One of the most-asked questions for van lifers is “how do you use the bathroom?” Bathroom routines are not an oft-talked about topic, so when your lifestyle strays from what is expected, it leads to even more mystery. Using the bathroom on the road is not as hard as you may think, though, so I’m here to answer your questions, go over the types of toilets, and overall de-mystify the van life bathroom experience.
Where do you go to the bathroom?
In a toilet, of course! For folks who have smaller vans, utilizing gas stations and convenience stores can be an easy option. If boondocking is more your style, a handy-dandy shovel can be perfectly sufficient.
For folks who have larger set-ups, perhaps a bus or RV, permanent toilets are also an option for living on the road. These toilets involve storing waste for disposal at a later time, and provide all the luxuries of using the bathroom indoors.
The Many Types of Toilets
There are so many types of toilets! Everyone has their favorites, too. So whether you’re converting a skoolie or you’re boondocking in your car, there’s an option for you and its easy to see why: everybody poops!
Composting Toilets
Composting toilets work by separating waste types – urine goes one way, feces goes the other way. Unlike a toilet you’d find in your house, a composting toilet does not require water to flush it. Waste is separated to help with the process of changing waste into compostable material. This also prevents bad smells from emanating from your toilet. Composting toilets are also typically self-contained and thus, don’t require large tanks or plumbing of any kind.
Cassette Toilets
Similar to composting toilets, cassette toilets hold all of the waste internally to the toilet. They may or may not separate urine and feces to allow ease of dumping the cassette. They don’t, however, have a composting mechanism so the waste remains unchanged. These are semi-permanent type of toilet because while they don’t required plumbing, they don’t fold down like other toilets. This means you’ll need to allot a specific space to store your toilet.
Flushing Toilets
These are the most common type of toilets found in RV. Flush toilets are permanent fixtures and like a toilet in your house, they required water to flush. This means they require a fresh water supply from either a hook-up or a water tank as well as a black water tank. Black water is mixture of water and waste and it requires its own tank where its held until its disposed of.
Folding Toilets
These are the least permanent style of toilet and they vary in design. There are option that set up like a tri-pod with a toilet seat on top. This is a good option if you want to be able to use bags or if you want to dig a hole underneath. There are also slat options that unfold into a bucket shape that is fully contained. For this, you’ll need to utilize bags. Some bags come with solidifying powder to turn into a solid but you can also purchase powder separately. Both options take up minimal space when folded and are often advertised as backpacking toilets. Folding toilets tend to be the cheapest option if you’re looking for a designated bathroom fixture.
How do you dispose of waste?
The disposal method of waste depends on the type of toilet you have. For cassette toilets and flushing toilets, you’ll need to dispose of black water at designated dump sites. Cassette toilets do need to be emptied more often than RV tanks and composting toilets.
Composting toilets are less maintenance than either cassette toilets or flushable toilets due to the nature of compost in general. You can dispose of the compost in the trash or in a compost pile, but you shouldn’t use it on a food garden.
As for bagged waste, as long as you solidify your urine, you can tie the bag and dispose of it in any garbage can – just like doggy poo bags! If you choose to poop in the wilderness, make sure to dig a hole (known as a cat hole) at least 6-8 inches deep. You want this hole to be at least 200 feet away from water, your camp, and any trails. Pack out any used toilet paper and cover your waste.
Of course, its always good to check local regulations before you go.
What’s the verdict? What type of toilet should I get?
Your choice of toilet is as personal of a decision as you can get, so weigh the pros and cons of the types of toilets and what you think fits your lifestyle best! I have heard varying opinions regarding the smell of compost toilets versus cassette toilets. Some swear by the composting toilet and other swear by the cassette toilets. Even still, its probably best to get a personal review on the specific model of toilet you’re eyeing.
Personally, I’ve decided to get a foldable toilet and it just arrive in the mail a couple of days ago! It’s surprisingly compact given its size when unfolded. Its actually really comfortable, too. I made everyone in my family sit on it just to make sure its sturdy. It will be a back-up for when I don’t have access to another bathroom to use, but given the living space of a VW bus, I’m perfectly happy with this solution.
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