We use campsites most of the time, so ditched the space-hogging porta-potti. We have a "Bog-in-a-bag" which takes up a tiny amount of space in the main storage drawer of our Cali. It is a modified folding stool (pardon the pun) with a hole in, holding a watertight bag with an absorbent pad in it. Same technology as a disposable nappy. It gives us peace of mind and is very rarely used! Wild camping at the roadside on the route of the Tour de France, for example.
We keep our Thetford 335 behind the passenger seat. With the Dunelm cover, makes a good footstool when watching the telly in the evening and our dog uses it as a step to get into her bed on the passenger seat, in camping mode.
The people who design campervans without a loo that is accessible with the bed up must be anally retentive at least. There are three necessities to live, food&drink, sleep and removal of waste, simple. Get those fitted before worrying about twinkly led lights and surround sound music systems.
Most people don't want them in a small campervan. They don't want it taking up the space, they don't want to deal with emptying or they don't want to do their business in a small van.
Always really informative. Great for prospective buyers of a Cali - especially us with two young kids, we’ll definitely need something like this “just in case” 😂
Re Porta Potti: Beware of blowback during warm weather if unemptied for a few days by slightly opening the valve with lid down to release any methane build up before using. A cautionary note from personal experience!
When we started tent camping years ago we used a nappy bucket (nappy buckets have a fitted lid) for night time emergencies, we would put a small amount of disinfectant and water in the bucket and then just empty and rinse out (or wash if used) every morning.
I’ve got a PortaPotty 145. It fits under the shelf. We tow our horsebox with the van and are often without facilities but this will be for no.2s only - in the hope that it lasts a 5day trip for myself and 2 daughters! I can store a loo cleaner spray bottle, a loo-only-cloth and also a Loof Co bottle brush inside it and shut the lid so I’m ready for daily cleans. Winning! We will use the loo in the horsebox bc the ponies won’t be in it and no.1s can be in the field with the ponies or our Potette Travel Potty which has a silicone liner if you can empty/swill or bags if you can’t
For number 1 a hospital solution (urinal) is sufficient. As mentioned 1 per person is needed if because + 500ml “production” is quite normal and they hold 1000 ml. Number 2, being more of a daily matter has never been a problem planning. The emergency solutions were interesting.
Depends how you use your Cali. I originally used mine exclusively on my own for my landscape photography so a bed bottle and a Bog-in-a-Bag was fine for me, although the latter was only for emergencies as I just used public loos or cafes/pubs’ loos etc. Now starting to use it for trips with my wife but will stick with this solution as well use campsites most of the time. A porta-potti is space hogging and a hassle to empty. Bog in a bag goes in a dog poo bin.
Will , are you Mentalist ? It's incredible , i ordered last Friday this famous PP 335 ! To be honest , i was ready to order 345 model , put your illustration storage in boot confirms i made right choice . all the best for california Time
bivvy loo for the win - means you can do number 2s if necessary, folds up really small when not in use and you can dump the results in a dog bin each day.
@@pluc99-pl99 The bag sits inside the bivvy-loo, which is water tight itself. I cant see why the bag would tear though unless you are silly with it. I guess it might not be such a great idea if you had children using it. Its the only answer for emergency number 2s though - no way would I want those going in a cassette and smearing the inside plus smearing the hole and the rubber seal if aim is not perfect... Disgusting beyond belief.
Well, never knew about that button on the Thetford to release the vacuum, thanks👍 BTW we have a his and hers She Wee and after a typical night in the Cali I use both of them so the wife still has to hang on 😂😂
I have a full toilet with a closing door, full sized sit down loo and wash basin in my VW California....and it's not a Grand California and only 5.3M long, why VW didn't keep producing them is beyond me. 6ft 6" Standing room with both beds set up...full height wardrobe etc...
Yes we started with a fancy shaped "bottle" but I had a problem aiming properly and my "P" went all over my hands 🤣 so we now have a Thetford like yours which is great- kept in the boot - but we also take our pop up portable toilet tent which is fab 👌 Result!! 🤣
Thetford loo roll is just 2ply paper. Just use any basic supermarket 2ply loo roll (NOT the Andrex quilted stuff!), which is in fact just the same as the Thetford stuff, but half the price. Never had any issues with 'blockages' in 9 years..
We’ve not seen or tried one of those but I’ve had a look online at them. I would be concerned about how tall it is / storage of it when not in use, but it depends on what van you’ve got and how important the higher design of it is to you. It’s nice to have different options though.
A bigger cheaper toilet from amazon is better, because you can put it in a black bag with a piece of foam between the lid and the cover and you have got a foot stool or another seat when not in use. The porta potti is too small to do this. Also the capacity is much greater and will last much longer, before it needs emptying. We put a bungee chord around ours when travelling and attach the ends to either side of the front passenger seat frame. During the day it stays in the awning, at night, it comes inside for quick use when it is bedtime. As for toilet roll, use normal toilet paper and put it in a bag. We only use ours for no 1's anyway.
@@CampervanTime I’m thinking of a conversion,I’d like the cooking are to be at the back with the doors open covered by an awning This way I think I could fit a fitted toilet and some kind of shower/wash area. Has this been tried?
Another great vid.. I'll be ordering my 335 when the beach arrives. Just out of interest are there any compressor fridges that fit in the back under the shelf that you've come across? (Not that you need it in the Ocean of course).
Glad you enjoyed it. I’m not sure on the fridges to be honest. Not something we’ve looked at as stand-alone items I’m afraid. I’m sure campervanbits or one of the others might be able to advise perhaps ?
Hi Enjoying your presentations - very helpful as newby cali owners. Just wondering what crystals you put in the portablepotti please. Cheers Nick and Jill
335 and Dunelm ottoman cover for footstool during the day. Stick felt/velcro to the bottom and or attach to rear of seat with a bungee to stop it sliding around. For no 2s when absolutely necessary. Pump once with the flush to wet the pan, then make a “star” with three double lengths of Thetford soft toilet paper. Flushes away easier with no nasty skid marks. There was a time during covid when we couldn’t or did not want to use public toilets and being totally self contained felt safer.
Well, we've done a shower video you can take a look at - but I suspect you might want warm water !! We have only ever really had a shower in shower blocks on campsites or in pubs etc - not tried other wild camping options yet :)
Thank you, this was so helpful. We already have one and the cover too but there were some useful tips -can you let me know the name of the crystals please as I missed the name. I have googled and see Thetford aqua kem sachets is this the one?
Are you sure the handle thing you pull out and push back in on the front isn't for chopping your number twos into manageable slices? You've got to get the timing right though. 😂 The 335 is brilliant though... with the cloth cover that has the integral top cushion you just don't feel like you have a bog in the van... it's just a really good footrest.
No smell issues at all, as long as you use the chemicals. When hiring a van in Oz a few years ago we didn’t have chemicals and it did start to smell very quickly, never any issues with our porta potti though
Where do you put it at night when the bed is out? There is no room between the bed and the front seats. For No 1 we use a small pot. For No 2 - campsite toilt and for extreme emergencies a Bivvyloo.
We have managed to get the toilet on the floor with the bed out but you're right, it's certainly a tight squeeze to use it like that. We tend to sleep upstairs so it's not really a problem for us.
This was one of the reasons I didn't purchase a used Cali as I wanted a space to stow away the toilet. I wanted a 4x4 camper and opted to import a 2010 Nissan Elgrand with 39k miles full service history, 250bhp V6 full leather interior, 4 wheel drivefor £7800 inc all fees. I then converted myself for £4300 (pop top fitted professionally). I now have a lovely camper for a fraction of the cost of the Cali I was considering and it has a place to stow the toilet, not to mention the £30,000 I saved on purchasing a Cali....
Things are only weird if you're not use to them. I'm in a diving club and men and women go to the toilet over the side of an open 6 m boat. Not much choice when you're in a drysuit for 5 hours. Everybody knows how to be distracted by an interesting cloud in the opposite direction.
335 and Dunelm ottoman cover for footstool during the day. Stick felt/velcro to the bottom and or attach to rear of seat with a bungee to stop it sliding around. For no 2s when absolutely necessary. Pump once with the flush to wet the pan, then make a “star” with three double lengths of Thetford soft toilet paper. Flushes away easier with no nasty skid marks. There was a time during covid when we couldn’t or did not want to use public toilets and being totally self contained felt safer.