Marine toilet vs porta potty

[lbp]

Originally Posted by asgard

We have a porta potty and use the orange fluid. We have found no issue dumping at rest stop toilets, we usually look for the castodian and ask if it is ok, never had an issue, also porta loo/ Jonny on the spot are a good location.
If I was building out a van and could get a European model with a cassette that would be my choice.

Thanks, asgard, you make it sound pretty easy!

[lbp]

Originally Posted by durangatangs

We've used a porta-potty for 10+ years. Our SMB (Sprinter) has no interior shower, so we store it just inside the rear doors in a specially designed (by SMB West) "box" where it slides out of the way when not in use and the top of the box can be used for cargo without being disturbed.

To use it we slide it out into the center aisle of the van and then take turns going for a walk to provide a little privacy. That keeps it clean on the underside. Dumping it at an RV dump is easy, or for short trips we just dump it into a toilet at home. Carry a hose you can connect to rinse water and rinse it 2-3 times after dumping, then add your chemical of choice.

We also have a "family policy" that the potty is for solid waste only, not for #1. That greatly extends the time between dumps. If your wife is as good a sport as I am, she should look into getting a Sani-Fem or Freshette so she can pee behind a bush like the guys when no restroom is available.

Hi durangatangs - thanks for all your information. One question we still have on the porta potties is how long it takes to fill the cassette. About how long, or how many uses, do you get from your potty? (Understanding that it's for #2 only.)
lbp

[durangatangs]

We start looking for our next dump opportunity after about 4 days (eight uses). We've gone six days (12 uses) occasionally but that's pushing our luck. Our model flushes from a rinse-water tank located in the seat compartment so how much water you use to flush is a big factor. We have a toilet brush designated for use to help swirl the flush water around so we can use less of it. There's an indicator on the tank that is supposed to change from green to red as it fills up, but it's never worked and we don't trust it.

When we are not staying in one spot for a number of days, we try to use public facilities at rest stops and gas stations, that stretches the time between dumps as well.

[lbp]

Originally Posted by durangatangs

We start looking for our next dump opportunity after about 4 days (eight uses). We've gone six days (12 uses) occasionally but that's pushing our luck. Our model flushes from a rinse-water tank located in the seat compartment so how much water you use to flush is a big factor. We have a toilet brush designated for use to help swirl the flush water around so we can use less of it. There's an indicator on the tank that is supposed to change from green to red as it fills up, but it's never worked and we don't trust it.

When we are not staying in one spot for a number of days, we try to use public facilities at rest stops and gas stations, that stretches the time between dumps as well.

Thanks! One last question: does your potty have a 5 gallon black tank cassette? Would you mind sharing the model you have?
lbp

[durangatangs]

Five gallons sounds about right. It's 16" tall. Thetford is the brand, it's whatever model Sportsmobile West was using in 2010.

[lbp]

Originally Posted by durangatangs

Five gallons sounds about right. It's 16" tall. Thetford is the brand, it's whatever model Sportsmobile West was using in 2010.

Thanks! Helpful information. Gotta make our decision soon!

[daveb]

Wonder how well those Laveo water less heads work. I know the cartridges are expensive but not much more than something like wag-bags. I'd like to have something resistant to freezing that can be stored in a bumper box.

[jpau00]

My porta-potty has been just fine. One thing to consider though is I have seen a number of campgrounds in CA only allow vehicles that are fully self-contained (mounted toilets) because of COVID-19. I don't know how it is in other states.

[michuth]

I have used both porta potties and fixed toilets and prefer the fixed. Even if you don't have grey water flowing through it, just use a hose at the dump station and shoot it through the toilet to clean out. I can go a week without dumping and I try to use the public toilets for crapping. This is probably because I'm in my 50's and can't squat the way I could in my 20's in a pop up LOL

[lbp]

Originally Posted by daveb

Wonder how well those Laveo water less heads work. I know the cartridges are expensive but not much more than something like wag-bags. I'd like to have something resistant to freezing that can be stored in a bumper box.

daveb - I've wondered the same thing. My wife did some research on the Laveo waterless, and seemed to find that some people had trouble with it; it worked fine for a while and then the bags weren't twisting properly or got stuck. So, it seems like they may still have some work to do to get them working better, but it also may be the particular ones that some folks got. I'd love to hear more from people on the forum if anyone has one, but maybe that would need to be another thread.