After a lot of research, we decided that Igor should have a compost toilet.
Our long term plan for Igor is to take him to South America. We will start off in Mexico this coming winter, and we'll eventually make our way into Central America. That part is pretty much a given. And if we're happy with the way he's performing in Central America, we will ship him from Panama to either Colombia or Venezuela.
But typical RV dump stations similar to the ones that are used in Canada and the United States are not very common the further south you get from Mexico. So having an RV black water holding tank isn't very logical if you have nowhere to empty it.
Igor's bathroom!
Igor's current toilet is exactly identical to the one we had in Sherman. Except the holding tank is quite a bit smaller.
Ruth, sitting on the toilet! Too funny.
She was cleaning the shower tub.
Compost toilets have come a long way. But the funniest thing I learned about compost toilets?
THEY DON'T DO ANY COMPOSTING!
That's right. There is no composting that takes place in an RV composting toilet. And the reason for that is because the holding area of the waste needs emptying well before the chemical reaction can take place that would compost human waste. It takes minimum four months under the right conditions for that process to start to happen, and it's more accurately between 6 to 12 months.
A more accurate term for these types of toilets is a separating toilet. Or a diverting toilet. Because that's the main idea here... your number 1 is diverted (or separated) into a totally different container from your number 2.
The separation of the materials is what minimizes the chance of odor. And in the unit we ordered, they actually have sealable containers and you can use the lids if necessary to totally eliminate any chance of odors.
The pee container needs to be emptied regularly, but that can be as simple as dumping it somewhere off in the bush if that's convenient. There is nothing toxic about human pee. Or you can discreetly carry the sealed container into any public bathroom. Just put it into a bag of some kind, and carry it in.
In the one we bought, you line the poop container with a biodegradable bag. You then put some "hemp litter" on the bottom. This absorbs any moisture and also minimizes odor. You put more hemp litter on top, and layer it again and again as you do your business. When the bag is full, you simply dispose of it in the trash the same way millions of people do with dirty diapers.
One of the original RV compost toilets is the one manufactured by Nature's Head. It's still a popular option, but it's also one of the most expensive, coming in at around $1,500 ($1,090 USD) up here in Canada. But doing the research, there are a lot of people not happy with it. That's a lot of money to spend to be unhappy with the product.
But over the last few years, the idea of a "compost" toilet has become more popular and there is now a fair bit of competition. The bottom line is... simpler is better. And cheaper. We researched a lot of options and decided on the Boxio.
This is what we bought... https://myboxio.com/products/composting-toilet-max-starter-set
It cost $339 CAD ($246 USD), shipping included.
It's designed and made in Germany.
We're looking forward to telling you about our experience with it!
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And in Canada...
Thank you for the information Kevin.
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