Best rv waste water & sanitation products according to redditors
We found 94 Reddit comments discussing the best rv waste water & sanitation products. We ranked the 40 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
>toilet
That's what they say but I heard it's just a very small chemical toilet.
I am a r/VanDwellers and live from a van that has a fridge (cooler-shaped, 12v/24v/120v Dometic 65-quart fridge/freezer combo), a little Camco camp toilet, pressurized hot water tank for dishes and bathing,a Camp Chef dual-burner propane stove with oven that uses Coleman tanks or a white tank, and a modest ($1,300) solar setup...
I've lived completely off grid and mobile since August 20 17 until this past Winter because cold and snow!
With a double bed across the back with regular linens, storage for clothes and tools and cooking, power outlets, I have all the comforts of home.
Not counting the van, my complete setup was about $3,500.
The Prairie Schooner can be disassembled in a day and all the components can be applied to a cabin - as soon as I get some land (LOL!) for said cabin - leaving a regular cargo van for work or resale.
Or you can not choose to live like a caveman and actually get a chemical toilet for emergencies, or even regular use. They literally cost $100, plus the chemicals. Sure, they're disgusting to empty, but toilets are the one thing that separate us from the animals... :p
Anyone who carries plastic bags around in case they have to squat in the van and start shitting should just face the facts and buy a damned toilet already. The smallest Dometic chemical porta-potty is literally 12 inches high.
https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-301097406-Portable-Stainless-Hold-Down/dp/B005Q73D24 although Thetford probably makes the best porta-potties.
For anyone with girlfriends: good luck getting 99% of women to squat on your tarp...
ok, no problem:
http://www.amazon.com/Sanitation-Equipment-Deluxe-Portable-Toilet/dp/B000FBNWYK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301763030&sr=8-1
The grey tank can get more disgusting than the black. They do make a grey tank cleaner specifically made to dissolve grease and sludge that's common in grey tanks, where black tank chemical is specifically made to deal with the stuff commonly found in black tanks.
Just pee in a jug and poop when you come across toilets lol. They’re all over the place these days.
That would be funny as hell if I just dookied in an open bucket in the back of the van. “Don’t mind the smell...”
There are nice little toilets available for emergencies, or if you’re a chick. I got this one:
link
My previous camper had a rotary tank washer. Disappointed that my new camper did not, so I installed one. Wasn’t difficult and has worked for me when something gets stuck to a level sensor.
Camco 40126 Tornado Rotary Tank Rinser with Hose https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BUU5TU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_DvkaCbX7114YB
I recommend this for a restroom
For a shower all you need is a body wash, towels, a poof, water.
Don't over think power, I use 12v USB power banks. And its all the power I need. Although my 900amp battery converter that hook up to my battery is great sometimes..
Reminds me of this.
Your body is more important than shame. :/ if they're decent enough, they won't give you grief. Or you could say you're terrified of restrooms in gas stations and diners.
Camping toilets seem to be a good option. These look pretty discreet (and even flush!)
Bathroom, yes
Shower, no...
I have a 24 hour fitness pass
I bought a couple sets of these ditty bags a while back. They're about right in size, though they fray a bit more than I'd like.
I'm torn between buying more of them, buying other random sets of nylon ditty bags, or buying sets of similar bags in mesh or some other material.
Another thought: gift bags for wine bottles look cheap and appropriately sized!
For the ice in the tank solutions, I'd look at this before spending any time with that method.
I have one of these, and use it occasionally to flush the tank (but the sensor has shown full for years). If you have the type of setup where you can see into the tank from the toilet, there are some straight ones that might do a better job.
My basic method is to close the tank, with that wand down the toilet, and let if fill / drain repeatedly until it runs clear. I rotate it several times while filling to get the corners. We have a laundry room where I hook a short hose up for the flush, but if I didn't I'd probably just put a tee / connection in the toilet water supply.
Breakdown in middle of nowhere: $70 will get you a tow to the nearest shop willing and able to fix it, unlimited miles. Get good sam roadside assistance. They will not hesitate to call out a flatbed and tow you across a whole state through the mountains at no extra cost, I hear.
Predators are easy to deal with if you have the right tools. A taser pulse makes a tiny lady much more powerful than any common predator out there and is unrestricted in 45 states. Only costs $350 and you can conceal it without a license. You will probably never need it but personally every day I have my defense tools nearby is another day they are used - because they give me peace of mind knowing I can deal with whatever comes up - Similar to the rational of having a fire extinguisher. You'll probably never need it, vandwelling is not dangerous and I don't mean to construe it as such. But you'll probably never need a fire extinguisher, too. Probably. But it would deal with one issue I see you have expressed - worry.
For the portapotty, I chose this one after a lot of research: https://www.amazon.com/Camco-41545-Travel-Toilet-gallon/dp/B018LBYCT4
Put the whole thing inside of a sealed container and your worries are over. It can dump into any old regular toilet you find (parks, outhouse pits, gas stations with an unlocked bathroom out back, etc).
For the heat, put a folded tarp on your roof when stationary and not in the city. If you can decouple the tarp from the roof that will work any better. A roof rack is handy for this. Safari vans have been using this low tech since forever. If your roof isn't white you should paint it so.
There are mobile internet solutions better than verizon, do some searching here.
If you really want AC, you can have it, for 1/3 gallon per hour or more, with a generator. A solution that works for many. Another solution is relocating to the climate.
You can bring your garden with you. Google "Dashboard herb garden".
Questions|Answers
:--|:--
Do you park down by the river? Also, how do you get any ass living in that?|W4M: You host. W4MM: You host and clean up.
Ok, I think this has gone on long enough. I get it.. you're very zooey deschanel in "New Girl" ... but obviously you've gone through some kind of trauma (possibly related to your job). I hope you get the counseling / find what you're looking for.|1) I love it! A woman makes a crude sex joke and that means she's "obviously gone through some kind of trauma". Brilliant. 2) Zooey Deschanel wouldn't say penis. So. PENIS. 3) Boston area hotel minimum = $80 30 days...for something super seedy = $2400 / month. Nope.
Ps - if you really make 6 figures, why not live out of hotels? i've done it, and it's infinitely more rewarding, plus you feel like james bond. |
If you make six figures why are you living in an ambulance...?|Why not? It's an adventure. It's life. Why avoid the unknown fun?
Where do you poop? |That sounds like a title to a children's book...maybe I should steal it. I had a coworker once who had a goal to poop in every restroom in the hospital. I guess now it's my goal to poop in every Starbucks, Panera, and Walgreens in New England. I also have this guy: Link to www.amazon.com that even has a little flush.
View the full table on /r/tabled! | Last updated: 2012-03-30 23:55 UTC | Next update: 2012-03-31 00:55 UTC
This comment was generated by a robot! Send all complaints to epsy.*
They make portable tanks that you can drain your tanks into. You can then take that tank to a dump station.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000OR18BE/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521132002&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=portable+rv+waste+tanks&dpPl=1&dpID=41TMTdNeRWL&ref=plSrch
Just get hot showers via gym memberships, truck stop gas cards, couchsurfing website.
Public toilets, also stuff like this, composting toilets.
https://www.amazon.com/Camco-41541-Portable-Toilet-gallon/dp/B004SFKJIQ
It just comes down to being clever. Hell, people put wood stoves in vans.
Paying rent is overrated.
For bigger tailgates (like Opening Day) I have a small toilet like this one that we put in the back of the SUV with a small curtain around it. 50% tinted windows help too. It may sound weird but it beats waiting a half hour to pee. I just stick it underneath the car when we go in for the game so that it doesn't heat up and stink up the car. I know miller park 'banned' these but I've been doing it for years.
My only rule is #1s only.
For smaller tailgates just pee in a bottle if you don't want to wait in line? Idk what else to tell you.
I am in trucking and a lot of drivers say this is the best thing out there, really odourless, http://www.amazon.com/Thetford-92360-Porta-Portable-Toilet/dp/B006WPQNB2/ , it costs more than a portapotty you might find at walmart, but its what I'd use in an self made RV Van, over a composting toilet. The base detaches and you can take it like a jug of water to a toilet or RV waste spot and dump your waste.
Be careful with that. A lot of the cheaper ones don't have any bearings on the wheels and they will burn out really fast unless you drive REALLY slow... like under 2mph slow.
I know Barker's tanks have bearings and bigger inflatable wheels and will hold up a lot better. Their warranty support is really damn good too.
We have a 42 gallon one and I use one of these to haul it around after I fill it since the dump station is quite a ways away from where we set up.
edit: That picture is wrong... that's the old style, here is the right picture
This one
The most space efficient solution is to use wag bags. If not familiar with them, they're used extensively by campers and hikers; basically a couple of bags with some absorbent material inside. Can be used alone or with a toilet seat that folds up into a very small space like this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Stansport-271-Portable-Folding-Travel/dp/B000K6HN22/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=camping+toilet+seat&qid=1555773820&s=gateway&sr=8-6
Some have entirely biodegradable bags, most can be just tossed in landfill. NOT in pit toilets, etc. Folks make their own with bags and kitty litter. Urine goes into a pee bottle.
Some camping areas now require a system where all human solid waste is carried out, so useful in those scenarios.
You could also look at cassette toilets, kind of an improvement over the bucket-and-seat, but a bit easier to use to dump the waste, and sometimes even smaller. Like this: https://www.amazon.com/Thetford-White-92860-Porta-Potti/dp/B07CHLVS16/ref=sr_1_21?keywords=cassette+toilet&qid=1555774170&s=gateway&sr=8-21
I would recommend using more water in the tank and a deodorizer in the tank to hide some of the smell, but most importantly, you should dump the black tank after every trip. If you have a stew in the tank and it sits around for a month till the next trip its going to get ripe.
also I installed a [Camco Tornado Tank Rinser ] (https://www.amazon.com/Camco-40126-Tornado-Rotary-Rinser/dp/B000BUU5TU/) if you I dont have one you should think about it to help get rid of all the debris.
If your brother will allow you to use his bathroom at specific times of the day you could get one of these and empty it every few days:
https://www.amazon.com/Camco-41541-Portable-Toilet-gallon/dp/B004SFKJIQ/ref=pd_sim_sbs_201_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=31o62v345UL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&psc=1&refRID=42105QHT69TP4BJVD42M
Do you need to use a lot of soap for showering? I tend to shower with just water on my body and a bit of shampoo in my hair. if you aren't using harsh soap chemicals I don't see what would be so bad about discharging to the yard it shouldn't be particularly different from rain. They make expensive soaps made for campers in the wilderness that might be ok.
Ooooh, wow, I loooove that van. Everything about it is just awesome looking!
Anyhow, not a female, but on my camping and on adventures I've had lots of advice passed along from them. For things like vandwelling and longer adventures, I think the number one concern and thing that came up was waking up and having to pee.
Some resolved this by way of having a portable RV toilet setup that they toted along with, similar to this: http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B004SFKJIQ
I have one of those I bring with me on remote camping expeditions, especially, as it's very handy.
In more constrained situations, a pee bottle is typically used and is entirely functional. Folks, especially backpackers and other 'dwellers mention http://www.thepstyle.com/ as a great investment to allow them to use said pee bottles effectively, too.
Outside of that, carry an extra jug of gas as a 'just in case' situation and test the condition of your batteries and how well you can boondock with them (not connected to shore power and not getting the batteries actively recharged by driving.) Also, a portable jumper pack is an AWESOME investment, as that extra juice and get you out of a jam nicely, and if someone else is stuck with a dead battery, it saves you the trouble of having to use jumpers and doing vehicular gymnastics, which can be annoying.
If you want a shaded/shielded sitting area in remote areas, an awning can be a nice addition if you can afford one, and investing in a nice outdoor welcome mat/runner is super handy for if you're hiking or just want to take your boots or shoes off before you enter the camper.
In the woods or, again, remote locations, you could have a compact hammock on hand that you can set up to give yourself some more seating/laying about options, too, the value of which is hard to quantify when you're feeling claustrophobic from being inside the van too much.
Anyway, just a few thoughts for you! Have awesome adventures, and check in to let us know how they are going once in a while. =)
You can dump your black and grey tanks into one of these:
https://www.amazon.com/Barker-30844-4-Wheeler-Tote-Tank/dp/B000OR18BE/
And get a 20-40 gallon water bladder for your vehicle that you can fill up anywhere and then refill your freshwater with.
With a family of 4, I'm good for about 4 days before my grey water is full.
I would pull that compost toilet out and just put a brand new portable toilet in there. It'll be a lot easier to sell. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074YW746P
I’ve got a rock wood premier, 2018. Assuming they’re pretty similar, I’ve got a bit of a wacky setup for my grey water. For the shower drain, I use this:
Valterra Black T01-0091VP Swivel Drain Connector-90°, 1-1/2" x 3/4" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006MTREC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_qignDbNYV2HMN
To connect to a regular hose that I run to this:
Barker (11104) Tote Tank - 22 Gallon Capacity https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000B61TPS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_rlgnDb95MB2C0.
For the sink grey water I connect a brass 90 degree elbow to a 3 foot hose (if the hose is too long your sink won’t drain) to this:
Barker Manufacturing Company 10887 Barker 5 Gallon Tote-Along Drain Water Tank https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000B61TP8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_mqgnDbNK22E51.
The sink 5 gallon tank is too small, I have to drain it every couple of days. The whole setup is a little difficult and I want to figure out a way to run it all to one tank instead of two. Just as a heads up, measure the shower drain pipe, it’s smaller than the one most RVs have, so if you buy a tank with a hose, it probably won’t fit. Might have to look for an adapter of some type.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you’ve got more questions, hopefully I’ve already made all the mistakes and can save you some headache. Also, check out popupportal.com. Lots of knowledgeable folks there.
https://www.amazon.com/Camco-41541-Portable-Toilet-gallon/dp/B018LBYB7C?th=1&psc=1
Toilet type issues can be solved easily and cheaply, but there are draw backs.
We have one of these - just a port-a-potty really. But until we get blackwater tanks and everything sorted this does the job.
https://www.amazon.com/Camco-41541-Portable-Toilet-gallon/dp/B004SFKJIQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501018052&sr=8-1&keywords=porta+potty
Running water? Get a manual pump that connects to a 5 gal water tank. https://www.amazon.com/Wealers-Camping-Gallon-Manual-Drinking/dp/B00QLRCTUU/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1501018150&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=manual+water+camping+pump
We started our build in May and we've camped in it twice now... each time it's less like camping and more like a home.
We have a fridge, 4 bunks, master bedroom, bathroom (walls only) shower (walls only) living area, kitchen (no water yet). We're probably $10k into it and I've been working on it an average of 10-20 hours a week every week since may.
Bus, RV and Van all have pros and cons.
One article that turned me onto a bus was http://www.technomadia.com/2011/06/why-a-bus/ Specifically the heading A Bus???
If you have room, time, money and know how and want to make something uniquely yours, a bus would be a good fit.
If you want to move into something right away an RV could work out nice.
If you both want something uniquely yours but have less time, money and space, van dwelling can be a nice step into this type of living.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004SFKJIQ/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8 this one hasn't mentioned fans/vents unless I'm missing something and the reviews are pretty favorable. For $80 I'm not sure you can beat that.
Edit; not sure if it's actually a composting toilet though, I could be wrong on that front
I've used this http://amzn.to/2qSvB9L both for the toilet itself and for the roof vents (when the caps were off).
What do you use for your tanks and where are they located? If you are going to use a deodorizer be sure to get one like this, http://amzn.to/UC6pTb ,it is designed to be used in grey water holding tanks.
They are dirt cheap!
It's great actually we both have our own routines that put us outside of the truck so we only use it for like peeing in morning and before bed. They have a really nice one I'd recommend that I want when I go big like motor home a $1000 one it's the best . I change it about once a week for free and take it to a treatment plant and get flavored tst tabs online for the smell of the toilet
Nature's head https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B009Z7EKIC/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1464768144&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=composting+toilet&dpPl=1&dpID=41k7Tv5c0KL&ref=plSrch
Edit what I have https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004SFKJIQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1464768144&sr=8-2&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=composting+toilet&dpPl=1&dpID=31o62v345UL&ref=plSrch
Public toilets, a portable toilet, or the toilet is in the bathroom area with an in built sewage compartment that you have to empty.
> I've got a buddy wanting to do nearly exactly what's above. My recommendation was a sprinter as well cause he's not too set on requiring a bathroom/shower.
>
Sorta, I think that the outdoor shower solution shown in the dezeen link would be enough for me, and then just one of the fully enclosed little toilets. Like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006WPQMOA/ref=psdc_2504403011_t1_B004RNOV9M
No enclosed anything. If you want to use the bathroom you can either take it outside with a pop up tent, or close curtains inside vehicle main space. It would be a last resort sort of thing, probably if stealth camping.
Sounds like you might benefit from a tank spray attachment!
I converted a utility trailer to a camper. Not that hard. Some insulation and paneling, carpet for the floor, a little pump sink cabinet with a space underneath for a marine toilet, and some kind of propane heater and stove setup.
I use two gallon kerosene cans heated on my stove for showers. I put them on the roof and run water down inside with a solar shower nozzle and siphon bulb. All you need is shallow wooden pan to stand in and drain the water below. I catch the water in this, so I'm self-contained and I have even stayed in a regular RV park right next to fancy motor homes.
Then put in a cot, cooler, storage boxes for your clothes and other stuff, and that's pretty much all you need.
By far the hardest part is the insulation and paneling, but you have to do it to stay warm in cold weather. So if you can find a trailer or van that's already insulated it will be much easier.
Thinking about getting this Camco toilet. Although I was also considering just doing the 5 gallon bucket with a trash bag and kitty litter. I like the Camco because the sealing bit seems to help reduce smell, being able to easily dump into toilets is great, and I think I can theoretically rig the flushing mechanism into some kind of low powered bidet, although I'll live even if I can't do that.
I know my body enough to know that I can't reasonably expect myself to be able to separate solid and liquid waste or sit once in the morning and be done with it. So I feel like the Camco might fit my needs better. If anyone also has thoughts on the tank size that'd be good, I feel like the smaller one would be easier to walk into a normal restroom with and dump it, while the bigger would mean less frequent dumping...I've never like measured my waste so I have 0 idea on how long or short that is.
Just search “chemical toilet” on Amazon
Would a portable camping toilet help? You can dump the waste tank in the outhouse and it shouldn’t be a problem: https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Standard-Recreational-Activites-41541/dp/B004SFKJIQ/
Alternatively, there are biodegradable/compostable bags you could use to line a bucket that could be disposed in an outhouse: https://www.amazon.com/Green-Elephant-Replacement-Biodegradable-Compostable/dp/B079N33LKC/
Pull out the little Camco cassette flush toilet that I bought for such situations.
If it's the Rhino, they make a little extension now that lets you attach to those properly. It's a bit longer than it needs to be though, which can be a pain in terms of liquid pooling in the hose. I wish they made one closer to 1" or 1.5" or just a taller 4-in-1 adapter, but it does the job: https://www.amazon.com/Camco-39735-Sewer-Extension-Clear/dp/B01CNPCDEA
so first of, I am a dude and it is a lot easier to pee in certain situations being a guy... If I was a girl maybe I would be more inclined to install a bathroom, but I can't speak for everyone. But anyways.... I will be working in healthcare facilities that have locker rooms including showers that I will have access to 24/7. I also plan on getting a planet fitness membership and can also use those facilities 24/5 (24hrs during weekdays). I already workout every day at a gym so going to a bathroom and showering in a gym is more normal than using my bathroom at home to be honest. Regardless, I will also have a non translucent bottle with me in case I really need to pee but can't find a place to go. If something is going on with my stomach and I really can't make it somewhere to take a crap I might get something like this but I really really only want that to be for emergency situations..... My friend just started vandwelling and he decided to go a little more luxurious and he got a portable toilet similar to this for emergencies and apparently they are pretty odorless and emptying them isn't that bad....I may end up getting one but I want to see how well I can deal without one. The benefit of those portable toilets is that they prevent you from having to deal with black water plumbing which adds complexity to your design and increases maintenance a lot. You also have to empty the black water tank at specific dumping locations. But some models of the portable toilet are not completely odorless and I've never personally emptied one so it might suck. As for showers, besides the health center and planet fitness I may get a camping shower or just get one of these and rig it into a jerry can or something for outdoor showers.
https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Standard-Recreational-Activities-41541/dp/B004SFKJIQ/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1538225132&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=compost+toilet&psc=1
I bought a thetford curve for my van, tho i did the bucket too. The curve is the most like a regular toilet. It isn't hard to empty but it isn't exactly pleasant either but that goes for all rvs really. Thee bucket is easier to empty, you just toss in a trash can somewhere.
I shower by truckstop or in warmer weather solar shower (black bag). They make propane hot camp showers. If i need privacy, i make a tent with my tarp off my van, but normal sized people can get these cool little shower tents.
I have this one: https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Standard-Recreational-Activities-41541/dp/B004SFKJIQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1541377758&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=porta+potty&dpPl=1&dpID=31hF22FyXtL&ref=plSrch
Works great, and seems to store well enough. It's inexpensive and practical. There are probably nicer, more expensive ones you could find, but this serves me well.
https://imgur.com/IMfoESO. Gray on the left. Black far right.
Included adapter is like. https://www.amazon.com/Valterra-T01-0091VP-1-1-Drain-Connector/dp/B0006MTREC
This is the tank we have. I don't think you could lift it by yourself. My husband and I can lift it together, but certainly couldn't do it solo. You could get a much smaller one, or only fill it halfway. I don't think you could keep it in the back of your truck because it needs gravity to be filled.
and...um... I'll ask my gf. She has a huge list of cool things to use in tiny houses.