One of the perks of RV life is having your own bathroom wherever you go. But does that mean most RVers actually use it, even when a clean public restroom is nearby? We recently posed that question to RVtravel.com readers in a poll that drew more than 2,500 responses.
Here’s how the votes broke down:
• 41% said “I always or almost always use my RV toilet.”
• 23% said “I most often use my RV toilet.”
• 22% said “I most often use the clean restroom.”
• 14% said “I always or almost always use the clean restroom.”
So, two-thirds of respondents generally stick with their own toilet, but about a third tend to opt for public facilities when available.
No one-size-fits-all
Reader comments show there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. For John, it’s simple: “Having your own personal bathroom everywhere you go is one of the best features of the RV lifestyle.” Timothy is more pragmatic: “I will use the bathroom that is closest to me when I need to use it.”
Others said it depends on what exactly needs doing. Michelle T. said “Depends on what I need to do do!”
For many, the decision involves tank management. Deborah M. explained: “Saving capacity in the black tank is always a serious consideration. During the day we use available (clean) facilities, but at night it’s a no-brainer to use our own.” Sue added that hookups play a role: “We use our own bathroom more if we have a sewer hookup, less if we don’t.”
And, of course, humor found its way in. Mari admitted: “We use our trailer toilet for peeing only. In 9 years there’s only been three poops. They were the emergency outcome of Mexican food…”
Whether it’s comfort, convenience, or conservation, RVtravel.com readers have strong opinions on bathroom habits but most agree that it’s nice to have a choice.
Read the full poll and more comments at RVtravel.com/poll2687.
MORE INTERESTING POLLS YOU MAY ENJOY
- If a stranger asked to use your RV bathroom, would you let them?
- Be honest: Do you wash your hands after EVERY time you use the bathroom?
- Do you use your own RV toilet even when a clean restroom is close by?
- Do odors from your RV’s toilet sometimes stink up your RV?
RVT1220
The less I use my own, the longer my water lasts and the less often I have to dump.
We have a Wolf Creek 850 truck camper and it’s small. Just like Mari, we use our toilet for pee only. Always use campgrounds toilets for #2 no matter what they are like. We do have a outside portable toilet for boondocking.
I told my wife we should use the park toilet once…..25 years ago…. just once.
Ditto for me! Some things are better off not be brought up again!
Thank you for sharing the survey results, RV Travel! RV #1 had toilets that used excessive amounts of water even after adjusting the water levels, which caused the black tank to fill quickly. This biased me to always use the rest area facilities. During the pandemic DW demanded that I use those in our RV. After trading RVs, we discovered that RV #2 incorporates a more-water-saving technology and I now opt for the convenience of the RV unless I need to take a walk to “wake up.” Have a great week and safe travels!
The main reason we bought a motorhome was to be able to use our own bathroom anytime whether we are on the road or in a campground. Too many disgusting public restrooms convinced us to get motorhomes many years ago.
One of the main reasons I started traveling in an RV was so I didn’t have to use heavily fragranced public restrooms. The chemicals in fragrances make me quite ill.