If you are confused by all the different motorhome toilet options and aren’t sure which is the best for you, we’re here to help.
Toilets are essential, whether you’re in the most luxurious motorhome or smallest micro-camper, and as you know nature does come calling sooner or later!
Before leaving our homes, we don’t realize their importance. Once we hit the road, they become the most crucial thing, and there’s nothing worse than frantically trying to find a McDonalds or supermarket loo that you can run in and use.
If you have already bought a motorhome and are not satisfied with the toilet, don’t worry because pre-installed toilets can always be replaced or upgraded. If you are among people for whom having a suitable loo is necessary, stay tuned until the end.
Before jumping to the types of toilets, let’s discuss the things that are necessary to ask before the purchase.
Things To Check Before Buying A Motorhome Toilet
Here are the things that you should ask the vendor or check online (through reviews) before buying the toilet:
Is It Easy to Use?
This is something that needed to be said. Most of the fancy-looking and full of options toilets are not very easy to use. These things are easy to manage for adults, but children and older people may face difficulty using them. So, before buying a new toilet for your motorhome, check whether it is user friendly or not.
Will You Have To Use Chemicals?
Most people are unaware that there are toilets that require chemicals to dissolve waste and remove the smell. If you run away from chemicals and want a hastle free experience, then there are options accordingly. Make sure to ask this question before buying a toilet.
Managing The Motorhome Toilet Smell
How awful it is to have a toilet that smells all the time. Space in a motorhome is already limited, so running away from that smell won’t be possible. No manufacturer or vendor will ever say that the toilet they are selling smells.
You will have to go James Bond style and read the reviews and other user’s experiences for this.
Does A Motorhome Toilet Need Electricity?
You have to keep a keen eye on the energy usage when you are on the road; otherwise, holidays can become a nightmare. Toilets that come with warm seats and other intelligent technologies require electricity to operate.
Some toilets use advanced technologies to minimize the energy, but others don’t. The reason you should be concerned about this is that motorhome’s electricity supply is not infinite. Mostly, batteries or solar panels with batteries are the only source of energy for motorhomes.
You have to be very careful while utilizing this energy; otherwise, you can ruin your holidays.
Motorhome Toilet Dimensions
Buying a toilet for the motorhome is much different from buying a toilet for the home. There are a lot of other things to consider while buying a toilet for a motorhome. One of these things is the dimensions of the toilet.
Money spent will be of no good if you can’t comfortably use, clean or empty the toilet. To avoid such inconvenience, make sure the toilet fits properly, and still some space is left after installation.
Caravan & Motorhome Toilets
Assuming we’re talking solely about touring caravans and motorhomes / van conversions, let’s move to the types of toilets that you can buy from the market.
Static caravans situated on regular caravan sites will most likely have a regular toilet (as shown above) and be fully plumbed in.
Composting Toilets
If you want to go green on your next trip, then these are the best choice for you. With having a composting toilet on board, you will have to worry less about water supply and disposal.
These are the best options for those people who don’t like to use chemicals. The amount of water used by these toilets is also less than other toilets on this list.
In most cases, composting toilets come in two different sections. One is for the urine, and the other one is for the solid waste. Thanks to the base that is prepped with natural materials, which damps the smell.
As these toilets are made with organic material, they cost more than other types of toilets. If you are looking for something more affordable, then have a look at the other qualifiers of this list.
Portable Toilets
For those people, who love a bare-bones holiday experience, portable toilets are a perfect choice. Not only are these toilets cheap but they also benefit you additionally. If you have a portable toilet with you on the motorhome, you won’t have to buy a separate toilet for camping.
When you start looking, you will see that there are various types of portable toilets as well. On the base level, portable toilets start from a bucket and a toilet seat.
On the high-end side, mini commodes and similar toilets also fall under the category of portable toilets.
A portable toilet can also be bought as a rescuer in case your motorhome’s toilet isn’t working properly.
Drawbacks are significantly less as compared to the perks of portable toilets. The first drawback is that chemicals are needed to clean and mask the odour. The second and last drawback is that you will need to empty them regularly because the tank’s capacity is limited.
Cassette Toilet
These toilets (typically Thetford for us Europeans) are a combination of affordability and practicality. These toilets look like just the ones at your house. Moreover, they function like them as well. The difference is at the backend.
Where your domestic toilets are connected with the main sewerage line, these have cassettes to store waste material.
Just like portable toilets, you will have to empty these storage tanks frequently.
Gravity Flush Toilets
Just like the name states, the functioning of these toilets is based on Gravity. These toilets are placed just above the waste tank, and Gravity does rest.
Gravity-Flush Toilets don’t have handles like the conventional toilets; instead, they have a pedal. When you press that pedal with your foot, waste is replaced by clean water in the bowl.
You need to connect these toilets with your motorhome’s water tank or any other source of water for water supply. It is because they don’t have a cistern behind them.
Summary
Your peace of mind is directly related to the comfort of your toilet. When you are satisfied with your toilet, the overall experience of holidays also becomes better.
On the flip side, if your motorhome’s toilet is not up to the mark, you will keep looking for a better “Throne” instead of enjoying holiday.
The decision of buying a toilet for your motorhome is relatively different from the buying decision of a domestic toilet.
Things like space, waste management and involvement of chemicals are worth checking before spending money.
Fortunately, from organic composting toilets to Gravity-Flush toilets that just feel like home, several options are available on the market.
