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Old 06-10-2013, 10:14 AM   #21
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For my 13 foot, I feel that the porta potty is a good compromise. It doesn't take up much room but it serves the need, especially at night in bad weather. That said, if I upgrade to a larger trailer I'll probably get one with a toilet and shower.

It is just a personal preference, no need for fisticuffs.
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Old 06-10-2013, 10:16 AM   #22
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I dont think the OP's question is one any of us can help them decide on.

For me I wanted a trailer that had everything I would need in order to be as flexible as I could be in choosing where I camp. I went from tent camping to a trailer for the added comfort and convenience. I also wanted to be able to camp in areas with no bathroom facilities or electrical hook ups. Some of the most beautiful spots I have camped with the trailer have had no facilities. It also makes life pretty easy when on a long road trip and you want to just pull over and sleep in rest stop or parking lot for a couple of nights in a row along the way. Nice to be able to take a fast shower before hitting the road on another long day of travel. I often travel on my own so not have to seek out a bathroom facility in the middle of the night is another added plus.

Yes you could get away with a porta potty and a rig up a portable shower or have a sponge bath but when camping in a spot without any facilities to dump out the porta potty or dispose of the grey water (some places I camp can be strict in regards to grey water dumping & are pack in and out) having the larger holding tanks means I dont have to worry about such things for a number of days rather than on a daily bases.

I looked at a 13' trailer and decided a bathroom took up to much space and went with a 16' side bath. But having said that I know a front bath 13' model may have worked out fine had I not also wanted the flexibility of taking children on a trip with me and needed the front bunks from time to time.

It all comes down to how/where you think you will do your camping and how many people do you want to have the ability/flexibility to sleep in the trailer.

I highly recommend though that before you decide one way or another you find a way to go and sit in trailer models that have & do not have a bathrooms. It will help a lot in making up your mind one way or another... or at least it did for me.
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Old 06-10-2013, 10:16 AM   #23
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Originally Posted by jen b View Post
We have a 13' Burro (no bathroom option) and when we've got two people camping in it I do the thought experiment - what if we jammed a bathroom in here too? And I think "no way" - space is at enough of a premium with the small trailer as it is.

One day we'll upgrade to a 16 or 17 and spring for a bathroom/shower model. For now, it works for us to use campground bathrooms and showers.
We travel with two people every trip and find the additional storage closet, microwave oven and full bath to be a better use for the space available than a couch.We can seat 4 or 5 at the dinette in reasonable comfort, any more and we will just have to gather outside around the picnic table.
The thirteen front bunk is a great choice for those who camp with children or pets,but the front bath works great for couples who like to travel. We could "upsize" from our Scamp13D but it certainly would not be an "upgrade".
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Old 06-10-2013, 10:25 AM   #24
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Originally Posted by Ed Harris View Post
I have had campers both with and without a bath and have also had the room but no bath.

It is something no one can help you decide,well maybe no one but your partner?

I have a full bath now but have actually never used it so far except as storage.
I mostly camp alone and would rather use other facilities than clean the bathroom.
I also barely fit inside the bathroom and easily fit in most CG facilities so the choice is simple if there is a choice.

For me almost everything about using my trailer is easier without using water in it.

Others that I camp with use everything in the trailer all the time and would not consider doing anything else.
Neither is wrong or right,it is just a personal choice.

It is often said that resale will be hurt without a bath but I have no reason to think so and my experience selling these eggs also does not support that theory,they sell fast either way.

So yes,Bath or No Bath?

Either is fine.
RESALE??!! Well, I guess that's just something else for the kids to worry about when we're gone!
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Old 06-10-2013, 10:25 AM   #25
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Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman View Post
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We've been camping for over 60 years (actually closer to 70) and never needed to carry around a toilet or port-a-potty. In our earlier days a port-a-potty would have been a bit too much to put the backpack. Now a toilet in the trailer is a no no.
Byron I have also a backpacked for years and nope I never carried a porta potty either ;-0 but the spots I camped as a backpacker where/are not normally accessible by auto so disposing of the waste in the woods is the only acceptable option. But these days in parts of the back county/forestry type campgrounds that are accessible by vehicle the rangers have become very strict in regards to disposal of waste - whether it be black or grey water. They are not happy to see folks digging holes etc to dispose of it and if you arrived by auto they fully expect you to pack it out!
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Old 06-10-2013, 10:45 AM   #26
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Byron I have also a backpacked for years and nope I never carried a porta potty either ;-0 but the spots I camped as a backpacker where/are not normally accessible by auto so disposing of the waste in the woods is the only acceptable option. But these days in parts of the back county/forestry type campgrounds that are accessible by vehicle the rangers have become very strict in regards to disposal of waste - whether it be black or grey water. They are not happy to see folks digging holes etc to dispose of it and if you arrived by auto they fully expect you to pack it out!

Just south of you campgrounds all have at least a vault toilet. Dispersed camping is allowed, you dispose of your human waste the same as you did while backpacking no matter how you arrive, auto, foot, or horse.
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Old 06-10-2013, 11:09 AM   #27
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Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman View Post
On the other side why would anybody insist on carrying their body waste around with them? As pointed out my feet work just fine, the stars are bright in the middle of the night. A toilet is another failure point that will fail at some point in time.

We've been camping for over 60 years (acutlly closer to 70) and never needed to carry around a toilet or port-a-potty. In our earlier days a port-a-potty would have been a bit too much to put the backpack. Now a toilet in the trailer is a no no.

Absolutely no regrets.
Since a 135 Thetford will fit under the bench , then a toilet is not the whole issue, besides you already carry your "body waste" around with you until nature calls and then you don't eliminate it all...You're just not as full of it as you were before.
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Old 06-10-2013, 11:22 AM   #28
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I have no interest whatsoever in a bathroom and all the associated piping and tanks and caregiving (KISS). In my case, I was specifically searching for a small camper without a bathroom. A porta potti takes care of night time emergencies and the rest of the time, I use the park restrooms and showers.

And as for resale, the small no-potty ones go very fast, because the price is very reasonable.
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Old 06-10-2013, 11:45 AM   #29
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Having had toilet and shower in previous motor home, and currently not having them in a scamp 13 I have to say it changes things from my DW's perspective.

She is a lot less willing to go really rustic or totally boondock for more than a couple of nights without the facilities. Toilet functionality can be replaced by porta potti but she has limited desire to not be able to shower for long, and no desire to stop and shop or eat on the way home absent a proper shower.

For some the bathroom and extra storage is a win. For others the openess or bunks is a win. Then there are some people who take the bunk/couch out and build a dinette across the front.

Short of being broken, poorly maintained, or bad modification job I don't think resale is hurt enough to matter. Enough buyers for the different configurations to make it a "non-issue".

I would add my voice to those that point out that any added amenity does incorporate maint. and repair into the total cost of ownership. If the cost makes sense one does it. Simplier solutions E.G porta potti, rolling gray water tank will have a lower cost than built in toilet, tanks and plumbing.

Leaving me to conclude one must purchase and or modify to suit own needs, desires and price point.
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Old 06-10-2013, 12:09 PM   #30
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Everyone's needs are different, and they do change with time and age. In my teens and 20's I backpacked and was able to sleep on one of those thin closed cell roll up pads... by my 30's I changed to car camping and went through air mattresses, rope beds, slatbeds, till moving to my homebuilt trailer futon couch/bed eventually to my ParkLiner. For me it was a natural progression.

I want a certain level of comfort... but like I said everyone's needs vary. When its particularly buggy, I like being able to shower off the deet before climbing into bed. Since I boondock those facilities are often not availible. Sometimes their is a porta john/outhouse/pit toilet(got stung on the cheek last year by a wasp in one) I prefer haveing my own. And showering with an outside hookup is an option, except when its cold out. But you and your spouse need to decide what is the minimum comfort level that you need... not what everyone else needs and go with it. Extra systems always means extra maintenance...but what can ya do?

Can always start simple and see how you like it. The resale value of these trailers is pretty good... if you decide nope we need a bathroom then sell it and start the hunt all over. I moved up from no toilet in my lil vardo and a toilet/porta potty was a requirement...I have a finicky stomach.
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Old 06-10-2013, 12:43 PM   #31
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Originally Posted by floyd View Post
Since a 135 Thetford will fit under the bench , then a toilet is not the whole issue, besides you already carry your "body waste" around with you until nature calls and then you don't eliminate it all...You're just not as full of it as you were before.
1. The bench storage is better used for unprocessed waste.
2. My body is not made of plastic.
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Old 06-10-2013, 12:52 PM   #32
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Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman View Post
On the other side why would anybody insist on carrying their body waste around with them? As pointed out my feet work just fine, the stars are bright in the middle of the night. A toilet is another failure point that will fail at some point in time.

We've been camping for over 60 years (actually closer to 70) and never needed to carry around a toilet or port-a-potty. In our earlier days a port-a-potty would have been a bit too much to put the backpack. Now a toilet in the trailer is a no no.
Byron,
I'm glad your feet also work fine as well. I don't believe I ever asked you, or anyone else, to "carry around their body waste with them." And it isn't like I'm carrying it, the holding tank is. It's not a back pack!
If you are happy hoofin' it to the outhouse, have a ball. I never said anyone HAD to have one, it is just MY personal opinion, and nothing more. I prefer to have one in my trailer. I'll go in my toilet, you can go in the bushes or wherever you have to in order to relieve yourself...
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Old 06-10-2013, 02:50 PM   #33
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The real question is.... if your going in the woods do you use a tree for a backrest or a small tree to hold yourself up?

Really there is no "right" answer to that or the OP question on bathrooms. Value lies in people sharing what they do, why, and how it works based on experience. In that discussion lies the information that allows one to figure out what they might want to consider in making their decision.

Not a lot of room for debate, since it all boils down to what the individual wants to do, and is willing to do to accommodate that choice. Be that a walk under the stars or dumping or maint. costs.
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Old 06-10-2013, 03:08 PM   #34
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We have stayed at campgrounds that will not allow tent camping or trailers without bathroom / kitchen facilities and holding tanks . The reason I was given was they do not want visitors dumping dish water or shower water on the ground , doing dishes in the restrooms or using the closest tree as a urinal. If I went camping in a trailer.without a bathroom I would be camping without my wife . The bathroom is a small price for me to pay for her company
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Old 06-10-2013, 03:36 PM   #35
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Since I will only consider a 13' egg, could I live without a bathroom? Out here in Nevada, a lot of places have those pit latrines 'cuz we are usually in the middle of nowhere. So, I see a lot of pics in here of 13' eggs without bathrooms, only portapottys. For the most part, we'd only use it for one or two nights. Bottom line...have any of you regretted buying one without a bathroom?
I think that it depends somewhat on the length of the trailer. The OP (above) was asking about a 13 footer. Given how few square feet are in a 13 footer, one must ask if they want to devote that much dedicated space to a toilet and shower considering how few hours you use them vs the rest of the trailer.
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Old 06-10-2013, 03:46 PM   #36
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We have stayed at campgrounds that will not allow tent camping or trailers without bathroom / kitchen facilities and holding tanks .... If I went camping in a trailer without a bathroom I would be camping without my wife....
I have also run across those restricted campgrounds over the years. I think it's more about eliminating the pop-ups and tent campers which often have different camping activities than the self-contained crowd do. I try to avoid those campgrounds. Feels funny being the only person brewing the morning coffee over a coleman stove under the rain-fly. Or cooking dinner over a campfire.

Totally agree, spouse perspective is important consideration. Possibly the most important consideration. Would not do to spend cost of camper and have spouse think it was totally wasted. Not do at all.

Also agree with 13 ft vs 16 ft being different. If we sold the 13 to purchase a 16 space for the bath room would be a prime motivator.
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Old 06-10-2013, 04:40 PM   #37
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If you don't get one, you will never miss it. I tent camped for many years and in my 50's moved to a tent trailer. Was like heaven, off the ground. No toilet. A couple of years ago I bought my first Scamp, with a toilet and shower. I discovered I rather enjoyed having a toilet close by. Never did use the shower. I recently purchased a 17 Casita with a bathroom. I used the shower for the first time on a recent trip to Yosemite. Showers are a long ways away and very crowded. OMG, I loved being able to get the days grime off with a quick shower, in my own space!! I would not do it any other way now.

Never have it, won't miss it. Once you have it, you won't want it any other way.
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Old 06-10-2013, 05:53 PM   #38
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to bath or not to bath?

Have to add my opinion here I can certainly see why it could be an issue in the 13 footers. IF I had a 13 footer I would at least want a porta potti. IMHO if you don't have a toilet in the trailer its just a tent on wheels, which might be fine with some people but not me. Are you a weekend camper and once a year vacationer? Chances are you could adapt to not having a bathroom. Where do you want to camp most of the time? RV Park, campground, or primitive? Do you like to boondock or spend months to years travelling with your trailer? Are you single or a couple? Children? Age? Now you might be more inclined to think about the bathroom as a necessary item. I rate my bathroom right up there with my fridge, furnace, stove and sink. Not negotiable.
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Old 06-10-2013, 06:03 PM   #39
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You got the right attitude, CharlieJ. Enjoy it when you got it; don't miss it when you ain't.

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Old 06-10-2013, 06:35 PM   #40
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Jack.......sorta like most things in life huh?
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