So, you’ve decided to add a toilet to your campervan and now face the dilemma of figuring out which one to purchase. Maybe you feel a wee bit overwhelmed with the seemingly endless options and overrun with other people’s opinions. Fear not. There are a few steps you can take to help you make a solid decision about where to deposit your solids, pun intended. In this article we will discuss the best cassette toilet options.
Cassette toilets are sometimes referred to as chemical toilets, so we will use that term throughout the article as well.
If you haven’t read it already, head over to our article about the best portable toilet options for your campervan or RV. There we will discuss why you would need a toilet, as well as (nearly) every option available (composting, bucket toilets, shitting in the woods, the she-wee, and a few others). Here, however, we will focus on the best cassette toilets.
Toilet Talk: The Best Portable Toilet Options for Vanlife, RV, or Camping
The Best Cassette Toilet Options (at a glance)
A quick little overview of what we think the best cassette toiles are in each category. If you want to know why, you’ll have to read on.
Toilet Talk
What is a Cassette Toilet?
Cassette toilets are fully contained portable toilets that are perfect for RV, marine, camping, and vanlife. Generally, they all work in the same similar fashion.
They usually consist of a waste tank and a fresh tank, of varying sizes. You do your business in the bowl, then flush the water down into the waste tank. Most cassette toilets have a pull-door that opens the waste tank and use either a manual push pump or a electric push-button to flush.
Other functions might be advertised along with the toilets, such as a TP roll holder, waste tank leveler, adjustable seat height, or locking lids.
When considering adding a camping toilet to your rig, the first thing you need to do is measure the space you have available. Size factor could be a dealmaker or a dealbreaker. Some models of portapotties are bigger and bulkier and simply might not fit.
If you are still in the building stage, plan to install a roof vent, like the Maxxair Maxxfan or the Dometic Fantastic Fan. Try to keep your toilet space easily accessible, well ventilated and consider the weight of these shitboxes when they are full. Don’t impede the eventual emptying by having to lift the top section too far up or too far over to separate the top from the bottom.
Some vans have toilets hidden inside box seating which is great until emptying time so if you are building one of these, ensure the toilet slides right out easily, even when full.
Do You Even Need a Portable Cassette Toilet?
There are many options to suit your van and your budget. On one hand, you can easily just shit in the woods. On the other, a fancy John, with a gleaming white ceramic bowl, electrical flush and tank level indicator can be plumbed straight into your RV waterpipes for maximum convenience and minimum contact with effluence.
The pros of the latter option are obvious but what about the cons?
A permanent toilet is fixed in place, requiring a much larger dedicated bathroom space. They have more parts that could break which may be difficult to access or may require a professional to fix.
The problem of where to empty such a toilet remains an issue as well. A cassette toilet (or camping toilet) is a smaller, lighter and more mobile portapotty. What these toilets lack in tank capacity they make up for in ease of use, affordability, mobility and options for emptying.
So if you’re trying to figure out your bathroom situation as you plan your van build, consider a cassette toilet. It is a happy medium between digging a cathole behind a bush and spending a thousand dollars to plumb in a permenant toilet.
So then, what are best cassette toilets for your campervan or RV?
The Dometic Portable Toilet
Dometic is a very common and well-respected name in the RV, campervan, and offroading communities. If you see Dometic’s name you can be pretty certain you are getting a quality product, whatever that product is, and it is no different with their portable toilets.
Dometic’s toilets come with 2.5 or 5-gallon waste tank options and secure side latches to lock the sections together tightly. These thrones are portable, strong, and only way around 3lb when empty. This makes it a perfect cassette toilet option for camping and RV living.
These toilets do the job of letting you do your job comfortably!
The no frills model is your basic cassette toilet. It has a manual pull lever for emptying the contents of the toilet into the waste tank as well as a push-pump-flush.
The “some frills” model has a few upgrades. Dometic chose to add an electric flush (battery operated) button and has optional upgrade for mountain brackets to secure it into your van conversion build.
Dometic's Best Cassette Toilet Options
No Frills
Dometic Portable Cassette Toilet (301096206)
- 2.5 Gallon (9.5L) Fresh Water Capacity
- 2.5 Gallon (9.5L) or 5 Gallon (19L) Waste Water Tank
- 16.5 x 14.5 x 12.5 inches
- Squat and simple, no frills
Some Frills
Dometic Cassette Toilet (301097606)
- 2.6 Gallon (9.5L) Fresh Water Capacity
- 2.6 Gallon (9.5L) or 5 Gallon (19L) Waste Water Tank
- 13.5 x 15.5 x 16.5 inches
- Powerful electric push button flush
- Optional mounting brackets for secure mount
Camco Cassette Toilets
Camco is another well trusted brand when it comes to anything camping related. Of course, they also make portable camping toilets or else they wouldn’t have made this list.
Their (41541) model cassette toilet boasts of its sturdiness, catering to weights of to up to 330lbs. With much the same features as the toilets above, they also offer drop-in toilet tablets and biodegradable sachets for the waste tank.
Camco's Best Cassette Toilet Options
Large Holding Tank
Camco Portable Travel Toilet (41541)
- 2.6 Gallon (9.5L) Fresh Water Capacity
- 2.6 Gallon (9.5L) or 5.3 Gallon (20L) Waste Water Tank
- 15.5 inch H x 14 inch W x 16 inch
- Cheap, heavy-duty with higher weight limit
Small Footprint
Camco Premium Portable Travel Toilet (41545)
- 5.3 Gallon (20L) Waste Water Tank
- 12″ H x 16″ W x 17″ D
- 11.3 lbs when empty
- Small footprint
ON SALE!!
At the time of this article, both of these toilets are on sale for 50% off on Amazon. Make sure to check and see if they still are!
SereneLife Chemical Toilets
Want to make your tiny-house-on-wheels even more serene?
Light a candle, sit back and conduct your business on a SereneLife Portable Toilet System. Complete with a handy carry bag and integrated level indicator, these cassette toilets have a rotating pipe for ease of emptying and the unit looks and feels like a real house toilet.
The large water reserve tank promises 50+ flushes, is that enough for your relaxing weekend off grid in the boonies? I would certainly hope so!
SereneLife's Best Cassette Toilet
Serene Life Outdoor Portable Toilet
- 3.2 Gallon (12L) Fresh Water Capacity
- 5.3 Gallon (20L) Waste Water Tank
- 20.90 x 20.50 x 18.60 Inches
- Comes with its own carrying case
Thetford Portable Cassette Toilet
Thetford is arguably the best-known brand name of portapotty. They invented the cassette toilet we know and love! Ok, perhaps love is a strong word to use in relation to any toilet, it is just a box of poo after all. It does need to be emptied and that is pretty gross, even at the best of times.
Some jobs just must be done, however, and the Thetford cassette toilet makes it easy.
There are many types of Thetford units on the market, and they all come with their own pro’s and con’s. Thetford also has what we consider to be some of the overall best cassette toilet options.
Thetford Cassette Toilets
This cassette toilet has the smallest capacity out of the Thetford models. However, it can fit into smaller storage areas because of how squat it is. The toilet has a manual pull valve for the waste tank and a pumper to flush. Plus, it is pretty damn cheap.
- 2.6 Gallon (9.5L) Fresh Water Capacity
- 2.6 Gallon (9.5L) Waste Water Tank
- 12.2″ Height x 13.5″ Width x 15″ Depth
- Squat and simple
This cassette toilet is very similar to the porta potti 135 model listed above with one difference. A bigger tank! Bigger is better, right? Also, I realize in this picture it looks like the tank is smaller than the 135… it’s not.
- 4 Gallon (15L) Fresh Water Capacity
- 3.2 Gallon (12L) Waste Water Tank
- 13″ height x 15″ width x 16.8″ depth
- Squat and simple… but slightly bigger (that’s what she said)
FINALLY, OUR FAVORITE (2) PORTABLE CASSETTE TOILETS
Actually, we like both of these toilets. One is more basic, the other more luxurious.
Sometimes more frills is not necessarily better, however. This Thetford porta potty has the old standard manual push-pump for flushing as opposed to a battery powered button. Less electronics typically means less that could go wrong.
- 4 Gallon (15L) Fresh Water Capacity
- 5.5 Gallon (21L) Waste Water Tank
- 15.36 x 17.13 x 16.6 inches
- Easy to dump with it’s swivel dump spout
Now, not all portable cassette toilets are created equal and this is no exception. This Thetford model not only has a unique, slim design that allows it to fit in a variety of spaces, it has an electric flush. That’s right, pop some batteries in this sucker and it will suck your poo right down into the waste water tank. It’s the only model on our list that does this. Want to know something else that’s cool? it has an adjustable seat height… yeah. Crazy, right?
- 4 Gallon (15L) Fresh Water Capacity
- 5.5 Gallon (21L) Waste Water Tank
- 17.6″ height x 15.2″ width x 17.7″ depth
- Adjustable seat height
Dump Your Dumps
Where to Dump Your Dumps
Dumping your cassette toilet is a fairly easy process, even if it is perhaps a little stinky. There are some general rules to consider, however.
Never, ever, ever dump your waste tank into anywhere other than designated areas. This means ABSOLUTELY NO dumping into forests, rivers, streams, holes in the ground, pit toilets, outhouses, sidewalks, street drains, garbage cans… actually it might be a bit easier for me to tell you where you CAN dump it.
Cassette toilets can be dumped in the following places,
- Porta-Pottis (Like the HoneyBucket kind)
- Flushable toilets (like at rest stops or your very understanding friend’s house)
- Septic tanks (make sure you are using a septic tank safe RV waste tank solution)
- RV dump stations
The Dumping Process
The dumping process is pretty straight-forward. Most waste tanks are attached to the cassette toilet by a pair of latches. Find wherever these latches are located and, well, unlatch them.
Make sure the trap-door lid is tightly shut before attempting to move around the waste tank. Your cassette toilet should have a handle on it somewhere. Use that to carry it to the appropriate dump site.
There should be some sort of swivel-out drainage tube somewhere on that waste tank. Swivel it out, uncap it if it has a lid. If you’re really good you will be able to plug your nose with one hand and dump the sewage with the other.
If you use appropriate chemicals your cassette toilet’s waste tank shouldn’t be terrible but you might want to give it a few good rinses to clean out any leftovers and use a cleaning product from time to time.
Dumping tips
- Fill the waste tank with water to make dumping easier
- Pee in your cassette toilet as an alternative to adding water
- Wear gloves
- Avoid the splash!
Toilet Cleaning and Maintenance
All cassette and chemical toilets need to be taken care of and cleaned regularly. Refer to the user manual for instructions and add chemicals only where advised. Pink-and-blue toilet chemicals will keep your waste breaking down and your white bowl sparkling.
Cassette Toilet Cleaner
This Elsan brand toilet fluid is eco-friendly, doesn’t generate that chemically sterile smell and comes in larger 2 liter bottles. No excuses for that smell now!
Whatever you do don’t use pure bleach to clean your cassette toilets. In fact, we don’t even recommend using diluted bleach. Bleach can break down your seals causing the possibility of a nasty leak.
If you dump into a septic tank that is even more reason to be weary of bleach. Large amounts of bleach can kill the beneficial bacteria in these systems.
The Best Cassette Toilet Chemicals
Keep your cassette toilet clean with these toilet chemicals, we especially like the environmentally friendly additive which promises to keep your unit odor free without damaging the seals.
It is important to keep your waste tank clean and smell-free. Definitely use a recommended RV waste tank chemical for your cassette toilet. These products will assist in the breaking down of the poops and the toilet paper, making it easier to dump your dumps.
Winterizing Your Cassette Toilet
If you’re going to be in a cold climate for the winter, cassette toilets run the risk of freezing. This freezing will not only cause the toilet to be unusable at that particular moment, but it can break seals ruining the toilet all-together.
Look into adding small amounts of environmentally safe anti-freeze to avoid costly repairs.
Toilet Accessories
Privacy Tents for your Camper Toilet
No room for a portapotty in your setup? Maybe you are tent camping for a few days and need the assurance of a toilet available?
Check out these nifty privacy rooms. Affordable, lightweight and assembled in minutes, a bathroom tent is great for longer trips, larger families and having easy access to a private area can completely transform the camping experience for some.
Extra Cassettes
Staying off grid for a long time and need room for more waste? The beauty of a cassette toilet means you can always carry an extra cassette and double your waste capacity. Make use of very sporadic trips empty the toilet and never get caught short again!
Consider keeping a large lidded plastic box or a sturdy bag to carry the full one. Accidents can and do happen so keep things well contained for worry free waste management.
Portable Camping Sink
Got the room for a sink but don’t want to drill excess holes in the floor of your rig? Or prefer to have a more simple set up?
Consider one of these portable camping sinks! Fasten it to the floor and fill the reserve with up to 19 liters of fresh water. Use the foot pump for hands free handwashing and the built in towel hanger for extra convenience. It even includes space for a bottle of handsoap or sanitizer. This could be the perfect portable solution for easily accessible drinking water too if space is tight!
SereneLife Portable Camping Sink
Multi-use Toilet Accessory Buddy
And lastly, I know you’d like to think your shit don’t stink but let’s be honest with each other. We are all vanlifers (or aspiring vanlifers) and we all know the score. Keep a handy set of toilet cleaning implements nearby to tidy up your streaky mess and keep your portapotty bowl sparkling.
This cool portable unit houses a toilet brush, a travel trash bin and extra storage for your roll. Fully waterproof for large scale liquid accidents and with two colors to choose from, this is a functional and hygienic choice to make your small room the best equipped room in your rig!
RV/Marine Toilet Paper
Using proper toilet paper in your portable cassette toilet will safe you hassle down the road. RV TP is specifically designed to break down quickly with the chemical additives which allows for easier dumping and breakdown after dumping.
We recommend 1-ply if you can stand it, for the above-mentioned reasons, but there is also 2-ply offered as well.
Cassette Toilet Pro's and Con's
Pro's
- Freedom. Cassette toilets offer you a bit more freedom than relying on public toilet options or even a more permanent RV or composting toilet. Think about it, you can remove the cassette toilet and take it somewhere more private if you have a van full of people!
- Smell. Since they are contained systems, cassette toilets offer better smell-protection than the old bucket-and-chuckit method.
- No separation of pee and poo. Unlike the bucket method or a composting toilet, you don’t need to sperate your liquids from your solids.
- Ease of use. These cassette toilets are fairly simple without a ton of frills. This means less things that could go wrong, which is a good thing. In contrast, a composting toilet has an electric fan, multiple chambers, a churner, and a vent port. Jeeze.
- Cost. These toilets can be found for under $100, which is a pretty good deal to me.
Con's
- The Smell. I know I listed smell as a positive but cassette toilets can still start to stink if they arn’t taken care of properly. Make sure to clean and dump your toilet frequently.
- Spillage. Yuck. It will most likely happen to you at SOME point during your adventures. When you are having to empty your cassette toilet manually, you are bound to have some accidents.
- Space. I don’t know if I’d count this as a con, strictly speaking. It’s more of something you just have to be aware about. These toilets do take up space in an already tiny environment.
7 Cassette Toilet Tips
1) Dump Frequently
Dump frequently, whenever you get the chance, even if you don’t really need to. This will help reduce smell and keep your toilet empty for when you need it most.
Also, you never really know when you are going to find a proper place to dump your cassette toilet, so keeping it as empty as possible is best practice.
2) Keep lid closed when opening valve
Whenever you open the waste tank valve-door, keep the lid of the toilet closed. These tanks sometimes build up pressure, especially at altitudes, and can spray right up into your face if you are not careful.
3) Check the waste valve before using the toilet
For the same reasoning as above, it is best to check and see if that waste water tank on your cassette toilet is pressurized before actually using the toilet. Start by opening the valve just ever-so-slightly with the lid closed.
Be especially cautious if you have gone up in elevation.
4) Keep the cassette toilet clean
Keeping the cassette toilet clean will help prevent bad odors from building up in your tank. These toilets are sealed units, but they can still build up a foul smell if not taken care of and cleaned properly.
Again, avoid bleach and use designated RV cassette toilet cleaning solutions.
5) Ventilate
Crack the windows before you poop! Especially if you live in your van with a partner. It’s just good etiquette. In fact, if you have a RV roof vent fan, put that sucker on exhaust mode to help suck out the smell.
6) Use less toilet paper
Use less toilet paper, and the proper toilet paper. The less toilet paper in the waste tank the easier your cassette toilet will be to dump. Big wads of poorly dissolvable TP can clog the dump spout and make your life miserable!
7) Whenever possible, use something else
One of the easiest and most simple ways to keep your cassette toilet clean and your van smell free is to use something else to go to the bathroom. Whether this is a public bathroom, your friend’s place, or digging a cathole when you’re out boondocking; all these things are more pleasant than dumping a cassette toilet’s waste tank.
In Conclusion
STILL not convinced you need a cassette toilet in your RV or campervan? STILL unsure of the benefits of an easily accessible, easily emptied portapotty in your rig? Check out some other toileting options here:
