford C250) but they are silly money so I'll pick up a black 'waste water' carrier (probably £2-£3) at a car boot sale and will make the carrier fit that and then hubby can decant the contents of the proper cassette into it when the need arises (he said he'd do it seeing as he's the one who 'fill's it more than me :D ) and then dispose of it properly. :-) I finally got my hands on a black waste water carrier with a screw cap on the top and on the side so the project for today was to make a holder for it under the MH. I used an old fridge veg basket which is plastic covered wire (quite thick wire so strong enough for when the cassette has something in it!), some lengths of chain, 4 shackles, a non-locking spring gate carabena, large threaded hook, metal plates and nuts, bolts and spring washers. I attached the basket on one of the long sides to the base of the garage with the bolts etc, using the plates to ensure it was well secured and couldn't move. I then shackled the sections of chain to either end of the basket and the lower side, bringing them together at a shackle to which the carabena has been secured. I then marked the position for the large threaded hook and attached it through the garage floor using a bolt; the carabena attaches to the hook to secure everything. To stop the chains rattling and make it a tighter fit for the container (although it's already held well as the basket is nice and snug) I'll cover the chains with some pipe insulation and/or old hose pipe and before I tighten everything up I'll put some sealant into all the holes which I've drilled through the floor of the garage to ensure no water gets into the base, both from underneath and within the garage. The black waste container can now be used either for the toilet waste or as a grey waste container if we're 'static' for a while and need to drain our grey waste tank - no having to move the van, or dribbling! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 who is going to want to nick that! *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildBill Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 Mel B, that invention looks ok. You must have spent a bit of time thinking about it. Let us know if it survives the next few outings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
747 Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Congratulations Mel. Mr. Heath Robinson would be proud of you. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 I am just imagining some fuel thief unscrewing the red cap to drain 'diesel' into a bucket .........need I say more. Be a few expletives I would think and his mates laughing their heads off!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 You'll have fun if your stopped by customs with their mirrors on a stick :D............. "What do you keep in there madam?"................... You better not tell'em the truth (lol) (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 If you have a Thetford cassette-toilet (and the necessary on-board storage space for a 2nd cassette) Thetford's "Fresh-up" sets may be of interest. http://www.thetford-europe.com/en/products/accessories/accessories-for-toilets.aspx (Most modern caravans seem to have cassette-toilets and (as far as I can make out from my stays on campsites) these are rarely used. So iit's quite possible that near-new-condition spare cassettes may be available from caravan breakers relatively cheaply.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Good idea Mel... If I may be a little rude and offer one small "observation" though... :$ Although that wire basket seems an ideal size,personally I wouldn't want to be relying on it to be taking bulk of the the weight(after all,those "hefty" bits of chain,only appear to be clipped to 4-5mm wire mesh). Maybe it would be more secure, if the chain ends were also fixed up to the underside of the van,in a similar manner to how you've linked the "dog link" end?... A very good idea though.. It's something I may look at for when we're only festival sites and have little or no access to "elsan" points... ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Hi Pepe - you're not rude at all, all comments welcomed! The wire is actually deceiving as it's quite robust - I can't even bend it so they obviously made fridge baskets much stronger years ago! 8-) The weight is mainly supported at the front where the 2 silver brackets are which go over both the thinner and thicker wire, you can't really see clearly from the photos how secure it will be as I haven't tightened it all up yet, once I've put the sealant in and tightened everything up it will be very secure. As we only intend to use it in an emergency it won't get full so shouldn't be that heavy anyway. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 I wish you well when it comes to 'decanting' your toilet-cassette into your emergency container. And, when you empty that container, as it has no equivalent to the cassette's press-button to permit air to enter the container, you'll really need to beware of splashing. Perhaps I'm being unduly pessimistic but, if you haven't practiced decanting/emptying yet, I suggest you do. (At the old Chateau-Gontier aire de services I once saw a motorcaravanner emptying a 'nautical' toilet using a bucket. Not a pretty sight and I didn't stick around to see what would happen when he tried to tip the unsavoury contents of the bucket into the waist-high disposal point.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Derek Uzzell - 2012-06-28 8:58 AM I wish you well when it comes to 'decanting' your toilet-cassette into your emergency container. And, when you empty that container, as it has no equivalent to the cassette's press-button to permit air to enter the container, you'll really need to beware of splashing.... I suppose if the container is similiar to this.... http://www.caravanstuff4u.co.uk/15307023 ..then Mel *could* let air in by cracking open the other cap slightly...? Although it'll take a bit of "juggling", to ensure the operation goes "incident free"..... (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 The trouble with decanting is that to ensure splash free you need a very steady hand and a big wide enough necked funnel to allow 'dollops' to pass - and then you have to store a mucky funnel somewhere until a water source to clean it becomes available - and you still have to store both the funnel and the tank whether full or empty! Other than that the waste tank idea is fine as long as you don't over fill it and undo the cap VERY slowly to allow the 'wind' to escape. Are these waste tanks pressure tested as a leaky tank would be a real pain in the potti! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Hello, Absolutebeginner , I have just come across this thread, so apologise if I go over old ground. Please DON'T dump your cassette anywhere except in a proper place, ie. a designated dump point. I know it can be a pain, and involve a drive sometimes, but ALL of our future freedoms to be able to 'Wild-Camp' depend on our 'cleanliness' being undisputable. As an aside, we have just come back from the Western Isles where Caladonian McBrayne have installed more 'Chemical Waste disposal' points at their Ferry Terminals, (Castlebay Barra), they are not always easy to find, but they are there. SO, there at least there is no excuse for not dumping in the correct place. AND I think that both the Caravan Club and Camping & Caravan Club, should provide this service FREE to Current (touring)members, as a gesture to help clean up our (Motorhomers) image.Whether or not they are actually staying on that site. I don't 'Wild-Camp' all the time, but I do now and again, if the 'place' is 'right', and I want to be able to carry on doing it. Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 pepe63 - 2012-06-28 10:30 AM Derek Uzzell - 2012-06-28 8:58 AM I wish you well when it comes to 'decanting' your toilet-cassette into your emergency container. And, when you empty that container, as it has no equivalent to the cassette's press-button to permit air to enter the container, you'll really need to beware of splashing.... I suppose if the container is similiar to this.... http://www.caravanstuff4u.co.uk/15307023 ..then Mel *could* let air in by cracking open the other cap slightly...? Although it'll take a bit of "juggling", to ensure the operation goes "incident free"..... (lol) By George, I think he's got it!!! That's the exact tank container I have and you have correctly guessed how we will ensure it will 'flow properly' when emptying so there's no glugging! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Tracker - 2012-06-28 10:48 AM The trouble with decanting is that to ensure splash free you need a very steady hand and a big wide enough necked funnel to allow 'dollops' to pass - and then you have to store a mucky funnel somewhere until a water source to clean it becomes available - and you still have to store both the funnel and the tank whether full or empty! Other than that the waste tank idea is fine as long as you don't over fill it and undo the cap VERY slowly to allow the 'wind' to escape. Are these waste tanks pressure tested as a leaky tank would be a real pain in the potti! The container has rubber seals on both caps so shouldn't leak at all. We intend to put in the 'fluid' contents, rather than the lumpy bits, from the cassette tank so hopefully 'sploshing' from dollops won't be an issue ... my hubby will be doing it anyway! :D I've had another play with it and altered the chains a bit, removing the centre one (which didn't actually do anything) so instead of the carabena there is a padlock which is easier to get off/on, and I've covered the chains with a cut down bicycle inner tube. At the rear of I'm also going to put some cable ties round the rear of the basket and chassis section once I get some long enough ones and have sealed and tightened all the bolts (raining here so not a good day to do it). I've also used a bungee to take up the small amount of slack left by the chains to ensure a nice tight fit to the base of the MH. Once it's all sorted, we'll half fill it with water and take it for a run round the block and check everything is okay ... better to do this with 'clean' water methinks!!! :$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 ...OKAY!..Enough..Enough!...What with Tracker and his "Dollops"...and now you with your "lumpy bits"... (lol) (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildBill Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 I have one of these containers from my tugging days. Its a grey water waste container for fitting under the caravan. I used to use it with my last motorhome to empty the waste when we got home. I will wait for Mels prototype underslung carying arangement to complete its trials etc before looking into fitting mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 I've finished the 'installation' today! :D I've cut down an old caravan 'A' frame cover and fitted a nice jacket round it all to keep it clean - pig of a job though! *-) Where the bolts come through the garage base I've stuck some timber battens on top with holes drilled through for the bolt ends to sit in and have cut a piece of board to sit on top of it all so it raises that part of the garage floor by about 2cm - I did this because our inflatable canoes sit there and as they'd cost nearly £400 each to replace I don't want to risk them being punctured!!!! 8-) When I get the chance, I'll take some more photos so you can see the final result. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 Mel B - 2012-06-29 8:16 PM I've finished the 'installation' today! :D I've cut down an old caravan 'A' frame cover and fitted a nice jacket round it all to keep it clean - pig of a job though! *-) Where the bolts come through the garage base I've stuck some timber battens on top with holes drilled through for the bolt ends to sit in and have cut a piece of board to sit on top of it all so it raises that part of the garage floor by about 2cm - I did this because our inflatable canoes sit there and as they'd cost nearly £400 each to replace I don't want to risk them being punctured!!!! 8-) When I get the chance, I'll take some more photos so you can see the final result. :-D Are you going to fit another the other side for equal weight distribution, Mel >:-) >:-) >:-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 flicka - 2012-06-29 10:34 PM Are you going to fit another the other side for equal weight distribution, Mel >:-) >:-) >:-) Seeing as hubby does most of the driving and is heavier than me, and the 'installation' is on the passenger side, it should balance out the motorhome nicely!!! :D :D :D :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 All very well, but I wouldn't try decanting, or emptying, wearing shorts and sandals! One of those floor length PVC abattoir aprons, and a decent pair of wellies, seems the next logical investment. :-D You'd better post your registration number Mel, just so's we know what are following! Truly, truly, the mind boggles! :-| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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