One of the first things we did before we began our adventures was to pull out our RV toilet and install a Nature’s Head Composting Toilet. Here’s our reasons why and what we think of it after six months of full-time RV living.
Note: We’ve had our composting toilet for over a year now. If you’d like to know what we think after a year, check out the updated post here: https://simplejoyfuljourney.com/natures-head-composting-toilet-1-year-later.
What is a composting toilet?
A composting toilet is simply a system of separating liquid waste from solid waste and mixing the solid waste with a composting medium.
Why did we choose a composting toilet?
Our main reason for choosing a composting toilet was to conserve water. Traditional RV toilets use water to flush liquids and solids into a holding tank. Since we planned from the outset to dry camp (aka boondock) as often as possible it was important for us to conserve our fresh water resources.
How does the Nature’s Head composting toilet work?
The Nature’s Head composting toilet works by diverting liquids into a plastic jug in the front and has a separate compartment in the back of the toilet for the composting medium and waste. It has a built-in fan that connects to your existing electrical system, which helps the solid waste break down faster and vents odors to the outside.
When we installed our composting toilet we already had some modifications in mind, mainly diverting the urine to our existing black tank instead of using the plastic jug (which you see as that black hose in the picture above) and using a solar vent instead of a mushroom vent. Want to know more about our installation? Click here!
Using the toilet
The use of this toilet is fairly self explanatory. For #1 actions, keep the hatch for the composting compartment closed. For #2, open the hatch before you go. I highly recommend disposing of toilet tissue into a separate bin. We have a small trash can with a step lid that we throw tissue into. You also don’t want to throw disposable wipes, diapers, or sanitary napkins into the composting bin.
Important: You will need to learn how to control your bladder and sphincter muscles separately. Empty your bladder first, then open the hatch and relax your sphincter. You want as minimal an amount of liquids to mix with the compost as possible.
For the guys…
Everybody sits when using this toilet. Unless you want to clean your toilet out every time you use it, you should sit too. Boys and young men may need to learn how to release their bladders more slowly so they don’t experience any splashing.
For the girls…
Children and smaller women may notice that they’ll have to sit towards the front of the toilet for #1 and scoot back for #2. Also, we all know how messy periods can be. I highly recommend you keep a spray bottle next to your toilet filled with a water and vinegar solution, or a mixture of water, witch hazel, and a few drops of essential oils to spray down the toilet after every use.
Cleaning the toilet
The collection jug for liquids can be emptied into any septic system. When traveling that usually means hauling your jug into the public restroom and pouring the contents into the toilet. Or you can empty it at the dump station when you empty your grey tanks. The bottle can be cleaned out with water and vinegar if you choose.
The solids are a bit more tricky. You’ll need to remove the entire toilet and empty the contents into a plastic bag, or into your composting bin if you compost your own waste. The plastic bag (we use black trash bags) can be placed into any public dumpster or disposed of at any public landfill.
Do not use bleach or ammonia to clean out the solids compartment. You do not want to kill the bacteria that breaks down your waste. We use biodegradable dish soap and water to clean our toilet, and either hand dry with paper towels or allow it to air dry completely before placing it back inside.
For daily cleaning, I recommend having a spray bottle filled with a water/vinegar mixture or a water/witch hazel/essential oil mixture next to the toilet so you can spray the toilet every day or even after every use.
What do the adults think of it?
We love that we save water by using this toilet. It’s great that emptying the black tank in our rig is done way less often and we don’t have to deal with the sewage smells of a typical black tank. However, it’s not very easy to clean. The agitator inside the composting bin does not mix up the corners very well, so if your compost is damp you’ll have to clean those corners out by hand. The urine spout is not easily accessibly for cleaning, either. Overall, we don’t regret making the change.
What do the kids think of it?
The kids like that they don’t have to flush the toilet after every use. They don’t like that the spider handle can be difficult to turn if the compost is too damp or the bin is getting full, nor do they particularly enjoy helping to clean it. It’s also a bit high for our younger kids, which is true for most toilets, so we have a small stool for them to use when needed.
Overall we are happy that switched out our RV toilet for the Nature’s Head Composting Toilet. Do you have a composting toilet? What do you think of it? Leave us a comment below! And feel free to email us if you have any questions. We look forward to hearing from you!
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