Composting toilet - pros and cons

[Cptnvideo]

Considering changing to a composting toilet (we boondock about 70% of the time).
I would like to hear the pros and cons from those that either have one or have done some research.

[LessiePMcCord]

Hello! I like using the composting toilets. They are more ecological, and if you use the proper toilets and chemicals, you will never smell anything. When I was looking for a good toilet, I found a great article https://best-composting-toilet.com/. I bought the Thetford Aqua-Magic V Toilet, but if you’re shorter but still heavy, maybe you will want to get the low-profile version of the toilet. If any of you decide to buy this model let me know. I know a great place where you can buy this model at a low price.

[valhalla360]

We had one on the boat for several years.

For more typical RV use (ie: limited boondocking of a few days or less), tanks are much simpler and easier to use.

If you will be boondocking where you can't drain the tank for longer periods, they can be advantageous but usually, you will run out of fresh water about the same time as the traditional tank systems fill up.

Probably the biggest issue is what to do with the urine tank. It needs to be emptied every 2-3 days (assuming 2 people). If you are camping where there are toilet facilities, it's viable as you can pour the liquid in the toilet. Just dumping it on the ground is likely to get you some nasty comments if you are caught.

Odor is one of the biggest reasons to get one (though not so much of an advantage in an RV...boats are notorious for smelly heads but the plumbing is much different). If there is odor, you are doing something seriously wrong. They are pretty simple to use correctly. No you don't want liquids in the solids tank but they are designed to separate.
- As mentioned, liquid tank is emptied every 2-3 days.
- Solids we were good for around a month. Usually, it would be bagged and put in a dumpster (no worse than baby diapers...actually less offensive). Assuming you can let it compost for a couple days, looks and smells like rich earth when emptying. If you can let it fully compost (a couple months), it's great for the flower beds.

[phillyg]

Don't have one, but my research told me to get the type with the small fan, urine seperator, and manual mixer thingie.

[theoldwizard1]

From my research, the biggest down side is making sure to keep the urine and feces separated. The urine will smell very quickly. Much quicker than the feces.

Urine needs to be emptied often (daily ?) While feces covered with a dry compost can go several days, maybe a week.

If possible, the unit should be stored in a semi-sealed compartment. A small fan blowing up through a pipe and out the roof helps a lot with smell.

Chemical camp/cassette toilets are another alternative. They require some water and need to be emptied more often the true compost toilets. These can be emptied into a standard toilet.

I will never own another RV with a black water tank.