Toilet liquids when towing.

[Meister]

Given that you fill the toilet flush holding tank with water / chemical at arrival on site do you then empty any remaining before leaving or do you tow with whatever is left in the tank ??

Best practise is ?????

Steve

 

[ThePlotter]

Personally I empty our before we leave the site for three reasons,first our loo is at the back so I would be adding what can be considerable weight at the worst possible place.Second the liquid slopping about may possibly enough to cause instability and finally if you fail to leave the flap slightly open the movement will pressurise the holding tank and when you open the flap the contents maybe sprayed over you and you loo compartment,not a pretty sight!

 

[bigbilly]

I always leave mine in. Don't think that the actual weight/movement makes much difference.

There is a known problem with the sealing compound of the holding tank with some Thetford units and it's very fiddly to repair. Some people don't bother to repair but drain when towing to save the fluid going everywhere.

Bill

 

[GrahamSouthBrum]

Personally I used to fill the top tank, If it is full it becomes a solid object.This van uses the main water tank to flush. I still travel with holding tank less than 1/2 full never (yet) had any probs opening the blade. The only time I have heard of pressurised holding tanks is at altitude (in mountains not flying before some one says anything),

when the pressure in the holding tank becomes greater than the pressure on the outside of the tank.

But Thetford now fit an anti pressure valve to stop this happening.

Graham W.

 

[GillW]

Meister

I always empty the holding tank,rinse and then empty the flush tank into the cassette to act as extra sweeter smelling rinse

Our cassette is at the rear so dont want the extra weight when towing

Gill

 

[vernon]

The weight of water in the toilet comes off your pay load.

 

[GrahamSouthBrum]

1 litre = 1 kg

1 gall = 10lbs

Graham W.

 

[Lutz]

We find that being able to use the loo in the caravan while travelling is an absolute boon. No need to hope that the petrol station ahead has a toilet or the next village a public convenience, only to find that it's a in desolate state. I would therefore not think of emptying the toilet flush holding tank.

 

[Del_374232870]

I empty the tank and flush tank before setting of. However I put 1/2 litre of water and fluid in the holding tank so as the toilet can be used enroute if required.

 

[Meister]

Thanks to everyone for your replies.

I think that I will probably drain it before leaving.

Steve

 

[KeithJ]

Steve - I think it is a question of quantities. I never empty the header tank as it is very useful to be able to use it on a journey (as Lutz said) - but I only put the minimum in for the number of nights on site or a journey - no point filling it right up when it's only going to be used a few times.

KeithJ

 

[Royston]

I only empty mine when I am due to finish towing for the year, as the medieval plug that you have to pull out of the pipe is positioned above the electrical system which indicates when the toilet is full , when empting the pink liquid goes everwhere, quite a job cleaning out the empty chamber where it collects never had any problem towing with the small amount of water held within the tank for flushing the loo.

Royston

 

[Paul_374295069]

We never empty it as you never know when you will need the toilet

 

[Del_374232870]

Solution is simple, instead of draining via the tube, drain the flush tank by flushing it into the holding tank, I only remove the tube at the end of the season . For the rest of the year I just flush the water into the holding tank.

 

[Clive-Cardiff]

I have never bothered to empty the holding tank when travelling between overnight stops but this gave me a problem in Spain this year.

With the cassette in position the vent valve is held open and although it is protected to a certain extent from leakage into the valve by the contents it can happen.

Our valve became clogged with small solids in the tank causing it to leak when I tipped it up to carry it for emptying it.

I then damaged the valve trying to strip it down and had to get a new one sent out courtesy of "Red Pennant".

Now I always empty the tank when solids are present.

 

[Essexeddie]

Always fill our top tank up before we go.

Have enough to do when we arrive setting up to bother with that.

If the slight extra weight is an issue then you have a problem.

Edd

 

[Essexeddie]

1 litre = 1 kg

1 gall = 10lbs

Graham W.

Big G.

All that rings a bell. We had messages like that all night to keep us awake when we had a wakefull watch!

Edd

 

[Pat_374304630]

I've never emptied the header tank.But then I don't know how to.Would you empty it on site onto the grass or would you take a bucket with you to drain it into and then empty it down the chemical loo???

 

[GillW]

Pat

I empty the cassette and rinse as normal then place on the ground and empty the flush tank into the cassette using the short tube into the swivel part of the cassette and then empty as normal

This helps give a further rinse for the cassette and avoid any lingering odours

Gill

 

[Surfer]

I assumed that steve was referring to the flush tank and not the casette. We never empty ours however it is located above the wheels so no issue there.

We also clean out the cassette when we leave a site and put in fresh blue and a bit of water so it is always available for a pit stop.

 

[milliesdad]

Just a reply to Roystons point above but i'll put it in the main thread as others may find it useful.

I've taken out the "medieval" drain plug cut off the corrugated bit that goes in the drain hole (there is now a hole in the middle of this) and pushed a length of winemakers syphon tube in to this hole. Shove this in the drain hole and pop a winemakers drain tap in the end of the tube. (I took the tap apart first and added a bit of silicon grease to it to stop it leaking).

Now it is easy to drain without getting the electrics wet - I pop the tube into a 2 litre plastic milk bottle and open the tap to drain. It is there to start the fill at the next camp or to use en route.

I found travelling with the flush tank full or half full I got blue stains around the moulding seams of the toilet, indicating that it may have leaked a bit on the journey. Maybe i was just unlucky.

Hope this helps.

 

[Pat_374304630]

Millie's dad,

I like the idea of keeping the drained liquid.I have a Coachman Amara 520/4 so I will look to see where the drain is as I have never drained the flush tank.

 

[milliesdad]

Hi Pat

If it's a cassette toilet the drain is usually above where the cassette is, at the bottom of the flush tank. Mine was a green plg.

Hope this helps.

 

[ThePlotter]

Meister,I stand by my initial posting,some seem to talking about the header tank(the one with the flushing water)I see no reason or sense in towing with the holding tank( the one with **** in)full or even part full as this could be very heavy and serves no purpose in not emptying it.As for the header I just keep enough clean water in there for any uses that may be needed en route to home or site.

 

[Meister]

Thanks again to everyone for your input and just to clarify:

I am referring to the FLUSH WATER HOLDING TANK and not the waste cassette/holding tank.

I certainly don't intend to tow with any human waste in the cassette !!! lol

Steve