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RV toilet paper test

RV Toilet Paper – its about more than your butt

What toilet paper can I use in my RV? Sounds like a simple question however, when you’re selecting an RV friendly toilet paper you gotta think about more than the comfort of your butt! Don’t buy the “fluffy bear commercial” toilet paper and by all means don’t waste your money on that sandpaper like generic RV toilet paper either! So what kind of toilet paper can you purchase that won’t destroy the black tank inside your motor home??? Well…that’s even more complicated.

Over the past few years of travel in our motor home we’ve purchased a lot of different toilet papers. We’ve emailed companies and asked if their TP was safe to use in an RV (we were told wrong), we bought the recycled ‘eco-friendly’ toilet paper from Camping World (that was a mistake), and we’ve purchased the fancy wet wipes that claim they ‘dissolve after flushing’.

As you can see from the video the best RV toilet paper we’ve tested is the Scott RV and Marine brand. Here’s the breakdown on each of the toilet paper rolls we tested:

Thetford Quick-Dissolve RV: $2.50 (4 rolls)
Mfr. says: Economical one-ply tissue that is 100% biodegradable and dissolves rapidly, made for RV or Boat.
Our take: least comfortable of the 5, slow to break down, only purchase in a bind.

Scott Rapid Dissolving RV: $3.25 (4 rolls)
Mfr. says: Breaks up 4x faster than the leading brand, Clog Clinic tested and approved, strong, soft and absorbent, made for RV or Boat.
Our take: Soft Enough for RV TP, doesn’t always tear in the seams which can be annoying, breaks down very fast, good overall RV toilet paper.

Seventh Generation Recycled Bath Tissue Big Rolls: $3.50 (4 rolls)
Mfr. says: Processed without chemicals containing chlorine, no added dyes or fragrances, and 100% recycled.
Our take: Decent comfort, socially responsible company, doesn’t break down quickly enough for RV use.

Scott Moist Wipes: $7.75 (102 count)
Mfr. says: Scented wipes with aloe vera leave you fresh, breaks up after flushing, Septic Safe, alcohol and dye free. ‘Green Done Right’ 20% of packaging recycled and 100% of fibers derived from sustainable resources.
Our take: Not necessary, expensive, less earth friendly than good ‘ol toilet paper. Their ‘Green Done Right’ is a good start but nothing compared to a Seventh Generation. Does not break down so not safe for RV use.

Cottonelle Fresh Care Moist Wipes: $8.00 (98 sheets)Mfr. says: Alcohol free, use with regular TP for a fresh and clean routine, sewer and septic safe, biodegradable, breaks up after flushing.
Our take: A little softer than the Scott Moist Wipes, but still seems unnecessary and expensive. Does not break down so not safe for RV use.

Don’t think your testing is over yet. Corporations are constantly changing manufacturing facilities so there’s a chance each pack of TP you purchase can produce different results. On the other hand don’t go crazy over it, as a general rule of thumb if the packaging changes you should test again or at least 1 time each year.

It wasn’t until we spoke at the Abbotsford RV show, and met the guys who started sanidumps.com, that we were introduced to this test for discovering RV safe toilet paper.

The test is so easy I’m giving you homework: Grab a jar or container, fill it with room temperature water, throw 1 sheet of TP in there, give it ONE shake, and let it sit for a day.

Tell the world in the comments below if your preferred brand of toilet paper is RV approved…and if you’re feeling frisky give us a comfort rating too!

Want to ditch the smelly black tank? Check out our RV Composting Toilet that only has to be dumped once a month (and we’re full timers)!

Famous for my "how-not-to" videos, and typically the man behind the camera, sometimes I’m forced to be here in the “spotlight”. When you see my face you’re probably reading something more technical than adventurous, but either way I do my best to tell it like it is and infuse my opinions into the commentary…after all this is a blog and not MSN.

Comments (70)

  • Tool

    I am not even half way through and I am impressed by your efforts. Thank you for taking the time to do this challenge. It is something many RV’rs do wonder about. I appreciate it as a newbie.

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  • I know I’ll be trolled on this, but I have a cassette toilet. The toilet never gets the paper. That is what the trash can is for. My trash can does not smell. That way, I can buy the cheap paper. Also, I found you do not need to put chemicals in the cassette toilet. It does not improve the smell of the toilet. There is only an odor when flushing.

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  • Diane

    About 5-6 years ago, I bought a case of Scott’s Rapid Dissolve and loved it. I’ve since run out. We are not full-timers, so it took a while. I recently bought Scott’s Rapid Dissolve, and they have changed their formula, so it was two ply (prior it was one-ply), and while I don’t want to leave TMI, it left behind tooo much on my behind. The old formula was much better, single ply, etc. So, now I’m trying to find something that will work. Favorite regular TP is Scott’s 1000 at home, so I feel like that’s what I want. Anybody know what RV TP is most like that??? I guess I have a tough behind and don’t need all the plush soft. Just need something to do the job…

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    • Curious Minion

      Scott’s 1000 is perfectly fine to use in an RV and many people use it. You don’t need a brand that says “RV” on it – it just needs to be a single ply toilet paper and not a two-ply. If you want to test this out, put a cup of clean water into 2 clear glass measuring cups. Put 2 squares of Scott 1000 in one, and 2 squares of any 2-ply tissue in the other measuring cup. Swish around and watch how fast the Scott’s dissolves!
      Curious Minion

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  • Keli Brown

    These are all great comments but we are leaving in a few days and we are out of TP in the motor home….so I don’t have time to send for TP. I need something I can get now at Wal-Mart or somewhere close.
    Any Suggestions? Thank you

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  • Billy Bob

    It’s quite a hassle using corn cobbs as someone suggested. You have to carry 3 red and a white so you know its clean when you’ve used the three red ones. Then you’ve got to wash them all off and wait for them to dry before use again and inside it tajes a long time for them soaked cobbs to dry. Then you’ve got to have a place to hang them that doesn’t touch anybody else’s cobb. About the time you’re ready to use yours again, somebody else grabbed them, used them, then hung them with no clean up. I say stay away from cobb’s!

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  • Barry M. Channing

    I use any T Paper that says septic safe and RV Digest and have not had a problem.

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  • Munro Ross

    I came across the sanidumps type test on YouTube a long while back and tried it with our home 2-ply TP. Was pleasantly surprised that it broke down almost completely in a couple of hours. When purchased at Costco, it is a heck of a lot cheaper than those RV papers. So don’t forget to try your regular brand along with those specialty papers.
    Note that I retest mine every spring at the start of the season, and set aside several rolls from that package for the remainder of the season. Paper manufacturers are always changing formulations, so don’t assume it will always be the same.

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  • Glenn Taylor

    We use corn cobs…wash them off then hang dry.

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  • Evan Streamer

    No RV paper is safe in my opinion. I’ve tried them all and they don’t beak down fast enough. Especially on extended stays. Driving helps break it down more than anything.

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  • Anyone compared Scott’s 1000 sheet single ply household brand?

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  • larry gowen

    What’s the difference between septic safe and rv safe?
    I’m in a tiny house in a rv park and they are telling me I need rv t.p.

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    • Steve

      Septic tanks are similar to an RV holding tank, except that in a septic tank you have a larger percentage of water and it has longer to break down. In an RV you need a paper that will break down faster than what you need for a septic tank.

      That being said, I’ve been using Scott 1000 for both the home (septic system) and the RV, and both have been trouble free. Scott’s RV toilet paper breaks down even faster than the Scott 1000, but Scott 1000 has worked fine for me in the RV, and I’m an excessive wiper.

      Hope that helps

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      • Peggy

        I bought RV toilet paper by mistake. Is it ok to use in a regular toilet?

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        • Curious Minion

          Absolutely! The RV toilet paper is meant to break down very quickly. That’s the only difference. Some people prefer to use a single ply (or RV paper) at home because of this. And in these days of Covid-19, any toilet paper in your house is good toilet paper!
          Curious Minion

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  • vanessa

    I found seventh generation, recycled, unbleached tp to be the best. I did the tp dissolve test prior to using it on our sailboat head and it passed. Kind of hard to find and its spendy but it’s by far my favorite of all the natural/recycled options out there that I’ve seen.

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    • That’s what we use now too and love it!

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      • Sharon Edelson-Eubanks

        Hi! We have a regular RV toilet. I read that you rated Scott’s TP as the best yet you use 7th Gen. Per 7th Gen’s website, they make 2 different types TP. Is the type you use the same as the one you tested? Does the fact that you use a composting toilet make a difference to the type of TP you use (eg, rapid dissolvability not as important)? BTW, love your site/blog!

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  • Mike

    Found your site coming from RV Must Haves best rv toilet paper. Loving your blog so far! Definitely going to keep watching your cool videos.

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  • Gustav Johnson

    Thank you for helping those that RV.

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  • Love the Scott’s RV TP…..and glad to see that it was the best in your test as well. I find that it’s a little better priced if you buy it at a bid box retailer than the RV stores.

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  • Tammy

    My hubby and I are newbies to RVing and have been loving your site. Thanks for sharing all the great info! Depending on how much we camp, we’ll be upgrading to solar panels and composting toilet. Your cats in this vid absolutely cracked me up! We’ll be taking our kitty (George) with us too. In fact, a Google search for RVing cats originally brought me to your site. Thanks again!

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  • Nicole

    After non-stop clogs and my hubby telling me to basically stop using to ( lol ) I’ve decided a diaper genie is how I’m gonna roll. Cheap baby wipes and a diaper genie.

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  • june deley

    Help! What brand of tp works in an RV but is NOT irritating to my lady parts!
    Thanks for any help!!!!

    reply
  • Sally

    We just got our first travel trailer and it is used, of course. There is no owners manual so I have been searching for any information and stumbled on your toilet paper test. Since we are dummies and the dealership did not even offer us any instructions, despite telling us they would, this is a fun way to learn. Thank you for making my learning experience more fun and I look forward to more of your videos to help me along.

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  • Tommy

    Great video! I never heard of your site before so I’m excited to read everything else you’ve posted. I was referred by this article http://rvmusthaves.com/best-rv-toilet-paper-48-rolls/

    reply
  • The hand held one is the tool,

    If you have never used it, then it is hard to explain

    but it solves a great deal of problems in one tool.

    I gave a new one to Jason at ontario, science will

    show you it is the best in many ways. Try it and see!

    homedepot.com/p/Brondell-Travel-Bidet-in-Purple-GS-70/203357941#sthash.dGyGDNK4.dpuf

    $10 and if you have not tried the hand held one you do not understand the advantage. Try it and see, small, and mighty.

    reply
  • The GoSpa is the way to go.
    paper becomes just for drying.
    $10 at home depot

    homedepot.com/p/Brondell-Travel-Bidet-in-Purple-GS-70/203357941

    Best tool for black tank or compost toilet.

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    • interesting idea…but I can’t say I have ever been a big fan of bidets. but then again, you rarely ever see them so maybe that’s why.

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      • LaLo

        Can remove the bulk of matter with water in a squeeze bottle that has a small hole in its cap. Or find the soft plastic very pliable bottle women use after childbirth. It’s a simple low-tech hand-held bidet.

        reply
  • Sue

    My favourite part of the video? How enthralled Cleo and Singa are with the testing of RV TP!

    reply
  • Bob

    To the poster above that mentioned Dollar General TP. I can say without a doubt, IT DOESN”T WORK WELL in an RV. Been there, done that.
    We’re currently trying the Scotts RV stuff. So far so good. However this test and video is about a year old isn’t it? So maybe a retest is in order?

    reply
    • The idea is to get you to do your own tests on your favorite brands of TP. We suggest retesting once a year because manufactures are notorious for changing formulas often. We don’t have a black tank anymore with our composting toilet so thankfully we don’t have to worry about this anymore. But important stuff to remember for those with regular RV toilets.

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  • Mike Freimund

    They did the same testing on an RV forum I belong to. Quilted Northern performed the best. Been using it for the past five years.

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  • Brenda

    Great report from the “back-side” of life :-). Also glad to know I had picked the correct TP…. even for the house. An important thing in life! Thanks.

    reply
  • tom

    sounds gross but i would put a pin hole in the lid of jar then put the toilet paper in the jar along with some water and cat dog or human fecal mater and store it in a dark place to simulate the inside of a black water tank gross but this is what is in that tank i think the amount you use is more of an issue then what you use but i would think the big fluffy stuff would be an issue but the dollar store crappy paper should be far better then the big fluffy stuff i will be running this test with real fecal matter included

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  • Kevin

    I heard Costco regular toilet paper passes the RV test.

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  • Pat Costa

    We had Vacu-flush toilets in our Grand Banks trawler and rarely had a problem with them, but I was always concerned that they over-complicated a simple device. On our Vesta I installed a macerator pump in the drain end. It pumps out Gray and Black holding tanks in just a few minutes and I have been able to pump out into the toilet in our barn which is slightly up hill from the drain port on the Vesta. It uses 11/4 inch ribbed pressure hose that is a lot easier to deal with then the normal drain hose.and has a three inch and 4 inch adapter for hookups.

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  • Susan Kam

    On our boat we have a little metal box with a lid hanging by the head for paper…never had to take apart the macerating toilet since then….which makes John happy. We also have a little sign on what you are allowed to put in the toilet saying nothing goes in unless you have eaten it first! In the RV we have had an issue with ” the mountain of shame” but figured out with some Internet research that we weren’t using enough water so that is solved so far! Haven’t had any issues with paper so far but don’t use any of the heavy duty stuff like Charmin.

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  • jim

    interesting. Our /monaco has a Techma macerating toilet and factory installed sanicon system.
    We use the good TP, same as we use in our S&B house. No problems ever.

    One real nice thing about the techma is, no “solids” ever enter the black tank. There will never be a “poopsicle”, no “mountin of shame” it is all ground to liquid before being dumped into the tank.

    As for problems or potential problems, the cavemen used to say that about slideout rooms….

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  • Frank & Joan Saunders

    Hi;

    We have a differen’t solution to the toilet paper delima which i’m sure most people would not use but workes for us.

    We use a plastic pail, about a half gallon size, lined with a plastic grocery bag, one without holes, that we put our used toilet paper in.

    When we have a camp fire we take out the bag and burn the works.

    A lot of places in Mexico have a policy of NO toilet paper in the toilet. Makes sense to me.

    Frank.

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    • jim

      ewww!

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    • Candy

      Same here. We’ve never had a problem & can use any toilet paper we like that way.

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    • "...nice man from Germany"

      makes a lot of sense!

      reply
  • Brenda

    Several years ago at the Abootsford RV Show there was a demonstration that showed Costco’s brand Kirkland broke down better than any other commercial (non RV) TP so we have only ever used this brand and have never had a problem. Oh and Happy Birthday and Happy Crabbing-nothing beats fresh crab you just caught!

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  • oh gosh that is such a great test…..I am so going to get my homeschool boys onto this experiment – they can call it science for the day! What a great way to find out which Toilet Paper is safe for the RV 🙂

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  • Denise

    Jason, That’s why we love you guys…you get down to the nitty gritty on subjects that others are too fearful to address! You da man! Hey, have a really great birthday on Saturday…and know we wish you an amazing and safe year ahead!!

    reply
  • GB

    Interesting test but how does that relate to the composting toilet just installed in Windy? TP is an important element in composting toilets as it is a source of carbon necessary for the process. Ideally the TP is not exposed to too much moisture, no flushing water is used, and urine is separated at the source or drained away from the solids. Then the carbon is utilized by the natural bacteria present in the composting process. Peat, coir, sawdust, even lawn clippings or wood chips are added to the mix. I’m wondering if the water test is really applicable to the composting of TP. Just because it falls apart in water doesn’t mean it will be the best source of carbon and compost well. Just asking ?

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  • The regular White Cloud passed the test for us (a couple years ago and still passing), so that’s what we use. We’ve never had a problem. Smiles

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  • I like the 3 shells…..

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    • Brent are you referencing Demolition Man…or have you cracked the secret code to wiping? Ha.

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  • Jim Roach

    Our Fleetwood has a vacuum (vacuflush) on the toidy, (not sure why, other than be expensive when it doesn’t work), which specifically lists toilet papers NOT to use, Charmin was listed as #1. Over time have found that MOST TP’s that are septic safe are ok for RV use.

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