Composting toilets

Submitted: Sunday, Sep 01, 2024 at 11:47
ThreadID: 148404 Views:2541 Replies:9 FollowUps:15
Thinking about buying a composting toilet.
Does anyone have any thoughts and suggestions around these. Needs to be portable and not mounted in a caravan
Cheers
Daryl
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Reply By: Peter_n_Margaret - Sunday, Sep 01, 2024 at 14:29

Sunday, Sep 01, 2024 at 14:29
https://www.ogotoilet.com.au/
I have purchased the one on the left for our new build OKA and it did occur to me that it could be portable (although needs 12V), but they now have another that might suit you better?
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome
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Reply By: Member -Pinko (NSW) - Sunday, Sep 01, 2024 at 15:36

Sunday, Sep 01, 2024 at 15:36
What happens to the 'compost', would solids break down in a week time frame? Solids (compost) could not be disposed of in the conventional sewerage setups?
Do you dig a hole and bury?
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Follow Up By: Peter_n_Margaret - Sunday, Sep 01, 2024 at 17:26

Sunday, Sep 01, 2024 at 17:26
Full composting takes months not weeks, but when contained in a compostable plastic bag it can be disposed of in general rubbish or simply buried without a bag. No reason why composting waste should not go into a long drop.

95% of our black waste from our current cassette toilet is buried because where we typically travel we don't see dump points. Traditionally this is about every 4 days, but we find that if we avoid sending urine into the cassette and minimise flushing water, we can extend that to 10 days without a problem.
Cheers,
Peter
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Reply By: Member - Dick K - Sunday, Sep 01, 2024 at 16:46

Sunday, Sep 01, 2024 at 16:46
I have a OGO and like it. It's advertised as 25 solids uses which is rubbish, I get about 10. Maybe a 6 year old could get 25 uses but not an adult. I double bag it just to be safe and throw it up the tip with my household rubbish that goes to landfill, it's only compost.
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Follow Up By: Briste - Monday, Sep 02, 2024 at 09:51

Monday, Sep 02, 2024 at 09:51
I have no experience with an OGO, as I have a Nature's Head. But I recently stumbled across video on FB by a woman who stated that the trick to maximising the number of uses from an OGO is to start with dry coir and use less than apparently is recommended. She has three teenagers and she claims that they get more use from theirs than you do. If interested, search for "Joellaca Dreamin - A mum travelling Aus with her 3 kids" on FB.
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Reply By: Member -Pinko (NSW) - Monday, Sep 02, 2024 at 07:46

Monday, Sep 02, 2024 at 07:46
I would hope that those that have composting toilets are exceptionally particular how they bag theirtoilet contents. In caravan parks manybins are transfered bin to bin before it leaves the park. A burst bag is going to upset the cleaning staff?
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Reply By: Member - wicket - Monday, Sep 02, 2024 at 09:36

Monday, Sep 02, 2024 at 09:36
This one is portable, gets some good reviews by campers on youtube.https://www.trelino.com/en-au/products/trelino%C2%AE-evo-s

Might want to have a look at this one as it’s a bit cheaper
https://www.joolca.com.au/products/gottago
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Reply By: Briste - Monday, Sep 02, 2024 at 09:41

Monday, Sep 02, 2024 at 09:41
It's not clear what question you're really asking. The pros and cons of a composting toilet have been debated extensively online, and a little searching will find plenty of information. Those who have one, like me, are almost universally happy with them. Those against generally don't like the idea, or have reservations about the disposal of the compost waste, as per some of the comments in this thread. I don't share those concerns, based on my experience.

Of course the urine bottle needs to be emptied on a fairly regular basis, so the benefits for those who simply go from caravan park to caravan park and are always close to a dump point are debatable. But not all CPs have a dump point, and if you want to go off-grid and away from a dump point, then the composter is a big advantage.

You asked about portable. The two most commonly used units - Nature's Head and OGO - are not really portable. They're significant units that require 12V power for a fan and have a vent tube that has to be routed somewhere.Kimberley had an option in their now discontinued Kamper whereby the NH unit was carried in a gullwing compartment, and set up in an ensuite tent, but I'm not aware of any other brand doing that. A NH gets a bit heavy as it fills.

More recently some brands have introduced more compact composting toilets. OGO have one, there is a brand called Cuddy that I'm aware of, and I was told by Ultimate that they now have the option of a Trelino, that fits in the compartment where a portapotty unit would otherwise go. It sounds like you should research these. I have not seen any commentary on them, most people want / have installed units.
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Follow Up By: Peter_n_Margaret - Monday, Sep 02, 2024 at 09:53

Monday, Sep 02, 2024 at 09:53
Quote..........."Of course the urine bottle needs to be emptied on a fairly regular basis,"
If we find that this is a problem with our OGO, I have already arranged for it to be plumbed to an external (under the floor) 20L removable tank (a modified 20L plastic jerry can).
Cheers,
Peter
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Follow Up By: Briste - Monday, Sep 02, 2024 at 10:04

Monday, Sep 02, 2024 at 10:04
The main time when I am wary of emptying the bottle Peter, is when I'm in a CP without a dump point. Owners of such parks tend to have problems with people with cassettes emptying them into the toilet. So I'm concerned about the optics of emptying the bottle that way. The only other occasion is when I'm off-grid and there are other campers around, and I need to find a tree far enough away from people. But it's rarely an issue. My preference is to empty it daily and rinse it out when water is not an issue.
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Reply By: Allan B (Sunshine Coast) - Monday, Sep 02, 2024 at 15:03

Monday, Sep 02, 2024 at 15:03
.
Does anyone else remember the days when railway carriage toilets emptied directly onto the tracks? You could look down and see the sleepers whizzing past.
I cannot imagine what the gangers thought about that practice.
There was always a sign that requested "Please do not use the toilet whilst the train is at the station".
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Allan

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Follow Up By: axle - Monday, Sep 02, 2024 at 16:47

Monday, Sep 02, 2024 at 16:47
G/Day Allan.

The Gangers i know that worked on the rail network couldn't give a flying chit!


Cheers Axle,.
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Follow Up By: RMD - Monday, Sep 02, 2024 at 19:42

Monday, Sep 02, 2024 at 19:42
Hello Allan.
I have one of those vitreous masterpieces sitting in my backyard. It has the see through aspect to it too! Now looking for a train carriage, rails and a loco to try it out. With gravity assisting, it should work ok!
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Follow Up By: Member - William B - Monday, Sep 02, 2024 at 20:59

Monday, Sep 02, 2024 at 20:59
I remember when we lived at Brewarrina and travelled to Sydney by train and using the toilet and seeing the ground rush by.
William
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Follow Up By: Peter J4 - Tuesday, Sep 03, 2024 at 06:52

Tuesday, Sep 03, 2024 at 06:52
I was apparently greatly interested in what happened to the lowered waste when the train was in motion and when we stopped at a station was seen examining the undercarriage that was behind the loo nuch to my mothers disgust, I was only very young at the time!
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Follow Up By: Member - silkwood - Wednesday, Sep 04, 2024 at 09:15

Wednesday, Sep 04, 2024 at 09:15
You can still get that experience travelling by train in India. Amazing experiences, Indian trains, mostly good, sometimes not so much!

Cheers, Mark
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Follow Up By: AlbyNSW - Wednesday, Sep 04, 2024 at 20:20

Wednesday, Sep 04, 2024 at 20:20
Silkwood you don’t need to go to India to see it, some of the Indian longhaul truck drivers have it setup in their trucks here to save them from stopping when nature calls
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Follow Up By: Allan B (Sunshine Coast) - Thursday, Sep 05, 2024 at 07:49

Thursday, Sep 05, 2024 at 07:49
.
Alby: "save them from stopping"?? Blimey, that's how the s**t could literally "hit the fan"!!
lol.
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Allan

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Follow Up By: Peter J4 - Thursday, Sep 05, 2024 at 08:07

Thursday, Sep 05, 2024 at 08:07
A friend that drives trucks interstate was telling me about the Indian drivers, they do driver swaps on the go and lift up a hatch cut into the cab floor to do their toileting.
Mechanics refuse to work on the vehicles due to the crap stuck all over the underneath.
As a lot don't have much literary ability one bloke in the crew looks after the logbooks to keep the authorities happy.
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Follow Up By: Nomadic Navara - Thursday, Sep 05, 2024 at 10:43

Thursday, Sep 05, 2024 at 10:43
I remember when Air India commenced services to Oz. The airport cleaners nearly went on strike over the way their passengers were abusing the dunnies.
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Follow Up By: AlbyNSW - Thursday, Sep 05, 2024 at 12:15

Thursday, Sep 05, 2024 at 12:15
Peter J4, a mate who services trucks it how I hear about it too, he works for one of the big name companies and they refuse to service their trucks anymore as a result

Apparently one of them got burned pretty badly when the boiling contents of a pot on a lunchbox cooker tipped over onto him while preparing lunch whilst in motion
Not an ideal situation
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Reply By: Hugh J2 - Tuesday, Sep 03, 2024 at 17:33

Tuesday, Sep 03, 2024 at 17:33
Back wen i were a lad we had the night cart come by imagine the mahogany brown stains emptying those.
Side note i luv it wen these posts go sideways to positive banter.
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Follow Up By: Member -Pinko (NSW) - Wednesday, Sep 04, 2024 at 07:45

Wednesday, Sep 04, 2024 at 07:45
And the unforgettable smell of phenyl and the big brush?
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Reply By: ghezzi - Saturday, Sep 21, 2024 at 16:01

Saturday, Sep 21, 2024 at 16:01
Hi Darryl,
I have used the Thunder Downunder (15L bucket with toilet seat/lid) extensively. Obviously with a suitable plastic bag installed. I carry a bag of Equine Bedding Pellets made from pine shavings, add a cup full and it does a great job of absorbing moisture and odor. I was set on the OGO but it wouldn't quite fit my new camper arriving in a month, so I opted for the Joolca Gotta-go.

About 8kg empty, I think. You have options with the cassettes. Normal chemical cassette, a composting cassette that would need to be cleaned regularly, or the 'bag' version of the composting cassette. Liquid is still kept separate.

With the bag version, you just twirl the handle at the top, so you don't have to look at the contents.
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