Confession: I’ve always struggled to keep things neat and tidy when caravanning. I’m referring to the sullage hose, the water hose and the 15A electrical lead. These are unwieldy items that take up space and love to unravel, twist and generally make a nuisance of themselves. It doesn’t help that I’m a little lazy when it comes to packing these items away. Yes, I’m one of those people who sometimes wraps the electrical lead around their shoulder and forearm. I know – it’s a bad habit. Don’t judge me too harshly.
As 2025 wound to a close, I decided to tackle the issue head-on. I had long been aware of the solution, and it was finally time to implement it. Enter: Flat Out International.
MEET THE FLAT OUT MULTI-REEL
For the three main services that you connect to your caravan – water, electricity and sullage – Flat Out has a solution. The company provides electrical leads, food-grade water hoses and sullage hoses, each specially designed for the caravanning lifestyle.
We’ll talk about the benefits of these products as opposed to the generic varieties you can buy from an RV supply or hardware store. But first, we need to come to grips with the Flat Out Multi-Reel, because therein lies the true beauty of the Flat Out system.
Think of the Multi-Reel as a spool that allows you to unwind or wind-up your electrical lead, drinking water and sullage hose in mere seconds. The result: leads and hoses that remain tangle-free and are stowed away neatly, taking up very little space in your van’s boot. Further the Multi-Reels are stackable for more efficient storage.
The reality is that when you coil an electrical lead (or hose) by hand, over time you’ll inevitably introduce twists. In the case of an electrical lead, such twists can affect the internal copper. And let’s not minimise the fact that a twisted electrical lead is a nuisance (ask me how I know).
With its low-friction design, I’ve found that the Multi-Reel does an excellent job of keeping leads and hoses just how you want them: twist and tangle free.
Yes, you do need to remove your lead/hose completely from the Multi-Reel, but it is not a stretch to say that doing so takes much less time than it would to unravel and unknot a twisted hose or electrical lead. Simply anchor the reel in one hand, grab the hose or lead with the other, and pull.
Better yet: connect the lead/hose to the service point at the van park, and walk the reel towards your van. It will unspool as you walk. Both hoses and leads wind on straight, and come off the reel straight as well.
Flat Out International is a second-generation business that has been around for about 25 years – half of its core range is Australian-made. The Multi-Reel isn’t a new product, though it has evolved over the years. Thousands of Australian vanners have already realised its benefit, as have tradespeople and others who simply wanted to improve their hose or extension lead situation at home. I’m coming late to the party, but I’m pleased to be here: the Flat Out Multi-Reel has been a game-changer. Highly recommend.
It’s available in multiple colours and sizes to suit the length of your lead/hose. I found the Flat Out website to be very informative and transparent in terms of what the Multi-Reel can and can’t do – it is worth a look if you’re also hoping to improve your van’s hose and lead situation.
TWIST-FREE HOSES AND LEADS
That’s the Multi-Reel. It’s Flat Out’s most famous product, and now that I’ve lived with it for a bit, I understand the appeal. But Flat Out also offers drinking water and sullage hoses specially designed for the reel and the RV lifestyle.
The 19mm ‘lay flat’ drinking water hose is also available in multiple lengths, from 7.5m up to 12.5m, with an important caveat: you can increase the length of the hose via a 2.5m extension. Because the Flat Out system is modular, you could even have a 20m drinking water hose by using a 12.5m hose connected to a 7.5m hose, though in this case, each hose would be stored on separate Multi-Reels. Flat Out supplies the various fittings you would need to securely connect two separate hoses.
Each lay flat hose complies to AS4020, the highest standard for drinking water safety. They feature a polyester outer layer, a polyurethane lining, and brass fittings. They’re also taste-fee and antimicrobial. To unspool, just connect the hose to the tap, walk away while holding the reel, and remove the other end of the hose. As you wind it back on, any water left inside the hose will be pushed out.
Flat Out’s sullage hoses are part of the overall picture as well. Imagine that black, ribbed sullage hose in your van’s boot right now. It’s probably a tangled mess. Mine was. Further, those ribs are pretty good at collecting organic material that’s been washed down the sink, leading to smells and other nasties.
The Flat Out Sullage Hose is also a ‘lay flat’ design made from a high quality elastomer (a polymer with high elasticity). The flexible, smooth finish inhibits organic particles from collecting, and as you wind it onto the Multi-Reel, excess water will be forced out. End caps are provided, too, meaning no leakage or smells. According to Flat Out, the lack of oxygen inside the sullage hose when stored will result in microbes ‘going to sleep’ rather than reproducing.
It’s available in 25mm or 32mm diameters and various lengths. When configured correctly, the flow rate of these sullage hoses is excellent – I think you’ll be very pleased. There’s no one standard for sullage outlets on vans, but Flat Out does sell various fittings that will help you to optimise water flow at the outlet.
But it’s the compact nature of this product, especially when stored on a Multi-Reel, that impressed me the most. I will never go back to the common variety of sullage hose. It’s as easy to wind back onto the reel as the drinking water hose and electrical lead.
Speaking of electrical leads, Flat Out also sells a variety of 10A and 15A kink-free leads with silicone rubber insulation and UV-stable waterproof construction (not the plugs, obviously). But the Multi-Reels will just as happily accommodate an extension lead purchased elsewhere. If you’ve got a garage full of tangled leads, as I do, you now have your solution.
SUMMING UP
My leads and hoses were once a tangled mess. Now, they’re organised and stack neatly, and they’re even quicker to deploy and pack away. Have you ever tried something and asked yourself why you didn’t try it sooner? That was my experience with these Flat Out products, and I have no doubt it will be yours.
This article hasn’t mentioned every accessory, fitting, size or other variation of the Flat Out products. As mentioned, the website is very informative and should you be interested, it would be worth having a browse.
