Replacing RV toilet with composting toilet?

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harpgirl

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Hi everyone,
I'm just wondering if anyone had ever replaced their standard RV toilet with a composting toilet? I did a topic search on the forum but not much info came up.

For those who don't know, this summer I will be refurbishing / repairing a 1964 Holiday Rambler that my aunt gave me as a college grad present. I then hope to travel around the country with a couple friends for maybe 6 months or a year full-time. My aunt said that the black tank has been damaged & needs replacing. I started looking into composting toilets because replacing the black tank, dealing with the "poop slinky", and issues that can arise in a black tank kind if gross me out. A lot of people seem to have had good experiences with Nature's head composting toilets. I will be looking at similar designs.

I am hoping to hear someone else's experience with this project (and any reviews of composting toilets you all may be using) before I dismantling things and spending the money on a new toilet.
 
From what I remember from college ag......Composting toilets require more than one holding tank, going off the principle that while you're using one, the other's contents are breaking down into usable compost.    Tank contents would be mostly solid.

From an rv perspective this would give me concerns about managing waste.  You'd be hauling around decomposing waste while it breaks down, or even if it were removed and replaced with an empty....how many pounds would that be for you to lift and move to where you're storing it?    Where would you store the decomposing receptacle in the meantime?  Keeping it attached to the rv brings up weight concerns.   

Plus...the tanks for a compost toilet in an rv would need to be not only sealed securely while moving and being jolted during driving...but still capable of being opened and emptied with a shovel.    Finding a receptacle that would work for those purposes would be difficult, and emptying compost from the underparts or side of an rv would be a lot more difficult than a simple sprayout flush of a blacktank.
 
To search the entire forum, be sure to use the Search button in the menu above, not the Search box in the top right of the page. "Composting toilet" (with quotes) brings up a number of prior discussions. Leave the option to "Search in topic subjects only" unchecked.
 
Instead of composting toilets, check out the below link...

http://www.incinolet.com/aboutus_2.htm

Might change your mind.
 
Thanks for your helpful responses. I appreciate the searching tips & will investigate the incinolet. :)

To Zeph003, the Nature's Head composting toilets I've been considering are small self-contained units. They do not connect to a larger tank. (Which is why they are appealing - I wouldn't need to replace my black tank.) A lot of reviewers say they hold about 60-80 "uses" for solids (2-4 weeks depending on how much time is spent in the camper) and roughly 4 days worth of liquid waste. Once full, the contents of the solids tank can be emptied into a biodegradable trash bag & thrown in the trash. Then you add more moss or coconut coir to the tank and start the process again. I wouldn't need to carry around batches of decomposing stuff. I think the toilet weighs 20lbs empty and the tank doesn't look huge. I can't guesstimate the weight it would hold, but I don't think it would end up being more than 30-40 pounds when full...? I guess I was hoping that someone here also had this kind of system and could talk about it. I feel like bloggers and reviews on YouTube may be over-hyped or gloss over the "real life" of using this kind of system.

But thank you for bringing up those important points and the issue of weight. I've seen some composting toilet systems that seem like more of a hassle than a regular toilet + black tank.
 
azwinne said:
Instead of composting toilets, check out the below link...

http://www.incinolet.com/aboutus_2.htm

Might change your mind.
Click to expand...

I installed one of those for the Corps of Engineers in a wetland environment on Cujo Key. It worked great but the only draw back was building engineers decision to exhaust the waste over the drive thru on the entry side just over the drivers side hood.....It was an unusual welcome....ashes and steam
 
I'm not sure if you have ever run across the blog by a couple of full timers titled "gone with the wynns" but they swear by composting toilets and explain them in great detail. You might check out their blog posts about them. Hope that helps. Not trying to steer you away from the forum, but I have read several posts on the subject on that blog.
 
I suspect you are grossly over-estimating the problems with using a conventional black tank and under-estimating those of the composting toilet. Remember, you have to dispose of the liquids as well and "bagging" a box of raw feces is not an attractive thought to me, particularly if I then have to carry the bag around.

I'd also expect the composting unit would be more expensive than replacing a black tank.

Ernie
 
With-a-k said:
I'm not sure if you have ever run across the blog by a couple of full timers titled "gone with the wynns" but they swear by composting toilets and explain them in great detail.
Click to expand...
I just stumbled on one of their videos on YouTube about cabinet organization. I will look up their blogs about this! I want to find as many personal anecdotes about this kind of waste management before I hop aboard myself. Thanks so much for the tip! :)
 
SOO much info on their site!  Thanks from me as well, I hadn't found them yet and there's a ton of cool info!
 
There is still SOME maintenance required with composting toilets, and its not as if the solid waste just magically disappears.

Do you know the details on the black tank damage on the Holiday Rambler?  I'd look more into that repair/replacement to get an idea on cost.  Dealing with black tank contents isn't all that bad, most of the time none of the stuff gets anywhere near you.  ;)  It's part of RV'ing you'll eventually want to learn one way or the other, if you plan on traveling/fulltiming for the lengths that you mentioned.  After the first few visits to the dump station, it gets pretty routine and is really no big deal.
 
If this style of waste management had any appeal to the rving industry I am sure all these huge RV builders would offer them as an option, Tried and true holding tanks is the way to go. I remember years ago my older brother had his VW van and was camping in Death Valley after he came back from Vietnam. I wish I could of seen the looks on the faces of his fellow campers as he was holding up the line emptying out his Porta Potty toilet at the dump station at Texas Springs CG......Yikes!!!
 
I would have to go with scottydl and john owens on this. While dumping the holding tanks is not the most enjoyable part of owning an rv, once you have done it a time or two it is really no big deal. I don't have much experience with composting toilets. In fact, I have only seen a few, and only in pop ups and conversion vans where there is little room for holding tanks. I would look into the extent of damage to your holding tank. Replacing it may be a challenge, but sometimes they can be patched or repaired with a plastic welder fairly easily and effectively.
 
With-a-k said:
I'm not sure if you have ever run across the blog by a couple of full timers titled "gone with the wynns" but they swear by composting toilets and explain them in great detail. You might check out their blog posts about them. Hope that helps. Not trying to steer you away from the forum, but I have read several posts on the subject on that blog.
Click to expand...


Absolutely check them out. I met Jason and Nicki when I was hosting a campground in Wisconsin in 2014. I bumped into them again, when they were having their rig serviced in Coburg Oregon. Two 30 something kids, with much knowledge and experience of fulltiming. They love their system and highly recommend it. They are on Facebook and have a great blog and E-mail mailing, that goes into further detail of all kinds of components, including their solar setup. 
 
Thanks so much for pointing me in the direction of these resources. I learning more about what makes composting toilets function in general. I also loved the videos the Wynns did on their solar setup - I never knew before that there are portable solar panels that you can set up on the grass! Since my camper is vintage, I am a bit squeamish about drilling or permanently glueing panels on the roof! So funny (and expensive haha) how you can start investigating one remodel for your RV and find tons more ideas that you want to implement...

I am actually 800 miles away from the camper right now, finishing my last semester at school. So I can't answer a lot of questions about its condition and the level of repairs needed. I am just going off what my aunt (who owned it before & is giving it to me) has told me, and some quick pictures I tried to take in the dark when I was able to check it out for 15 minutes.

I am preparing myself and my wallet for having to give it considerable TLC. I am looking for ways to make it more efficient for lots of boondocking and travelling very cheaply, while I am going to the trouble of taking things apart to clean & make repairs. :) So maybe fixing the black tank will be best, or maybe some other option. I'm just trying to find out about all the options right now - I've got the itch to work on it & fix it, but physically can't right now because it's far away. :( Research and asking questions is the next best thing!
 
One piece of advice I would offer that is unrelated to toilets:  As you plan and budget for your refurbishment, make your first priority your running gear (tires, wheel bearings, axles).  If this trailer is old and hasn't been used much, it's a guarantee the tires need replacing.  The wheel bearings should be inspected and repacked or possibly be replaced.  The trailer lights (turn signals, brake lights) need to be functioning.  Once this is all good, you are able to get down the road and at least use the trailer, even if it is just as a glorified tent.

If that's priority 1, then priority 1a is making sure the trailer is weathertight.  (Actually maybe I would put that ahead of running gear)  Ensure that any joints that are caulked are in good condition.  If not, remove the old caulk and re-caulk.

Next on my list would probably be interior electrical.  Then plumbing.  Then the "niceties" like interior redecorating, etc.  The reason I put plumbing a ways down on the list is that if you plan to stay in campgrounds, they will always have at least some sort of toilet facilities, even if it is just pit toilets.  Of course if you are planning a cross country trip, you would want all these things working.

BTW, my daughter is a sophomore music ed major.  I wish you the best in your endeavors.
 
Thank you jagnweiner! I am writing up lists of what I know needs to be fixed because my aunt told me it's broken or simply because of age for peace of mind. I'm trying to prioritise based on what absolutely must be done in order to drive down the road and stay dry. So far most of those are not very expensive as long as I get the parts and do all the work myself with my dad. Thanks so much for pointing some things to look out for. I hadn't thought of wheel bearings and axles on my own. I know it's going to take a lot of elbow grease to get it in great shape again, but I am lucky because my dad is a great handyman. :)
 
Don't forget the brakes while you're attending to the tires and wheel bearings!  Sometimes it's easier and cheaper just to get a new backing plate with all of the brake components already installed instead of trying to rebuild what you have.
 
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