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Old 02-12-2017, 06:22 PM   #1
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Service Centers in British Columbia

We were wondering if anyone had any recommendations of Fiberglass RV service centers in or around southern British Columbia. We'd like to have a composting toilet installed and were hoping to compile a list of service providers. Any help would be much appreciated!
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Old 02-12-2017, 06:36 PM   #2
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I would suggest you use your brand new 17B for a season, and read up on composting toilets ( discussions here and on FGRV can be found with Google Search ). Then, if you still want to go that route, I'd get the work done near home.
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Old 12-07-2017, 02:07 AM   #3
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mdnf:

I've put a composting toilet in my 5.0 Classic, and the install can be very straight forward. It may be something you can do yourself, or certainly any competent RV service centre could do. I agree with gbaglo that this is best be done near home... just in case.

Also, yes, check out the posts, but if you're not a fan of sewage, odour, and dump sites, it's definitely the way to go... course I've drank the koolaid, and I'm a bit biased.
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Old 12-07-2017, 07:39 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by JohnE3 View Post
mdnf:

I've put a composting toilet in my 5.0 Classic, and the install can be very straight forward. It may be something you can do yourself, or certainly any competent RV service centre could do. I agree with gbaglo that this is best be done near home... just in case.

Also, yes, check out the posts, but if you're not a fan of sewage, odour, and dump sites, it's definitely the way to go... course I've drank the koolaid, and I'm a bit biased.
Thanks for the reply. Your post is a breath of fresh air, so to speak, since most people are very negative about composting toilets.

We have since purchased a C-Head and the owner of the company is very eager to help with info about the install. Now that we are in warmer weather we are going to install it (hopefully in the next couple of weeks). We removed the original toilet and put it in storage in case the next owner wants it. Then we capped the water pipe and plugged the black tank opening. We don't want to drill into the fiberglass platform so we cut out a piece of plywood that we'll probably attach with heavy duty velcro.

Now we need to attach the toilet to the plywood and put it in place. The only obstacle I anticipate at this point is the screw that stick up from the black tank opening. They are about 2-3 inches long. We can always cut them down since they are already unnecessarily long.

Wish us luck!
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Old 12-07-2017, 08:14 AM   #5
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air head toilets

We have friends that have used the composting toilets in cabins and boats .They make the most sense in boats for sure since most of the pump out stations usually don't work or are hard to find . We use a porta potty for our boat and we have the black tank for our Escape 21 . If ETI had offered a composting toilet I would have asked for it for sure .It would be nice if ETI would make a different mold for bathroom with no step up just a flat floor . They could delete the black tank and assorted plumbing and give the owner a flat floor and save time and money it could be a no cost option ?? Who knows what EPA will want in the future ? Jim
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Old 12-07-2017, 08:16 AM   #6
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Originally Posted by jennykatz View Post
It would be nice if ETI would make a different mold for bathroom with no step up just a flat floor . They could delete the black tank and assorted plumbing and give the owner a flat floor and save time and money it could be a no cost option ??
The step over threshold is to create a basin for the shower water. Without a tub or basin, water would run out into the trailer when someone took a shower.
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Old 12-07-2017, 11:29 AM   #7
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It would be nice if ETI would make a different mold for bathroom with no step up just a flat floor . They could delete the black tank and assorted plumbing and give the owner a flat floor...
Jim, I assume that you mean a floor without the step up over the black tank, but still with the raised threshold at the door.

This is just my opinion, but I think there would need to be a substantial demand for this setup to justify making another mould and having a variation in the construction of the trailer. On the other hand, it would be useful for people wanting various other arrangements:
  • composting toilet,
  • cassette toilet (see the current discussion),
  • portable toilet ("porta potti"), or
  • no toilet at all, but a roomier shower.
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Old 12-07-2017, 02:33 PM   #8
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Thanks for the reply. Your post is a breath of fresh air, so to speak, since most people are very negative about composting toilets.

... The only obstacle I anticipate at this point is the screw that stick up from the black tank opening. They are about 2-3 inches long. We can always cut them down since they are already unnecessarily long.

Wish us luck!
I have also found people are negative about composting toilets, but I have to admit, I did a lot of research before I got on board. I think that there are many misconceptions and misunderstandings about the whole process. It's difficult to believe just how easy, almost pleasant, it is to deal with a bucket of poo; it really does look and smell like potting soil. Added bonus, I can provide undisputable proof that my sh!t doesn't stink! ... or so I tell my friends.

I almost exclusively boondock, and most often in remote sites. I don't have to empty solids for a month at a time (with 2 people) and if I do, I can just upend it into a kitchen size garbage bag and go for a drive to town (or the nearest garbage can); probably going for groceries anyway. And the savings on water usage is a tremendous advantage. Makes it practical to haul water or use a filter for local sources. It was much more difficult to keep up when flushing 1/2 of it into the black water tank.

About those "screws". Do you mean the upside down bolts in the toilet flange that are used to secure the original toilet? If so, usually (and on mine) they will come out of the flange if you slide and rotate them in just the right way.

Also, I've attached a picture of my simple step solution. Just kick it out of the way when not using. Works great.
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Old 12-11-2017, 09:34 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by JohnE3 View Post
I have also found people are negative about composting toilets, but I have to admit, I did a lot of research before I got on board. I think that there are many misconceptions and misunderstandings about the whole process. It's difficult to believe just how easy, almost pleasant, it is to deal with a bucket of poo; it really does look and smell like potting soil. Added bonus, I can provide undisputable proof that my sh!t doesn't stink! ... or so I tell my friends.

I almost exclusively boondock, and most often in remote sites. I don't have to empty solids for a month at a time (with 2 people) and if I do, I can just upend it into a kitchen size garbage bag and go for a drive to town (or the nearest garbage can); probably going for groceries anyway. And the savings on water usage is a tremendous advantage. Makes it practical to haul water or use a filter for local sources. It was much more difficult to keep up when flushing 1/2 of it into the black water tank.

About those "screws". Do you mean the upside down bolts in the toilet flange that are used to secure the original toilet? If so, usually (and on mine) they will come out of the flange if you slide and rotate them in just the right way.

Also, I've attached a picture of my simple step solution. Just kick it out of the way when not using. Works great.
John,

Thanks so much for this info! We have a folding step that might work for this purpose. I will also try to remove the screws. How did you plug the screw hole afterwards?

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Old 12-13-2017, 12:34 PM   #10
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…How did you plug the screw hole afterwards?

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The screws (bolts) were through holes only in the flange. The trick is sealing the 3 or 4 inch hole into the black tank.

That's where I made my install a little complicated; I removed the flange, and fashioned a plug from an ABS end-cap and glued it in. It'll be a problem if I ever go back to a flush toilet… which would only be of I sold the trailer.

If you use a plywood spacer instead of removing the flange, you could fashion a recess instead of a through-hole. This could be done with a router, or a plywood sandwich (with a thin piece, no hole, on top). If your going to use your black tank for grey water overflow (depending on relative tank heights) you'll need to do better, and make it waterproof.

Hope this helps.

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