Toilets and portaloo's

I am just closing the deal on my second hand Cali which I hope to have on the road within a week or two. It seems entirely right that my first post should be on the topic of how to poo in a bag. I thoroughly enjoyed Granny Jen's excellent paper on the topic and, like her, I have no problem with the concept of bagging my waste. Currently, Disposa John bags are available on ebay for 28p if you buy a hundred. That includes what I must assume is a suitably robust bag. Still, it is 28p a go! So I have looked for the nappy liners referenced in the paper and I am not sure what I am looking for. There is a variety of rolls of nappy liners available but they do not look like the absorbent pad which I imagined from the description. Will somebody (Granny Jen) provide a link or product name please.

Thank you.
 
Walrus said:
I am just closing the deal on my second hand Cali which I hope to have on the road within a week or two. It seems entirely right that my first post should be on the topic of how to poo in a bag. I thoroughly enjoyed Granny Jen's excellent paper on the topic and, like her, I have no problem with the concept of bagging my waste. Currently, Disposa John bags are available on ebay for 28p if you buy a hundred. That includes what I must assume is a suitably robust bag. Still, it is 28p a go! So I have looked for the nappy liners referenced in the paper and I am not sure what I am looking for. There is a variety of rolls of nappy liners available but they do not look like the absorbent pad which I imagined from the description. Will somebody (Granny Jen) provide a link or product name please.

Thank you.
Click to expand...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B018IZV70A/?tag=vwcalifornia-21

Now, I am a granny, two grandsons still in nappies, so I buy them on subscription and get 20% off. Without that they work out at about 27p per insert. Basically they are a disposable pad containing biodegradable materials such as wood pulp.

Downside is that they are very bulky, why I am ...er.... "road testing" alternatives such as disposa john.

The bog-in-a-bag is very lightweight and easily knocked over so essential to "bag" contents soon after using. Otherwise it is a doddle to set up, totally out of the way when collapsed and makes a useful occasional stool. Far more "commodious" (excuse the pun) to take a folding canvas-covered tripod out of the van as a third seat around the table than inviting someone to park their butt on a handy 335!
 
That's more like I imagined you meant. Price looks much of a muchness so I'll probably start with the less bulky alternative. I imagine rapid bagging to be an essential part of the process. I see the BIAB has a cover to disguise it's primary purpose so it can function as a spare seat. Thanks for the prompt help.
 
stephen watson said:
Hi
I don't get my Cali until Feb, so no practical experience I'm afraid. I have however bought a Bog in A Bag with some spare bags. GrannyJen has been my main source of wisdom and guidance. My thinking has been it will mainly be for occasional and emergency use (use normal loos whenever possible), so this seems the least space/cheapest option. If we end up doing longer trips and need a van loo a lot I may end up getting a 335 - it looks the more comfortable option to me. If that is the case I think I would try a "hybrid" solution of using disposable liner bags first in the 335, for occasional use, first.
I haven't used the bog in a bag yet but do have a slight worry. The hole you are sitting on seems very small and if you are doing a number 2 I hope that it will also catch a simultaneous number 1. A little fountain in front of you wouldn't be very elegant. No doubt a gentleman with some experience may be able to let us know!
Sounds like we're going to get our vans around the same time - 1st Feb for me. Been rather worried about the roof corrosion issue in T6s but decided to go ahead and hope VW come up with a permenant fix before my guarantee runs out.
Click to expand...
Yes I get my Cali at the end of Feb by the time the power etc. is changed to suit NZ . So looking forward to it. I have decided to go the disposal bag route for now and see how we go. I found an amazing bucket today that has a good lid and it fits between the front seats believe it or not so that the late night little Pees are able to be dealt with without exiting the van. If I need a number 2 item I think I will go for a boat bucket with a seat and bags...just like a doggy bag as Granny Jen said. thanks for your reply and happy camping!!
 
Having recently got my new Cali used the BIAB for the first time. Well impressed with how compact it is for storage in the van. Also another plus factor is that if you are semi wild camping it's easy to carry to somewhere more private - behind a wall for example. Not as obvious as taking a 335. A good buy in my opinion.

Now researching alternative bags and had never heard of "disposa john". Fascinating youtube instructional video (with audience of would be Cali owners?) :

Brief Relief: BR500 - Disposa-John Portable Restroom Tutorial

It mentions that the commode is tested to "350 pounds of pressure over an 8 hour period". I'm not sure if this is a very large person sitting on it all day or 350psi, which sounds rather like carrying an unexploded bomb around. Not sure if BIAB has been so rigorously tested!
 
stephen watson said:
Having recently got my new Cali used the BIAB for the first time. Well impressed with how compact it is for storage in the van. Also another plus factor is that if you are semi wild camping it's easy to carry to somewhere more private - behind a wall for example. Not as obvious as taking a 335. A good buy in my opinion.

Now researching alternative bags and had never heard of "disposa john". Fascinating youtube instructional video (with audience of would be Cali owners?) :

Brief Relief: BR500 - Disposa-John Portable Restroom Tutorial

It mentions that the commode is tested to "350 pounds of pressure over an 8 hour period". I'm not sure if this is a very large person sitting on it all day or 350psi, which sounds rather like carrying an unexploded bomb around. Not sure if BIAB has been so rigorously tested!
Click to expand...

Travel john is excellent, comes with all you need including toilet roll and hand wipes, easily fits into a BIAB tripod and has the best seal of any disposable, everything being sealed inside a zip locked foil bag. At about 35p per bag it is quite economical.

Downside is it is bulky and not biodegradable so not landfill friendly.
 
Roy Stephens said:
http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/freedom-trail-portable-flush-toilet-p342818 just picked up one of these to try out
Click to expand...
Our Dometic loo (similar to the Thetford 335) was quite expensive but it started to leak where the top bit fits into the bottom bit (not sure if I should say “bottom” in this instance! :D). Fortunately only the flush water, but I didn’t want to risk anything worse. I replaced it with a Thetford 335, I should have got one of those in the first place; tried and tested, all the spares are available, the Dometic were not.

So as your new Cali will be costing In the region of £60k you might want to reconsider if the saving on that loo is worth it. Blue stains (or worse) on the floor would be difficult to remove!

It might be a perfectly good loo but I wouldn’t want to be the one to test it! ;)
 
Just picked up the most recent 'toilet' thread I could find to ask a question - after 2 years I thought it would be a good idea to give my Kampa Portaflush a thorough clen - but now I'm puzzling over what to use? I know you can get a dedicated toilet cleaner but I don't have any and my toilet is sitting in the garden waiting for attention!

Was thinking about using a household cleaner that's based on orange juice, but I'm worried about damaging the seals - what do you think?

:Depressed
 
Should be ok . I use household bleach diluted.
 
I use novichok.

Pisses off porton Down no end :shocked
 
Does anyone know of any loo solution out there that doesn't involve having to store a cube anywhere in the Cali? Even the small cubes seem pretty big.
 
Search for bog-in-a-bag on this forum. And you'll find various other similar options that some folks use.
 
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