The owner of a Toyota Fortuner has installed a working vacuum toilet in the car itself.
Documenting this in a YouTube video, user Revokid explains how the toilet works and gives viewers a look around at the one-of-its-kind Toyota Fortuner.
While it looks like a stock vehicle from the outside there are some big changes on the inside.
Contents
The set-up
This is a wet toilet, meaning that it gets running water as well.
The third row of this SUV is now a moving restroom.
There is a special tank in the rear which carries the water
The owner claims that the water does not spill in any situation, even when the car is travelling at a fast speed.
The toilet takes up the space of one seat in the third row.
Used in caravans
The owner does not share much else regarding the installation process or the waste disposal system.
The concept of a built-in toilet inside a vehicle is nothing novel.
Big caravans and vanity vans use such toilets which can be useful while camping and during long-distance journeys through remote regions.
However this special feature commands a pretty penny.
Cost
Such modifications can cost about Rs 70,000 to Rs 1 lakh depending on the structure and type of system used.
Ojes Automobiles did a similar job on Mahindra Bolero sometime ago for which it charged Rs 65,000.
The concept of installing toilets inside the vehicle gained traction during the pandemic when social distancing became a major norm.
Taxi drivers would opt for this set-up for long-distance trips.
Mini-washroom
These are the vacuum-type toilets that we get to see on airplanes.
The Mahindra Bolero earlier mentioned gets two separate water tanks as well.
The western-styled seat has been imported and is fitted side-facing in the vehicle.
Aside from the toilet, the mini-washroom also gets faucets, soap dispensers and sanitisers for proper hygiene.
Other details
A tank that supplies freshwater and another tank collects wastewater which can be reused.
The tanks are made up of GRP-coated aluminum, which will last for years without any kind of leak.
Powering the entire system is an elaborate 12V electric system that powers an electric pump too.