Charles, It appears I am wrong, and Dave Scobie is right. In other words, the correct assertion appears to be that purchasing the new Cabela Thetford PortaPotti would *be a mistake,* if your intention is to fit it into your M15 in the designated porta potti cavity. The Thetford porta potti i have was cannibalized from an aged Capri 14 that I used to own and not unhappily donated to a New London CT sailing-for-kids charity. Cheers, - Brad On Tue, May 4, 2021 at 1:53 PM Charles Matthews <matthewsck@bellsouth.net> wrote:
Hello Brad & Dave,
Thank you for responding to the question I posed last month to the Montgomery Sailboat forum re: Thetford porta-potti. I’m new to how email “forums” work, so pls forgive me if I get this wrong: Dave, looks like You responded to my question...then you and Brad responded to each other.
In any case, taking the two responses together, I’ll AVOID purchasing a CURRENT Thetford 135. Dave, looks like the “old” 235 is the one to look for online, since it fit your 1984 M15 without having to add boiling water.
But you two seem to disagree re: the current 135 sold online. Brad says it fits & Dave says not. Do I have this right?
Thanks, Charles Matthews (Confused in Decatur)
Sent from my iPhone
On Apr 27, 2021, at 10:42 AM, Dave Scobie <scoobscobie@gmail.com>
The base conforms to the size of the spot where the potti sits. Once it has been 'remolded' the potti lifts in/out fine, though it is a snug fit (which is actually a good thing IMO).
If your potti is really old it may fit without modification. My '84 M15 had a potti, a old Thetford 235, that fit. (See attached picture.)
:: Dave Scobie :: M6'8" #650 :: SV SWALLOW - sv-swallow.com :: former owner M17 #375 SWEET PEA - m17-375.com :: former owner M15 #288 SCRED - m15namedscred.wordpress.com <<-- new site!
On Tue, Apr 27, 2021, 5:09 AM brad kurlancheek <bkurlancheek@gmail.com> wrote:
heat up water to boiling, fill potti where #1&2 goes, and press, carefully, into the M15's potti space.
:: Dave Scobie :: M6'8" #650 :: SV SWALLOW - sv-swallow.com :: former owner M17 #375 SWEET PEA - m17-375.com :: former owner M15 #288 SCRED - m15namedscred.wordpress.com <<-- new site!
On Mon, Apr 26, 2021, 6:09 PM brad kurlancheek <bkurlancheek@gmail.com> wrote:
I've used both the Thetford Porta Potti 135 and the 5 gallon bucket Wag bag method, and found I much prefer the Porta Potti. Lots easier to use, and it hides odors just fine. It's faster, tons more comfortable, and requires less prep. You set it up one time and you're good for 5 days. With the bucket you got to do a setup and dispose, after each use - a real pain. One half bottle of odor goop will keep it odor free for 5 days for one person. Don't use it for No. 1 - you'll get more days out of it that way. :) To empty, clean and re-use all you need is a bathroom with a toilet and running water. There's lots of how-to videos on youtube for it, and it's really quite simple. Here's a link for the Thetford 135 on sale at Cabela's, and I've attached the operating manual for it as well, and it should be available online, too. https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/thetford-porta-potti-135 I ordered a custom vinyl square cover for it, and keep it covered while not in use. After having used the porta potti, i'll not be going back to using the bucket. A good way to test it out and get used to it is to use the porta potti at home for 5 days. Then use the bucket at home for 5 days. I think you'll quickly notice obvious differences. Walmart sells the odor goop - I use 4 oz. Thetford Aqua-Chem at a time. So one 8 oz. bottle should last one person 10 days. Good luck and good pooping. :)
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Dave, I must confess to never even trying to fit my Thetford in the porta potty space in my 2009 M15. I only started using the Thetford two years ago in my Swifty 13 and found it to be more to my liking than the bucket. My Thetford came with an old Catalina Capri I used to own many years ago, and I kept the Thetford, but not the boat. So now you've got my curiousity picqued. Going to have to see if that Thetford fits into the Monty today! Thanks for the words of caution. I gather the boiling water method means once you smush the Thetford into the M15's cavity, there's no getting it back out again, unless you put boiling water back in again during the attempted excavation? - Brad
On Mon, Apr 26, 2021 at 9:40 PM Dave Scobie <scoobscobie@gmail.com> wrote:
Be very very careful in that the Thetford 135 currently sold, like at Cabela's, will not fit. The base is much larger than the 135 sold before the late 2000 and the hot water trick outlined below doesn't work.
(Thetford actually originally marketed this new unit as the 260 in 2011 and stated it was a direct drop in replacement. IT IS NOT. A few years ago they changed the marketing for the 260 to 135.)
A 135 from the 80s or 90s and early 2000s is the needed toilet. Look on Craigslist, eBay, etc. Then there is a trick to make the old 135s fit