Do You Use a Cassette Toilet

[Dave_Pete]

I am looking to sell my TT and get back into a truck camper. There are definite advantages to a toilet with a large black tank. And there are great advantages to a portable toilet (Porti-Potti).

For my circumstances, I'm seriously looking to combine advantages by getting a truck camper with a cassette toilet. But, I've never used one (sat on it so to speak). The dealer wouldn't allow me (just kidding). I've only seen one cassette in person at a recent RV show in a pop-up trailer and the door/shower curtain/shower hose, etc. really prevented getting a good feel for it.

For those of you with actual experience, and without getting too graphic, what comparisons are there to using (sitting on) a cassette toilet?

(Dave gets ready for some responders that just couldn't help themselves) 🙂

[popeyemth]

Disposable diapers=human waste.
Designed for trash disposal.

[pasusan]

Dave Pete - I bet you'd get more answers in the Truck Camper forum. As far as I know those RVs are the main ones that would use one. I believe cassette toilets are a wonderful innovation. I would want one, but don't have any first hand experience.

Good luck!

[Dave_Pete]

Didn't mean to offend popeye. It's a touchy subject. Human waste in the trash just doesn't sound right to me. Caveman even suggests it's illegal. You can throw away a lot of bad stuff if you disguise it good enough, and we probably all do. 😞

Years ago in a national park (wilderness type desert, camping allowed in a boondocks type setting), I dumped our 2.5 gallon porti-potti black tank contents in a dug hole well away from expected human travel. Not sure if that was legal, hygienic or what but there you go.

We all do what we gotta do. As someone else said, I hate
public restrooms, especially outhouses.

[popeyemth]

Dave Pete wrote:
http://www.truckcampermagazine.com/camper-tech/ask-the-expert-thetford-cassette-toilet-systems

Here's a link to what I'm talking about. Again - a permanent mount toilet in a hardside camper (full height bathroom for privacy).

We've used a porti-potti for years, and I know their advantages. I'd much rather come across an occasional restroom owner who disallows cassette tank (or porti-potti dump tank) use than to be dropping human waste in any public waste receptacle, regardless of how much kitty litter absorption has occurred.

Sorry for the suggestion then.
You did ask for personal experiences.

[Caveman_Charlie]

popeyemth wrote:
My experience was owners frown on you dumping cassette tanks down toilets even at a lot of campground it is prohibited.
My solution was a 5 gallon bucket toilet available at Walmart and camping stores and deorderizing kitty litter in the bag after every use and tie the bags shut after every use and store in bottom of bucket.
Dump bags in any public trash can.
The height is more to my liking than the cassette which hurt my knees because it was too low.

I did something similar in my first TT was only 12 feet long that had no toilet. I would just use a trash bag in the toilet, tie it shut after use, and dispose of the waste in the dumpster at the campground . Because they thought I was just throwing out garbage there was never a question asked. (This method may not be legal)

[John___Angela]

We use a cassette toilet in our tent trailer. Awesome. No midnight runs to the bathroom. 🙂

[Dave_Pete]

http://www.truckcampermagazine.com/camper-tech/ask-the-expert-thetford-cassette-toilet-systems

Here's a link to what I'm talking about. Again - a permanent mount toilet in a hardside camper (full height bathroom for privacy).

We've used a porti-potti for years, and I know their advantages. I'd much rather come across an occasional restroom owner who disallows cassette tank (or porti-potti dump tank) use than to be dropping human waste in any public waste receptacle, regardless of how much kitty litter absorption has occurred.

[rockhillmanor]

Used to use one in my MH when I left from up North in the middle of winter with a fully winterized RV. I hate public restrooms so I would set the porta pottie next to my toilet in the bathroom in the MH and use it until I hit warmer weather to de-winterize the MH on the way down to Florida to use my water.

Thetford makes GREAT porta=potties there are exactly the same 'fit', so to say. as all standard toilets in RV's. All different models to choose from and all different size holding cassette.

They have a removable cassette that attaches to the bottom. I have NEVER smelled anything from it. Easy to dump in a public toilet or dump station. Actually I found it less offensive and less smell than dumping my tanks in the MH !

They come in all sizes and one even comes with a battery operated flush in case one is too lazy to push a button manually!!!!

Walmart carries one for 65.00. Be careful though sometimes they substitute an off brand for the Thetford one.

Here is all you ever wanted and/or needed to know about porta-potties and models to choose from:

http://www.thetford.com/HOME/ApplicationHome/RecreationalApplication/tabid/85/Default.aspx



Don't forget the !

:B

[popeyemth]

My experience was owners frown on you dumping cassette tanks down toilets even at a lot of campground it is prohibited.
My solution was a 5 gallon bucket toilet available at Walmart and camping stores and deorderizing kitty litter in the bag after every use and tie the bags shut after every use and store in bottom of bucket.
Dump bags in any public trash can.
The height is more to my liking than the cassette which hurt my knees because it was too low.

[RoyB]

My OFF-ROAD POPUP trailer came with the CASSETTE POTTI and shower combo.

This is a similar photo from google search


We use the cassette pottie all the time but maybe have only used the shower part maybe one time. This setup has you sitting on the pot to take a shower using the hand shower wand. Seems strange sitting on the pot seat to do this haha. It was always just as easy to do a quick wash-up at the kitchen sink...

I would really rather change out the cassette pottie/shower combo unit for just the pottie version like this photo. Would save more room for us inside our our POPUP.


There is also the method of removing the cassette potti black tank. The pottie/shower unit has an outside door access which would require you to cut a hole thru the side to mount. The cassette potti only model would have an inside access door.




We really like the cassette potti idea and has worked out well for us over the past few years. The cassette tank is a 6 gallon tank and easily removed and wheeled to the bath room to dump down the toilet. There is also a small water tank enclosed for flushing the pottie.

This is our POPUP FLOOR PLAN showing where the cassette potti and shower combo is installed


Roy Ken

[Dave_Pete]

No, the plan is permanent mount in a wet bath as found in the Northstar Campers. Some important advantages in a smaller truck camper (what I'm looking for) include addressing the TINY black tanks (8-9 gallons) in many campers requiring too frequent dump station finds. With a cassette you can remove tank and dump anywhere (outhouse, gas station toilet, etc.) without locating a dump station. You can also winterize your freshwater and grey tank system, but still use the toilet system with windshield washer (cheap) antifreeze. We did that in our porti-potti system on the Alaska Highway in winter. And we live in Wyoming and I hunt so there's that. Also, you can remove a frozen black water cassette tank and take it into a warmed area to thaw. Hard to do that with a black water permanent mount.

The experienced use answers I'm looking for are those of you who have used a permanent mount cassette (residential height) system in an RV.

[donn0128]

Besides the really low height for anybody over 5'6" nothing. As I get older I like the higher residential height toilets. Now, in a camper the first thing I would ask is,,,, where are you going to put it for use? If it is going to be in a closet anyhow, why not have a real toilet to begin with? If your going to put it outside in one of those toilet houses and store it somewhere for travel then that is a different thing.