Parkliner Potty Questions

[MaryNJWildlife]

Frank,
I've been looking over the specs for various trailers. Timeline looks like 2 years and I'm really interested in off grid camping. So I see that the Parkliner has a 3 cu ft black tank. That seems awfully small. And there are 2 ways to go on toilet features. How long does the tank last for one person? You also mentioned solar panels at the rally. I can't install such a thing by myself. How would I go about getting them installed?

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[Brian M. in NY]

Originally Posted by MaryNJWildlife

Frank,
I've been looking over the specs for various trailers. Timeline looks like 2 years and I'm really interested in off grid camping. So I see that the Parkliner has a 3 cu ft black tank. That seems awfully small. And there are 2 ways to go on toilet features. How long does the tank last for one person? You also mentioned solar panels at the rally. I can't install such a thing by myself. How would I go about getting them installed?

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Mary,
Excuse me for chiming in here. If you opt for the Port-A-Potty, it has a 3 gallon tank. If you opt for the marine toilet, it discharges into the 30 gal combined gray/black water tank. How long does it last for one person? About twice as long as the fresh water tank which is 15 gal. Hope that clears things up.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Brian M. in NY

If you opt for the marine toilet, it discharges into the 30 gal combined gray/black water tank.

combo black and grey tank? Is that a typo or does Parkliner actually have that rather than a separate black water and grey tanks?

Wasn't aware that any of the trailers did that these days. I do not think that would be something I would want as I often when dry camping need to drain the grey water tank off and dispose of it long before the black tank needs emptying - easier to find a close spot to dispose of grey water than black water. For example grey water can be dumped from a portable tote at a dish washing station found at most National parks etc... could not do that if it contains black water though.

[MaryNJWildlife]

Thank you for the information Brian. It seems the Parkliner website has some missing information.
Mary

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[Brian M. in NY]

Originally Posted by Carol H

combo black and grey tank? Is that a typo or does Parkliner actually have that rather than a separate black water and grey tanks?

'Tis true! The toilet is a SeaLand marine toilet with integral macerator system - ( think garbage disposal) - thus no foot pedal. Everything goes into one tank. I'm guessing that "dry camping" is a foreign concept in the marine environment. That said, we tend to adhere to the #1 only rule when campground toilets are available. We have observed other campers hooking up a hose to their gray water outlet and discharging into rivers or onto the ground. We remain sticklers that whatever goes into the tank goes into a dump station regardless of the convenience (or inconvenience) to do otherwise.

[MaryNJWildlife]

Brian,
I've read quite a bit now about how to dump gray/black water and discussions about potti vs. toilet. I don't mind using potties in general unless they smell really bad. So with the choice in the camper, I'm thinking the waste tank would also remain cleaner and easier to empty - of course not in rivers or the ground. Do you know anything about the potty offered by Parkliner? I assume it's sealed so it wouldn't stink up the place. And what is involved with emptying it? I get dry heaves from cleaning up dog poop
Mary

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[deryk]

Mary my ParkLiner has the porta pottie and I prefer it because while boon-docking I can dump it in a regular toilet if need be...don't have to drive over to a pump out facility.

My solar install was not hard to do at all. If you go the route of the flexible panels you can use the 3m tape and can run it through the water tank vent to avoid drilling holes in the roof if you choose.

[Glenn Baglo]

I too have a weak stomach.
Maybe I had no clue what I was doing or maybe it was the design of the portapotti I had, but I found it a real pain. I had to attach a hose, tip the tank ( which took two hands and a foot to steady it ) and then somehow open the trap to allow air into the tank so the effluent would flow. My other foot was attempting to keep the hose from jumping out of the hole for the septic.
Sold my cabin and left the portapotti on the deck. Never looked back.

[MaryNJWildlife]

Deryk, I'm thinking of boondocking a lot too, do the practicality of the situation should take precedence. So I'm leaning toward the potty. Saves $ too.

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[MaryNJWildlife]

Glenn, I'm hoping the Parkliner will have a better potty.

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[Bob Miller]

There are a number of porta-potties that can be purchased with a 5 gallon holding tank. The Dometic Sea-Land is one, either 3 or 5 gallon tank when you buy it and it uses a dump spout that further removes the dumpee from the dumping. The Fiamma Bi-Pot is another that has either 3 or 5 gallon base. I have used both and while the Fiamma is simpler to use, the Dometic is neater.

[Donna D.]

You DON'T need to hookup and drive to a dump station to dump black water if you have a marine toilet... and if there's a pit toilet or flushy close by. Use this AND it can be used for gray water as well (unlike a porta potty or cassette toilet)

blue_tote.pdf

I created this a couple of years ago, so the numbers may be wrong.. but you get the idea.

[Brian M. in NY]

Originally Posted by MaryNJWildlife

Brian,
I've read quite a bit now about how to dump gray/black water and discussions about potti vs. toilet. I don't mind using potties in general unless they smell really bad. So with the choice in the camper, I'm thinking the waste tank would also remain cleaner and easier to empty - of course not in rivers or the ground. Do you know anything about the potty offered by Parkliner? I assume it's sealed so it wouldn't stink up the place. And what is involved with emptying it? I get dry heaves from cleaning up dog poop
Mary

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Mary,
I'm afraid I can't help with the port-a-potty. No experience, but others have offered some good info. I have a bad back so I'm not up to lifting a full 3 - 5 gallon tank in any case.

BTW - never breath through your nose while at dump station.

[deryk]

I really wish it was a cassette toilet like in the lil snoozy (or my friends coleman popup) accessible from the outside and less bending needed. If I had some extra money(lol) I would talk to a fiberglass guy I know from where I used to keep my boat to fabricate a curved door and I would install it where the potty tucks away and be able to dump it from the outside.

[blodn1]

This is spendy, but solves the problem:


No water is used (coming or going), so you don't need plumbing or black/gray tank(s). It needs a 12v fan and exhaust.

Nature's Head - Vehicle Solutions

[jennykatz]

this is found in remote cabins and boats you need a 12 volt fan to take out smell and make it work . The people that have them love them vs marine toilet or porta potty . When I was looking it was about $900 now they might be more . In our boat we use a sealand potti and in our snoozy it's a cassette toilet.

[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by blodn1

This is spendy, but solves the problem:


No water is used (coming or going), so you don't need plumbing or black/gray tank(s). It needs a 12v fan and exhaust.

Nature's Head - Vehicle Solutions

Hardly solves the problem, you have to capture "liquids" separately and dispose of them much more frequently than one would have to do so with a 5 gallon porta-potty.

For some people this might provide an answer, but I think that the mfg is just trying to sell into the RV market.

[MaryNJWildlife]

Thank you for all the input. The composting toilet is $900+, about the same as the marine toilet option in the Parkliner. So it's definitely worth considering.

[deryk]

Mary hope you have a place to allow it to finish composting. I looked heavily into composting toilets when i lived on my sailboat and sadly the drum is too small and will fill up in a short time and it takes a while for man-ure to break down to dirt.

[blodn1]

Here's a good review:
Composting Toilet: What is it and Why you need one | Gone With The Wynns