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Old 05-28-2013, 01:38 PM   #1
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Composting Toilet?

I've read through the forums, and see no reference to composting toilets. I'm in the planning stages for a 19' like to boondock (allot!) and want to maximize my time out in the wild - e.g. as much solar and battery as I can manage, and a composting toilet (e.g. airhead or natures head) to conserve water (among other things. In a perfect world, I might even be able to use the black water tank to store more fresh water. But I digress. My question is - anybody using a composting toilet in an Escape (really, does one fit in a 19' bathroom)? Thanks for any and all comments.
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Old 05-28-2013, 09:32 PM   #2
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Humm, have you considered capturing all your gray water and using that to flush? There was a very long thread on FiberglassRV about composing toilets. I think space was an issue in an all molded towable.
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Old 05-29-2013, 08:03 AM   #3
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I think Reace would be able to provide guidance here, if he says he can not install one, then the issue is moot.
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Old 05-29-2013, 08:59 AM   #4
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You would not be install a black tank. The toilet supplied mounts on it, and would have to go for a composting toilet. But Jim is right, Reace is the one to talk to about it.
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Old 05-29-2013, 11:33 AM   #5
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Thanks everyone. I do appreciate the input. I will talk to Reace directly about it. From the dimensions, it looks like it will work. I am a bit concerned that since it hasn't come up before, that it might not be as good of an idea as it seems to be, though. . . Thanks, All! Hoping to join the club soon! K.
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Old 05-29-2013, 12:55 PM   #6
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I think it is just that nobody has asked before you. If it is reasonably possible, I would bet it would be done. I made a couple requests that could not work, and a quick explanation by Reace explained why.
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Old 05-29-2013, 05:33 PM   #7
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How to Install a Compost Toilet in an RV | Trails.com
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Old 05-29-2013, 05:50 PM   #8
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Interesting. If you read all the way down to the bottom, it appears a compost toilet can be as much a PIA as a black tank. Maybe even more.
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Old 05-30-2013, 11:59 AM   #9
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GBLaglo: I think it depends on the type - the ones that I am looking at are self-contained, and based on another thread that I saw, waste can be disposed of "normally" (treated no differently than disposable diapers are disposed of, in the worst case). The units do require 12V power for the fan, but the draw is negligible. BUT, all of what I just cited is based on what I've read - not actual experience, which is why I was asking the question. Once again, I very much appreciate the input.
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Old 12-04-2013, 08:06 PM   #10
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I have a sun mar composting toilet and it is great. Been using it for a couple of months, no problems at all. Just unplug it and walk away. No one else left at my camp area. All black water guys froze up. I don't even have a black water tank. Can still smell the raw sewage from the ex campers when they dumped on the ground in desperation as they froze up. Depends how independent you want to be. Water is a big problem as it is. You can dump grey water on the ground if you use biodegradable products.
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Old 12-04-2013, 08:37 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by scalbainia View Post
You can dump grey water on the ground if you use biodegradable products.
Not in Oregon! I should say... not in the majority of places in Oregon. We're environmentalist and proud of it. Dispersed camping on BLM allows you to dig and dump... but it takes a bit of effort to dig a hole, etc. Get caught dumping any "color" of water on the ground in Oregon and you get fined. We like it like that! We protect the ground water, streams and other water ways. Be aware of what you need to do, do it... and you'll be okay.

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Old 12-04-2013, 09:11 PM   #12
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Donna - same with all National Parks, and, I think, all the state parks in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan - and probably lots of others.
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Old 12-04-2013, 09:20 PM   #13
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Question: can you use a biodegradable shampoo at the outside shower?
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Old 12-04-2013, 09:35 PM   #14
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RV survival tactics

We are in flood victim central here still and a lot of displaced people around Calgary and High River area.
Survival makes you look at things differently.
We are not on holidays here and this is our first really cold snap. Ouch. Any one have any ideas on keeping propane tanks warm? Mine froze at about -20 c.
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Old 12-04-2013, 10:05 PM   #15
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This probably belongs in a different thread... or a different forum (this one is specifically about Escape brand travel trailers).
Quote:
Originally Posted by scalbainia View Post
Any one have any ideas on keeping propane tanks warm? Mine froze at about -20 c.
It doesn't freeze, but the pressure gets so low that there may not be enough flow.

If anything has frozen, it will likely be water (a contaminant in propane) in the regulator: remove, take it somewhere warm (yes, I appreciate the irony...) and thaw it out.

If the tank pressure is low due to the temperature, use a much larger tank so the chilling effect of drawing propane has less effect. 100 pound tanks are portable and readily available; 420-pound tanks can be rented or bought used, and propane distributors will deliver to them (fill them at your site from a truck).

It is possible to electrically heat a propane tank. A wrap-around battery warmer fits a 20-pound or 30-pound tank, and heat tracing tape for water pipes can wrap around a big tank; neither is approved for this purpose. There are heaters intended for large propane tanks, but they are very hard to find and I don't know about their legality.
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Old 12-05-2013, 06:48 AM   #16
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For winter flying with hot air balloons, we would use heating tapes or nitrogen gas
to increase the pressure. In both cases, we monitor the tank pressure.
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Old 12-05-2013, 08:30 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gbaglo View Post
Question: can you use a biodegradable shampoo at the outside shower?
Soap is naturally biodegradable. It is the additives that may not be so. When travelling in the backcountry, we use the liquid soap sold as biodegradable for all uses, from dishes to washing our bodies.

Whether or not legal, proper disposal of uncontaminated grey water is not an environmental issue. Heck, I was 16 before my grandparents had running water and a septic system in their farmhouse, and the grey water from the wash tubs and basins was prized for its use to water the flower and vegetable gardens.

I am not condoning the random disposal of black water either, but we have dispersed that in our hay field lots of the time, after leaving for the weekend. Most of my relatives are farmers, and always dispose of their waste water on hay or pasture land when they get home. It is minor compared to what their livestock leave. Our hay field is well away from the river, and Mother Nature takes care of it just fine. It is something that gets done maybe 12 times a year from a couple different RV's, and I swear if you look out over the 50 acre field you will see some greener spots out there.
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Old 12-05-2013, 01:28 PM   #18
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Where I stay in the US Virgin Islands where fresh water is at a premium the use of grey water for watering gardens is considered green.
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Old 12-05-2013, 01:33 PM   #19
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Go here: Brazil Wants Its Residents To Pee In The Shower (VIDEO)

For more green advice.
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Old 12-05-2013, 02:40 PM   #20
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Klohmann: Do report back as to what Reese says!
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