Amthor International has been manufacturing the Matador Flat Vac portable restroom truck for several years, but customer feedback at the Water & Wastewater Equipment, Treatment & Transport (WWETT) Show has given Butch Amthor keen insight on design improvements. Several of those updates were on display with the Matador Flat Vac model on the 2015 WWETT Show exhibit floor.

“The biggest change this year is the rounded-bottom tank with a full-length formed sump design for drainage,” says Amthor, the company’s executive vice president. “All waste material flows to the center, which virtually makes the tank self-cleaning.”

The Matador Flat Vac serves as a multipurpose vehicle for portable restroom operators, as it carries six (on the 12-foot model) to 12 restrooms (on the 20-foot model) on top of the tank, as well as pulls a restroom delivery trailer. The vacuum tank includes full baffles every 24 inches transversely and longitudinally for strength, with separate wastewater and freshwater compartments as well as an option for a chemical or brine compartment.

“Your typical portable restroom service truck will have a carrier on the back for two units, while this unit carries up to 12 and is still compact enough to fit into tight areas for special event servicing,” says Amthor. “Being able to deliver units and service them with the same truck is both cost- and time-efficient.”

Tanks are available in 800 to 2,000-gallon capacities, with a standard 4-inch waste valve and 2-inch water valve, and 2-inch pressure-relief valve. It is available in 1/4-inch steel, 1/4-inch stainless steel or 5/16-inch aluminum, and comes with a workstation and a vertical cabinet and an extruded aluminum door with integrated shelving. There are 2-inch sight glasses for the waste compartment and a sight tube for the water compartment. A liftgate is installed behind the tank to load and unload restrooms. It has an outside rub-rail with stake pockets every 36 inches. Aluminum removable side racks with e-track or solid sides are available.

“The frame actually flexes opposite of the body, which provides a smoother ride for passengers and cargo,” says Amthor. “It is easy to load and unload units with the liftgate as well. It’s a unit made for one-person operation if needed.”

Amthor says the 2015 model of the Matador Flat Vac is the result of several years of feedback, much of it coming on the WWETT Show floor. “That’s how we learn what works and what doesn’t in this industry,” he says. “The rounded trough design came directly from customer feedback. They wanted something that was easier to clean, and we listened.”

Amthor points out that his company’s goal is to debut a new product at every WWETT Show, and he promises 2016 will be no different, though he doesn’t want to get into specifics.

“A lot of the decision will come down to what we hear on the floor here,” he said during the 2015 show. “I’m always thinking about something new or a way to innovate something we already have. And this show is always the one we aim for. It’s the biggest in the industry.” 800/328-6633; www.amthorinternational.com.