I saw this in the pictures linked to a post concerning how to sell a coach.
Anyone know where I can get one? It would go well with my 50's theme for my conversion.
Thanks!
Another pic
Yes, I agree.......that is way cool!
Maybe look at boat part sites, I had one in my houseboat.
Ray D
Way cool Dude, let us know when you find it.
Jack
Was that a Custom Coach conversion? If so Maybe you can contact them, and see if they can pull the supplier that they bought them from. Aaron
Looks a lot like what we all rip out. :D
Actually, wanted to keep my original Lav, just for the retro look. This 'TravelLav' thing looks a much better solution. Good luck finding it.
Nellie
Navy surplus - HTH
I will try to find the link later today, but there is a railroad salvage yard that sells those. They are used in Pullman sleeper cars, way cool.
Chuckd
Had a 21' motorhome in the 80's that had the fold up sink and toilet in it, although they were fibreglass.
Here's something a bit similar from these people: http://www.trinitymarine.co.uk/ (http://www.trinitymarine.co.uk/)
(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trinitymarine.co.uk%2Fproductimages%2Fgallery%2Fdisplay%2FSS-image-2011-01-28-4d42aa7f4e22f.jpg&hash=469e4cadff41b4738998c14d450c9815523d276c)
(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trinitymarine.co.uk%2Fproductimages%2Fgallery%2Fdisplay%2FSS-image-2011-01-28-4d42aac03d5cc.jpg&hash=189cd8796811711a3694a20478a742eeba0e2763)
There are various plastic equivalents available as well, but I guess you know that.
Jeremy
These guys may have it if not they probably know where to get one - HTH
http://www.omrparts.com/index.asp (http://www.omrparts.com/index.asp)
Not to highjack your thread - but I've seen several of types of these - nifty idea and easy to do - FWIW
http://www.toystoreinc.com/servlet/the-3919/Toilet-Lid-Sink-Combo/Detail (http://www.toystoreinc.com/servlet/the-3919/Toilet-Lid-Sink-Combo/Detail)
That OMRparts is a cool site! 8)
Thanks for the link!
We're getting closer. ;D
What you're looking for is known as TravelLav and was designed by Angelo Colanna back in the early 1950's. If you do a google patent search, you can find the original design documents.
I was very interested in this system and was planning on using it in my conversion until I learned that my girlfriend wasn't into showering where she does other activities.
In my research, I learned that these were possibly used in some rail cars (although I've never actually seen one in that application) and they were used in almost all Flxible bus conversions that were performed by the Custom Coach company (which is still in business in Columbus, OH). From what I can tell, Custom Coach actually bought out the company when they were going out of biz, but didn't do much with the assets of the company. I've talked to Kerwin Elmers, who is one of the founders of Custom Coach and they didn't have any available.
It is available in two versions, one with a drop down sink and one with a fixed sink. Here are shots of the fixed sink version:
(https://img.skitch.com/20110216-11gfpm36t729dgn5dt9madnw3t.jpg)
(https://img.skitch.com/20110216-jihkipf1a53aadxs3g52e6s4c8.jpg)
(https://img.skitch.com/20110216-n255kdjxgx7s4xq64tctk2htpj.jpg)
I have located one of the fixed sink versions that I could purchase at a reasonable price. I'm not quite willing to let go of it yet since the layout of my coach hasn't been finalized and it's what I'd really like to use. If you're not in a hurry and can wait 6-8 months, then I'll know if I'm willing to give up the one that I know of.
Here's a few shots of another one:
(https://img.skitch.com/20110216-8uxd53bb4y7px26n5i59kx19nq.jpg)
(https://img.skitch.com/20110216-bx3x71beh6qse9jy7u1ig6da7p.jpg)
(https://img.skitch.com/20110216-ttfdtqt69u8u6h5xsu3ssmuakp.jpg)
The second shot is looking straight up from below and the next is looking horizontally from below the unit.
In general, look for any Custom Coach Flxible bus conversions and you'll most likely find a TravelLav.
I have a friend who owns one and he said it was prone to clogging... but he has an old bus and hasn't taken apart the whole thing and cleaned it or had anything sand blasted, etc. I'm assuming they'd work great if properly maintained since Custom Coach used them for so many years... I'd think they would have given up on that system if they were not reliable.
Let me know if you're really committed to finding one and then I'll send you what I know and any known sources... although you might have to buy a whole bus just to get the toilet you desire.
-Ben
Ben, that info would be awesome to have!
I move kinda slow on this bus conversion trail. I've been collecting parts for several years, so another 6 to 8 months is no problem.
I'd rather not have to buy a whole bus to get one, but, if that is what I have to do . . . I've done worse.
I really want to have 2 baths in my coach, so that is the perfect thing for the second bath. Won't be used all the time, but will allow a full second bath at a fraction of the space.
THANKS!
Why can't I see the pics in that last post by Pixelhead?
Quote from: Pixelhead on February 15, 2011, 07:19:00 PM
...
In my research, I learned that these were possibly used in some rail cars (although I've never actually seen one in that application) ...
Ben, thanks for chiming in here.
Just to clarify the rail car confusion, yes, a nearly identical toilet (and sink) system was used extensively in rail cars, and specifically it was used in "roomette" accommodations on sleeping cars made by both the Pullman and the Budd companies. I can tell you that I have used these toilets on many occasions, and they were not comfortable or pleasant to use, but having a private facility in your own room was still better than having to use common facilities at the end of the car.
That said, I'm not certain these were the trademark "TravelLav" units. For one thing, I believe they pre-date the early 50s. For another, there is no stop valve on them. The units installed in converted coaches would have emptied into a waste tank, and so some sort of valve would be necessary to prevent tank gasses from coming back up into the bathroom. As I understand it, the stop valve is incorporated into the folding mechanism, such that when the unit is secured back in the stowed position, the valve is closed. By contrast, railroad cars of the day had no pesky waste tanks, and the contents of the toilet simply emptied onto the tracks. There was basically an open hole in the back of the toilet bowl, and when you folded the unit back into the wall, the wasted emptied out through that hole and down a short chute to the ground. No tanks meant no sewer gasses, and if you opened the unit just an inch or two you could hear the rails and even see the ground going by. Every toilet in railroad cars back then had a prominent sign warning you not to flush while the train was in a station.
It is possible that one and the same company manufactured the units for Pullman, Budd, and Converted Coach. In which case I would suspect that the lion's share of the market was the rail car industry, and Converted Coach was just along for the ride. The demise of luxury passenger rail travel in the 60s spelled the end for sleeping cars made by both industry giants, and I think the last cars were made in perhaps 61 or so. When new sleepers were built for the Superliner (and later AmFleet) trains in the 70s, laws had changed and it was no longer permitted to dump untreated waste on the trackway. Toilets installed in these later cars could not use gravity alone, and most are either vacuum systems like those on ships and planes, or macerating systems. The waste goes to a central tank. A system such as the TravelLav simply can not be used in such an arrangement, and I suspect that was the end of that product. With Pullman and Budd out of the picture, it would make sense that CC purchased what was left of the production.
-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com (http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com)
Quote from: Charley Davidson on February 15, 2011, 08:43:38 PM
Why can't I see the pics in that last post by Pixelhead?
I don't know, but that happened at home, but then they appeared when I replied.
They popped right up the first time here at work. . . .
I located two TravelLavs yesterday near Ft. Worth, TX. Both are the fold up sink version. The owner is willing to part with them, but doesn't have a price in mind. I think he just wants an offer that he can accept or reject.
Here are photos of one of the units... I didn't see the second one, but it sounds like it is in similar shape. It looked as if it would be very easy to clean these up and get them working.
(https://img.skitch.com/20110312-phi9c3wd73hh8dffw9dnew5hqj.jpg)
(https://img.skitch.com/20110312-q6yqfcafjc8djpqnni8ew5646q.jpg)
(https://img.skitch.com/20110312-xgeeftpheddthn3ahjxfydbscj.jpg)
(https://img.skitch.com/20110312-t8wetwb1bweksc3jrh2tnrsyxr.jpg)
(https://img.skitch.com/20110312-1ndu3mrji98j16yjrndngpjik2.jpg)
(https://img.skitch.com/20110312-rqij98uus6dwp91h1eb5ry5b4n.jpg)
The arrows on one image indicate where Blue: color water connection, Red: hot water connection, Orange: poop shoot
The dimensions of the unit are aprox: 25" Wide X 59" Tall X 9" Deep
Please send me a private message with the price you'd like to offer along with your contact info and I'll forward it to the owner. I will not make a dime off the sale... I'll just be forwarding your info.
Thanks Pixelhead! I sent you a couple of emails.