Swapped out the old RV toilet for a composting one last weekend and honestly, I was expecting way more drama. It’s actually kinda satisfying to see how little waste I’m producing now (and no more chemical smells, thank goodness). The install was a bit fiddly but not rocket science. Anyone else made the switch? Did you run into any surprises or regrets?
Title: Finally ditched the black tank: my dry loo journey
Yeah, I made the switch about a year ago. Honestly, I was bracing for way more hassle than it turned out to be. The install took a bit longer than I thought—mainly because the old plumbing was a pain to get out and I had to patch up the floor where the old flange was. But once it was in, it’s been pretty smooth sailing.
Biggest surprise for me? How much less maintenance there is overall. No more worrying about leaks or dealing with sensors that never read right. The only thing that caught me off guard was how fast the solids bin fills up when you’re camping with more than two people. If you’ve got a family or guests, you’ll be emptying it more often than you think. Not a dealbreaker, just something to plan for.
I do miss the convenience of just dumping everything at a station and being done with it, but not enough to go back to the black tank life. The smell thing is real—no more weird chemical funk hanging around, which is a huge win in my book.
One tip: keep an eye on your vent fan and make sure it’s running right. Had mine clog up with dust once and didn’t realize until things started getting... musty. Quick clean fixed it, but now I check it every couple weeks.
All in all, no regrets here. It’s not perfect, but honestly, neither was the old setup. At least now I know exactly what’s going on down there instead of hoping the sensors aren’t lying again.
The only thing that caught me off guard was how fast the solids bin fills up when you’re camping with more than two people.
Yeah, that’s the one thing I didn’t really plan for either. Took the dry loo on a long weekend with my brother and his kids last summer, and wow, it filled up way quicker than I expected. Ended up improvising with some extra compostable bags. Still beats wrestling with stubborn tank fittings, though. I actually enjoy not having to second-guess those tank sensors anymore—never trusted them much anyway. Vent fan tip is spot on... learned that one the hard way during a dusty week at the lake.
Still beats wrestling with stubborn tank fittings, though. I actually enjoy not having to second-guess those tank sensors anymore—never trusted them much anyway.
I get the appeal, but honestly, I’ve never had much trouble with tank fittings if you keep up on maintenance. Those sensors can be a pain, sure, but a little vinegar flush now and then usually keeps them working for me. The dry loo’s nice for simplicity, but dealing with a full bin mid-trip seems like just trading one hassle for another. Curious if anyone’s found a way around that besides just packing extra bags?
Those sensors can be a pain, sure, but a little vinegar flush now and then usually keeps them working for me. The dry loo’s nice for simplicity, but dealing with a full bin mid-trip seems like ju...
Title: Finally Ditched The Black Tank: My Dry Loo Journey
Yeah, the mid-trip full bin is a bit of a curveball. I tried the “just pack extra bags” route but, not gonna lie, I once misjudged and ended up doing some creative shuffling in a gas station parking lot—definitely not my proudest moment. Now I just keep a small airtight container as backup. Not glamorous, but it beats the old slosh-and-slosh routine with the black tank. Honestly, I’ll take a little awkwardness over those sensors lying to me any day.