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A minivan camper conversion certainly doesn’t have the space for a full wet bathroom. However, there are ways to have a complete van conversion with a bathroom in a small space!
When designing our campervan, we knew we wanted a permanent toilet that was hidden away within the build, and we also knew we needed space for some of the van life bathroom essentials.. aka.. wipes, toilet paper, essential oils, and a camp shower. These things ended up being stored in an overhead cabinet at the rear of our van, with a Camco Portable toilet just behind the driver’s seat.
This bathroom setup has worked really well for us. When you decide where to put your toilet, keep in mind a space that’s easy to create privacy. If you’re unsure what kind of toilet you want in your camper van.. here’s a post on 13 different toilet options. You may be surprised at the things you need to consider when sorting out the placement of your campervan toilet.
Again, our bathroom setup is for a minivan conversion with a bathroom. However, we would likely do something very similar in our future build in a larger van as well. Let’s dive into this minivan campervan bathroom conversion.
Our Mini Van Conversion with Bathroom Set Up
A Closer Look At Our Mini Van Conversion With Bathroom
Hand Sanitizer | snag yours here
In both our van bathrooms, we chose to not include a permanent sink. This means that more often than not, we use hand sanitizer to wash our hands. We don’t need to tell you that you should sanitize or wash your hands after the bathroom… that’s an obvious choice. We will say, however, that we also use sanitizer before we cook and each time we return to the van. This helps us prevent getting sick on the road.
Camco Portable Toilet | check current prices here
We’ve had many different toilets over the years, you can read about them here, but the Camco portable toilet is what we included in our minivan conversion, and it’s been great! Surprisingly, this cassette toilet does really well with both pee and poop. We definitely don’t recommend pooping in it though if you produce big turds!
When we were first thinking about converting a sprinter van back in the states, we were dead set on a composting toilet in the van. However, after realizing Sprinter vans in the states are way overpriced, and we decided to build something out that wasn’t as trendy, we nixed the composting toilet idea. In fact, I’m not sure in a bigger build we’d include a composting toilet. As we read more about composting toilets, we realized they take a lot of work and are a large part of a van conversion.. so cassette toilets are our go-to!
Toilet Paper | check current prices here
Okay, obviously we have toilet paper in the bathroom. But a couple of things to note… We don’t put our toilet paper in our toilet. All our used toilet paper goes in a sealed bag. We try and keep it in a non-see-through bag, but that doesn’t always happen.
Keeping the toilet paper separate from the black waste tank on our toilet makes it a lot easier to dump the toilet. However, if bagging your used toilet paper isn’t for you all the time, grab some RV toilet paper. It’s supposed to break down easier.
Essential Oils | check current prices here
I think having essential oils in the bathroom is one of the greatest van life hacks around. We use essential oils in the toilet to keep our toilet smelling fresh. Each time we use the toilet, we flush a few drops of essential oils down, and then put a few more drops in the clean toilet bowl when we’re finished.
This has hands down been one of the best things in keeping the toilet from smelling bad! Using essential oils instead of chemicals in your camper van toilet also means that you can dump the toilet in pit toilets when in a pinch. It’s perfect for days on end in the middle of nowhere.
Solar Camp Shower | check current prices here
To be honest, we really don’t use our van shower that much. On our first road trip we drove it all the way across the United States and back (with it full mind you), and never used it once. In the van, we have gotten our fair share out of it.. but truthfully, we shower in lakes, rivers, and streams more often than not.
With that said, this camp shower is easy to stow anywhere when it’s not full. And it’s also a great backup of fresh water for times when your van water tanks are not enough.
The water heats up from the sun and then trickles out the nozzle. Jay and I can both get two showers out of one bag, though that’s without washing my hair. It’s literally the perfect way to get a quick rinse, which in the van world can make you feel like a million bucks!
Baby Wipes or Dude Wipes | grab some here
Speaking of feeling like a million bucks… baby wipes, dude wipes, and face towelettes do a fabulous job to freshen up. When in the van, we recommend wiping when you go poop with a baby wipe or dude wipe, as this keeps you much fresher downtown. Baby wipes are also great for just a quick wipe-down of the pits, or if you spill something on yourself.
More often than not, baby wipes count as a van shower. Yes, that sounds disgusting.. but sometimes it’s the only way to get through from one “real” van life shower to the next.
Whenever I’m feeling off and just frustrated in the van with being dirty, I use a face towelette like this, and literally my entire mood changes. It’s amazing how good a fresh-smelling face towelette can make you feel.
More Details On Our Van Conversion with Bathroom
Choosing the Best Van Life Toilet + Where to Use the Bathroom Outside of the Van
More Details on Van Builds
Best Campervan Lighting Ideas for Inside Your Campervan or RV
How to Install Camper Van Wall Panels
How to do Laundry While Living in a Van
25 Things to Look Forward to When Living in a Van Full Time
Complete Guide to Installing Your Campervan Flooring
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