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Original Vanagon Westfalia Toilet & Cabinet

By Jeffrey Lee 

Making boom-boom the European way, mit die Defäkation Karton!

We recently sold our original-equipment portable chemical toilet with wooden cabinet. Though the previous owners seldom used it, and we never did, I thought I’d share these photos and a bit of history for the sake of posterity.

Apparently available only to those customers who picked up their new Vanagon Campers in Germany as part of VW’s tourist delivery program, the cabinet boasts classic Westfalia design.


This authentic vintage piece features a sturdy plywood cabinet with the familiar Westfalia laminate finish, and a padded seat top upholstered to match the interior of the early Vanagon Westies.


The enclosed Porta-Potti is a compact two-chamber toilet: open the lid and do yer bidness, pull the front handle to open the bowl valve, and give the unit a couple of flush pumps to rinse the bowl clean; then close the valve. Waste is collected in the sealed lower chamber, preventing odors. When full, simply empty into any campground toilet or sanitary station, rinse, and continue using! Refresh with common RV toilet chemicals available at any RV supplier.

Made by Thetford, still the world’s leading manufacturer of mobile sanitation products for the RV, marine, camping and truck markets.

Here’s more info on operating one of Thetford’s similar models: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyhqPO3TfYA

When you don’t need a toilet for your trip, the entire combo can be easily removed for storage, or simply remove the toilet and just use the cabinet as a basic storage compartment with convenient padded seat top!

The Westfalia-Thetford portable toilet combo is a classic piece of vintage camping kit, and ready to ‘go’ wherever you go!

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