Thetford Toilet - Emptying at home - YUK!!! (1 Viewer)

pinkie

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Guys,

Just started cleaning out my van and the thetford toilet suddenly went from just over half full to full and backed up into the bowl. Not a good look, I have to say...............not to mention the pong!

As I'm at home, what do I need to do, I don't think I've got a manhole nearby, do I have to take the cassette out and empty it down the toilet?

Since I've never done it before, I feel sick at the thought and look of it!

(Or how much pocket money should I give Poppy I wonder for the task?!!! :ROFLMAO:)
 

tonka

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Here you are.. An instructional video. :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:


[ame="http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Nmokg9N7zO0"]caravan toilet - YouTube[/ame]
 
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pinkie

pinkie

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Sadly took out my downstairs toilet as we have 2 upstairs and there's only 2 of us in the house!

It's already put me off food for the day, even though I haven't done it yet!

Why you (sometimes) need a man............:Sad:

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pinkie

pinkie

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Thanks for the video, that has filled me with confidence - wouldn't want her job!!!!

Are all cassettes as big as that one - that was massive!

It seems a blonde question but can't I pay someone to do it for me instead???
 
Jun 22, 2012
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Before you pull the casette out try to get as much of the liquid out of the bowl or it will go everywhere! Obviously this didn't happen to us on our first trip out, haha.
 

Carol

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No easy way to put this Pinkie, one of the first jobs when you get in from a trip empty and clean the loo, also each day when you are travelling otherwise you will make it hard work.

And yes if. No handy man hole cover it will have to go down the loo. :whatthe:

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pinkie

pinkie

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Thanks Carol, I shall do it first thing in the morning then and get it over with, not doing it now it's too dark and will have to get it upstairs to the toilet.

I will never not do it again, just returning from Amsterdam, we didn't manage to stay on a site anywhere en-route and it's been festering since..............and let's face it, it didn't smell good to begin with! :ROFLMAO:
 
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Far easier to lift a grid and pour straight into the drain than clean any splashes around the toilet and floor. Outside tap to swill it out and job done:thumb:

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pinkie

pinkie

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Before you pull the casette out try to get as much of the liquid out of the bowl or it will go everywhere! Obviously this didn't happen to us on our first trip out, haha.

How am I supposed to do that? Scoop it out? Oh my god - it gets worse!!!!
 
Oct 29, 2013
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Guys,

Just started cleaning out my van and the thetford toilet suddenly went from just over half full to full and backed up into the bowl. Not a good look, I have to say...............not to mention the pong!

As I'm at home, what do I need to do, I don't think I've got a manhole nearby, do I have to take the cassette out and empty it down the toilet?

Since I've never done it before, I feel sick at the thought and look of it!

(Or how much pocket money should I give Poppy I wonder for the task?!!! :ROFLMAO:)

If the thought of emptying puts your off that much you could get a long piece of hose put one end in the cassette - make sure the other end is lower and suck hard before draining the liquid into a bucket to dispose of ........only joking.....just follow the vid and you'll be fine ...if you have a child it's nowhere near as bad as runny nappies..so I am told :)
 
Oct 1, 2013
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That video made me feel iffy :roflmto:

Ours is same as that, but has a long handle to make easier to shift about. I have no sense of smell, so not always too bad.

SWMBO has decreed that she will never go near it :roflmto:

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Jul 29, 2011
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I am lucky to have a manhole in the back garden, emptied mine last week so its cleaned out for winter only to find the drain was backing up a bit. Called out the company that deals with it and they unblocked it and found on camera that part of the pipework had dropped. Its just outside the fence so its their problem to put right, no cost to me.

Always empty it last thing before we leave a site.
And always remember to tell the wife as she once had a wee then saw me walking back with the casette, i got the blame and had to clean up.
 
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Feb 24, 2013
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How am I supposed to do that? Scoop it out? Oh my god - it gets worse!!!!

You really have no other choice, the bit that closes is part of the cassette you are taking away, whatever is left above this 'blade' will drop into the bottom of the locker when you take the cassette out, only Thetford will know why they chose to make the bottom of this locker the hardest thing you will ever find to clean, it is made up with loads of little box areas, nearly impossible to clean out when this happens

Most of us have been where you are now, most of us will not have had this forum to ask first and have found out the dirty way, trust me and other posts here, close the blade and clean out what is in the bowl before doing anything else

Even closing the blade may be hard now, paper and poo make a formidable opposition to the closing mechanism, you must close that or the contents will dribble or pour out when you get the cassette out

Sorry but you do need to know

Good luck :thumb:


Have just seen HymerB544 comment below, looks like I am wrong about the blade coming out with the cassette. In which case you still need to get it shut to stop what's in it dropping through until you get back with empty cassette

I thought my black tank was a nuisance, remembering now how bad cassettes were
 
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Apr 25, 2012
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Personally I wouldn't try to get anything out if the bowl, as it will be "a disaster, darling". Instead, make sure the blade at the bottom of the bowl is firmly closed then when you go to pull the cassette out of its locker, have lots of kitchen roll on hand as you will need almost certainly, to mop out the back and bottom of the cassette locker. If you've got some rubber gloves put them on before you start.

It's perfectly ok to empty the cassette down your loo, but being full, it will weigh a bit!

Then when you've emptied it put it back in the cassette locker, go inside the van, open the blade, flush the loo, close the blade, and repeat the emptying process. Now you should have an empty cassette (don't forget to put a shot of loo liquid in, plus a bit of water) and an empty, clean, loo bowl.

We find that it is best to empty the cassette every two or three days rather than leave it until the full light comes on.......which you can bet will be when you are desperate and it's chucking it down!

Lesson: don't ever get bogged down!:ROFLMAO:

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camocam1

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most houses should have a trap outside for clearing any blockage, just a case of finding it and then emptying there instead of the loo.
Did the light come on to indicate that the cassette was 3/4 full ??? if not maybe the float switch is not working, mine worked fine at first but too much swilling about when cleaning out has bu**ered the magnetic float or whatever it is so now I empty everyday !!!!
 
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All houses will have a manhole for clearing sewer runs. Even a rodding eye will suffice for emptying. It's times like this that i am grateful i have an American waste system and not a cassette.

Craig

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pinkie

pinkie

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Thanks for all the input guys, still feel queasy!

I've been off the vino for a while now, but I have a bottle of Prosecco in the fridge and it's going to be opened tonight - I definitely need a drink!

Just got back from the shop too, but tomorrow I shall be off there for kitchen towels (never buy the things!) and then in search of a manhole in the street, god knows what my neighbours will think. I might check out the 2 local campsites first though, although they are closed now, perhaps someone will be about and let me dispose of it all?

I don't fancy lugging it up the stairs and ponging the house out! The rest of it is bad enough!

This is going to be a job for everyday for me, as I am squeamish about such things, that and the sight of blood! Aargh!

(Note to self: when renting van out - people will pay a very HEFTY loss of deposit it they don't empty the cassette prior to returning!!!) :Smile:
 
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pinkie

pinkie

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most houses should have a trap outside for clearing any blockage, just a case of finding it and then emptying there instead of the loo.
Did the light come on to indicate that the cassette was 3/4 full ??? if not maybe the float switch is not working, mine worked fine at first but too much swilling about when cleaning out has bu**ered the magnetic float or whatever it is so now I empty everyday !!!!

No light came on - should it have? It just moves from green to red!
 
Feb 24, 2013
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Thanks for all the input guys, still feel queasy!


in search of a manhole in the street, god knows what my neighbours will think.
:Smile:

There really should be a manhole somewhere on your own land, do not go into the street it opens up all sorts of legal issues
 
Jul 29, 2011
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My old Hymer had that system, moved from green to red to show it was filling up.
The one we have now has a red light, only time i have seen it work was in the middle of the night, of course it was raining and had to be emptied early before using.
 
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pinkie

pinkie

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That's supposed to give you a hint :winky:

Okay clever clogs!!!!

The last quarter just moved really quickly as I was trying to clean it! :Sad:

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pinkie

pinkie

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There really should be a manhole somewhere on your own land, do not go into the street it opens up all sorts of legal issues

There may well have been at one point, but the couple that lived here before me extended both the property and knocked down a detached garage to build a massive detached garage to house a motorhome as well as a car, and although I have spent years landscaping the garden, I have not seen any manhole cover anywhere here, unless it's under the extension somewhere! Nothing would surprise me!
 

GJH

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There really should be a manhole somewhere on your own land, do not go into the street it opens up all sorts of legal issues

Yes, I would echo that. Quite apart from neighbours potentially getting upset a street manhole might open into a storm drain rather than a foul sewer.

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