To Flush or not to Flush, that is the issue....

Anything to do with mechanical, construction etc

To Flush or not to Flush, that is the issue....

Postby kayakrguy » Sun Feb 12, 2006 6:11 pm

Friends,

To get directly to the chase...

The Mrs. has said that without a proper INDOOR biffy/loo--which means NOT having to get out into the elements to address bodily necessities, the notion of a TD is DOA. So, the build begins at the end so to speak. As a matter of practicality the inclusion of such a feature imposes some design problems. I have thought about this and have reached the following conclusions based on emperical observations...

First, I simply cannot fit a biffy/loo in a 8' trailer and still have room for a bed AND a decent hatch for a kitchen. So, first conclusion is that this will be a 5x10 not a 5x8.

Based on real life measurements (don't ask) your standard biffy is about 16 inches high. The good news is that porta potties are near that and a simple platform can raise them to that height if they are a bit short. In the act of using this item one's head is approximately 48" off the floor if you are about 5' 7' and higher if you are taller. So, a 4' sidewall with a curve at the front would be somewhat short of satisfactory. Which seems to mean that a 5'sidewall will be the order of the day.

Placement of the porta potti would be in the front corner, in an enclosed cabinet with a liftable cover which would have a latch on the wall to hold it up. The potty is about 16" square. The space between the potty and the opposite wall would be empty, permitting the users legs to extend while using same.

Now, the bed would be about 76 " long but the end of the bed would be just about an inch shy of the porta potty and extend to the rear of the cabin a total of about 76". The doors would be moved further toward the back to allow for the placement of the bed toward the rear. The Foot of the bed would be the end closest to the loo/biffy (for obvious reasons).

By placing the head of the bed toward the rear, the configuration of the cabin must change. The rear must be more of a 'Boxster' than a streamline shape. In shjort, it must be more of a rectangle than the typically curved hatch. I estimate having room for a kitchen layout of about 2' deep at the rear, which limits what we can do with that but there ARE tradeoffs in this stuff, no?

I would probably have an external door to allow removal and servicing of the porta potti.

Now, does this sound insane? Ok, it does, but does it sound doable. Have any of you used porta potties for camping and are they satisfactory for the kind of night time use (primary use) or occassional road side emergency? I have tried to convince the better half to that a bumper dumper might be a reasonable choice but INDOORS is non-negotiable.

Jim
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Postby mikeschn » Sun Feb 12, 2006 6:16 pm

The midget did it this way...

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However, as Andrew pointed out, did it really fit?

Here's another concept I came up with... It's a bit larger, but if you need a Loo, you may want to consider this...

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Postby Micro469 » Sun Feb 12, 2006 8:00 pm

Or you could put a big box on the tongue as tall as the tear, big enough for a potty, and a door on the inside, ventilate it to the ouside, curve the top to the shape of the tear.


Edit-- That's a pretty good idea, I might try to incorporate that into my plans......... :thumbsup:
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Postby Sonetpro » Sun Feb 12, 2006 8:20 pm

Fellow kayakrguy,
You should look at 48Robs Cabin Car. He has a full bath in it.
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Postby Steve_Cox » Sun Feb 12, 2006 8:28 pm

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Postby Sonetpro » Sun Feb 12, 2006 8:32 pm

I got one of these for the beach. My wife loves it for the potty, showering and changing. http://tinyurl.com/bqby6
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Postby angib » Sun Feb 12, 2006 8:54 pm

Jim,

Various thoughts on this subject:

- Minimise the biffy height - a Porta Potti 135 at 12" high is perfectly usable - this is not the Hilton we're buildig here.

- In several teardrop profiles there is more headroom in practice at the back of the 'cabin' than in the triangular space you'll be squeezing into at the front. Consider moving the bed forward and the biffy back.

- The space in which she will be 'operating' is absolutely tiny - you must make a cardboard or masonite mock-up, including the limited headroom, before building the trailer, just so you both agree the plan is workable (or isn't....).

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Postby Kevin A » Sun Feb 12, 2006 8:55 pm

Sonetpro wrote:I got one of these for the beach. My wife loves it for the potty, showering and changing. http://tinyurl.com/bqby6
Hey Steve, does the honey in the pink bikini come with it? 8) :lol: :thumbsup:
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To avoid being accused of a hijack, how about one of the SUV tents with the opening connected to the sidewall surrounding the door?
It could double as a dressing room/loo http://www.off-road.com/chevy/reviews/napier/
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Last edited by Kevin A on Sun Feb 12, 2006 9:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby Micro469 » Sun Feb 12, 2006 9:00 pm

angib wrote:Jim,

Various thoughts on this subject:

- Minimise the biffy height - a Porta Potti 135 at 12" high is perfectly usable - this is not the Hilton we're buildig here.

- In several teardrop profiles there is more headroom in practice at the back of the 'cabin' than in the triangular space you'll be squeezing into at the front. Consider moving the bed forward and the biffy back.

- The space in which she will be 'operating' is absolutely tiny - you must make a cardboard or masonite mock-up, including the limited headroom, before building the trailer, just so you both agree the plan is workable (or isn't....).

Andrew


I think what he's saying is that the width of the participant must be Less than the width of the biffy....
:lol: :lol:
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Postby angib » Mon Feb 13, 2006 7:37 am

Micro469 wrote:I think what he's saying is ....

Now hold on just a minute there, Pilgrim* - I ain't one to say anything about another man's biffy user...... :o

It's not that you/me/one couldn't fit in there but that it's completing all 'activities' within the space that may not be easy/possible. For example, it's tempting to sit on one's own toilet at home and take some measurements - but then afterwards you may find that there isn't enough space to remove any clothing.

Similarly it's tempting to find the minimum height, width and depth in which a toilet 'works' - but it makes a big difference whether you've got just one of these minimum dimensions or if you have all three.

Andrew

* to be read with a John Wayne accent, please.
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Postby TRAIL-OF-TEARS » Mon Feb 13, 2006 8:56 am

kayakrguy,
check out Rob's cabin car. it is super nice, he has a potty and a shower in it.
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Postby GeorgeT » Mon Feb 13, 2006 9:08 am

This is our little combination kitchen/dressing room/wash up room/potty room. There's a new porta-potty there under the seat. We have used one just like it for years camping and have never had any problems with it. Had one that we stored inside a pop up tent camper. Using the chemicals and emptying as directed there never was a problem with smell in the cabin.

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Little better view while still under construction

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Postby cracker39 » Mon Feb 13, 2006 9:13 am

With most designs for an inside loo, you have to go larger than the normal TD, and with the Midget, you have a TTT. Other than my wife's claustrophobia (main reason for a TTT than a TD), the loo was also a requirement. Mine will be kept inside a low cabinet to one side of the galley and double as a place to sit the cooler on top of it for easier access to the food (won't have to bend over to the floor). In any configuration, I think you'd want the porti potti enclosed somehow while not in use. Despite all of the deoderants made for them, there is still some odor to contend with, even if it is the deorderant you are smelling.
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Postby cracker39 » Mon Feb 13, 2006 9:17 am

George, I do like your compact. I considered building one, but ended up with my TTT design. If there is a 2nd camper, I think I'll do the compact. In fact, I've been toying with a similar design for a small pickup camper. It should be easy to load and unload as needed.
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Postby Ira » Mon Feb 13, 2006 9:18 am

Kevin's right:

Why kill yourself?

Get a side tent and you can have a really nice comfortable set-up to do the business.
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