Fitting a SOG extractor to Warwick Duo

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Keith, good job and well explained.
my own system is slightly different in the execution in that the lower part of the venting pipe just fits into the a hole in the end of the spout cap, as in the phot, not through the cassette vent as in your install.
this means there is a simple connection at the lower end, a short run of pipe upwards to a bathroom locker which houses the pump and then another run of pipe upwards to a roof vent just like yours.
i guess that emptying is slightly more 'complicated' in our system in that i have to unplug the SOG pipe from the cap (not shown in photo) and then insert a 'bung' (kept on the SOG pipe with a 'keyring') to fill the 'hole'. 
after emtying, unplug the bung, slip it onto the pipe and then plug the vent pipe back in....sounds a bit fiddly when written down but takes about 5 seconds....something you dont need to do with your install. however, with ours we dont need the extra slim drain pipe as any condensation runs back directly into the cassette via the spout.
obviously, the electrics (12v) needs to be run to the pump. ours is from the water pump feed, so that when the water pump 'switch' on the control panel is off, the Sog fan doesnt run.
are you going to try out different/no liquids/pods to see what works best for you?
we can definitely run with no extra 'chemicals' but currently use ALDI/LIDL bio washing pods.
good luck.

Well done Keith, I only hope it was worth it. Seems a lot of work. 

Hope you have many poo's
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Richard

I'm a fan of the SOG system and remain somewhat surprised why all motorhomes aren't fitted with a similar system. I expect all toilet cassettes will have a cassette vent that allows smells to enter the toilet compartment. It's probably not enough for the cassette to be just passively vented outside. In windy weather the airflow could be reversed, wind could blow in and through the cassette then onwards into the toilet compartment. An electric fan is needed to prevent this happening, hence the advantage of the SOG system.

Our Duetto's toilet compartment was much improved after I fitted a SOG, our current Kemerton XL's toilet without a SOG has so far no obnoxious smells.

If I were fitting a SOG I wouldn't go upwards to a roof vent, rather I'd want to go downwards through the floor.

Many thanks for the great variety of responses.  I hope it might help someone reading this discussion to make a better informed decision to fit or not to fit.
Relaxez Vous raises a pertinent question.......up or down ?   I chose up after getting under the van and realizing that there were too many hazards in the form of pipes and tanks.  In a workshop, on a lift I might  have been braver. However the possibly unique design of the Warwick Duo offered a simple route in the space illustrated to go up.  Other designs may dictate different routes.
Keith

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certainly if factory fitted, like ours, UP to a venting chimney seems the best to me....all odours taken well away from the van, like a kitchen vent.
for simple after market fitting, venting through the cassette door seems easiest where possible. 
however, all our locker doors (including the toilet cassette door) are CNC cut from the original side panel and, as such, are pretty thick and i wouldnt want to cut a hole in one....perhaps why the factory went upwards to the roof?
also, having the vent hose being stretched/bent every time the cassette door was opened wouldnt bode well for longevity.
either way, its a pretty discrete chimney and quiet/effective in operation.

Oh NO don't make vans any more complex.
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Richard

Richard, there's a difference in making a van more practical through simple physical changes than making it more complex (elecrical 'integration' comes to mind) just because 'they can'.
IMHO, SOG is as far away from the new Harmony system on the 'complex' scale as could be...

we have had a sog system on our last two vans and we ordered a new Nuevo for delivery in March next year, we asked for a sog system to be fitted from new and was told a couple of days latter that auto sleeper said that fitting a sog system will invalidate the warranty on the toilet?
I then checked with auto sleeper directly and they confirmed this, I really can't see why though, we are having a fiammia door arm fitted but that dosen't seem to cause any warranty problems.
pete

Ye Gods...

I fitted a SOG to our Fairford when we had it - worked great with the only problem being that there was sometimes a smell on the outside of the van.
It would only be a problem if someone parked up to close with their awning out 

It was one of the first considerations when getting our current MH and like bolero’s it has the benefit of a roof mounted vent.

breakaleg wrote:we have had a sog system on our last two vans and we ordered a new Nuevo for delivery in March next year, we asked for a sog system to be fitted from new and was told a couple of days latter that auto sleeper said that fitting a sog system will invalidate the warranty on the toilet?
I then checked with auto sleeper directly and they confirmed this, I really can't see why though, we are having a fiammia door arm fitted but that dosen't seem to cause any warranty problems.
pete

It may well be that Thetford won't warranty their product if you fit a Sog and not AS that are being awkward. The very knowledgeable Derek Uzzell posted this in an thread on outandabout...

"Thetford does not ‘approve’ fitting SOG kits to their toilets and few motorhome manufacturers offer a SOG kit as part of the vehicle’s original specification or as a factory option. Consequently, although it would often be relatvely easy to install a SOG kit when a motorhome is being built, retro-fitting a kit can prove very tricky."

I cannot really see the problem with the system I have, non SOG. I have never had a bad smell like is reported with a SOG.

I just add some blue or green and dump away, empty the cassette when 3/4 full.

What happens to your deposits, do they become solid or what? The only advantage I have read about is when free camping you don't have to empty that often.

BB I have my hard hat on, so waiting for you to make some comment as you only seem to like what you have.
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Richard

If you like the system you have then don’t change it 

Before fitting a SOG, particularly when in hot climates, we found there was a smell, whether natural or from the added blue or green chemicals, but a smell anyway.
I then fitted a SOG. The SOG removes the smell when the blade is opened by pulling air down the toilet, across the tank surface and then to atmosphere.
It has absolutely no effect on the ‘deposits’ and has no advantage whatsoever regarding frequency of emptying whether free camping or not.
Personally, I’d rather have it than not.

Do you get a smell when you empty the cassette?

I still don't think there is any advantage, if as you say no change in emptying.

I have not noticed any foul smell when opening the blade, in fact when we use the toilet for No.2s we open up so you know what drops straight down the hole.

Elsan blue as a rather nice smell and I also use red tank flush.

Each to his own, we really like our Duo the way it was delivered, no regrets, apart from the shrinking door coverings, which they are sorting for us even after 4.5 years, but that is another subject.
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Richard

Do I get a smell when emptying it? Well, that depends on the curry the night before! 

As for opening the blade, well, we always open the blade before using the toilet for anything  - isn’t that how it’s meant to work? 

rgermain wrote:I cannot really see the problem with the system I have, non SOG. I have never had a bad smell like is reported with a SOG.

I just add some blue or green and dump away, empty the cassette when 3/4 full.

What happens to your deposits, do they become solid or what? The only advantage I have read about is when free camping you don't have to empty that often.

BB I have my hard hat on, so waiting for you to make some comment as you only seem to like what you have.
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Richard

Richard, obviously non SOG toilets with chemicals are fine....we had them in our two Boleros....my only point was that a SOG equipped toilet has a few more benefits over and above a non SOG one...
ours came as part of the van spec....all Carthagos come SOG equipped...i just happen to think that. having one supplied, its better than not having one....weve been in both positions and thats just my opinion, no hard hat required.
those benefits have been discussed well in this thread but if anyone doesnt want a SOG obviously thats fine. the thread just explains things a bit more to those who are interested in fitting one.

Richard.  Thank you for making a contribution, but I am not intending to aim a brick at your hard hat.  My decision was made, based on my prior experience and this thread was started to provide people, who might be considering fitting this system, with practical information.  I personally have no interest in arguments over fit or don't fit only judgements about whether it can be done.   
Keith

I view the SOG system as a cure for toilet compartment smells. Even with an unmodified toilet and the cassette flap closed, there's a vent from which smells can escape. On our Duetto's cassette the vent was on top of the holding tank, before I fitted a SOG the toilet compartment could at times be smelly. When I fitted its SOG I superglued the vent permanently shut because in future the cassette vents through the SOG system, it's all in the instructions.

Our Kemerton XL's cassette is more modern and the vent is different, there's a tube which goes down inside the holding tank and opens underneath. With the cassette in position It sort of connects with a small sealed off space, visible in one of KMRTOPAZ's photos. So far we've not noticed any toilet smells in our newer van. May be it's the older cassettes where there's a vent on top that are prone to toilet smells? I don't rule out that I may need to fit a SOG in future, so far no toilet smells in there, except the ones I make.

Whilst being able to avoid using toilet chemicals with a SOG is what the manufacturer promotes, emptying can be so unpleasant, and potentially embarrassing. I reverted to using chemicals even though we had a SOG. I can easily picture in my mind two French campsites where the chemical toilet emptying was right by the sinks, stinks next to the sinks.