Camping is a great way to relax in nature and get away from the stresses of every day life. However, when nature calls while camping, it can cause a stress for a lot of people given how gross campground pit toilets can be. That’s where a portable camping toilet like the Thetford Porta Potti 365 can come in handy.
Even with a sparkling clean pit toilet, it might be occupied in your time of need! And if you’re camping with young kids, you never know when nature will call and you’ll need a toilet.
While many camping trailers and RVs have built-in toilets, many do not; including my A Liner Expedition. That’s why we decided to buy a portable camping toilet. Specifically the Thetford Porta Potti 365.
In this post I’ll provide an overview of the Thetford Porta Potti 365 including features I like and the few others I wish I could change. I’ll also provide an overview of how to use and maintain it.
If you’re in the market for a portable flush toilet, then look no further than the Thetford Porta Potti 365.
Review of Thetford Porta Potti 365
Thetford Porta Potti 365
The Thetford Porta Potti 365 is a high-quality portable toilet that offers comfort, convenience, and hygiene. It is one of the best options for outdoor enthusiasts who need a reliable and easy-to-use flushable portable flush toilet.
Pros:
- Odor-free
- Large capacity, with wastewater level indicator
- Easy to clean, use, and transport
Cons:
- Emptying the wastewater can be a little cumbersome
- Might not be the best for larger-bodied individuals
Size:
- Dimensions: 16.3″ (height) x 15″ (width) x 16.8″ (deep)
- Weight: 11 lbs (5 kg)
- Capacity: 5.5 gallons (21 liters)
The Thetford Porta Potti 365 has been a great addition to our camping gear.
When we bought our used camper, we realized camping with our A Liner would be a lot more enjoyable and comfortable with a flushable porta potty.
After researching available models, we decided that the Thetford Porta Potti 365 was the best portable potty option for our family.
I’ve owned Thetfor Porta Potti for over 2 years and have taken it on numerous week-long camping trips with great success. I’ve never had any issues with it and it has definitely made our family camping trips more enjoyable!
It has many great features which I describe below and very few things that I wish were better.
Features
Thetford Porta Potti 365 is a versatile portable camping toilet. It features a durable construction with a comfortable seating height and a sleek, modern design.
The toilet comes in two parts which are detachable. The top section includes the 4 gallon freshwater reservoir and the toilet bowl. The bottom section is where the waste is stored and where the spigot for draining the wastewater is.
Sometimes it can be a little difficult to remove the top portion of the toilet from the bottom, but it always just a minor annoyance. And I’ve always been able to get it detached within less than a minute of trying. It usually only happens if the freshwater tank is full.
The toilet has a large waste tank capacity (5.5 gallons) and a piston pump flush system for easy operation. It includes an integrated pour-out spout for relatively easy disposal of waste water.
There has always been plenty of capacity for a full-weekend of camping with a family of four without needing to empty it.
It also has a level indicator for the waste water tank, which is a nice feature so you don’t run the risk of overfilling your flushable porta potty.
It has ergonomically-designed carrying handles to easily transport the toilet to drain it, or load it into your vehicle or camper.
The Thetford Porta Potti 365 also has a very effective flush which uses minimal water ensuring you won’t have to frequently refill the freshwater tank. The flush has been powerful enough to ensure no residue is left in the toilet bowl.
Odor-free
The Thetford Porta Potti 365 also offers a secure and odor-free sealing system to prevent any leaks or unpleasant smells. I can vouch for this. Before we got a privacy tent to put the toilet in, we kept it in our camper. Not once did we ever smell any foul odors coming from it.
For added assurance, and to help in cleaning when you return from camping, I always use a Porta-Pak Deodorizer tabs every time I empty the toilet.
Cleaning
Thetford Porta Potti 365 ensures a clean and hygienic experience with its innovative design. The toilet comes equipped with a removable seat and cover, making it easy to clean and maintain.
The wastewater holding section of the porta potty is easily removed and has large enough openings to effectively clean it.
It really only takes a few minutes to clean the toilet and get it ready for your next trip.
Porta Potty Dimensions
The Thetford Porta Potty 365 is the perfect balance between portability and size to allow most body types to use and ensure you won’t have to be emptying the wastewater tank daily!
- 16.3″ (height) x 15″ (width) x 16.8″ (deep)
- 5 gallon wastewater tank
- 4 gallon freshwater tank
- 56 flushes per tank (on average)
- 11 lbs weight
- 265 lbs weight capacity
I find the Thetford Porta Potti 365 comfortable to use at 5′ 10′ and 180 lbs. But I could imagine a larger-bodied person finding the seat a little small to comfortably sit for more than a couple of minutes.
Also be careful if you’re planning to stand up and pee into the toilet bowl as you’ll likely splash urine, creating a mess you don’t want to deal with.
How to Empty Thetford Porta Potti
Emptying the Thetfort Porta Potti 365 is a straightforward process. And the way that Thetford has designed their portable flush toilet ensures that you’ll stay clean in the process and not run the risk of spilling your waste all over the place.
Step 1
Make sure the flush-lever is pushed all the way in (i.e., closed) and then detach the upper half of the porta potti from lower half.
Step 2
Extend the pour-out spout and unscrew the cap.
Step 3
Press the white button to allow air to enter the wastewater tank when emptying. Then gently tilt the porta potti and dispose of the wastewater.
You can empty the porta potti in a toilet (carefully) or a sewer connection.
Step 4
Reattach the pour-out spout cap then move the pour-out spout back to its original location. Add a little water to the wastewater holding tank as well as whatever de-odorizing tab or chemicals you’re using.
Step 5
Reattach the top portion of the porta potti to the bottom portion and refill the clean-water tank. Now your flushable porta potty is
How to Clean Thetford Porta Potti
One of the most important aspects of owning a portable toilet is keeping it clean and odor-free. Thankfully, a Thetford Porta Potti 365 is designed for easy cleaning.
Steps
- Use Aqua-Clean and a non-abrasive toiet brush or spong to clean the toilet bowl.
- Remove the top portion of the toilet and set aside.
- Rotate the pour-out spout and remove the screw on cap.
- Press the white button (to allow air to enter when dumping waste) and pour waste into your desired wastewater recipticle.
- Place the cap back on and partially fill wastewater tank with a tank cleaning mixture.
- Shake the mixture in porta potti and let set for 45 minutes.
- Dump tank cleaner and rinse with clean water
Do not use stiff brushes or homemade products to clean or lubricate the valve and seal of your portable toilet, as these will damage the seals and surfaces, causing odors to escape from holding tanks. Thetford recommends using Aqua-Clean for cleaning their portable camping toilets and using their specialized toilet seal lubricants.
Learning how to clean a Thetfor Porta Potti is straightforward and easy. Just make sure to do it once you’re home from your trip so waste doesn’t build up and make clean-up more difficult.
Summary
Is the Thetford Porta Potti 365 the best portable potty? It is for my family’s needs.
There are few products that live up to their advertising, but the Thetford Porta Potti 365 definitely does. It’s simple to use, clean, and maintain. And their claim that it is odorless is 100% accurate. Even when we’ve used it in our camper, I’ve never once smelled it.
Having a portable flush toilet on a camping trip or long road trip can make all of the difference when nature calls, especially when traveling with young children or older adults.
With that said, I would enjoy a little more privacy. Hence the reason I now use a privacy tent for our porta potti when camping!
You can’t go wrong with the Thetford Porta Potti 365. Check out our other camping gear reviews.
