apopj Posted February 18, 2017 Report Share Posted February 18, 2017 I have become interested in putting a composting toilet in my class B. All of the videos have said that moisture is the fatal enemy of composting toilets. So, what about diarrhea? There is no way to separate the liquid from the semi-solids, so what happens? And, how do you clean that flapper lid after a healthy number 2 visit...... Thanks for the help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjim Posted February 19, 2017 Report Share Posted February 19, 2017 The high volume ones that I dealt with could have either too much liquid or not enough. I'm not well versed so do your homework well. I have a friend that had one in a cabin that was low usage and to my knowledge it worked well for him. His had a small external "wheel" that he turned to "stir" it about once or twice a week. The 'wheel" was connect to some type of stirrer bay shaft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Camper Posted February 19, 2017 Report Share Posted February 19, 2017 If someone wouldn't mind explaining this to me I'd appreciate an answer. For what reason would someone want to do this? My first thought was that if there was some obvious reason RV manufacturers would have them factory installed. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandsys Posted February 19, 2017 Report Share Posted February 19, 2017 If someone wouldn't mind explaining this to me I'd appreciate an answer. For what reason would someone want to do this? My first thought was that if there was some obvious reason RV manufacturers would have them factory installed. Thanks. My understanding is that, because they do not require water, and because compost decreases in volume as it ages, you don't have to "dump" as often. People who live in vans or tiny houses appreciate this more than those in big rigs. Linda Sand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayakbob Posted February 19, 2017 Report Share Posted February 19, 2017 I once had a job where I had to maintain and service twelve composting toilets . They are not trouble free ! When one goes bad you will wish that you had your tried and true RV holding tank ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Camper Posted February 19, 2017 Report Share Posted February 19, 2017 My understanding is that, because they do not require water, and because compost decreases in volume as it ages, you don't have to "dump" as often. People who live in vans or tiny houses appreciate this more than those in big rigs. Linda Sand Thank you for the explanation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Second Chance Posted February 19, 2017 Report Share Posted February 19, 2017 We've done quite a bit of reading on this lately - mostly following up on things we've seen watching the various tiny house programs that have become so popular. A frequently mentioned issue (not mentioned on the tiny house TV programs, by the way) is that, especially in small spaces, there is an associated odor that cannot be completely eliminated (no pun intended). In our sailboats and small trawler we had self-contained cassette toilets that worked well. For now, I'll stick with our well-functioning RV holding tank system. Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apopj Posted February 19, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2017 Hello all and thanks for the comments..... I am still waiting for an answer to my question but the reason I was thinking of a composting toilet was exactly as mentioned. You don't use your fresh water to flush it, and hence your fresh water lasts longer. And, as mentioned, you don't have to dump it which means less trips to the dump station. And, once the compost is in, you can link the old black water tank to the gray water and increase that capacity. I have seen hundreds (so it seems) of videos on them and it seems that once the unit is vented properly with the fan working, folks have very very few problems. But, again as mentioned, if there is a problem, look out. But, by the same token, I have seen several cases where the marine style toilet has malfunctioned and created a terrible mess both in and out of the RV. I guess it's a matter of what risks are you willing to take. I can fill my fresh water tank at many many more places than I can dump my black water, so in itself, that is a major reason for me to consider this type of toilet. Since we use only biodegradable soaps, we could (theoretically) empty the gray water down a normal drain, or even (here come the complaints) on the desert ground. As a final thought, did you ever stop to consider that they aren't making any new water? That means that every time you get a glass of water, at one time, it was dinosaur pee...... hmmmmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowGypsy Posted February 20, 2017 Report Share Posted February 20, 2017 We were considering one and this is the BEST of the video reviews that we have seen: They cover every facet! I could not get this to post in just script, hope that isn't an issue. In reality, these toilets aren't really "composting" toilet, since it takes more time than one would have before the actual composting would begin. The true composting toilets are too large for most RVs. It just seemed to me that they had too many quirks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yarome Posted February 20, 2017 Report Share Posted February 20, 2017 - what about diarrhea? - how do you clean that flapper lid after a healthy number 2 You end up with a sludgy mess that you would need to add more medium to absorb the additional moisture (filling your tank even that much faster) or be emptied immediately. Moisture control in a composting toilet can be very challenging. Not just with the trots, but properly directing #1 from entering or even being in an area with high humidity can defunct your toilet. Cleaning clingons... down and dirty by hand with a damp rag. They have paper "inserts" that you are supposed to place over the flapper lid. Aim carefully and it shouldn't be an issue, but it's going to happen at some point. My take on composting toilets... use if required (boat or camper van), but it's no replacement for a standard RV toilet and black tank. The hassle, small tanks, venting issues, power requirements etc. just seemed to be way more effort/cost than they are worth. Actually.. even in a boat or camper van I would still opt for a cassette toilet over "composting". JMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayakbob Posted February 20, 2017 Report Share Posted February 20, 2017 Not usually mentioned is that a composting toilet is a living , breathing animal and must be fed a healthy diet . We deposited vegetable scraps and sawdust trying to get a balanced meal , it was not easy . If anything went out of balance the odor was terrible . I tended eight of them [? maybe twelve ] for the NPS on St John , U.S.V.I. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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