Aktiv or Travato59G | Decision Time

[4DMTNS]

Originally Posted by ClassB4Me

I was TOTALLY focused on asking about 'last minute measurements' until I started viewing your Instagram pictures and became TOTALLY distracted.

We absolutely LOVE Russell Street BBQ, and we have a sweet spot for Podnah's BBQ too!

I measured the three under sink drawers, the small cabinet between the bathroom and dining area.

Under Sink Drawers
Top Drawer 24.5w x 8h x 15d
Middle Drawer 24.5w x 7.5h x 15d
Bottom Drawer 24.5w x 7.5h x 15d

Sliding Door Cabinet
Upper Shelf: 8w x 12h x 21d
Bottom Shelf: 8w x 10h x 21d

AND, the height of the spare tire and height under the bed. I plan to keep the spare in the van for right now until I can find someone to modify the rear door and mount the spare on the door.

Rear Bed Height: 28h
Spare Tire Height: 28-28.5"

I've been in contact with these advenenturers and they have had no issues with door sag. https://instagram.com/p/BRea7JOhMlR/

Another ProMaster owner shared the following info on the ProMaster forum:
http://www.promasterforum.com/forum/...681?page=1&_k=

Rear Tire Spare Mount | Jeep Wrangler JK

- Jeep Wrangler JK spare tire mount
- Tire mount reinforcement kit
- Three 1/2" lug nuts / locking lug nuts optional
- 8 M8 2" hex bolts (If using the reinforcement kit)
- Rubber gaskets to protect paint. He purchased 6" square rubber sheets from Home Depot and cut them to fit.

Chris

[4DMTNS]

Thank you, thank you to Campervan Guy (www.campervanguy.com) for doing this awesome Aktiv walk-through video and posting it on YouTube.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez0ONzAHnvw

[Firesteel]

There has been plenty of discussion around the cassette, but no one has really talked about the grey water tank and dumping. Everyone can decide for themselves the appropriate way to dump either at a station or on the ground, but rolling around on the ground to access the dump hose is a dealbreaker for me. For me not having a generator would never work since I need to run the roof AC. Otherwise it looks nice.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by Firesteel

Everyone can decide for themselves the appropriate way to dump either at a station or on the ground,

No, I don't think they can. This is illegal most places, and inappropriate almost everywhere.

[Firesteel]

I agree. That being said every thread I have seen talking about the cassette was with a "hurray I dont have to use a dump station" therefore it appears that folks plan to dump on the ground, or else forgot about the grey tank.....

[mumkin]

Originally Posted by Firesteel

I agree. That being said every thread I have seen talking about the cassette was with a "hurray I dont have to use a dump station" therefore it appears that folks plan to dump on the ground, or else forgot about the grey tank.....

You have apparently misread the comments. NO ONE has suggested dumping it on the ground!! I have been following discussion on this topic VERY closely as I am interested in this unit. The discussion is that how one can use one's residential toilet or various campground choices... NONE of which were dumping it on the ground. The hurrahs tend to be about not having to deal with the disgusting dirty hose afterwards.

I did point out the issue of gray tank dumping to the maker of this video on his Facebook page... that he needed to explain the limitations on dumping the gray tank and that there are different rules/laws that he needs to point out to his renters. (he is renting this unit out)

I am curious on whether dumping into storm sewers would be acceptable. The gray water shouldn't be any dirtier than that which comes off city streets. Where does storm sewer water normally end up? Does it eventually end up in the same sewage system as from our kitchen sinks in our houses?

[Firesteel]

I am not saying to dump the cassette on the ground. This is about the grey tank and in posts people talk about dumping the cassette at home or in forest service pit toilets or even wheeling into gas stations or Walmart. That then implies they have NO plan to go to a dump station. So I ask the question what are they planning to do with the grey tank? It should not be dumped on the ground. BUT have folks thought about that?

[avanti]

Originally Posted by mumkin

The hurrahs tend to be about not having to deal with the disgusting dirty hose afterwards.

I know I am a broken record on this topic, but I really get the impression that those saying "hurrah" don't fully understand that a proper permanently-installed macerator system (NOT those "clip-on" ones) also eliminate the disgusting dirty hose issue. Seems like a much better solution than a cassette toilet. And, with a long-enough hose, you can dump in pit toilets, etc, in a pinch.

[booster]

Originally Posted by avanti

I know I am a broken record on this topic, but I really get the impression that those saying "hurrah" don't fully understand that a proper permanently-installed macerator system (NOT those "clip-on" ones) also eliminate the disgusting dirty hose issue. Seems like a much better solution than a cassette toilet. And, with a long-enough hose, you can dump in pit toilets, etc, in a pinch.

X2---IMO, the ONLY downside of the macerator is the possibility of failure. If you have a Zion, or homemade like I and Avanti have, alternate gravity dump setup, even that worry goes away.

[gregmchugh]

The Hymer Grand Canyon is the European van that was used as the basis for the Aktiv. It is designed as a four season camper with usable fresh water, grey water (with the optional tank heater), and the cassette toilet all usable below freezing. I see this as the type of vehicle where a cassette toilet is ideal. I agree that the cassette toilet may not be the way to go for most vans and a macerator/black tank is a better choice.

[4DMTNS]

For those living on west or southwest of Portland, here is information on dumping RV waste. Our grey water tank will be getting dumped here. I have NO plans of dumping it into the local sewer.

https://www.cleanwaterservices.org/f...pose/rv-waste/

If the timing and location is right, we may dump the cassette in a forest service or rest area toilet. However, I hope to avoid that and just dump the cassette in our home bathroom.

[eric1514]

If you're going to wait until you get home to dump your cassette, you might as well wait to dump your gray water also.

Get a small version of one of these:

Barker Tote

When you get home, drain your gray tank into it and dump it into your house toilet or the waste water clean out on your property just like you would do with the cassette.

Eric

[booster]

As has been mentioned by several folks earlier, it just seems a lot of hassle to have the cassette toilet when you have to go somewhere to dump the grey tank anyway, and with a macerator, it is cleaner and easier than the cassette, besides.

[4DMTNS]

Thanks for the link. I'll look into it.

[GeorgeRa]

I used to have permanent macerator system added to the Bigfoot trailer with separate black and grey tanks and now I have cassette and gray tank. Both system have advantages and disadvantages:

Black / grey tank macerator with large hose back-up:
- Large black water tank volume - plus
- Macerator drain was friendlier than large hose but had to replace the pump twice.
- Large hose drain, just hated, not very sanitary.
- Solids tend to pile-up and without sufficient driving distance didn’t drain forcing to use built in water jets or inserting a hose wand with a rotary tool via toilet hole.
- With macerator pump and insufficient flush with grey water hose still needed to be handled carefully.

Cassette / grey tank
- Cassette draining is simple, with many places to dump
- Grey water draining in my case is simple, indeed need a dump station but no hose is needed, I drive to the point that ball valve right angle fitting is right over the drain and open the valve, no hose.

Between both system for our need I like cassette more, for extended camping the large black tank with macerator and back-up would win.
See the picture of my grey water tank with drain and draining done by Hein on his video, quick, easy and no hose.

https://sprinter-source.com/forum/sh...&postcount=689

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWaC33wxpQA

[ClassB4Me]

How is the grey tank water any worse than the dirty water coming off the car you wash in your driveway (road salt, bird poop, etc.)?

Are the rules regarding waste water designed for water safety reasons or to discourage RVers from doing this (NIMFY)?

[avanti]

Originally Posted by ClassB4Me

How is the grey tank water any worse than the dirty water coming off the car you wash in your driveway (road salt, bird poop, etc.)?

Not even close. You can prove this by smelling some of each after waiting a few days. Grey water contains bits of food (that attract animals), oils, everything that comes off of your body when you shower (skin cells, fecal matter, deodorant, cosmetics, perhaps urine), etc, and the whole bacterial ecosystem that the above items support.

And, in any event, it would not be appropriate to wash your car in or near a campground. Check out what the Clean Water Act has to say about effluent from commercial car washes.

[Davydd]

It is pretty simple. Grey water is the same as what is disposed in your home sinks. By law it goes to a septic system or sanitary sewer not a storm sewer. Dumping in a storm sewer or on the ground is illegal. So if you need to go to a sanitary dump station it makes cassette use a pain in the A compared to a macerator or even a gravity dump system which can be combined with grey/black water dumping at the same time operation which is fast and easy and accomplished under 5 to 10 minutes.

Quite frankly same as people swearing leaving no dog poop or cigarette butts on the ground, cassettes and composting toilets if more popular will eventually lead to desperation abuse for the very reason they claim flexibility.

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by Davydd

It is pretty simple. Grey water is the same as what is disposed in your home sinks. By law it goes to a septic system or sanitary sewer not a storm sewer. Dumping in a storm sewer or on the ground is illegal .................................

As Avanti mentioned earlier grey water could include shower drain with possibility for additional waste contamination.

Originally Posted by Davydd

…………………………. So if you need to go to a sanitary dump station it makes cassette use a pain in the A compared to a macerator or even a gravity dump system which can be combined with grey/black water dumping at the same time operation which is fast and easy and accomplished under 5 to 10 minutes.........................

I have a very direct experience with 3 RV systems:

-. Boating macerator pumps frustration
1. Large hose gravity drain black first followed by grey
2. Small hose with forced macerator drain black first followed by grey
3. Cassette drain followed by grey no hose drain

I clearly consider large hose or small hose a pain making my current camping more enjoyable so I don’t have to think of imminent use of a dump station with possible left over goodies and about 5-10 min of splashing feces pain. Judging that the cassette system as a pain, without a direct experience, could easily be considered biased.

Originally Posted by Davydd

………………….
............Quite frankly same as people swearing leaving no dog poop or cigarette butts on the ground, cassettes and composting toilets if more popular will eventually lead to desperation abuse for the very reason they claim flexibility.

Interesting point but I am not sure I understand the implication, there are far more places to dump cassettes than dump stations. From my experience dumping my grey water tank requires dumping frequency of about 1/3 of the cassette reducing searching for dump stations.

George.

[Firesteel]

I'll stick with the hose. the thought of standing over a toilet dumping a pile of shtuff into it makes me wanna barf.

I just hope that people buying these rigs understand what they need to do.

I wonder who the first person will be to break the window behind the slider door too. Doh