Best caravan toilets
What should I bear in mind when purchasing my first caravan? Has anyone got any advice when it comes to the best type of toilet?
These Thetford Porta Potti's look quite fun.
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I must admit I have never associated caravan toilets with fun
Most caravans for the past 20 or so years have come with cassette type toilets where the waste tank can be accessed from the outside of the van. Don't fancy going back to carrying the waste tank through the caravan!
David
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Yes, I’ve got one.
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I doubt they were ever “installed” Mikey, which is why they are incredible easy to keep clean. You can just take the whole thing out at the end of a trip and give it a really good jet wash or hose down. No fiddly bits to get into...... And best of all, no ruddy micro switches to fail again, and again, and again.
We still have one in our old caravan. Lots of camper-vans have tiny versions that go into a cupboard to save that overnight dash.....
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This is a library picture of a setup like mine. The fixed bench cassette toilet is mostly in shot.
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Yep, same thing, PD.
Like most things, they've got flimsier over the years😕
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Apart from most of us!
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TTDA, I think you misunderstood, I wasn't referring to the original portable type but the bench type that, it would appear, are very popular in motorhomes!
We had one of the original "loose" type for the for the first 30 years of our caravanning but thankfully we now have the cassette type. The only problem with the totally portable type is the difficulty in carrying the toilet from the bathroom to outside, in terms of weight and without spilling anything. It was difficult enough in my 30s and 40s and I would not want to try it now.
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Yes, I was looking at the old porta potty types, sorry Mikey😂
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no ruddy micro switches to fail again, and again, and again.
A bit off subject, but if you are having problems with the microswitch it may just be condensation causing it not to function. Remove the panel from the stop of the cassette and give it a good old blast with a hair drier, and that could well do the trick......well it did work for us.
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I think the bench type cassettes tend to be fitted where the toilet and shower form one wet room. We have had 3 caravans and 2 motorhomes with cassette toilets but they have always been the swivel type as we have always had separate showers?
David
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AS use both types of toilet in their PVCs with all in one washrooms, David. It’s a question of size, shape and where the cassette door can be fitted which decides the type.👍🏻
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Going back to the original question - based on my experience, I would advise against buying any caravan with a Dometic toilet fitted. Our (then) new Knaus Starclass had one fitted and I have posted on here, many times, how useless it was, to the extent that I shelled out £600 to have it replaced with a Thetford. If asked, I could go into detail but perhaps a search of this forum will reveal my previous posts.
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Thanks Nellie. I think it’s just the lay up between trips this year. It got better with use! You won’t have this problem👍😁
The porta pottis are better for storage as well. You just shove it to one side enroute and use it to wedge fold up chairs.😂
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Back to OP. My 11 yr old Bailey has a Thetford Toilet fitted. I think that most caravans have the Thetford as opposed to the Dometic which seems to be a bit troublesome! In my years of ownership I have had very few problems: Yes the dreaded microswitch but a quick spray with WD40 cured it; the little sensor at the back of the cassette which indicates tank full needed replacement (a few pounds to buy and 5 mins work), and strangely the screw which holds the sliding mechanism together in the cassette space once came loose and needed refitting- a little awkward and fiddly but no problem other than listening to OH's complaints as it happened in the middle of the night!
Many many years ago (nearly 50!) one of my caravans, a Sprite 400, had the porta potty in a cupboard. Don't think that you would find one in a recent caravan. Go for the Thetford Cassette.
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The OP asked "what's the most important thing to consider when purchasing a first van". I would say the toilet falls way down the list and almost every modern van has a built in cassette toilet of some sort, so you won't need a porta potty type or separately purchase a toilet at all.
Go and have a look at some caravans at a dealer and the layout and size (so you can safely tow it and it can sleep the nuber of people you need) are the most important things, whatever else is/isn't inside it is 'window dressing' really.
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