Retro fit a macerator wc and black waste (1 Viewer)

Bustup15

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Anyone done this to replace a standard Thetford cassette?
Is it possible?
Is it worth it?
 
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If anyone is looking for a tank I found this company with a MASSIVE range of types and sizes of tanks.

90-100 litre tanks seem to be in the £110 price range and lead time of 2-3 weeks.

That is CAK Tanks online shop.
Dec 6, 2011
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Interesting;
but i cant see a macerator in a motorhome providing a significant change for the cost outlay. all it does it basically chop everything up so it can be dispersed through a smaller pipe from difficult locations. you will still need a holding tank to take the macerations and that will still need emptying at frequent intervals. It will still need to be dumped into a black waste system.
 
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busbuddy

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Only worth it if you make the black tank big enough for at least a week away from sites without emptying and then it eats into the payload because you are carrying the extra flush water and waste

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I don't see any benefit, it will need a lot of electrical energy to run so EHU only unless you have a huge suppply of power, and if it fails you're in trouble. In a home it's not allowed to be the only toilet.
 
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Lenny HB

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I wouldnt mind one not a problem with weight but it's the space required. Only place I could fit a tank is in the garage so I couldn't take so much junk.
Also needs to be big enough to do at least 2 weeks, can do a week with the spare cassette.
 
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Dec 6, 2011
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I wouldnt mind one not a problem with weight but it's the space required. Only place I could fit a tank is in the garage so I couldn't take so much junk.
Also needs to be big enough to do at least 2 weeks, can do a week with the spare cassette.
the spare cassette is undoubtedly the much better answer.

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Mr porky

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We can do a week with ours. So if it’s a feasible option on our morelo surely it can be done in a retrofit situation. I dont think we would ever go back to a cassette unless we ever go to a smaller 3.5t panel van motorhome.
 
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We can do a week with ours. So if it’s a feasible option on our morelo surely it can be done in a retrofit situation. I dont think we would ever go back to a cassette unless we ever go to a smaller 3.5t panel van motorhome.

as the OP appears to have a large A class then the space and the weight may not be an issue. then its down to price I guess.
 
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Dec 6, 2011
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a bit of minor googling 12v macerators are widely available for boats so i guess its not that difficult to implement as most parts will be available and just need adapting to the motorhome.

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ceejayt

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We can do a week with ours. So if it’s a feasible option on our morelo surely it can be done in a retrofit situation. I dont think we would ever go back to a cassette unless we ever go to a smaller 3.5t panel van motorhome.
Can I ask the size of your black tank in litres?
 
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Many UK sites don't have black disposal points anywhere near to where a motorhome could park up to empty a large tank so you'd be restricting where you could camp quite a bit.

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funflair

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I don't see any benefit, it will need a lot of electrical energy to run so EHU only unless you have a huge suppply of power, and if it fails you're in trouble. In a home it's not allowed to be the only toilet.
The electric requirement is minimal and only 12v.
 
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cmcardle75

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I don't see any benefit, it will need a lot of electrical energy to run so EHU only unless you have a huge suppply of power, and if it fails you're in trouble. In a home it's not allowed to be the only toilet.
Seriously? Almost all American RVs use a black tank, with optional macerator to pump out the waste when you can't find a suitable gravity dump. Barely any battery power needed to run a pump for a minute or two.

However, I agree with the others that I'd prefer a cassette (possibly with a spare) this side of the pond. When I had an RV, it was a ballache finding somewhere to park close enough for the waste hose to reach at most campsites. You also need to plumb the macerator into your grey waste, as you need to dump the black and then flush the hose with grey, or you'd regret it when storing the hose.

If you do go down this path, buy US RV equipment (i.e. tanks/toilets/fittings/hoses/macerators etc), as it is cheap and designed for this purpose.

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Bustup15

Bustup15

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Thanks for the replies.
Weight is not an issue.
I already have a spare cassette but its a ballache having to find somewhere every couple of days, would prefer to last a week minimum or more.
And I hate prunes but Mrs B likes weird stuff hence the requirement to empty every few days 😳

More where to locate the tank and how big?
I assume when assembling in the factory it is mounted adjacent to the grey tank and under the existing Thetford wc.

Queried with my German supplier and got the following:

The macerator toilet and the waste holding tank cannot be retrofitted, you would have to open the entire intermediate floor.

More thought required or forget it 🤨
 
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funflair

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Thanks for the replies.
Weight is not an issue.
I already have a spare cassette but its a ballache having to find somewhere every couple of days, would prefer to last a week minimum or more.
And I hate prunes but Mrs B likes weird stuff hence the requirement to empty every few days 😳

More where to locate the tank and how big?
I assume when assembling in the factory it is mounted adjacent to the grey tank and under the existing Thetford wc.

Queried with my German supplier and got the following:

The macerator toilet and the waste holding tank cannot be retrofitted, you would have to open the entire intermediate floor.

More thought required or forget it 🤨
If you can’t get the tank in you are stuffed really.
Have you asked the manufacturer of your van? What van is it?
 
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Bustup15

Bustup15

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Thanks for the replies.
Weight is not an issue.
I already have a spare cassette but its a ballache having to find somewhere every couple of days, would prefer to last a week minimum or more.
And I hate prunes but Mrs B likes weird stuff hence the requirement to empty every few days 😳

More where to locate the tank and how big?
I assume when assembling in the factory it is mounted adjacent to the grey tank and under the existing Thetford wc.

Queried with my German supplier and got the following:

The macerator toilet and the waste holding tank cannot be retrofitted, you would have to open the entire intermediate floor.

More thought required or forget it
If you can’t get the tank in you are stuffed really.
Have you asked the manufacturer of your van? What van is it?
I asked the manufacturer, who referred me to a dealer, whose reply was earlier in the thread.

I take the reply to mean it is not possible to locate a black tank in the original position. I have a couple of other possible locations but I need to understand the size of the black tanks and explore potential pipe routes.
 
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Bustup15

Bustup15

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Thanks for the replies.
Weight is not an issue.
I already have a spare cassette but its a ballache having to find somewhere every couple of days, would prefer to last a week minimum or more.
And I hate prunes but Mrs B likes weird stuff hence the requirement to empty every few days 😳

More where to locate the tank and how big?
I assume when assembling in the factory it is mounted adjacent to the grey tank and under the existing Thetford wc.

Queried with my German supplier and got the following:

The macerator toilet and the waste holding tank cannot be retrofitted, you would have to open the entire intermediate floor.

More thought required or forget it

I asked the manufacturer, who referred me to a dealer, whose reply was earlier in the thread.

I take the reply to mean it is not possible to locate a black tank in the original position. I have a couple of other possible locations but I need to understand the size of the black tanks and explore potential pipe routes.
Meant to say its a Dethleffs A class Alpa I 7820-2. Gross weight 5400kg tag axle
 
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Lenny HB

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There are a few suppliers of custom made tanks could you fit a low section one in the garage. I thinking about 150mm high, 300 - 400mm wide across the width of the garage. That would give a tank of 100 - 150 Lt easy to box in and enough space left at full height for bikes.

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Steve and Denise

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Our last Carthargo had a 90ltr black tank factory fit, but only being travelling in the UK never really used it.
 
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Bustup15

Bustup15

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There are a few suppliers of custom made tanks could you fit a low section one in the garage. I thinking about 150mm high, 300 - 400mm wide across the width of the garage. That would give a tank of 100 - 150 Lt easy to box in and enough space left at full height for bikes.
Interesting about custom tanks. I have a storage void in the garage that is central and runs back to front between the seats in the rear lounge. I will measure it properly but in my mind would be the best location as it puts the weight further foward than mounting across the garage and would not interfere or reduce the actual garage storage.

If you envisage a letter T with the top of the T being the garage and the vertical stroke being the low level void which is open at the rear to the garage.

Hope that makes sense.
 
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Steve and Denise

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Interesting about custom tanks. I have a storage void in the garage that is central and runs back to front between the seats in the rear lounge. I will measure it properly but in my mind would be the best location as it puts the weight further foward than mounting across the garage and would not interfere or reduce the actual garage storage.

If you envisage a letter T with the top of the T being the garage and the vertical stroke being the low level void which is open at the rear to the garage.

Hope that makes sense.
There is a firm that welds plastic tanks in Doncaster near Sap
 
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