Best toilet for frequent dumping?

[Mwilliamshs]

How's the emptying of the Curve? What's your impression of its overall durability and sturdiness? Any negative thoughts about its pump? What are your favorite and least favorite things about it?

I'm contemplating toilets for a year long Central/South American road trip with an uber classy female and don't want to hear 12 months of griping or be driving around looking for a pooper at the beach. Toilets are one thing you can't test out before purchase very simply.

 

[mhiscox]

How's the emptying of the Curve? What's your impression of its overall durability and sturdiness? Any negative thoughts about its pump? What are your favorite and least favorite things about it?

Plenty sturdy with little flex. Emptying is as good as it gets for this sort of thing. It holds enough that it can get heavy when totally full, but nothing stops you from emptying it a bit early. Pump works fine. The biggest positive is the size; as I said, it's about as comfy to sit on as the home version. The only downside is unavoidable . . . it takes up a fair amount of room in a camper. But trust me; I've used the small squat ones, and while they're better than nothing, it's not business as usual, which it pretty much is on the Curve.

I'm contemplating toilets for a year long Central/South American road trip with an uber classy female and don't want to hear 12 months of griping or be driving around looking for a pooper at the beach. Toilets are one thing you can't test out before purchase very simply.

I'll venture you can't beat the Curve. I've gone through a lot of different options with the females and this one is their favorite.

 

[Mwilliamshs]

I like the Curve. Lots of positive reviews and it seems classier than most other models.

I haven't put hands on either one but I'm currently stuck deciding between a Dometic 975 5 gallon and the Curve.

The Dometic seems easier to integrate into the van. Flush handle front-and-center, no batteries just a simple pump-up flush, sturdy square base...but it is shorter (I'd build a hollow riser so it could stay short for tucking into a cabinet [or maybe hid inside an ottoman] then sit on top of the riser when in use) and there just aren't as many people gushing over its looks as for the Curve.

The round shape of the Curve is slick but it seems to waste cabinet space. I'm also hesitant to rely on AA batteries for flushing when the Dometic doesn't need them and I also doubt a Thetford pump is on any parts shelf in Costa Rica whilst I'm sure I could field-repair the Dometic's pump with a bit of inner tube. The $50+ difference is nothing to sneeze at in my book and considering the Dometic includes a mount plate and the Curve doesn't...lots to think about.

Probably just take the chick along and buy what she wants. Story of my life LOL

 

[mhiscox]

The Dometic seems easier to integrate into the van. Flush handle front-and-center, no batteries just a simple pump-up flush, . . . .

The electric flush is a solid feature, to my mind. Makes the commode much more home like. And the batteries last a long time.

...but it is shorter (I'd build a hollow riser so it could stay short for tucking into a cabinet [or maybe hid inside an ottoman] then sit on top of the riser when in use) . . .

That plan works pretty well. It's what we did in our last Sprinter.

 

[newhue]

Not sure what chemicals people use, and apologies for changing the topic a little.
Had a mate travel for 12 months and said this stuff was the best he found by a long way. http://www.bluebio.co.uk

Not affiliated in anyway, just chucking it into the discussion.

 

[Mwilliamshs]

Mike, I have no doubt your build is at least partially where I got the idea. Read through that masterpiece more than once. Maybe not the original implementation of the riser but definitely strong evidence of how well it can be executed.

Are you now a Curve-convert?

 

[mhiscox]

Are you now a Curve-convert?

Thanks for the kind words. I'm pleased to have a decent van to go with the clever potti.

The Curve is the best I know of if you have a place for it. But it is too tall to fit under a bench that you'll use for seating, especially if you want a reasonable cushion as well. So when I did the quick-and-dirty draft version with the potti in the rear streetside:

there was plenty of height to use the Curve.

But in the current configuration, the potti had to fit under a seat, and we wanted that seat to be a comfortable height, so I had to go with a substantially smaller unit. But that unit is way too low to be comfortable in use, so the custom made riser was constructed to get the toilet seat height back up to the same level as the Curve.

(Of course, Paul quite sensibly sized the riser optimally for him. However, given that he's got half-a-foot on me, the original riser legs have been significantly shortened by yours truly. :sombrero: )

 

[Mwilliamshs]

Re: tall curve, short seat

Those're my concerns exactly from mocking up the curve's height that it just doesn't fit under a seat-height cabinet or ottoman. I'm kinda leaning toward using the ottoman as toilet camouflage; I'm always propping my feet up and think I'll badly miss doing so without a designated (and proper height) place for it.

So, Mike, what toilet model are you using and what're your thoughts on it? (I started thread with just that message over in the Camper Van subforum if you'd rather post there)

 

[garwhal]

I have been researching all of these models listed and I ran across these guys about 6 months ago. They are super pricey but in the long run I think I will be super happy.

http://ecojohn.com

 

[mhiscox]

So, Mike, what toilet model are you using and what're your thoughts on it?

Here's the under-seat Sprinter potti, the Thetford 320P:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006WPQMOA/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1.

Note the 14" height, so figure on either making up the sitting height with a riser or by exhibiting more flexibility than I care to. But 14" is about the height you need to shoot for to put it under a seating area, given that you'll need a little clearance, then maybe 3/4" for the plywood and another 3-4 inches for the cushion. (And also a little clearance for the riser if you want to store it with the potti.) The resulting seat height is just right for me at 5'10", FWIW. Taller people can obviously up the dimensions a bit.

As for the model chosen . . . it's fine; no issues at all. Solid. I would have rather had an electric flush by a little bit, but the bellows pump is no hardship. And it doesn't hold nearly as much as the Curve, which is bad, except that makes it substantially more wieldy when it's time to wrangle it for emptying, which is a plus.

Can't go wrong with it, I don't believe. And face it; no one's ever going to say to you, "Well, my Thetford Curve is a lot more special looking." :sombrero:

 

[Mark K]

Hows about just digging an outhouse? Point the door away from your residence and your visitors will have great scenery to look at.

And using an outhouse, in the winter at 9,000+ feet, is great for building character...

I agree. I do not buy the BS the "greenies" try to spew about how bad we are. Our crap is cleaner than most animals who don't get disease prevention like humans do.

 

[Mwilliamshs]

Here's the under-seat Sprinter potti, the Thetford 320P:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006WPQMOA/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1.

As for the model chosen . . . it's fine; no issues at all. Solid. I would have rather had an electric flush by a little bit, but the bellows pump is no hardship. :sombrero:

Thanks for the info. I'm shy of plastic bellows pumps. Seems a little crack in the convulted plastic bellows and your flushing by pouring instead of pumping. Too many cheap plastic bellows have failed me on the manual 20L water jug pumps. I think it's Dometics I've seen with a piston-pump. Pull up to prime, push down to flush, just a piston in a cylinder sealed with (presumably) an o-ring. Just seems more durable to me than the molded plastic bellows but if they're of better than expected quality or your toilet-dependant travels don't get too far from a shipping depot I guess they last a good while or a replacement can always be sourced. I'm just a one-and-done type guy.

EDIT: Here's a Dometic video that shows another flush alternative, what'd I'd call a pressure pump. Reminds me of a garden sprayer. Notice: at about 1:43 when the guy says, "Dometic 970 portable toilets are easy to use too. Let me show you" I got concerned about seeing him USE the toilet. LOL it's okay, he doesn't.

Dometic 970 Video

EDIT: Here's the piston pump I was thinking of. Turns out it's another Thetford. Piston pump demonstrated about 3:10.

Thetford 365 Video.

 

[OutdoorAZ]

Groover...

if you don't know what it is google it or ask a rafting guide you'll never look at a toilet the same after a few days on the river

 

[fredgoodsell]

Groover...

if you don't know what it is google it or ask a rafting guide you'll never look at a toilet the same after a few days on the river

Rafting guide here: He's right, greatest invention ever. Here's what we use, by the makers of the Partner Stove of course: LINKY

If you want the story behind the term groover, you've got to go on a river trip.

 

[GR8ADV]

What a thing to be an expert on, eh?

(And +5 points for the pun)

Your list of areas of expertise continues to amaze me.