Beginners caravanning: emptying a touring caravan toilet

Emptying a touring caravan toilet cassette might not be the most glamorous side of caravanning, but it’s one of the most important skills for beginners to learn.

Knowing how to correctly and hygienically empty your caravan toilet at a waste disposal point will make your trips cleaner, easier, and stress-free. In this guide, we'll walk you through each step on emptying your caravan's toilet cassette.

What you'll need:

• Protective gloves
• Cassette toilet chemicals (blue for waste tank, pink for flush tank)
• Hand sanitiser
• Hosepipe (optional)

Your cassette toilet is accessed from the outside wall of the caravan, directly behind the toilet unit inside. There are two external door flaps and both have security locks. The lower larger door (sometimes called the service door or cassette hatch) gives you access to the cassette toilet, and is opened by pressing both buttons at the same time.

To remove the cassette, squeeze the orange handle and lift up to release it from its catch. The cassette should pull out easily, if it doesn't, check the toilet blade has been closed properly on the inside. Pull the cassette toilet towards you slowly, grabbing the top to lift it out the locker.

How to maintain a cassette toilet on your caravan

The cassette toilet has wheels and a handle, squeeze the handle to release and pull up to create a pull handle - this makes it easier to take to a toilet waste disposal point.

When you've arrived at a disposable point push the pull handle down and turn the pour out spout outwards. Remove the cap and press the orange vent button with your thumb, then tilt forward the cassette with the pour out pipe angled towards the waste disposal point, until the cassette is empty.

Pour around 3 litres of water down the spout and replace the cap, then gently shake to rinse round the cassette, remove the cap and pour out through the spout into the disposal point.

Now slide off the cover and twist the dial to open the blade, you can flush the inside with a hose and then as before, pour this out through the spout.

Next, add your toilet chemicals, check the required amount of the blue additive, and using the measure on the pour out cap, add this to the waste tank along with three litres of water. Once complete turn the dial to close the blade, slide back on the quick release cap, and screw the cap back on. Return the spout back into its original position.

Slide the cassette back into its exterior locker and push until you hear it click into place. To fill the flush, open the upper flap and pour water into the spout - to keep the toilet smelling fresh, you can add a pink rinse to the flush.

Tip: Most UK campsites with touring pitches provide a waste disposal point, but it's always best to check ahead of your travels. When you arrive at a campsite ask the reception staff where the disposal point is located - some sites have multiple points, so it can save you a long walk if you pick the nearest one to your pitch.