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Writer's pictureOne Girl and a Van

Spend a Penny...

Updated: Oct 23, 2020



'So, where do you go to the loo?'. This must be the most often asked question of any vanlifer! So I wrote a little poem to answer the question...


I use a loo

to have a poo

Or just a wee...

if needs be


Yes, like you, I use a loo... oh that rhymes! I knew I needed a place for nighttime wees in the van; I do after all seem to have inherited my father's bladder! So, after much deliberation about building my own composting toilet, or installing an all singing all dancing throne, I decided to simply go with a little portable loo in the shape of the Thetford Porta Potti 145. It's a small toilet, which can be purchased from most outdoor retailers, is relatively inexpensive and it fits in my van at the bottom of my chest of drawers (this unit has so many functions - map store, art area, bathroom, fridge etc! One day it'll even be painted, have a bottom and a door!). Some people build little boxes for their loos, so it can double up as an extra seat... super convenient (see what I did there!).



This lovely little toilet is super simple to use, fits pretty much anywhere and does what it says on the box! There is a 12ltr waste reciprocal which will hold around a week’s worth of waste, unless you’re a large canine who has the biggest bladder and bowels known to man, a bellow pump ‘flush’, and it can be emptied really easily. With the flick of a catch, the container detaches from the main body and there is a spout to aim the contents in to a public or private loo, drain, chemical disposal point etc.

Personally, I don’t use any chemicals in either the waste area or the ‘flush’ section (just some plain water in the ‘flush’ section), as I wanted the ability to empty it pretty much anywhere without killing the environment or my friendly neighbour’s waste pipes. I don’t find it smells without the chemicals but a good rinse with water and a wipe over with some eco cleaning spray after emptying keeps it fresh and clean, and if you can avoid mixing solids and fluid, it tends to smell less.


Top tip… DO NOT add toilet paper to the mix; cheap paper generally does disintegrate but be like the Europeans and just bag it with your normal waste and save any blockages, or horrible dangly pieces of paper from the emptying spout...Barf!


'What about washing?' I hear you cry... well that just depends where I am, how cold the river is and how much water I'm carrying.


I debated installing a lovely shower room in my van but it just seemed like a waste of valuable airy space. So instead I purchased a little 12v portable shower, which plugs in to my cigarette lighter style sockets in the van (there is one in my garage area specifically for this purpose), you plunge the pump end in to a bucket of warm water and voila, a lovely, albeit short, shower. I try to not use too much water a day, so I fill a bucket with a couple of litres of water for my shower... keep it quick by just getting moist (!), add soap where required and rinse... I have thought about a little paddling pool or large container so that the water gets recycled and I can shower for longer; watch this space for that update to my ablutions! Afterwards, it all packs away in a little sack and my bucket collapses, so super easy to store.


On the whole though, I tend to shower wherever and whenever I can... friend's houses, swimming pools/gyms, services stations and camp sites. If I'm in the middle of nowhere, I will have a wash in the river, or if it's too cold for that or an outdoor shower, then I simply boil the kettle and have a strip wash using my washing up bowl and a jug... works perfectly well and I feel just as clean.


The secret to washing on the road is to have lots of flannels and eco soap, or shampoo, you can use for everything and that won't damage the environment. Personally I use some amazing reusable bamboo cotton pads I got on Amazon, which I use once and then throw in with my laundry. For washing I use Tropic's Body Pebble, which I use for my hair, body, and as shaving foam(!); it's so lovely and leaves my hair shiny and skin silky smooth.


So, you see, washing and toileting on the road aren't hugely different from being at home; you just need to be a little more mindful about the amount of water you use and ensure you empty your loo regularly! Oh, and maybe avoid a spicy curry...

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