Smart motorhome toilet arrives down under
Fuss-free RV disposal system that eliminates messy 'dumping' goes on sale in AustraliaThetford's Indus smart sanitation system for motorhomes -- essentially a hands-off, stink-free 'smart' RV toilet and grey water system controlled by an app -- is making its Australian debut at the 2025 Victorian Caravan & Camping Supershow at the Melbourne Showgrounds (Feb 19-23).
Available in Europe since 2020, the Thetford Indus is fully integrated into the RV plumbing and includes a stylish, marine-style macerator toilet, connected up to 'black' and 'grey' waste and fresh water tanks, along with dosing and discharge modules that automatically santitize and help 'dump' the waste.
Rather than having to empty the cassette manually every two or three days, as might be the case on an average motorhome trip, Thetford says its Indus system "enables you to go completely off-grid for an average of seven days", or even longer with an optional, additional 19 litre holding tank.
It does this by collecting recycled water from the shower or sink, and using the 'grey' water to flush the toilet, which also utilises a quiet and water-efficient, two-step macerating action for easier disposal of 'number twos'.
To keep everything smelling nice and staying relatively clean, there is a separate 'dosing module' that automatically adds the right amount of biodegradable solution to the grey, flush and black water tanks as required, with the three dose containers only needing to be topped up every four weeks on average.
While there's still the option of a removable 'cassette', it's connected by a 2.0m long extendable hose with a large grab handle so you don't have to drag anything heavy or touch any 'unhygienic' parts. One-touch discharging of both grey and black water tanks, also means there's less risk of splashing any smelly stuff on your clothes or hands during the process.
The black water tank empties first and is then flushed out by the grey tank in a one-step drainage process.
The whole system is controlled by a smart phone app, that provides 'real time' information about tank and cartridge levels, as well as the amount of 'off-grid time' you have left before the tanks need to be emptied.
The Thetford Indus is fitted to an Avan Ovation M6 C Class motorhome (priced at $209,230 drive-away) on display at the Victorian Supershow. Melbourne's Avan is currently the only Australian RV manufacturer that offers the Thetford Indus as a factory-fitted option, and it adds about $9000 to the overall price of the motorhome.
Meanwhile, Thetford is also displaying a new Eco Friendly Separation Toilet at the show, which is still in prototype form but is expected to be available later this year.
The chemical and water-free unit separates the wees and poos to eliminate the smelly chemical reaction, with a removable cassette for 'no.1s' and another container which holds a removable bag for 'no.2s'.
Other features include a level indicator and optional active venting, with a Separation Toilet Kit also coming to convert an existing Thetford C223 or C263 model RV toilet.
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