Back in January we wrote about toilet fluids and featured the Thetford Machine, which automatically cleans that company's cassettes. Little did we realise that another cleaning machine was about to burst onto the market, one that can cope with other manufacturer's cassettes.

Camperclean on a Dutch site, image courtesy Wikimedia user Tebartz (Own Work)

The Thetford Machine looked like a great idea but of course would only work with that company's toilet cassettes, leaving owners of other brands out on a limb. The Camperclean, on the other hand, can clean most standard toilet cassettes, including SOG units.

All you do is slide your full cassette into the machine, making sure the cassette valve is open. A door slides down and behind the scenes your cassette is emptied, cleaned, vacuumed and refilled with 1.5-2l of fresh water and sanitary fluid. The fluid uses micro-organisms rather than chemicals and is environmentally friendly.

When it's done the door opens, you slide your cassette out, close the valve and take it back to your 'van.

Where can you find one?

The Camperclean is currently being installed around the UK. They've been seen in Europe for a couple of years now and the first UK installation went into Cairnsmill Caravan Park, St Andrews, Scotland.

At the time of going to press that's the only machine in the UK, but by the time you read this, or at least by the time you're touring in the summer, perhaps you'll find more machines in use around the UK.

Easier and cleaner

The machines are supplied and installed by Caravan Park Electrical Services (CPES), a company well known to site operators for the design, manufacture and installation of electrical distribution systems on holiday, park home and touring parks.

CPES think that being able to empty, wash then recharge a cassette in two minutes without having to do anything other than stand and watch is a real benefit to caravanners. And those who have tried it agree.

The job we most hate?

Bob Mather, the editor of Scottish Caravanner Magazine had a go and said it: "was quite impressive. It costs £2 per clean but I feel it is well worth the money to do a job that most of us hate!"

It's cleaner, there's no spillage, no smell and it's more environmentally friendly as it used the correct amount of water each time. There's no risk of getting blue fingers from chemical spillage and you can even breathe easily while it's being done!

Have you used one?

Sites can set their own fees but CPES are recommending £2 to £3 and of course it includes the cost of the sanitary fluid used to recharge the cassette.

It sounds like a relief from the smelly and monotonous task of emptying, cleaning and refilling our own cassettes. What do you think - have you used one?

Let us know by emailing insurance@cetamail.com - we'd love to hear what you think!

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