Anyone have an Incinerating Toilet?

NotYourGuy

I've seen a bunch of "tiny house" builders using incinerating toilets. Wondering if anyone has successfully installed one in their Tab, and if not, why not? Shall I pursue this dream, or let it go? All thoughts appreciated. Thank you!!    

DougH

Takes a LOT of energy, and time, and the smell downwind is not pleasant.

NotYourGuy

DougH said:

Takes a LOT of energy, and time, and the smell downwind is not pleasant.

Is the required energy the reason for not doing it, or is it to do with the amount of heat / safety, or ? The little off grid tiny homes are running on solar / propane, so I've got to believe if they have enough power for it, surely a Tab plugged into shore power or with a great solar set up could manage? I figured it would be more popular than it seems to be, so just trying to track down and pros/ cons / impossibilities.    

DougH

I spoke too soon.  There was a recent RV Small Talk podcast discussion on toilets that included this category.  From their impressions and the specs of others I'd looked at, I got the impression that a shore power connection was needed (2000W for 2 hour cycle). While that's true for some of the popular models, the rvlife article below and its subsequent comments say there's some with a built in battery or that can run off 12V power that might allow life outside of the traditional campground through propane use (EcoJohn TinyJohn). A comment does concur on the smell on some though. But TinyJohn's catalytic converter may address that. Not sure how much propane a 25 minute urine cycle or 60 minute solid waste cycle would use up, and if there's an option to reclaim some of that heat when cold weather camping.

https://rvlife.com/waterless-rv-toilets/

https://shop.ecojohn.com/products/tinyjohn-waterless-incinerating-toilet

NotYourGuy

@DougH, this is PERFECT, thank you. Having a model or two to research is most excellent. I appreciate your time!   

DougH

@NotYourGuy Thank YOU for launching the thread.  I usually prefer boondocking when available, but cannot stay in one location, no matter how peaceful, for two weeks straight on account of the six gallon waste tank in the 320.  I'm too fond of my creature comforts to go out into the woods at 3am to dig a hole.  So aside from getting something with much bigger tanks than a 320 or 400, the alternatives are composting vs. incinerator, or becoming a breatharian. I don't like the idea of burning fossil fuels, so if you find out how many Watts hours an electric incinerating toilet uses on average per day, so there's at least a chance of having enough solar or wind turbine energy to power it, I'd love to know.

NotYourGuy

@DougH, absolutely agree 100%! (I don't mind the woods TOO much, but my sister is also buying a Tab, and she doesn't want to play around with the cassette toilet, which I don't really blame her for!). So when we find out some info, I'll update the post and let you know!  

NotYourGuy

Incinolet toilet: "The heater cycles on and off for 60 minutes to provide optimum combustion and the blower continues to run for about 30 minutes to cool the incineration chamber. Even when the process is happening, the toilet can be used during the nearly two-hour cycle. Although the Incinolet requires electricity, it only consumes about one kilowatt hour per cycle."

ECOJOHN TinyJohn: "Propane Gas Consumption:
Approx. 150 Flushes / 5 Gal BBQ Propane Tank"

VictoriaP

If the calculator I found is correct, 1 kwh = 83.3 amp hours. Not great for boondocking. (To make this clear for newbies, the 320 typically comes with a group 24 battery which has about 80 ah...only half of which you can use before you need to recharge.)

I’ll add that unless the burning waste smell downwind of you is EXTREMELY well filtered, this is unlikely to go over well with any camping neighbors. So sticking with electric hookups probably won’t be a great way to get around the power requirements, as sites with hookups are typically closer together. I wouldn’t hesitate to install one in a cabin, but I suspect they aren’t a great solution for RVs.

Edit: The Ecojohn looks more RV friendly of the two, but I cannot find the power requirements for their “optional” catalytic converter, which I would not consider optional. Maybe it doesn’t use power, only the fan does? Edit 2: Guessing it probably doesn’t. Interesting device. Not sure how you’d vent it with a Tab, but it could probably be figured out. Awful lot of money to avoid a simple chore that takes 15 minutes, though.

TabberJohn

It depends what you ate last night but I avoid tossing a lit match into the Thetford, so I haven't experienced any incineration problems yet. 

NotYourGuy

Well, I think it's going to happen....Updates as they come......

VictoriaP

NotYourGuy said:

Well, I think it's going to happen....Updates as they come......

I would strongly suggest you look hard at the measurements of the 320 bathroom for the model year you’re looking to purchase before buying the toilet, given the price tag. Given the clearance requirements of the incinerating toilet, it may not fit with enough room for you to actually use it...those baths are incredibly small.  Also check door measurements for both the entry door and Tab door to make sure you can fit it in through those.

I’d be way less concerned about installing this or any alternative toilet in the 400, you have more room to work.

Also, because these are wet baths (combined shower and toilet), you may want to contact the manufacturer to see if they are appropriate for wet bath installs or what precautions should be taken.

NotYourGuy

@VictoriaP, thank you! This is my sister's project, and when folks in my family sell themselves on an idea, it's pretty tough to talk us around it. (Thank G-d for this forum, ya'll are going to talk me out a million bad ideas, I just know it!). Anyhow, she's also the type to work closely with Nucamp and the toilet folks to make sure everything is up to proverbial snuff.... I'm excited to see it work, but I'll be sure to be UPWIND of her when we're caravanning !!!    

VictoriaP

NotYourGuy said:

@VictoriaP, thank you! This is my sister's project, and when folks in my family sell themselves on an idea, it's pretty tough to talk us around it. (Thank G-d for this forum, ya'll are going to talk me out a million bad ideas, I just know it!). Anyhow, she's also the type to work closely with Nucamp and the toilet folks to make sure everything is up to proverbial snuff.... I'm excited to see it work, but I'll be sure to be UPWIND of her when we're caravanning !!!    

No problem, and I get it, I’ve fixated on stuff myself. LOL The possible fit issue occurred to me because someone else wanted to retrofit a cassette into an older model, and didn’t realize it straight up doesn’t fit. Measure twice and all that. Plus, we have a lot of newcomers right now who literally have never set foot inside a Tab 320 and are ordering based off pics and floorplans. You have no idea how small they are until you’ve spent a few hours inside one.

But also...fire/power and water don’t mix well. I think if I were fixated on this idea, I’d be looking for a trailer with a dry bath to retrofit instead, one that separates the shower from the bath. Dry baths are bigger too. It’s certainly possible that the toilet manufacturer has this figured out already, and my concerns are off base. It’s also possible that the manufacturer comes back with a strongly worded No Go. It’ll be interesting to see.

I’ll also reiterate though: dumping a black tank or cassette is a 15 minute job. Use Happy Campers tank chemical and there will be no smell. NONE. I’m not exaggerating here, this stuff is a miracle. I’m on my 4th RV with a toilet over the last 30 years, and this is a game changer for me. People blow this task way out of proportion until they actually do it few times, and then they come back here going, “why did I fuss so much over this? It’s no big deal!” I’m a disabled, solo female camper who’s fairly squeamish, and I can handle it. It’s frankly a lot less nasty than a baby diaper, and less odorous than the average litter box when you use the right additives. Way less than the gas my dog passed this morning that chased me out of the room! 😂

It’d be different if we were talking about a $500 mod, but we’re not. I’d take that $3-4k + labor and put it towards upgrading batteries (especially if you’re looking at the 2021 or later with the 12v fridge), solar, and a good awning or side tent...versus eliminating a 15 minute chore. All of those in my experience are more critical to using and enjoying your trailer.