A Loo Question

[Spacebar]

Being people who have had a camper van for a good ten years we are wondering what loo to go for onboard.

There seems to be a big no no about pump out loos amoungst the full timers so we do wonder.

I dont like the plastic bowl or doo dars in the tank as in a van when you move the tank sloshes about and stinks the joint out no matter what you try to fight the smell off with.

I dont mind emptying some kind of tank so long as the loo is not a camping thing thats going to become a pet hate living on board.

Is there any kind of loo one can get with a decent size bowl made from china but still with removeable tanks.

I would be interested to know if anyone has fitted a fan assisted vent/soil stack to get rid of smells as it must take nearly a week to fill a thetford tank like we have in the camper van.

You see these new boats with lovely walk through bathrooms then a thetford loo near the kitchen and I laugh to myself as there is no way that door will be staying open like they do in the WW reviews.

thanks.

[Ray T]

Cassette loo with ceramic bowel here

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/THETFORD-C250-CS--CASSETTE-TOILET-CHINA%2f-CERAMIC-BOWL_W0QQitemZ260662438127QQcmdZViewItem?rvr_id=215896865948&rvr_id=215896865948&cguid=4c94d40312e0a0aa147587a5fefd24ff

 

or here.

 

http://www.thetford-europe.com/web/show/id=118260/langid=42

 

( Are you trying to start WW III?)

[Tim Doran]

NB slosh around less than a van does, so it it not as bad.

 

I think that you have tried to open the can of worms again

 

Tim

[deletedaccount]

I live aboard and I like my pump out, despite having to take it apart to fix it four times in the last week. For the 18 months before that it was hassle free.

 

But yeah, can of worms, but far from a big no-no I'd say it's 50/50.

[alan_fincher]

I also wonder if the OP doesn't know exactly what they are starting! (Again!!)

 

You'll never get agreement on this.

 

Personally I think you can far more often tell by stray smells that a boat has a pump-out on board than is usually the case with a Thetford type cassette toilet. That was certainly my experience on brokerage boats, where the presence of a smelling pump-out was often the first thing you noticed on going inside.

 

But in either a cassette, or a simple dump through, unless the "flap" is actively open for the action of "dumping through", then if the system is well maintained, the "tank", (whichever type you have), should be fairly well sealed off.

 

Our (cassette) loo is pretty close to our kitchen, but doors don't get closed, unless someone is actively "enthroned".

 

Ceramic bowl, (or at least those with a ceramic inlay), toilets are now made by both Thetford and Dometic, but if you search the forum, you will find some bad press for the Dometic ones, so Thetford are probably the better bet, even though the Dometic is more like a conventional home toilet in style, I think.

[deletedaccount]

If it were me building a boat I'd go for a hybrid vacuflush one.

[Spacebar]

Lol oh dear I had no idea it was a sore subject.

If its like a house loo that would suit me better.

Then of course there is the subject of cost.

Stainless steel pumpout tanks are not cheap but then I would dare say we would need a few thetford tanks which also cost.

The vacuflush sounds interesting I will google that now.

thanks.

 

Cassette loo with ceramic bowel here

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/THETFORD-C250-CS--CASSETTE-TOILET-CHINA%2f-CERAMIC-BOWL_W0QQitemZ260662438127QQcmdZViewItem?rvr_id=215896865948&rvr_id=215896865948&cguid=4c94d40312e0a0aa147587a5fefd24ff

 

or here.

 

http://www.thetford-europe.com/web/show/id=118260/langid=42

 

( Are you trying to start WW III?)

Now that is interesting.

You can add a waste tank from the thetford tank too so if you are not able to empty the cassete you have that option!

I bet I could hook up a black plastic waste tank which would be cheaper than spare cassetes or a stainless steel pumpout tank.

Have I perhaps found the best of both worlds lol !

thanks.

Edited March 7, 2011 by Spacebar

[ymu]

Pump-outs are much nicer to live with, but have two big downsides:

 

1. You have to get the boat to a pump-out station in order to pump it out. This will be impossible when iced in, and may be inconvenient at other times, depending on where you're based and what your cruising patterns are.

 

2. You have to pay to pump out - £15-25.

 

3. The tank takes up a lot of space on board.

 

You can mitigate 1 and 2 by having a bigger tank, but then 3 becomes more of a problem.

 

Which suits you depends on you, your boat, and how you use your boat. Cassettes are easy and cheap, but they won't be ideal for everyone.

 

And yes, a combined cassette/pump-out is probably the best of both worlds, but some die-hards will still insist that the tank is a waste of space. It's up to you.

Edited March 7, 2011 by ymu

[AlanH]

Pump-outs are much nicer to live with, but have two big downsides:

 

1. You have to get the boat to a pump-out station in order to pump it out. This will be impossible when iced in, and may be inconvenient at other times, depending on where you're based and what your cruising patterns are.

With a cassete, you have to do it much more often so it is more of a problem having to find an elsan point much more frequently.

 

2. You have to pay to pump out - £15-25.

I've never found one over £15 - sometimes £10. With a PO you don't have to do it yourself and you never have to enter those inevitably digusting elsan points.

 

3. The tank takes up a lot of space on board.

That is the price that you pay for infrequent emptying. Many people carry spare cassetes so they are taking up quite a bit of space anyway.

 

You can mitigate 1 and 2 by having a bigger tank, but then 3 becomes more of a problem.

I don't find it a problem at all.

Which suits you depends on you, your boat, and how you use your boat. Cassettes are easy and cheap, but they won't be ideal for everyone.

 

And yes, a combined cassette/pump-out is probably the best of both worlds, but some die-hards will still insist that the tank is a waste of space. It's up to you.

I've had both and prefer the pumpout. I don't believe that our boat smells.

There is no answer. You'll just have to work out what suits you.

Edited March 7, 2011 by AlanH

[nb Innisfree]

I decided to install a pump out toilet when I fitted our boat out, 24v Leesan Sani Marin macerator with full size porcelain bowl, large 130 gall polypropylene tank with a short vertical pipe from toilet to top of tank. Apart from leaving it over the recent freeze up without antifreeze and finding a cracked bowl, it's been trouble free for 5 years full time use, nifty flexi pipes cured by flushing well and not leaving any waste lying in them. Lesson learned?, when leaving boat for any length of time in cold weather pump a strong antifreeze mixture through the toilet pan, Leesan said they had never come across this prob before.

[Spacebar]

Very interesting replies thank you.

Would it not be possible to have a separate tank in the engine bay and have the waste sucked into it or similar like a saniflow unit does ?

When I say tank I mean something like a 25 liter plastic gerry can with hose running into it sealed in nice and tight.

 

Another question that springs to mind is plastic pump out tank or steel?

 

I think the best of both would suit me Alan.

 

thanks.

[ymu]

Very interesting replies thank you.

Would it not be possible to have a separate tank in the engine bay and have the waste sucked into it or similar like a saniflow unit does ?

When I say tank I mean something like a 25 liter plastic gerry can with hose running into it sealed in nice and tight.

 

Another question that springs to mind is plastic pump out tank or steel?

 

I think the best of both would suit me Alan.

 

thanks.

You can have remote tanks, but you wouldn't bother with a pump-out if it could only take 25 litres at a time! Fifty gallons (225 litres) used to last two of us about three weeks. You probably don't want to be pumping out as often as that, so I'd say at least 4-500 litres.

 

A remote tank is fine, but the more complex the kit, the more there is to go wrong. That doesn't mean it will go wrong, or go wrong more often than is worth it, just that you need to factor that in when making a decision.

[Machpoint005]

>> Cassette loo with ceramic bowel here <<

 

Can you still use it if your bowels are not ceramic?

[Ray T]

>> Cassette loo with ceramic bowel here <<

 

Can you still use it if your bowels are not ceramic?

 

Very good - never was much good a spilling!

[GeoffS]

Personally I think you can far more often tell by stray smells that a boat has a pump-out on board than is usually the case with a Thetford type cassette toilet. That was certainly my experience on brokerage boats, where the presence of a smelling pump-out was often the first thing you noticed on going inside.

 

I had heard comments before buying that you can tell if there is a pump out as soon as you step on board but I haven't noticed that with mine and haven't had any comments. After reading threads about pipes becoming porous I have started to convince myself I can smell things, and occasionally its probably been the case, but its never been a bad problem especially with good ventilation. More of a worry to me is whether the steel tank starts to corrode!

 

As I'm not liveaboard then the issue of finding pump out stations hasn't been a problem and, as said elswhere, you still need to find elsan points. If all else fails, if you have vehicle access, there are also mobile services in an emergency, albeit quite expensive.

[nb Innisfree]

Very interesting replies thank you.

Would it not be possible to have a separate tank in the engine bay and have the waste sucked into it or similar like a saniflow unit does ?

When I say tank I mean something like a 25 liter plastic gerry can with hose running into it sealed in nice and tight.

 

Another question that springs to mind is plastic pump out tank or steel?

 

I think the best of both would suit me Alan.

 

thanks.

 

If you are going to have a pump out don't try to skimp and take short cuts or you will regret it later, fit a proper large tank as close to the toilet as possible, the closer the better. Use large 38mm vents, rinse out and pump out pipes, always aim to over build as this is a very important part of your boat.

[bottle]

Our boat has both

 

Ceramic bowl with macerater to remote 'plastic' tank fitted across the boat (stops list to one side as it fills), and Elsan cassette in its own room (just big enough).

 

We have had the boat from new and always 'Oudourloss' in both no smells whatsoever.

 

The pump out lasts about 8 weeks, the cassette varies depends on the number of drinks.

 

The cassette is used for fluids and the pump out for everything else.

 

If you can, get a pump out, flush and vent connections on both sides of the boat (gunnels,gunwhales or any other speeeling)

 

Just to add to Innisfree (post# 16) do make sure you get the correct pipe work.

[david and julie]

I'd also specify a contents gauge when ordering the waste tank - they're essential kit really with macerator systems.

[jonk]

Probably best is to have a pump-out for general use and a cassette stored away for emergencies such as ice or pump-out problem.

There is also the possibility of a 'urinal' (or sink) for liquids, though some on here have 'poo - poo'ed that idea Pub loos are a very useful as well

 

John

Edited March 7, 2011 by jonk

[ThePiglet]

+1 vote from me for the vaccuflush with china bowl & removable remote cassette.

 

Link

[Keeping Up]

Probably best is to have a pump-out for general use and a cassette stored away for emergencies such as ice or pump-out problem.

There is also the possibility of a 'urinal' (or sink) for liquids, though some on here have 'poo - poo'ed that idea Pub loos are a very useful as well

 

John

 

+1 vote for this, with the possible exception of the 'urinal' option.

 

Pub loos are definitely the best idea

[Scooby]

We have a pumpout, we are liveaboards so used everyday, its just like what we have in a house, button for flush and no smells, we have had to fix it 3 times in 18 months(done it myself, no cost involved, not the nicest of jobs but its usually down to your misuse as they block easy if your not careful), mostly i think its a learning curve, the tank is 230 litres fixed under the bed, we have had smell in the bedroom but think this was due to not enough blue used in the tank cos this isnt a problem now and all we have done is add more of this and problem solved, it lasts 1 month before need emptying, so £150 a year, so much better than carrying cassettes..no way i would swap it for the cost £12 a month, takes 20 minutes to pumpout once a month so no big deal.

 

We get our first motorhome on friday so i will be doing both lol..looking for wild camping spots now..

[Strads]

and dont forget the composting loo option(s)

 

lets try and keep it rolloing along for another week!

[Bat & Frog]

and dont forget the composting loo option(s)

 

lets try and keep it rolloing along for another week!

 

We like our composting toilet, but haven't had it that long so time will tell.

[honey ryder]

Very interesting replies thank you.

Would it not be possible to have a separate tank in the engine bay and have the waste sucked into it or similar like a saniflow unit does ?

When I say tank I mean something like a 25 liter plastic gerry can with hose running into it sealed in nice and tight.

 

Another question that springs to mind is plastic pump out tank or steel?

 

I think the best of both would suit me Alan.

 

thanks.

 

When it comes to toilets..... KISS. Keep it Simple

any object that we subject to natures chemicals/body waste will need care and attention. the simpler it is, the less getting up to your elbows in poop you have to do.

a pumped toilet with electric pump, macerator, long connecting pipes, pumpout tank etc has a lot of scope for going wrong.

a bucket with a lid on it rarely goes wrong.

 

when you live with something, it takes a lot of abuse. a bucket can take abuse all day. an electrical system and impellor, muncher will eventually die.

speaking as one who has used every type of bog going, except for a composting one, i would say, thetford portapotti or, if you prefer pottery which i will never udnerstand as its bloody freezing in winter, then the thetford cassette posh version.

forget electric pumping systems, remote poo tanks etc. if it cant fall into it by gravity alone, one day you will be in a whole world of bother.

 

having said that, i have inherited the exact type of system i hate the most, a pumpout with sea toilet, ie cold seat, small bowl, pumping action, stinky holding tank, plus a macerator when i want to pump and dump when im out at sea, i dont need to go to a pump out station often. the whole thing is a nightmare. i often opt for a bucket and chucket method when out on tidal water.

 

no sure why we have to be so precious about our toilet habits, or why we need luxury seating, or flushing systems. think outside of the domestic box.

((obviously, it goes without saying you cant chuck your waste in the canal, thats what elsan points are for. ))