outhouse construction

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outhouse construction

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Countryside : One Thread

We recently purchased close to 5 acres of land near Minong, Wi. There is no water or electricity on the site. For now we have a 20 ft camper that we use when we are able to get there for the weekends. We would like info on building an outhouse there. The soil is very sandy. We are in the middle of woods which is mostly pine. Also any info on running our camper by battery would be helpful. Its and old (1968) Holiday travel trailer. We are unable to find an owners manual. We are able to run the frig off of the propane. But the furnace needs electricity to run. We recently found out we have a mama bear with 3 of last years cubs and a bobcat as our neighbors in the "back yard". I'm anxiously awaiting the opportunity for pictures!

-- B. Steenerson (WILDETMR@YAHOO.COM), July 23, 2000

Answers

Have you checked with zoning as to whether or not you are allowed an outhouse? Here in the central part of the state - it is a NO. I hope you can - I've always thought they bring character to a place.

-- Pat (pmikul@pcpros.net), July 23, 2000.

Does the furnace need AC or DC power to operate? I am assuming it is AC power. However, if it operates on DC power you might consider a PV panel sized accordingly with a couple of batteries. This should be sufficient power for the furnace blower. If it is DC powered, check to see how many amps it pulls as a guide to the sizes needed.

If it is AC, you could run a generator, use a inverter with the PV panel and batteries to change from DC to AC, or consider changing the AC blower to a DC fan of some sort. Also perhaps you could add a room onto the camper and use a wood stove in it to heat the room and the camper? No propane or power needed.

As for the outhouse, I know there are all sorts of technical and detailed plans for them. Mine is simply a hole dug in the ground with a structure over it. It is sealed except for the hole where you sit, which has a regular toilet ring with lid. It has a vent pipe that goes through the wall behind the seat. It is also sealed all around on the ground as well to prevent critters or vermin from getting into it. If and when it ever needs cleaned out the boards on the bottom at ground level can be removed. I put lime down it when ever it is used. It is 3 years old now and we have had no problems.

Good luck in your venture.

-- Marci (ajourend@libby.org), July 23, 2000.

My assumption is you are only going to use the trailer for weekends. Some possibilities. Go to a home health care place and buy a portable pottie. It's basically a chair with a chamber pot under it. It can be emptied periodically into a hole dug with a post hole digger (new hole each visit). Trailer probably now has a small bath so perhaps it can be put where the commode is now or in the shower area. For heat, there are smaller sized kerosene heaters. Will probably roast you out of the place. For lighting use propane lamps. They put out a surprising amount of light. For entertainment there are radios and small TVs which have adapters to work off 12V DC (battery current). Run a line to where they can be hooked up to your vehicle battery with clamps. Just run the vehicle for a couple of minutes every so often to keep the battery charged. For water you can take it in plastic milk jugs. Used conservatively, a gallon goes a long ways. Freeze one in advance and put it in your small frig. to help keep it cold, or you can use a cooler as a supplement. If you are going to be staying longer during the summer perhaps there is a truck stop or campgrounds to where you can pay to take a shower. Go to a well equipped RV store as they have lots of neat stuff there. An on-line source for camping supplies is www.campmor.com.

-- Ken Scharabok (scharabo@aol.com), July 24, 2000.

Look into constructing your own composting toilet -- you may be able to get a variance for one of these, even if the outhouse isn't allowed.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), July 24, 2000.

B! check Countryside Magazine last fall issue. I had an article published that told how to make a 12Volt system. If you can't find an issue-email and I'll attempt to find it for you. Using an auto alternator, gasoline engine and car/truck batteries, it's cheap and the parts are easily obtained. The furnace runs off of 12 Volts DC. In fact most of your lights are probably 12vdc also. If not, then you'll need an inverter--which I explain in that article. Refrigerators in R.V.'s are an ammonia/water solution [chiller] and are the most effecient known refrigeration units. It's much cheaper to run it off of gas as opposed to electricity. These units work off of heat. The gas burner is a pilot light-the electric is a heat coil. Pilot lights burn very little gas--the electric coil uses a bunch of current and will soon sap the batteries. Only thing is to keep the pilot light/burner clean of spider webs, wasps etc. Outhouse: Brother Jeep has made several for neighbors and whoever else wants them. The last one he built was a 3 hole'r and really a site to see. It's FINISHED on the inside, insulated, lights, carpeted and even has a STEREO with BIG SPEAKERS in there. The owner is a Bluegrass picker, singer and general all around Hillbilly like the rest of the Gibson's. When you hear "Grass" a plain--it's OCCUPIED! Varnished and set over a big hole dug next to a little branch--it's much better than runnin inside the house. Another good thing about this "house"--no wasps! If you want plans-email. I'll attempt to get'm from Jeep! Of course, for free! We're here to help each other. Matt. 24:44

-- hoot gibson (hoot@pcinetwork.com), July 24, 2000.

You might try www.vita.org and see what they have available. Lots of good low-tech stuff there. You could also try www.echonet.org they could help, too.

j

-- j (jw_hsv@yahoo.com), July 24, 2000.

I highly recommend the "Humanure Book", which I've seen advertized in Countryside. i got it from the library. Basically, you do the deed into a 10 gallon plastic bucket, cover your doings with sawdust, and empty it as needed on a compost pile. No smell! No spiders! I built the outhouse from heavy duty pallets, placed an empty tea chest with a hole cut out of it over the bucket, and the toilet seat (from Goodwill) rested on that. Worked great. I had the best view of forest for my morning ablutions.

-- snoozy (allen@oz.net), July 24, 2000.

I lived in a 16' trailer in the AZ mountains for 4 years. I think the best way to heat is with a lean-to room. On the one I built didn't bother with a wood floor used the dirt one God provided. This also gave me allot of extra storage space and I just like heating with wood. I do now too in Missouri and use a bedside commode for my potty. I have been using a bleach solution but think from reading on this forum I will switch to peat moss. Let us know what you do and how you like your spot beyond the sidewalks. gail

-- gail missouri ozarks (gef123@hotmail.com), July 26, 2000.

You say the soil is sandy. Some people I know here , put in an outhouse and combined "old and new technology". They built a traditional building, but instead of digging a pit under it, they use a two chambered honey tank system. The way it was described to me was a 5 gallon tank in the privy, piped by way of sewer pipe and water trap to a 100 gallon plastic septictank buried with drain field line running from it about 50 ft. Instead of shoveling out a pit, when they leave after a weekend, they would bucket flush the privy with 20 gallons of water from a up hill spring, adding yeast once a month to keep it working. Dont know how well it worked or the zoning regs in your area.

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), July 30, 2000.

-- (stinky@pot.com), July 01, 2001


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