Cabinman Posted April 16, 2016 Share Posted April 16, 2016 My camper van is a Toyota Granvia3/ litre turbo diesel. Being of a certain age my wife and I often need to use the toilet during the night inside the van. Now in our case that is no problem as there is room between the front seats ( just) to fit the smallest Porta Pottie. I have made a stand to raise the height a little. Looking at a review of the Hillside Leisure Dalbury Electric Camper Van ( Just wish I could afford one) I noticed due to lack of floor space when the bed is made up there is no room for a toilet. It occurred to me that the front swivel passenger seat could make an ideal place for the toilet to stand. Maybe a modification to the seat squab enabling it to lift up and forward could provide a platform.. Another way would be to have a plastic ' overseat' to place the toilet on. This idea would help with hygene as it would surround the toilet unit. Surely the ingenuity of the converters could enable this addition/ modification. Us Camper Vaners are not all agile young things with perfect bladders! Scrambling into an awning when it's cold and wet isn't always an option. I'm tremendously impressed by Hillsides venture into an Electric Camper. Good for them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted April 16, 2016 Share Posted April 16, 2016 We once had a VW campervan which had no toilet in it at all but we were young and agile and I suppose we could manage without night facilities, I can't honestly remember what we did after dark - except that our first child was definitely conceived while parked overnight in it on the banks of Lake Coniston. Surely however, even if if you are in more certain need of night relief, a bucket with a lid would suffice? A low hover might be required rather than seated comfort but is that impossible? At least with a bucket you could slip it out of the door and stand it on the grass until you can organise yourself to empty it - and it would appear to passing folk while sitting there to be just a bucket? A portapotti, complete with height-adjusting platform, presents an altogether more cumbersome and conspicuous thing to handle and hide away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billggski Posted April 16, 2016 Share Posted April 16, 2016 https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=towbar+toilet&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-gb&client=safari#imgrc=dBZQUt_9C13x5M%3A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 StuartO - 2016-04-16 3:41 PM ...Surely however, even if if you are in more certain need of night relief, a bucket with a lid would suffice? A low hover might be required rather than seated comfort but is that impossible? At least with a bucket you could slip it out of the door and stand it on the grass until you can organise yourself to empty it - and it would appear to passing folk while sitting there to be just a bucket? A portapotti, complete with height-adjusting platform, presents an altogether more cumbersome and conspicuous thing to handle and hide away. Perhaps something like this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kampa-153001-Khazi-Portable-Toilet/dp/B001TQ5KC2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 What I had in mind is more like this: Plastic Camping Bucket Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 Why go to bother of carrying /emptying a bucket ? Just take a spade and dig a hole in the ground !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 PJay - 2016-04-17 10:58 AMWhy go to bother of carrying /emptying a bucket ? Just take a spade and dig a hole in the ground !! The scenario which the OP put to us was an ageing couple needing night relief without getting out of their campervan, so the idea of an excursion with a spade doesn't really fit the brief. There might be a toilet block a short distance away but they don't want to have to make a journey at all and who can blame them on a dark and stormy night! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cabinman Posted April 17, 2016 Author Share Posted April 17, 2016 Thanks to everyone for thier ideas on the subject. But my idea was a serious idea! At present I use one of those receptacles similar to the type used by men in hospital ( avoids any accidents) as long as you obtain one with a wide enough neck!!! But alas the kind for ladies use is not as successful ( tried)! My wife has enough room to use the Porta- Lottie in the normal way and I just empty my container in it and flush, not at the same time as my wife I might add! We are both getting on in years and the thought of sliding the door open in the dead of night, traipsing across a ( usually wet and muddy field) clutching a torch does not appeal. Similarly using an awning for say, only one night isn't worth the hassle! Sometimes at idle moments I look about in the camper and try to imagine ways to improve things or see if I can dream up ways of making things easier. All I was proposing was a way to make an obvious small space a little more attractive to people of our Age who can't afford the all singing, all dancing super motorhomes! When you get to our Age toilet facilities, and comfort are important. You young ones just wait until age catches up and you'll understand! Cheers, Cabinman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cabinman Posted April 17, 2016 Author Share Posted April 17, 2016 Thanks to everyone for thier ideas on the subject. But my idea was a serious idea! At present I use one of those receptacles similar to the type used by men in hospital ( avoids any accidents) as long as you obtain one with a wide enough neck!!! But alas the kind for ladies use is not as successful ( tried)! My wife has enough room to use the Porta- Lottie in the normal way and I just empty my container in it and flush, not at the same time as my wife I might add! We are both getting on in years and the thought of sliding the door open in the dead of night, traipsing across a ( usually wet and muddy field) clutching a torch does not appeal. Similarly using an awning for say, only one night isn't worth the hassle! Sometimes at idle moments I look about in the camper and try to imagine ways to improve things or see if I can dream up ways of making things easier. All I was proposing was a way to make an obvious small space a little more attractive to people of our Age who can't afford the all singing, all dancing super motorhomes! When you get to our Age toilet facilities, and comfort are important. You young ones just wait until age catches up and you'll understand! Cheers, Cabinman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 You keep referring to "Our Ages" There are quiet a few on here , who are 80+, Ok we have vans with a bathroom in, This solves the problem. One of the advantages of a MH (the Loo) as you can pull over , if need be during the day. We miss this,facility when we go long distances in the car!! Have to stop in service stations PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave225 Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 Cabinman - 2016-04-17 2:03 PM Thanks to everyone for thier ideas on the subject. But my idea was a serious idea! At present I use one of those receptacles similar to the type used by men in hospital ( avoids any accidents) as long as you obtain one with a wide enough neck!!! But alas the kind for ladies use is not as successful ( tried)! My wife has enough room to use the Porta- Lottie in the normal way and I just empty my container in it and flush, not at the same time as my wife I might add! We are both getting on in years and the thought of sliding the door open in the dead of night, traipsing across a ( usually wet and muddy field) clutching a torch does not appeal. Similarly using an awning for say, only one night isn't worth the hassle! Sometimes at idle moments I look about in the camper and try to imagine ways to improve things or see if I can dream up ways of making things easier. All I was proposing was a way to make an obvious small space a little more attractive to people of our Age who can't afford the all singing, all dancing super motorhomes! When you get to our Age toilet facilities, and comfort are important. You young ones just wait until age catches up and you'll understand! Cheers, Cabinman I for one appreciate your concerns, but without trying to appear pompous, I could state you did buy a small campervan and must hjave had a rough idea of the limitations. As for costs we did watch a couple with a VW vcamper on a site last year and if one of them wanted to do the cooking, the other had to sit outside, adn as for making the bed, that was a one person job. This was in a vehicle the thick end of £50 grand, so not a cheapiue by any means. Actually there are a goodly number of larger vans/motorhomes that turn out to be cheaper than campervans as these are harder to actually build, so be tolerant of the coments. We, have both a caravan and a camper (Fiat type) and netiher has what you would call a full size washroom, however, the toilet part is fully functiuonal any time we wish, and yes, we are off advancing years as well. As my wife keeps telling.....too much information is not necessary. So, sorry, but the bottom line is porbably if your requirements need a washroom, then you may need to figure out how to achieve it. Getting a quart into a pint pot is very diffcult, unless you are a Time Lord. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 The original posting speculated about providing ‘overnight’ toilet facilities in a Hillside Leisure Dalbury Electric camper-van. It will be evident from the following link and attached photo http://www.hillsideleisure.co.uk/new-campervans/dalbury-157/ that the “Dalbury" model is very much a ‘micro-camper’ (length 4400mm, width 1695mm, height 1892mm) and that when the bed is made up it covers pretty much the whole of the vehicle’s habitation floor-area. If a toilet (Porta Potti, ‘bucket’, whatever) were placed on the reversed passenger-seat, I’m doubtful that (realistically) there would be adequate space between the end of the made-up bed and the seat to use the toilet. Even if there were sufficient space between bed and seat, the toilet would be so high and unstable, you’d need to be a circus acrobat to feel confident enough to perch on it. Hillside Leisure produces camper models on VW, Ford, Renault and Nissan base vehicles. Some of these have a ‘proper’ cassette toilet and showering area; some have a Porta Potti; some have no toilet facilities. It might be practicable to modify the design of the larger models that have no toilet facilities so that a Porta Potti could be carried, but shoehorning one into the very restricted volume of a dinky little “Dalbury” would lose a lot of useful storage space. (Though, if someone really really wanted a Porta Potti-equipped “Dalbury", I expect Hillside Leisure could be persuaded to provide it.) There have been some very strange camper designs over the years, but I really can’t see any motorhome converter offering toilet facilities that involved placing a toilet on a front seat. Just imagine what reviews in motorhome magazines would say. An alternative approach would be not to have a toilet on a seat, but for the seat to be a ‘commode’. This is not new thinking as these links prove http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/car-seat-with-built-in-toilet-might-be-strangest-invention-ever http://tinyurl.com/h2qrnn7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W3526602 Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 Hi, I have a "prostate", and take "water tablets". Severe conflict of interests. Advice on another forum pointed me towards "pumpkin seed oil" capsules. I can now usually manage just one excursion each night, sometimes none. Our problem is having to "crab" over SWMBO, to reach the floor. We have just bought a Romahome demountable, fitted onto a Suzuki Carry 1.0. Think Bedford Rascal pick-up with a living pod. But the advantage is it has two single bunks, one down each side, with a gap in between. There is an option for a full width double bed. The bucket can be stood in the gap overnight ... no less hygenic than Granny's "GOZUNDA" (goes under the bed). Empty in the morning, store the bucket under the sink during the day. 602 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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