Adapting an RV toilet into a composting toilet Vol. 79 No 1, January/February 1995

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Adapting an RV toilet into a composting toilet Vol. 79 No 1, January/February 1995

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Countryside : One Thread

Apparently there is an article on adapting an RV toilet into a composting toilet in Vol. 79 No 1, January/February 1995 issue of Countryside & Small Stock Journal. Does anyone have this article who would be willing to lend me their magazine or (if it doesn't infringe on copyrights) copy it and send it to me?

Has anyone tried this? How has it gone?

I live in Minneapolis in a 1.5 story house. Our bedroom is on the second floor and there's no plumbing up there. I'm pregnant and recently fell down the stairs on my way to the bathroom at 4am! Fortunately I just bruised a few things, but I'm motivated to get some kind of toilet upstairs!

Thanks in Advance for your help.

-- Amy Newbie (aklein@writeme.com), March 31, 2001

Answers

Amy I'm not familiar with the article you mentioned but I can recommend a web site that may help. I've made and used one of these composting toilets and they do work well. Actually I am still currently using one. The only downside for me is that with 4 people using it it must be emptied about every other or every third day. I'm pleased to report that I haven't noticed any bad odors with this. The address is www.rdrop.com/users/krishna/ Best of all this is very cheap to build. I made mine for about $10 with buying all of the materials new.

-- Amanda in Mo (aseley@townsqr.com), March 31, 2001.

Amy,There is a simpler and more low tech way to deal with this.It's called a chamber pot.Build a little cabinet for it so it is more comfortable to sit on.Do you have a composting toilet in another part of the house now?If not I think you will find the conversion to be more hassle than benefit.The is a hassock style toilet sold by walmart made by relience.It is cheap, basically a bucket in a frame.We made use of one in our home when our septic system needed repair.It was not all that inconvienient even though I was the person that got to empty it.Given your present condition I think you are more than justified to make hubby do it.

-- greg (gsmith@tricountyi.net), March 31, 2001.

Maybe a 'thunder box' is what you need for the time being. There's various ways you can do this, and you needn't spend big bux in the process.

If you have an RV toilet - a porta potty perhaps, or something similar, a trash can liner placed inside the inner chamber (the bit that you poo in) can save a lot of cleaning on a day to day basis.

I made a temporary thunder box for my mother-in-law when she was ill. It consisted of a wooden packing case, hole cut in lid, cheap plastic toilet seat and lid fixed to the top of the packing case with a plastic pail inside to catch the dooin's. In the pail we put a garbage disposal bag (the smaller white polythene ones) and secured it to the rim of the pail with about an inch cut off the sleeve of a rubber glove (that had a hole in one finger). BTW, old rubber gloves make great rubber bands if you slice up the fingers and thumb, and use the sleeve for big rubber bands.

Anyway, we had two pails going, one to use, and one as a standby. She had cancer and needed to sit on the pot without giving notice if you know what I mean. My sisters-in-law and the wife took turns at staying with her and changed the pail as and when needed, but there was always a clean, spare pail to use. That way, the smell didn't cause a problem as it was changed so frequently.

A composting toilet sounds like a lot of trouble to go to if it's only a temporary situation during confinement. Still, hope this helps a bit - it's all food for thought.

Congrats on the baby, and look after yourself.

-- Eric J Methven (e_methven@btinternet.com), March 31, 2001.

I use a 5 gal bucket,, with a lid attached,, youc can cut the bottom off,, if your composting right there,, or use it to move to where you are going to compost. Made one for the house, for Y2K,, a bench,, rounded edges, ect,, with a bucket that slips underneath

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), March 31, 2001.

-- (stinky@pot.com), June 24, 2001


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