OffTheGridTravel
Member
What is your opinion on equipping your RV with solar panels and/or a composting toilet ? Why or why not ?
Kevin Means said:We've got a fairly large solar setup that's capable of meeting our power needs without having to run the generator (as long as there's adequate sunlight). We chose to go solar, because we do a fair amount of boondocking in Southern California and Arizona where there's usually lots of sun and I'm not a fan of listening to my generator. However, if we didn't boondock very often or didn't usually camp where there was lots of sun, it probably wouldn't have been a very wise investment.
Our motorhome has good grey, black and fresh-water capacities so I've never really explored the composte toilet idea. Seems a bit cumbersome to me but I'm no expert on them.
Kev
kjansen said:We have a Sun-Mar composting toilet at our cabin and I don't think it would work well in a RV. First, they are quite large and second if you don't use it exactly right there is an odor. I think in a RV that would be quite objectionable. Ours uses electricity to heat the chamber for better composting and evaporation of urine and to power a fan to suck smell outside. Using this one you would need more batteries and solar panels to keep it working.
joelmyer said:I have a single 245 watt panel & 4 six volt batteries.
joelmyer said:I'm coming down to the end of my first winter in Key West with solar.
It's great! Usually I run the generator only to use the microwave, occasionally because of several cloudy days or because it's been a week & I feel like it needs the exercise.
I have a single 245 watt panel & 4 six volt batteries.
Know nothing about composting toilets.
Joel
Kevin Means said:I can't remember where I read it but I read an article some time ago about a guy who installed a composting toilet in his RV and he was able to use the black water tank as additional grey water storage. Depending on how your tanks were installed, that might be a difficult plumbing job but I thought it was a great idea.