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Living in a camper on our lot while the house is rebuilt after a fire: share the crew's porta potty or get our own?

Lisa G.asked 0 viewsHome Renovations & Long-termFire rebuildLiving on siteCamperShared unitService frequencyHolding tank

Kitchen fire in August took most of our house, and the plan is to park our camper on the lot and live in it while the rebuild runs through spring. Water is back on at the meter, but the city capped the sewer line and the camper's black tank is small, so dumping it every few days with two kids is not going to happen.

The builder is bringing a unit for his crew anyway. Can our family of four just share that one, or should we get our own? I'm also wondering if weekly service holds up with four of us using it every night and morning on top of the framers during the day, and whether they can pump the camper tank on the same visit or if that's a different truck entirely.

Lot is narrow with a gravel drive along one side. Anyone lived like this for a few months?

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Luis A.Bozeman, MT

Get your own portable toilet. The builder's unit is sized for the crew, not your family. A standard unit holds 50 to 70 gallons, and weekly service is the norm for normal use. Four people using it full-time plus daytime crew use will fill the holding tank fast. You will need more frequent service visits.

The builder's crew size determines their unit count under OSHA 1926.51. For 20 or fewer workers, one toilet; for 20 to 199, one toilet seat and one urinal per 40 workers. Their unit is for their workers, not residents.

A vacuum truck pumps a portable toilet holding tank. It cannot pump your camper's black tank. That requires a different hose connection and often a different service. You need a separate rental for your family.

Place your unit on level ground near the gravel drive for truck access. I lived in a trailer during a barn build. Having our own toilet saved arguments with the crew and kept things sanitary. Long-term rental rates are lower than short-term, and service frequency drives cost more than the unit itself.

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