Composting Toilet

[dmb496]

I'm at the beginning of evaluating installation of a composting toilet in place of the existing standard toilet system in our Galleria. I've done some reading and watched videos, but user reviews would help me with this decision.

If anyone has already made this swap, I'd like your opinions; good, OK, not so good, glad you did it, wish you hadn't, etc.

[themexicandoctor]

I too, am interested.

[dmb496]

Originally Posted by themexicandoctor

I too, am interested.

I posted a similar request on Facebook. This response to my question is interesting.

Been using ours for 5+ years will never ever want to empty a black tank never mind get anywhere near it no problems with the composting toilet best thing is you don’t use water every time you use it and you only dump it between 30 and 90 days and that’s how I know that’s a big a span but that depends on how much you use public bathrooms when you’re traveling we get about 30 days out of one filling if we use it every single day

[themexicandoctor]

Originally Posted by dmb496

I posted a similar request on Facebook. This response to my question is interesting.

Been using ours for 5+ years will never ever want to empty a black tank never mind get anywhere near it no problems with the composting toilet best thing is you don’t use water every time you use it and you only dump it between 30 and 90 days and that’s how I know that’s a big a span but that depends on how much you use public bathrooms when you’re traveling we get about 30 days out of one filling if we use it every single day

Combining 30/THIRTY DAYS & WE seemz like a huge volume - is this correct?

[dmb496]

Doc,

I watched this video and several others. Your question is answered within the first 2 minutes. I found the entire video to be a "must watch".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V87odr0nv0s

[Bud]

Originally Posted by dmb496

I'm at the beginning of evaluating installation of a composting toilet in place of the existing standard toilet system in our Galleria. I've done some reading and watched videos, but user reviews would help me with this decision.

If anyone has already made this swap, I'd like your opinions; good, OK, not so good, glad you did it, wish you hadn't, etc.

Hi dmb496,

I've never understood this kind of thing, along with others. Why not use an existing black water tank?

You posted a video, so I watched the first 2 minutes, not the other 25+ minutes. I then watched the first part of the part 1 video. Why did they change?

-Environmental reasons.

Please.......................

-They used 1/3 of their water taking a dump.

They need to learn how use their toilet. 1/3 of my water will fill the black tank and toilet, then onto the floor.

No other reason was given prior to talking about using their composting toilet that I did not watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V87odr0nv0s&t=184s

My favorite all time post on this forum concerning this subject with the last sentence being, "Did I miss anything?" The author may want to add something as it was posted about 3.5 years ago:

"I've seen the Wynn's video, the FitRV video and now the c-Head video. I definitely pass on this idea.

For one, I am a human and not a cat that wants to play with my poop and cover it. BTW, if you are a cat owner you well know covering poop does not guarantee no smell.

Two of the systems rely on constant fan exhaust to control the smell. You do realize that is 24/7 including when your RV is parked and not in use.

The Wynn video was ridiculous in that you had to walk a pee bucket and then the whole toilet for the solids through their RV to dispose. Those toilets weigh about 40 lbs plus the waste. The FitRV made a joke of the urine disposal.

In none of those videos did anyone dare show the procedure with real waste.

In the FitRV video we learned you were not really disposing compost. So in effect you are not composting when on the road, you are dumping waste in a more unsanitary manner no matter how you rationalize it with diaper disposal, dog poop disposal, etc.

We learned you had to separate urine from solids and to do so men had to sit on a toilet like Jack Nicholson in the move "About Schmidt". Sorry, I pass.

Since the system relied on solids separate from liquids, how is diarrhea and vomit handled? You know it is going to happen.

We also learned that handling and disposing of waste was more frequent than traditional black tanks. Every day for urine and every four days for solids in the FitRV video.

No one discussed cleanup maintenance. How do you handle crud buildup? How do you deal with replenishing the organic materials in a soiled, smelly tank?

Conserve water? Give me a break. We use about 40 gallons per week in our RV. That is very conservatively 1/20th home use. It isn't going to save the world when you use almost as much water anyway in the grey tank. That is little incentive for an RV.

Speaking of the grey tank. You don't save any tasks since you have to visit an RV dump anyway. Anyone that suggest you can dispose urine and grey water on the ground is a fool. Campgrounds both structured and primitive are concentrated with frequent use and common disposal that way would turn them into cesspools.

Toilet paper? You know it is a third world practice disposing of your unsanitary toilet paper in a separate waste container, not to mention one more unsanitary item to maintain.

All in all it seems like a lot of unsanitary work, a lot more work and questionable practices to maintain for little gain. For gain, it seems the bottom line is you can use your RV in the winter. How practical is that in reality? Or will you really use your RV any length of time in the winter to put up with that system the rest of the year?

Did I miss anything?"


I replied with:

"Wow Mr. Davydd, sometimes you really really do know your Sh*t."

Bud

[Bud]

Used the wrong link for the first video earlier, correct one with the 2 reasons cited for going composting vs black tank:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4_ZWTNNf7M&t=7s

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by Bud

Did I miss anything?"


I replied with:

"Wow Mr. Davydd, sometimes you really really do know your Sh*t."

Bud

Wow, did I right that? I almost forgot. I might add that although I have had the 3” slinky hose without a macerater and didn’t think disposing of black tank followed by near cleaning of the hose with a following grey tank dump by pulling two levers was not all that difficult or unsanitary and about a 5-10 minute operation for us an average of every 7-13 days. With a macerater and 1-1/2” hose permanently attached on the van side and quarter turn discharge valve you open and close at the dump side is even quicker and cleaner.

In designing our new RV with the toilet behind the rear axle and black and grey tanks forward of the rear axle I was forced to investigate my options in more detail. I came close to settling on a 4.5 gal. cassette toilet but ultimately found that wanting as well. It will be back to a black/grey tank setup with a macerater. You are not going to dump 4.5 gallons into a standard 1.2 gallon flush toilet. You are not going to carry it in Starbucks or McDonalds toilet room. You might get away with dumping in a vault toilet but you might just want to use a vault toilet direct. And as for dumping it at a campground dump station it is a lot easier with the macerater and hose setup.

I do camp in the winter. I go to Mike Wendland’s Winter Freezeout on Michigan’s UP every January and it takes me an average of three days from Minnesota to go south where there are above freezing temperatures. I’ve done some other short trips down to -15F camping in Minnesota. Fortunately, since those are short trips I have an all winter dump station at my disposal where I keep the RV.

I’m not adverse to using public facilities or campground facilities at every opportunity to save your RV trips to a waste facility. RV or not, you are forced to do so when traveling anyway.

Again, did I miss anything?

[themexicandoctor]

If you suffer from Constipation, some Free Medical Advice from a Professional;

Do NOT buy a Composting Toilet.

It bears repeating;

If you have any issue be it anatomy, diet, etc that affects your ability to evacuate (quite frequently in my Practice I see the Mental Component of Constipation) DO NOT BUY A COMPOSTING TOILET.

After watching the video & of the proud owners describe the gymnastics of working with their toilet's exacting needs, I can promise you that daily use will only exacerbate your issue.

Voiding of Urine & Evacuation of the Bowel require the orchestrated symphony of advanced motor neuron control & it should be a natural, flowing experience.

This is NOT.

Separating the Fluid from the Solids, NOT.

Emptying the Urine Bottle every 2-3 days or risk overflowing, NOT.

Seeing myself in a public place taking out that toilet & juggling the contents into a plastic bag, NOT.

Should I do the juggling in my Class B hallway or perhaps over the bed, NOT!

The only benefit I could find of using such a device would be increased Motor Control involving Kegel Exercises.

I am going stay with my new 5.5 Thetford Porta Potti ...

[TygerMark]

If you have your mind made up, and you are in love with black tanks, dump stations, vinyl gloves, sewer hose snakes, stuck gate valves, macerator pumps, cassettes, public toilets, on board water resource consumption, etc (gee, did I miss anything?), then do not read about the Separett desiccating, diverting toilets that have been used in households for 40 years.

[dmb496]

There are some interesting posts, several approaching passionate disdain.

TygerMark...thanks for your input. If you care to expand, I'm all ears.

I'm still soliciting input from users of a composting toilet, past and present.

[TygerMark]

I don't understand why anybody would be disdainful about something that they have no knowledge of or understanding about.

Men who insist upon urinating standing up all of the time apparently have not done that in their bare feet else they would realize the splatter is a totally unacceptable indoor behavior, if only from the perspective of cleanliness.

[Bud]

Originally Posted by TygerMark

If you have your mind made up, and you are in love with black tanks, dump stations, vinyl gloves, sewer hose snakes, stuck gate valves, macerator pumps, cassettes, public toilets, on board water resource consumption, etc (gee, did I miss anything?), then do not read about the Separett desiccating, diverting toilets that have been used in households for 40 years.

I don't think anyone is "in love" with any kind dumping unless it is relative to one method vs another.

I have what I consider to be a lousy dumping B, with the only advantage I can think of is not having to deal with a dump hose except to pull out and push back.

I also don't use vinyl gloves, sewer hose snakes, stuck gate valves, macerator pumps, cassettes or an on board water resource consumption whatever.

"(gee, did I miss anything?)"

Yes, I recall booster saying he had to pull the black water tank valve open. A booster could end up with a remote for his electric valve. He may have one for his macerator now, don't know. Not like booster, but he forgot to mention that he had to push the black water valve back in about a minute later.

I don't have an application for anything but a black water tank as I have gray water tank with neither needing to be dumped until I need some more fresh water, 28.5 gallons. So I won't read about the toilet cited.

I love my black tank! Just kidding.

I think that there an application for each system, but most just need to push and pull the black water tank valve while dumping the gray tank.

I think that maybe it was avanti that offered the idea that there really is no reason to get out of an rv to dump. Just drive over the dump, and dump. Something for the RVIA to consider. Maybe like EV charging stations. There would be rv park dumps, national forest dumps, but also drive through high speed dumping. And hey, also high speed charging for the new Express Van EV.

May all our dumps be Seldom and Trouble Free. Macerator with a simple gravity dump backup.

ymmv

Bud

[Bud]

Originally Posted by TygerMark

I don't understand why anybody would be disdainful about something that they have no knowledge of or understanding about.

Men who insist upon urinating standing up all of the time apparently have not done that in their bare feet else they would realize the splatter is a totally unacceptable indoor behavior, if only from the perspective of cleanliness.

"no knowledge of or understanding" hopefully that person would choose to learn. I would agree that someone can develop opinions, disdain from misunderstandings. Has someone been misstating the facts about a dumping method?

Bud

[booster]

Originally Posted by Bud

Yes, I recall booster saying he had to pull the black water tank valve open. A booster could end up with a remote for his electric valve. He may have one for his macerator now, don't know. Not like booster, but he forgot to mention that he had to push the black water valve back in about a minute later.
Bud

I have all manual valves that actuate from the normal place that came with van, right by the discharge hose area. The only difference is that I have 3 valves instead of two. The black and grey valves are the regular style cable valves and used with the macerator just like stock. The third valve just bypasses the macerator inlet to the pipe for the slinky which I carry separately under the van. The third valve is only used when gravity dumping, in conjunction with regular black and grey valves. The third valve has never been used except to test once a year, as the macerator has always worked.

[GeorgeRa]

I can’t help to see this image every time there is a heated discussion about the composting toilets. Imagine an RV with rear wall full of patties.
It is amazing that in the 21st century technologies of RV dumping of human waste are still so primitive.

Improving the most unpleasant parts of dumping process would make our lives easier:

Black tank – touch less dumping hose aim and release from the driver seat. It could require a camera with aiming optics, electric valve, built in rinsing nozzles, better standard for dumping hole in dumping stations.

Cassettes – mini pump to discharge the content without lifting. I never had issues with splashing but it is almost 40 lbs. of goodies in a full cassette.

Separating toilet – rear RV wall patties.

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsan...-pies-in-india

[mkguitar]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

Black tank – touch less dumping hose aim and release from the driver seat. It could require a camera with aiming optics, electric valve, built in rinsing nozzles, better standard for dumping hole in dumping stations.

Cassettes – mini pump to discharge the content without lifting.

leaves a mess for someone else to clean up, and adds $1000 cost to the van


dumping my black/grey takes no time and a pair of gloves and keeps the waste contained.
uncomplicated, less to break, uses no energy
( how many "my macerator" posts are there?)



our rental in Ireland used cassette- screw that!


Mike

[themexicandoctor]

COVID 19 was the final straw.

You don't live full time in Los Angeles.

There are only two dumping stations for the whole of LA.

There are others outside LA but we are talking a drive of 90 minutes on average & then the return trip.

I had a water hose access cut into the outside of the van so that I could put my own flush hose in through the back of the cabinet by the sink so I wasnt tracking any more bacteria into my vehicle.

So for me there are multiple factors choosing a Porta Potti, including the fact that are Porta Potti is the most hygenic process for processing sewage.

But as the photo depicts, I still have my original plumbing intact & I can utilize that 10 gallons also if need be.

And then you are dealing with the occult leaking of water behind the toilet, from the mickey mouse water supply.

Driving from the Hollywood Hills usually takes 45-55 minutes to get to either location at the beach, they are the only two dump Stations in LA but they are within a 1/3rd of a mile from each other.


1. Hyperion Sewage Plant that serves the whole of Los Angeles, run by the City.

It's Free.

But there is no Potable Water Supply, only semi-treated water for flushing the Black Tank (even though there is a spigot for Potable Water 20 feet away).

Hours are limited, Mon-Fri only, just 3 hours per day.

If you are not the first in line (which means arriving an hour before opening & parking in a Red Zone), you usually have 2-5 rigs of various ages & condition.*

*because it is deemed a Public Service (despite thier refusal to allow access to potable water, thier dumping arrangement for Class B's is difficult especially for Roadtrek 190's & when you arrive because of its poor design, everyone is forced to step into standing water that is sewage).

*whom we call the Homeless who are on an extreme budget & live in dilapidated RV's, frequently have leaks, system breakdowns & overflow accidents.

*in my experience it's an average of 1 very poor condition rig out of 5, sometimes 3 out of 5 & they take 30-45 minutes on average from start to finish.

And during Covid 19, it became the only place to dump because #2 is now being used by the City as a Quarantine Facility full of City Owned RV's.


2. See above - Dockweiler RV Park that is run by the County & costs $15 each time but there is onboard water available.

Here the Facility for a Roadtrek Class B is real simple, about 15 minutes for most people. However hours are from 8am to 7pm & there is a sign in process.

[themexicandoctor]

The last photo shows a 6 inch rise from where a Human places their feet & sits on the toilet on Roadtrek 190's.

Fortunately I have never had an issue with elimination but for all of us, that 6 inches negatively affects the efficiency of complete bowel elimination.

What I do now is put the Porta Potti at the foot of the 2 inch raised platform where the rear bed & table are is & place my feet on that.

Now I am increasing the efficiency of elimination - it makes a difference immediately & over time, the health benefits are cumulative.

[themexicandoctor]

That water line has now been plugged behind the wall.

And another similar sized piece of that high quality & expensive wood that is in place, is being cut & routed to fit over the top of the protruding plumbing hardware so I can keep the Porta Potti in the bathroom stall until I need it (otherwise it could damage the bottom of the unit