All About RV Bathrooms – A Definitive Information

Whether or not you’re new to RVing or simply looking for a brand new RV rest room, you could be considering, “I want there was a complete useful resource that would reply ALL of my questions on RV bathrooms.” Effectively, you’re in luck! You’ve acquired questions—we’ve acquired solutions, and we’ve written this text to be the final useful resource on RV bathrooms.

It’s a grimy matter, however somebody has to cowl it. Actually, the questions we get requested essentially the most are all about “the toilet scenario” inside an RV.

In spite of everything, whenever you’re transferring from a home with working water and a porcelain throne to an RV, the stakes really feel excessive. What is going to occur when it’s good to “go”? And who will deal with the aftermath?

All people poops… however not everybody has to take care of the outcomes as intimately as we RVers do. Right here’s the whole lot you ever needed to learn about RV bathrooms (and possibly extra).

Forms of RV Bathrooms

Whether or not you’re already conversant in the panorama of RV rest room choices or not, we thought we’d begin with a fast orientation to get issues rolling. So, right here’s a rundown of all of the various kinds of RV bathrooms on the market. (If we’re lacking one, please tell us within the feedback—we’d love to listen to from you!)

Gravity Flush Bathrooms

Most RVs in the marketplace come commonplace with a gravity flush rest room. Actually, if there’s no point out of what sort of rest room an RV has, it’s a protected guess that it’s a gravity flush fashion. Such a RV rest room is the closest in look to a residential plumbed-in rest room… however solely in look.

Gravity flush bathrooms are usually manufactured from porcelain (in higher-end fashions), identical to a residential rest room, or plastic. Most have a foot pedal flush that opens a hatch on the backside of the bowl. The pedal additionally rinses the bowl with water whenever you’re completed.

Waste and rinse water then fall (because of gravity) right into a black tank, which holds the whole lot till you evacuate it via a sewer hose at an RV dump station. (It sounds worse than it’s.)

Professionals of Gravity Flush Bathrooms:

Cons of Gravity Flush Bathrooms:

• They use a variety of water, which is vital when you plan to do a variety of boondocking.
• You do must dump your waste via a sewer hose. Whereas we didn’t discover it that dangerous, some folks (understandably) simply don’t wish to get that shut and private with sewage.
• You need to discover an RV dump station when it’s time to empty the waste holding tank.

Well-liked Manufacturers of Gravity Flush RV Bathrooms:

Composting Bathrooms

We’ve met many individuals preferring composting bathrooms over conventional gravity flush fashions. Actually, virtually each time we hear about somebody swapping out the bathroom of their RV, it’s to exchange the usual gravity flush rest room with a composting rest room.

The perks are quite a few: composting bathrooms are extra environmentally pleasant, use little to no water, and mean you can go longer between dumping (the stable waste, that’s).

Composting bathrooms usually separate liquids from solids, and the mix of the 2 is what creates sewage. With a composting setup, you merely dump the liquids right into a public rest room or, if acceptable by native laws, dilute it and sprinkle it on the bottom.

You combine your solids with a composting medium like coconut coir, which finally breaks them down into compost. When the bathroom is filled with compost, you may put it right into a compostable bag and drop it within the nearest dumpster—and even use it as fertilizer for non-edible crops.

We wrote a complete article all about composting bathrooms when you actually wish to dive deep into the most well-liked manufacturers. We additionally share our not-so-great early expertise with a composting bucket rest room.

Professionals of Composting Bathrooms:

• They’re essentially the most environmentally pleasant possibility, because you’re not creating sewage or utilizing ingesting water to flush your waste. You’re additionally creating (doubtlessly helpful) compost within the discount.
• As a result of they don’t require water, you may go dry tenting longer with out having to dump. Because you gained’t want your black tank, you may mix your black and grey tanks into one big grey tank. All of this implies you may camp within the wild for much longer.

Cons of Composting Bathrooms:

• Sourcing composting medium like coconut coir might be tough, relying on the place you might be—and don’t overlook, you’ll want area to retailer it.
• Dumping your liquids might be awkward. Should you’re going to dump in a public rest room, it means you’ll be carrying a bottle of pee round whilst you’re in transit. You’ll most likely additionally must dump your liquids pretty usually, for the reason that liquid tanks are small.
• We’ve heard that odor might be a difficulty with the liquid portion. Attempt utilizing white vinegar to assist with this.

Well-liked Manufacturers of Composting RV Bathrooms:

Cassette Bathrooms

What’s a cassette, if we’re not speaking about early 90’s audio? Should you adopted our travels within the Ram ProMaster Class B van, you recognize that we used a cassette rest room for a few years and liked it! Actually, I dumped that rest room solo for all the first 12 months we had the van as a result of it actually wasn’t an enormous deal.

Most not too long ago, we acquired to revisit the cassette rest room whereas testing the Storyteller GXV HILT, and it reminded us how a lot we take pleasure in utilizing one of these RV rest room.

Mainly, with a cassette rest room, you might have the identical everlasting rest room you’d see in a gravity flush setup. Nonetheless, as an alternative of amassing waste in a hard and fast black tank, it’s collected in a conveyable tank (or cassette).

Cassettes look virtually like a suitcase, full with a deal with and wheels for simple rolling (although we wouldn’t advocate bringing one as carry-on). When the tank is full, you merely open an out of doors bay, pull the “suitcase” out, and wheel it to the closest dump station or public rest room for emptying.

After we rented a camper van in Italy, each campground we stayed at had a delegated cassette rest room dump station. You will get an thought of what it’s wish to dump a cassette rest room in Europe by watching this video.

Professionals of Cassette RV Bathrooms:

• They’re very simple to make use of and dump.
• When the tank is full, there’s no want to maneuver your complete RV to the dump station or sewer gap. You may simply take the cassette!

Cons of Cassette RV Bathrooms:

• Relying on how you utilize it, you may very well find yourself nearer to the icky stuff with this rest room than with a gravity flush.
• As a result of they’re sufficiently small to wheel round, cassettes have smaller capability than completely mounted black tanks.

Transportable Bathrooms

One among our favourite sorts of RV bathrooms is the moveable rest room. We used a Thetford Porta Potti in our 4×4 truck camper for 2 years whereas touring full-time. Now, we use the Dometic moveable rest room that got here with our Transit camper van.

Such a rest room is sort of a logical extension of the cassette rest room. However as an alternative of getting a normal-looking rest room that drains into a conveyable tank, the moveable rest room (or porta potti) is actually a conveyable tank with a bathroom seat on prime.

You may take the entire rest room with you anyplace for the reason that total setup is moveable and straightforward to maneuver. Transportable bathrooms are additionally one of the cost-effective (and space-efficient) choices out there. They don’t take a lot time or effort to put in, both. Should you’re in a rush, or simply impatient, that’s okay—simply plunk it down and go!

Professionals of Transportable RV Bathrooms:

• They’re cheap and straightforward to put in. No instruments required, until you wish to mount a base to your flooring to forestall any shifting throughout transit.
• You may take them anyplace! Should you’re altering RVs, going automobile tenting for a weekend, or simply wish to take yours with you on a day journey, you might have that possibility. 
• They use little or no water for flushing. Ours comes with a small water tank that you should use to assist rinse or flush if wanted, however usually it’s not vital.

Cons of Transportable RV Bathrooms:

• As with cassettes, the dumping course of is a little more up shut and private (doubtlessly) than dumping a black tank with a sewer hose. You don’t have the big valves to seal the entire course of from view.
• Tank measurement is usually fairly small, so you may’t keep out as lengthy with these kind of bathrooms as you may a typical gravity flush with a big black tank beneath.

Well-liked Manufacturers of Transportable RV Bathrooms:

Dry RV Bathrooms:

Dry flush bathrooms are a preferred sort of moveable rest room. We cowl dry bathrooms in additional element in our article on moveable bathrooms when you simply can’t get sufficient rest room speak.

Dry bathrooms are totally moveable and use no water to flush. As an alternative, waste is wrapped in a cloth that appears quite a bit like skinny aluminum foil, together with a powder that turns your deposit right into a gel for simple disposal. When finished, you’ll find yourself with a bag or packet you could merely throw right into a rubbish bin.

Well-liked Manufacturers of Dry RV Bathrooms:

Incinerator Bathrooms

Now we’re entering into a few of the extra unconventional sorts of bathrooms. Truthfully, the incinerator rest room is one which blows my thoughts a bit.

I imply, it’s fairly superb you could have a unit inside your RV that turns your waste right into a small pile of ash—lower than a tablespoon of ash for each 3-4 makes use of, to be exact.

Much like the dry flush bathrooms we described above, you’ll have to buy particular rest room bowl liners to make use of an incinerator rest room, so prices can add up rapidly. That is one thing to remember when you’re residing in your RV full-time, particularly with a household.

Right here’s how incinerator bathrooms work: You push a button to incinerate your waste, and the bowl is heated to 1,200 levels Fahrenheit. An exhaust vent routes the smoke outdoors. The entire cycle takes about 2 hours, however don’t fear—you may nonetheless use the bathroom whereas that’s occurring.

Well-liked Manufacturers of Incinerator RV Bathrooms:

Macerator Bathrooms

Right here’s one “con” we didn’t point out with gravity flush bathrooms (or, frankly, any RV rest room that requires water and has a storage tank): the “poo pyramid.”

This pyramid can kind when you have too many solids within the tank and never sufficient liquids. The waste and bathroom paper create a mound that turns into practically unimaginable to take away if it will get massive sufficient—which is why there’s truly such a factor as an RV proctologist.

A macerator rest room prevents this subject by pulverizing waste, functioning very similar to your rubbish disposal at dwelling. Which means that blockages attributable to wads of bathroom paper (or different objects) gained’t happen. You’ll even have a decrease danger of clogs in your sewer hose throughout dumping.

Professionals of Macerator RV Bathrooms:

• They’ll pump waste up an incline
• Smaller sewer hose diameter means much less odor whereas dumping

Cons of Macerator RV Bathrooms:

• Dumping tanks is slower with a smaller hose
• Requires extra water and electrical energy than another sort of RV rest room, which implies that when you’re enthusiastic about tenting with out hookups, this is probably not the bathroom for you.

Well-liked Manufacturers of Macerator RV Bathrooms:

Cat Gap

Since we’re aiming to be as thorough as potential, we figured we should always point out the great old school cat gap.

If not one of the above choices really feel like a very good match in your rig—and you favor to expertise nature with no obstacles between you and the nice open air—the cat gap could be for you. All you want is a shovel and good steadiness.

Should you select this selection, please analysis easy methods to do it safely and test the laws for the world you’re in. Plan to dig a gap not less than 6 inches deep and bury the whole lot whenever you’re finished. In fact, avoid streams and rivers to keep away from contaminating water sources.

And pack out your rest room paper, as animals are inclined to dig it up and unfold the trash round. Reusable pee cloths have grow to be extra standard in recent times and are an possibility to think about to chop down on rest room paper use for primary.

How does an RV rest room work?

On the most simple degree, you simply want a bathroom with a sufficiently small footprint to suit inside an RV. Then, you want a plan for the vacation spot of your liquids and solids. Is the whole lot going to the identical place, or are you separating them?

The entire completely different RV bathrooms described above work otherwise, however the objective of all of them is to supply a protected, sanitary receptacle in your waste. After we stay in a sticks and bricks home, we’re used to the luxurious of our waste being out of sight and out of thoughts, with a easy flush of the deal with. In an RV, which is a closed system that you simply convey with you, it isn’t fairly so easy!

What’s the Greatest Bathroom for an RV?

As you may most likely inform from the professionals and cons listed for every rest room above, the very best rest room in your RV will rely in your tenting fashion, price range, and private preferences. Listed here are some inquiries to ask your self when making a buying resolution:

• How usually do I wish to keep in a single spot with out having to dump?
• What sort of “soiled jobs” am I prepared (or unwilling) to do?
• Will I wish to preserve water and/or electrical energy, or principally be camped with hookups?
• How a lot am I prepared to spend?
• Can I change my present rest room myself? What instruments/experience are required? 

Continuously Requested Questions on RV Bathrooms

Is RV rest room paper vital?

Most skilled RVers who do use their black tanks will inform you no—you don’t want to make use of the very skinny, very costly RV rest room paper that’s rated as protected in your RV’s sewage system.

Nonetheless, you do must be cautious about the bathroom paper you flush into your tank; not all residential rest room papers are created equal. The perfect rest room paper to make use of in an RV is a judgment name, however a number of RVers like Angel Delicate or Charmin Extremely Delicate.

The Match RV created an excellent video on how one can check completely different rest room paper manufacturers for your self. Mainly, you wish to shake a few squares with water and see in the event that they begin to break down inside about an hour. In the event that they don’t, don’t put that rest room paper into your tank! In the event that they dissolve in that point, you’re good to go.

How can I cease my black tank from smelling?

There are many chemical compounds on the market which are marketed to cease black tank odor, however we desire Joyful Camper. It’s an natural tank remedy that left our toilet with none odor in any respect.

A good way to “cost” your black tank (or, put together it to be used after dumping) is to place just a few gallons of water into it together with a scoop of Joyful Camper. You may add some Daybreak dish cleaning soap and Calgon water softener when you actually wish to clear your tank out whilst you’re happening the highway.

Including a very good quantity of water is essential. You wish to put 3-5 gallons of contemporary water into your black tank earlier than you begin utilizing it, for a few causes. First, that is essential for retaining odor down. And second, you’ll stop the dreaded “poo pyramid” when you get a number of liquid in there from the get-go.

Can you place a daily rest room in an RV?

Effectively … type of, however not likely. Residential bathrooms have a big water tank and are designed to hook up with residential plumbing. To not point out the truth that they’re heavy. There’s no approach to join considered one of these kind of bathrooms and not using a severe overhaul of your RV’s innards—they usually’re means too heavy, anyway.

However, with a porcelain gravity flush rest room, you will get fairly darn near the residential rest room expertise. With the added journey of flushing your black tank each on occasion.

Are all RV bathrooms the identical measurement?

No! They undoubtedly aren’t, so when you’re changing yours, make sure to measure the area you might have out there. Some RV bathrooms generally is a important funding, and also you don’t wish to find yourself with one thing that doesn’t suit your area.

Methods to take away an RV rest room

The precise particulars will rely upon the model of bathroom you might have, however when you’re eradicating a typical gravity flush rest room and changing it with both one other gravity flush or a special sort of bathroom, listed below are the essential steps you’ll wish to observe:

1. Shut off the water, maintain down the foot pedal to launch any residual water strain, and disconnect and drain the water provide traces working out of your contemporary tank/water system to your rest room
2. Take away the nuts and bolts on the base of the pedestal that connects the bathroom to the ground. Typically there are two of those, one on all sides.
3. Elevate the bathroom and take away it.
4. Take away and discard the outdated flooring flange seal and bolts

Methods to set up an RV rest room?

Set up will fluctuate relying on the kind of rest room you put in.

As an illustration, when you’re changing a gravity flush rest room with a composting rest room (or different sort of bathroom that has a fan, like an incinerator rest room), set up can get difficult. If electrical energy is required to run a fan, you’ll have to wire the bathroom into your RV’s electrical system (not advisable until you’re comfy working with electrical).

You may additionally have to put a gap into the facet of your RV for the vent, so proceed with warning! Take into account having an expert do the set up, and ideally one who has put in your sort of bathroom earlier than.

Putting in a gravity flush rest room in an RV that already has one is fairly simple. Should you’re a visible learner, Mark Polk has a wonderful video on easy methods to take away and set up a standard gravity flush RV rest room.

For composting rest room set up, you may be taught quite a bit from the “how to not” video made by the Wynns.

One of many the explanation why we love our moveable rest room a lot is that set up couldn’t be simpler. Actually, you don’t essentially even want to put in something. You may simply set one of these rest room on the ground of your RV and drive on! Nonetheless, to forestall any sliding round throughout transit, you would possibly set up a easy flooring mount to maintain the bathroom in place.

How a lot water does an RV rest room use per flush?

We hate to sound like a damaged report, but it surely is dependent upon what sort of rest room you might have. The good factor about RV bathrooms (versus residential bathrooms) is you could management how a lot water is used. It’s not like a plumbed-in rest room the place you push the deal with and the bathroom takes over from there. 

With a gravity flush rest room, you may maintain down the foot pedal so long as you want. You mainly simply wish to use sufficient water to rinse the bowl, so it’s going to rely upon whether or not your “deposit” was liquid or stable. Most flushes can be perhaps ½ cup to 1 cup of water.

Some RV bathrooms, like a composting rest room or dry flush moveable rest room, use no water in any respect.

Transportable bathrooms like ours do have a small water tank to make use of whereas flushing. We most likely use ¼ cup or so per flush, simply to rapidly rinse down the bowl.

Methods to flush an RV rest room

You understand the reply by now: it relies upon.

Most RV bathrooms have a foot pedal flush. Should you step all the way in which down, the water will rinse the bowl and the door on the base of the bowl will open, permitting the waste and rinse water down into the black tank. Stepping midway down on the foot pedal will simply run rinse water into the bowl, so you may fill the bowl for cleansing or prepping the tank.

Transportable bathrooms may need a push button or pull deal with to open the “entice door” into the holding tank. The dry flush RV bathrooms which have proprietary liners and run on electrical will usually do the be just right for you with the push of a button. 

With a composting rest room, you don’t need any liquid to get into the solids tank. So that you’ll first wipe any residue from the bowl with rest room paper, then flip a hand crank to combine your most up-to-date stable into your composting materials. You would possibly simply use ¼ cup of water or so to rapidly rinse the bowl after you’re finished, ensuring all of it results in the liquid tank.

The “Backside” Line

There you might have it—our round-up of solutions to all of the questions we hear about RV bathrooms. We’ve finished our greatest to create the very best useful resource on RV bathrooms on the market.

In case you have any questions that we didn’t reply, please tell us within the feedback and we’ll do our greatest to handle them.