European Ideas coming to the USA

[RobRyan]

Davydd
Seeing a lot of people on the FB pages are young and cassette and macerator composting toilets are fairly common. I can these being the default toilets for Class B's. Retired couples here use Cassettes. People touring from overseas use hire Class B and C's with cassettes.Young people here want to tour using a Campervan. Class B' are impractical for young families but not couples or friends Where I am black tanks bring back not so fond menories of a full tour bus and it's " fragrance" near the toilet

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by Davydd

A cassette toilet is not going to make Class Bs more affordable. Most young people consider Class Bs impractical because they live in places where parking them is a problem, can't afford or want a vehicle that isn't an every day vehicle, raising a family is impractical in a Class B mainly because of limited size, most of their vacations are getting some place, not touring, and most all work with limited vacation time to have the luxury of most any RV other than a trailer which is way more inexpensive and versatile for what you get to bed a family. Most all trailers, 5th wheelers, Class Cs and As have black tank toilets not cassettes. A 5 gallon cassette wouldn't have the practical capacity for a family of say four. I think it is a pipe dream to think Americans are going to follow Europe in that regard. They haven't done so in the past. Americans are in love with their pickup trucks. A trailer would be the first choice.

For all one knows, the idea of motorized RV vacations may have hit the high point of practicality with the trending to electric vehicles.

You are extrapolating your view as views of young families and claiming being an expert. But you’re not young judging from your comments and gray hair. I read from your post that Cassette means EU RVs, no other factors. Your phobia to cassette toilets is fogging your view about European, Australian or other ways of making campers.

But I must agree, your way of camping has no equals, you are the best my friend and all your ARV Bs are absolutely the best BEES in the world or even universe.

[Dave in Nevada]

On my old Class A I had the regular RV drain pipe go to a grinder then down a 3/4 inch garden hose 50 feet down hill to my septic tank. It worked pretty well but I find dumping the cassette a lot easier than hooking all the hoses up with the Class A. The gray water I just dump on my base course parking spot.

[RobRyan]

George RA
But I must agree, your way of camping has no equals, you are the best my friend and all your ARV Bs are absolutely the best BEES in the world or even universe.

If Sprinter or Promaster based, there are many chassis options you do get in the US. Seen ARV similar to many B builders here, last count 35 " outfitters" more than in the US and Canada combined that does not include Motorhome manufacturers who produce B's

[Sensfan]

Enough of this poop talk. How about discussion re the design and production of the first hydrogen fuel cell powered class B van? I'll bet a 24 of Canadian beer that it will European and that we will see it within the next five years.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

You are extrapolating your view as views of young families and claiming being an expert. But you’re not young judging from your comments and gray hair. I read from your post that Cassette means EU RVs, no other factors. Your phobia to cassette toilets is fogging your view about European, Australian or other ways of making campers.

But I must agree, your way of camping has no equals, you are the best my friend and all your ARV Bs are absolutely the best BEES in the world or even universe.

Nice personal attack. Have I said anything about ARVs in this thread? Why don't you respond to what I wrote?

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by Sensfan

Enough of this poop talk. How about discussion re the design and production of the first hydrogen fuel cell powered class B van? I'll bet a 24 of Canadian beer that it will European and that we will see it within the next five years.

Is there any vehicle in production that has hydrogen fuel cell power? I keep hearing about it but not much is being done about it at least at the consumer level. Seems America has taken the lead in lithium house battery powered Class Bs. You would think they would take the lead on this one too, but human nature is first to milk all you can get with what you have. I've said I don't know how they will convert to electric battery vehicles. That will be a massive physical undertaking to displace oil that I can't imagine. So, is hydrogen the only or right answer on the horizon? It is the less finite of fuels.

BTW, I would prefer a Czech Pilsener, if Canadian, at least make it a good craft brewery and not one of those big national watered down in taste breweries.

[Sensfan]

Originally Posted by Davydd

... BTW, I would prefer a Czech Pilsener, if Canadian, at least make it a good craft brewery and not one of those big national watered down in taste breweries.

You got it! I'll bet a 24 mix of Czech Pilsener and Canadian craft beer that there will be European design and production of the first hydrogen fuel cell powered class B van within five years. My guess is that it will be a German made.

[Doneworking]

At one time in my risky youth we had a porta potty in a van for our travel vehicle. This didn't last long and that porta potty was one of the reasons. Then, we bought a nifty mew little Intervec Horizon Class B in 1984 and we were in camping heaven. My wife never forgave the porta potty for its very existence.

To each his own and his own way of enjoying travel. Since the Horizon, we have never used a shower or toilet facility in a campground. For us, the advantage of tanks is obvious and the thoughts of a cassette toilet is not a happy thought. I am sure age (and experience) is a factor in our likes and dislikes. Yes, we are well established in our ways.

If folks can get by on a casette that is wonderful, and the new designs are fascinating to me. For those of us that like to boondock and shower those tanks are nice.

Like Dirty Harry said "A man has to know his limitations".

I can't join the beer analysis in this thread because I am not a beer guy. I do wonder how after a couple of single malts neat I would do emptying a cassette.

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by Davydd

Nice personal attack. Have I said anything about ARVs in this thread? Why don't you respond to what I wrote?

I did, at home or at dump stations.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

I did, at home or at dump stations.

No you made a personal attack against me on my reasoning that the young are not going to buy Class Bs because of cassettes in the message you responded to by quoting me yet not directing your comment to those reasons. I didn't say or refer anything about you dumping your cassette at home.

[avanti]

Moderator's note:

I would have shut this down by now if it involved less-well-established members.
Please back off the ad hominem stuff.

[Sensfan]

Originally Posted by Doneworking

... Like Dirty Harry said "A man has to know his limitations".
... I can't join the beer analysis in this thread because I am not a beer guy. I do wonder how after a couple of single malts neat I would do emptying a cassette.

Good stuff. Last year we watched a guy haul his cassette through the campsite to the dump site without realizing that his cover was open. There wasn't much left to dump. Could have been alcohol related lol

[ks@yvr]

Plus 1 for the cassette.

I know it elicits all sorts of reactions about dumping but it is relatively easy to dump and way easier than a black tank dance. I know there are all sorts of dump stations in some parts of North America but lots of luck finding them in remote areas of British Columbia or on West Coast islands or South America, Africa, and Europe. The cassette can be emptied in pit toilets, regular toilets and yes even at a dump station and given the ease of dumping there is really no need to carry a 2nd tank.

I think the important issue is to have a self contained toilet in your camper so you do your business and keep the outside nature areas poop free. Just have toilet of your choosing and I’ll respect your choice.

[avanti]

Speaking for myself, if I ever had a problem finding dump stations (something I have literally never experienced BTW), I would buy a "spare" cassette, rig up a place to store it under the van, and use my macerator to fill it if and when I need to. In essence, I would be using the cassette as a small version of those wheeled tanks that the Class-A gang is so fond of.

It seems to me that this would offer whatever advantage people see in cassettes without giving up the obvious virtues of a fully-sealed tank/maceratore setup. Plus, no cassette stink.
N'est-ce pas?

[Doneworking]

When we boondocked for extended periods we carried a six gallon Reliance jerry can style container in our RT. It fit in the basement compartment in the back which is accessible from the rear doors. We macerated some black from our RT tank into the jerry can and then emptied the jerry when we got to a dump. Worked great and no odors ever detected. Only problem is the weight on lifting in and out of the basement gets a bit tricky at a certain age.

That storage basement on a Roadtrek 210 can carry a lot.

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by avanti

Speaking for myself, if I ever had a problem finding dump stations (something I have literally never experienced BTW), I would buy a "spare" cassette, rig up a place to store it under the van, and use my macerator to fill it if and when I need to. In essence, I would be using the cassette as a small version of those wheeled tanks that the Class-A gang is so fond of.

It seems to me that this would offer whatever advantage people see in cassettes without giving up the obvious virtues of a fully-sealed tank/maceratore setup. Plus, no cassette stink.
N'est-ce pas?

I had the same thought. They also make smaller wheeled tanks that would work the same way and is a bit cheaper.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BYNDNWR9

At home when I winterize, or need a quick dump before a trip, I just use the macerator and 5-gallon bucket, then dump it in a toilet in the house. Just do a few gallons at a time.

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by Sensfan

Good stuff. Last year we watched a guy haul his cassette through the campsite to the dump site without realizing that his cover was open. There wasn't much left to dump. Could have been alcohol related lol

Alcohol could have played a role. I have a Thetford 402, a very popular model with double safety features, a sealed valve and sealed gate. Both are closed automatically upon removal so the owner had to do something unusual to leak his goodies on the route.

[Detroit80]

I've read in various areas that the reason the cassette toilets are so popular in Europe vs an onboard black tank is precisely due to the infrastructure there. Not they they lack it, rather that it's extremely common to have machines there that you pop the cassette in to, and it's automatically emptied and cleaned, all hands off.

Unlike here in North America, they also don't have a central dump station in every campground like we do. So for them, dealing with a black tank would be a real pain.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by Detroit80

I've read in various areas that the reason the cassette toilets are so popular in Europe vs an onboard black tank is precisely due to the infrastructure there. Not they they lack it, rather that it's extremely common to have machines there that you pop the cassette in to, and it's automatically emptied and cleaned, all hands off.

Unlike here in North America, they also don't have a central dump station in every campground like we do. So for them, dealing with a black tank would be a real pain.

Many (most?) campgrounds have dump stations, but they are designed for Euro-style vans that almost universally have cassettes and no-hose gray tank dumping. The vending machines are cute, but they are a relatively new phenomenon. Cassettes were standard there long before them.

Here is a typical cassette-oriented dump station from our trip to Iceland:

IMG_8291.jpg

There is a grate for gray-water dumping. The standpipe is for cassettes.