Anyone installed an Air Head toilet?

[AS Girl]

Hi there! My full-time Airstream living is about to begin, and I am so excited! (I love all of the smilies by the way!) The AS is parked and will not be used for travel. I am hooked to electric and water, but not on septic. I am interested in installing an Air Head toilet. I have done some research and have seen nothing but positive reviews. However, I am hesitant because my mom had a terrible, TERRIBLE experience w/ a composting toilet in her house. The one she had did not separate liquid from solids. My main concerns are:

1. Flies
2. Smell
3. Amount of time that will be spent caring for my waste (hope I don't gross anyone out with that, but it was the easiest, bluntest way to word it)

Please, please, please reply to this post if you have experience with an Air Head toilet. It will be very and gratefully appreciated!

Thanks! AS Girl

[Wayne&Sam]

No, but I think we are all Air Heads here

[clintn]

Used a composting toilet on a schooner to Mexico. Never again. I try to be green, but . . .

[muddy_hollow]

Originally Posted by AS Girl

Hi there! My full-time Airstream living is about to begin, and I am so excited! (I love all of the smilies by the way!) The AS is parked and will not be used for travel. I am hooked to electric and water, but not on septic. I am interested in installing an Air Head toilet. I have done some research and have seen nothing but positive reviews. However, I am hesitant because my mom had a terrible, TERRIBLE experience w/ a composting toilet in her house. The one she had did not separate liquid from solids. My main concerns are:

1. Flies
2. Smell
3. Amount of time that will be spent caring for my waste (hope I don't gross anyone out with that, but it was the easiest, bluntest way to word it)

Please, please, please reply to this post if you have experience with an Air Head toilet. It will be very and gratefully appreciated!

Thanks! AS Girl

I'm not so sure what an air head toilet is but I installed a dometic vacume toilet in my 56 caravanner. The waste is drawn into the vac tank and then pushed up into the black water tank. No smell whatsoever. The system also has a marine vent filter so there are no smells coming from the vent pipe either.

No cheap but a very good system.

D

[azflycaster]

From what I understand these toilets separate the solids from the liquids, then compost the solids. What do you plan to do with the liquid waste as well as the grey water if you have no sewer connection?

[tdturn2]

The thing to remember with composting toilets is that if you cover them properly with enough carbonacious material (i.e. fine sawdust, etc.), they will have no foul odor. The cheapest way I have ever heard of doing a composting toilet is a 5-gallon bucket with a toilet seat on top. You have another bucket of sawdust with a scoop. Each time you use the toilet, you cover the waste with a layer of fine sawdust and then replace the lid. When the bucket is full you dump it appropriately, and there should be no foul odor. There are several articles and resources I could send you if you are interested. The Tiny House guy has an article about living in an Airstream without sewage hookup for a year or so.

[Orlop]

Yep, installed an Air Head in my sailboat prior to sailing along the East Coast and Bahamas.

Easy to install ..... I used a solar powered vent instead of the 12 volt he recommends, though the 12 volt may be easier with the Airstream. The liquid container/collector required a trip to dump it about every two days, though there is a way to add a larger collector, but I do not remember how.

Did not ever get the offensive smell you might thing, but occasionally did get a slight swampy odor and added more compost when than happened. Do not know if this was because it was on a boat, or that was normal.

Cheerz

[AS Girl]

As a matter of fact, my mom started using the "Loveable Loo" about a month ago. It has been interesting,but great. Thanks so much for the reply and I would love to see the articles you wrote about!

[tdturn2]

Here are the links:

Tiny House guy lives in an AS for a year
Living Large in Small Spaces | Tumbleweed Tiny House Company

$25 Toilet (The video on here is very helpful)
Joseph Jenkins, Inc. - How to Build a $25 Compost Toilet

These are the two links I have saved. Let me know if you need more. I'll be happy to help.

:-) Natasha

[AS Girl]

Thank you so much Natasha!

[bmk01]

Ever thought about a Thetford tank with wheels?, you empty your tanks and wheel it to the dump station.

Bryon.

[Globie64]

Interesting to find this post: I'm considering installing a composting toilet in our AS to replace the OE Saniware unit, using the black water tank for gray water. I've read a lot of reviews on sailboat sites about using the Air Head and Nature's Head, and it sounds like a reasonable alternative to a toilet and black water tank. Its been kind of tough to find a toilet to fit in the fiberglass-surround bathroom, and while the bath is in good shape, I'm thinking I'd rather do something different- and more efficient.

[Air Apparent]

Originally Posted by Wayne&Sam

No, but I think we are all Air Heads here

Is that because you have a dirty mind?

[markdoane]

Originally Posted by Wayne&Sam

No, but I think we are all Air Heads here

Here I thought they had named a toilet after me; what an honor.

Now I find out we're all air heads. Did we all work for the same manager at MacDonalds? I thought that was his special nickname just for me.

[GeoffGe]

Airhead?

[Pagey]

We are planning to put a Nature's Head into our Airstream when we get it. Met a gentleman last weekend at Overland Expo East who had one in his Tiger overland vehicle. He was having odor problems with it, but readily admitted that he had not properly moistened his peat moss before putting it in the mixing tank. Proper moisture levels are important.

We are going to use coconut coir as our composting medium instead of peat moss because the peat moss bogs are being decimated and habitats are being destroyed.

Check out "Gone with the Wynns" videos on their composting toilet. Quite educational and fun.