If you’re like me, you want the convenience of a toilet in the horse trailer, without the cost, expense, weight or maintenance of a big living quarters setup. I’ve found the perfect solution for our trailer, a DIY camping toilet! Our Gore 2+1 gooseneck trailer has a spacious insulated and wired tack room, but no plumbing. For less than about $50, you can have an easy to setup (and more important easy CLEANUP) toilet in your horse trailer. Whether you go to horse shows or go horse camping and trail riding like we do, you really can’t go wrong with this simple and affordable DIY camping toilet setup in your horse trailer!
Why I Need a DIY Camping Toilet in my Horse Trailer
Castle Rocks State Park in Idaho made me finally decide that I needed some kind of bathroom in my horse trailer. I have so many mixed feelings about this horse campground. It’s one of my favorite places, because the trails are absolutely stunning and the scenery in camp is breathtaking. Unfortunately, it’s also one of my least favorite horse camping destinations, because you have to walk a minimum of about a quarter mile to get to a vault toilet, and about a half mile to a real bathroom. They don’t even have a portapotty in the horse camp! Forget trying to find your way through the woods at night either.
***There are also a few other poorly-planned logistics at the horse camp, and I have a blog review about it if you’re planning a trip and want to know what to expect before you go!***
Anywho, this is the camp that made me decide to finally figure out some kind of bathroom situation for my horse trailer. Even when a toilet is nearby in camp, you may still have to venture out into the cold at night for a quick wiz. That could mean putting on shoes, additional clothes and even potentially going out in bad weather. If you’re at a horse show, a simple bathroom run for a quick pee could easily cost you precious time and make you late for a class.
Why Choose The Simple Setup for a DIY Camp Toilet?
When researching camper toilets and DIY setups, I came across a ton of different options, opinions and setups. There are really elaborate ready-to-go camping toilets that even FLUSH! While I was initially attracted to these options, I eventually came to my senses and chose the simple DIY bucket toilet setup, and I think you should too!
If you get one of the fancy camp toilets that flushes, you have to CLEAN and maintain it. NO THANKS. I don’t want to have to find a dumping station for a camper toilet. That sounds awful.
If you do a simple DIY camp toilet using a 5 gallon bucket and my system (of trash bags and kitty litter), you basically have a VERY minimal setup and cleanup, with basically ZERO disgusting maintenance to deal with. Listed below is everything you need for a DIY camp toilet using a 5 gallon bucket for your horse trailer!
What You Need to DIY a Camp Toilet for Your Horse Trailer
- Five gallon bucket
- Snap on toilet-seat lid
- Medium-sized trash bags
- Kitty litter
- Pop up tent for privacy (optional)
DIY Camping Toilet Isn’t Just for Camping
While this DIY camping toilet is PERFECT for horse camping, it’s uses don’t stop there! Parking at horse shows and other equine events can be packed, and the walk to a bathroom can mean the difference in getting to your class on time or being late. If you have a young or green horse, you may not feel comfortable leaving him or her tied to the trailer for an extended period of time either. If you have this toilet in your tack room, you can tack up, wiz and be on your way as quickly as possible. For me, anything that saves me time is HUGE.
I’ve also used this toilet when we’ve been traveling for long hours. You might not always want to use a bathroom at the one questionable looking truck stop on the side of the road. Traveling through the desert might also make popping a squat beside the highway less than ideal too. Just knowing I have the option to wiz, if I need to, is a huge relief.
Upgrade Your Horse Trailer with a “Bathroom”
Whether you have a small two-horse trailer, a big stock trailer or anything in between, you can upgrade your setup with this simple DIY camping toilet setup! I can’t believe it took me so long to finally do this. Now that I have this “bathroom” in my horse trailer, it’s hard to imagine life before it. It’s affordable, convenient and is truly a major quality-of-life upgrade. If you’re on the fence, just go ahead and do it. It’s a small investment and the return on investment in time and convenience are more than tenfold.
Ginny’s Horse Trailer DIY Bucket Toilet Rule – Number 1 Only!
I’m basically the only person that uses my DIY bucket toilet, but even so, I do have a rule! It’s only for going Number 1. That means I only use it to pee in. There is virtually NO smell, and I think this is just the most eco-friendly and appropriate way to use this DIY camping toilet. That being said, if it were a TRUE emergency, and it was a shit-your-pants or use the bucket scenario, I would absolutely be okay with using the DIY camp toilet.
In Conclusion
In conclusion, the DIY camping toilet is a great addition to anybody’s tack room or rustic camping setup. It eliminates the need to leave the trailer in search of a bathroom when time is on the line. It also prevents you from having to use the horse area and shavings in an emergency (who hasn’t been there?). Overall, this cheap and easy setup is likely to greatly improve your quality of life at camps, horse shows, trail rides or wherever you happen to travel with your horse and trailer.
If you have any questions about the setup, drop me a line in the comments, and as always, Happy Trails!
P.S. Stay tuned for the upcoming blog about my DIY hand washing station!
I love your Wiz Palace!
It’s such a great convenience especially if the public bathroom is a hike away from your camp site.
No tripping in the dark or freezing on the way.
Thanks!! Yeah, it’s a life saver!