If you’re an RVer, chances are that you’ve heard of an RV composting toilet.
But what exactly is it, and what is the big deal, anyway?
Today we are going over what these toilets are, the advantages over a regular RV toilet, and what types of RVers would benefit the most from having one.
What Is a Composting Toilet?
A composting toilet is dry toilet – meaning it doesn’t use water – that break down waste into compost.
Composting toilets separate liquids and solids to help the composting process and to also eliminate sewage odors.
They are popular toilet choices for RVs, boats, and tiny houses. The reason these toilets are so popular is because they don’t require plumbing, there are more options for dumping them, and they don’t smell like sewage.
What Are The Advantages?
There are many advantages to using an RV composting toilet over a traditional RV toilet and black tank setup.
1. You Don’t Have to Break Camp To Empty Your Toilet
One of the best things about an RV composting toilet is that you don’t have to break camp to empty your toilet.
Since your liquids and solids are in separate containers, you don’t have to empty them at the same time.
The liquids container on a composting toilet will need emptied far more often than the solids tank. This container is portable and can be emptied in a public toilet, an RV dump station, and more.
The solids container is dumped into a trash bag when it’s full and can be disposed of anywhere you dispose of garbage. Solid waste coming from a composting toilet does not harbor harmful bacteria, nor does it have an offensive odor.
2. They Conserve Water Usage
Composting toilets don’t require any water to function… at all!
You will want to use a small spray bottle with a mixture of vinegar and water for cleaning the bowl. But, other than that, this toilet is waterless.
This means you will use less fresh water – which is especially great for boondocking. And, you can easily convert your black tank into additional gray water storage… Meaning you can boondock for longer without dumping!
3. They Are Environmentally Friendly
Not only are these toilets environmentally friendly in how much water you save… You also don’t need any chemicals for them.
Just think about all the chemicals that are going into septic and sewer systems all over the world. There are so many chemicals on the market today to help break down the waste in your black tank, and help keep offensive odors at bay.
With a composting toilet, these chemicals are not only unnecessary – they could actually ruin the whole composting process.
An RV composting toilet never has an offensive sewage odor. This type of toilet works with a natural biological process using bacteria to break down waste. That’s about as environmentally friendly as you can get!
What Type of RVer Would Get the Most Use Out of a Composting Toilet?
Any RVer could find use and benefit for a composting toilet, but here’s who it would benefit the most:
Small RV Owners (With Small Black Tanks)
Small RVs like pop-ups, fiberglass campers, hybrids, teardrops, etc. would benefit greatly from switching to a composting toilet. This is mainly because the black tanks in these RVs are tiny!
Imagine going from having to break camp constantly to dump your tanks… to having the peace of mind that all you have to do is carry your waste to the nearest toilet or dumpster.
Avid Boondockers
By and large, avid boondockers (or aspiring boondockers) get maximum benefit out of a composting toilet.
The ability to expand your gray water capacity and save more of your fresh water is a life-saver when you’re dry camping!
There are many boondockers who still use regular RV toilets, but composting toilets totally change the boondocking game.
How Much Are Composting Toilets?
If you buy a composting toilet new, you will be paying upwards of $900.
Two of the most popular composting toilet brand for RVers are Nature’s Head and Air Head. A Nature’s Head toilet will cost you around $950 for the base model without accessories. An Air Head toilet will cost you just over $1,000 for the standard options.
This may seem pricey for a toilet, but the benefits might be worth it!
Can I Make My Own Composting Toilet?
If you are having a hard time wrapping your head (or your wallet) around a $900+ price tag, you can make your own composting toilet.
There are many different DIY versions of composting toilets that you can find online. You can make your DIY toilet as simple or fancy as you want. Depending on what you choose, you can expect to pay as little as $20 for your setup, up to a couple hundred dollars.
Keep in mind that in order for your composting toilet to work properly, you need to ensure two main things.
The first thing is to be sure that you keep the liquids and solids separate. The second is to be sure that you have adequate ventilation for the composting process.
As RVers, we are already used to getting up close and personal with our own waste. So while a composting toilet may seem too crazy for some people, for RVers it’s just not that big of a deal!
RV composting toilets are environmentally friendly, they save water, and they save you time and hassle. Just being able to boondock longer makes these toilets totally worth it!
A Popular Composting Option
One of the most popular options in both the RV and marine space for a composting toilet is the OGO Compost Toilet. With its power agitation, patented urine diversion technology, built-in liquid Sensor and other available options, the OGO compost toilet is easy to use and easy to clean. No black tank is needed, has no odor, and chemical free.
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