How to travel with portapotty

[Throbbinhood]

So I've just gotten a hand me down portapotty that's only been used a couple of times. One of the cartridge style ones (two seperate containers, pull a lever to open the flush hole).

I've already done some reading the home brand napisan seems to be the go, dish washing liquid and water in the top tank, so think I'm all set there.

There seems to be a tiny pin hole in the top flush tank, I believe its for air to come in when I flush so I don't end up with a vacuum lock.

Do you travel with water in this tank (save me using 10L of fresh stuff to fill it whilst on the road)? If so, just a bit of tape over the hole? I don't exactly want stuff splashing out, but surely I can't be the only one with said pinhole setup?

[DannyG]

Show us a pic of the hole??

I did the napisan thing and after a while I didnt like it. We use chemicals now, in fact we just a bought a packet of these little satchel things to try.

We carry ours on the drawbar in a purpose made holder so it usually has water in the flush tank although I dont fill it fully as it gets too heavy.

[Bird]

I did the napisan thing and after a while I didnt like it. We use chemicals now, in fact we just a bought a packet of these little satchel things to try.

Come on, your not using yoghurt
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3 dessertspoons Napisan or similiar brand
1 dessertspoon of yoghurt (optional)
1/2 litre of water
Put ingredients in holding tank
Can add extra dessertspoon on 2nd and 3rd day with emptying after the 3rd day.
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http://thegreynomads.activeboard.com/t41575329/toilet-chemical-dosage-rate/
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Think it was Caravanners forum at one time were recommending Bi-carb.. LMAO

[DannyG]

Yogurt hey!! Ill stick to chemicals, at least they dont stink...well they do but they stink like roses instead of lady piss 

[Bird]

Yogurt hey!! Ill stick to chemicals, at least they dont stink...well they do but they stink like roses instead of lady piss 

[Throbbinhood]

I'll grab a pic tonight. Just looks like a pin hole, I'd say by design as a breather when you use the plunger.

As long as it's upright, I may get away with just filling it 3/4 and putting some electrical tape over it.

If it turns out it's not meant to be there, then I'll just throw a bit of silicone in it.

Does the plunger act as a breather at all? The plunger is another thing I need to look at actually, the seal doesn't seal properly when you plunge, so it squirts water all over the place.

[ronmac]

I'll grab a pic tonight. Just looks like a pin hole, I'd say by design as a breather when you use the plunger.

As long as it's upright, I may get away with just filling it 3/4 and putting some electrical tape over it.

If it turns out it's not meant to be there, then I'll just throw a bit of silicone in it.

Does the plunger act as a breather at all? The plunger is another thing I need to look at actually, the seal doesn't seal properly when you plunge, so it squirts water all over the place.

Throbbinhood, what is the make and model as you can buy kits to sort that out. cheers ron.

[KingBilly]

I have a Thetford.  Travels in a porta potti canvas bag on the drawbar behind the stone guard.  Before leaving home I fill the top tank and put a bit of water in the bottom.  Never leaked.

KB

[ScarpsD40]

I have a Thetford.  Travels in a porta potti canvas bag on the drawbar behind the stone guard.  Before leaving home I fill the top tank and put a bit of water in the bottom.  Never leaked.

KB

OMG, we could be brothers same as I do

[duggie]

S#!t of a subject .

[Desert lover]

We have a thetford which luckily fits through the side hatch into the camper... firstly we only use the pp when toilets aren't available and then when we do have to resort to using said Porta Potti....  we don't bother filling the flush tank anymore, we just carry an ex sauce bottle (red in colour to differentiate from any other fluid containers) and fill this as the "flush" bottle - water quality then isn't so important.  Also, by using the time honoured tradition of lining the bowl with paper if required, only a very small amount of liquid is required to flush any matter into the bottom tank.  We found we use less flush water this way which means the holding tank can hold more of what we need to dispose of rather than flush water. No 1's will ensure the contents remain liquid enough to empty.  The PP has a travel bag to ensure we don't have any spillages (not that we ever have had in many years of camping and boating with PP's in the camper or boat.)
We have just continues to use Thetford green chemical but are careful where we empty PP - dump points are the go.

[brickiematt]

I have a Thetford.  Travels in a porta potti canvas bag on the drawbar behind the stone guard.  Before leaving home I fill the top tank and put a bit of water in the bottom.  Never leaked.

KB

OMG, we could be brothers same as I do

Make that triplets......

[ScarpsD40]

Make that triplets......

We'll have to compare at the nat meet

[brickiematt]

We'll have to compare at the nat meet

Nah, you can keep the contents of your porta potti to yourself thanks mate

[ScarpsD40]

Nah, you can keep the contents of your porta potti to yourself thanks mate

Aww, come on, I'm sure you've heard the term sh1t a brick

[Rumpig]

I just take mine empty and fill it with creek water....quality of water doesn't really matter as it's just to flush with.

[brickiematt]

Aww, come on, I'm sure you've heard the term sh1t a brick

Every morning......

[dogbox]

We have a thetford which luckily fits through the side hatch into the camper... firstly we only use the pp when toilets aren't available and then when we do have to resort to using said Porta Potti....  we don't bother filling the flush tank anymore, we just carry an ex sauce bottle (red in colour to differentiate from any other fluid containers) and fill this as the "flush" bottle - water quality then isn't so important.  Also, by using the time honoured tradition of lining the bowl with paper if required, only a very small amount of liquid is required to flush any matter into the bottom tank.  We found we use less flush water this way which means the holding tank can hold more of what we need to dispose of rather than flush water. No 1's will ensure the contents remain liquid enough to empty.  The PP has a travel bag to ensure we don't have any spillages (not that we ever have had in many years of camping and boating with PP's in the camper or boat.)
We have just continues to use Thetford green chemical but are careful where we empty PP - dump points are the go.

sauce bottle or spray does the trick gets rid of the sticky bits no water in top tank

[Throbbinhood]

Thanks guys, yeah that makes perfect sense to do it that way. Didn't think about the water quality not being an issue.

Cheers.

[chester ver2.0]

I also find finding a suitable log and enjoying nature for 10 minutes also gets the same result as the porta potti

[Rumpig]

I also find finding a suitable log and enjoying nature for 10 minutes also gets the same result as the porta potti

wouldn't bother me, but my wife and 2 daughters prefer to use the porta pottie instead. I have no issue emptying it, it's no worse then changing babies nappies.... the thought of it is worse then just hooking in and doing it. Is easy enough to use a dump point or dig one hole somewhere rather then digging multiple holes anyway.

[Throbbinhood]

I also find finding a suitable log and enjoying nature for 10 minutes also gets the same result as the porta potti

Fine for me too, but tends to be frowned upon in some places. That and will make life a bit easier for the missus.

Emptying is fine. After dealing with frozen Shit, urine, and god knows what else in a hire RV i took across the usa, this will be easy. At least I won't have to dig through a foot of snow to get to the dump point, either.

[Hoyks]

I sprayed the inside of mine with silicone lubricant spray. It works well, with the lubrication you need to try hard to leave any skid marks.

As for traveling with the top tank full; Mine had no vent hole, so as it warms and cools the water in the top tank would vent into the bowl and then slop into the vehicle from there.
As the flushing uses minimal water, I'd only add 1 or 2 liters of fresh water (no detergent, don't think it needs it) at a time and then ditch that when packing up.

The bottom tank was no issue, just load it up with nappy sanitizer and dump the lot every few days. It was an evil looking, but non smelling brown slurry.

[tryagain]

wouldn't bother me, but my wife and 2 daughters prefer to use the porta pottie instead. I have no issue emptying it, it's no worse then changing babies nappies.... the thought of it is worse then just hooking in and doing it.

Yep, I have used the same comparison, pretty much just mind over matter at the end of the day. I did watch a video about them at some stage and they were urging extreme caution when emptying into a toilet to avoid splash back, glad they did as I went in a lot easier than I would have ordinarily and only just avoided a very messy situation so just a heads up for anyone having to empty into a toilet.