Potty Talk

[tlhdoc]

We do not have a potty/shower in our camper, and to be honest, some of our friends who do have the shower now wish they didn't. It cost them extra money and it is just an added mess. I don't care how hard you try, you are going to get water in the camper from the shower when it is used. Depending on who you are will decide how much water is splashed out, but it is another mess to clean.

You are wrong about everyone getting water in the camper from the shower.
 
With having the shower and toilet in the camper all these years, there has only been one time that I had to wipe any water off of the floor, because the shower curtain came out of the shower.  If this is a normal thing with your friends they must really throw the curtain around when showering.  We are not small people and we don't have a problem.  I wonder if your friends over lap the shower curtain, the way the instructions that came with my camper said to do?  Even the one time when the curtain came out of the camper and the floor had to be wiped up, it took less time to do than walking to a campground bathroom and back.  
 
Here are some of the reasons I wouldn't want a PU without a toilet and shower.  Waiting in line for a shower, trying to get dry in the humid campground bathroom, having to wear shower shoes so I don't get foot fungus, knowing I can shower any time (never closed for cleaning), showering in a warm (in cold weather) room, showering in a cool/dry not humid room, not having to worry about the boys being in the men's bathroom where I can't keep an eye on them, not forgetting to take something with me (or the kids) and having to return to the PU to get it, knowing it is safe to touch the curtain in the shower, being able to camp in campground that do not have showers and still be clean.  You get the idea.  I always have to laugh at the people that have never had a toilet or shower in their trailers and say all sorts of negative things about them.  It is a personal decision and depends on what you want.  As I posted earlier we don't always use the shower, but when we do it is great!

[beacher]

Could you please explain how you hook a cassette toilet to a sewer hook up.  I have had a cassette toilet for 8 camping seasons and don't know how to do this and have never seen it done.

I have seen it done!  I'll have to find pictures.  Many, many years ago, (two), a Highlander owner modified his Thetford Cassette so that you can connect a standard RV sewer hose to it.

All he did was cut out the plastic/steel handle that you normally pull on to get the cassette out.  He then cut a hole into the flat part of the cassette and installed an RV sewer bayonet.  He used a water hose with a spray nozzle to "flush".

From that point on he had the option of using it hooked up to the sewer.  Or, with a bayonet mounted plug, the same old fully contained cassette.

That guy also mounted a grey water tank, and he combined the two drain outlets to the curb side.  I think he had a 2004 Hemlock?

[CampDirt]

tlhdoc
"Could you please explain how you hook a cassette toilet to a sewer hook up. I have had a cassette toilet for 8 camping seasons and don't know how to do this and have never seen it done."

You're right!  I was duped by the dealer who said we had full-hook up capabilities!  To me that means sewer hook-up too.  After some extensive research (and asking the guy at Walmart) cassette toilets need to be physically removed and dumped.  My roomate and I did this with much effort when we dry camped the first time we used it.  The second time we were next door to the bathroom so we didn't bother.  The third time we were at a KOA and decided to use their bathrooms since we didn't have sewer in our spot.  Then I bought a sewer hose/attachment package at Walmart.  NOTHING FIT THE CASSETTE!  Asked the gentleman in the sporting section (who has an Alpine!) who told me the correct way to use the cassette.  

I am truly bummed out.  The last thing I want to do is drag that heavy thing to the dump station everyday! (My roomie and I are not physically strong and stuggled with it the first time).  And that leaves me to question - if I'm out in the backwoods where do I dump it??  I will not pollute our beautiful mountains.  I bought this camper for ease and convenience.  You would think that someone would come up with a way to hook up a cassette toilet to the camp sewer.  If I do figure a way (and I'm determined to) I'll let everyone know...
beacher - I have seen it done! I'll have to find pictures.
If you do find those pics please email me.  I want to convert mine.

By the way, I still LOVE my toilet (and everything else in my wonderful PU), wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!

[brainpause]

EFAIII

Have you tried using chemicals in your porta-potti?

We use our porta-potti as a normal toilet and haven't experienced any odor issues (once everything is inside and closed :p ).

Where is Viking :confused: ...............he usually likes to participate in these types of threads. :J

Agree. No problems at all with the chemicals (and the chemicals are not as bad as they sound, for all you anti-chemical people. Remember...water is a chemical.)

Larry

[brainpause]

tlhdoc
"Could you please explain how you hook a cassette toilet to a sewer hook up. I have had a cassette toilet for 8 camping seasons and don't know how to do this and have never seen it done."

You're right!  I was duped by the dealer who said we had full-hook up capabilities!  To me that means sewer hook-up too.  After some extensive research (and asking the guy at Walmart) cassette toilets need to be physically removed and dumped.  My roomate and I did this with much effort when we dry camped the first time we used it.  The second time we were next door to the bathroom so we didn't bother.  The third time we were at a KOA and decided to use their bathrooms since we didn't have sewer in our spot.  Then I bought a sewer hose/attachment package at Walmart.  NOTHING FIT THE CASSETTE!  Asked the gentleman in the sporting section (who has an Alpine!) who told me the correct way to use the cassette.  

I am truly bummed out.  The last thing I want to do is drag that heavy thing to the dump station everyday! (My roomie and I are not physically strong and stuggled with it the first time).  And that leaves me to question - if I'm out in the backwoods where do I dump it??  I will not pollute our beautiful mountains.  I bought this camper for ease and convenience.  You would think that someone would come up with a way to hook up a cassette toilet to the camp sewer.  If I do figure a way (and I'm determined to) I'll let everyone know...
beacher - I have seen it done! I'll have to find pictures.
If you do find those pics please email me.  I want to convert mine.

By the way, I still LOVE my toilet (and everything else in my wonderful PU), wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!

Why drag it every day? You did say you weren't physically strong, so I guess that's why you might. But I never thought they were very heavy anyway.

If you find a way to use it longer, you can often dump it at Interstate rest stops, or sometimes there are Interstate filling stations that have dump stations. Many campgrounds (all of the ones we use) have dump stations. That way you don't have to pollute the land, as I agree shouldn't be done.

Larry

[HersheyGirl]

You are wrong about everyone getting water in the camper from the shower.
 
With having the shower and toilet in the camper all these years, there has only been one time that I had to wipe any water off of the floor, because the shower curtain came out of the shower. If this is a normal thing with your friends they must really throw the curtain around when showering. We are not small people and we don't have a problem. I wonder if your friends over lap the shower curtain, the way the instructions that came with my camper said to do? Even the one time when the curtain came out of the camper and the floor had to be wiped up, it took less time to do than walking to a campground bathroom and back.
 
Here are some of the reasons I wouldn't want a PU without a toilet and shower. Waiting in line for a shower, trying to get dry in the humid campground bathroom, having to wear shower shoes so I don't get foot fungus, knowing I can shower any time (never closed for cleaning), showering in a warm (in cold weather) room, showering in a cool/dry not humid room, not having to worry about the boys being in the men's bathroom where I can't keep an eye on them, not forgetting to take something with me (or the kids) and having to return to the PU to get it, knowing it is safe to touch the curtain in the shower, being able to camp in campground that do not have showers and still be clean. You get the idea. I always have to laugh at the people that have never had a toilet or shower in their trailers and say all sorts of negative things about them. It is a personal decision and depends on what you want. As I posted earlier we don't always use the shower, but when we do it is great!

I agree with Tracy 100%!  We love the pottie and shower, and never have had a problem with water getting everywhere, it just never has happened.  My sister has a camper without a pottie, well, she swore that she would never have a pottie in the camper...how gross....a pottie where you sleep....gross.  We, she camped with me at the ocean and she is now a true believer in both the shower and pottie in the camper.  She loved taking a nice hot shower after being in the sun and sand all day, and not having to leave the camper at night for the night bathroom trek.  She has now bought a porta pottie and keeps it in her camper, she loves it.  I would not even consider a camper now without a shower and pottie, but then, I like to camp in more remote places and away from the big campgrounds.  JMHO

[EFAIII]

Ok, lets get some things straight about my post.  I DO have a port-a-potty, and we do LOVE it, so my reply has nothing to do about the potty.  Wavery, let me respond to you first, I am assuming your flatulence does not stink, but for most of the world it does.  That is the smell I am referring to, not the product itself.  And yes we do use chemicals, but we still only use #1 in the camper.  Unless your rear is formed just right to form a perfect seal around the potty, some smell WILL get out during the initial "droppint".  That is what I am talking about.  Hope that cleared it up for you.  Now back to the original post about the shower...tlhdoc, how do you know I am WRONG??? Have you been camping with me or my friends?  I did not see you.  Next time come up and introduce yourself, because unless you were there you don't know what it is like in my friends camper.  So how can you say I am wrong?  They have 3 YOUNG boys who tend to be rowdy, and water DOES get on their floor.  I can only speak for them, but it does happen.  If tlhdoc would like pictures to prove this, I may be able to take them the next time, but tlhdoc can only speak for tlhdoc.  I can speak for myself.  Thank you.  I am not saying get the shower, or don't get the shower.  The original post wanted to know what we thought.  That is what I gave, my thoughts.  I did not expect to be informed that I was WRONG and that my experiences were WRONG.  I am just telling what CAN happen, and no matter what tlhdoc says, it is possible.

[tlhdoc]

Now back to the original post about the shower...tlhdoc, how do you know I am WRONG???

I know that you are wrong, because I don't have water splashed out of the camper from the shower. I don't have another mess to clean up. That is how I know your statement is WRONG.
 
Please READ what YOU posted.
 

I don't care how hard you try, you are going to get water in the camper from the shower when it is used. Depending on who you are will decide how much water is splashed out, but it is another mess to clean.

What I understood you to say is that everyone will get water in the camper if they shower in their camper. Did I miss understand what you wrote?
 
Please read MY response to what YOU wrote.
 

You are wrong about everyone getting water in the camper from the shower.
 
With having the shower and toilet in the camper all these years, there has only been one time that I had to wipe any water off of the floor, because the shower curtain came out of the shower.

Yes I said you were WRONG, because your post says that everyone will splash water out of the shower in their PU and have another mess to clean up. I don't. So you are WRONG! Sorry if you have a hard time being wrong, but you are.

[tlhdoc]

REPLY Part II
 

Have you been camping with me or my friends?

No
 

you don't know what it is like in my friends camper.

You are right. I don't know what it is like in your friends camper. I never said I did.
 

They have 3 YOUNG boys who tend to be rowdy, and water DOES get on their floor. I can only speak for them, but it does happen.

I never doubted that your friends have problems with water getting on the floor. I even offered a possible solution for them. You say they have 3 rowdy boys, maybe the boys need to be taught how to shower indoors.
 

If tlhdoc would like pictures to prove this, I may be able to take them the next time,

No I don't need pictures.
 

tlhdoc can only speak for tlhdoc. I can speak for myself. Thank you.

Yes I can only speak for myself, and you can speak for yourself and I guess your friends?

[beacher]

.....
beacher - I have seen it done! I'll have to find pictures.
If you do find those pics please email me.  I want to convert mine.....

Here you go! :-()



Thats from a thread on 1/9/2005 by raul33141 on RV.net.

[tlhdoc]

Here you go! :-()
 

 
Thats from a thread on 1/9/2005 by raul33141 on RV.net.

Thanks for posting the picture.  I wonder if the tubing is big enough to handle the solid waste?  I think the standard RV black water pipes are 3 inches around and dump out of the bottom of the tank.  It looks like they have a hose connected to the fresh water supply too.  Do you have any  other pictures of this set up?

[beacher]

..... Do you have any  other pictures of this set up?

Go visit the link on the thread by the guy who did the mod, (see the highlighted word "thread" - click on it).  He has a bunch of pictures posted on his MSN website showing this and a few other interesting mods made to his 2005 Niagara.

[HersheyGirl]

I don't know about that set-up, it looks like a lot of work and rather messy.  I think that just emptying the cassette would be alot easier.  JMHO

[mcbar]

You guys/gals are great!  Thanks for the advice about potties/showers.  We went ahead & got one without a cassette or a shower but does have a porta potty stored in a cabinet by the door.   I am so excited to get out & go!!  

Thanks again.  Mrs. McBar

[tlhdoc]

You guys/gals are great! Thanks for the advice about potties/showers. We went ahead & got one without a cassette or a shower but does have a porta potty stored in a cabinet by the door. I am so excited to get out & go!!
 
Thanks again. Mrs. McBar

What did you get?