One question my husband, Clark, and I get asked, is where we use the bathroom when traveling in our small camper van. Because we travel in a Small Ford Transit Connect our space is severely limited.
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First, here are all of the items in a chart that we have decided to talk about in this post.
We use the great outdoors as our bathroom! I know I know it’s not for everyone. There are some options that we have used in our time traveling that doesn’t involve peeing behind a tree or taking a poo on a log.
There are several options for a private, comfortable, and easy-to-use bathroom on the go, even traveling with a small van. We didn’t come to the decision easily. It was a matter of weighing some pros and cons, and the fact that we simply cannot fit a toilet into our van.
Deciding on whether or not we wanted a bathroom on the inside of the van was the determining factor to which size van we were willing to settle with. Here are some pros and cons that helped us decide what kind of bathroom we wanted.
Read about some of our greatest tips for traveling in a small camper van.
Pros to Having an Inside Camper Van toilet
Privacy: It’s always nice when you don’t have to find a tree to pop a squat behind and come to find out someone is right around the corner.
Ease of use: You don’t have to search for a restaurant, gas station, or perfect tree stump.
Hygiene: Let’s be honest the worst part about public restrooms is their cleanliness. Usually, bathrooms aren’t clean enough in a public area.
Cons to having an Inside Camper Van toilet
Smell: Depending on what kind of toilet you use and how you use it will determine what kind of smell it produces. There are plenty of options (Lid seals, chemicals, and cleaning frequently) to keep your portable toilet smelling fresh.
Space: This was the game-changer for us. We wanted space for other things and decided we could go without the luxury of having a toilet
Emptying: This was also a huge deciding factor for us. We didn’t want the hassle of finding a place to dump, and honestly the mess of dumping.
Options for Portable toilets inside the van
Portable Toilet
This specific toilet is great to use inside your camper van, because of the sealable lid that will keep odors from escaping in your van. It also has a removable bucket that makes it easy to dump or put a poo bag in for even easier disposal. This is a non-flushing option and only comes with one main waste compartment.
Flushable Toilet
With this flushable toilet, you will no longer have to stare at the waste before you pop a squat. It has two separate tanks for water and waste. You won’t have to use poo bags or deal with the smell (with proper maintenance, chemicals, and care.)
Pros to Having a Toilet on the Outside of Camper Van
Cheap: Peeing in a jar or digging a hole to take a poop is a significantly cheaper option.
Space Saver: We have a canopy and a pee jar. The canopy stores easily inside the van and is an easy setup when we find a place to park for the night. Having a canopy instead of a whole toilet in our van really saves space.
Don’t Have to Dump: There are no containers you need to dump unless you do decide to use a pee jar or a small toilet seat and a bucket.
Cons to Having a toilet on the Outside of Camper Van
Privacy: I personally haven’t experienced any “Peeping Toms”, but even squatting behind a tree feels like someone somewhere is looking.
Not Always Convenient: It’s not always convenient waiting for a torrential rainstorm to pass so you can pee in the middle of the night. Even when we set up our small canopy, it sucks walking in the rain to get to the shelter we set up…no matter how close.
Why we decided to go with outside the van toilet
We personally didn’t find this luxury a necessity. We wanted a small van so we could save gas and purchase a cheaper van. To us saving money and saving space for other things were the most important things for us.
Living the van life is all about compromising, figuring out where to fit stuff, and still living comfortably. If you need access to a toilet frequently you may want to consider putting one on the inside of the van. Depending on your camper van size, you should still be able to find a decent toilet and save some space.
Personally, I have to get up once or twice every night because my bladder is the size of a pea. I use the female urination device and it works great. I’ve heard so many complaints about this device, and I’m not sure why. I’ve heard people have problems with pee coming out the back and it spills, but I’ve never had a problem using it.
Types of toilets for outside of van use
bag/Bucket
This is probably one of the cheapest options for an outside toilet. All you need is a 5-gallon bucket and a toilet seat. Honestly, you don’t even need the seat, you could just slice a pool noodle and put it around the rim. Personally, I prefer the seat, it’s way more comfortable.
You may also want to look into getting a bag to line the bucket with. These bags do tend to get a bit pricey, however.
Portable composting toilet
This portable toilet weighs only 14 pounds, which will make for an easy set up taking it in and out of your van. Our plan is to get one like this and put it inside of our privacy shelter at night. I am very happy about the emptying process, it claims to be an easy splash-resistant container to use when taking it to empty.
I would recommend getting a bio pack for sewage break up and deodorizing.
Female Urination Device
Like I said before, I love this product. It’s easy to use and clean. I use this in the middle of the night when we don’t have a toilet set up, and it works wonderfully. I would suggest leaning forward a bit when using it, that way nothing leaks out the back.
Finding a restroom on the Road
One of the worst things on the road is finding a bathroom when you really have to go, especially #2. When the pandemic hit, we found it extremely hard to find a bathroom because of all the restaurants closing their dining rooms. We would either have to fight our way through Walmart, use a nasty gas station, or even pull over and use the woods. Here is a list of areas that will have bathrooms, just in case you find yourself on the road in your van without one.
- Resturaunts
- Gas stations
- Rest stops
- Truck stops
- If you have a planet fitness black card membership (this comes in handy for showers too.)
- Use the Flush Toilet Finder App to locate near by bathrooms
Options for privacy using your campervan Toilet
Pop up Tent
using a pop-up tent is a great option for easy setup and storage if you can find one tall enough to sit up in. This will also give you a fast option for emergencies.
Privacy Shelter
We always bring our privacy shelter when we travel in our camper van. Even when we don’t need it for a bathroom, we can still use it to change really quick or pee in the middle of the night when we don’t feel like walking to a campsite bathroom.
Inside the Van
You could always set up your bucket inside the van, depending on the space. We are able to set up a bucket or a portable toilet in our van only when the bed is pulled up.
Use back doors of van
This is one of the best options because this can work for any size van, and it’s cheap to find a curtain to hang on the two doors when they are opened out the back.
Important Things to Consider
Dumping: Be cautious about where you dump your tanks for portable toilets. I’ve seen people sneak them into Walmarts and empty them, but I can’t imagine that’s a pleasant trip with everyone staring at you.
You can also dump them at RV dumping stations (usually with a fee), and campsites will usually let you dump as well for a fee (some will let you even if you aren’t camping with them). Just be respectful and don’t dump outside designated areas.
Pooping in a hole: Something I haven’t discussed is pooping in a hole. Usually, you would do this backpacking, but I’m sure you can do it anywhere in the woods. As long as you are 200 ft away from campsites, and water sources you can dig a hole at least 6 inches deep. When you are done make sure you cover it.
Conclusion
I hope you find the perfect toilet for your camper van, pop any questions below in the comments. Happy pooping everyone!
