You are considering to rent your first campervan for some road trip adventures. You are overwhelmed by the different sizes, options, and whether you should rent one with or without a toilet? Let me tell you from my own experience what you need to know to decide for yourself.
Do you need a toilet in your campervan rental? Most likely, you do not. When staying at campgrounds, you will almost always have restrooms and showers available. When wild camping, you can stop by a gas station, a local public pool, or larger supermarkets. Most national parks have a bathroom at the entrance, and some countries, like Australia & New Zealand, have an extensive network of spotless public restrooms.
Continue reading to learn why we absolutely prefer campervanning without a bathroom in the van and how you might 'cheat' when it becomes obligatory (e.g., for free camping in New Zealand).
You prefer video? Here it goes:
Where do you do your business without a toilet in your campervan?
The most comfortable and popular place to do your business and also shower are campgrounds, where you spend the night. Unless you stay at a very primitive or off-grid site, there will almost always be public showers that you can use. Sometimes you have to pay US$2 or so to access them. If you would like to know in more detail how campgrounds work, check out our article 'How Do Campgrounds Work - A Quick Guide On How To Find, Book and Stay'.
In the US, you will always find restrooms at the entrance of National Parks, as well as gas stations and big supermarkets.
In Australia and New Zealand, you will find the most comprehensive network of public restrooms, sparkling clean, and always equipped with toilet paper. We were genuinely amazed by the maintenance.
In Iceland, you can use the public swimming pools for showering, especially if you don't choose to stay at campgrounds. Every town, no matter how small, has a public pool for you to access for a small fee.
In Japan, you will find free roadside rest areas called "Michi-no-eki" with public restrooms. These are probably the cleanest and most luxurious ones you will find anywhere in the world.
In Europe you can find public toilets mainly at rest stops at lager highways or public parks. Just keep in mind that you will usually have to pay around 50-70 cents per-use.
Let's not forget that there is also the option of using the beautiful outdoors, depending on what route you are driving. But let's face it, with a campervan you are seeking to embrace nature and its surroundings. So nature might call during a long drive with no rest stop in place.
If you will use nature, please be considerate of our environment and leave no trace.
7 Advantages of small campervans without bathrooms
1. Cheaper to rent and drive
By renting a small campervan, you can save around US$50 per day compared to renting a large motorhome/RV with a full bathroom installed. Then add on top a higher fuel consumption and higher charges for possible ferries and toll roads or bridges.
2. Lower campsite prices
Campsite rates for smaller campervans are definitely cheaper and sometimes even half the price. Depending on the country and type of campground you chose, one night can range between US$10 to 50.
3. Better campsite locations on campgrounds
On top of paying less, you often have the benefit of staying at the most scenic campsites. We had multiple occasions in the US and in Australia, where we were able to stay in the sites near the tent only area, and all of them were in the first row to the water.
4. Smaller - more natural to drive - easier to park
Smaller campervans are very easy to drive and comparable to a car. Depending on the model of the van, you still have the usual visibility and turning range. When stopping in cities and towns, you can use regular car parking without needing any assistance backing up. We have written a detailed post addressing how easy campervans are to drive, check it out: Are Campervans Hard to Drive?
5. Not so obvious - even safer?
We like to choose campervans that don't scream "campervan!" at first sight to easily blend in with the surrounding cars. First of all, we do not feel like tourists, but rather like travelers exploring the nearby areas. Secondly, it also gives us a sense of security as we cannot be spotted that easily by thieves.
6. Less maintenance
Not having to maintain a septic tank for the toilet definitely makes life on the road easier. Some smaller campervans do have a gray water tank to gather drainage from a sink. These don't require any treatment and can be easily disposed of at a campground or dumping station. Lucky for you, we dedicated an entire article on what to do with your campervan's gray water.
7. More environmentally friendly
You are wondering how we can put driving a car/campervan and environmentally friendly in one sentence? Well, actually, it is quite feasible. Take a big picture approach. While traveling in a campervan, the only resource you are burning is gas. You will not use electricity every night, unlike in a hotel, Airbnb, or a larger RV. You will not waste any water every day just because it is available, and you automatically make an effort to reduce trash and plastic as you have less storage. That sounds environmentally friendly to me!
When is a campervan with a toilet a must?
The one place it is mandatory to have a self-contained campervan is in New Zealand in case you want to free camp and not stay at a campground every night. Free camping without a self-contained campervan will most likely get you a fine of NZ$200. A self-contained campervan must have the following included:
- A freshwater tank
- A gray/black waste water tank
- A sink
- An evacuation hose to safely empty the grey water tank and dispose of its contents
- A trash can with a lid (Sealable refuse container)
- A toilet (portable or fixed), which can be used inside the vehicle, even when the bed is fully set up.
This does not mean that you will have to rent a big RV. You can also find small campervans in New Zealand that are self-contained and thus still benefit from all of the advantages listed above. Check out our article 'A Curated Comparison of 9 Campervan Rentals in Christchurch, NZ' to find the perfect van for yourself.
Stories from our own experience
Jen and I had our sheer adventures when human nature is calling. We are happy to share them with you to help you make your own informed choices and to entertain you, maybe a little.
The Human Poo
Our first campervan trip was to the Southwest of the US. We chose to free camp the first night. Well, the truth is all nearby campgrounds on the north side of Joshua Tree National Park were already full, so we had no choice, as dusk was crawling in already.
We had researched before our trip that there was a BLM (area for free camping) close to the North entrance. (You may find that BLM spot in Google maps here.) By the time we arrived, it was already pitch black. We felt a tiny bit awkward (mostly adventurous) sleeping in the desert without knowing what was surrounding us on our first night ever in a campervan.
We found a spot and quickly prepared the bed and went to sleep. Having just landed the same day from Germany, our bodies hadn't adjusted 100% yet. So here I found myself crawling out in the middle of the night into the silent desert and holding on to our van to 💩.
The story starts to get funny the next morning when Jen tried to pick up my poo like you would pick up dog poo (bless her soul). The thing is that human poo doesn't work that way 😆. Lesson learned, either carry a shovel or build your own little bucket when free camping.
You prefer video? Take a look at our Digital Campfire Story Episode 3, as we talk about our first BLM experience.
The She Wee
Before our second campervan trip to the East Coast of Australia, Jen could not be stopped in getting a She Wee and trying it out in the rainforest of South Australia. It didn't take long until she joined me squatting for the rest of the trip. Lesson learned, don't want what others have. The She Wee was a failure.
Here is our Digital Campfire Story Episode 2, as we talk about our She Wee Experience.
The Pee Tent
At home in Düsseldorf, Germany, our favorite spot in summer is to hang out by the riverbank of the Rhine, enjoying a BBQ, chilling on our tronos, and having a good time with friends.
Unfortunately, that area does not have any public toilet nor bushes to hide in. After a few afternoons and evenings ended very abruptly by returning home, Jen and I invented our pee tent.
We have a two seconds tent from Quechua, which we combined with our DIY toilet seat (a bucket with a (black!) plastic bag) and ta-da! We got ourselves a mobile outdoor toilet. It has been a massive success with our friends, and we cannot wait for the next summer to arrive to keep on enjoying the long European summer nights :).
Do you have any questions or funny stories you would like to share with us? Let us know in the comments below.
