When you stop at a highway rest area and nature calls, do you use the toilet in your RV or the public toilet?
We’re going to guess that most of you use the toilet in your RV. But that’s just our guess and we could be dead wrong. So you tell us. This will be interesting. . .
And, be patient if the poll does not show up immediately. Sometimes the poll is a real slowpoke.
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In many rv’s, when the slides are in, you can not get to the restroom.
Would never buy RV that you can’t get to toilet or refrigerator without opening slide
I would not buy an rv where I couldn’t get to the restroom.
I’ve seen RV’s so poorly designed that certain -even essential features like the restroom – can’t be used until a slide is out
All I can say is each to his/her own, BUT, why do that to yourselves when there’s properly designed rigs available allowing use of all features with the slides retracted.
One of the chief considerations when we bought our current rig is that we could use it comfortably with the single slide fully in place; which we often do.
If there is room to get my Steps down on the 5th wheel, I’ll use my RV Toilet. At the very least, I know my bathroom is clean and sanitary!
And I can use my restroom, without deploying the slides!
I have a $90,000 porta potty. Why would I use the public john?
Just may be you like to carry your poop around?
I answered with always in my RV…but my dog always uses their facilities.
We normally use our 5th wheel restroom. However we do make use of the provided walkways to stretch our legs while stopped.
It also depends on whether I have to stand or sit.
My wife ALWAYS uses the coaches toilet but since I am the primary driver I like to get out and walk around a bit so I will use the urinal at the rest stop and our Golden Retriever will ALWAYS use the Dog Walk area.
We use the facilities at the rest stop. Generally they are very clean and convenient. And the walk to the restrooms is good for circulation. We very seldom use our rig’s bathroom when we are traveling, unless the need is urgent.
John says…sometimes roadside facilities are disgusting. Some states have very clean and sanitary facilities. Always carry your own disinfectants in with. Some interstate rest stops have coffee bars and refreshments…and an attendant on duty. So look before you decide to use the facility,,,
“Generally they are very clean and convienient.”- hmmmm, It’s what we travelling Tracy’s can’t see that can get him/her, in trouble. Something to consider.
To me this is as silly as driving your RV to a hotel (yes, I know there are a small portion of folks who have said they DO that…). I’m paying double fuel to drag a bed and kitchen and bathroom, so I USE them preferentially. I know how clean my bathroom is, who slept in bed, and that lunch will be deliciously prepared. In this case, the trivial addition to my black tank is far lower concern than what’s staining my shoes in the public potty.
Since I RV exclusively in Alaska, the rest stops are few and far between. The ones they have are non flushing pit privys. You can bet we use our own facility which is guaranteed to smell much nicer and be conveniently located 20 feet behind my truck no matter where I pull over.
Texas has wonderful Reststops. Always clean.
Seems like a problem with not only this survey but for almost a week now the survey never shows up – I have patiently waited 5 min or more and nothing happens. I enjoy the surveys, but…
Sorry you’re having problems with the survey, Don. Since you can get onto the page (which you commented on), maybe your security is set too high or you haven’t allowed pop-ups. Can you set it to allow pop-ups on just that page? I’m not techy at all (I’m worse than computer illiterate — I’m a computer idiot!), and maybe our tech folks would have other suggestions, but that’s all I can think of. If that doesn’t work for you, I’ll see if I can get more information from someone more knowledgeable about stuff like this. —Diane at RVtravel.com
Like someone else said, depends if I’m standing (rest area/the walk does me good) or sitting (mine) then I walk..
As a male,
if #1 use public toilet to save space/water in RV holding tank.
if # 2 use the RV almost 100%.
When using public facilities of any kind the CEO and I are totally aware that a very large number of people do not sanitize (WASH) their hands (most if they do anything wave their hands under a running tap for 2 seconds which does zero) after using the restroom. I know this after using thousands of public facilities both on the road, in restaurants, shopping centers, sports arenas etc, where after doing my thing, I proceed to wash my hands and the sink is often as dry as a bone!
This means only one thing folks – nobody before me washed their hands !!!
No mention of this will ever change anyone, people are what they are, but it reinforces a life lesson that if I want to increase my chances of living a good quality of life into my 90’s like my parents, I’d better continue being as clean and proper as I have been for the past 7 + decades.
PS……..
– never touch the handle of the escalator
– never never the handle on the restroom door
– the FREE computer bank at the library (or anywhere else) is a bio-hazard laboratory – believe it.
– etc etc etc
Went into a buffet restroom and another patron exited after a dump – no washing hands. Immediately he is at the buffet line handling the serving spoons. I know it is not the buffet company’s fault, but I haven’t been back. I see now they have closed.
Ewwwwwww! 😯 —Diane at RVtravel.com
Most (west coast) rest areas are usually pretty clean so stopping to use the facility and then walk & drain the dog in the pet area is win, win!
Standing, rest stop …. sitting, RV
It depends on whether or not I want to stretch my legs. But more than half the time I will use my RV bathroom. It gives me a chance to look around inside to make sure there are no problems developing while bouncing down the highways.
It seems to me that using the rest room provided is part of the whole point. We prefer to use public toilets whenever possible, saves water and weight in the holding tanks.
I agree. Never occurred to me someone would stop at a rest area and not use the facilities. If you are going to do your business in the RV you can stop anywhere when the urge hits.
As a guy will use the RV for number 2, but the rest area for number 1.
The wife uses the RV exclusively.
We agree with Dennis. We can stand anywhere but I know who SITS in our RV…
As a motorhome owner we use the one in our RV. I wonder if towable owners use the public ones more depending on the accessibility of the RV restroom with slides in? If your going to be boondocking I would say the public ones just so you don’t unnecessarily fill your black tank.
I use the public toilet for draining my water as my father in law says but for other business it’s the RV
Only got a 12 gall. (U.S.) tank in my Scamp 16ft., so as to avoid using the flush toilet, I search out fixed washrooms wherever I can.
I usually use mine, but my DH usually uses the public toilet.
Been reading the #1 vs #2 comments. To each their own but as for me I would just as soon leave my crap elsewhere than tote it around with me.
Yep…my solid (pun intended) rule is NO SOLID WASTE in RV!!
Depends – using the public toilet is good because it gives a way to stretch the legs. If we are stopped for the night or a long time will use the RV.
We boondock, sometimes for 2 weeks (solar). We don’t want to fill the holdingtaks.
At a rest area with facilities, just passing through, why add to the holding tank? We use the rest area, first one done walks the pup, last one checks the RV.
We try to use the public rest rooms in our travels in every state except California (southern) where we found the most dirty and unclean rest areas in this Great Country of ours. As an American I was very ashamed of what we had encountered there.
Don’t go in public restrooms especially during the pandemic
I think I would rather use my own RV toilet, I know about it’s sanitizing and cleanliness, but with COVID still around- ‘folks r still dying’, I’m really turned off to public restrooms even more- not having to deal with someone else Not washing their hands, and it’s cleanliness. Who hates having to use a public bathroom facility and finding them in a state of utter chaos- Use ur imagination, Yuckville!