Travelling with water in the flush tank (1 Viewer)

[Touchwood]

New one on me, this - on reading the handbook with our new purchase (Compass Avantgarde 140) I find that there are dire warnings about not travelling with water in the flush tank - I quote: -

"Please note that Thetford recommend not to travel with water in the flush tank of the C400 bench cassette toilet.

When entirely necessary, up to 2 litres can be added to the flush tank giving you enough water for 2 flushes......

.....Please be aware that travelling with more than 2 litres of water n the flush tank can cause water damage to both the toilets compartment and to the Motorhome itself as water can escape from around the flushing mechanism"

Now, I'm not bothered about only having a couple of flushes available when travelling, I do frequently need a pee during a journey (age problems) but 2 is enough. This however does pose some logistical problems for emptying/refilling the flush tank every time we relocate the 'van - frankly it's going to be a pain.

Anyone else got this problem? Or can I ignore it? The dealer obviously wasn't aware of it, the flush tank was full when I collected the 'van.

 

[Bartyfixedit]

I've always travelled with whatever is in it. I usually start a trip with it full. Never had a problem.
Travelling with a soil tank over 50 % full is also supposed to be a no no. I do try to adhere to that one.

 

[Lenny HB]

When we had caravans that had separate flush tanks always used to travel with tank full never caused any problems.

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[Bailey58]

Are we talking a different system? A litre per flush? Mine gets a quick squirt after a pee and the tank lasts for at least three empties of the cassette.

 

[Touchwood]

Are we talking a different system? A litre per flush? Mine gets a quick squirt after a pee and the tank last for at least three empties of the cassette.

Yes, me too. Hadn't quite spotted how silly that was, makes me wonder about the rest of the advice.....

 

[Riverbankannie]

Happen to have my Thetford manual to hand. It's a C-402/ 403 and varient.
It says do not travel with a flush tank that is too full (we advise empty but for sure not more than half full)
I think they are just covering themselves for any claims. ( Customer: Oy Thetford, my MH damp due to your leaking, not fit for purpose, product. Answer: well we told you not to travel with any water in it!)
I have always travelled starting off with full flush!
The part to be aware of is the glass inspection tube. If that gets loose, then water everywhere.

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[hilldweller]

as water can escape from around the flushing mechanism"

Blatantly saying "our toilet is not fit for purpose".

Disgraceful.

 

[Riverbankannie]

Blatantly saying "our toilet is not fit for purpose".

Disgraceful.

Yes, I agree, if it supposed to be designed for MH, it should by definition be ok when on the move.

 

[Lenny HB]

Yes, I agree, if it supposed to be designed for MH, it should by definition be ok when on the move.

Surely the separate tank ones are intended for caravans nearly all Motorhomes the flush is fed from the main water tank, more a case of the converter not using the right product for the job.

Does it really matter, we camp off grid a lot so use a spray bottle to flush 1Lt lasts days and preserves our precious water supply and gives longer times between emptying the loo.

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[GJH]

There was a similar warning with our Autoquest 100 but I'm sure it was only about over filling. I never had any bother. It should be no different from the system in your previous van.

 

[Touchwood]

Thanks to all, I think I'm going to follow the trend and ignore the hand book!

 

[SomeoneElse]

Heres the conclusion I came to when I asked the same question in 2013.
http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/toilet-flush-tank.66477/#post-782195

Since then I have avoid filling the flush tank immediately prior to traveling. As I use a 5 litre bottle to fill the flush its easy to just put half a bottle in when we are about to change sites.

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[chaser]

We have the same one and had it break last time out, so got the top off to have a look , there was that much mastic around it I doubt it would leek, anyway the plunger is fastened on with three little plastic clips and one had broke off, so super glued it up and put it back together , haven't tried it yet but they are only £20 if it breaks again so shall replace it if it does, but back to the op , can't see it leaking and ours is always full no problems

 

[Sidney]

On a practical level the exterior filler flap doesn't have good seal so pink water can/does escape if it's sloshed about.

Weight could an issue with a single screw at the top.

And perhaps the water might get out if there's a gap between filler and tank.

 

[dave newell]

We rarely put water in our flush tank now, as most of our motorhome use is off grid with no Elsan point available (hillclimb and sprint race tracks) we don't want to fill the cassette too quickly. We simply use a hand spray bottle filled with a mix of water and pink toilet flush additive to rinse the bowl round after use. Using this method and utilising the on site toilet facilities we can last up to four days before the cassette needs emptying (bio washing tab in cassette as well.

D.

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[Madcaravanner]

Well another little snippet of information that is daft and will be stored as such
Our caravan loo has a mechanical flush (after all the caravan is 13 years old and the electric flush is newer) so we can plunge as much or as little as it needs but the handbook (by Thetford) says similar dire warnings of travelling with a full tank and causing a spillage)

BUT we stopped using Flush liquid additives years ago simply as they react chemically with the Bio fluids and cause a black scale like lining to the waste cassette which only comes off with Steradent - - Without the pink expensive rubbish no black lining


But this is where we all seem to agree that the toilet header tanks are made for moving vehicles and so should be watertight