Add-on Bathroom for Popup Camper

[Kathy0701]

Hello!

We have a great little popup camper that we love.  However, I am finding the walk to the campground bathrooms to be longer each year, especially in the middle of the night!  I have an idea and I'm here to see if you guys might be able to fill in the question marks or add to the idea....

When my dad has his Scamp camper, he attached studs to the side and made a little fabric "bathroom".  Dad's been gone 11 years now and I can't remember what he used for framing on the outside corners, but I remember him saying how handy it was.  I can't remember how he did the roof either, but I'm sure it can be done.

I'd like to do something similar with our popup.  I'd use a lightweight material, and I'm trying to figure out what to use on the corners.  Tent poles?

This is as far as I am with my idea......any creative geniuses out there wish to throw in their ideas?  I'd like to do this! 

Many thanks!

Kathy

[Darren Henry]

CAPITAL SUGGESTION---on small campers like that and slide ins any kind of penthouse or add-a-room make a huge difference.

There are two ways to do it depending on if you already have or want to install an awning. Either way the camper edge of the enclose and the skirt from the bottom of the camper to the ground get attached with either snaps turnbuckles or a combination of both as you said.

If you have ( or want to get ) an awning : the "outside wall" slides into the awning tube with keder welt cord (some call it sew on awning welt), and the "ends" have a pocket on the top that slips over a spring loaded rod (think shower curtain rod) that runs from a bracket on the unit out to the awning tube. If you wanted to "Red Green" it you could just use a shower rod with a spike in place of the rubber tip to go into a hole on the awning tube. the pocket at the top has about 1 1/2" of fabric above it to seal against the awning (look at your living room drapes)BTW.

Without an awning you install the metal awning track to the lid of your camper/sew on welt to the "roof" and use adjustable poles (like a cockpit cover on a boat) and guy ropes to the outside at the corners.

OPTIONS:
>If your unit has an outside hook up for the stove---a full "add-a-room" would be the cat's a@@. Attach the interior wall that separates the biffy with a zipper so that the space can be reassigned during the day.Most port-a-potty"s will fit under the camper when not in use.

>For the biffy area--- add ventilation by using sunbrella shade etc... in lieu of screen.

[Kathy0701]

Hey thanks Darren!  Great ideas!

I'm probably not going to get to start on this project until July, but I'll definitely post some pictures!  Love the Keder welt idea!  We do have an awning but I'd probably attach the privy to the backside of the camper.  When we bought it, the awning came with a zip-on enclosure, but the zipper was a cheap metal contraption (small zipper, too) and we were barely even able to zip the sides on.  I remember returning it and telling the guy I'd need to return it if I wanted to stay married ;)  From the shape of the box it came in, it looked like it had been purchased and returned a few times before...

This is pretty exciting.  When it's done, maybe I'd even be able to have a beer during our evening campfire for a change!  I've been through some long nights where I just did not want to get up and ride my bike to the bathrooms at 2 am...LOL

[Mike]

hi Kathy I like you avatar pic  where are you located with such nice backcountry paddling ,uid like to get a kayak myself  '
on the potty id bend a bimini tube and install deck mounts with release pins to secure it with a support strut to support a hoop level. then make a canvas skirt for privacy with a roof piece and a zipper door a stake to hold the skirt secure you could also get one of those black waterbag for heating water to shower and this could double for a outdoor shower

[Mojo]

Kathy:

Here is another idea. I have seen these before in Camp grounds. They go up in seconds and the people use a black tank on wheels to haul their waste to a sewer disposal site inside the campground.

http://www.amazon.com/Cleanwaste-anywhere-Complete-Toilet-System/dp/B0000ATP6L/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1371379067&sr=8-16&keywords=porta+potty+for+camping

Chris

[scottymc]

Ask them on this forum, these people are obsessed with such thingshttp://www.caravanersforum.com/index.php

[Kathy0701]

Great ideas, everyone!  Chris, I couldn't believe when I saw that page on Amazon!  What a great idea!  But then we already have a brand new Porta-Potty that we've had since 1996 and never used...so I started nosing around and found this.  I can't begin to touch anything for this price, and think I might go ahead and order it:

http://www.amazon.com/Texsport-Hilo-Hut-Privacy-Shelter/dp/B001ASICYW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1371423582&sr=8-2&keywords=portable+outhouse

Of course, there's absolutely no challenge in this, so I have to decide....but this one means I lose no window area.  Decisions, decisions...

[Kathy0701]

Thanks, Mike! I started kayaking last year, and can't get enough of it!  We live in an area where there are lots of places to kayak in summer: 

http://www.door-county-wisconsin.net/

In winter, we go to your neck of the woods.  An awesome place to kayak there is north of Clearwater, just north of Honeymoon Island, in St. Joseph's Sound.  It's not real deep and it's nice and calm in the mornings and evenings.  In the afternoons, you might want to try sailing instead ;)  We stay in Crystal Beach when we go down there and I keep on wishing we could figure a way to spend all winter down there, but employers seem to frown on that kind of thing.

I'm definitely a calm water kayaker!  Before you buy one, I'd try a few different kinds.  I didn't.  I'm happy with my choice, but some people like sit-on-tops...less tippy, and if you do fall off, you can get back on pretty easily.

We used to go canoeing, but find we use the kayaks a TON.  You can get ready to go kayaking in 5 minutes or less.  They are lightweight, move very easily even in the wind, and you can go places you can't even get to in your canoe. 

For me, getting in and out was a bit of a learning curve, and I dunked myself a few times at first.  Some people get all fancy, but I've discovered I never tip if I just straddle the thing, sit down and go!  The first time I went over the water temp was 48.  That was on April 1st of last year.  This year on April 1st, the bay was still ice-covered.  Yikes.

[Stitches]

Some pop-up campers have a slide out with a shower and a potty in it.  Don't know how feaseable that is to duplicate though. Another option...put skirting around the bottom of the beds with a zipper. Lol you just might have to crawl in there depending how tall you are

[Mike]

good thing those windows close being so low for a guy standing there , pretty7 funny sitting to olooking out the window