Date:         Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:54:24 -0700
Reply-To:     Rob <becida@COMCAST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Rob <becida@COMCAST.NET>
Subject:      Re: Porta-potti boxes
In-Reply-To:  <4c51b0fa.545ae50a.0644.290d@mx.google.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At  7/29/2010 09:48 AM, David Beierl wrote

>Rob, my first thought is that a soft cover would be easier to make
>and easier to deal with.  Also, are you saying that you empty the
>thing every day it gets used?  That's an awful waste of
>chemical.  Used properly the chemical will keep the thing sweet (if
>that's the right word) for weeks, no need to empty it until it's full.

Thanks folks!
Some really great ideas, I never even thought of looking on TheSamba
for ideas, I'm just more comfortable with the e-mail lists.

After reading all the replies on the list, what I could find on
TheSamba, studying what pictures I can find and my own extensive
porta-potty experience (embarrassing but I have a lot of experience
with these porta-potties) I have a plan.

So far we normally keep the bed folded up and use the seat as a seat
unless sleeping, the poptop is used as storage for the stuff that
rides behind the seat during the day. The grandkids slept up top on
one trip, the last trip (WetWesties Edge of the Earth last weekend)
they slept in a tent. The toilet has been riding behind the passenger
seat. The value of the on board toilet happens when it's a dark
and/or stormy night or you are boondocking in a parking lot or you
have an emergency that will not make it to the next gas station (I
really should have washed that apple before I ate it kind of thing...)
As a side note I have found that if I empty the toilet everyday or so
chemicals are not needed, smells are not a problem and the design of
these simple porta-potties making dumping them simple.

A soft cover it is.
I'm going to make a 2x6 stand to raise the toilet to a more
comfortable-to-use height (this will take sliding it under the bed
out of the picture) and make a cloth/vinyl soft cover to set on top
of the toilet to hide it's true function. The cover will allow easy
access to the toilet and allow you to still use it as a seat or foot rest.

The next thing is to give some serious thought to lashing it down...



Rob

becida@comcast.net
Western Washington State, USA