Composting toilets in 5.0? - Escape Trailer Owners Community
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×

Go Back   Escape Trailer Owners Community > Escape Tech > Escape Systems | Water, Waste, Charging & Propane
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 11-30-2014, 05:08 PM   #1
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Vancouver, Washington
Trailer: 2015 5.0 TA named "At Last"
Posts: 55
Composting toilets in 5.0?

I've been looking through posts trying to see if anyone has tried to put a Nature's Head composting toilet in 5.0 TA. Wondering if it's possible (before looking dumb on a build/dream sheet)...
cherryames51 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-30-2014, 05:17 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Southwick, Massachusetts
Trailer: None, sold my 2014 5.0TA
Posts: 7,124
What's the benefit?
__________________
Happy Motoring
Bob
padlin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-30-2014, 05:23 PM   #3
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Vancouver, Washington
Trailer: 2015 5.0 TA named "At Last"
Posts: 55
As has been said better elsewhere: no black tank to muck with, and presumably I'll be able to stay out boondocking longer. As always, YMMV.
cherryames51 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-30-2014, 05:45 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
gbaglo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
Composting toilets have been discussed at length over on FGRV. My recall is that they require power and that the composting action takes a long time to complete.
I think they might work in a cabin, but would be a PIA in a trailer.
You'd still have a black tank ( the toilet holding tank ).
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
gbaglo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-30-2014, 05:56 PM   #5
Site Team
 
Donna D.'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Portland, Oregon
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 11,023
Three words come to mind from what I remember reading the thread on FiberglassRV. Big, heavy and expensive.
__________________
Donna D.
Ten Forward
2014 Escape 5.0TA
Donna D. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-30-2014, 09:27 PM   #6
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Vancouver, Washington
Trailer: 2015 5.0 TA named "At Last"
Posts: 55
Ah! I forgot to look at FGRV.

Yes, expensive: the online price for the white one with "spider" handle is $925. But I just loved the Gone with the Wynns video series on their experiences! It didn't sound big to me: 20 inches tall, 17 3/4 inches front to rear, and 13 inches wide at the base. (The toilet is 16 1/4 inches wide at the seat.) No black tank to empty; liquid tank is 2.2 gal, solids fit in a medium-sized garbage bag. The Wynns converted their black tank to grey (another video).
cherryames51 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-30-2014, 09:52 PM   #7
Canadarkv2
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
I am also considering getting a composting toilet for my 15A when the time comes.

There are newer generation composting toilets that are much smaller and less costly than the old gigantic, heavy Sunmar models that you may be familiar with. They don't generally require electricity to run. They are cheaper than the older models too...the Nature's Head and Air Head will run about $1000; the C-Head is more like $500.
Nature's Head Composting Toilets: Saving Our Water for Tomorrow
https://www.airheadtoilet.com/
C-Head portable composting toilet system

The general idea of all these newer designs is that you purposely separate the solids from the liquids. The liquids go in a separate container that is emptied as needed. The solids go in their own bin that contains peat moss or coir (coconut husks) and is mixed to create a non-smelly product that only needs to be emptied after months of use.

The old giant Sunmar designs had everything mixed together and required electricity to run a fan to evaporate off all the liquid. When you deliberately separate the liquids from the solids, that is not necessary.

These newer types of composting toilets are highly thought of by folks in the boating world. There, they eliminate the need for holding tanks, blowers, and through-hull fittings. I figure there are similar benefits in an RV application: no holding tank, no dragging the trailer somewhere to drain the tank, less water needed when boondocking as the need to flush is eliminated.

Here's a short video on the use and benefits of a composting toilet installed in a Class A motorhome --
The Winns talk about a computer fan to help with evaporation and odor control, but that feature is optional.

As far as fitting in the 5.0, that is of course a question for the folks at Escape. In my case, I'm planning to put the toilet in the driver's side front dinette seat. I'm leaning towards the C-Head which requires 18 inches of height clearance -- the dinette seats in a 15A would need to be raised a couple of inches to accommodate that height. Since that area is not fiberglassed, I'm thinking that is a change that Reace could do strictly with the cabinetry and floor level there.

That way, I preserve two sleeping/dining areas, keep the front window, but still have a place to 'go' when I need it.
  Reply With Quote
Old 11-30-2014, 10:44 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Patandlinda's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Ventura County, California
Trailer: 2013 19 Escape
Posts: 7,204
Can anyone explain what happened on our last camping trip . We were in San Diego after we hooked up sewer gas was in whole trailer . Also could smell outside from ground near sewer connection . They did move us . Our black tank was empty as was the grey tank . Never in all our camping had this happen before. Any ideas ? It was very bad .m
Patandlinda is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-30-2014, 10:52 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
Posts: 743
There was one time we lost the water in the trap in the bathroom, which meant we got grey water stink in the trailer until we figured it out and poured a little water down the drain. A well-stewed grey water tank could be mistaken for sewer smell, but if your grey was empty that's not too likely.

When you hooked up, did you leave the grey and blank dump valves open? That could be a problem -- you could have been getting smells from the park's whole sewer system, though again you'd need to lose the water out of one of your traps. Normally you leave the dump valves closed and only open them to empty your tanks as needed.
__________________
Doug

2013 Escape 19 ("The Dog House") , 2018 Ford F150
dbailey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-30-2014, 10:55 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
gbaglo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
Were you connected to sewer and had gates open?
If your tanks were empty, and if the p-traps had nothing in them and you had opened the gates, that would allow gases to enter the trailer.
You should not open the gates until your tanks are almost full. That prevents solids from settling in the bottom of the tank.
I can't explain why there was a problem with that site, but you can avoid all sorts of problems by only dumping when tanks are full.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
gbaglo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-30-2014, 11:17 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Ventura County, California
Trailer: 2015 Escape 17A
Posts: 2,344
The problem with "S" traps (I've seen some in Escape under-sink photos) rather than true "P" traps is, if you run a fair quantity of water down the drain at one time, the water on the lower vertical portion can suck the water out of the trap, thus the sewer smell. In a true "P" trap, the segment just downstream of the trap is horizontal (the "trap arm") and tends to slow the water velocity enough.

Of course, that's not a problem in the A models.

Don
dfandrews is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-01-2014, 12:56 AM   #12
Senior Member
 
Patandlinda's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Ventura County, California
Trailer: 2013 19 Escape
Posts: 7,204
Quote:
Originally Posted by Patandlinda View Post
Can anyone explain what happened on our last camping trip . We were in San Diego after we hooked up sewer gas was in whole trailer . Also could smell outside from ground near sewer connection . They did move us . Our black tank was empty as was the grey tank . Never in all our camping had this happen before. Any ideas ? It was very bad .m
We just had arrived . Never open black until full . We did open grey but it was clean and empty . There was other sites in that line also smelling outside . We moved across to other side of park . Is it true we really do not have P - traps which I think I saw mentioned somewhere else ? So because of these s traps never should open until they are full ? Thankyou all for helping .
Patandlinda is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-01-2014, 09:25 AM   #13
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Kelowna, British Columbia
Trailer: 2008 Escape 17b
Posts: 1,868
While true, when using a composting toilet instead of a flushing toilet one doesn't have to empty a black tank but, sooner or later something is going to have to be emptied.
J Mac is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-01-2014, 11:46 AM   #14
Senior Member
 
Ron in BC's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: North Van., British Columbia
Trailer: 2014 Escape 19, sold; 2019 Escape 21, Sept. 2019
Posts: 8,743
Quote:
Originally Posted by Patandlinda View Post
Is it true we really do not have P - traps which I think I saw mentioned somewhere else ? So because of these s traps never should open until they are full ? Thankyou all for helping .
The Escape 19 has an S trap on the kitchen sink. Don't know about other models. While it's true an S trap isn't permitted in residential plumbing because it can siphon dry and therefore not be a trap anymore, the volume of water going down from a typical RV sink makes this less likely. I probably wouldn't have changed mine if I wasn't relocating the plumbing.

Many RV parks have septic tanks. I've often smelled odour outside caused by a less than adequate septic system.

Ron
Ron in BC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-01-2014, 02:24 PM   #15
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Strongsville, Ohio
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
Posts: 137
Keep us up to date, if you go with a composting toilet. You will hear different opinions here, about lots of topics. Often that's related to how the trailer is being used: RV park? NF campground? Or ...off the grid... Sounds like something I would consider as it would allow me to stay out longer...I think.
SeldomSeen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-01-2014, 02:49 PM   #16
Senior Member
 
Patandlinda's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Ventura County, California
Trailer: 2013 19 Escape
Posts: 7,204
Thanks Ron for explanation. We did open grey back up 3rd day with no problems because do not relish having to go out late at night to dump grey after showers . Our trailer shower is a lot nicer . The side they moved us to didn't stink as the first day on other side . I think on the way down the freeway was in many places like going down a dirt road shaking us up bad . They are working on our freeways . Maybe it shook all water out .
Patandlinda is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-01-2014, 09:33 PM   #17
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Yellow Springs, Ohio
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
Posts: 709
Quote:
Originally Posted by Patandlinda View Post
Thanks Ron for explanation. We did open grey back up 3rd day with no problems because do not relish having to go out late at night to dump grey after showers .
I believe the practice of leaving the grey valve open, while convenient, results in the campground sewer system venting through your Escape....not through the drain traps, but up through the tank vent on the roof, which is in close proximity to the ceiling fan, windows, etc.
Parker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-01-2014, 10:42 PM   #18
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1700
Posts: 14,935
Quote:
Originally Posted by Parker View Post
I believe the practice of leaving the grey valve open, while convenient, results in the campground sewer system venting through your Escape....not through the drain traps, but up through the tank vent on the roof, which is in close proximity to the ceiling fan, windows, etc.
I agree. I would not do that.

Also, I want water in the grey waste tank, so that after dumping the black tank I can follow it with the grey tank to flush any solids out of the sewer hose.
Brian B-P is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-01-2014, 11:55 PM   #19
Senior Member
 
Patandlinda's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Ventura County, California
Trailer: 2013 19 Escape
Posts: 7,204
We wait and dump at home and then can clean good . Many area's in park stunk . But I guess we won't anymore -leaving grey open because that was nasty . And we will never go back to that campground again . Lessons learned . Thankyou Parker .
Patandlinda is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-01-2014, 11:56 PM   #20
Senior Member
 
Patandlinda's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Ventura County, California
Trailer: 2013 19 Escape
Posts: 7,204
And Ron .
Patandlinda is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off




» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Escape Trailer Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:31 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2023 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.