Flush or Compost Toilet

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Compost toilets are becoming more and more popular in bus, truck, and van conversions now.  They have the advantage of not requiring as large of a freshwater tank, any blackwater tank; which takes up real estate in, or under the bus, and requires additional plumbing in and out of the blackwater tank, and the messy chore of emptying it on a regular basis.

If you were to build a new bus from scratch and had plenty of room for a blackwater tank, and money was not an issue, would you go with a regular RV flush toilet or a compost toilet?  Or would you choose another type of toilet such as an electric toilet?

[luvrbus]

Sonja always wanted a composting toilet, why I don't know but that is an argument I never gave up on lol she lost that one,never appealed to me dumping those in trash cans at rest area and I see it all the time

[bobofthenorth]

No way Jose.

I'm old enough to remember using a backhouse, privvy, biffy, outhouse - call it what you will they were nasty.  We spent 7 years living part time on a boat. Hippy Bill and Donna 2 slips over had a composting toilet which Bill was unreasonably proud of. On the one occasion when we had supper onboard I wasn't obliged to use their facilities but Marilyn was. As far as I'm concerned it was only a slight improvement over a cat litter box. 

Privvies composted just fine but that doesn't make them a good idea.  For me the greatest advantage of a bus conversion is that you can take all the conveniences of home on the road. Flush toilets are pretty much at the top of my list of required conveniences.

[lostagain]

Gary you have been spending too much time with the schooly and tiny home crowd.

[chessie4905]

I will only use traditional. BTW, my father's 1967 Chevy Stepvan Adventureliner had a Destroylet. It burned the waste with propane fire. Space was at a premium on that rig, which might be reason for it

[chessie4905]

I will only use traditional. BTW, my father's 1967 Chevy Stepvan Adventureliner had a Destroylet. It burned the waste with propane fire. Space was at a premium on that rig, which might be reason for it

[Tedsoldbus]

I think compost or bucket ended when the Romans figured out how to route water. Then came copper pipes and then PVC. Add gate valves to a tank and no more funk in the trunk.

But I am used to not changing to something else if what I have works well for me. (But don't follow my lead. I'll be the last guy to put solar panels on my bus too).

I don't mind dumping. Then I flush the tanks. Twice. Just seems to make the bus happier. I'd rather run water and pull 'T" handles than have to touch bags of the good stuff. I'm old enough that I am D-U-N done changing diapers on a baby or a bus.

Put me down for water Gary.

[chessie4905]

I guess if you don't  mind cleaning up after your dogs when walking, it probably might not be an issue.

[Tedsoldbus]

I was dumping at a KOA once and did my double flush as usual. The guy next to me asked if I was having a problem with my tanks. I said "Nope...just like to clean things out well". He said "I hope that works because it seems to waste a lot of water.".
I've heard the argument that it wastes water a few times.
Anytime I hear that "waste water" thing, MY understanding is that water is not wasted. It is a closed system. Except for what we left on the moon or dump from the space station, it just moves around that planet. It evaporates, then rains. There is drought and flooding, but water is not wasted.
Which is why it does not bother me to flush about 3 times when in the bus!

[tr206]

I was dumping at a KOA once and did my double flush as usual. The guy next to me asked if I was having a problem with my tanks. I said "Nope...just like to clean things out well". He said "I hope that works because it seems to waste a lot of water.".
I've heard the argument that it wastes water a few times.
Anytime I hear that "waste water" thing, MY understanding is that water is not wasted. It is a closed system. Except for what we left on the moon or dump from the space station, it just moves around that planet. It evaporates, then rains. There is drought and flooding, but water is not wasted.
Which is why it does not bother me to flush about 3 times when in the bus!

Flush for me. I know some people who think once the water goes down the drain it's gone forever.

[luvrbus]

Flush for me. I know some people who think once the water goes down the drain it's gone forever.

It is not gone forever, if you ever played golf in Vegas there is a reason for the signs telling you not to lick your balls  .I had to explain the sign to buddy one time he had it totally wrong   

[chessie4905]

Clifford, that sign was just for the dogs.

[Glennman]

Definitely no composting toilet for me. And I agree with Tedsoldbus on the concept of wasting water.

[dtcerrato]

RV toilet here with the rolling ball and a 75 gal black tank.under it so we can put up with a lot of sheet.
We liked Art Carney too & do our own septic work at the ponderosa. Maybe it was my dad being superintendent of the city's sewer dept. Lol

[luvrbus]

A good built in tank washing system does save a lot of time and water though,it does get a little boring when there is a line waiting to dump and a person spends 20 minutes washing his tanks out, no offence Ted