First decide what your camping and travel bath needs are for bath and toilet. During the day when traveling, most people will use restaurant and gas station facilities. When camping, they will usually use the park facilities during the day.
Practically all our customers want a toilet. The electric flush Porta Potti is by far the most popular. Bifold doors or curtains are available for privacy. If you prefer a built-in toilet, the marine toilet works well. See the standard floors plans for location examples.
Many owners do not include a shower. If this is one of your requirements, there are several choices.
"We learned of Sportsmobile at a sports show. During the shopping for this vehicle, which took two years, we had looked at many larger new and used RVs. Once we came upon Sportsmobile, we felt we had all the answers we needed."
—Charles & Norma Knott
Portable toilets have been around a long time in various forms. The first ones were essentially a bucket. The Thetford Porta Potti has evolved into a pretty sophisticated piece of equipment. This is the same toilet that is approved by the Coast Guard for use in boats.
The top section holds 3 gallons of fresh water for electric flushing…just push the button. The detachable 6 gallon bottom section is the holding tank. A gauge and built-in tissue dispenser are also included.
A 100% seal valve and special chemicals ensure no odor. Swivel, no splash, pouring makes it easy to empty into a regular toilet or the park dump station. A hassock seat cover is standard.
Porta Potti Features
It's Quick & Easy!
Slide it out, and slide it back in.
Thetford’s marine toilet with its single pedal convenience yields a pulsating flush that provides a nearly instantaneous, full-bowl wash down. The toilet uses water from the fresh water tank. Smooth lines, a lift-off seat and cover pad help make it easy to clean.
The marine toilet is permanently installed with a black water holding tank. A 3” heavy-duty flexible sewer hose and an under-the-van storage container are included. The optional Macemotor pump and 3/4" hose are available in place of the 3" sewer hose and carrier. When the camp site includes an in-ground black water tank, the black water and grey water will drain into this tank. Or you can empty the tank at the dump station at the park or any other dumping station. Various campground guides have listings.
The black water holding tank can be located under the van if there is a clear space. Note that marine toilets must always be located directly over the tank. The taller marine toilet will then be used as shown in the top picture. Otherwise the tank, which comes in various sizes, will be located inside the van under a shorter toilet. The pictures above illustrate this installation. The holding tank is usually covered in marine vinyl. A hassock seat cover is standard. Separate sink and cabinets are (O).
The Marine Macerator Pump, built by Flojet, will pump out grey and black water holding tanks in less than three minutes using a 1" hose. The pump is self-priming with a stainless steel wearplate. The macerator stainless steel cutters grind waste down to a particle size of 1/8" maximum. This eliminates the standard 3" sewer hose that can only be connected to a RV park or commercial dump station. With the macerator pump you can empty your tanks into a dump station, your home sewer access or a toilet bowl.
To Empty Tanks...
Automatic 12-Volt Dump Valves to replace the manual grey and black water dump valve handles are also available. Just flip a switch to open and close dump valve.
To Empty Tanks...
A Popular Combination
The combo unit works best with the Cruiser or Voyager full height fixed tops and the Sprinter. It is also adaptable to Sportsmobiles with the Penthouse expandable top. A 6-gallon black water holding tank is located under the marine toilet. The termination valve is under the vans side. The combo unit is available in three sizes, 24” wide x 33”, 36” and 39” long. Sinks, medicine cabinets and windows are (O).
Combo bath and sink cabinet is the same as the above except the storage compartment above the toilet. A separate sink cabinet and a medicine cabinet are included. The faucet handle lifts up with a hose for showering. The shower compartment is 27" wide by 48". The hard surface dark green or grey sink top is (O).
Recessed floor shower (N/A Chevy). The shower pan, 4” x 24” x 24”, is recessed into the rear and centered with the vans floor. The shower wand and curtain will stow in it. A floor level cover fits on top of the pan. To use the shower, the curtain snaps to the ceiling. The shower hose snaps to the sink faucet. The shower water drains into a holding tank under the van. It’s quick and does not take up any inside space when not in use.
Porta shower is like the recessed shower except a smaller shower pan sits on the vans floor for use. The shower water collects in the pan. It can then be dumped into the sink. Rather basic, but it works well. The shower wand and curtain stow in the pan with a cover, 22” x 16” x 6".
Shower and compartment shown with Porta Potti (O) in a Sprinter van. For stand-up showering, set Porta Potti out of shower. Window with vinyl roll down cover (O).
Install inside or outside. The shower wand has an on/off valve and a 6’ hose. It’s compact and easy to use.
If privacy is desired, there are various ways to provide it. Swing out doors are the most popular. Often a bifold door on a closet will do the job. If the top is a fixed top, the doors can be ceiling height. As shown in the center picture, two doors can swing out for a compartment. The picture to the right shows two bifold doors. When the compartment is not in use, the doors fold flat. Sometimes a curtain on a ceiling track is used in place of doors.
