We decided to buy ourselves a Porta Potti, but then had to find somewhere to store it whilst travelling or not being used. There is not much spare space in the Crown, but after considering various options, we decided to build, if possible, a storage compartment under the bench seat at the rear. This area was already in use for storage with a lift-up lid to gain access, but was far too small to accommodate the Porta Potti, although there did appear to be adequate space if the rear wall was removed.

    

The top ply coverings over the compartment were first removed so that I could measure the available space to see if the PP would fit. Careful measurement showed that there would be sufficient depth, but the height was going to be a problem (width was not an issue). Additionally, part of the mechanism for the wind-up roof and electric cabling were behind the rear wall. There would have to be a false floor in order to provide clearance for the winder tubes and cable, but this meant that the PP would not fit under the bench seat – it would have to be raised.

    

 The front and rear walls and supporting timbering were carefully removed and new cross pieces fitted. The wiring is visible in the photo, and below it, the two dark tubes of the winder can be seen immediately behind the rear wall. The light coloured panel at the back is the actual outer skin of the Crown. The new space was boxed in with ply and lined with some scrap marine carpet I had. The new floor is in two pieces to allow clearance for the winder cable.

The PP being trial fitted with part of the lid back in place. To provide the height clearance, lengths of timber were fitted on top of the existing frame, thus raising the bench seat by the extra centimetre required.

    

Finally trim was fastened around the opening and a sliding door added.

 

Thanks to Richard Graylin for sharing this tech tip