Best Cassette Toilet | Portable Toilet Reviews

vanlife portable toilet

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. 

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. 

Best Cassette Toilet Overall

Thetford Porta Potti 365
thetford best cassette toilet

Best Cassette Toilet on a Budget

CamCo Portable Cassette Toilet
best cassette toilet for a budget CamCo

Best Cassette Toilet w/ Small Footprint

Thetford Porta Potti 135
best cassette toilet with small footprint

Best Luxury Cassette Toilet

Thetford Porta Potti White
best cassette toilet luxury

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)

Dometic 2.5 gallon cassette toilet
  • 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)

best cassette toilet for a budget CamCo
  • 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)

camco portable toilet
 
  • 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
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

Thetford Porta Potti 135
best cassette toilet with small footprint

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
Thetford Porta Potti 345
thetford porta pottie 345 great portable toilet

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.

Thetford Porta Potti 365
thetford big boy is the biggest and best portable toilet

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
Thetford Porta Potti White
thetford luxury potty is a great portable toilet option

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!

elsan organic toilet cleaning solution

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.

Thetford's 3-in-1 Eco Smart

Eco-Friendly

eco smart cassette toilet chemicals

TST Max Cassette Toilet Chemicals

TST max cassette toilet chemical

Thetford Aqua-Kem Toilet Deodorizer

Thetford Aqua-kem

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.

GreenElephant Pop-up Utility Tent

green elephant pop up portable toilet tent

GigaTent Portable Pop-up Pod

Giga tent portable toilet tent

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

portable sink by serenelife

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!

cassette toilet essentials

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: 

Toilet Talk: The Best Portable Toilet Options for Vanlife, RV, or Camping

portable toilet with @ditchingconventional

Where do you poo? What is the best portable toilet option for vanlife or RV living? Should I take a toilet camping? SO MANY QUESTIONS!! Well, hopefully we can get down to the dirty details and answer your questions in our article, “Toilet Talk: The Best Portable Toilet Options for Vanlife, Camping, or RV Living

Does a bear shit in the woods? Yes. But, that doesn’t mean YOU have to. I mean, that is the whole point of getting a camper toilet, right?  

Converting your van into a home-on-wheels means making yourself as comfortable as possible. Replicating the essential parts of a house, like the kitchen and bathroom, will make your transition to vanlife a smooth one as well as make going to the bathroom a smooth operation 

Everybody poops, sometimes even multiple times a day, so be prepared to deal with it. Proper planning prevents piss poor performance. Who wants to waste time on the road searching for facilities when you could be relaxing, lounging around your campervan and enjoying the sights outside your windows? 

Of course, there is the environment to consider too. As vanlifers, our everyday efforts to minimize our impact on the earth and reduce the level of waste we produce matters. Luckily, there are many different bathroom setups available to suit every situation and budget, and we’ve picked out some favorites for the best portable toilet in each category.

Also, because cassette toilets are so commonly used, and there are so many, we did a seperate review of the best cassette toilets that you can find here:

Best Portable Toilet Options (at a glance)

Best Cassette Toilet (Chemical Toilet)

Thetfort Porta Potti 365

thetford is the best portable cassette toilet

Thetfort is the best known brand when it comes to cassette toilets, and for good reason.

Best Composting Toilet

Nature’s Head Composting Toilet

Nature's head is the best portable composting toilet

If you decide that you must absolutely have a composting toilet, than Nature’s Head is the leading brand, but it comes at a price.

Best Bucket Toilet

Reliance Luggable Loo 5-Gallon

Luggable loo best portable toilet bucket toilet

Luggable Loo is simple, cheap, and effective.

Best Alternative Way to Take a Dump

Use a public bathroom! 

public bathroom instead of a portable toilet

When in doubt, you can always squeeze one out in a public bathroom, or a really understanding friend’s house.

What We Will Cover

We will cover basic poo etiquette and why it is important to separate your 1’s from your 2’s. We will go over the best portable toilets (cassette, composting, and bucket toilets) as well as other toileting options. Maybe most importantly, we will go into the dirty details about how to dispose of your waste.

Use this table of contents to skip around, if you’re so inclined.

Table of Contents

Toilet Talk: An Easier Way to Pee

The best way to extend the life of your camper or RV toilet might be to separate the liquids (which are easily discarded) from the solids (which are not).

Go outside and write your name in the snow or water the flowers when nature calls. Or, if that is impossible, use a wide mouthed vessel with a tightly sealed lid.   

This doesn’t just go for men. Women can purchase a she-wee, or a similar female urinal product. They are cheap, comfortable, easy to use and can provide a certain amount of ease-of-mind in an emergency. Perfect for stealth camping in the city or driveway surfing in suburbia. 

Best Female Urinals

Sunany’s Female Urinal

shewee urinal

The most common female urinal “design” made out of a collapsible silicone material allowing you to pee while standing up.

The Tinkle Belle Female Urinal

female urinal device the Tinkle Belle

This design is partly rigid which allows women to not only pee while standing up, but also while fully clothed. 

The She Wee Female Urinal

she wee female urinal

The she-wee is a fully rigid design which, again, allows women to pee while standing and fully clothed.

Empty your collected urine regularly and discreetly–down a drain, or onto grass, or under the cover of darkness. Small amounts of urine will not hurt the environment. In fact, a thirsty tree will appreciate the nitrogen!  

Keep a USB charged headlamp hanging by your van door for night-time excursions, because–safety first… and two hands are better than one for a job like this. 

So, pee is easy peasy, but what are your options for number two? 

The Wild Poo

Wherever possible, be like the bear and conduct your business outside!  

If you are lucky enough to park up in mostly secluded spots like leafy forests and sparse mountainsides, pooping-al-fresco is a great option. Take a hand trowel, go well off the beaten path, dig a hole and deposit your load. Cover up the mess and leave absolutely no trace 

For bonus eco-friendly points, use freshly fallen leaves to wipe, provided of course they are not poison ivy. That could lead to an embarrassing visit to the E.R.  

Check out this handy multi-tool and folding shovel. It’s perfect for digging shitholes, fits neatly in your backpack and so very useful in so many situations. It even has a hatchet in case you run into those aforementioned bears. 

IUNIO Multi-Use Shovel Tool

folding shovel multitool is a good option instead of a camping toilet

The she-wee is a fully rigid design which, again, allows women to pee while standing and fully clothed.

The Free Poo

By far the best, most eco-friendly, most satisfying way to drop anchor is into someone else’s pre-plumbed, sparkling white, pristine ceramic bowl. Use a friend or relatives house, a campground, a gas station restroom, a playground toilet or any business you have just paid to patronize 

Remember if you don’t bring it into the van, you won’t have to take it out again; this applies especially to poo. Use an app to find public toilets nearby, time your movements to coincide with the available facilities and don’t be afraid to ask. Using someone else’s toilet can extend the life of yours immeasurably, not to mention reduce the smell inside your campervan or RV

Carry a small washbag with a toilet roll, biodegradable wipes and hand sanitizer in your backpack, just in case. 

The Buck-it and Chuck-it Method & Best Portable Bucket Toilets

bucket portable toilet by @theunraveledroad
Photo credit: @theunraveledroad

Best Bucket Toilets

Reliance Luggable Loo 5-Gallon

Luggable loo best portable toilet bucket toilet

Luggable Loo is simple, cheap, and effective. It’s the cheapest pre-made bucket toilet and there’s not to much more to say on the matter 🙂

Reliance Luggable Loo 5-Gallon

camco bucket portable toilet

Luggable Loo is simple, cheap, and effective. It’s the cheapest pre-made bucket toilet and there’s not to much more to say on the matter 🙂

Use these buckets lined with a plastic bag, bag up the results and dispose of it as soon as humanly possible into a dedicated dog poo bin. Some like to line the bag with straw, pet bedding or even kitty litter to absorb the liquids, and hopefully the aroma, but this setup should be used for emergencies only.  

Now their isn’t much to these portable bucket toilets. In fact, you could probably save a couple bucks by making your own.

A makeshift, DIY portable toilet for your campervan is a quick fix if you are caught in a pinch but not to be considered a long-term solution, for health and hygiene reasons, not to mention the potential smell in a small living area. 

DIY portable toilet by @my_hikes_log
Photo credit: @my_hikes_log
DIY portable toilet by @itsjennyfromtheblog
Photo credit: @itsjennyfromtheblog

The ‘bucket and chuck it’ method could get expensive, it certainly costs the planet in plastic and let’s face it, you might be living in a van, but hovering over a bucket every day squeezing one out? You’re better than that. 

This van is your castle…

You deserve a throne. 

The Cassette Toilet (The Best Portable Toilet)

Sometimes also called portapotties, chemical toilets, cassette toilet, portable toilets, or known by one of the first brand names of Thetford, these plastic portable toilets devices are an ideal solution for vanlife or those living in an RV.

With a relatively small footprint, they take up little space in your van conversion, are easy to use and straightforward to empty. They look and feel like an ordinary toilet and sitting on one of these is far from unpleasant. 

The top tank is filled with water for flushing. Use a few sheets of cheap, 1 ply toilet roll which dissolves easily in the tank. A little drawer-pull releases the waste into the cassette below and closing the shutter again keeps everything sealed until the cassette is full.  

There are chemical products available which when poured into the waste tank will break down the contents biologically, these are often referred to as Pink (for rinsing and scent) and Blue (for breakdown).  

So what are the best portable toilets? Check out the list below!

portable toilet with @ditchingconventional
Photo Credit: @DitchingConventional

Best Cassette Toilet (Overall)

Thetfort Porta Potti 365

thetford is the best portable cassette toilet

Thetfort is often the name that comes to mind when pondering about the best portable toilet, as I often do.

  • 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

Best Cassette Toilet on a Budget

CamCo Portable Toilet 5.3 Gallon

best portable budget cassette toilet camco

This one comes in at about half the price of the other toilets on this list, which makes it our budget option for best portable toilet.

  • 2.5 Gallon (9.5L) Fresh Water Capacity
  • 5.3 Gallon (20L) Waste Water Tank
  • 15.5 inch H x 14 inch W x 16 inch
  • Solid, sturdy construction

Best Cassette Toilets with the Smallest Footprint

Thetfort Porta-Potti White

best portable toilet withs mall footprint Thetfort

This toilet is sleek and is designed unlike other portable toilets. It is more narrow then most, allowing you to fit it into awkward places. Plus it even has an adjustable seat height. It does require batteries for it’s electric flush, however.

  • 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

Thetfort Porta Potti 135

thetford best portable toilet small footprint

A little bit more squat than the above portable toilet, and with less of a capacity, this is the shortest of the cassette toilets. 

  • 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

Emptying A Cassette Toilet 

When the time has come to empty your portable toilet, simply lift the top box off, take out the cassette and open the screw top lid, press the valve release button, avert your eyes and pour out the contents. Wear latex gloves if you are squeamish and stand back from the hole to avoid any nasty splash back 

Never, ever, ever empty the cassette anywhere that is not a dedicated disposal point or sewage system. 

Ever.  

Camping toilets are portable, affordable and can last many years if taken care of correctly. Using bleach or harsh chemicals to clean the unit may erode the seals which keep it airtight, the flush button requires manual ‘pumping’ and the drawer mechanisms can be flimsy as molded plastic tends to be so be gentle with the moving parts. Wash all elements of your camping toilet regularly in warm soapy water. 

Look after your chemical camper toilet and it will look after you when you need it most! 

Best chemicals for your portable toilet

portable toilet cleaning solution
chemical toilet cleaning solution
portable toilet TST packets

The Composting Toilet

A lot of people do not find chemical toilets or portable cassette toilets appealing and so they want to opt towards a composting toilet.

Often seen as the ultimate aspiration of vanlife facilities, composting toilets come with advantages and disadvantages.  

Composting is great for the environment when all the steps are carried out correctly. Venting is required to keep constant airflow throughout the tank and to activate the composting cycle which will involve cutting holes into your van walls. Many use coconut fiber cores as a medium to absorb the waste which comes at a price. 

Some require electricity to power a small fan and to flush which is another huge consideration; what happens when your battery runs low?  

Composting toilets are only useful if you have access to the next step in the process (a stage 2 compost pile), otherwise the waste produced is no more eco-friendly than the chemical toilet above and may be more troublesome to discard in the end.  

Compost toilets can be expensive to install and maintain. Consider your options and where you will empty one before you make your decision! 

Best Portable Toilet for Composting

Nature’s Head Composting Toilet

Nature's head is the best portable composting toilet

If you decide that you must absolutely have a composting toilet, than Nature’s Head is the leading brand, but it comes at a price.

Emptying Your Composting Toilet

So how do you empty your composting toilet, then?

There might be a bit of a controversy on this subject. As stated previously, a composting camper toilet wont actually fully compost your poo unless it can be transferred to a stage 2 compost pile. 

Without one, your poo still carries all the possible diseases and problems that it would have if you didn’t attempt to compost it. This means you can’t just toss the “compost” in the woods, or use it for gardening, or leave it on your friend’s gas.

You could dig a cathole, backpacker style, to deposit your waste into… but a 7inch cathole is hard enough to dig for one poop, let alone a week’s worth or more, so that isn’t practical.

You obviously can’t dump it in a normal toilet, like you’d be able to do with a cassette camper toilet.

And whatever you do, please don’t dump it in a pit toilet at a national, state, or city park. It might seem like a good idea at first, but this puts an unnecessary strain on an already strained and tight budgeted parks system.

So that pretty much just leaves you with two options. 

  1. Dump it in a stage 2 composting system.
  2. Take the compost, put it in a plastic bag, and toss it in the garbage.

Now, the second option isn’t illegal, but it sure seems like it defeats the eco-friendly purpose of a composting toilet.

RV & Van Toilet Do's and Don'ts

  • DO separate liquids from solids for easy disposal 
  • DON’T dispose of a chemical toilet anywhere but a designated point!
  • DO use the cheapest toilet roll (or RV/Marine TP) you can find, it dissolves easily to prevent clogging. 
  • DON’T be afraid to ask to use the facilities of a business you are patronizing 
  • DO keep your portapotty area well ventilated to prevent smells and wash all parts regularly 
  • DON’T use bleach to clean a camper portable toilet 
  • DO be the bear and go outside when feasible. 

And Finally...

Like everything in life, living in a van is trial and error. Toilet habits are different and vary wildly from person to person. Try to find the easiest, cheapest, most eco-friendly solution that suits you, your lifestyle and your van.  

Outside of using public restrooms and digging a cathole when you’re out in nature, we think that cassette toilets are the best portable toilet you can use.

Whether you live fulltime in your rig or just enjoy a jaunt in the countryside as a weekend warrior, having the right facilities onboard can make all the difference. Nobody wants to pack up and leave when they’re parked in paradise and halfway through the first of many cups of coffee, just to relieve their bowels.  

Arm yourself with the necessary tools to make your movements as easy, efficient, smell-free, and low impact as possible. Shit happens, so be prepared! 

What is your preferred method for taking a dump? Let us know in the comments below!

So, now that you got the portable toilet part down, what about the shower?

15 Public Shower Options Near You

public shower

Whether you are taking a road trip, living out of your car, or exploring the country in your camper van, you will eventually need a shower. There are a ton (well 15 to be exact) public shower options near you… some might just take a little creativity. Others, a little money. However, there are a few free shower options on the list.

1) Shower at large, nation-wide gym chains

chain gyms are a good place to shower cheap

Gym’s may be the most reliable and common ways to find a public shower on the road.

I have a membership to Planet Fitness. For 20$ / month I have access to unlimited showers, massage beds, tanning booths (although I’ll pass on that)… and even those weight things. Not only that! You can bring one guest every day… for FREE. Now I just need to find a friend.

Many of these gyms can be found all over the country, which makes them perfect for van life or showering while on road trips. Some of them even offer free passes. The most popular big nationwide gyms are:

Although they are far from free, the money spent on a gym might be worth it to get a reliable way to shower on the road.

Also, if you have a YMCA near you, they offer financial aid on memberships. So that is yet another gym option.

2) Campground showers

Many established campgrounds have showers available. Although, they might not be free to the public. This means that you might have to spend money on a campsite overnight or talk to the campground host to see if they will let you take a free shower…

You never know unless you ask.

Then again, I’m sure there are people that don’t ask and just do. Although I don’t avocate that.

3) Smaller local gyms

Local and regional gyms are another way to find a free shower. Many of these smaller chain gyms offer trial passes just like the larger ones.

Obviously, you wouldn’t want to head straight to the showers. Take the opportunity to get a work-out in. And if you are going to be in the area for a while, consider actually signing up and supporting the smaller guys.

cute cat showers for free

4) Truck stops

Truck stops are a great way to find a public shower. Although they won’t be free, these showers are often some of the cleanest you will find. 

Seriously, I was blown away at how well taken care of these showers are. And they arn’t just for truckers. 

If you haven’t checked out a truck stop yet, go do it… bring a date! Make a night out of it!

Seriously though, truck stops really try to take care of their customers. Not only will you find spotless showers, many of these places have restaurants, stores, laundry services, WIFI, massage chairs, and TV theatre rooms. They will even let you stay the night for free! Just call to make sure it’s okay.

Hint: Many truckers have free shower passes for these places. I’ve been told they are often more than happy to give you one if you ask. 

Some of the most popular names in the truck stop world are:

  • Loves
  • Pilot Travel Center
  • Little America

5) Get a portable shower

There are a TON of different portable showers available. Many of these are solar shower bags. They are cheap, effective, and easy to use, making them great options for showering on the road.

Check out our list of 8 of the Best Portable Solar Showers

When I’m not showering at Planet Fitness, I’m usually using my solar shower bag. I hang it on the side of my campervan if it’s sunny, letting the sun heat up the water.

If it’s not sunny, I simply boil a bit of water with my jet boil or on my stove-top and add it to my shower bag.

If a gravity-fed solar shower doesn’t appeal to you, they also have pump showers. These tanks can be filled like mentioned above and you can pressurize the tank with a hand/foot pump.

The beauty of your own portable shower is that you can bathe any time, any place… well, maybe not ANY place.

Here are some of our top choices for a portable solar shower bag:

6) Free showers at the beach!

If you are near a public beach, chances are you will be near a free shower. These are usually used for washing off sand and salt water, and they don’t cost a cent!

Next time your #vanlife adventures take you to the beach, keep these showers in mind! 

Just make sure you are respectful to those around you, it is public after-all.

7) Public swimming pool showers

Do a quick google search and see if there is a community pool near you. Where there is a public pool, there’s also a public shower. 

Community swimming pools are an easy and inexpensive way to get a shower if you aren’t trying to shower every day (because day passes do begin to add up).

8) Boat marinas' public showers

Boat marinas are a great option to find a cheap public shower if you are traveling along the coast. I’ve showered in my fair share of boat marinas on my campervan travels. The cleanliness can be hit or miss, depending on the area. Overall, however, they tend to be pretty clean.

They are coin operated and cost anywhere from 50 cents to a couple of bucks, so keep some coins handy.

9) Hostels

hostels are a good place to sleep overnight

I’ve stayed at many hostels around the world and some of them actually offer their shower services for a small fee. You can even get towels and soap!

If you are sick of sleeping in your van or car, you can always get a bed there as well.

Hostels can be ridiculously cheap depending on where you are. In Japan, I was staying at $15/night hostels and they were remarkably clean.

However, in the States you might be spending a bit more.

10) Get a room in an AirBnB

If you are on the road or living out of your van, perhaps springing for a one night Airbnb stay won’t be a terrible idea. If not for the comfort, then for the private shower.

The beauty of living the van life is that it affords you the freedom to splurge every now and then. 

Airbnb doesn’t even have to be that expensive! Depending on where you are, you could potentially find a cheap room to rent for the night.

Not only would you get a nice hot shower, you would get a nice warm bed.

11) Spring for a motel room

Just like above, but maybe you want a bit more privacy. Motel’s can range in price greatly but if you want a private room and a private shower after a long road trip then perhaps spending a bit of money won’t be such a bad thing.

12) Bathe in a river or lake

free public bath lake or river

What did we do before we had nice warm showers? We jumped in the river of course!

I mean, if you’re already going to be living in a van down by the river, might as well bathe in one too! 

Disclaimer: Be super careful about introducing chemical products to the water source. Even a small amount of environmentally friendly soap can cause damage to the natural organisms.

13) Bike wash shower

Yes! I said it. If it’s good enough for my mountain bike, Stumpy, then it’s good enough for me!

Some mountain bike parks and trails have a little bike wash station to rinse off your muddy bike. Why not turn it into a make-shift public shower. 

Be warned, it will be cold!

And don’t hog it for those who need it!

14) Baby wipe baths

Music festival goers around the globe know that baby wipes arn’t just for babies. In fact, most of them arn’t even marketed as body wipes or shower wipes.

I spent a large portion of my 20’s going to music festivals. I’ve gotten very accustomed to baby wipe showers

Yes, I still call them showers.

I always keep a pack of baby wipes around on road trips… and I have many packs in my van. I use them almost daily.

15) Sink baths (like a bird bath!)

bird bath shower public shower

I saved the best for last. If you can’t find a shower, just take a sink bath somewhere. Better than being stinky, right?

Conclusion

The moral of the story is this: 

Don’t let the worry of finding a public shower and staying hygenic on your road trip hold you back. If you are hesitant about committing to the “van life” because you don’t know where you will shower, rest assured there are many-many options. 

If you thought of any public shower options that we didn’t list, please let us know in the comment section below!

Now that you have some places to take a shower, check out your different camper van toilet options below:

The 8 Best Solar Showers – Camping Or Mobile Living

Camper van shower

A solar camping shower is an easy, affordable, and effective way to stay clean–whether you’re on the road living out of your van or just looking to clean up while at camp.

It’s simple, when you’re hiking or mountain biking the sun heats up the water. When you’re done with the day’s activities you have a hot solar shower waiting for you. And if it’s a cloudy day, heating up water on the stove and adding it to the shower reservoir is an effective alternative.

Before I get into each solar shower and their specs, I want to cover a couple things to keep in mind when selecting and using one.

Water Weight

When selecting a solar shower, many people think bigger is better. More water means a longer shower. Or more water means more people can shower.

Right?

While this is true, keep in mind how much water weighs. One gallon of water weighs about 8.34 pounds. Although this doesn’t sound like much, the weight adds up.

The first five solar camping showers on the list give you 5 gallons/20 liters of warm water. That’s almost 42 pounds of water you need to hoist above you to use the 5-gallon gravity-fed showers. However, if need capacity but can’t or don’t want to lift 42 pounds above your head, the last two solar showers are for you.

Solar Shower Heat

The typical 5-gallon solar shower takes about three hours to reach approximately 100°F in direct sunlight. But be careful. Sometimes solar showers get too hot. Always test the water before showering and add cold water if needed.

On the other hand, once the solar shower is in the shade, it loses heat rather fast.

Like 5 °F or more per hour fast.

It’s best to use them straight out of the sun. Although this isn’t related to heating the water, all the showers listed are for just that – showering. They are not for storing drinking water unless specified otherwise.

If you don’t think a solar shower bag is for you, check out our post “15 Public Shower Options Near You.

Coghlan's solar shower

Coghlan’s hallmark green packaging with yellow lettering is synonymous with camping gear. One of their products happens to be a 5-gallon solar camp shower. 

For those of you looking for a PVC-free shower, Coghlan’s delivers. With the black shower bag comes with a hose, hose clamp to control flow, and a 1” diameter showerhead. One side of the bag is clear, and that’s the side you place up in the sun. It weighs a mere 10 ounces and packs down small.

This simple solar camp shower has its downsides. The hose clamp slows the flow to a trickle instead of stopping it completely. Additionally, the long hose makes it hard to keep unkinked. 

Lastly, the fill port is small, and it’s a push-in cap, not a screw cap. As a result, the cap is susceptible to warping in the sun and leaking. There are even complaints of it popping off during transport and use. However, this no-frills solar shower is a cheap option for van life, and it get’s the job done.

DOTSOG portable solar shower

At first glance, the DOTSOG solar shower bag is quite similar to Coghlan’s. But there are notable differences. The DOTSOG is PVC and claims it can reach 113°F in three hours. It also includes a PVC tube to put above the carrying handle for added support. 

The showerhead doesn’t appear to be much bigger than Coghlan’s. However, it does come with an on/off valve that is an improvement over a hose clamp. Unfortunately, the valve location is at the outlet of the bag instead of at the showerhead.

VIGLT camping solar shower

The VIGLT camping shower is a step up from the DOTSOG, giving you more features. The front of the solar shower bag sports a mesh pocket to stash travel-sized toiletries while you shower. Additionally, the carrying handle is sturdy, made of webbing strap with a plastic grip. The handle also has a side release buckle, making this solar shower easy to hang without additional rope.

There are also subtle yet major differences between the VIGLT and the previous two camping showers. The fill port has a screw-on cap, making it less prone to leaking. And the fill port appears to bigger as well. 

Additionally, the showerhead is wider. The flow control valve is also conveniently located at the showerhead. Another neat feature is the built-in temperature gauge on the back of the solar shower bag.

Summer solar shower

The Advanced Elements solar shower looks like a silver VIGLT with some key improvements. The front side of the bag is 4-ply with a reflective and insulating layer. Also, the handle grip is rubber not plastic. However, one of the biggest differences is the flow control. Instead of a simple valve, you push or pull the showerhead to control flow.

Advanced Elements also has a PVC-free version of their 5-gallon camp shower that comes in black. Additionally, they have two smaller silver PVC solar showers. You can choose from a 2.5-gallon or 3-gallon capacity. 

Outdoor Hygiene 5 gallon solar shower

As far as the 5-gallon solar camping showers go, I saved the best for last. The Outdoor Hygiene solar shower is made of food grade TPU. Therefore, you can use it as both a shower and water bladder. I bet that’s why it’s the only bag shower with click-on hose connector. 

Additionally, it sports a wide fill port with screw-on cap like that of a Camelback. As a result, this is the only 5-gallon solar shower listed that’s easy to clean.

The shower nozzle of the Outdoor Hygiene looks like a cross between a kitchen sink side sprayer and garden hose nozzle. However, this design makes for easy one-handed operation. This shower bag does not come with a built-in thermometer, but I find the other features make for it.

sea to summit pocket solar shower

This is the smallest and lightest solar shower available coming in at a little over 5 ounces. The Pocket Shower is a great addition to your campervan that you can also take backpacking. But it only has a 2.5-gallon capacity. 

The solar shower bag looks like a waterproof stuff sack with a little showerhead on the bottom. Therefore, the bag opening is like that of any roll-top bag, making it the easiest to fill and clean.

Controlling the flow of the camp shower is as simple as twisting the showerhead. The biggest drawback is the small showerhead clogs easily when using natural water sources. Another complaint is that it’s easy to overtighten the showerhead. Overtightening pinches and warps the o-ring, resulting in leaks.

nemo helio pressure solar shower

The Helio is one of two pressurized solar showers on the list. Instead, it comes with a foot pump to deliver pressurized water. Pump to pressurize the “tank” before showering and occasionally give it a few more pumps to maintain pressure. The tank is PU coated polyester, meaning you can pack it down for easy storage. The shower nozzle is like that of the Outdoor Hygiene and attached to a 7-foot hose.

The regular Helio gives you 2.9 gallons. The tank sits on the ground lengthwise on four plastic feet. One end cap is clear, allowing you see the water level in the tank. The fill port has a push-in cap. The Helio LX has twice the capacity of its little brother with a whopping 5.8-gallon capacity. 

Unlike the regular Helio, the LX sits upright on one end when in use. The fill port is on the other end with a screw-on cap that looks like that of a water bottle.

Yakima road solar shower vehicle mounted

The RoadShower is a tube-like pressurized solar shower designed for mounting on a vehicle roof rack. They offer three different capacities: 4, 7 and 10 gallons. The tanks are made of aluminum, making them the most durable solar shower on the list. They have a large top cap for easy filling. Each end has a water outlet, and the tank has a stick-on thermometer. The RoadShower also comes with a hose and spray nozzle.

There are two ways to pressure the tank. One, with a Schrader valve, which is the same air valve found on many bicycle tires. Two, with a garden hose. This allows you to fill the tank while pressurizing it. But don’t worry, the tank comes with a built-in relief valve that automatically opens at 65 psi to prevent overpressure.

The RoadShower’s vehicle mounting is both good and bad depending on how you look at it. Because it’s mounted on your vehicle, there’s no set up and no hoisting of a heavy solar shower bag above your head. 

On the other hand, you must park your vehicle in the sun to get hot water. For those with roof-top solar panels, this is a moot point. But if you want to keep your vehicle cool in the shade and still take a hot shower, the RoadShower forces you to choose one or the other.

Which is the Best Solar Camping Shower?

That answer depends what your needs are and how much you’re willing to spend. The gravity-fed bag showers are an inexpensive and portable way to meet your showering needs. They provide a large enough capacity for multiple people if using the on/off shower method. Additionally, they pack down small for easy storage. 

If you’re looking for more pressure or don’t want to hoist a heavy bag over your head, the Helio is a great choice. It’s packs down well and gives you added pressure with less fuss. But the RoadShower is another convenient pressurized shower that’s sure to last with its robust construction.

So, the real question is which one works best for you?

And if you arn’t into solar showers, maybe you would rather bathe in a public shower?