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Composting Toilets: Tips, Tricks and Solving Problems
We’ve been using our composting toilet for over a year now and we’ve gone from “There’s no way that will work and smell ok” to practically writing the book on how great a composting toilet is!
With this article and video we dive deeper into some of the issues we’ve come across and a few of the biggest “grey” areas for living with a Composting Toilet.
If this is the first Composting Toilet Video and Article you’ve come across make sure to check out other articles and videos for more on what it is and how it all works: www.gonewiththewynns.com/all-composting-toilet/
We covered most of the questions below in the video, but just in case you want to read it here’s the shorthand version along with a few updates:
- Why does my toilet smell? If there is any smell it should alert you there is a problem. For us we’ve smelled odors only a couple times and that was due to the fan coming unplugged accidentally. If it smells, its likely user error that can be easily remedied. We recently did a test and used half the amount of COCO COIR we normally use, after 2 weeks of use it began to smell because there wasn’t enough compost material to cover the waste, I put a few big scoops of hydrated COCO COIR into the toilet and within 12 hours the smell was gone. It’s all about proper humidity, correct amount of compost material and the fan pulling out any smells while drying the solids bin.
- What if my Urine tank smells? Don’t eat asparagus! If it smells like Urine when the liquid tank is connected to the toilet you should check that the fan is working because it shouldn’t smell. Put 2 tablespoons of raw sugar in the urine tank for smell, you can also try leaving a cup of vinegar in the tank after dumping. We’ve also heard of people using grape pop to reduce the smell, and some people swear by a product called Bio-Kleen…we have yet to try these 2 methods. Honestly I haven’t found the perfect solution to reduce urine smell upon dumping, if you have any tricks of your own please share in the comments.
- How do I clean off the buildup of Urine on the liquid tank? Dump urine, put 3 inches of Vinegar into Urine Tank, place 1 inch of rocks in the tank and shake. Let it set for a bit and shake some more. Any caked on urine will eventually come off.
- How do I clean the Toilet after use? Spritz Water/Vinegar Mixture after going #1. If necessary wipe the bowl with a piece of Toilet paper after going #1 or #2. For us, any extra clean-up after using the toilet is rarely necessary, and no it’s not because I have good aim, it’s just the way the toilet is designed.
- How do I store and hydrate my Compost Medium? It’s often recommended to use a gallon zipper bag to hydrate the COCO COIR or Peat Moss, we prefer to break off clumps from our brick and do a ‘hands on’ hydration until the COIR feels like a slightly moist soil. We demonstrate here: How to Prep and Dump a Composting Toilet
- How much water do I need to hydrate the compost? It varies, but we typically use around 1.5 liters of water to hydrate enough COIR to fill the base up to the handle (as recommended by the toilet mfr).
- Where can I legally dump the solids? If you’re traveling by RV like us the safest place to dump is to put your waste into a 13 gallon (composting) bag and put it in the dumpster. Yes this is legal and not it’s not disgusting, there are laws that allow human waste to go into landfills so that adult and baby diapers can be thrown away with regular household refuse.
- Any Regular maintenance? Other than making sure the fan and fan filter are not clogged there’s no extra maintenance.
- Do I need to wash the base after dumping? No, any leftovers will continue to compost as you use the toilet.
- Do I need any extras? If you’re out to sea or wild camping in the middle of nowhere we’d recommend having these spare parts: Spare Fan, Spare Liquid Tank just in case, spare liquid tank cap. You can purchase an extra base if you want to continue composting before placing in a compost pile or bin. Another cool tip: put a piece of Velcro on the liquid tank and lid so you always know where the lid is.
Some of the Tips and Tricks not covered in the video:
- Can I directly connect my Urine to the old Black Tank? This can be done but the mfr does not have a kit for this so you’ll have to head down to the hardware store and create your own. I don’t think it will be too difficult if you’re replacing a toilet that is already plumbed into the black tank. One thing to be concerned about is the solidifying of urine on the tank walls. I would highly recommend you combine your black and grey tank if you re-route your urine because if you do not mix the urine with water the urine will cake onto the tank walls and may become impossible to remove.
- What about Heavy Menstruation? The composting toilet can handle heavy menstruation according to the manufacturer. If it affects the humidity of your solids base I would recommend adding an extra scoop of compost medium to counteract the moisture.
- I’m a clean freak; can I use Lysol or Bleach to clean the toilet? As long as you’re not pouring liquids down the solids tank feel free to clean or disinfect the toilet as often as you’d like.
- How long does it take to truly compost? This has long been a debate about composting any sort of waste, along with the segregated groups of “to-aerate” and “not-to-aerate”. As a general rule of thumb most of the bacteria is dead within a day, but to fully compost can take anywhere from 3-12 months. Basically the longer you can let the waste sit, the more composted it will be (assuming the conditions promote healthy compost). Wish I could give you a definitive number but there’s just too many grey areas…and I’m not a scientist.
- Can I bury my waste in the Ground? Before attempting this I would make sure you understand local laws and regulations. In theory many public lands have a Leave No Trace policy and when it comes to human waste they request you bury it a certain depth and a certain number of feet away from trails or campgrounds…so I’m not sure why you wouldn’t be able to bury your compost in the same manner, but I’d check with the proper authorities before attempting this.
- Will a Composting Toilet really change the world? We had a guy accuse us of destroying the world because we were putting our not-fully composted waste into a dumpster. Seriously people?!? Come on! We honestly believe if everyone made the switch to a composting toilet it would create a drastic change: We’d save millions of gallons of fresh water (who knows maybe CA wouldn’t be in the midst of a giant water crisis), the cities would use far less chemicals to treat sewer water, electrical consumption would go down, a composting toilet would inspire people with homes to start composting all their food waste keeping tons of “trash” out of our landfills, and our utility bills would go down! Or at least that’s our take on it.
- What’s the difference between an Air Head and a Nature’s Head Composting Toilet? We originally spoke to the owners of both companies when we were researching a composting toilet to install in our RV. I believe the Air Head has a ‘normal’ toilet seat and the liquid tank can be removed without lifting the solids base as high. Also the Air Head is more expensive. After weighing the benefits, speaking with the owners, doing some online research, and needing to reach our delivery deadline we felt the Nature’s Head was the best option for us…but that’s just our opinion so I’m not going to try and sway anyone on the subject.
- Do you Like the Dry Flush Toilet that wraps and seals waste for RV installations? Keep in mind I have zero experience with this toilet, however we have a friend who purchased this toilet and they seemed to like it. The biggest downfall to this toilet in my opinion is you’re taking human waste, that would breakdown rapidly in nature, and now you’re wrapping it in a petrol based plastic product that will poison the ground and take hundreds of years to decompose (the company claims biodegradable plastic is in the works, but their website has said this for years now). Also the cartridges that hold the plastic are expensive, so each flush costs about $1.
- What About the Separett Toilets? First thing to know is: this toilet is not a Composting Toilet! It’s basically a holding area for waste. The “RV Sized” model is the Separett Villa 7010 (also knows as the “Weekend”). At the time we were looking into composting toilets these weren’t marketed in the USA, so I haven’t done a ton of research on it. The main thing for us is Nature’s Head is made in the USA, pretty rare to find such a unique product designed and manufactured in this country (and not china or somewhere with cheap labor).
Here are my concerns with this toilet, keep in mind I’ve not seen, or used one in person:
– I wonder about the waste going directly into a bag and not being mixed with any compost material, maybe the fan is powerful enough to keep the smell from entering the coach, but you definitely would need to do a roof mount exhaust vent otherwise if you vent underneath the coach I would guess the smells will likely surround your entire RV.
– Another thing you’ll want to understand is the urine drainage process in the Separett, I believe you are required to route the urine to another tank of some sort, which could be your grey tank, but it will likely require some engineering to make it happen.
Other than those couple concerns it looks like a fine toilet for about the same price, however I’m not sure it’s a better option for RVing than our composting toilet.
If you would have asked us about a composting toilet anytime before the summer of 2013 we would have said something like “there’s no way that will work and not smell, especially in the small spaces of an RV.” We’ve been happily proven wrong and we can honestly say we love our composting toilet, not only the way it works but we love everything it stands for. So, for those of you out there that want to hate…go for it; but for those of you who are genuinely interested in making a difference, want to Wild Camp for longer, or you simply hate having to deal with a black tank, we hope all this information has been helpful…and one last time because I know I’ll get this question: Yes it does work, no it doesn’t smell and yes we really like our composting toilet.
If you’re interested in buying our same composting toilet, the best place to purchase is directly from Nature’s Head.
Larry, the owner of Nature’s Head, has offered up a special discount to everyone that reads our site. If you click the link below he’ll beat the Amazon Price:
Buy From Nature's Head DirectlyThe main advantage of ordering direct, vs Amazon, is to make sure you get the options you need for your specific installation (i.e. do you need the spider handle? Do you need a solar fan? Do you need spare parts?) Click the link above, select your configuration (we have the Spider handle with extra Liquids Bottle) and at checkout the discount will be automatically added.
If you’re still in research mode you’ll want to visit our site just before you purchase to click the link above, otherwise the discount may not be automatically applied. If you have questions, the customer support team is extremely helpful and can be reached by email or phone which you’ll find on the Nature’s Head contact page.
Please share your tips, tricks and any thoughts you have about composting toilets in the comments below. We honestly feel if we make this taboo subject easy to talk about; the more people will become interested in greening up their Sailboat, RV, cabin and home toilets. If you need technical help please call or email Larry, we are just users of the toilet, he can better help with “more complicated” issues.
James Richy
We love our Thinktank Waterless Toilet. It is airtight so you are not blowing expensively heated air outside 24/7 as you are with mot (all?) other toilets. Also, it’s the only urine diverting toilet we could find that allows men to stand when using. And it is built like a brick you-know-what! Not going to break, lol.
Franco
How do I get rid of those black, tiny, about the size of a keyboard > , flies/gnats? I’ve dumped 5 cups of diatomaceous earth, several times and reduced the population significantly but they keep coming back. I’ve screened the vents also. I put a cup in the bowl area/trap door (pardon my use of words). I might now have more diatomaceous earth than poop. Ugh!
I also store my used bamboo tissue paper in a separate airtight, container that seems to reduce dumping time intervals.
The diatomaceous earth also seem to cause the beneficial “rolly polly” bugs to crawl out of the solids tank into the bowl area then out the lid! HELP!
Curious Minion
Yikes! That sounds like an issue for professional help. Have you contacted the manufacturer of your composting toilet? Or checked their FAQ page? Good luck!
Curious Minion
Stu Baker
I have LOTS of experience with this. Mothballs will work as a last resort. But keep in mind the toilet is not producing flies. They are coming from somewhere. Screen the windows, don’t leave bowls of over ripe fruit out. When you empty it, clean it out very well with water and bleach, to kill any eggs. Our NH has been mostly free of this problem for a few years now.
Imon
Wait… you put your partially composted waste in a bag in a dumpster but then say how another type of toilet wraps waste in plastic making it poison in the ground. Both do. Half composted then plastic then landfill is still poison. “Compostable plastic” is a misnomer. Nearly all varieties require special conditions to break down and the things they break down into are not necessarily inert. Use what you want but it seems very contradictory bc your own waste is still going in a landfill in a way where it will not break down naturally. Even if your bag does break down… it us buried with millions of pounds of other plastic bags.
On urine container cleaning… please be aware that anything that cleans or deodorizes urine typically also produces ammonia. Even a small amount can cause burning eyes nasal/mouth and lungs. I came to this page hoping to find a deodorizing solution for urine collector. I have a homemade system using a separette separator/seat bc it was all i could get at the time. My urine collector is not sealed and it isn’t noticeable 99% of the time… but when cleaning/emptying or like now when we have 38°C humidity… yeah i smell it. Cleaners etc create ammonia which is worse than original smell. Container is not entirely open.. but also not “sealed.” Ideas would be great.
Nikki Wynn
We use “backyard compostable” bags so they really do break down. You are correct that many do require commercial composting so one does have to read the fine print.
James Richy
I have good news. Compostable bags do not poison the ground. They are made from corn starch. Good ones are certified as such. The “toxic compostable bags polluting the ocean with micro plastics” line is a widely circulated myth.
ms ronnie k endre
how do i change the filters? i attempted to do this once before-actually to clean them. the thing is on the R side where the fan is, its wired. i can’t get to it. i want to put nylon in the filter’s place, because you can’t get to it:( you can’t get to it on the L eiether. due to this, i am getting excess moisture because the L side is virtually not working. i tried vacuumin it with a handheld and even a toothbrush from the inside. both were of no help and the L intake side for the in airflow is blocked. its gonna fry my fan and the i will have big stinky problems. can you post a video for this because naturehead was of no help. i got more out of your site than theirs…where i purchased from. thanks! ronnie [email protected]-could you send me a link to my email? i am a woman in the woods by myself in remote wisconsin and i can’t even get a handyman out here as there is a major shortage of contractors:(
the tree hugger:)
ronnie
Mhairie Lee
We don’t live in an RV or boat, but we have a small one bedroom house in Tasmania that we built ourselves. We started with a nature’s loo basically it’s a big bucket with a fan, and it was and still is our out door loo, which has worked well for many years and we have been happy with it. It came with 2 buckets and all the tubing we required and a 12v fan, we just had to dig the rubble drainage pit and we don’t have problems with smell at all with that loo. So when we extended to include an indoor toilet we went with a separette toilet which looks like a normal loo. It came with 3 buckets and bags and has a 12v fan to help dry solids and take smell away, we had to have a long pvc pipe to act as a vent on the outside. We were happyish with it for a while, the bags composted well and so did the solids, then we got our next lot of bags and we weren’t impressed they broke, they’re also too small to get around the bucket and they don’t compost as efficiently as the original bags did, and they’re expensive. I’m looking into purchasing an incinerator composting loo which burns all the waste and is collected in a bin at the bottom of the loo. Because we are off grid solar I’m looking at the gas version one which is called the Cinderella, they’re expensive at around $5000 plus installation with a gas accredited plumber. I think it will be money well spent as I’m aging it’s getting harder to carry the poo buckets to the compost area.
Cameron B
We put a 1/4 cup of white vinegar in the urine bottle after dumping. This seems to neutralise the odour next time we dump. Emptied the solids bin for the first time today after 12 days of use (2 adults and 3 kids) and the smell was horrendous! Not sure what we did wrong? Maybe not enough coir?
Nikki Wynn
That is possible. If it’s too wet (it should look like moist soil, nothing more) then perhaps not enough compost medium is the issue. Perhaps the coir was too wet from the get-go? If for some reason any urine is getting into the solids bin, that could cause the smell too. Check the angle of your toilet. Try pouring a cup of water into the toilet with the hatch closed. See if it drains forward into the liquid bin. If not and it drains backwards, that could be the issue. Hopefully, you get it sorted and no more smelly dump days.
Ronald Warren
So I’m a future RVer, hopefully sooner than later. Lol I’m wondering if people do decide to use a composting toilet. Could you turn around and change your black water tank to a fresh water tank? More fresh water for boondocking? Just wondering. Still a slave to my job in Hawaii for a few more years and researching options before I purchase an RV.
Aloha,
Ron
Curious Minion
Hey Ron. People do often re-purpose their black tanks after installing a composting toilet, but most often it gets repurposed to hold graywater. There are a couple of reasons for this, the first being that it’s much easier to do. The black tank is already set up to be dumped, and combining the tanks is usually pretty easy. Jason even has a video on how to do it! https://www.gonewiththewynns.com/combine-rv-black-grey-tank If you wanted to replace it with a freshwater tank you would need to removed the old black tank completely, replace it with a new freshwater tank, and then figure out how to either combine it with the existing freshwater tank or you’d have to replumb it into the FW system and figure out how to switch between tanks. So it’s a much bigger pain.
If you want to increase your FW capacity for boondocking you need to first become a pro on using less fresh. Lots of RVers have posted or done videos on this. It’s easy to use way less fresh for dishwashing, and you’ll just need to practice your “Navy showers” or Submarine Showers to save a ton of freshwater AND to save space in the gray tank. If you find that you’re still running out of fresh before your graywater is full, then look at bringing more fresh in using your tow or towed vehicle with either reusable jugs meant for offroading, or, if you really want to up your game, a water bladder that can be put into the back of an SUV or pickup or on the roofrack of some. Be sure to check your weight limits/capacity of the vehicle first though – water’s heavy!
Good luck with it!
Curious Minion
Thomas
We use a plain separating toilet as a composting toilet in our boat. It works great.
Previously we had a 12 litre (4 gallon) tank for urine. Worked fine but had to be emptied manually every other day. From this year I installed a 100 litre pvc bag for urine, with deck connection for emptying at special vacuum stations. Works great, only thing is we get some smell from it. So now I am looking into how to avoid urine smell from a pvc bag 😊
I was surprised we had no smell what so ever from the 12 litre plastic tank.
Wayne
Good Morning, All! We have an old boat that we installed an AirHead Composting toilet on. The fan is on and the unit doesn’t smell until I crank it. Wondering if anyone else has that issue? Maybe I need to add some additional hydrated Coconut Coir? Normal?
Natalie
Hi
I’ve had my natures head for a year now (in a promaster van) I find the seal of the composting bucket gets wet, because I use it in a van and it seems to splash out of the pee bucket on bumpy roads…do you know if the seal can be replaced? And have you had to do this?
Curious Minion
Have you checked the Nature’s Head website for this to see if they carry the seal & have instructions on changing it?
Curious Minion
Natalie
No but I’ve noticed that my seal is different from your pictures and I saw on another wed site a mention about a new seal… so I will call them
And this is the most comprehensive and thorough vlog about the natures head thank you!
Kurt
I’d love to try a composting toilet, but they’re expensive and using coco coir seems messy.
Kurt
The need to vent is another negative.
Nikki Wynn
I can understand the hesitation but from our experience, coco coir is way less messy than a black tank and dump hose.
Juanita Stanton
My husband has an ileostomy so he has an ostomy bag. He also has a continuous output of 💩. It is not solid. Is it possible to use this toilet with this kind of output. If not do you know of any he could use.?
Nikki Wynn
I would think so but I would really call in and talk to Natures Head. They have a lot of experience with such things and may have additional tips to offer up.
Alaskangrownvan.com
We’ve been using a separating compost toilet and we swear by Borax for eliminating odors for the urine compartment. And it only smells when you dump it, since our fan is going all the time. Just a 1/4 cup is all we use. Also great for our gray water tank under the sink. Having a hard time finding it in bulk while traveling in Mexico though!
Judy
Do you use the Borax instead of the vinegar after dumping the urine?
Debi
We use Calgon water conditioner with some water and ice cubes. Less risks of damage to the tanks. Ice melts so no removing. The calgon keeps any build up soil on the tank. As a motorhomer, smell abatement and clean tanks are our biggest concern when traveling and this solution isn’t toxic.
Nebbie
For curiosity’s sake.
How much of a urine flow into the main compost area would it take for the compost system to be compromised?
How much urine can the main composting area handle safely, i.e., without being too much like “black” water?
Nikki Wynn
I couldn’t say as I have never had that problem and never intentionally tried to create it.
Claudia
Ditto, have never had urine going into the compost department. A good way to get rid off the stain of the urine tank is nappy San.
Bevis
hello; thanks for your knowledge.
have you had any issues with flies or other insects? as have heard this can be a problem at times.
appreciate your thoughts.
Claudia
It doesn’t attract flies. The only time it attracts them is when you emptying the compost compartment. Otherwise is better than a normal toilet. We have one in our motorhome next to our bedroom. There is no smell. Nothing like the cassette toilet which a way smellier .
Story
Do you know if the Nature’s Head would work in a situation where it wasn’t being used daily? I’m researching options for a guest cottage with no plumbing, but it would only be used a few times a year.
Curious Minion
I think Nature’s Head has a whole section on this in their FAQ. The compost bin should be fine to leave as long as the fan keeps running but you definitely don’t want anything left in the liquids bin. If it will be below freezing while you’re gone, definitely check the Nature’s Head FAQ section for advice on freezing temps.
Nancy
What can be used to clear the urine tube [this is a Separette toilet where I rent] that keeps blocking up?… vinegar, citric acid solution?
Thank you! I am getting tired of having the line keep blocking.
Curious Minion
Vinegar should work. Cleaning tips and more can be found here: https://www.gonewiththewynns.com/composting-toilet-tips-tricks-solving-problems
Nick
Hey, you two. I’m currently travelling from LA (live/work) to CT (family) with my pregnant girlfriend and have been brushing up on my compost toilet knowledge while sipping some coffee and I noticed something you may consider augmenting:
You posted this question and answer:
I’m a clean freak; can I use Lysol or Bleach to clean the toilet? As long as you’re not pouring liquids down the solids tank feel free to clean or disinfect the toilet as often as you’d like.
Bleach, when mixed with the ammonia in human urine, creates noxious and potentially deadly gasses called chloramines, especially if a small class C RV like ours is not ventilated. I would advise against anyone getting bleach in the liquid tank, even if it’s empty with only residual urine. I have noticed, in the past, a crude, white gas bubbling out of the liquid tank when bleach is used. Just a thought.
Much love. Happy trails. Thanks for all the info.
-Nick and Summer
Carol Carper
Can flushable wipes be composted too?
Nikki Wynn
Flushable wipes are made to break down in water…you can use the ones that say biodegradable but we don’t personally recommend putting them in the compost bin.
Bear Carter
PLEASE.!!!
How and where do you store, for continuous use, your “everyday” compost material and how do you measure, move and use it, after you “go”.????
An email answer would be GREATLY APPRECIATED.!!!
Thank you, [email protected]
Tanya Bjorling
Hi, we are so excited about entering the world of full-time R’ving. We are about 1 year now from our goal so, doing a lot of research now to work out newbie concerns and frightening information overload!! We will be purchasing a Nature’s Head toilet next year as well. I did have one tip on the reduction of urine smell… I’m not in anyway a nurse, doctor or any healthcare professional. This is from personal experience only.. make sure you are getting the right amount of water your body takes to stay properly hydrated!!! This also includes drinking less to no soda, coffeetc and tea. Sorry, about that… for me if I maintain around 1 gallon of pure water each day, my urine has little to no smell and can almost be clear in color. Really!!! Morning urine might be slightly smelly due to not drinking any water for 8 hours. Thanks for all your videos. Roy was sure a fancy RV! 😉
Edward
Thanks for the tips Nikki & Jason. I really enjoy the post. But as I see, the price for a composting toilet is pretty high. Do you have any idea about DIY composting toilet or suggest any cheaper option for an off-grid toilet? Honestly, I’m looking for cheap toilet options for the off-grid tiny house as well as RV.
Nikki Wynn
It is a steep price up front but far less expensive in the long run and works like a champ. If you google how to make a composting toilet you will get a bunch of videos and articles for the DIY version. It’s basically a bucket, a toilet seat and compost medium. I personally don’t like it because it doesn’t separate the urine from the solids like the natures head. So, there are still odors and it needs to be changed more frequently. That said, I haven’t looked into it in a while so someone may have come up with a great solution. I recommend the book Humananure Handbook as well: http://amzn.to/2fGg5fJ Good luck.
diana
why am i getting urine in my tank every time i pee it goes int my tank why?
Nikki Wynn
What a bummer, could be some sort of issue with the seal or something. I would give natures head a call or email and let them know what’s going on. If there is something wrong, they will be able to walk you through how to fix it or it might require a replacement part they can send out to you.
celestiel Balson
Hi, Thanks for all the great tips and info! I just ordered a Nature’s Head toilet for our Scamp and tried the discount codes given, but none worked! Bummed! Is there anything that can be done retroactively? Thanks! Happy Travels!!!
Nikki Wynn
Well that is a bummer to hear. I will have to check our codes, sorry about that. It’s very likely if you give natures head a call and let them know, they will take care of you. But do it quickly before the shipment goes out.
The Smiths
I am so sorry to be so explicit but being an older woman I almost always pee and poop (which is usually diarrhea )at the same time. Is there still some kind of separation of 1 and 2?
Dawn
I would also like to know the answer to this question as I also do both at the same time.
SHANNON
yes please answer, this is my question also
Curious Minion
The shape and design of the toilet does direct urine flow into the urine bottle, so you shouldn’t have too much of a problem. You can also check this post out, which answers a lot of similar questions: https://www.gonewiththewynns.com/compost-toilet-big-questions
Curious Minion
Angeline
I’m older too – I found a tip that made a real difference – sit fully upright – don’t lean forward or backwards. If you’re short (as I am), you might need a little footstool or something similar so that your legs are at the right angle when you sit – it really does work!!!
Nicole
Can I use this inside a tiny house made out of an old bread truck? My question is specifically related to the ventilation system. Will I need to drill holes?
Curious Minion
It does need to be vented to the outside. Check the Nature’s Head website for more info.
Tasha Grace
Two questions:
#1: What does the inside of the toilet look like? Is the waste exposed inside while you go? You mention a trap door. How exactly does that work?
#2: You have a kitty. Do you dispose of cat waste in the composting toilet? If not, do you know if that would work if using a natural flushable cat litter (such as World’s Best Cat Litter)?
Zach Starr
I’m currently building a composting toilet. I’m about done, just need to hook up the ventilation, but I was curious if you noticed any smell from your composting toilet when you had your roof vent fan blowing outside and didn’t have any other roof vent/window open for airflow. If you essentially create a vacuum inside your rv, would you begin pulling air from your compost toilet making the ventilation of the compost toilet flow in reverse? The solution i suppose would be to have the compost toilet air inlet fed from the outside as well making it completely isolated (loop) from living quarters, but is that even an issue you need to worry about/have dealt with?
Nikki Wynn
We haven’t ever had that issue but our toilet fan is vented low, far away from our roof vents.
Jen
This might sound silly to you, but being that I’m older (and getting older!), I’m very intolerant to the cold. How do you deal with changing things out in the winter?
Also, I saw where someone asked what to do during stomach bugs. I don’t know about you guys, but it isn’t unusual for us to suddenly need to throw up — can you do that in there? — or have to “go” right then and there, no time to bother with certain things. How do you deal with such incidents?
(PS All this said, something I love about the composting toilet: no more plunging! I have a granddaughter who is fearful of our toilet. It messes up every time she comes over!)
Dan
Hi there – the latest discount code I can find looks out of date. Is there a current one? Thanks for the informative article!
mike lamay
My toilet have been leaking urine between the head and the bin allowing the foam seal to become urine soaked. I cleaned the toilet inside and out but the urine stink still remains… yuck
Nikki Wynn
You should contact Natures Head, I am sure they can help you resolve the issue and would send you a new foam seal.
Michael Sitarzewski
Ours is doing the now. What’s was the solution?
John
Hello Mike,
I have been using one in the motorhome now for a month and have same problem.
What was your outcome mate and do you have a remedy?
John
Chris
There aren’t any dates on these posts, so I don’t know how old this is.
Ours has started doing this now too. I think it’s happening at the little plastic cut-out piece on the underside of the head of the toilet that is screwed and glued in. At the front of the toilet where it’s glued, I think when that stops being water-tight is when pee starts to leak through (verified with a hose).
I’m just about to start my third attempt at resealing this. The first attempt seemed to fix it, except I used caulking that evidently couldn’t stand up to urine, so it eventually liquefied and leaking resumed. I used silicone next, and I must have done a poor job, because the leaking had never been so bad. So, on my third attempt, I’m using silicone again, but planning to be very, very generous.
If that doesn’t do it, I’m done with composting toilets.
Becky Gardner
In your videos, it seems like the discussion was based on the perfect scenarios. These are kind of an interesting questions. Whenever you’re traveling with a woman, such as myself, it’s likely that the monthly cycle could happen. Also, we have 6 kids and we’re looking into full timing it. There’s bound to be some times when stomach upset or digestive bugs hit. So how do these unavoidable events affect this system? If there’s a chance that it could significantly upset the system, what kind of backup plan do you recommend?
Je
What happenshould if pee gets mixed in with poo?!?
Troy
Love the toilet, but we keep getting little black flying insects out off it 🙁
Jason Wynn
Ask Larry, he has remedy’s for this. Also make sure your fan is still working, air movement is key to healthy compost.
Ross
Just ordered my Nature’s Head straight from the natureshead.net – I’ve never been so excited about a toilet before. Thanks for the discount code!!! The price was already lower than Amazon, so it knocked it down even more. I can’t wait to get this baby on my boat!
Nikki Wynn
It’s the little things in life that bring the most joy. 😉 Enjoy the go!
Heather
for the water/vinegar solution to spray… what ratio do you use? Can the vinegar ever hurt the composting process?
Cindi O.
Thank you for your informative posts about this taboo topic!! I was on the fence about whether or not to get a compost toilet for the fifth wheel we are buying for fulltiming. I was considering it mostly because I dread the smell and problems associated with black tanks! Pyramid of poo first among them AAAGH!! When I brought up the topic my husband wouldn’t even consider a compost toilet and so made me a promise that he would do ALL care/dumping/maintenance of the black tank. Then he started reading up on exactly what he had just agreed to, LOL, he backed out of that deal pretty quick!! After viewing your videos and further research, he is completely on board with replacing the standard toilet and black tank setup with a Nature’s Head. But the main reason I want to thank you for your posts is that it really raised our awareness of the fact that we are pooping and peeing in perfectly good drinking water! Every day we ruin gallons of fresh, tasty, life-giving water, that’s crazy!! Living in Southern California, I think about it every time I use our sticks and bricks toilet and I can’t wait to move into the RV and start composting our waste. Your videos and posts are tasteful (well, as tasteful as possible considering the topic) and presented in a mature and respectful way. The haters have NO valid arguments, they just need to discharge anger because of their own discomfort with the topic; ignore them.
Scott
We are considering the Nature’s Head for our tiny house after spending time with both a bucket toilet and porta potti type setup. Thanks so much for going in-depth on this subject. All the “dirty” little secrets that no one wants to talk about are fleshed out in your posts and are greatly appreciated!!!
Jon
There is no easy way to ask this so I’m just going to say it.
In a normal toilet, sometimes when solid waste comes in contact with any interior surface it leaves a “skid” mark”.
the interior of the composting toilet is similar in slope and I can see some solid waste coming in contact with it. So you end up with an unsightly mark, you cant just flush a few times, now what?
Jeff Sturges
Wipe it off with some toilet paper and spray with alcohol, vinegar, or other cleaner–with the trap door closed.
Erin Hantzmon
We are planning to call Larry this week to order ours! We just purhcased our 5th wheel last weekend and moving in full-time April 15. Last night I had trouble sleeping while thinking about this toilet LOL Question I have (being a girl….) How hard is it to aim your urine stream into the holes for the liquid tank? What if I don’t have enough “power” behind it and it fills in the area above the solid tank door? *ACK* I’m assuming when we wipe after we urinate (with and without period issues) we put the paper into the trash? Or do we open the solids door and drop? Wouldn’t that wet paper be a problem?
Nikki Wynn
When going #1 everything funnels to the front, even if you don’t aim there. It is really no problem and there is no such thing as filling anything up or it staying there. Everything drains to its appropriate place. As for the TP it is your call. You can open the hatch and drop it down or put it in the trash. The TP will just fill up your solids tank a little faster but no harm and no foul. All personal preference.
Erin Hantzmon
Wonderful thank you 🙂
Tanner
Thanks for sharing all your experience! Yall are awesome. I was wondering if you know of anyone who has actually directly connected the urine to dispose to the old black tank while still using the solids composting of the toilet? It totally makes since that you would want the gray and black water tanks connected to dilute the urine. That sounds like an interesting modification to make if it can be done without any messy consequences. My wife and I are looking at becoming full timers in a 5th wheel and it would be nice not to have to do the pee container every few days.
Sheila
This seems like a great idea! If you did go for a solar roof vent option, that would only run during the daylight hours, right? So what about the fan operation at night (does the fan need to run 24 hours a day)? Thanks!
Bob
Where in the RV did you source your power for the fan? Vent needs to go trough the roof. Can you show a video on how this is accomplished?
Nikki Wynn
The vent just needs to lead to outside, so we vent ours out the side. You can see exactly where we ran the vent in this video: https://www.gonewiththewynns.com/install-composting-toilet
Jordan
I’m a huge fan of nature’s head, and stumbled across this article, and am about to try the vinegar and rocks method to clean out the liquids.
I wanted to ask if you had an updated article about this unit in Curiosity? Sorry if I missed it.
S/V Encantado
Curious Minion
They’ve mentioned a couple of times in Q&A’a that they’re working great on the boat. The had to use a few shims on one of them to level it up because boats sometimes have weirdly shaped spaces, but they love it. Jason has joked (maybe?) that someday he’s going to trash the marine head and put a third Nature’s Head in. You can see a picture of one of them installed on the boat here: https://www.gonewiththewynns.com/composting-toilet
Curious Minion
Heath Cave
Sooo…something awesome just happened. After about 6 months with our Nature’s Head toilet, I just got the fan wet today rinsing off the toilet (just because we wanted to) when we were emptying it. I forgot about the fan in there. I plugged it back in and of course it didn’t work. I called Larry at NH and told him I got the fan wet. He said “I’ll send you another one!” No questions asked, no charge, no shipping. Nada. Just asked me where to send it. Awesome! I just wanted to report back for other readers. The customer service is great with Nature’s Head.
Jason Wynn
I don’t know how Larry does it, I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t include something else in the package for you. He has always gone above and beyond when we’ve needed a replacement part. That’s the best part about supporting a small company. Thanks for the update.
Lauren
I even love the loveable loo composting toilet as described at humanurehandbook.com. I made one for my Airbnb which has no plumbing. We are going to use one in our rv as well. Again no smell using sawdust as the covering and base. It’s really great!
Jason Wynn
Thanks for sharing Lauren, we see many people use this method for tiny homes.
m wolfe
spider handle or standard handle? you’ve inspired us to install one in our fifth wheel. which handle to do recommend?
GREAT RV resource!!!!!!!!
Nikki Wynn
There is no better way to go! We prefer the spider handle personally. Have fun composting and not dealing with a black tank, its awesome!!!
Edward
Yay! My composting toilet was installed in my new “Wynn” Bounder this morning. I just finished mixing up my first batch of coco coir and I am now ready to go! (Pun intended) thanks so much for making all the useful videos on preping the toilet! One thing that took me a minute to reassure myself about that you might want to mention is that there is no “seat” to put down. Being so used to a “normal” toilet it sort of felt like I was sitting on the bowl itself at first. I guess the good news is that I won’t ever have to worry about leaving the seat up!
Kristy Maser
I read the part about heavy menustration being ok for the solids section but what about tampons? I use biodegradable and flushable tampons/applicators and currently flush them in my standard toilet. With this composting toilet, would it be necessary to throw them in the trash with the #1 toilet paper?
Thanks for answering my awkward questions!
Nikki Wynn
I am not 100% sure but if you call natures head and ask them they can let you know.
Hilary
What product did you use to plug your black tank (on the bathroom side) before installing the composting toilet? I’ve seen septic tank plugs, but don’t know if this would work. Is the opening a standard size? 6″? It seems pretty important to have the plug handy before pulling out the old toilet so as not to endure more stink coming out than necessary.
Also, did anyone weigh in on plumbing the urine to the black tank, perhaps using gallons of vinegar to prevent caking? That sounds like a great idea. I will probably try it and report back.
Also also, y’all are really wonderful! Thank you so much for all of the info and doing what you do. It seriously helped me get going living full time in an ’83 class C. The cheapest rent in San Francisco! ♡
Priscilla
Hi,
Thank you both so much for all the time and effort you take in thought and set-up for your videos. I have enjoyed your “journey” with all its ups and downs, and your clever presentations. However, I do have one question, toilet paper…Your take on the do’s and don’ts…? Especially for a composting toilet.
Thanks for all the fun and experiences you share!
Nikki Wynn
Thanks for the love!!! As for the TP. #1 tp goes in the trash as not to fill up the toilet as fast and #2 tp goes into the toilet and mixes in, breaks down and composts with the rest of it. That being said, it is totally fine to put both in the toilet or the trash as well. Its all personal preference.
Robyn
Thank you so much for these videos !! We will be installing one in our airstream (when we get one ) but I have a question, Do you have to unscrew the base from the floor and take the whole toilet outside every time you have to dump ??
carl
forgot to click the notify me via email.
carl
thanks for the great info on the composting toilet..It will be in our RV when we get one, hopefully, next year. (airstream) My wife did a have an interesting question. when ladies go #1 they like to wipe afterwards.. how do or what you do with the used paper… my suggestion was to toss it in the waste can but that was meet with a funny face that let me know it was NOT going to happen.. any advice I can pass along?
Becky
We purchased an Air Head brand composting toilet for our old sailboat about two years ago. Prior to that we had a standard marine toilet and holding tank that really began to stink no matter what we tried; our boat is small, and the head is just feet away from where we sleep, so that was NOT a good thing! We love the composting toilet. Absolutely no smell in the solids tank, UNLESS as pointed out by others, you allow the mixture to become way too dry or way too wet. We use vinegar and water to spray down the bowl as needed and occasionally scrub it with a disinfectant wipe . Yes, the urine tank stinks when you remove and open it for emptying, but that takes less than a minute and is a small price to pay for eliminating that marine toilet funk that so many boats have!
Nikki Wynn
So awesome to hear! Thanks so much for sharing!
MrAndMrsV
Thanks for sharing the information. I was very shocked when I saw your first video on this, so I can understand many typical Americans reacting to this topic negatively (since we are so out of touch with nature). We had never heard of this and were a little scared to try it. After a lot of research, we decided to buy this product (full-time RVers), and we LOVE IT! We have used it for several months and we agree that it is BETTER than a regular toilet.
Thank you for sharing this product, because it has the potential to save us a lot of money on our “off grid” property and it also makes us feel much better about our desire to reduce our negative impact on the world. I am sorry that you are getting “haters”, but I sincerely hope it is worth the hate to help people who appreciate the information and your willingness to talk about something that is obviously taboo. 🙂
We love your videos. If you are ever in Washington state (near olympia/tacoma) looking for a place to boondock, please send us an email. We have some raw land near a beautiful lake where you are always welcome. We would love to be able to host you after all that you have helped us learn (composting, solar, BLM, etc).
Nikki Wynn
Fantastic! Love hearing that and don’t worry, our passion for sustainable living can’t be stamped out with the few naysayers! We are headed your direction the first of October and we could possibly meet up. We are planing on being in the Seattle area.
Bob
Definitely ignore the haters! My wife and I love this site and the help you have given us and so many! She stumbled across a facebook post about a European VW conversion camper van and sent to me lamenting the fact that she wished we could take off in one of those and retire early, being we have a long time to wait for that to happen. Here we are 6 months later and have a complete early retirement plan set in place for us to unplug,sell the house and live the RV life. In the mix came “Gone with the Wynns”and all the invaluable help and knowledge we have gained form yours, and others experiences. With our new found knowledge we feel savvy enough to be confident in what we know we want and can afford, how we want to live , and what we require to do so. Composting toilet- never would have believed the wife would be the one to lobby me in that direction and so happy you helped her! Happy trails my young mentors!
Nikki Wynn
Awe, thanks for the love Bob!!!
Chris
Hello,
We bought the composting toilet because of your videos and we are very happy so far….however….we pee way too much! TMI but necessary. I would like to route our urine jug to the unused black tank. I know you said it would be best to combine the black and grey, however, we will always have our grey tank open to a sewer drain when at our main place of residence (a friends property).
So…since you said putting vinegar in the jug will prevent caking, wouldn’t just putting a gallon or two of vinegar in the black tank also prevent caking in the black tank?
Thanks for all your videos and awesome website! You helped give us the courage to go full time and we are one month in and loving it so far!
Patrice
Thanks for the information. I would love to install a composting toilet in our RV…just have to persuade hubby that it would be a better option for us. Don’t listen to the haters, I like watching and learning from you guys because you are trying to reduce your footprint while RVing.
Sandra T.
The trolls are just being mean, cuz they can. I have enjoyed learning all about composting toilets! I live in a trailer/mobile home full time. (I gratefully sold my 1800 sft of $$$$;maintainence, taxes, assessments, etc.) Since this place needs some updating, I am now thinking of having Nature’s Head installed in both bathrooms. I have found all of your info invaluable!
As far as dealing with the “natural” side of things; either you are committed to dealing with things or not. I’m no tree hugger, but if we can use less crystal spring water to flush toilets, stop the amount of chemicals being dumped in city reservoirs, and get back to a more organic way of life, that can only be a good thing! Blessings!
Jason Wynn
Sandra we’re on the same plane…if we can enhance our lives and help out mother nature at the same time then we call it a win-win!
Scarecrow
I have now read two thorough and great articles on composting toilets (well, also watched the videos), and I think they’re a great idea. I am brand new at this RV thing, so I’m investigating all the ins and outs before I jump in. But one question came to mind: Instead of combining the black tank with the grey, let’s assume you switched to a composting toilet BEFORE the black was ever used. Don’t laugh, but can the black then be used as an additional freshwater tank? Or is that silly thinking (possibly because I don’t know enough about how things work on an RV).
Jason Wynn
In theory it should work just fine with a brand new RV. My only question would be to the mfr asking what type of plastic is the freshwater tank made out of vs. the black water tank. There may be extra chemicals in the black tank since they are assuming you won’t be drinking out of it.
All that said it may also be very difficult to plumb the black water to connect with the fresh water, so it may very well be a moot point.
Please let us know what you find out, and good luck!
Chantel
Slightly awkward question, but is it at all difficult to ‘aim’ or keep liquids and solids separate?
Dinah
Ignore the haters! I love every single video you’ve ever posted and am SO thankful to learn through your research, successes, and (sometimes humorous) struggles. Keep it real. You are loved.
Nikki Wynn
Thanks for the love and support!!!
55goddess
Love your enthusiasm! Keep up the good work… You are helping to change the world. We have a tiny vintage trailer with no toilet. We have been using “Pee containers” that we empty into toilets at rest stops and Luggable-Loo bag system for #2. Our system works but it is preserving #2 in plastic for all eternity. We will be adapting our trailer to get a Natures Head after seeing all your videos.
Karen
OK I get that it takes 3 to 12 months to compost. With that said, you just deposited no. 2, you turn the handle and you realize it’s time to dump. How can it be ok to add this fresh deposit to a garden albeit non-edible? If you wanted this as a viable solution to a conventional water toilet on a property, would you have to compost and turn it further for 3 to 12 months before you can safely spread it?
Lauri L
Let them hate all they want! I just installed my Nature’s Head composting toilet today and have watched each of these videos multiple times. I can not tell you how helpful they are as a reference. Thank you SO much!!
Adrienne
Thank you for these informative videos and for sharing your experience. When I decide to buy a home (however I end up defining what home is for me), I’d like for it to be friendly to the environment with as small a footprint as I can manage. Keep the videos coming!
Adrienne
Kevin
Thank you for your great videos, I find your blogs helpful. my question is I’m only a part-time camper only going out 2 to 3 days a month sometimes up to 60 days between outings are there any issues with the composting toilet sitting unused for longer periods of time between uses .
Babs
Thanks for this very informative information. I have been researching all things RVing for only about a month now…hoping to buy a Class C within the next 1 – 2 years for full-time living. I absolutely love your blogging site and all your information videos. And as for all the “haters”.. if they don’t like the information, nobody is forcing them to watch and/or read about composting. If you can’t say anything nice…don’t say anything at all. Thanks!
Kathi
I just talked to Larry and our composting toilet is on the way! We pick up our RV Wednesday and will install it that night. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. All your posts with such clear information were very beneficial in making this choice. Larry was terrific and offered to walk us through and answer questions as needed, weekends included.
Nikki Wynn
That’s great, congrats! Larry is the nicest guy and I am glad to hear he was as helpful to you in the process as he was for us.
Andre C
I’ve read some people say the fan is a little noisy, specially when all is quiet while sleeping. Some have replaced the fan with a bigger computer fan, placed at the end of the hose, that turns slower and is quieter. Do you find it noisy?
Thanks
Jason Wynn
If there is any ambient noise at all I cannot hear the fan even when I’m standing in the bathroom, so no, for us the fan cannot be heard in the bedroom.
Toby
Great info, thank you for sharing it. I do have one question.
Since the toilet is vented and air flowing from outside all the time… When it is cold out.. Like in the 40’s it is not cold to set on it with the door open? I would think this to be very uncomfortable. Please share your thoughts.
Nikki Wynn
The vent running outside is not bringing air in, it is taking it out of the toilet to keep everything dry.
Betty
Thank you for all the great information! I’m shopping for an RV, but with the water crisis in California, I might buy the composting toilet first, use it at home, and then install it in the RV when we get one!
Jason Wynn
Not a bad idea Betty, we truly feel the composting toilet is a great addition for a home since you can actually have a composting bin to place it in.
Mellie Smith
I want to thank you for your excellent and enjoyable videos. My husband and I lived in a fifth-wheel for two years (parked in a trailer park) a while back. We only moved it once each year for four days (legal requirement because it was an RV), so we were hooked up to the sewer all the time. But I hated dealing with the chemicals and flushing the black water tank and the icky hose…YUK!
We’re buying an old motor home right now and plan to spend the rest of our lives on a “circuit” between our kids and other relatives and friends (the harvest of a life full of love!) and one of the first things we’re going to do is replace the toilet with a composter like yours.
I really appreciate your videos (all of them, not just the potty ones) and got several belly laughs out of the What Not to Do one! God bless you on your travels and in your business.
Jason Wynn
We wish you safe and fulfilled travels! Have a blast out there, and yes the composting toilet is way better than dumping the black tank (at least we think it is).
Sondra
LOVE these articles and videos! You two have gotten me super excited about full timing. Thank you for sharing your passions with us and hope to meet you so eBay soon.
mickey
loo fan draw – watts?
a watt is equal to burning one wooden kitchen match.
That is what i was told by bob marley;s sound man.
mickey
what is the energy draw of the fan?
Jason Wynn
We touch on that subject in one of the posts, can’t remember which one, but the power draw is minute. I think it might be listed on the Nature’s Head website too.
Billy
Awesome info guys! We are about 6 months out from full-timing and though I am not sure if we will do this before we hit the road it is definitely a mod I hope to make eventually so I really appreciate all the time you have put into the videos and blog posts on it.
Jason Wynn
I wouldn’t say that installing a composting toilet is something you should rush into as a new RVer, take your time and learn everything else first 🙂
Dillon
I give a sh*t about your sh*t composting toilet. I think its cool.
Jason Wynn
Thanks Dillon 🙂
Sandy
We love your composting information and videos! My husband has been very excited about us going full time next year just knowing he won’t have to deal with black water!! In fact we love ALL your informative and entertaining videos!! You both have been a great help as we prepare for our own wild camping adventures ahead!! Thank you!
Jason Wynn
Thanks Sandy, glad our “tech” videos help you plan!
Bobbi Tidwell
Good advice. I didn’t know about using the vinegar. I’ll try that next time.
Dianne Worthington
What happened to my comment? I posted a question yesterday about how the solar panels are doing now that you’ve had them for a while. Any less efficient, cupping or other problems?
Jason Wynn
You’re question was moved to the article it was in relation to: https://www.gonewiththewynns.com/flexible-solar-panels-rv
Don
It looks like a tight fit to remove the base for emptying.
We’re in a fifth wheel and to lift the base up, back out of the door into a narrow hall and down three steps to the doorway steps makes me nervous about titling to much or spilling the contents.
Your motorhome looks like more of an open path from the bathroom to the outdoors.
Maybe once I see a toilet at an RV show I’ll think differently, but so far I haven’t actually seen one up close and personal. -:)
Glad it’s working so well for you, it should make a huge difference in water usage and boondocking.
Jason Wynn
The mfr has detailed dimensions on their site, but yes, you have to carry the base (not the top) out of the bathroom to dump the contents.
Wil
The NaturesHead web site shows an extra base, with a LID for sale. Like you, our fifth wheel has a small head room and hallway to three stairs, then out the door and down three more steps to the outside. If it were me, I’d invest in that spare tank setup and just use the lid on the full tank, so even a minor kerfluffle is unlikely to make much mess. During a prolonged period of stuck gate valve, I was hauling full 5 gallon buckets of pee out to be emptied. The NaturesHead looks like it wouldn’t be anywhere near as difficult (or heavy) to cope with.
Jason Wynn
Wil, you are correct.
The base, even when full, is easily manageable in both weight and size. Our hallway is only 22″ wide and we can get the base out no problem…now it gets a little more tricky trying to get the entire toilet out, but that’s why we leave the top part in the bathroom.
Karen
Well, haters gonna hate, right? And the inter webs is a golden opportunity for passive-aggressives to vent their spleen anonymously. Nice that you can delete comments at will.
Still, can’t believe anyone would get into a hissy over your very interesting series on the composting toilet. I had only rarely heard about such things, mostly in articles about off-grid sticks and bricks, so am grateful to have heard about the possibility in rvs. Definitely a potential in ours! The idea of having a double-sized grey tank is wonderful! Carry an extra bladder of water in the truck bed for more days of “wild camping”, and have enough holding space to deal with it 🙂
Jason Wynn
Fooey to the haters…glad you found our toilet interesting.
Joe
Thanks for continuing to post great information….
In the investigative stage of getting our “full time” rv and definitely learning a lot from your site before we buy and head out on the road.. I’ve not only learned about the benefits of this toilet but also about the inverter as well..
Hope to see you two in Pomona at the upcoming RV show next week.. My wife and I will look for you two !!
Once again, thanks !!
Joe
Jason Wynn
Thanks Joe,
We’ll see you at the CA RV show!
elizabeth ferguson
Opps. I am taking your greatness at videos for granted. Kudos on another great video. Really good info and entertaining, too. Thank you.
elizabeth ferguson
Question for David Lee: How will you convert your black tank to fresh water? BTW, Jason has a video on an easy way to convert to grey water.
Question for Jason or Nikki: On the Natures Head website they suggested just dumping the soild waste into a plastic bag – will it continue to compost in the plastic bag as much as in the extra bin?
Jason Wynn
The extra bin is more sturdy and a better solution for someone who want to compost further (i.e. it’s not going to get a hole poked in the side of it).
As for the freshwater tank it can be done, but its not as simple as the grey tank option.
John & Jane Timmons
We first encountered composting toilets last year at Strictly Sail Chicago. What a great solution to a huge problem. Thanks for your information and encouragement. We’re about 18 months away from moving full time onto a sailboat. A composting toilet is one of the first upgrades we’ll be making to our new boat/home. Don’t sweat the ugly comments. These are people that likely have no idea what they’re talking about, anyway. Obviously they need some instruction in manners. Keep up the good work.
Jason Wynn
Enjoy the water, we’ll be shortly behind you in our own search for a future floating home.
scott
I’m sorry you’ve received “hate mail” over the topics you choose to write about.
I value your content and believe you help and inspire so many folks to “retire now and travel” or “hurry up and find a way to retire soon.” You’ve provided the public with inspirational and quality travel content.
We can all turn the channel if we don’t like the programming. And since we aren’t paying for your content, you certainly have the right to program as you see fit. While I’m not interested in any more compost toilet content at all – I haven’t forgotten how impressed I am with your mission and methods of reporting on your personal experiences.
We personally travel in an Airstream Interstate and have enjoyed landing occasionally at some of your reported destinations. Off to Bend Oregon tomorrow and back to Jackson Hole Tuesday. Looking forward to catching one of your next videos.
Best, Scott
Jason Wynn
Scott,
Thanks for the kind words and have a blast in Bend. If you make it to Crux Fermentation Project make sure you take a photo for us 🙂
Jeff Engle
Thanks Wynns! These are great posts and videos. The composting toilet solution is on our short list. You guys are also on our short list of folks who provide us with insight on full-timing and inspiration to do it. We just purchased our RV last month and will be full-timers in less than 2 years. Solar, LED lights, composting toilet and storage ideas are among the many technical posts that are influencing our decisions on how to fix up our RV. More than that the adventure of it all is simply awesome.
Thanks!
Jengle
Jason Wynn
Thanks Jeff,
Keep it between the lines and have fun out there on the road.
David Lee
Hey, you two!
You sure won’t get any “hate mail” from me over your composting toilet! I love it, and I’m so glad you’ve shared your experiences with it with us. When my wife and I go full time, the first thing I’ll do is get rid of the toilet and convert the black tank to a fresh water one. What better way to increase the availability of water for boondocking for extended periods of time. Keep doing what you do.
Jason Wynn
Thanks David, when you make that conversion of the black tank into a fresh thank let us know how it goes.
Wil
Short of a professional re-lining the tank, the repurposing of a black waste, ABS plastic tank to a fresh water reservoir is a dubious venture at best and likely to result in contamination of any water you might store there. On the other hand, repurposing to expand your gray water capacity is well within the realm of possibility, offers no significant hazard to you, your family nor the public and is easily achieved with some minor replumbing. You might want to rethink your earlier remark, eh?
Jason Wynn
Yes, I would recommend speaking to a professional (and your MFR) about creating a new/extra fresh water tank before doing any sort of mod like this.
JERRY CUMMINS
What type of coffee do you folks drink?
Jason Wynn
Our dream cup tastes like blueberries or on the other end of the coffee spectrum we can always go for deep notes of Bourbon-Caramel. We typically support small craft roasters such as the Wandering Goat in Eugene, OR or Iconik in Sante Fe, NM. We have a deep love for coffee and that’s one thing we look for in our travels. yum!
Stephanie
Wynns!!! (forgot to correct ” :))
Stephanie
Dear Wynn’s,
This last post was laugh out loud funny!!!! I personally look forward to the toilet updates 🙂 Please, doodoo not let these “Potty Mouths” influence what you post, these little Hershey squirts ( ha ha!) don’t deserve to be acknowledged!!!!
Baby diapers & a plethora of other things are more of a scourge to the planet than composted poop!
Thanks for the belly laugh!
Jason Wynn
Stephanie,
You’re fully LOADED with innuendos 🙂
Rick K
Thank you for your continuing series on this subject, It has been really helpful in my decision to install one in our fifth wheel when we finally upgrade in a couple of years. I was thinking of trying to get the urine into the black tank as you mentioned (glad it seems possible). I was also thinking of trying to get the vent into the black tank as well, It seems like I would already have the existing hole into the black tank – and with the fan it would keep positive pressure so odors would not be a problem? The black tank is already vented so it seems like a good way to vent without new holes running out of the camper. anyone reading this have experience or thoughts on venting the composing toilet into the black tank?
Jason Wynn
Rick,
Great idea on venting through the black tank, not sure why it wouldn’t work but we’ll see if anyone chimes in.
David Prassel
Thanks for posting. You guys talked us into getting a composting toilet via one of your earlier videos and it gets installed next week.
Small fan request: Probably a supremely gross video… but if you could show your strategy for emptying the unit it would be most appreciated.
Jason Wynn
To empty it’s simple: just put the bag on top and dump. Really anti-climatic. You’ll see once you have the toilet (BTW you can practice with an empty base if you feel the need).
Geeky Nomads
I can’t believe people would hate on you like that. That’s absurd! It’s your blog and from where I am standing the composting toilet makes much more sense than the whole black tank thing. I’m a little scared to try it but I can perfectly well understand why you would feel inclined to spread the word.
Sadly one thing I have learned the hard way over the years is that nobody wants advice, especially those who need it most. Some people just like to do things their way, right or wrong. And they especially like to complain about those poor choices to others 😉 My desire to help is what got me into trouble with Technomadia… It was late and I typed something up that got misinterpreted in the biggest possible (but understandable looking back on it) way and bam, instant hatred and fury directed my way.
But I guess nothing else to do but roll with it. I really appreciate the work and posts you’ve done. You guys actually seem like you have genuinely more fun RVing than anyone else. Especially us. When things go wrong, we have a lot of trouble taking it lightly. And things always go wrong. We’ll be in Napa next week and Half Moon Bay SP later on if you’re tremendously bored and want to hang out with another 30 something fulltimer couple. Fair warning, our toddler is nuts, but that’s par for the course.
Jason Wynn
Hey guys,
We’re in Bakersfield, CA now so a meet-up will have to wait 🙁 If you’re heading south we’ll be in the LA area for most of Oct.
Thanks for sharing your stories of misfortune.