Replacing RV toilet with composting toilet?

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Good luck to your daughter's music studies. It's a lot of work but very rewarding. :)

I know for sure I need to replace the brakes completely. My aunt used to bring this camper on family camping trips & the last little while that they used it, they had to rely entirely on the truck's brakes. But my uncle was a great driver so if worked out alright I guess... I'm still not very practiced with large trucks yet so I need all the braking power I can get. Haha!

I'm going to put a link to my travel blog into my signature. I detail the repairs I need to make & improvements I'd like to make when I can afford them. :)
 
harpgirl said:
But my uncle was a great driver so if worked out alright I guess...
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Your Uncle was a very lucky driver, that's all... the need for trailer brakes has little to do with the skill of the driver.  They are to keep the trailer from jackknifing or otherwise losing control in a panic stop or evasive maneuver situation.  That likelihood has more to do with the OTHER drivers on the road, than it does you.

So yeah, replace the trailer brakes.  ;)  Your truck will need an electronic brake controller installed, if it doesn't already have one.  That is the device that detects when the truck is braking, and applies the trailer brakes accordingly.
 
I looked at your blog and looks like you'd already thought of most of the things I suggested.  Good work. 

I read your comments about an awning.  Sounds like you already understand the pros/cons of awnings.  When we bought our RV four years ago, shortly after we bought it and before we ever used the awning, it caught the wind while going down the highway and ripped off the side of the coach.  This was before we had ever even used it.  There are devices you can install and things to do to prevent that from happening, but we didn't know it at the time.  I have looked into replacing the awning and it's going to be about $1000-1400, depending on whether I do the work myself.  Bottom line, we've lived without an awning so far, as other items/repairs have been a higher priority.  It would be nice to have an awning, particularly because it shades the windows on that side of the coach, but we have made do for outdoor shade purposes with a 12x12 "EZ-Up" type portable shelter that we carry in one of the hatches underneath.  Might be something to consider.

 
jagnweiner said:
we have made do for outdoor shade purposes with a 12x12 "EZ-Up" type portable shelter that we carry in one of the hatches underneath.
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What a great idea! It would be nice to have a little something to keep the rain off when coming & going from the RV and those types of tents are usually not expensive. I'll add it to my "wants" list!

Thanks for checking out my blog. :) I don't have many readers right now.  And everyone is welcome to keep suggestions coming. I'm sure I will over look some details as I start the repairs. I just love how people here are so helpful & encouraging! :)
 
You really sound to be fired up about fixing up this  trailer.  My advice would be to carefully estimate your expenses to do that before you even start.  What I am really saying is that there are a lot of much newer used trailers on the market that may be in much better condition for the same money you are about to sink into one that is 52 years old.  Construction techniques and materials have improved immensely over the years.  Tires, brakes, holding tanks, roof sealing and possible repair of leak damage, frame condition are all areas that could really bite you big financially.  No insult to your aunt but just be sure you are not sinking good money into a bad project.  Good luck in whatever you do.  Oh and as for the type of toilet, I think you could master the stinky hose type (which is not really stinky after you flush it out well with clean water) really fast, have a larger holding capacity and not have to be dumping out bags of composted poopy willy nilly. LOL
 
Bill N said:
be sure you are not sinking good money into a bad project.
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Very good advice for all areas of life! :) I'll know more once I am back home and start taking a good hard look at the trailer. If it turns out to be a money dump, I'll definitely get something newer and put the Rambler on the back burner as a "someday" restoration project just for fun.

I am really just excited about the possibility of travelling the country on an extended trip, which used to seem impossible at my age (no retirement fund yet haha). If this is the trailer the makes my dream possible, great. If not, I will find something more suitable! :) anyways, thank you all so much for the tips and encouragement. RVers really are an awesome bunch!
 
harpgirl said:
I am really just excited about the possibility of travelling the country on an extended trip, which used to seem impossible at my age (no retirement fund yet haha).
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It's really the perfect time (other than retirement) to get out there and explore, before you are locked into a certain locale by a job, spouse's job, kids' activities, etc.

A couple key factors will be obtaining the RV + vehicle at a reasonable price (which is what we have been discussing) and also generating a source of income while you are traveling.  That could be discussed in another thread I suppose, if we have moved on from composting toilets.  ;)
 
Haha yes we can move on from composting toilets. That situation really depends on how difficult/expensive it would be to replace the black tank, which I won't know until I can look inside & take measurements...

I would love to hear any suggestions about making money on the go. I currently have a job as a website sales representative, which I can do where ever I can have WiFi or chat with people over a cup of coffee. Some parts of the country are more interested in web development than others. Haha. But I am a firm believer in having multiple sources of income! So I would love to hear how other people bring home the bacon! :)
 
harpgirl said:
I would love to hear any suggestions about making money on the go. I currently have a job as a website sales representative, which I can do where ever I can have WiFi or chat with people over a cup of coffee. Some parts of the country are more interested in web development than others. Haha. But I am a firm believer in having multiple sources of income! So I would love to hear how other people bring home the bacon! :)
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One area of the forum you might want to check out is Workamping, a term that refers to making money while camping or on the road.  Many folks do it by signing on as campground hosts, but there are many other options too.
 
A dry composting toilet utilizes no water, so there is no pipes included, no chemicals required, no flushing, it's totally regular and natural. The toilet resembles a smaller than expected biological community that isolates the fluids (the pee) and the solids (the crap) so the solids can change over into humus (not hummus, the plunge produced using chickpeas).


Removed link    -scottydl
 
Before switching to a composting toilet check this out from The Fit RV.

https://www.thefitrv.com/rv-tips/the-straight-poop-on-our-composting-toilet/
 
If your only going to using the trailer for a short period you might want to look into Wag Bags. My wife and I used them when we had a truck camper. They are bags that have a powered enzyme that starts breaking down waste in  a disposable bag. The bag will fit into an rv toilet and is good for 2 to 3 uses and then are zipped up and disposed of. If you decide to go this route do not get the cheap ones, they break open. The good ones are not that expensive when purchased by the case.

Have fun on you travels, Tom
 
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