Porta Potties

[Kody]

Hi all ,
We live Down Under and want to build our own Teardrop Trailer. I need to make it somewhat wider so I can arrange the bed/s for us to sleep on and at the same time have somewhere for our German Shepherd to sleep. During the coarse of discussion with my wife the subject of Porta Potties came up. We have not noticed/found much info on Porta Potties in TD's and were wondering how do you all store one so it's not in the way? I am designing our TD using my CAD program which makes all the design details so easy. If we didn't have our GS the design would be ever so simple. The main problem with the GSD is when she comes inside and is wet or muddy. There is no way she can be kept in the car at night or outside. When I get all the details and drawings done, I will post them here for your comments. At the moment it's the Porta Potty that has us interested in what you others do. Stopping at campgrounds, pubs, service stations etc. can't be done. One trip we are contemplating is crossing over the Nullabor Plain which means a journey of around 400 miles of flat straight road, not a bend or turn anywhere.

Kody

[nevadatear]

It is rare there is a porta pottie in a teardrop. there isn't room unless you go up to say a 6 x 12. Most of us use a portable privacy shelter that is either stand alone like a pop up or mini tent, or an attachment to the side of the teardrop door, like an awning with three sides. Sorry to disappoint, the the size of a tear is just not condusive to a pottie unless you go up to a more tiny trailer size.

[angib]

It sounds like you could use a variation of the 2+2 design. Make half (or all) the upper bed into a permanent dog bed and you might even be able to put a hatch in one sidewall so that the dog didn't need to climb across your bedding to get there - but then the dog having muddy paws can't be a problem in the Nullabor!

Making an separate compartment to store a porta-potty would be quite easy on the 2+2 as well - just behind one wheel box you could make a storage locker with an external door. It might make the galley cabinet behind it a little shallower than the rest but then there is no free lunch.

Making somewhere to use a porta-pottie is a different kettle of fish - that needs a much bigger trailer.

[bobhenry]

Our first up pop up is a "don't leave home without it" item.

In bad weather it can be a living room ,dining room ,galley shelter ,and also house our little 4x4 potty tent in one corner.











With a ground cloth (generally a carpet remnant) it can become a good place for the dog to dry out and track off before entering the trailer. With a dog crate or lead it could serve as the kennel as well.

While a teardrop is a very compact way to travel and a great place to sleep a pop up tent gives you great flexability and a good bit of elbow room for any need that may arise.

[planovet]

We use this:

in a small tent next to our teardrop:

[aggie79]

Our side tent attaches to one side of the teardrop. It has a floor and there is a skirt on the side that faces the teardrop. The whole thing forms an enclosed room. We store our porta potty in one corner and shoes and miscellaneous in another corner. Something like this would allow you to keep your GS close by to the TD.

[lancew]

5 gallon bucket. plywood with good size hole cut out of it. doodie bags from walmart. soon to try litter with gelatin to reduce cost n chemicals.

[Fishingtomatoseed]

It sounds like you could use a variation of the 2+2 design. Make half (or all) the upper bed into a permanent dog bed and you might even be able to put a hatch in one sidewall so that the dog didn't need to climb across your bedding to get there - but then the dog having muddy paws can't be a problem in the Nullabor!

Lots of room in the 2+2. Angib already has it drawn up. All you have to do is a little modifying.

[CliffinGA]

Like Bobhenry we have an Quik shade with side walls and at night it is in there, with the walls up and them draped over the side of the TD, it gives us privacy and alot more room to change closths in. During the day it is pushed under the tear and the side of the wall on the quik shase covers it. Rest of the time I usually camp in walking distance of the restrooms!

Cliff

[nevadatear]

Hey, lots of us "gals" are very familiar with vault toilets out west!

[Verna]

Some of us "gals" in the Midwest are familiar with vault toilets, too!!!

[droid_ca]

what about steve's Puffin design I believe someone else made a pink one for 3 dogs

[Wolfgang92025]

Kody,

As others have mentioned, I have a modified 2&2 design and it includes a porta potty.
Look at my build thread for more info.
Fell free to ask questions.

http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=28640

[Kody]

Wow, I love Wolfgang's TD, it is a work of art. The comments are wonderful to read, please keep them coming.
I have been figuring out the details of how to make our TD. We have the Porta Potty sorted out, we will be using a pop up tent as seen in the photos. The next big difficulty is to find an easy place to keep the GS at night. She would hate to be away from me at night in the 4x4 and will truly need to sleep with us/me.
A lot of TD's that we have noted here in the forum/s have a queen size mattress in the cabin of the TD. How do you get the mattress inside the TD? Some that I have seen were inner spring style. How do you get them thru the door? Is there another form of mattress material that can be used instead and is also lighter?
I will post the drawings of my TD design as I draw them for your comments. Where should I post them for you to all see and find?
Kody

[Ira]

99% of teardroppers use foam mattresses--nothing with springs.

So you just roll that up and stick it in there with no problems.

Most of us also don't want anything near as THICK as a spring mattress. Not only does that take up more vertical room (believe it or not), a spring mattress makes it extremely annoying and uncomfortable to maneuver around inside when you're bedding down for the night.

You want just enough foam to keep you comfortable, and allowing you to move around in there.