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Old 08-05-2016, 12:11 AM   #1
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Looking for a 15b

I live in Washington but am willing to travel to become an Escape owner. As an aside, does anyone have a composting toilet in their rig?
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Old 08-05-2016, 01:17 AM   #2
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Out of curiosity, how often, and where, do you dump a composting toilet?
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Old 08-05-2016, 02:03 AM   #3
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Generally, using the Nature's Head which is the one I am leaning toward, a single person can go from 3-4 or 5 weeks before needing to dump. The trick is that urine is diverted so that there is no smell because the other business has been turned in a drum with coconut coir. You dump the liquids much more often, of course. When time to dump you put it into a biodegradable bag and toss into a dumpster. Here is a great video. https://youtu.be/dYR6GPmDzVM I emailed Escape in BC and, while they don't install them, they will leave a solid platform with no plumbing which, because of the lack of a black tank, gives you more storage area.
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Old 08-05-2016, 05:37 AM   #4
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Old 08-05-2016, 02:24 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by earthminch View Post
Generally, using the Nature's Head which is the one I am leaning toward, a single person can go from 3-4 or 5 weeks before needing to dump. The trick is that urine is diverted so that there is no smell because the other business has been turned in a drum with coconut coir. You dump the liquids much more often, of course. When time to dump you put it into a biodegradable bag and toss into a dumpster. Here is a great video. https://youtu.be/dYR6GPmDzVM
looks like more work (than a hose into a sewer drain) to me.

How much storage is gained?
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Old 08-05-2016, 03:41 PM   #6
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Generally, using the Nature's Head which is the one I am leaning toward, a single person can go from 3-4 or 5 weeks before needing to dump. The trick is that urine is diverted so that there is no smell because the other business has been turned in a drum with coconut coir. You dump the liquids much more often, of course. When time to dump you put it into a biodegradable bag and toss into a dumpster. Here is a great video. https://youtu.be/dYR6GPmDzVM I emailed Escape in BC and, while they don't install them, they will leave a solid platform with no plumbing which, because of the lack of a black tank, gives you more storage area.
The idea of dumping human waste into a dumpster (composted or not) does not sit well with me
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Old 08-05-2016, 03:59 PM   #7
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Legal or not, I do not like the thought of it either. I have yet to see a sign on a dumpster inviting any kind of human waste as acceptable. I would expect that if this practice becomes more popular, rules will follow rules = costs which of course are passed onto you.
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Old 08-05-2016, 05:51 PM   #8
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It's been discussed several times before on this forum, as well as the possible issue of disposal.

I'm still of the opinion that if it isn't broken, don't fix it. The black tank system is tried and true and works fine for us.
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Old 08-05-2016, 07:31 PM   #9
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"KISS" principle. Composting is way too complicated;not to mention time comsuming IMHO.]
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Old 08-05-2016, 08:10 PM   #10
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Really, group.. come on.... the OP is looking at a 15' trailer which means 12 feet of cabin space, including the bathroom space.


What I'm concerned about is something that's an opinion other than a known fact: ".....gives you more storage area."


Ahhh NO. The smaller trailer had a marine toilet. The black water tank was directly UNDER the toilet. Exactly like my Scamp.


If you think you'd gain "storage" space, you need to look beyond the 15' trailer to a bigger ETI build. My 5er and the 21' have most of the black water tank storage, NOT directly under the toilet. I'm not certain about the 19' build.


While I think the "head" you want may work for you, there's other considerations to be made concerning the 15' trailer.
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Old 08-05-2016, 09:13 PM   #11
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The smaller trailer had a marine toilet. The black water tank was directly UNDER the toilet. Exactly like my Scamp.

If you think you'd gain "storage" space, you need to look beyond the 15' trailer to a bigger ETI build. My 5er and the 21' have most of the black water tank storage, NOT directly under the toilet. I'm not certain about the 19' build.
Part of the black tank in all Escapes is under the toilet - the difference is whether or not it extends beyond that.

The black tank in a 19' extends forward from the bathroom, under the street side dinette seat... like the 5.0TA's extension forward under a cabinet or the 21' extension laterally under the bed.

I would guess that the 17B tank extends forward under the dinette seat just like the 19', but I don't know; if you can believe the website specs, the 17B and 19' have the same size black tank, so the one in the 17' must extend forward under the dinette.
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Old 08-05-2016, 11:08 PM   #12
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As far as the dumping into the dumpster part...where do you think baby diapers and elderly diapers go? And doggie poop-bags, for that matter. This is at least composted and, I think, better for the earth than dumping black tanks and you are using much less water. Just my opinion, of course. I certainly don't want to start a ****-storm...hah! As far as getting added storage, here is what i got in my email:

Good Morning Charla,

Thank you for your email and interest in Escape Trailers.

Unfortunately we don’t install composting toilets. We would leave a platform with no holes cut where toilet would have been and delete the black water tank. There would be no plumbing done and a space would be left, where the black water tank used to be, leaving you with a bit of room to store any extra items.

Please feel free to forward any other questions you may have.

Victoria Dumesnil, Customer Service

Escape Trailer Industries Ltd.
43851 Industrial Way, Bldg. B
Chilliwack, BC, V2R 4L2

Tel: 604 703 1650 Toll Free: 1 855 703 1650
Fax: 604 703 1651
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Old 08-06-2016, 12:02 AM   #13
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Quote:
Unfortunately we don’t install composting toilets. We would leave a platform with no holes cut where toilet would have been and delete the black water tank. There would be no plumbing done and a space would be left, where the black water tank used to be, leaving you with a bit of room to store any extra items.
I believe that this means that either
  • the composting toilet would need to sit on the raised platform (tall enough to clear the black tank) where the stock toilet sits (so the toilet would need to be very short), or
  • the raised step of the moulded interior of the bathroom would need to be cut away (by the owner), and replaced by some finish which would be watertight to serve as the shower, allowing more height for the composting toilet.
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Old 08-06-2016, 12:03 AM   #14
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Good stuff. Gives you some place to store the composting manure.
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Old 08-06-2016, 04:31 AM   #15
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Seems to me that it is a lot of work (for alterations which might be needed for the installation) and an added expense (close to $1,000, and I don't mean to offend anyone) for the "personal satisfaction of hugging trees." When one dumps conventional holding tanks, they are generally dumped into a sewer which transports the wastes to a wastewater treatment plant where essentially the wastes are treated bacteriorlogically and separated from the water and eventually dried and turned into a useful product, e.g., Milorganite and the water is sprayed on the ground or disposed in infiltration basins where is starts another iteration of the water cycle. In reality, the wastewater treatment plant is an industrial sized tree hugging operation. And if the tanks are dumped into a septic tank the septic tank contents are eventually pumped out and transported to a wastewater treatment plant anyway. Composting toilets are great in areas where there are no treatment facilities and distance or terrain make it impractical to transport wastes for treatment. This condition does not apply to a trailer which can be towed to a disposal point. Furthermore, the relatively small amount of storage space one would gain is not going to make a whole lot of difference in the grand scheme of things.
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Old 08-06-2016, 02:13 PM   #16
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The idea of dumping human waste into a dumpster (composted or not) does not sit well with me
What about diapers??
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Old 08-06-2016, 02:28 PM   #17
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You are supposed to dump the waste in a diaper in the toilet before disposing of it. Besides, two wrongs don't make a right.
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Old 08-06-2016, 02:44 PM   #18
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Originally Posted by C&G in FL View Post
Composting toilets are great in areas where there are no treatment facilities and distance or terrain make it impractical to transport wastes for treatment. This condition does not apply to a trailer which can be towed to a disposal point.
But sometimes it IS less than practical to tow the trailer to a disposal point. And even when there is a disposal site other than an "RV dumping station" (e.g. a pit toilet in a rustic campground), the emptying into, and out of, a "waste dolly" is a nuisance.

We've gone to great lengths to maximize our off-grid capabilities, and, now that we're adding solar, and have the ability to carry additional fresh water, the holding tank capacities will be the limiting factor.

We've used composting toilets before, in off-grid cabins on BC Gulf Islands where the water required for "conventional" toilets is very very dear, if available at all, and there is nothing remotely unpleasant about their use at all.

If I were ordering a new trailer now, I'd absolutely install a composting toilet.
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Old 08-06-2016, 03:44 PM   #19
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You are supposed to dump the waste in a diaper in the toilet before disposing of it. Besides, two wrongs don't make a right.
Hi: gbaglo... Depends? Alf
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Old 08-06-2016, 04:35 PM   #20
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While you guys continue to debate the pros and cons of composting toilets, will somebody find me an Escape 15?
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