Title: Finally Ditched The Black Tank: My Dry Loo Journey
Man, I’ve been there with the “oh, I’ll just bring extra bags,” then suddenly realizing I’m one bag short and it’s 90 degrees out. Not my finest hour either—ended up triple-bagging and praying nothing leaked while trying to act casual at a rest stop. Honestly, I still get nervous about the whole “what if the bin fills up” thing, but at least it doesn’t involve those mystery sensor readings. You know the ones—says you’re empty, but *surprise*, you’re not.
I have to admit, though, sometimes I miss just pulling a lever and watching everything disappear (out of sight, out of mind). But then I remember how much time I spent cursing at those sensors and cleaning gunk out of places I’d rather forget. Trade-offs everywhere, right? At least with the dry loo, what you see is what you get... for better or worse.
Man, I totally get the relief of ditching those unreliable sensors. I’ve worked on enough rigs where folks swear the tank’s empty, then you open it up and—nope, not even close. Dry loos are a whole different beast, but at least you know what you’re dealing with. Ever had issues with lingering smells, or does the setup keep things under control? I’m always curious how people handle that part. Still, not having to snake out a clogged black tank is a win in my book.
Yeah, those sensors are a joke half the time. I’ve had folks panic over “full” readings, only to find out it’s just a wad of paper messing with the sensor. With dry loos, I’ve noticed smell really depends on how often you empty and what you’re using for cover material. Sawdust works better than peat in my experience, but if you slack on maintenance, it’ll definitely let you know. Ever try adding a little vent fan? That made a huge difference for me—keeps things way more tolerable inside. Still beats wrestling with a black tank clog any day.
Still beats wrestling with a black tank clog any day.
Ain’t that the truth. Had a “fun” afternoon once with a stubborn clog and a coat hanger—never again.
- Sensors: Might as well use a magic 8-ball for accuracy.
- Smell: 100% agree, sawdust wins. Peat just gets kinda... swampy?
- Vent fan: Game changer, but mine’s loud enough to scare off raccoons.
- Maintenance: Skip it and you’ll regret it fast. Nature’s way of reminding you who’s boss.
Dry loo isn’t perfect, but at least I’m not elbow-deep in black tank goo anymore.
Ever had any issues with critters getting into the vent? I’ve seen folks run into that, especially if the fan’s not running 24/7 or if there’s no screen. Also, curious—how often do you actually swap out the sawdust? Some say every couple days, but I wonder if that’s overkill...