> If one were to fabricate one's own home-brew Thermosan clone system, one
>might be technically violating the law, just as one would be violating the
>law by using non-stock timing settings, a Holley carburetor, headers without
>provision for intake air preheat, and a whole host of things we all do every
>day. If you do it yourself to your own vehicle, the Feds and most states
>allow quite a bit of leeway. Just don't ask a professional mechanic to bump
>your timing ahead of stock specs, he's not supposed to do it.
>
> The only sticky wicket involves manufacturing a system to be sold to
>others. In that case all the miles of red tape, testing, certification, ad
>nauseum, apply.
Fortunately there are no certifications required per EPA. The only sticky
issue is that some local ordinances may not permit their use. BUT, that's
for residences and not RVs. Electric toilets (incinerators) are currently
sold into the RV market, and they are not certified.
> According to a story posted in a few years back,
>the EPA's main concern with the system involved uncrupulous hazardous-waste
>haulers. These folks would equip a small tank truck with a Thermosan, and
>send some kid out to drive around the countryside burning up pesticides or
>dioxin or some such, which rather exceeded the capability of the Thermosan
>system. This was supposedly a major reason the EPA prevailed upon the makers
>to drop the system from production.
I spoke directly to the people who once made the Thermasan. Thermasan was
bought by Thetford. Thetford closed down the operation because of the
downturn in the RV market about 20 years ago I'm told. I asked a company PR
guy (who was one of the few folks around who knew anything about the
Thermasan) about the hazmat story. He laughed and said that the story was
repeated from time to time, but it wasn't true. The real story is much less
entertaining: Thetford needed to reduce expenses and Thermasan was one of
the lines that got cut.
> Another may involve some incompatibility
>with Oxygen sensors and/or catalytic convers, neither of which necessarily
>apply to my GMC. (I'm not sure whether it was ever actually "banned".
Not that I can find anywhere in the EPA archives. No rule making. Nothing.
>Anyone else KNOW?)
There's always a chance that it was barred. I would expect California to be
the sticky location. Nothing there.
Henry
