Composting toilet in an Escape 19

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by DanielK

Did I say it was ok to dump fecal matter in the trash? Did I encourage others to engage in this practice?

No you didn't and like most people who are thinking of using a composting toilet it is because they want to be environmentally conscious. I do appreciate that is your goal. It is the composting toilet industry that has mislead people into believing their product is an environmentally sound choice, and for an off grid cabin it is.

However, in trying to expand their market they have advertised that it is a good choice for mobile installations, and it really isn't. They are expensive, they aren't less hassle, and on the road you really don't have much of a choice where you dispose of your solid waste.

Finding a proper place to dispose of the urine is just as hard as finding the proper place to empty a porta-pottie, or cassette toilet. If you don't want to deal with a black water tank, which I'll agree is harder to find somewhere to dump than a urine container, porta-pottie or cassette toilet, I would look at installing a cassette toilet in your Escape, before a composting toilet.

I do apologize that my negativity towards the composting toilet industry came off as being directed at you personally. I know you are trying to do the right thing. I do commend you for that.

[HABBERDABBER]

Originally Posted by DanielK

Thanks Ronn! Not frustrated. It’s educational on many levels to read people’s reactions. Old habits die hard!

Old habits die hard!



And "new" notions don't always pan out.


From all these posts, I still don't get one iota of your mission? Is it to care for your crap, or some diffuse interest in water usage?



bon voyage, & bonne chance


P.S. It's ALL a HASSLE, as your initial post mentioned you wanted to avoid. So just get your preferred toilet.

[sunrisetrucker]

Originally Posted by DanielK

Did I say it was ok to dump fecal matter in the trash? Did I encourage others to engage in this practice?

The answer to both your questions is of course no. But others on this and other camping forums have. And that is what is so frustrating about the topic of whether or not to put composting toilets in RVs.

[Patandlinda]

I would just love a nice porcelain toilet in our trailer ! Pat

[tdf-texas]

Originally Posted by Patandlinda

I would just love a nice porcelain toilet in our trailer ! Pat

All it takes is money and about an hours time.

https://www.dometic.com/en-us/us/pro...511-ps-_-25571
https://www.adventurerv.net/dometic-...e-p-14629.html

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by tdf-texas

All it takes is money and about an hours time.

https://www.dometic.com/en-us/us/pro...511-ps-_-25571
https://www.adventurerv.net/dometic-...e-p-14629.html

Tom that is what will fit in our trailer ? Why will it take a hour time to install ? I have removed the one Escape installed because I needed to have room to install the shut off . It is pricey but ....Pat

[Perry Butler]

Originally Posted by scubarx

This is incorrect, the black tank is "uphill" from the gray tank. Without some serious plumbing work, there is no way to divert water into it since all the plumbing drain connections go into the gray tank.

Yup! I've accidentally tried many times in my life, but just have not been able to have gravity move water uphill.

If we know we're going to have a grey water problem we wash dishes and hands in a tub and dump it in the toilet (black water tank). We've never overloaded a black water tank, I'm sure someone has though.

You can dig a hole to bury the products, but that's just hiding the problem, not being environmentally friendly. Currently there is no better solution than a black water tank in a camper.

Enjoy,

Perry

[Vermilye]

If you follow the Casita forums, there are a few individuals that have converted to composting toilets. While they seem to be pleased with them, at least in the early stages, I haven't seen any reports from long term users.

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by DanandDaphne

This is worth watching, I know it has been posted before. Composting toilet in a sprinter van rv.

Pretty funny!

Calling them a composting toilet is really false advertising. The poo is never in there long enough to even start composting. It is all going into the trash unless you are using a composting toilet system at home and can compost it once you get home. And you won't be forgoing any hassle.

Originally Posted by Vermilye

If you follow the Casita forums, there are a few individuals that have converted to composting toilets. While they seem to be pleased with them, at least in the early stages, I haven't seen any reports from long term users.

There is a lot of cognitive dissonance when it comes to having spent $1000 on a toilet. In the video above they are very honest about the shortcomings of composting toilets.

After watching the video where they list all of those negatives, IMO nobody in their right mind would say, yeah, lets go spend a $1000 on that toilet.

Yet, having spent a $1000 on the toilet, they can't bring themselves to say it was a mistake. They say it does what they bought it to do. It's human nature, that's why people seeming pleased with them on the Casita forum might not be your best guide.

[Losangeles]

Originally Posted by DanielK

Please refer to the original post. I am NOT here to debate the merits of composting toilets, laws, customs, ethics, morality, etc. I am only here to ask how it can be done and if anyone has experience doing what I’m trying to do.

If you have anything to contribute to a discussion about how to accomplish this project, I would love your input. Thanks in advance!

Daniel.... respectfully.... I would suggest that *good* can come from debate and discussion.

I'll give you an example. When we were making the move from a travel trailer to a pop up truck camper.... I had my mind set on a Ford F150.

On various user forums, numerous people strongly advised to buy more truck than I think I needed... and for safety to buy an F350. Not much more $ but a far more capable truck.

After months of thought and research, we ended up buying an F350, and we now have plenty of margin for safety.

As I drive our truck camper rig, it is unbelievably stable. The handling is unreal, and it feels super safe and secure, even with the total weight of the camper, gear, food, water etc at 11,300 lbs.

I agree with the posts above that any toilet system is a hassle, just different kinds of hassle.

I would encourage you to actually debate the merits. Good may well come from it.

also - If it hasnt been mentioned above (still not quite awake yet) - consider resale value. There will come at time when you come to sell it, and i would guess that most people wont want an unusual toilet system.

also - in our truck camper we use a Thetford 365 PortAPotty, and it is manual, reliable, comfortable, and can be easily emptied down any toilet OR at a dump station... and to me has many advantages. (except you have to empty it more frequently than an Escapes black tank, for sure.)

anyway - just my 2c.

[steve dunham]

I would suggest that if one is considering a composting toilet that they look at the period of time that is required to compost waste .

1) Under ideal conditions it takes a minimum of 120 days to compost human waste into inert compost
2) Under normal conditions it takes between 6 months to 2 years to compost human waste to a point where it is inert and can be disposed off

We looked into a composting toilet for our cabin but the county said NO (Clivus Multrum)
Their reasoning was that most people do not maintain the system properly or dispose of the byproducts properly.

The composting toilet is a good idea on paper if properly installed , utilized and maintained . I have no intentions of storing bags of human waste for 2 years so I don’t have to drain my black tank .

[BobbyB]

Originally Posted by TTMartin

Composting toilets require near daily emptying of a bottle of urine. And are you going to empty the partially composted fecal matter into compost pile at home after every trip?

Composting toilets are okay for cabins on properties without a septic system. But, as a rule are terrible for mobile installation. Most mobile installs end up dumping the partially composted fecal matter in the trash. This not only removes it from the sewage system that is designed to process it. It adds unnecessary bulk to landfills. This is because not only are you adding fecal matter to the landfill, you're adding the bulky 'composting material'.

So between the near daily emptying of urine, and adding unnecessary bulk to land fills, composting toilets are neither convenient, nor eco friendly.

Always a fun topic. We wish to conserve usage of fresh water (when boondocking), so we have chosen a C-Head toilet. I also wish to not haul around gallons of sewage with us, and would rather manage our waste via a desiccating toilet, even if it requires more frequent emptying. Not knocking black tank systems; we simply prefer this solution.

[Patch]

Hi,
Like you, I had thought that having a composting toilet would relieve me from dealing with a black water tank. Then, I watched a video that a couple made about the composting toilet in their RV. They were very thorough and after viewing it I decided that it was a lot more trouble than a black water tank. Do your research. And, finally, when I was considering it, I asked Karl and he said they can leave the toilet out of the trailer you order.

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by BobbyB

We wish to conserve usage of fresh water (when boondocking), so we have chosen a C-Head toilet.

I heard this statement bandied about when talking about 'composting' toilets. But, I wonder if the people using it actually know how much (or how little water) is actually needed to 'flush' a RV toilet?

For urine it is just a quick spurt of water. For fecal matter it could be more, or it could be as little as a quick spurt, if you use the same methods required to clean the bowl when defecating in a 'composting' toilet.

It could be as little as a gallon a week for two people. Especially if you supplement some of your flush water, by capturing your dish rinse water in a tub, and keeping it in a bucket to aid in flushing fecal matter. Taking extra water conservation measures is certainly no more work than near daily emptying of a urine container, and it doesn't cost a $1000 either.

[Donna D.]

I think folks should outfit their trailer as they see fit. But, I see no environmental (or possible clean water saving) or weight saving benefits with a composting toilet. What kind of container is used to dump the contents into a dumpster? Plastic bags? Oh my. Using a RV Sewer Cap with a hose connection, you can use gray water in a jug and use that to flush an RV toilet. Yes you need to be aware of what goes into the gray water tank, but should anyway. And, how much other stuff do you need to carry for the composter? Kitty litter or saw dust or coir? Do you use vinegar or fresh water to 'cleanse and deodorize' the urine diverter?

[lostskier]

I read the first page of this post, and then skipped to the last page to answer the original question of has anyone installed a composting toilet in an Escape trailer?
1. Yes I have in my 2017 Escape 19 foot trailer.
2. Brand, Natureshead
3. Will Escape install? No, not for me. I just asked not to have the toilet installed, the water line capped, and the hole not cut in the floor and into the black water tank. The tank is there, but not used.
4. Do I like it? Heck yes. Why? It saves a ton of water when boondocking! How much? You figure out that yourself. How long can you boondock without dumping your black tank?
5. How did I install? Initially I was going to mount on a 1-inch plastic board and slide onto the area in the shower stall where the toilet normally was. Instead I tapped screws into the fiberglass shower mold using supplied hardware. And added some caulk to complete the process. How's that work? So far so good. My lockdown knurled nuts loosen up as I travel bumpy roads but so far so goo.
6. For the vent, I tapped into the grey/black water tank vents that runs up the backside of the shower stall. I did ask ETI to drop a 12-volt line in the medicine cabinet for the 12-volt supply.
7. Hows it working? Honestly, it takes a while to figure out how to keep the right amount of moisture in the system. And have the right amount of compost. Follow the instructions and don't make your compost too wet to start with. I've found it tends to get wet and then clumps form. I just bought peat moss today to add to see how that works to dry things out. I've been using this particular load for 5 weeks. I'm home now, so I'll be emptying the contents. I'm currently letting it cook for another week before thin spreading. You'll need to figure out how to dispose of the compost given your own circumstances. And for this last trip, I did not add toilet paper to the system. I have in the past and it doesn't seem to affect the composting process, but I knew I'd be out for several weeks and didn't want to take up the volume with it.
8. As far as dumping the liquid pee bucket daily...not necessary. I've let mine go up to 5 or 6 days. And no...it doesn't smell as long as you spray it with a vinegar and water solution after every time you pea.
9. In summary....don't knock it until you try it. I can't say how nice it is to have my water last 8-10 days. Sure, dumping a tank is easier to do and has no maintenance like a composting toilet. If your grossed out by poo...then I don't think a composting toilet is for you, LOL. BTW...you still need to clean splatter marks of the toilet whether its a composting or regular toilet.

[lostskier]

Originally Posted by BobbyB

Always a fun topic. We wish to conserve usage of fresh water (when boondocking), so we have chosen a C-Head toilet. I also wish to not haul around gallons of sewage with us, and would rather manage our waste via a desiccating toilet, even if it requires more frequent emptying. Not knocking black tank systems; we simply prefer this solution.

Congrats. You won't believe how much water you save. I have a Natureshead and made a comment at the end of this current thread. If you want or need any extra advice on installation, PM me.
Brian

[HABBERDABBER]

And I likely never will. As you bound about in your trailer, towing it, each gallon of gasoline you consume produces 20, (Twenty) POUNDS of greenhouse gas CO2. Research this.

Can you feel smug that you are helping the environment, with your composting throne, while you, me, we all wreck it to smitterns? Save your water, save your waste, do as you please, but take a look at the whole scenario.

Crap.

[lostskier]

Originally Posted by HABBERDABBER

And I likely never will. As you bound about in your trailer, towing it, each gallon of gasoline you consume produces 20, (Twenty) POUNDS of greenhouse gas CO2. Research this.

Can you feel smug that you are helping the environment, with your composting throne, while you, me, we all wreck it to smitterns? Save your water, save your waste, do as you please, but take a look at the whole scenario.

Crap.

I'm not sure where this post turned into a discussion about what's a better way to dispose of waste, or how much green house gasses are generated by a tow vehicle. If you want to discuss the pros and cons of whether to dump black water or compost...that is another topic and could be validly discussed. Handling poo is always going to be a sensitive topic for most people because they don't want to talk about ****. I've followed sustainability guidelines my whole life having worked in the Env. Consulting field for over 40 years. Individual sustainability, is one person doing what they can...when they can...to be sustainable. That means that sometimes we drive a Tow vehicle that gets 10 MPH, and at other times we recycle our plastic trash bags. Its overall...doing what you can...when you can...and accepting that we can't be perfect all the time.

[HABBERDABBER]

You're gonna be pretty slow on the uptake, with that velocity. I trust you intended to state MPG, NOT MPH.


All the tiny things we can do help, and add up, of course, but unless there are international efforts on a massive scale, it's piddling in the Pacific, as I see it. We have leadership that says the climate issue is a Chinese hoax, and the pandemic is a Chinese virus. Madness, all about.