I never thought I'd watch a review of portable toilets, or moreover, be entertained by it, but you hit the mark! Even more, you managed to do it by being explicit without being gross or vulgar, and that's some trick. Seriously, congrats!
I can’t justify spending hundreds on a throne. I use the $20 lid, a bucket, and a pee jug. The way I use it, I place a handful of loose trash bags in the bottom, (ready for the next job), pull one out, drape over the seat and partially down the outside of the bucket. This forms an ass gasket, I sit on the bag, no seat cleanup. You can add a handful of kitty litter or sawdust for a female. Just tie a knot to seal the bag and toss in the trash. I’ve also found using wet wipes makes for a cleaner more efficient and less waste, mainly when on the road and not showering as much.
When i bought property and before i bought the trailer with no power or well, the five gallon pail with the red tie string white Glad bags and the pee jug which is basically an empty big blue laundry liquid soap container... were my go to... I tried the litter thing, even clumping, but if you drink water, you dont drop logs, more like cow than horse stuff, so the litter thing was dusty and heavy and non environmental. Oh, I do not put tissue into the waste bag anymore. I just use a small flip up lid waste basket for tissue and tampons, napkins. I find a single person can go two weeks on a five gallon waste only pail. The four liter/one gallon pee jug gets filled maybe three four days. I found that Walmart sells toilet lids that fit and stay on top of a five gallon pail. When in store, just grab a pail then head to the normal bathroom toilet seats and pick the one that sits steady on the pail. Pick up a box of Glad red tie string strong garbage bags NOT the tie and toss because they do not fit the five gallon pail. I actually graduated to a strong plastic grey garbage container which I also found at Walmart but I dont know if they still sell them, I bought five and still use three for cans and burnables. The poop can get heavy if you wait until full, so after a week, say every friday or sunday, I carry the poop bucket which has no tissue or any other waste in it out behind the shed and pour it out, bag and all in the trees. It is gone within a couple of weeks with the rain, bugs, flies and varmits and sun drying, and feeds the ecosystem just like deer and cattle and wild animals do. The tissue and the pastic liner go into the incinerator, yes i pick up the bag by bottom corner and drain it then it goes to my burn barrel... that was phase one. I keep that bucket in the shop so I dont have to run to house with muddy or dirty boots and go inside. My phase two was a sea can with power cords, no septic tank or well yet, but it was secure from thieves. I bought a twenty five gallon water tank, set it on a sturdy shelf, and have a tap on the bottom right beside my macerator toilet. My macerator is an electric chew up pump toilet that was just over a grand I found on Wayfair, and came up from California to Canada. And that was a grand Canadian dollars, probably only seven fifty US dollars. You can watch macerator toilet videos on TH-cam, you dont need to drill any holes in floor, only for vent and the outlet for the waste being pumped out into your septic or holding tank... So that it me from the crazy city to the tiny home on the farm, love having my dogs and the stars and the sasquatch, fox and sparrows around, not the addicts and porch pirates and car breakins I had in the city. I have a few videos on my channel, no not monetized, just eyes in the trees watching me if you find you get yelled at by deep lung hairy giants from the trees if you go on their side of the farm... Dad passed away, and wow, they came with the farm along with a couple other cryptids... But love the stars and my God and please vote Trump and Pollievre to save our Christian country from the New Jesuit Roman World Order.
I have a incinolet in my cottage. It is all stainless steel. Has a heating element similar to an electric stove that incinerated the poop and pee down to ash. The ash is then basically sterile ash. Just requires a paper liner placed in the bowl that drops in the burn chamber when you step on a dump pedal. Mine runs on 220 volts but they have the same unit that runs on 110 volts. Requires an exhaust pipe that incredibly stays cool to the touch. I use a heater hose that you would use on a clothes dryer. We use this for weeks before emptying the ash. Ash can be dumped anywhere as it ends up looking like burnt paper and is not toxic. If you are living in the truck this is the way to go.
I was just about to mention the "incinolet" incinerator toilet. You can also drop any urine into the burn pan below, and wait to run a burn cycle when you go #2. This gets the burn cycles down to about 2 cycles per day, for two people. The total energy usage (in Texas) comes out to about $15 a month if you use it full time with two people. This rivals the low cost use of the Nature's head toilet, except you don't have to carry your whole toilet outside to empty it. Just a tiny ash pan that you can literally dump out the window in your bathroom if you wanted to. No worrying about pink eye, diseases, bacteria, etc. Also Incinolet has been in business almost 80 years, and most people who have them in their homes and use them daily for the whole family say it's maintenance free for about 7 to 8 years.
I have the incinolet. I love that emptying it is mostly just ashes and doesn't have to be done too often. It's perfect for my tiny house but the power requirements are too heavy for a Van I think. A con is how it's really tall. There it's also a smell if you dont vent it well.
I see the more "sophisticated" they get, the more complicated it becomes 😂 I like the old saying KISS (keep it simple stupid) but that's just me. Great review!! Cheers!
Good video. I think we're only ones who installed a regular flushing RV toilet and black tank in our van, which is probably why no one ever mentions this option. (And I mean never. I'm talking 3+ years of watching van-build videos.) Would we do it again? ..... Yes times 10. Absolutely no question. Pros: 1. It works perfectly. 2. It's entirely doable to install and is the closest thing to a regular toilet at home. 3. No odors. 4. Cheaper than a Nature's Head. 5. The TP gets flushed instead of disposing in a separate container. 6. No buying/bringing bags of peat moss, etc. 7. No lugging the pee jug into a public bathroom. 8. No seeing *anything* ever again after flushing. Cons: 1. Dump stations (easy to find) about once a week using our toilet full time (two people) .... less frequently if we use other bathrooms when convenient. Most people install gray tanks so (hopefully) they're using dump stations also. Plus it's a good time to refill our fresh water. 2. It uses a little of our fresh water supply .... but we have plenty.
@@nancylove7911 Hello. We designed and built it ourselves. The fresh water tank (30 gallons) is inside the van on the passenger side, in the base of the kitchen cabinet. The gray tank (18 gallons) is under the van, behind the driver seat. The black tank (14 gallons) is inside, midway back on the driver side, directly under the toilet in the “bathroom”. The toilet is the short version because of the height of the black tank beneath it. The black and gray tanks both drain out the same pipe when dumping, like all RVs do.
I concur!!! I have one thing to ask about the separate toilet. Does or does it not have a way to connect the liquid to a grey water tank? Thanks for the great video Ben❤
I have a Luggable Loo. The lid seals well and if you use the proper cover material, it does not stink. I use pine pellets which turn to sawdust when wet. Just be sure to put some in the corners of the bag before you put it in the bucket. When I used pine pet bedding, the liquid collected in the corners, even with kitty litter in the bottom. The Luggable Loo is the cheapest camp toilet (other than a bucket with a pool noodle around the top) and tall enough for arthritic knees. It was great when my house pipes froze and I couldn't use my flush toilet. Jon in rural BC, Canada
The last one, the Separett, since it's contents are meant to be disposed of in a trash bin, the user could use large, biodegradable coffee filers as liners before each 'sit down' use so that there are no 'skid marks' to clean up.
an old nurse's trick for bedans is to put toilet paper on the bottom before use, this would also work for this pupose, cheaper than coffee filters maybe?
The catcher's mitt? RTM Australia have them for the toilets on boats. I fashioned some from brown paper lunch bags. They clamp in the ring inside the toilet seat of the folding frame style camp toilet. Just add absorber of choice. Do your doo. Remove used bag from seat. Twist like you would a bag of lollies. Place in plastic bag below seat to store till the next rubbish run. Reset catcher's mitt for next sitting. I am an ostomate now so my poo process has changed so I am looking for something clean, easy and efficient. All good I have my thinking cap on.
I have an antique portable shitter. It’s a tin bucket inside of a wooden box with a hole in the top and a little door on the side for removing the bucket. More of a night time emergency toilet for places without plumbing, not used for van life, but it’s funny to see how the concept has evolved.
So the best is a 5 gallon bucket with a urine diverter set into a built in lined box. We used that method in our cabin, instead of expensive coconut core we used saw dust, 23 pounds untreated from Rural King for 4$. Also a sprinkle of Sweet PDZ Stall refresher after a number 2, from tractor supply 25 pounds for 12$. They last for a very very long time and are environmentally friendly.. The solids can be composted down and used around trees or just buried.
Thank you for writing this. This guy seems misinformed at best. So many vids and resources available showing composting toilets do produce useable compost, as long as urine is separated.
As a “just the facts” kinda of guy, your transparent and valid language had me smiling and laughing. The information you shared helped me a great deal as I am about to start my first conversion build. Thank you!!!
I travel in a cargo van. For #2, I use a Lugable Loo and a five-gallon bucket. I put a piece of wood in the bottom of the five gallon bucket to raise a 2 1/2 gallon bucket higher, and then line that with a medium trash bag. I can then tie the #2 off by wrapping it and tying it two or three times to make it safer in the garbage. I use a large plastic coffee can for pee. If I get them mixed, I throw in something to soak up the pee. This works fine for me. Problem is that if I want to stop at a campground for a shower and laundry, I sometimes get turned down because I don't have a blackwater tank. I was thinking of getting some kind of toilet with a tank so I could have more flexibility in where I can stay. Thanks for the information you shared. It helped me clarify what I need to get.
If you use pee powder in the Laveo Dry Toilet, you don't flush (cycle cassette foil bag) every pee, depending on your volume. The powder turns the pee into a deodorized gel. That way, the disposal cassette lasts 3X longer. For me, on a boat, I can get an entire season out of 1 or 2 foil cassettes using the boat mainly on weekends. That is cheaper than buying head chemicals, special toilet paper, pumping out, and winterizing a standard marine head system.
Great vid. The more I think about it, the more I think just using a flushing toilet with a blackwater holding then empty it at a station. All of these requires emptying so might as well make it easy and comfortable
We have a Separett tiny toilet have been using in our caravan for over 18 months, 3 adults, it's fantastic. No issues with parts, Easy to use and clean. Easy to install also.
Really informative and important video - Thank you!!! You guys are the best! You installed the Nature's Head composting toilet in our Basecamper and we absolutely LOVE it! No smell at all and one of the best parts for us is not adding to sewage, septic tank, or landfill, while at the same time recycling the nutrients for the soil. As experienced composters, we've found that with the addition of the coco peat, the turning, and the fan (as well as all the microbes we add via the poop ;), the solids start composting within the toilet (with the right moisture levels). We don't live in the van full-time and are able to empty the solids tank into 2 special compost piles in our garden. We'll use the finished compost after a year of active composting (as recommended). Agree that it is a bit of a pain to lift the seat to pull out the urine container and to empty the solids, but well worth the effort!
We have the separett tiny and it is an awesome toilet, apart from having to empty it, the whole family likes it better than the toilets at home.. absolutely zero smell, especially not even during pooping which is nice because you never need to run the bathroom fan. It is also very clean and painless to empty, you open it, put the poop bucket lid on and take it outside to get the bag out later, where smell doesn't matter.
My Natures Head's solids tank can hold 8-10 weeks of solids. I'm 250lbs so I'm not making small deposits and I often use it exclusively in my full time tiny home conversion. Good content, TY.
Great review. We use the porta potty but we have a separate paper basket. That makes pouring out the toilet very easy especially if you travel outside the US where toilet paper mucks the sewage systems up.
I think what a lot of people don't understand is once the solid waste is properly composted it can be used as fertilizer. If mixed with the liquid waste is when the composting process goes bad. When a biodegradable garbage bag is used the whole thing can be tossed in the trash or buried beneath a tree in the desert. If you are a conscientious composter you are not harming the enviornment.
I lived with humanure compost for years. The only thing that matters is your nitrogen to carbon ratio. If you add more fluid, #1, urine, whatever euphemism you prefer, you just need to add more carbon to soak it up. Because nitrogen is a hot compost, it burns out pathogens relatively quickly. We would compost it outside for a year, but it was safe after a few months.
Thank you so much for this information as I always wondered about these portable toilets . Everyone should have one incase of disaster ,water/sewer pipes issues ,or construction a cabin in the middle of nowhere.
The only comment I have for the separating toilet. Yes they are great. But, not if are a family with kids. From experience some are too high for kids to sit on with their feet touching the floor. Thus the poop does not always go down the poop shoot.
A couple of things that didn't seem explained: "Composting Medium" I believe each composting toilet needs a medium. Is any type of medium better than any other type? Is any medium better for the design of any particular toilet? Usage: "Number of days" is a useless measure unless you define what each day includes. "Number of uses" is much more accurate. Toilet X will handle about 5 pees and poops. "Mounting" How do the mount to the floor and do they need any other type of connection (electrical)? Nature's Head you can see how it mounts to the floor with those L brackets, but I believe it also needs a 12v connection as well as incoming & outgoing air? Sorry to pick on your video, but I thought these things were very important.
Well, there's the emergency toilet that you didn't mention: a bucket, a bag and an adult diaper. Put the bag in the bucket, turn the diaper inside out, do the necessary, pull the bag out, tie it off and toss it in the garbage. I am amazed that I had no smell to deal with. Or maybe I've been right all along and mine don't stink!😉😄😂😄😂😉
It does work for pooh. At least my pooh. But you need to knot the bag and pull it out immediately and dispose of it. You don't keep the open bag laying around. So it's one use and toss.
Anything that removes the 'ick'/'smell' factor, I am all for. Laveo for emergencies for me w/ urine bottle system (that's my separator - just rinse and dump). Maintain 5 cassettes (Amazon Lockers are a blessing).
I use an OGO toilet as my full time toilet in a cabinet, on a slide, in my van. It's a separation kind that is vented out the back. It has a very small footprint. It's got a mechanical mixer at the push of a button. I've been using coconut coir. All emptying/changing happens through the front. The urine container is quite large. The mixing button will turn red if the urine container is getting full. I've never even come close to full, but that's good to know. The price tag is in line with the other separator type toilets, but it was one of my non-negotiables with the build.
Very informative. Thank you. We have the dry flush in our van and yes it is a bit pricey, especially for the bags. We aim using it for #2 emergency. One of the drawbacks is that we used our van part time only. This means we wasted more unused bags for putting the van away for the winter. Overall, we like the dry flush concept.
We have had the Separate as our main toilet on out boat for a year. We are full-time live aboard. So far no real problems. I haven't had any of the other brands but I would buy it again if we change boats.
This was such a helpful video thank you. I was deciding between the separate and the sea head I would likely be using it full-time. I would not have known that I would have to change the solids every two or three days with the sea head
He did say that it takes time and it is not in the toilet long enough. Just like a compost pile for the garden, you keep adding to it and then let it set to breakdown while starting a new compost pile. I have one on the farm and use it most of the time. But it is at a permanent location.
I had a C-Head in my boat. It worked well. They must have changed the pee container as it used to be a standard 1 gal jug that you could replace easily when it wasn't worth cleaning any more.
Another option that might be good is the Wrappon PF-1 Toilet System. I think if you just use it for emergency poos the fact that it folds up small would be a good thing also. The price is under $600 I think.
I use the bucket with a toilet seat cover, In addition I keep pine nuggets in the bag which eliminates odor and will absorb the liquid, number two is separately bagged up and taken to the trash, the same as you do your dog poop. My camper van came with the cassette toilet, and I really found it a nuisance to keep clean and dispose of its waste. I live in my camper-van a continuous three months of the year, in addition to side trips, and have found this the most economical convenient way to go. (All puns intended😂)
Very nice video, great comparisons of models. I have a 5 gallon bucket with a lid, not ideal. One of these would make a great emergency, or run out of water, toilet.
I"m thinking a 24"-30" wide bench that lifts up and exposes an elongated toilet seat with a 5 gallon bucket with liner and a urine diverter. Lift up the cover and there's a bin of wood shavings/coconut fibers/peat moss etc next to the bucket to place over your poop so no need to stir anything and a recycled windshield washer fluid bottle (sturdy) to hold the urine with another 2 bottles stored along the side opposite of the poop medium. A low voltage fan to exhaust the entire compartment to the outside. You've got 3 gallons of urine storage along with a "sight glass" if you cut a slot in front of the urine bottles that's in use and when you go #2 you just drop a scoop of medium on top and since it's vented it quickly dries out. To empty life both covers, pop the bucket lid on top and walk it out to either dump in a pit toilet at a way station or close the bucket liner and toss the a dumpster. The urine bottles can be easily emptied in a pit or regular toilet or even a dump station if you can find a free one. No moving parts other than the fan, no cranks or expensive proprietary containers to mess with. Simple, inexpensive and flexible.
Well done video. I have the Air Head toilet. It is similar to nature’s head, but much easier to use and clean. I have found that it is too heavy when it is full as I am a 70 year old woman. 🤷🏻♀️
The Airhead is so much better than the Nature’s Head. I used it for a year and a half. You don’t have to open up the poop part to take out the pee bucket and it feels very much like a residential toilet.
Recently took a nation wide roadtrip across the lower 48 and took a 5gal bucket 🪣 with some pipe insulation for the seat... it worked great for the 2 times we had to use it ... always remember to double bag it 😎
A couple of these are outrageously priced. The Seperatt is just a couple of buckets with a seat and a spring-loaded cover. Maybe $50 to manufacture in volume. The C-Head is just a little more than that; say $75 to make.
A Separett or the C Head (if they are still in business) without the poo agitator would be my choice. For our RV, I would eliminate the urine tank and buy the plumbing kit to divert the urine into the existing black water tank. I'd then mate the black and gray tanks together.
Thanks for watching! Yes, Separett has been one of our go to's because of the C-Head situation. We don't do any black tank options, but the Separett seems to be fairly easy to empty
Interesting that the presenter said the Thetford cassette toilet has a high "ick" factor. Compared to the urine separating ones there is only one thing to empty and that can easily be done into any toilet, how are the others less "ick"? I've used that style of toilet for literally decades and unlike the others mentioned, it's the most like a home toilet as it has a fresh water rinse. Another factor that wasn't mentioned was price, the cassette toilets can be had anywhere from $40 ~ $80, while some of the others mentioned can run $250 ~ $500. To each his own, but there seems to be a "trendiness" to portable toilets.
after living full time, in my van, 8 years and using a "dry" toilet, the main problem here is the plastic. plastic will smell over time no mater what you clean it with. my toilet has Stainless guts, no smell ever and easy to keep clean. you are right to many parts and expense for what they are.
I have the c-head. Wish urin container were bigger. I forgot to change it once. and parked at home. Granted, it didn't stink. Problem was, when I remembered, it was like Dante's inferno as the flies flew out! Ga-rosss. Wish I had bought the new Trelino Toilet. I recently saw it on a video and it seems so much easier.
Like your video, and you give good information. But one thing you need to correct in your statement, which is hard to do because you’ve already aired this video is yes it is a composting toilet. Does it make compost? No it does not what it does is it starts the composting recess. When you have a compost pile in your backyard and you put stuff in it, it doesn’t break it down instantly. It’s a process that it Hass to go through. So yes these are composting toilets. Thank you for the video. Thank you for the information. God be with you.
I have a levaro toilet but I refuse to pee in it. It's way to expensive to pee in. I found some urinal things with powder that gels and it's fantastic. I just bought the thetford 335 for camping though because the bucket thing required packing way too many other things that took up too much space and too much weight.
I used a slightly different version of the C-head for full time use. I LOVED it. Simple, quality built. I just looked into getting another but the website is archived. Maybe out of business?
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I never thought I'd watch a review of portable toilets, or moreover, be entertained by it, but you hit the mark! Even more, you managed to do it by being explicit without being gross or vulgar, and that's some trick. Seriously, congrats!
Happy you liked the video. Thanks for watching!
My cat and I just share the same litter box. I've found this method is super simple.
😂
🤣
Meow 😼
@@Merbella lol
I don’t want to have to replace anything
I can’t justify spending hundreds on a throne. I use the $20 lid, a bucket, and a pee jug. The way I use it, I place a handful of loose trash bags in the bottom, (ready for the next job), pull one out, drape over the seat and partially down the outside of the bucket. This forms an ass gasket, I sit on the bag, no seat cleanup. You can add a handful of kitty litter or sawdust for a female. Just tie a knot to seal the bag and toss in the trash. I’ve also found using wet wipes makes for a cleaner more efficient and less waste, mainly when on the road and not showering as much.
Lol
When i bought property and before i bought the trailer with no power or well, the five gallon pail with the red tie string white Glad bags and the pee jug which is basically an empty big blue laundry liquid soap container... were my go to...
I tried the litter thing, even clumping, but if you drink water, you dont drop logs, more like cow than horse stuff, so the litter thing was dusty and heavy and non environmental. Oh, I do not put tissue into the waste bag anymore. I just use a small flip up lid waste basket for tissue and tampons, napkins. I find a single person can go two weeks on a five gallon waste only pail. The four liter/one gallon pee jug gets filled maybe three four days. I found that Walmart sells toilet lids that fit and stay on top of a five gallon pail. When in store, just grab a pail then head to the normal bathroom toilet seats and pick the one that sits steady on the pail. Pick up a box of Glad red tie string strong garbage bags NOT the tie and toss because they do not fit the five gallon pail. I actually graduated to a strong plastic grey garbage container which I also found at Walmart but I dont know if they still sell them, I bought five and still use three for cans and burnables. The poop can get heavy if you wait until full, so after a week, say every friday or sunday, I carry the poop bucket which has no tissue or any other waste in it out behind the shed and pour it out, bag and all in the trees. It is gone within a couple of weeks with the rain, bugs, flies and varmits and sun drying, and feeds the ecosystem just like deer and cattle and wild animals do. The tissue and the pastic liner go into the incinerator, yes i pick up the bag by bottom corner and drain it then it goes to my burn barrel... that was phase one. I keep that bucket in the shop so I dont have to run to house with muddy or dirty boots and go inside. My phase two was a sea can with power cords, no septic tank or well yet, but it was secure from thieves. I bought a twenty five gallon water tank, set it on a sturdy shelf, and have a tap on the bottom right beside my macerator toilet. My macerator is an electric chew up pump toilet that was just over a grand I found on Wayfair, and came up from California to Canada. And that was a grand Canadian dollars, probably only seven fifty US dollars. You can watch macerator toilet videos on TH-cam, you dont need to drill any holes in floor, only for vent and the outlet for the waste being pumped out into your septic or holding tank...
So that it me from the crazy city to the tiny home on the farm, love having my dogs and the stars and the sasquatch, fox and sparrows around, not the addicts and porch pirates and car breakins I had in the city. I have a few videos on my channel, no not monetized, just eyes in the trees watching me if you find you get yelled at by deep lung hairy giants from the trees if you go on their side of the farm... Dad passed away, and wow, they came with the farm along with a couple other cryptids... But love the stars and my God and please vote Trump and Pollievre to save our Christian country from the New Jesuit Roman World Order.
I have a incinolet in my cottage. It is all stainless steel. Has a heating element similar to an electric stove that incinerated the poop and pee down to ash. The ash is then basically sterile ash. Just requires a paper liner placed in the bowl that drops in the burn chamber when you step on a dump pedal. Mine runs on 220 volts but they have the same unit that runs on 110 volts. Requires an exhaust pipe that incredibly stays cool to the touch. I use a heater hose that you would use on a clothes dryer. We use this for weeks before emptying the ash. Ash can be dumped anywhere as it ends up looking like burnt paper and is not toxic. If you are living in the truck this is the way to go.
We will be sure to check it out!
I was just about to mention the "incinolet" incinerator toilet. You can also drop any urine into the burn pan below, and wait to run a burn cycle when you go #2. This gets the burn cycles down to about 2 cycles per day, for two people. The total energy usage (in Texas) comes out to about $15 a month if you use it full time with two people. This rivals the low cost use of the Nature's head toilet, except you don't have to carry your whole toilet outside to empty it. Just a tiny ash pan that you can literally dump out the window in your bathroom if you wanted to. No worrying about pink eye, diseases, bacteria, etc. Also Incinolet has been in business almost 80 years, and most people who have them in their homes and use them daily for the whole family say it's maintenance free for about 7 to 8 years.
I have the incinolet. I love that emptying it is mostly just ashes and doesn't have to be done too often. It's perfect for my tiny house but the power requirements are too heavy for a Van I think. A con is how it's really tall. There it's also a smell if you dont vent it well.
Some incinerator toilets use propane.
They’re like $4000 aren’t they? You better have the batteries to run that thing.
Good review of all the toilets but please state approximate cost as well, so we get an idea of the range.
I see the more "sophisticated" they get, the more complicated it becomes 😂 I like the old saying KISS (keep it simple stupid) but that's just me.
Great review!! Cheers!
I'm a simple lady, so guess what...the 5 gallon bucket with saw dust or horse bedding pellets works well!!
you can't be a lady and poop in a bucket ok lol. That is no where lady like
Do you carry a spoon to stir it with?
where does it go when it's full?
Hands down THE best comprehensive comparison review on the internet.
Thank you for posting.
Good video. I think we're only ones who installed a regular flushing RV toilet and black tank in our van, which is probably why no one ever mentions this option. (And I mean never. I'm talking 3+ years of watching van-build videos.) Would we do it again? ..... Yes times 10. Absolutely no question.
Pros: 1. It works perfectly. 2. It's entirely doable to install and is the closest thing to a regular toilet at home. 3. No odors. 4. Cheaper than a Nature's Head. 5. The TP gets flushed instead of disposing in a separate container. 6. No buying/bringing bags of peat moss, etc. 7. No lugging the pee jug into a public bathroom. 8. No seeing *anything* ever again after flushing.
Cons: 1. Dump stations (easy to find) about once a week using our toilet full time (two people) .... less frequently if we use other bathrooms when convenient. Most people install gray tanks so (hopefully) they're using dump stations also. Plus it's a good time to refill our fresh water. 2. It uses a little of our fresh water supply .... but we have plenty.
I have to agree.
👍
do you have a custom build van? If not, what brand? Where did you put the tanks and what are the sizes? Thank you
@@nancylove7911 Hello. We designed and built it ourselves.
The fresh water tank (30 gallons) is inside the van on the passenger side, in the base of the kitchen cabinet.
The gray tank (18 gallons) is under the van, behind the driver seat.
The black tank (14 gallons) is inside, midway back on the driver side, directly under the toilet in the “bathroom”. The toilet is the short version because of the height of the black tank beneath it. The black and gray tanks both drain out the same pipe when dumping, like all RVs do.
And the Oscar for best toilet video ever goes to Ben of Ready.Set.Van. And I've seen enough of them to accurately make that assessment! lol.
I totally agree! I too have watched a crazy number of toilet videos, and this one deserves the Oscar!
Thanks! I'd like too thank the academy, of course my parents, my agent.........
@@ReadySetVan ...And PLEASE, Dont Slap the MC
I concur!!! I have one thing to ask about the separate toilet. Does or does it not have a way to connect the liquid to a grey water tank? Thanks for the great video Ben❤
Ditto
I have a Luggable Loo. The lid seals well and if you use the proper cover material, it does not stink.
I use pine pellets which turn to sawdust when wet. Just be sure to put some in the corners of the bag before you put it in the bucket.
When I used pine pet bedding, the liquid collected in the corners, even with kitty litter in the bottom.
The Luggable Loo is the cheapest camp toilet (other than a bucket with a pool noodle around the top) and tall enough for arthritic knees. It was great when my house pipes froze and I couldn't use my flush toilet.
Jon in rural BC, Canada
The last one, the Separett, since it's contents are meant to be disposed of in a trash bin, the user could use large, biodegradable coffee filers as liners before each 'sit down' use so that there are no 'skid marks' to clean up.
That's actually really smart !
an old nurse's trick for bedans is to put toilet paper on the bottom before use, this would also work for this pupose, cheaper than coffee filters maybe?
good advice
@@halimataylor9112 if it opens automatically im not sure i see the point of either.
The catcher's mitt? RTM Australia have them for the toilets on boats.
I fashioned some from brown paper lunch bags. They clamp in the ring inside the toilet seat of the folding frame style camp toilet. Just add absorber of choice. Do your doo. Remove used bag from seat. Twist like you would a bag of lollies. Place in plastic bag below seat to store till the next rubbish run. Reset catcher's mitt for next sitting.
I am an ostomate now so my poo process has changed so I am looking for something clean, easy and efficient. All good I have my thinking cap on.
We've had our Natures Head for 4 years - fullt time use 2 adults....absolutely love it..cant fault it.
I have an antique portable shitter. It’s a tin bucket inside of a wooden box with a hole in the top and a little door on the side for removing the bucket. More of a night time emergency toilet for places without plumbing, not used for van life, but it’s funny to see how the concept has evolved.
Or *not* evolved in some cases.
So the best is a 5 gallon bucket with a urine diverter set into a built in lined box. We used that method in our cabin, instead of expensive coconut core we used saw dust, 23 pounds untreated from Rural King for 4$. Also a sprinkle of Sweet PDZ Stall refresher after a number 2, from tractor supply 25 pounds for 12$. They last for a very very long time and are environmentally friendly.. The solids can be composted down and used around trees or just buried.
Thank you for writing this. This guy seems misinformed at best. So many vids and resources available showing composting toilets do produce useable compost, as long as urine is separated.
@@angelfoxer don't use composted poo on anything but trees after at least 3 months, longer is ideal.
@@yewtuber1000 Thank you! I had read a year is best, so planned on that
As a “just the facts” kinda of guy, your transparent and valid language had me smiling and laughing. The information you shared helped me a great deal as I am about to start my first conversion build. Thank you!!!
I travel in a cargo van. For #2, I use a Lugable Loo and a five-gallon bucket. I put a piece of wood in the bottom of the five gallon bucket to raise a 2 1/2 gallon bucket higher, and then line that with a medium trash bag. I can then tie the #2 off by wrapping it and tying it two or three times to make it safer in the garbage. I use a large plastic coffee can for pee. If I get them mixed, I throw in something to soak up the pee. This works fine for me. Problem is that if I want to stop at a campground for a shower and laundry, I sometimes get turned down because I don't have a blackwater tank. I was thinking of getting some kind of toilet with a tank so I could have more flexibility in where I can stay. Thanks for the information you shared. It helped me clarify what I need to get.
Bucket & jug #1 choice for me.
If you use pee powder in the Laveo Dry Toilet, you don't flush (cycle cassette foil bag) every pee, depending on your volume. The powder turns the pee into a deodorized gel. That way, the disposal cassette lasts 3X longer. For me, on a boat, I can get an entire season out of 1 or 2 foil cassettes using the boat mainly on weekends. That is cheaper than buying head chemicals, special toilet paper, pumping out, and winterizing a standard marine head system.
I have a Lugable Loo..it works great for our camp in the woods..and the grandkids love it.
Do they cuddle with it?
Great vid. The more I think about it, the more I think just using a flushing toilet with a blackwater holding then empty it at a station. All of these requires emptying so might as well make it easy and comfortable
We have a Separett tiny toilet have been using in our caravan for over 18 months, 3 adults, it's fantastic. No issues with parts, Easy to use and clean. Easy to install also.
Really informative and important video - Thank you!!! You guys are the best! You installed the Nature's Head composting toilet in our Basecamper and we absolutely LOVE it! No smell at all and one of the best parts for us is not adding to sewage, septic tank, or landfill, while at the same time recycling the nutrients for the soil. As experienced composters, we've found that with the addition of the coco peat, the turning, and the fan (as well as all the microbes we add via the poop ;), the solids start composting within the toilet (with the right moisture levels). We don't live in the van full-time and are able to empty the solids tank into 2 special compost piles in our garden. We'll use the finished compost after a year of active composting (as recommended). Agree that it is a bit of a pain to lift the seat to pull out the urine container and to empty the solids, but well worth the effort!
Glad to hear you like it!
I heard they don't work when it's freezing
We have the separett tiny and it is an awesome toilet, apart from having to empty it, the whole family likes it better than the toilets at home.. absolutely zero smell, especially not even during pooping which is nice because you never need to run the bathroom fan. It is also very clean and painless to empty, you open it, put the poop bucket lid on and take it outside to get the bag out later, where smell doesn't matter.
My Natures Head's solids tank can hold 8-10 weeks of solids. I'm 250lbs so I'm not making small deposits and I often use it exclusively in my full time tiny home conversion. Good content, TY.
I camp a lot. I use the thetford porta potti. It's the most convenient for my family. I do all the cleaning which I don't mind. Super simple.
good video. I think adding a little sawdust or something like that to the bucket styled toilets would help absorb and help with odors.
I have used the C head full time for over 5 years. I use coconut coir and empty once a month.
Best all around Van conversion toilet video I’ve seen,thank you
Thanks for watching!!
One of them looks like it could double up as a cake mixer!! 😊
Alright that made me laugh. 😂😂😂
Very good presentation and comparison. I appreciate the prices listed in your worded section below.
Maybe they could have given the price of each one
They're in the description.
That was great. Very informative and straight forward. Thanks! Helped lots as a newbie to all this.
Great review. We use the porta potty but we have a separate paper basket. That makes pouring out the toilet very easy especially if you travel outside the US where toilet paper mucks the sewage systems up.
Thank you! Good to know that
The escapod in Utah will put an incinerator toilet in. They seem awesome but maybe noisy, expensive, and power hog. But clean dump and very low ick.
Thanks for letting us know. We'll be sure to check them out!
I think what a lot of people don't understand is once the solid waste is properly composted it can be used as fertilizer. If mixed with the liquid waste is when the composting process goes bad. When a biodegradable garbage bag is used the whole thing can be tossed in the trash or buried beneath a tree in the desert. If you are a conscientious composter you are not harming the enviornment.
I lived with humanure compost for years. The only thing that matters is your nitrogen to carbon ratio. If you add more fluid, #1, urine, whatever euphemism you prefer, you just need to add more carbon to soak it up. Because nitrogen is a hot compost, it burns out pathogens relatively quickly.
We would compost it outside for a year, but it was safe after a few months.
Thank you so much for this information as I always wondered about these portable toilets . Everyone should have one incase of disaster ,water/sewer pipes issues ,or construction a cabin in the middle of nowhere.
The only comment I have for the separating toilet. Yes they are great. But, not if are a family with kids. From experience some are too high for kids to sit on with their feet touching the floor. Thus the poop does not always go down the poop shoot.
A couple of things that didn't seem explained: "Composting Medium" I believe each composting toilet needs a medium. Is any type of medium better than any other type? Is any medium better for the design of any particular toilet? Usage: "Number of days" is a useless measure unless you define what each day includes. "Number of uses" is much more accurate. Toilet X will handle about 5 pees and poops. "Mounting" How do the mount to the floor and do they need any other type of connection (electrical)? Nature's Head you can see how it mounts to the floor with those L brackets, but I believe it also needs a 12v connection as well as incoming & outgoing air? Sorry to pick on your video, but I thought these things were very important.
Well, there's the emergency toilet that you didn't mention: a bucket, a bag and an adult diaper. Put the bag in the bucket, turn the diaper inside out, do the necessary, pull the bag out, tie it off and toss it in the garbage. I am amazed that I had no smell to deal with. Or maybe I've been right all along and mine don't stink!😉😄😂😄😂😉
This is what I use also for night time potty use. I get the adult diapers from thrift stores.
It does work for pooh. At least my pooh. But you need to knot the bag and pull it out immediately and dispose of it. You don't keep the open bag laying around. So it's one use and toss.
Anything that removes the 'ick'/'smell' factor, I am all for. Laveo for emergencies for me w/ urine bottle system (that's my separator - just rinse and dump). Maintain 5 cassettes (Amazon Lockers are a blessing).
It's not even close! The Porta Potti 365 is by far the best and most superior product of all of these.
I use an OGO toilet as my full time toilet in a cabinet, on a slide, in my van. It's a separation kind that is vented out the back. It has a very small footprint. It's got a mechanical mixer at the push of a button. I've been using coconut coir. All emptying/changing happens through the front. The urine container is quite large. The mixing button will turn red if the urine container is getting full. I've never even come close to full, but that's good to know. The price tag is in line with the other separator type toilets, but it was one of my non-negotiables with the build.
Do u like it. Wife is scared it will be hard to wipe?
@@mikebailey2504 I like it as much as you can like a composting toilet. Hard to wipe the toilet, or herself? 😄 She'd figure it out. 🙄
Apparently, the OGO is the way to go now. You don't even have to crank the arm or anything.
Great call. We'll look at it.
Very informative. Thank you. We have the dry flush in our van and yes it is a bit pricey, especially for the bags. We aim using it for #2 emergency. One of the drawbacks is that we used our van part time only. This means we wasted more unused bags for putting the van away for the winter. Overall, we like the dry flush concept.
We have had the Separate as our main toilet on out boat for a year. We are full-time live aboard. So far no real problems. I haven't had any of the other brands but I would buy it again if we change boats.
We like the Separet and Ben has used his for a few years now with no issues, as well!
"Without further a-doo..." :D Great video. Leaning towards the Separett, thanks to you and this showdown.
This was such a helpful video thank you. I was deciding between the separate and the sea head I would likely be using it full-time. I would not have known that I would have to change the solids every two or three days with the sea head
Scary when he said none of these composting toilets really turn human waist into usable compost
He did say that it takes time and it is not in the toilet long enough. Just like a compost pile for the garden, you keep adding to it and then let it set to breakdown while starting a new compost pile. I have one on the farm and use it most of the time. But it is at a permanent location.
Another video person stated that the biodegradable bags deteriorate too fast…. Interesting to see a comparison of so many options. Thank you.
might want to have a look at the OGO. IMO, it looks a lot better than the other options.
Thanks, excellent & clearly knowledgeable breakdown off the main options currently available.
I had a C-Head in my boat. It worked well. They must have changed the pee container as it used to be a standard 1 gal jug that you could replace easily when it wasn't worth cleaning any more.
Another option that might be good is the Wrappon PF-1 Toilet System. I think if you just use it for emergency poos the fact that it folds up small would be a good thing also. The price is under $600 I think.
Great video! Thank you. Bucket for me because I am cheep. I keep some cat litter around and sprinkle over it get multiple uses.
Thank you for watching! Simple is always good
Excellent coverage!
I use the bucket with a toilet seat cover, In addition I keep pine nuggets in the bag which eliminates odor and will absorb the liquid, number two is separately bagged up and taken to the trash, the same as you do your dog poop. My camper van came with the cassette toilet, and I really found it a nuisance to keep clean and dispose of its waste. I live in my camper-van a continuous three months of the year, in addition to side trips, and have found this the most economical convenient way to go. (All puns intended😂)
Very nice video, great comparisons of models. I have a 5 gallon bucket with a lid, not ideal. One of these would make a great emergency, or run out of water, toilet.
Thanks for watching!! I'm glad this video was able to help you out
At the 16:40 would be nice if the poop section could be removed out the back or side instead of pulling the septic container from top.
I"m thinking a 24"-30" wide bench that lifts up and exposes an elongated toilet seat with a 5 gallon bucket with liner and a urine diverter. Lift up the cover and there's a bin of wood shavings/coconut fibers/peat moss etc next to the bucket to place over your poop so no need to stir anything and a recycled windshield washer fluid bottle (sturdy) to hold the urine with another 2 bottles stored along the side opposite of the poop medium. A low voltage fan to exhaust the entire compartment to the outside. You've got 3 gallons of urine storage along with a "sight glass" if you cut a slot in front of the urine bottles that's in use and when you go #2 you just drop a scoop of medium on top and since it's vented it quickly dries out. To empty life both covers, pop the bucket lid on top and walk it out to either dump in a pit toilet at a way station or close the bucket liner and toss the a dumpster. The urine bottles can be easily emptied in a pit or regular toilet or even a dump station if you can find a free one. No moving parts other than the fan, no cranks or expensive proprietary containers to mess with. Simple, inexpensive and flexible.
Well done video. I have the Air Head toilet. It is similar to nature’s head, but much easier to use and clean. I have found that it is too heavy when it is full as I am a 70 year old woman. 🤷🏻♀️
Thanks for watching. We will have to check that one out
I agree that the nature's head is hard to clean.
The Airhead is so much better than the Nature’s Head. I used it for a year and a half. You don’t have to open up the poop part to take out the pee bucket and it feels very much like a residential toilet.
Another interesting option for those with a robust electrical system: an incinerating toilet.
Lug able Lu is best..with a few handfuls of kitty litter. The others seem to be prone to bank shot clean ups..
Recently took a nation wide roadtrip across the lower 48 and took a 5gal bucket 🪣 with some pipe insulation for the seat... it worked great for the 2 times we had to use it ... always remember to double bag it 😎
Oh, you used it way more then twice
It wasn’t meant to b funny, but your line while talking about 🚽 “You can do unspeakable things” delivered in such a dry way I found to be hilarious!😅
Very informative - will check out Ready Set Van when I am ready to hit the road.
A couple of these are outrageously priced. The Seperatt is just a couple of buckets with a seat and a spring-loaded cover. Maybe $50 to manufacture in volume. The C-Head is just a little more than that; say $75 to make.
A Separett or the C Head (if they are still in business) without the poo agitator would be my choice. For our RV, I would eliminate the urine tank and buy the plumbing kit to divert the urine into the existing black water tank. I'd then mate the black and gray tanks together.
Thanks for watching! Yes, Separett has been one of our go to's because of the C-Head situation. We don't do any black tank options, but the Separett seems to be fairly easy to empty
Interesting that the presenter said the Thetford cassette toilet has a high "ick" factor. Compared to the urine separating ones there is only one thing to empty and that can easily be done into any toilet, how are the others less "ick"? I've used that style of toilet for literally decades and unlike the others mentioned, it's the most like a home toilet as it has a fresh water rinse. Another factor that wasn't mentioned was price, the cassette toilets can be had anywhere from $40 ~ $80, while some of the others mentioned can run $250 ~ $500. To each his own, but there seems to be a "trendiness" to portable toilets.
The *Ick* comes in when you MIX liquid&solids
I love my composting toilet. You can also make ice cream in there on those fun camping trips.
😂🤣🌽
Really great job on a delicate topic! Bravo!
Thanks for watching!
Wow, you built a school, cool.
after living full time, in my van, 8 years and using a "dry" toilet, the main problem here is the plastic. plastic will smell over time no mater what you clean it with. my toilet has Stainless guts, no smell ever and easy to keep clean. you are right to many parts and expense for what they are.
Remind some of your guests not to hover.
Maybe incorporate a foot pad .
I really like it!
Very nice presentation thank you The separate for me
Which of these would you recommend for explosive diarrhea?
only reason am here is to make sure my significant other agree to go out with me and not worry about taking a dump
Emptying
Oh hell No!
Sawdust is best in a bag
Feed store 7.00 at best last a long time
With a 5 gallon plastic bucket
so helpful - was hoping that the AirHead would have been included
Really great and informative!
Glad you liked it!
I have the c-head. Wish urin container were bigger. I forgot to change it once. and parked at home. Granted, it didn't stink. Problem was, when I remembered, it was like Dante's inferno as the flies flew out! Ga-rosss.
Wish I had bought the new Trelino Toilet. I recently saw it on a video and it seems so much easier.
Good review, nice style well done, I found a toilet similar to natures head, but better design, pretty good so far, using full time.. Called OGO
Wow! Excellent video on these things! Thank you!👍
Great info!!
Thanks for providing great information
Like your video, and you give good information. But one thing you need to correct in your statement, which is hard to do because you’ve already aired this video is yes it is a composting toilet. Does it make compost? No it does not what it does is it starts the composting recess. When you have a compost pile in your backyard and you put stuff in it, it doesn’t break it down instantly. It’s a process that it Hass to go through. So yes these are composting toilets. Thank you for the video. Thank you for the information. God be with you.
I have a levaro toilet but I refuse to pee in it. It's way to expensive to pee in. I found some urinal things with powder that gels and it's fantastic. I just bought the thetford 335 for camping though because the bucket thing required packing way too many other things that took up too much space and too much weight.
excellent info, thanks for posting
The best toilet is the very last one 👍😎
I just cut a hole in my van. I poop/pee/wipe then move to a new location. No Flush required :-)
I used a slightly different version of the C-head for full time use. I LOVED it. Simple, quality built. I just looked into getting another but the website is archived. Maybe out of business?
Maybe you can review us one day!! Better than a 5 gallon bucket!
Really good. Complete info. Thx
Thanks for watching!
Dry flush King of the crapers!!
I still think the best is black tank
Please review the Incinolet incinerating toilet.
Thanks.
Take a look at the wrappon sometime. Best solution we found.
Thanks! Hadn't heard of it but will check it out for sure.
Sheer review perfection. Subscribed.
Great video split stream toilets big direction in china
Excellent explanations.
Super helpful thank you
Thanks for watching!