Bathroom or Storage?

[woolsocks]

Would you rather have a bathroom or more storage in a long term camper? Why?

I would personally take more storage space, but my wife would like a bathroom. A bathroom seems to complicate a build significantly. I would personally prefer to just stay at an Airbnb or campsite and use an actual bathroom, but my wife would prefer to have a bathroom to use inside at night rather than going outside to a pop up tent.


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[Mickey Bitsko]

describe 'bathroom ", tub, shower, sink vanity...?
My wife and I only have a crapper with a little storage space.

 

[Peter_n_Margaret]

We have a shower, cassette toilet and hand basin. Would not be without it. There are no B&Bs or camp toilets where we go so the option is to dig a hole.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

 

[86scotty]

I don't blame your wife. I don't particularly like to go outside at night to use the restroom either but it's a lot easier to work around this for us fellas. You mentioned 'long term camper'. How do you mean? If you are talking about extended travel, especially in retirement, I would strongly recommend a real bathroom in the rig. Also, what seasons will you be traveling? Bear country? Tweaker country? Snow country?

For all of these reasons I recommend putting/having a bathroom in your camper which you use for storage when not used as a bathroom. RV bathrooms make tremendous mud rooms, storage closets and places to store wet/dirty gear from virtually all outdoor activities. Also a great place for camp chairs, folded up awning/door mats, cat litter boxes (we've done this on a few longer trips), etc.

 

[Peter_n_Margaret]

RV bathrooms make tremendous mud rooms, storage closets and places to store wet/dirty gear from virtually all outdoor activities. Also a great place for camp chairs, folded up awning/door mats, cat litter boxes (we've done this on a few longer trips), etc.

We can heat our bathroom separately from the brest of the habitation area which makes it ideal as a cloths drying area. It also has a sliding window which can be left open slightly when driving to assist this.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

 

[woolsocks]

describe 'bathroom ", tub, shower, sink vanity...?
My wife and I only have a crapper with a little storage space.

Basically a shower stall with hard walls and a door with a drain and a removable portable toilet inside. No sink inside.


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[woolsocks]

I don't blame your wife. I don't particularly like to go outside at night to use the restroom either but it's a lot easier to work around this for us fellas. You mentioned 'long term camper'. How do you mean? If you are talking about extended travel, especially in retirement, I would strongly recommend a real bathroom in the rig. Also, what seasons will you be traveling? Bear country? Tweaker country? Snow country?

For all of these reasons I recommend putting/having a bathroom in your camper which you use for storage when not used as a bathroom. RV bathrooms make tremendous mud rooms, storage closets and places to store wet/dirty gear from virtually all outdoor activities. Also a great place for camp chairs, folded up awning/door mats, cat litter boxes (we've done this on a few longer trips), etc.

Makes sense that it can double as storage, but storage can’t double as a bathroom.

Our plan is to travel to all 50 states and visit all the National Parks, then venture into Canada and South America when our kids are older. If all goes as planned we’ll probably be on the road for several months or more each year. Travel in all seasons and yes some bear country.


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[86scotty]

Man, i'd work out a bathroom if at all possible. I think you'll thank me later. I've had rigs with and without and I'm currently building a smallish pop top van for the two of us now that kids are older that has only a porta potty and an outdoor shower, BUT, we've been traveling all 50 states since our kids were born and we know our limitations and desires. We like to hit a motel, truck stop or the like for a shower every few days if the weather isn't perfect and don't worry about the cost.

There are a million ways to do it and only one absolute truth. Most women prefer a proper bathroom.

 

[Peter_n_Margaret]

Our toilet is a cassette style. Emptying takes place from the outside.
The hand basin was a later addition - you use the toilet, you need to wash your hands - bit pointless if you need to go outside to do that?
The " room" is quite small. 800mm long (850 would be better) and 700mm wide. It works exceptionally well, better than you would imagine from the pic.

Our new build will be a tad larger and we will fit a composting toilet.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

 

[BritKLR]

LOL..........

Happy wife, happy life. Buildout the bathroom, it will pay dividends later when you want something else.

 

[calicamper]

Look at the bath in the Winnebago hike 100. They built in shelf ledges for shelves when bathroom need is nill. Casset style toilet
Small window or vent to air out wet gear definitely a solid idea

 

[gatorgrizz27]

Personally, I’d add a cassette toilet in the bottom part of your “storage closet, and just slide it out into the main area to use if it’s just the two of you in there. We bought one of these, there are probably better ones and it doesn’t get used that often. Our camping trip this week it rained 16 hours straight, the boys and I peed under the tent vestibule. If the wife had come I would have used this under there also.


If you don‘t want the headache of a typical indoor plumbing system, water tanks, etc. I’d do a foot pump sink that draws from an Aqua-Tainer or similar. Have the drain hose go out through the floor into a 5 gallon bucket with the paint style spout lids, you can empty it when you dump the toilet.


I‘d be fine without an indoor shower or hot water, I hate showering in a space less than 3’x3’. A campground or truck stop re-supply every few days is fine with me, or a hotel if the weather is nasty. Being able to use a toilet in the camper opens up plenty of other possibilities though, both off grid or staying in a friend’s driveway. No reason to wake them up in the middle of the night to let the burrito out .

 

[simple]

If it's just for night use a bucket with a seat on it works pretty well. Have some bag liners and absorbent material like sawdust or pellet bedding for emergency dumps. A small place like a trailer with a fan vent in the roof will change the air in 30 seconds. You can pour out pee about anywhere. Poops in bags with absorbent material can go in a trash can. I prefer this method over emptying a chemical toilet.

Luggable Loo Portable Toilet

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I think for a lot of people being out and about there is an anxiety of not being able to find a place to do business. It might not be about having a full bells and whistles bathroom but just about having the option of a private place to go.

My anxiety wraps around low blood sugar and not being able to find a pulled pork sandwich or cheese burger at a moments notice. I pack a freeze dried packet of beef stroganoff for junk food emergencies but rarely ever eat it. It gives me confidence knowing it's there.

A closet with shower pan and drain is so useful for all the mentioned things. Wet clothes, extra storage, rinse off, potty spot, etc.

 

[Teardropper]

What's the big deal about the unknown in the darkness?

But nope. No toilet in ours...

Tony

 

[Todd780]

On one hand bathroom.... On the other hand storage.....