Teach me about toilets...

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by dbailey

I actually like the late night wanders to the campsite bathroom, as long as it isn't pouring rain. The cold doesn't bother me, and even the quietest sites we usually visit have enough people in them that it's nice to experience the silence after everybody has gone to bed.

But washing off bug spray is something I definitely understand!

I didn't mind the trip until my wife & I got lost on the way back to the campsite at 2:00AM. (it was a huge campground). While I still use campground facilities when available, I sure do appreciate an in trailer bathroom in the middle of the night!

[daveandsandyclink]

Hi Doug,

One last thought on your post subject.
Someday you might want to sell, trade, or stop camping. And since a lot of FG trailer owners are "Baby Boomers" or come from tent camping, not having a built-in bathroom might be a deal killer for most looking to buy your trailer. Give yourselves the option of a clean bathroom as you camp and travel down the road. I quickly learned how much more my wife loved camping once we owned an RV and she had her own shower and potty. Dumping and maintaining your pumbing will become second nature in just a few trips out.

[Linda]

I agree with the re-sale issue concerning bathrooms vs. no bathrooms! We have noticed how much longer it takes to sell trailers without bathrooms, especially if they are bigger than a 13ft. trailer. For this reason alone, I think it is a good idea to include a bathroom. I also agree with the convenience of having a bathroom as we "boomers" get older! We are now in the "must have a bathroom" mode for our Escape!

[Dixhiccup]

Hi Linda et all. It's interesting to read the various views on the interior shower. It would appear from the posts that it very much depends upon where one lives, and camps, as to whether a full bathroom is an absolute necessity. We prefer boon docking to RV parks and undoubtably are more concerned with water conservation so a lake or river is preferable and we don't have all the hassles of shower curtains, grey water tanks and hook ups. We are in our seventies and bought our trailer, a 15B with no internal shower, on the second day it was offered. It does have an exterior shower which does have limitations but then usually our deer neighbors are ones you have to bear up with. Interesting to hear others' perspectives.

[float5]

When considering fiberglass trailers, I would guess that the vast majority do not have bathrooms. (Porta-potties do not count here.) Fiberglass eggs usually have not had room for them or people did not want to pay for them. Of the eggs that are being manufactured, not all have black and gray tanks. When buyers want a bathroom, there are not many choices in fiberglass. There are a couple of newer companies now.

Then when you look at the fact that Escape is the top end, well, how many people are going to pay that higher price without a bathroom? There are lots of eggs out there without a bath for them to choose. Many people talk about the quality and customizing and good service of Escape, but how many buy bathroomless? I wonder if Escape has numbers on that. It would be interesting to see the breakdown by model also.

[Dixhiccup]

Reading back through the previous posts it appears the yeas and nays are borderline

[Donna D.]

There's an old saying, "you can never miss what you've never had." Like many people, I come from backpacking (and did as the bears), then tents (pit toilets and sponge baths), now I have a fully-self contained trailer. Whether or not I use the onboard facilities is a choice I can make at any moment. And I usually do in the middle of the night! Three steps out of bed to take care of business, three steps back and under the covers. Nirvana.

I'd never go back to what I did in the past. I would miss what I've now had. I'm at an age I deserve my creature comforts and I can afford it. YMMV

[Dixhiccup]

Donna It seems that there is a mixup here as to what one calls a washroom/bathroom. Just to clarify we have a washroom with a toilet but not a bathroom with a toilet and bath/shower. Your comments relate to the original post mine to later posts. My bad

[float5]

Dixhiccup, I would say that, as with houses, if there is a toilet, it's a bathroom. No shower needed.

Donna, we are the same. It's a toss-up as to whether the hard shell to keep animals out was more important than the bathroom to keep us in.

Some people do seem to prefer their porta-potties. I was interested in one. As you say, once you have a bathroom though, no going back. Of course, if there are two parties and one insists on something, that's what it is!

[Dixhiccup]

As I said in #26 the meaning of the words can be defined by where one lives! Anyway so long as we are all happy with our ablutions that's all that matters. Cheers

[escape artist]

Hi: dbailey... I get a little flushed at the thoughts of toilets. Having been left standing in a piddle at the dump stn. wasn't on my bucket list...but I survived. Wasn't the trailers fault!!! No sewer donut in the world would have held back "Vesuvius". As I've said before you can't jump backwards while crouched down!!!
The older I get, the more aware of towing my own, I am!!! In an emergency all the dumping you have to take care of is worth it!!!
We have yet to use either shower we have...but next winter we plan on being in an RV Pk. in Ft. Myers Beach for 2 months, and that will change everything.
Camping styles have a habit of changing faster than you change fiberglass trailers. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[gabeck]

We seem to have read a post by Donna D. at least once " different strokes for different folks " , couldn't agree more . We've had trailers with and without bathrooms . The 15A 's roominess was more appealing to our needs and wants than the bath in the 15B ( the steps to the portapotty are the same as to the bathroom).
We really don't have any concerns about resale value in a trailer this size without a bathroom , there are surely plenty of people who would want this set up - after all they do make and sell 15As as well as 17As , actually somewhere there is a thread with someone having viewed a 19 with a portapotty in a closet . Would be interesting to know whether there are more 15As or 15Bs sold . We like this size of trailer ,very roomy the 15A ..... way less work to empty the portapotty ( no tank cleaning ) and as for not wanting to walk it over to the bathrooms ... well ....... we all walk ourselves over to the bathrooms ! We tow with a Liberty (with factory tow package -5000# cap. 500# Hw ) and would not like to tow anything bigger or heavier - we mostly head for the hills and the Liberty wheelbase ( in our opinion ) would not be good for anything close to it's listed cap.
Having said that if we were to want a 17 or larger we would probably want that bathroom in there - seems to us - it might have a greater impact on resale value there . However if we were able to go south for several months in winter we'd likely want the new 21 ( only because of hot weather ) which would mean bigger vehicle as well - maybe Jeep Commander or Cherokee ( or maybe a truck ) . Just our thoughts ......

[dbailey]

I suspect that those who are relating the resale ease/difficulty without a bathroom to the size of the trailer are on to something. I would guess that somebody in the market for a small trailer isn't expecting to have a bathroom, while somebody looking for a larger trailer is expecting to have a bathroom. For 15' and smaller, you're probably safe (resale-wise) without the bathroom. 19' and bigger, it seems the market wants a bathroom.

The question is up in the air for 17', but I observed when trying to find a 17A to take a look at that they are a lot rarer than 17Bs -- that must mean something.

I was happy going without a bathroom. Would have been happy in a 19 without a bathroom. But, the wife had her say, and we settled on the 19 with a bathroom. And a queen-sized bed -- that had more to do with the decision.

[float5]

Doug, my thoughts, too. I would be shocked if most 19's, and 17's, don't have baths. As for the 15's, I wonder if it's more even and also the 13's, of course. And, yes, if it's a must-have for at least one, it's going to be there, that or you will no doubt hear a lot of griping.