Portable Toilet Review - Thetford Porta Potti for Van Life, Truck Camper Life 

Watch our cassette toilet review ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-37xir19OjqI.html

May I add a word of caution? When driving from sea level up the mountains, please make sure the drain from the toilet into the bottom tank is slightly open. One day I had the most nasty surprise when I opened the lid, opened the drain and bang! The pressure released a lot of nasties into my face! So lesson learned: keep the drain very slightly open when traveling.

I still have the Porta Potti 235, bought in the 1980s. Then it was used in a VW T3 Multivan, later in VW T4 Multivan. It still worked fine as an emergency toilet after more than 30 years when there was a broken waterpipe in the house some years ago. Everything functions well!

We have a similar Porta potty toilet, (ours is a manual flush Thetford 13"), and while it is a bit awkward and heavy, it works really well. My husband is the one to empty ours, but in a pinch, I can do it too. And I can lift it from the cabinet and set it down to use it, and then lift it back into the cabinet. (We have a little 1967 aristocrat lo liner, 13', 15' if you include the tongue). So it's not terrible. (Im 5' nuthin, and a little heavy, have a bad knee and back, & am 50, to give you an idea. So yah, it's really not too bad). And I can get 2 or 3 camping trips out of one ~fill-up~ of the freshwater tank. (Each trip lasting 2 or 3 days, 2 flushes, plus a spray bottle spritzing for every use, used at least 4 times a day.) PRO TIP: The key to those Porta potty toilets remaining clean & not stinky, is the spray bottle. Before using the toilet, you push the plunger to add water to the bowl, then you spritz the inside, use the toilet, spritz again, and push the plunger to add more water and flush. If there is anything left over, you spritz again, and pull the flush again. That saves you on flushes, keeps everything tidy, and really keeps the odors down to nil. During the camping trip, I always spritz enough water in the bowl AFTER that whole ritual to barely cover the black part of the seal, (about 1 or tablespoons worth of water, almost none), which acts exactly like a trap in a toilet at home, keeping everything odor free! So yeah, that spray bottle is as essential as toilet paper & the chemical agent you put in the tank to break down "stuff". And one last tip ~ if you forgot to empty your toilet (for say, a whole winter, cuz you thought you did but you didnt.... 😨), or you go higher in elevation, be wise ~ open and shut the flush seal with the lid shut BEFORE using! 😂😉

Thank you for talking about this. No one ever does. I like when you said it does not have that much of a smell

I have made good experience with pouring cheap mouthwash instead of AquaKem into the tank, but I'll try your idea of using vinegar as well. You could even use the mouthwash the way it's supposed to be used and then spit it into the toilet - double use! ;-)

Welcome back! Missed your videos!

I don't even go camping.. and yet I love this device!

This is the video I've been waiting for. I've been following you guys for 3 years not and have never commented. But since you downsized to this much smaller rig, this has been my biggest question. Thanks for answering it.

I have that same portable toilet in my van. Works great!

i’ve used the same brand for many years. to flush using less water i use a sports bottle. easier to use less water while completely rinsing the bowl.

Thank you for an honest, clear explanation! I appreciate it.

Great review! Got the exact same one for the past 3 years in my sprinter van. Easy to dump, easy to clean, been through 70,000 miles of road. Flawless!

My cassette toilet has been a life savor.I love it 😊 🚐🌵

You two have inspired us to hit the road. We’ve been watching for more than a year. Putting the condo on the market in July and headed to see the America’s! Thanks for this vid! Super helpful! Be well, Russo’s! 🙌🏻✌🏻

They have been in production for decades, I have fond (??) memories of the one I had 40 years ago. BUT, it cannot be stressed enough......be aware of atmospheric pressure changes! Crack it open slightly before "use", and all will be good.

You don't use it for #2? That's crazy, because that's the main point of even having this! Personally I use a bucket and a separate pee bottle, which is the key when using the bucket method. Also, when I do #2 in the bucket I immediately remove it and wrap up the garbage back that collects the waste and dispose of it in the trash at the first opportunity, I don't want to have a bucket of poo sitting around. I guess some people just cover it up with cedar shavings or cat litter but that's not for me.

Love the start. Can’t wait to hear about its quirks and features.

great review man, thank you!

well done, thoughtful explanation, thank you.

Is Kait behind the camera? Nice to see a video Joe! Hope all is will. The subject matter was a important one, everyone needs to go and finding a unit that works for you is something that most campers struggle with and now they have more information to work with. See you and Kait soon I hope!

Great information, thanks for sharing this. Hope your back for a while.

Thanks for explaining the differences between toilets

came back to watch your videos. Surprised to see you in a camper truck. Missed your camper van.

I think the best reason not to use it for #2 is the cleanup. There’s always going to be, uh, brown smears on the sides, so we will use bags for that function. And your point that guys should sit and not stand: my husband tends to miss when he’s half asleep, and even with our Travato toilet, he uses a urinal and dumps in the toilet. So much neater! It’s a habit that’s left over from our A-frame because it didn’t have room for a potty. The potty was outside and I had to go out there in the middle of the night to use it. No point both of us going out, so I got him the urinal so I could empty his stuff when I went out to pee. Thank you for the positive review on the Thetford 565e. We’re downsizing from Travato to Solis Pocket and that’s the potty I was intending to buy to replace the teeny 12 inch mini squatty-potty that they include.

Been thinking of upgrading my bucket system. This may be a good option.

Cool! A toilet paper roll holder! Neat way to flush! Very versatile! Hey! I've always said, "You know that you are amongst friends, when you can talk about poop and farts!" 🙂 Take care and God bless you!

"It goes where you go!" great line! We use buckets, and there are some good cat litters our there.

I love lady wee’s they rule! A washing machine tab works well in the bottom compartment! ❤️❤️❤️

We purchased this Thetford Porta Potti last year. We are tent campers. We carry this toilet in our SUV when there is a lot of waste inside of it. There is ZERO odor from this toilet when full. This porta potti does NOT leak. Easy to empty and clean. Easy to carry when full of waste. (Oh, one added benefit. We kept this odorless toilet in our house to train our toddler to transition from diaper to toilet. Due to porta potti small size vs, toilet, toddlers prefer this over toilets.)

Thanks for talking about this “delicate” subject. ✌🏼😆👍🏼

Excellent overview of various systems. Thanks.

This is a very useful video. Thanks!

My Thetford 165 comws in very handy when i have people staying over as i only have one loo so i use the portapotti if there's a need. Great video.

Wow you really covered everything, this was just what i was looking for, thank you 😀😀😀

Very useful! Thanks!

Thanks for the tips.

Joe I loved the YOU TUBE Thumbnail of you sitting on the porta potty LOL !! To empty the porta potty get a collapsible wagon to put it in when it needs emptying instead of carrying it .

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Excellent Video! Very useful and to the point information!

Hey Thanks for the honest review. Just bought a Travel Lite 690FD truck camper and wanted to know my options. I'll definitely be giving this model a try!

great timing and review I have a lance and it only holds 8 gal and only boondock and dumping is a pain in the butt!

Thanks for this great review. I'm heading out west and this is precisely what I needed to see to make a toilet decision.

Well explained on your usage.... for me personally like your camper not for everyone however what's most important here is that you like it & fits your life style 👍🏻👍🏻

New subscriber today just found u ...thankyou for review...was looking for one...

Thanks for posting really like the review needed something extremely portable I can take anywhere really like this toilet and the portability

I super appreciate this video! And many helpful comments below

Great review and tips/tricks - Thank you , I opted for a cassette in my build , which i hope to pick-up in June ~peace~

Interesting information, thanks for sharing this.

Loved the white vinegar tip.

Thanks for sharing this video

Great review, actually thinking of buying one for tent camping, we have an extra small tall tent for showers that we will set it up in there. Thank You!

Perhaps a small wagon or dolly or one of those suitcase dollies would work to haul your load to dosposal.nice review.think I will look into it

We've had one for a year and everything you say is true. One thing I do as a part time camper is to remove the batteries between camp trips. It eliminates leakage which can damage the battery cassette.

Looking fwd to a new video...has been 2 weeks. Thanks for sharing ideas.

You mean you GO where it goes! Lol. Great review.

Great video

Hey guys, another great video. We have a built in cassette in our truck camper. I was wheeling it into one of those big fancy “welcome to the state” rest areas last year. A man exiting the men’s room said “What is that thing?” I just looked up and said “Haven’t you seen carry on luggage before?” No response after that. Just an odd look on his face. Lol

You've described our toilet use procedure perfectly, except we use an even cheaper Camco. Four days for two persons urine only, is tops. Then the walk of shame to a public restroom.

I could almost be talked into this for tent camping. I dread those dark, middle of the night runs to the pit toilets!

Laveo is the best rv toilet out there. It is very sanitary, no smell, no mess getting rid of he waste. You never come in contact with any waste. It is good for 15-17 full uses. (Urine and fecal mater). Watch the You tube online vehicle. Can dump in any trash can. This is the only way to go. You can use it in your unit take it outside put it in a tent take it anywhere you want. People even take it to their blinds when they are out hunting.

Hey guys, thanks 4 a great post. I’m on my second Thetford 365 both lasted 6-7 months then the “seal” completely failed so that when u pick up bottom tank to dispose everything comes pouring out. It’s a real mess. I went with 365 due to it being square. I live and travel full time in a 2019 Ram Promaster. I never knew there was a floor catch for the portable toilets so thanks for that also. Thanks again!

Loved listing to you talking about "dumping" HAHAHA

Hi Leo. An idea, to transport it you could use a folding shopping cart adapted to the purpose😉

Ive been using the thetford curve toilet for 8 years in my outhouse and dump down septic tube.. 2 people can use the toilet. #1 and #2 with toilet paper for 3 weeks. I guess as a guy I go #1 outside. Since we live in the woods. I also hate the smell of chemicals and use the organic happy camper crystals. (Amazon). Works great. Everything breaks down. And for us we open the hatch first then use. Everything just goes thru the hole into tank. We have like a 4 foot long branch we use to push everything llike the TP thru the hole after a few flushes. Never really had anything stick to the bowl. Cleaning after dumping we use a spray bottle with water and about an ounce of isopropyl alcohol. One love.

Thanks for this video. I have just purchased one and their toilet specific zippered carry bag for myself. Amazon delivery in just 1 day.

I wish you had showed it working. Like add a baby Ruth bar and flush to show us how it functions

Thanks for this review. For me, it was between this one and a Dometic. This one has better reviews and I just purchased it.

Please explain how you clean it out. Dumping is not all of it, I'm sure.

We just got the scoop on poop! Thanks!

Thanks Phil 🐨🌻🕊️💖

Excellent products …

I just ordered mine Thank u

Our Era has a 10 gal black tank which is pretty limiting when boondocking and we decided early on not to use it for #2. For that we always carry wag bags and it has worked fine for us.

We too use that type of potty. Easy and simple

Looking for a travel trailer, and trying to figure out if I can live with one without a bathroom. This is a really good option.

Ugh just answered that thx !

Good video and good information. The guy can go number 1 outside. I was considering the Laveo. It uses bags. But I think it could be costly. And the incinerator toilet. That might be costly.

Nice presentation, but where's the flush demo?

Not sure if relieved or disappointed to see less spicy toilet drama in the comments, compared to your cassette toilet videos. 😸 Enjoy your van and truck life! 💗

If you do remove the backseats in the truck it seems like that would be a great place to store the toilet. Then you would have all that extra room in the “house“ to put something else. Just my two cents.

We have the electric flush. Love it.

I appreciated this review. The very first thing I thought of when we decided to buy a travel trailer was "Where am I gonna poo?!?!" I can pee in a cup, but this lady needs to sit down to do her business. We're not full-timers, so we don't use the toilet in the trailer. I opted for a bucket toilet, but if we were going to spend a couple of weeks on the road, I'd consider this type of toilet.

Thank You

I like nature's head that's the best in my opinion

Bucket toilet is the best. All you need is a bag. At Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park people use bags to scoop up their dogs' poop, tie it up and just leave it there. You could find lots of places along the way to drop off your donation.

Just bought one. Toilet seat is far too small to be used for anyone other than a child. Going straight back. Was supposed to replace a commode. But going back to commode.

If you guys used a lightweight luggage carrier you could have a wheel option for your Thetford.. 😏

I'm not sure I could do without the wheels. Why couldn't you get one of those light-weight, folding, luggage-type 2-wheeled dolly carts and ROLL it to the dump spot?

Do they make a dolly with wheels for this?

How about: Insert a plastic bag inside the bowl, do Number 2 and rap it up.

You forgot a very , very important warning. When going from lower to higher elevations, be sure to open the dump/blade valve to allow for equalization. Think of potato chip bags that expand when going up from low to high elevations. If you forget and don't equalize the pressure, you might get a face full of pee or worse . Don't ask me how I know. I have a video on my channel about the curve and didn't mention this either, because it was done before my horrific discovery . I did eventually make a note in the comments. Curves are inexpensive enough ( about $150 ) that you could by two to carry an extra tank with you. Loved my Curve . Our current Class B has a Black tank that is only 7 gallons . We just got back from the High Sierra's and although, I use the vault toilets, the wonderful forest service had only a few open so I saved those for the renters to use . To save on tank space , gentlemen could pee in a bottle and water the bushes in the morning or carry to the toilet . Thanks for the video. Happy Trails.

I made a toilet review video too, and it's doing surprisingly well. Thanks for sharing a different brand so I can learn some more features. You Rock.

Err number twos is the only reason to have these toilets for me. Peeing is easy for a guy outside in nature and can always use a bottle :)

I read a lot of reviews at Amazon, and their complain is..it doesnt have enough spout or hose when dumping out the content, so the dirt goes everywhere...SPlashy...SPlash! Yaiksss!

When did ya's leave the nice cabin you were staying in I think it was in Iowa ?

With the virus concerns- we'll be avoiding public restrooms and showers and taking travel solutions when biking and rv'ing. I am building an outdoor shower (based on She to Me) so we don't fill the grey tank so fast.

I do the exact opposite. I do #1 into empty tea jugs that can be carried discreetly to public bathrooms. It keeps the potti from reeking of ammonia. I #2 into the potti and it lasts a long time (weeks) without the extra liquid from #1. Then, take the Potti to a RV dump once in a while. Also, by reusing clear tea bottles, you can monitor if you are dehydrated by examining your ‘lemon gatorade’.

Bought one and love it!!! However, ruined seal by cleaning with vinegar. Will be purchasing another and only using recommended cleaners....Because it is so wonderful and easy to use!!!

Do you use Poopouri? (Pre-spray Invention . Fabulous!)