Setting Up Your New Motorhome or Caravan

Setting Up a Caravan or Motorhome: Your Complete Fresh-Start Guide

Buying a new or pre-loved RV, caravan or motorhome is exciting—but before you hit the road, it’s important to reset everything so your water, waste and toilet systems start fresh, clean and safe.

Second-hand vans can come with hidden surprises: old chemicals in the toilet, stale water in the tanks, grey water smells, blocked drains, and cleaning products that damage the surfaces in your van. Luckily, with the right setup, you can bring everything back to like-new condition.

This guide walks you through every major system—fresh water, grey water, toilet, and internal cleaning—using safe, natural products like WaterPure and BioMagic, so your RV is clean, healthy and adventure ready.

 

1. Start With Fresh Water Tanks (Your Most Important Step)

Before touching the tanks, start with the water hose—because hose taste is the number one cause of bad-tasting tank water.

✔️ Test Your Hose First

  1. Connect hose to a tap
     
  2. Hold the other end higher and fill until it overflows
     
  3. Leave water inside the hose for 1–2 days
     
  4. Pour a little into a clean cup, cover for 5 minutes, then smell and taste
     

If the water tastes like plastic or rubber, replace the hose. There’s no point cleaning tanks if your hose is the problem. Get a hose that is food grade safe to ensure water doesn’t carry any unnecessary taste from the plastic. 

 

2. Deep-Clean Your Water Tanks with WaterPure Tank Sanitiser

Don’t worry about what the previous owner did—WaterPure Tank Sanitiser can bring any tank back to life.

Before starting:

  • Turn OFF your hot water system
     
  • If your hot water tank has an anode, replace it
     
  • If you have multiple tanks, use the “one filler for two tanks” method
     

Step 1 — Sanitize the Tanks

  1. Drain all water
     
  2. Add WaterPure Tank Sanitiser as per dosage instructions on the bottle
     
  3. Fill your tank completely with fresh water
     
  4. Run 2–3 L from each tap
     
  5. Run 12 L of cold water from the hot tap (with the heater OFF)
     
  6. Top up the tank and soak for 12–72 hours
     

This strips away:

  • Bacteria
     
  • Algae
     
  • Sediment
     
  • Old chemical residues
     
  • Taste and smell
     

Step 2 — Drain and Flush

  • Drain by running taps for a few minutes
     
  • Run 10–15 L through the hot tap again (cold only)
     
  • Rinse only if you saw visible debris
     

Step 3 — Purify and Protect with WaterPure Drinking Water Purifier

Dose depending on your water type:

  • Raw / rainwater: 4 ml per 10 L
     
  • Town water: 2 ml per 10 L
     
  • Inline-carbon-filtered water: 1 ml per 10 L
     

Fill your tank, dose appropriately, and let stand 4 hours.

You now have:

  • Safe water
     
  • Zero taste
     
  • No smell
     
  • Long-term protection (up to 12 months)
     

If you filter and treat every refill, you’ll never need to deep-clean your tanks again.

 

3. Reset Your Grey Water Tank with BioMagic

Grey water tanks become smelly fast—they collect residue from:

  • Dishes
     
  • Showering
     
  • Handwashing
     
  • Soaps and detergents
     
  • Human bacteria
     

BioMagic breaks this down naturally and prevents smells, blockages and sludge buildup.

Step 1 — Deep Clean Grey Water Tanks (For Used Vans)

  1. Drain completely
     
  2. Add 50 ml BioMagic per 100 L of tank capacity
     
  3. Add a small squirt of dishwashing liquid
     
  4. Fill the tank completely with clean water
     
  5. Add 10 ml BioMagic + 1 cup water into each drain
     
  6. Let it soak for 24+ hours (several days is even better)
     

This first soak digests:

  • Old grease
     
  • Soap scum
     
  • Hair buildup
     
  • Odour-causing bacteria
     
  • Chemical residues
     

After draining, add 50 ml BioMagic with a small amount of water and slosh it around for good measure.

Step 2 — Daily Maintenance While Travelling

At the end of each day:

  • Add ½ capful of BioMagic + ½ cup water down a sink or shower drain
     

If connected to a caravan park sullage drain:

  • Only treat when you close the outlet
     
  • If staying long-term, close the outlet once weekly, add a capful of BioMagic, let sit overnight, then open again
     

Your grey tank will stay odour-free, healthier, and easier to empty.

 

4. The Toilet: Resetting a Second-Hand Cassette or Portable Unit

Whether your cassette toilet is lightly used or heavily scaled, resetting it ensures odour-free, trouble-free performance.

Step 1 — Inspect and Check for Leaks

  1. Remove cassette
     
  2. Rinse well
     
  3. Fill slightly and tilt to check for seal leaks
     
  4. Replace seals if needed
     

Step 2 — Mix Your Natural Cleaning Solution

Combine:

  • 1–2 litres of white vinegar
     
  • 1–2 litres of hot water
    Pour enough into the top slide area to nearly fill it to the rim and soak for 5 minutes.
  • Once sat in the bowl for 5 minutes, gently open the slide so the solution flows into the waste tank.
     
  • Add the remaining mixture.
     
  • Keep the tank flat and swirl to coat all internal surfaces.
     
  • Let it soak for 1 hour.

Rotate the tank for thorough coverage:

  • Lay on one side for 30 minutes.
     
  • Flip to the opposite side for 30 minutes.
     
  • Close the slide and turn the tank upside down for 30 minutes to soak the roof and moving parts.
  • Stand the cassette upright on its end.
     
  • With the vinegar solution still inside, fill the tank right to the top with water.
     
  • Leave it to soak for 2–4 hours.
     
  • Empty the tank and rinse thoroughly with clean fresh water until it overflows .

 

Step 3 — Rinse, Dry & Lubricate

  • Drain and rinse thoroughly
     
  • Dry slide and seals
     
  • Apply cooking/olive oil
     
  • Work the slide to distribute
     
  • Wipe excess after 15 min
     

Step 4 — Set Up for Use

  • Add 1 inch of water to the base
     
  • Add 15 ml BioMagic Concentrate
     
  • Done!
     

If storing long-term: add water only, dose when ready to travel.

Flush Tank (If You Have One)

  • Drain completely
     
  • Fill with water
     
  • Flush ~2 litres
     
  • Soak, flush, repeat
     
  • Rinse twice
     
  • Refill with plain water only (no chemicals)
     

 

5. Cleaning Your Caravan Safely

Never use household cleaners—many damage RV surfaces, leaving:

  • Blisters
     
  • Streaks
     
  • Burn marks
     
  • Cracked plastics
     

Safe RV Cleaning

Start with:

  • Soft soap
     
  • Microfibre cloths
     

For deeper cleaning:
Use NuKlean, safe for every surface inside and outside your RV.

Dilution guide:

  • 10 ml in 500 ml → everyday cleaning
     
  • 25 ml in 500 ml → kitchen, shower, sinks
     
  • 50 ml in 500 ml → exterior, BBQ, heavy grime
     

Your RV will stay clean without harming plastics, seals, acrylics or finishes.

 

Ready for the Road

With your Caravan or Motorhome  properly set up, you can travel confidently knowing your water, waste, toilet and internal surfaces are clean, safe and ready for any adventure. BioMagic and WaterPure make the whole process simple—and ongoing maintenance even easier.