"Portable toilet" is a single search term covering four very different products that show up under the same Amazon and Home Depot category page. Knowing which one fits your use case saves you from returning the wrong box.
The four kinds of portable toilet (and which is yours)
- Cassette toilets (RV, marine): a permanently mounted bowl on top of a removable holding tank ("cassette") that you slide out to empty at a dump station. Dometic, Thetford, and Camco own this segment. Standard fit on Class B/C RVs from the 2000s onward. Capacity is typically 4–6 gallons of waste. If you searched "RV toilet" or "thetford rv toilet" — this is your category.
- Chemical / portable camping toilets: a cube-shaped unit with a sealed waste tank below and a clean water flush tank on top. Add Aquakem or similar deodorizer chemical. Pop the latch to lift the bowl section off, carry the tank to a dump point. Reliance, Camco, and Thetford Porta Potti are the volume sellers at $80–$250.
- Bucket toilets / dry sanitation: a five-gallon bucket fitted with a snap-on seat, used with bag liners (Cleanwaste WAG bags or generic). The lowest-cost option ($25–$80). Common in remote campsites, hurricane preparation kits, and emergency closets.
- Portable composting toilets: separate liquids and solids; solids get composted with peat or coir. Nature's Head, OGO, Trelino, and Sun-Mar Compact are the leading brands. Higher price ($800–$1,200) but no chemicals, no dump-station search, no smell. See our composting toilet facet.
Portable toilet rental — the separate market
If you searched "portable toilet rental" or "porta potty rental near me" ($6 CPC because rental companies pay for that traffic), you're looking for jobsite event-rental — not a product you buy. Honey Bucket, United Site Services, Rent-A-John, and Service Sanitation are the national rental networks. Standard single-stall rent is $90–$175/week with delivery and weekly service included; ADA-accessible units run $150–$350/week. Weddings and large events typically need one unit per 50 guests for a 4-hour window.
RV toilet replacement basics
If your RV's cassette toilet handle won't flush or the seal is leaking, the most common parts to need are the Dometic 385318162 flush ball seal kit (3,600/mo searches) or the Thetford Aqua-Magic V blade seal. Replacement is 15–20 minutes with a screwdriver. Whole-toilet replacement on an RV runs $150–$500 and is typically a like-for-like swap; check rough-in and the orientation of the water supply line before ordering.
For elderly home use
"Portable toilet for elderly" (1,900/mo) usually means a bedside commode — a freestanding metal-frame chair with a snap-out bowl, often with armrests and a backrest. Drive Medical and Carex are the volume brands at $50–$110. Not the same product as a camping toilet, despite Amazon's category overlap. If mobility allows getting to the bathroom but standing is the issue, a comfort-height toilet with grab bars is usually the better solution.
What's in this facet
Browse RV cassette options, family camping models, emergency-kit bucket systems, and luxury portable units for long-stay applications. Filter by waste-capacity, indoor vs outdoor rating, and chemical-free options below.