What To Know About Portable Toilets

We ogle over our portable toilet. I know that sounds strange, but having a reliable bathroom no matter where you are relieves anxiety and actually feels luxurious. And no, ours doesn’t smell, even when it’s in the back seat of our car.

We used ours during our house build before we installed the plumbing. We still use it frequently for van and car camping. Some of our friends use portable toilets on sailboats and river rafting trips, or at their plumbing-less mountain cabins. Portable toilets are also helpful during a natural disaster or other emergency.

Before we settled on the model we have now — the Thetford 565e — we ordered, and subsequently returned (without using!) just about every style out there. Some were poor quality. Others were uncomfortable or just not right for our situation. Here’s what we learned along the way about choosing and maintaining a portable toilet.

Types of Portable Toilets

Portable toilets have various comfort and ick factors. Common styles include:

• Port-a-potty toilets: These are most like traditional toilets, with an upper bowl that uses water to flush waste down into a holding tank. The tank separates from the top so you can carry it to an RV dump or public toilet for emptying. Some flush by electric push-button (piston flush), and others by hand pump (bellows flush).
• Dry flush toilets: These wrap waste in plastic and foil, which usually go into a holding tank until you find a garbage can to throw them in.
• Composting toilets: These separate liquids from solids, then use pellets or sawdust to prevent stinking. Good ones include a fan.
• Folding toilets: Like a portable seat with legs that fold down. Instead of a holding tank, theres a bag underneath.
• Bucket toilets: A five-gallon bucket with a seat on top with a bag for waste, or sometimes just sawdust and a lid.

Portable Toilet Features To Consider

Karuna Eberl for Family Handyman

• Holding tank size, which determines how often it must be emptied;
• Seat height, which can be an issue for taller people;
• Bowl size, since shallow bowls aren’t as comfortable for men;
• Overall toilet dimensions, to fit your available space;
• Overall cost, which varies wildly between styles;
• Cost of accessories, like bags and disposable waste cartridges;
• Smell – get one that seals away waste and isn’t just an open-pit style;
• Durability — some budget ones feel like they won’t last long (and you definitely don’t want a tank blowout!);
• Environmental considerations, like wrapping waste in plastic or using holding tank chemicals;
• Water availability for port-a-potty styles;
• Garbage bin availability for models that wrap waste;
• The ick factor, of wrapping waste in a bag vs. dumping out sewage;
• Extras like waste and water level indicators, toilet paper compartments and mounting plates.

Also, depending on your situation, you may want a small tent for privacy.

This style is really compact, but embarrassingly, we still can’t figure out how to fold it back up. So we use this one now, which is also large enough to double as a comfortable shower space.

How Much Does a Portable Toilet Cost?

Of course, there are a lot of models, so prices vary. In general, expect the following ranges for portable toilets:

• Port-a-potties: $100 to $200;
• Dry flush toilets: $600 to $1,000;
• Composting toilets: $450 to $2,000;
• Folding toilets: $50 to $15;
• Bucket toilets: $20 to $50.

Portable Toilet Cleaning and Other Tips

Karuna Eberl for Family Handyman

When you first buy a portable toilet, make sure to read the instructions so you know which cleaning and waste chemicals (or types of waste-holding media, like sawdust) you’ll need for optimal use. This is especially important for models with seals around the holding tank. If you damage those, it can get stinky and messy.

In a port-a-potty, using the right chemicals also ensures there are no solids left when you go to empty it. That means the spout won’t get clogged, making the whole operation more pleasant.

A Thetford spokesperson recently told us they should also be “charged” for 24 hours before using. That entails putting one to three gallons of water in the holding tank along with some AquaMAX chemicals to ensure it’s ready to neutralize odors and break down waste. We have never done this, however, and it hasn’t been a problem.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly: Never flush a port-a-potty with the lid open! When you change elevation or temperature, the tank can build up pressure, and thus will burp when opened. This is a horrible experience, and a mistake that you will only make once.

Some models, including Thetford, come with a manual pressure release valve. If you remember to push it, it should prevent splash-up on the closed lid as well.