Buying a caravan toilet might be the last thing on your mind when you think about travelling in your mobile home. But choosing to do your business in comfort rather than "going bush" is a big deal.
Now you need to work out the best caravan toilet choice for you.
Types Of Caravan Toilets
There Are Three Main Types Of Caravan Toilet:
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Cassette Toilet – Built-into a caravan or motorhome. Only the cassette with the waste is removed to empty.
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Gravity Flush with Holding Tank – Built into a caravan or motorhome. The waste is pumped or drained out of the black tank via a large hose.
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Portable Toilet – The whole unit is completely movable and fully self-contained. The waste tank can be separated for emptying.
Cassette Toilet
A cassette toilet is a popular toilet product for caravanning because it is installed inside the van. The compact toilet bowl is permanently installed over a removable waste tank. When flushed, waste drops directly into the tank. When the waste tank is full, you need to manually remove it through a service door and empty it into a dump point. Easy!
Pros
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Cassette toilets use very little water.
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Toilet is fixed to your van but the storage tank is portable and removable for convenience.
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No need for a dump station to empty – cassette tanks are quick to dump in any toilet along the way.
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The cassette can be easily removed so you do not have to pack up camp to empty it.
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Cassette tanks are easy to clean.
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Buy a left hand or right hand entry model to suit your interior space.
Cons
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Tanks are generally 1/3 to 1/5 of the size of a black water tank, which means they need to be emptied more regularly.
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The cassette tank needs to be lifted in and out of the holding bay, which may be challenging for some.
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Emptying the tank is not a pleasant job!
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Once a cassette toilet is installed, it's not easily swapped for another model if you change your mind.
Our Top Pick
The most popular model we sell is the Dometic CTS 4110 cassette toilet. This toilet comes with a ceramic bowl, which is easy to clean and looks good (for a toilet!). The bowl is also adjustable by 90° in both directions, which makes the cassette toilet perfect for use in tighter or awkward spaces. Best of all, the ergonomically shaped seat means it's as comfortable to use as your toilet back home.
Gravity Flush With Holding Tank
The second type of caravan toilet worth considering is the gravity flush. These toilets use less water than a traditional household toilet and consume no energy thanks to the integrated foot pedal. That's why they are the most commonly found toilet in an RV.
Pros
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Work in a similar way to a household toilet, which makes them a home comfort on the road.
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Use less water than a household toilet.
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Easy to find replacement parts.
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You don't have to see your waste, unlike other caravan toilets.
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Reasonably priced, starting from around $600 for a good quality Thetford model.
Cons
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Uses your caravan's water supply, which is not ideal if camping off-grid without easy access to water.
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You must deal with the black tank when dumping – never a fun job!
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Odours can be an issue without the right chemicals.
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Black tank has been known to clog.
Our Top Pick
The Thetford C263-CS Ceramic Cassette Toilet is the most popular model in our range. These are permanently installed in your caravan with a holding tank underneath the toilet bowl. Simply stop at a designated dump point to empty the tank.
Portable Toilet
Last but not least, a portable toilet is a convenient and flexible option for caravanners and campers. Because it's not fixed into your vehicle, you can take it anywhere – even when car camping and four-wheel driving.
Pros
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Portable toilets are very cheap! You can pay under $200 for a good quality toilet.
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Transport it anywhere, which makes it good for camping and 4x4 adventures too.
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No installation required, just bolt down if you want.
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Very little water needed.
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No electricity or plumbing required.
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No need for a dump station to empty – use any toilet to empty it while on the road and save time, hassle and money.
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You don't have to pack up camp to empty the toilet tank.
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Compact and lightweight design to stow away whilst not in use.
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Two types of chemicals are all you need – one goes into the flush tank to lubricate and keep things smelling nice, and the other liquefies waste and prevents bad smells in the waste tank.
Cons
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You have to see and smell the waste contents when you empty the tank.
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Usually only have a small holding tank capacity so you need to dump waste more often.
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Low seats can be uncomfortable for some.
Our Top Pick
When it comes to portable toilets, you can't go past the Thetford 565E Porta Potti Electric Flush Portable Toilet. Unlike most portable toilets, you get flushing with the touch of a button – no need for constant pumping. A comfortable seat and extra height makes it more like your toilet at home.
Which Accessories Do You Need?
Depending on the caravan toilet you buy, choose from the following accessories:
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Spigot and Flange – to ensure your toilet is plumbed in properly, buy the right size spigot and flange for your model. Dometic offers a range of accessories to suit their range. Live chat with us if you need advice.
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Service Door – if you have chosen a Cassette style toilet you will need a service door to access your cassette to empty it. Check out the Thetford, Aussie Traveller and Coast service doors available in black and white.
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Toilet Chemicals – toilet chemicals are an essential part of caravan and camping toilets. They play two parts. Generally the "PINK" chemicals are the flushing tank additive. The serve two roles, one is to lubricate the bowl to keep it free from marks and secondly to add fragrance to the bowl to make it more pleasant to use. Simply pour the required amount into the fresh water tank and you are ready to go. The next step is to add your waste chemical to you cassette or holding tank. These generally come in "Blue" and "Green". Blue is a fast acting chemical to break down waste, these can't be used in septic systems and some caravan parks won't allow the dumping of these additives so always check first. The "Green" chemicals are an eco friendly alternative, although they don't break down the waste as quick, they can be used in more systems. Check out Thetford's extensive range of toilet chemicals and accessories.
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SOG Ventilation System – this product is a sustainable alternative to keeping your caravan toilet clean. Not only is it chemical free but also odourless. You can use the SOG with all Thetford and Dometic cassette toilets and black water tanks. It works by automatically tuning on a fan when the toilet gate vale is open in order to generate negative pressure in the waste holding tank resulting in an intake of fresh air. This allows odours to be steered outside while also increasing the rate of waste breakdown, leaving no smells lingering in your caravan.
