Porta potti 335 setup

[The Tall Luthier]

How do I set up the potti please?
I know the flush tank is 10L and the waste tank is 10L.
The two of us are off to a festival for four days and I don’t know what amounts of each liquid to use.
How much pink liquid to flush will I need in total?
How much blue to liquify will I need please?

 

[Velma's Dad]

I'd suggest don't over-fill (or over-think it). You really only need a couple of capfuls of fluid in the top and bottom tanks, then fill up top tank with water and slosh a bit of water into the bottom tank to "get you started".

To be put it delicately, the less starter mix you put in the bottom tank, the more room for "payload".

 

[Jim2007]

What @Velma's Dad said.

A tip from our experience: we don’t fill the top tank above half. If you have a full top tank and a pretty full bottom tank, it takes some moving about. Top tank fill lasts much longer than a bottom tank fill. Top tank can be easily topped up too.

If you’re in the devil-may-care crowd that stores it under the sink, a piece of 18mm MDF cut to shape placed in the bottom of the cupboard for the bog to sit on, makes getting it in and out much easier as you don’t have to get it over the door runners both ways.

 

[andyinluton]

If you’re in the devil-may-care crowd that stores it under the sink, a piece of 18mm MDF cut to shape placed in the bottom of the cupboard for the bog to sit on, makes getting it in and out much easier as you don’t have to get it over the door runners both ways.

Or better still get the brandrup tray that fits under the sink & stops it moving about in there & has a lip to protect the door runners.

 

[Velma's Dad]

Forgot to mention... we use a combo fluid that does both top and bottom tanks. Called OlPro. (But actually you could probably just use any of the 'blue' fluid in the top if needed, it all ends up in the same place.)

Bottom and Top Plus - Toilet Fluid & Rinse

OLPRO Bottom & Top Plus Toilet Fluid & Rinse ensures your caravan or motorhome toilet stays clean and fresh. Combined formula for effective waste breakdown and a pleasant scent. Shop now!

olproshop.com

 

[Steve1]

How do I set up the potti please?
I know the flush tank is 10L and the waste tank is 10L.
The two of us are off to a festival for four days and I don’t know what amounts of each liquid to use.
How much pink liquid to flush will I need in total?
How much blue to liquify will I need please?

The top tank is just a sort of scented air freshener usually, so any mix from pure water up is fine depending on what you like. The bottom is the more critical one but the mix ratio should be on the bottle of chemicals. They all have different concentrations so you do need to read the mix ratio. Once you know what it is you can probably get away with half of what they say for your container volume, because you wouldn't want to fill the bottom half to full unless there is no other choice. Emptying at half makes it easier to lift and pour out without getting splashed.
A sneaky empty into the portaloo is always a possibility if they don't have a disposal point, then top up with fresh chemicals and start again !

 

[andyinluton]

The bottom is the more critical one but the mix ratio should be on the bottle of chemicals. They all have different concentrations so you do need to read the mix ratio.

Forget the faffing around with chemicals.
Dishwasher or washing machine tablets work the same, smell a lot nicer & are far easier to carry around than a bottle of that blue liquid that stains everything.

 

[Velma's Dad]

Another top tip - make sure you press and hold that button on the cassette when you're about to empty it. A glugging Portapotti is, well, inelegant at best.

 

[Jim2007]

Or better still get the brandrup tray that fits under the sink & stops it moving about in there & has a lip to protect the door runners.

Currently 224 Euros! That includes the £80 toilet though.

 

[flying banana]

Get rid of it and go popaloo. No cleaning. No chemicals. Folds flat. Tie a knot in it and bin it. Jobby done

 

[andyinluton]

Currently 224 Euros! That includes the £80 toilet though.

£45 at a well known Campervan accessory shop.

 

[chockswahay]

We just put 3 litres in the top and 1 litre in the lower section. Drop in a single wash tab and away you go! (2 tabs in hot weather)

Also pee in a separate container as you can chuck that daily otherwise you will fill the loo in a couple of days.



If you want to keep it fresh smelling then this is an option too (especially in hot weather)

 

[Azteccamper]

We just put 3 litres in the top and 1 litre in the lower section. Drop in a single wash tab and away you go! (2 tabs in hot weather)

Also pee in a separate container as you can chuck that daily otherwise you will fill the loo in a couple of days.

View attachment 96537

If you want to keep it fresh smelling then this is an option too (especially in hot weather)

View attachment 96538

Pee in a separate container? Isn’t that why you bought the portaloo?

 

[chockswahay]

Pee in a separate container? Isn’t that why you bought the portaloo?

No. Pee anywhere, poo in a loo

Of course you can pee in a Portapotti but you will need to empty it every other day which may not always be practical or possible. Also it is actually the urine that causes the greater unwanted odours.

We tour and do not use campsites so we prefer to extend the duration between emptying. If you only use campsites then no form of toilet ‘economy’ is necessary.

 

[The Tall Luthier]

That’s all great advice. Thanks everyone for your input.

 

[Velma's Dad]

Of course you can pee in a Portapotti but you will need to empty it every other day which may not always be practical or possible. Also it is actually the urine that causes the greater unwanted odours.

At risk of becoming too engrossed in human biology... with two of us travelling we certainly don't fill up the Thetford 335 every other day. We tend only to be using it at night, during daytime there are invariably other options.

(Being yet more analytical (sorry!) if a human produces typically 1,500 millilitres of urine a day, even even two of you were peeing exclusively into the Portapotti tank without using any other facilities, you'd take more than three days to fill it up.)

We've never found the Thetford to smell at all.

I just wanted to make those counter-points for any newbies etc reading this. While some people swear by disposable bags, or pee in a bottle, we've always found the Thetford a very practical bit of kit and we wouldn't be without it.

 

[chockswahay]

At risk of becoming too engrossed in human biology... with two of us travelling we certainly don't fill up the Thetford 335 every other day. We tend only to be using it at night, during daytime there are invariably other options.

(Being yet more analytical (sorry!) if a human produces typically 1,500 millilitres of urine a day, even even two of you were peeing exclusively into the Portapotti tank without using any other facilities, you'd take more than three days to fill it up.)

We've never found the Thetford to smell at all.

I just wanted to make those counter-points for any newbies etc reading this. While some people swear by disposable bags, or pee in a bottle, we've always found the Thetford a very practical bit of kit and we wouldn't be without it.

You are quite correct, however we do drink a LOT of tea . We can go up to 10 days without having to empty the loo.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

If there is a urine smell when you are near your porta potti then something is seriously wrong. We use toilet chemicals in the bottom tank and a tiny bit of zoflora scented disinfectant in the top tank. I would suggest that if your porta potti smells the seals are not working properly. There is no nasty smells with ours only the smell of Zoflora.

 

[chockswahay]

This is a debate that could go on and on....... if you get to empty often....... no smells....... if you use chemicals.......no smells apart from the chemical (which I think smells awful).........

Nothing wrong with our loo, this is a method we have evolved over about 800 days away in this and previous vans.

We don’t use chemicals because they can harm cesspit type sewage treatments.

I am happy with what we do and was only answering the OP

Each to his own......

 

[Steve1]

You can also get green chemicals which are supposed to be safe for the cesspits, if you want to use the chemicals. I use the green one and haven't had any problems, but I've never used the "blue" for comparison.
I also switched to the double concentrate green one so you can carry a smaller bottle it seems to work as well as the standard green one.

 

[Elly Swanson]

How do I set up the potti please?
I know the flush tank is 10L and the waste tank is 10L.
The two of us are off to a festival for four days and I don’t know what amounts of each liquid to use.
How much pink liquid to flush will I need in total?
How much blue to liquify will I need please?

Don’t use either of those flush liquids, go green. Some places specify only green as the others are much less eco friendly and also upset septic tanks.

If the weather’s cool and we only using it for wees I don’t use any fluid. At festivals they’ll be an emptying point. I empty ours every day and clean the bowl with a squirt of flash. As soon as someone does a poo in it green liquid goes in, also if the weather’s hot or I know I can’t empty every day. If liquid goes in I don’t empty everyday.

You can use green liquid in the flush tank and the holding area.

 

[Elly Swanson]

You can also get green chemicals which are supposed to be safe for the cesspits, if you want to use the chemicals. I use the green one and haven't had any problems, but I've never used the "blue" for comparison.
I also switched to the double concentrate green one so you can carry a smaller bottle it seems to work as well as the standard green one.

We used to use blue before green came along. It is effective but is horrible, nasty stuff.

 

[Elly Swanson]

How do I set up the potti please?
I know the flush tank is 10L and the waste tank is 10L.
The two of us are off to a festival for four days and I don’t know what amounts of each liquid to use.
How much pink liquid to flush will I need in total?
How much blue to liquify will I need please?

Couple of extra things from my experience of porta potties:

• waste tank takes 10l including your waste and flush so you’ll fill it before you’ve used all your flush, don’t be over zealous flushing or it’ll fill quickly
• if you find the 335 a bit low an 18l “Really Useful Box” will raise it to the height of a normal loo (the box is actually really useful for storage so no wasted space)
  • 
• at festivals we have the loo in our driveaway awning in the day and bring it in the van at night (the noise is really annoying to other campers if you’re opening the van door at night)
• if we’re overnight stopping the loo stays in the van. In the day it sits under a Dunelm ottoman box, not on the Really Useful box mentioned above (the ottoman slides over the loo upside down and the top goes on the top -which is the actual bottom of the box) at night the box can fold down or be kept as a box to put your clothes, etc in. When up, the box makes for a great footstool, extra seat or coffee table
  • 
• when we’re travelling we have the loo inside the van secured at the back of the driver’s seat (uk) with roc straps. Handy for 2 reasons:
  • frees up space in the back of the van
  • the passenger can use the loo if they’re desperate and you can’t or don’t want to stop
  • 
    
• don’t use bleach in the loo, it rots the rubber seals. When home I clean the loo with diluted bleach in the bottom, scrub round with a long handle brush (ikea do a good kitchen one) and thoroughly rinse straight away

 

[BeeBee]

Or better still get the brandrup tray that fits under the sink & stops it moving about in there & has a lip to protect the door runners.

Works a treat but like all accessories overpriced !

 

[Fizzleface]

Couple of extra things from my experience of porta potties:

• waste tank takes 10l including your waste and flush so you’ll fill it before you’ve used all your flush, don’t be over zealous flushing or it’ll fill quickly
• if you find the 335 a bit low an 18l “Really Useful Box” will raise it to the height of a normal loo (the box is actually really useful for storage so no wasted space)
  • View attachment 96602
• at festivals we have the loo in our driveaway awning in the day and bring it in the van at night (the noise is really annoying to other campers if you’re opening the van door at night)
• if we’re overnight stopping the loo stays in the van. In the day it sits under a Dunelm ottoman box, not on the Really Useful box mentioned above (the ottoman slides over the loo upside down and the top goes on the top -which is the actual bottom of the box) at night the box can fold down or be kept as a box to put your clothes, etc in. When up, the box makes for a great footstool, extra seat or coffee table
  • View attachment 96601
• when we’re travelling we have the loo inside the van secured at the back of the driver’s seat (uk) with roc straps. Handy for 2 reasons:
  • frees up space in the back of the van
  • the passenger can use the loo if they’re desperate and you can’t or don’t want to stop
  • View attachment 96607
• don’t use bleach in the loo, it rots the rubber seals. When home I clean the loo with diluted bleach in the bottom, scrub round with a long handle brush (ikea do a good kitchen one) and thoroughly rinse straight away

Thanks for the tip on 18ltr Really Useful Box, managed to get one today ready for my trip next week!