One of the most commonly used camper van accessories is the water and waste tank.  They also work hard as canal boat accessories and on any number of other mobile homes.  Whether you have the standard or customised water and waste tanks, you want to be able to take care of them and maximise their lifespan.  So here are some tips to help.

Sterilise the system when you first start

If the camper van or boat hasn’t been in use for a little while, it is a good idea to sterilise the system before you start using it.  Just like when you put plastic water bowls out for a cat or dog and leave for them a while, there’s a natural built up of residue in the system and it is important to clean this out first.

To do this, close all taps and valves then add a suitable cleaning agent to the freshwater tank and fill it.  Turn on taps, one at a time starting from the furthest away from the tank and let the water flow through.  Leave water in the pipes with the solution for about 12 hours.  Then run this water through the grey water tank and flush the system.  You might also want to change any water filters when you have done this.

Clean the water tank

Unlike underground land drainage, it is relatively easy to remove water tanks and give them a good clean.  Something as simple as four teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda added to water in the tank will help clean it out.  Leave it standing for about 24 hours then rinse with clean, fresh water.  Replace the tank and you are ready to get it into use.

Clean the toilet cassette

In caravans and campers, you will often have a toilet cassette and sometimes you see canal boats across Crewe and Cheshire that use similar systems.  With this, you can use a specialist cleaner designed for these products and add around 300ml into the empty tank with about 5 litres of warm water.  Swill it around to coat the insides and leave for about 16 hours, swilling around periodically.  Empty it then rinse with clean water and replace.

Carry out normal maintenance

Once you have done these specialist jobs, you can carry on with normal maintenance of the camper or canal boat.  Most people tend to clean like they would their homes – you are unlikely to be carrying livestock equipment or anything that causes lots of mess in this type of vehicle! 

It is also a good time to look at replacing any equipment that is showing signs of age or not functioning properly.  This might be things like the polycarbonate sheeting at the window or the stokboard roofing area.  This can reduce the chance of problems when you are travelling with the vehicle.

Replace where needed

If at any stage of the cleaning process, you notice wear and tear or damage to your water or waste tanks, Goodwin Plastics have a bespoke service to create new ones.  Simply bring us the old tank and we can make a new version for you to ensure your system works flawlessly.