Can You Handle a Short History of The RV Toilet?

OK my fellow RVers, I’m on a roll today! There I was surrounded by porcelain thinking about where we got the idea for portable toilets. We’ve had stationary toilets even before we had stationary. When I was in Greece I saw an ancient public toilet that actually used running water to carry waste away. So the concept of the toilet was an early development. But, when did mankind invent the portable toilet? The old saying, “necessity is the mother of invention” was the driving force in the development of the portable toilet. Mining was the most likely first place where portable toilets were employed. There they were, a couple of ancient miners, far underground in a confined space with little ventilation, suddenly nature calls…somebody think of something quick! I think we have miners to thank for our modern day RV toilets. As early as the 1800s miners were using oar cars on rails to transport ore to the surface. These were pulled either by men or mules and the rails made it easy to move heavy loads. One of the earliest portable toilets that we have in museums is this two seater converted ore car. It had covers to hold the fumes at bay and had a wash out system. This was crude and offered little privacy, but when you are a mile underground it seems like the lap of luxury. Next we began making portable out-houses that could be used on the job site or at public events and then transported and drained at more appropriate locations. This idea caught on and someone got the bright idea to make a miniature version of this which was basically a seat with a container. It worked great as a honey bucket for tent campers and caught on in nursing homes as well. Now patients could use the commode right at their bedside and didn’t have to travel down a hall to the public facilities. Eventually someone developed the chemical reservoir cassette toilet which allowed longer holding times before one had to empty. So when RV’s started hitting the scene this idea was perfect for this new mode of camping. It was a natural transition because the holding tank idea had already been pioneered by miners and now RVers are the beneficiaries of this very practical idea. So the next time you use your RV toilet, you’ll be more appreciative of this technological marvel. Tanks for your readership. Jim