favorite porta potty?

[Sharon D]

I've been reading reviews, searching this forum, and doing a lot of thinking. Maybe too much? I am trying to decide on a porta potty that is small enough that it can be tucked into the space under the seats at the front of my U-Haul. It needs to be light enough that I can carry it myself to clean.

I have read reviews for the Thetford 260, 320, and new curved (too tall I think). There is also the Dometic brand name, Century brand name. I saw terrible reviews for the Coleman brand. I don't expect to need it for more than a weekend at a time, so I don't need much capacity. It is more about ease of cleaning and carrying.

Does anyone have a favorite, or recommendations of ones to avoid?

Sharon D

[Otters]

Hi Sharon,
I did research too. I wanted to get the largest possible to fit under My '77 Scamp seat without alteration. I ordered the Thetford 320P. It fits with room to spare on the side and front, leaving room to store TP and toliet chemicals. It clears the top of the opening but not by much. Its easy to operate (filling with water and dumping) and I'm very happy with it.

[David Tilston]

I also have a Thetford 320p. Never used it, but it sits well under the Trillium gaucho.

I read reviews as well, and the Thetford seemed to shine in comparison to other brands.

[carlkeigley]

Originally Posted by Otters

Hi Sharon,
I did research too. I wanted to get the largest possible to fit under My '77 Scamp seat without alteration. I ordered the Thetford 320P. It fits with room to spare on the side and front, leaving room to store TP and toliet chemicals. It clears the top of the opening but not by much. Its easy to operate (filling with water and dumping) and I'm very happy with it.

I'd like to know how you got the roll of toilet paper in that pot.......LOL
I can only assume you unwound it and stuffed it in there.

[Otters]

LOL I don't have that much time on my hand to unroll the roll and reroll it in the "bomb" Carl. I found it on EBay and thought it was cute. It has a horizontal seam in the middle of it and you can twist the 2 halves apart at that seam. It has a TP roller in it that the TP fits into and then pulls out from the top. Its large enough to hold a cube tissue box so you can use it for tissues too!. Myi grandkids loved it--me too. For $7 it was a fun nonsense purchase. Girl just gotta have fun!
New Simple Bomb Shape Tissue Box Cover Holder Toilet Paper Pot Room Car Giftable | eBay

[carlkeigley]

Thanks........LOL
I can see the seam on those blow up pictures.
And being made of plastic. I was thinking it was pottery.

I bet that's quite the conversational piece..........LOL
And I love unique things.

[Sharon D]

Follow-up to those of you willing to talk about portapotties. Do they need to be bungeed down or behind a barrier when travelling? I am wondering if a baby gate could do double duty for potty protection and dog screen door interactions?

[Nancy]

Wow Sharon,

Be sure to measure how much room you have under your bench. The only Thetford we can fit is the 135. I think it is 135, the smallest. It works for us for about 3-5 nights use. Lightweight enough that it is not awkward for me to empty. It is quite low, so at night we put boards under it to raise it up higher.

No, you don't need to tie it down during travel. Motion would only move it forward at stops if it moved at all. I took the door off our compartment so there is nothing holding it in place.

Nancy

[Ricky 4]

We have the 465 Thetford-liked the taller height-it fits in the storage area and the storage door has a locking handle so the toilet cant slide out.
The toilet has the pour spout on it-this is a feature we like-makes dumping so much easier and cleaner.

[Otters]

Sharon, I do bungee mine when I'm on the road. The first time I used it the door came open and suffered a little damage. I put in longer screws in the hinges and it probably won't be a problem but I still bungee just in case--I usually take a belt and suspenders approach to all thing potentially problamatic. Like Nancy said, measure your opening first since they all seem to be different. However, the measurements posted on the Thetford website were actually a little larger than the actual measurements. I thought it would be a very close fit, but actually I was fine. I don't have access to mine right now to measure but I will in a few days and can report back if you haven't yet purchased one.

[Pam Garlow]

Originally Posted by Otters

LOL I don't have that much time on my hand to unroll the roll and reroll it in the "bomb" Carl. I found it on EBay and thought it was cute. It has a horizontal seam in the middle of it and you can twist the 2 halves apart at that seam. It has a TP roller in it that the TP fits into and then pulls out from the top. Its large enough to hold a cube tissue box so you can use it for tissues too!. Myi grandkids loved it--me too. For $7 it was a fun nonsense purchase. Girl just gotta have fun!
New Simple Bomb Shape Tissue Box Cover Holder Toilet Paper Pot Room Car Giftable | eBay

hmmmm, Christmas presents here I come!!.
I also use a porta potti, but don't know the brand. It was the original type that UHaul rented with their units. It has this swing out arm/tube for dumping the contents that is pretty nice.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Sharon D

Follow-up to those of you willing to talk about portapotties. Do they need to be bungeed down or behind a barrier when travelling? I am wondering if a baby gate could do double duty for potty protection and dog screen door interactions?

Sharon putting a small piece of no skid under it (such as what you put under a rug to stop it from sliding) also helps to stop movement and if you have wood floors it might cut down on possible scratches putting it in the cubby hole.

[Sharon D]

I went with the Thetford 320P. It should fit nicely under the space with some space in front of it, in case I decide to go the cautious route (which I probably will) and secure it with something. It isn't pretty "when the sh*t hits the fan".

But keep those suggestions and lovely accessories coming.

Sharon

[Otters]

Originally Posted by Carol H

Sharon putting a small piece of no skid under it (such as what you put under a rug to stop it from sliding) also helps to stop movement and if you have wood floors it might cut down on possible scratches putting it in the cubby hole.

Carol, That's a good idea. I took the oposite approach though. I put those felt stick on strips on the bottom to make it easy to slide in and out to use it and to avoid scratching the floor. It works great for that purpose but then you have the issue while in transit. I opted to just put something in front of the door or bungee it when driving. Both options come with tradeoffs I guess. Actually I've noticed that the toliet moving isn't really the problem, its more having a tight fitting door which is an easy fix. Every state may not have this problem, but California highways are horrible. Certain stretches of I-5 are worse than off-roading.

[Gilda]

Yep, I second the mention of many terrible, bumpy roads in California, sigh. By towing a trailer we Californians get major experience in preparing for the inevitable "Big One" (earthquake). I use every trick in the book to keep things from flying in my trailer when under way. Bungee cords are my best friends!

As to the porta-pottie...Our Dometic brand came with the new Scamp and works well. It is a basic two-part system with the upper tank holding the flushing water with chemicals and the bottom holding the "ahem". We use it for "number one" only (except in case of emergency) and put used toilet paper in our small closed top trash can which we empty every day. Needless to say, when emptying liquid is easier to pour without paper or other solids.

I have lined the under bunk cabinet floor with a carpet remnant and have an area rug in the area outside the cabinet. We store the porta-pottie facing inward (the handles face outward) so we can easily remove and replace it by sliding without fear of scratching. For convenience at night, the last one to bed, sets out the porta-pottie on the floor and puts the TP on top of the lower bunk (where no one is sleeping) and the trash can next to it. While traveling the porta-pottie stays in place in the closed cabinet.

I have made a simple TP holder by removing the core and placing the roll in an empty, but clean container (Appropriately, one in which prunes are sold. LOL) I cut a hole in the top and, voila, an inexpensive and useful TP holder!

Before you decide on a port-pottie you might want to check out the owner's manuals to see how they operate. The Scamp website has the Dometic owner's manual posted under the "Ask Scamp" tab. Look in the right-hand column for "Owner's Manuals".

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Otters

Every state may not have this problem, but California highways are horrible. Certain stretches of I-5 are worse than off-roading.

LOL I have spent time on your California roads so I hear you! Never had so many things tossed around and doors that normally dont open pop open as when in California.

[carlkeigley]

Hmmmmmmm.........scratches California off his list.........LOL

[Gilda]

Whoa! Don't scratch California off your list so soon! Because we live here we needn't search out uniquely beautiful sites in other states or our world. We do, however, because we like to experience the diversity of our planet and of the humans who inhabit it. California has A LOT going for it.

We just came back from a terrific trip to Big Sur. Driving along the spectacular coast along HW1 rivals the Amalfi Coast of Italy! Stop at Point Lobos to see the rugged coast close up along with tidepools teeming with life let alone the sea lions, otters and elephant seals cavorting and lolling! Hiking through the redwoods is unparalleled and stopping for a bite to eat at Big Sur Lodge or Big Sur River Inn, among others, makes the whole trip a memorable experience.

As to the roads, stick to the 55MPH speed limit for towing trailers, and you'll do just fine! Do I sound like a proud native Californian (San Franciscan, at that)? Well I am. Welcome to our beautiful state!

[Otters]

Well said Gilda. I second what she said Carl. And besides the natural beauty, you won't find nicer people!

[Ian G.]

When we decided on a Porta-Potty I didn't want to deal with any liquid that could leak, or smell, or weight ...
The solution was to use what the US Army developed, a dry system that uses single use bags that gel liquids and coat and deodorize solid waste.
The PETT Toilet and use either pre-loaded Wag Bags or buy Poo-Powder to load yoru own. (I can see the string of comments coming )

Here it is beside the cabinet I keep it in.




Available through:
Canada: The PETT portable toilet unit by Phillips Environmental
USA: The PETT® (Portable Environmental Toilet) | Bass Pro Shops