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Old 01-31-2017, 04:37 PM   #1
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Composting Toilet 1 Year Review

This youTube channel has a pros and cons review of their 1 year use of their composting toilet. After watching the video, composting toilets are not for us.



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Old 01-31-2017, 04:56 PM   #2
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We have a Nature's Head both on our boat and in our Airstream. We will never go back to a black tank.
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Old 01-31-2017, 05:08 PM   #3
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This youTube channel has a pros and cons review of their 1 year use of their composting toilet. After watching the video, composting toilets are not for us.



Kelvin
I think I stopped watching about halfway through when he said the phrase "you have to hit that target, without looking."
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Old 01-31-2017, 05:09 PM   #4
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I will never have one. To me, it's not much of a step above a chamber pot.
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Old 01-31-2017, 05:18 PM   #5
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As they say in the video, "moisture management is a problem."

Ya think?

I have never understood the so-called convenience of using this system in an RV. Separating the urine from the feces is just the beginning of a long list of labor-intensive compromises IMO.

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Old 01-31-2017, 05:20 PM   #6
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We have a Nature's Head both on our boat and in our Airstream. We will never go back to a black tank.
How do you dispose of the urine on the boat? Same question for the AS please. Never understood the net gain benefits of this system.

Thanks,

Petet
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Old 02-01-2017, 12:29 PM   #7
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Great video. Thanks for posting.
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Old 02-01-2017, 06:22 PM   #8
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We have a Nature's Head both on our boat and in our Airstream. We will never go back to a black tank.
Same here. By accepting some minor inconveniences we avoid all major ones.
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Old 02-01-2017, 06:42 PM   #9
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I'm new to airstreaming, but it looks like alot of work.
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Old 02-01-2017, 09:45 PM   #10
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How do you dispose of the urine on the boat? Same question for the AS please. Never understood the net gain benefits of this system.

Thanks,

Petet
Urine is not a bio hazard and can be disposed of safely behind a tree when wild camping, into a toilet on a campground. On the boat, it gets emptied overboard when away from shore or into a toilet when in a marina.

The main benefit is that you become independent from dumping stations - it is far easier to empty a bottle of urine into a toilet at a rest stop than having to look for a dumping station. During the summer, we tend to stay for two weeks at one of our favourite Parks. Before we had the composting toilet, I had to move the trailer to the dump station twice during that period. Now, we don't have to move at all. On the boat too this makes a huge difference as you're not allowed, with good reason, to pump out sewage anywhere close to shore.

We never had an issue with moisture management or with aiming - and we've got three young boys who all use the toilets. An additional benefit with the Airstream, not applicable on the boat, is that you gain considerable extra grey water capacity.

If you chose to stay at full hookup campgrounds then this makes little to no sense of course, but we prefer camping with no services.

As I've said before, we would never return to black tanks. As far as we're concerned they're smelly and hugely inconvenient.
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Old 02-01-2017, 11:03 PM   #11
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As they say in the video, "moisture management is a problem."

Ya think?

I have never understood the so-called convenience of using this system in an RV. Separating the urine from the feces is just the beginning of a long list of labor-intensive compromises IMO.

I don't want to even know the labor involved...now my curiosity is beginning to peak, now my imagination is kicking in.
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Old 02-02-2017, 06:35 AM   #12
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I adore James and Stefany, the authors of that video. They are honest and authentic, rather than just spinning a preferred image of what life on the road is like.
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Old 02-02-2017, 06:51 AM   #13
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Very educational video even though I didn't have any plans to switch to a composting
toilet - now even less so! But I suppose I can see the benefits for some folk.

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Old 02-02-2017, 08:37 AM   #14
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I am in the process of a full reconstruction of a 1958 Silver cloud. I have spent hours reading and watching videos about the composting toilets. A composting toilet would save a lot of work in the plumbing department.

Until this video, My overall take is that everyone who has one loves it and the people that don't have them think they're the most disgusting things around.

Overall I thought that video was a strong argument against a composting toilet, but ultimately they still have the thing. I think they need to explain why because they make it sound pretty disgusting an inconvenient.

I have watched all the Wynn's videos too. They make it sound easy.
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Old 02-02-2017, 08:43 AM   #15
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We have a Nature's Head both on our boat and in our Airstream. We will never go back to a black tank.
And to you composting toilet owners, do you think these folks in the video are doing something wrong? Just doesn't sound like the same experience you all are having. They seem to be getting very little composting and end up dumping raw feces in the dumpster. Especially after watching the Wynn's videos.

And I ask this because I am in the middle of trying to decide which way to go, no pun intended
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Old 02-02-2017, 08:50 AM   #16
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...

As I've said before, we would never return to black tanks. As far as we're concerned they're smelly and hugely inconvenient.
How many pounds or cubic feet of sawdust, coconut coir or peat moss do you need to carry with you? Where do you dispose of the solid waste when on the road?
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Old 02-02-2017, 10:22 AM   #17
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"Composting" seems to used to market these devices. You can't compost anything in a week. The poop just gets mixed in with the coconut or peat and gets disposed of in the public trash in a bag.

Van dwellers use 5 gal buckets with trash bags and just dump their wag bags in the public trash.

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Old 02-02-2017, 10:42 AM   #18
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We have the Nature's Head Composting Toilet for our Full Time family of 4; being independent of dump stations is a major benefit, outweighing any of the cons mentioned in the video (though I do appreciate their review!). The part that is perhaps the most "inconvenient" is the social awkwardness of emptying the urine in a public place! I laughed pretty hard at the part of the video; so true!!!
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Old 02-02-2017, 11:01 AM   #19
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Thanks so much for posting the video. I have been considering converting to a composting toilet for some time. Appreciated the video confirming the differences between natures head and air head that I had heard. While they made it seem as if it was a pain in the butt, they did say they will continue to use and it serves the intended purpose. I can imagine they could have similarly made a good video about their visit to the dump station... They are not the Wynns...and good to hear another perspective, but I think I am still sold on composting. Probably should have my wife and kids watch the video first... Thanks! Rick.
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Old 02-02-2017, 11:43 AM   #20
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Not too fond of the idea of human solid waste (that's definitely not composted in under a week) ending up in random trash cans & dumpsters. There is a reason society handles raw sewage the way we do... Carrying pee to the bathroom is maybe embarrassing, but throwing feces into the dumpster for raccoons to pilfer through is almost a public health issue...
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