Composting Toilets ( Sun-Mar or others) Pros & Cons?

[Rivka]

Anyone using any version of a composting toilet? ok i have read so much here and i am amazed this is talked about so little. This does not seem like it would be that hard, it would let me replace my black tank with a grey water one that i currently don't have. And the model i have been looking it, The Sun-Mar Mobile seems like it isn't really much hassle at all, less that a black tank imho.

So has anyone gone thru with it and installed one in a 'stream? why or why not

can we collect any research that people have done on this? Unless a really good reason comes up, i am buying one as my next item.

Rivka
p.s. if a missed any good threads after my hours of searching please feel free to point then out

[balrgn]

I have a Sunmar @ my camp in the mountains. It works pretty good. AC only and I have found it really needs power all the time iin order to compost properly. Mine takes up quite a bit of space.

[audiobox]

We're planning on installing one (Sunmar) in our 34'. I know compositing toilets can be cranky, but with the 34', we're trying for a more self-contained living system overall. In that context, having a black tank makes you think, "it's 2007, can't we do better than this?"

My impression is, with a composting system you don't have the luxury of being careless. Fortunately, I can put my OCD in charge of that. We should have enough juice from our solar panels and 800 AH battery system to run the Sunmar constantly and not push our power overhead.

Craig

[Royce]

I checked out the Sun-Mar and would have one on the way for the Minuet if there was even the smallest chance it would fit. Unfortunatly not gonna happen. A friend has one of the standard models in a cabin. You will still need a small tank for the liquid overflow and it will need to run on 110 when ever possible to dry excess liquids.

[airstreamone]

I've thought about putting a composter into our trailer as we have one in our cabin and really like it. The problem as I see it is where do you dump it? Do you just empty it into the weeds on the side of the road? The problem is that America isn't set up to deal with compost, but it is set up to deal with black tank waste. So unless you know where you're going to be and know that you're going to feel comfortable dumping compost there, I might hold off.

Remember also that the sun-mar composters aren't really composters at all. They are just storage areas to dry the stuff out and make it easier to deal with. The compost isn't "finished" (and benign) until it reaches thermophilic temperatures. That doesn't happen until you put it into a real compost pile and let it sit.

As much as I love composting toilets I'm not sure having one while "on the road" is the way to go.

Please keep us informed on how it goes.

[audiobox]

Originally Posted by airstreamone

I've thought about putting a composter into our trailer as we have one in our cabin and really like it. The problem as I see it is where do you dump it? Do you just empty it into the weeds on the side of the road? The problem is that America isn't set up to deal with compost, but it is set up to deal with black tank waste. So unless you know where you're going to be and know that you're going to feel comfortable dumping compost there, I might hold off.

Remember also that the sun-mar composters aren't really composters at all. They are just storage areas to dry the stuff out and make it easier to deal with. The compost isn't "finished" (and benign) until it reaches thermophilic temperatures. That doesn't happen until you put it into a real compost pile and let it sit.

As much as I love composting toilets I'm not sure having one while "on the road" is the way to go.

Please keep us informed on how it goes.

Understood. We're doing a re-make on the 34' and we can adapt the interior to the space needs of the Sun-mar. We plan on full-timing, but are looking at seasonal re-location rather than pulling around the country, so I think we can plan the waste re-cycle at our chosen parking spots.

Craig