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Need the scoop on the poop. (Composting toilet questions)


hobo

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We are taking delivery of our Oliver Elite II on 1 May and have the composting toilet option.  Can someone tell me if any amount of media comes with the delivered trailer?  Also, any suggestions as to what and where to purchase media for this unit and finally, how much should we carry around with us when traveling for a few weeks or so.

 

Thanks, Hobo

2018 Elite II, Hull #414 (the very last 2018 produced).  Trailer name "2 HOBOS" .   2018 F250 4X4 Crew Cab, 6.7L diesel

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Mine came empty.

 

I tried the coco coir stuff at first, since it's more compact to carry, but could never get the mixture right.  You can get that on Amazon.  I switched to peat and it's been fine since.  Get that from a Home Depot or wherever - just be sure to get plain peat moss and not something with Miracle Gro or other additive.  On a three week trip, we carry enough to fill it once, which is about three gallon sized ziplocks, stored in the bumper.

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We’ve been full-timing in our Ollie since April of last year. We opted for the composting toilet to better enable us to boondock. Having no black water and not wasting fresh water flushing helps us last at least four days out, if needed. Of course, it is my job to dump the shitpot when necessary and it is also my job to stir it when the waste becomes too difficult for Beverly to turn. I have found it to be a good practice to give it the occasional turn even if not being used heavily just so it lasts longer. Living in the trailer full-time I have found the composting material lasts anywhere from 10 days to two weeks depending of course on the weather and also what we have been eating. I have experimented a lot with different materials and mixes and so far the following is what works best for us:

 

Into the toilet goes two gallon freezer bags of coco coir with a handful of pine pellets thrown in between bags. I also add a small handful of another material I cannot remember the name of that kills any bugs that might want to develop. So far that has not been an issue since I put a screen on top of the vent pipe to keep them out.

 

I use a coco coir I purchase from amazon. (Link to pine pellets and coco coir included in this post.) When changing out the compost I put a separate brick in each empty freezer bag and as little amount of water as possible. It takes about a day for the coco coir to absorb the moisture and my manual crumbling of it into a dry and expanded material. I store the full bags in my truck until needed. I simply remove the entire toilet from trailer when dumping, as the first time I attempted the job inside the bathroom resulted in a poor result.  A kitchen flex garbage bag works well in campgrounds and the bag can be tossed into the dumpster. When home, at our base camp, we scatter the compost waste directly into our woods for further decomposition and fertilizer.

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roguebooks 2020 Ram Classic 1500 Warlock 4x4 Hemi V-8 2018 Legacy Elite, Hull #309  ALARCOFLINKYLAMIMSMONMOKTNTXsm.jpg

 

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1. They smell good

 

2. They absorb liquids and expand

 

3. Pine pellets are used for kitty litter, so tried and true.

 

4. Result of an experiment. (see previous post).

 

The idea is to find what works for YOU. Everybody is gonna be different. My wife drinks an enormous amount of tea and water and I think that changes things somewhat and so I need more absorption. Some will tell you to fill dry coir only half-high to stirs, the book says fill level to stirs. My two gallons of coco-coir and handful of pine pellets is a bit under level with the stirs and seems to work the best for us.

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roguebooks 2020 Ram Classic 1500 Warlock 4x4 Hemi V-8 2018 Legacy Elite, Hull #309  ALARCOFLINKYLAMIMSMONMOKTNTXsm.jpg

 

travelmap2023.jpg

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  • 2 months later...

I just changed out the composting toilet and filled with Coconut coir.  We switched from peat moss to the coco coir just to try something different.   Changeouts are not difficult.  I use the white garbage bags and a larger heavier duty contractors bag.  The white will cover (mostly) the top section.  I disconnect the hose and power for the fans and put it over the top section before moving it out of the trailer.   Then I unbolt the lower section and put the contractor bag over that before removing from the trailer.

 

I tried the Coco Bliss brand of coconut coir.  One brick fills to just below the agitator.  Hydrating is very easy.  Use a white garbage bag and any small trash can or other container.  Put the brick in the bag and then give it a hose down.  The coir will shed from the brick pretty easily.   I added water over time and broke up the last bits at the end.  Once it was the consistency of wet earth, I dumped the bag contents into the lower half.

 

Pretty easy and the coir bricks are about the size of a real brick, so easy to store a few on your travels.

 

Good Luck,

 

Scotty

CocoBliss.thumb.jpg.292efc115f2777cade81ac17649e05f2.jpg

Gregg & Donna Scott and Missy the Westie  -    The Flying Sea Turtle - Hull # 145     Western NC

 

CTDEGAMDMANHNJNYNCPASCTNVAxlg.jpg

 

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Sounds like a lot of fuss and bother.  Seems like it would be easier to poop into a plastic bag, tie it and drop into closest trash bin when going out. That is what I did back in 70's when traveling around the states in my VW camper.  Life was so simple then, and one could live so cheaply.

 

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2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist"

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We just recently encountered a problem with gnats. I'm not sure why, but it may have been that we haven't used it for a couple of weeks and the media dried out??? Would appreciate any thoughts about that. Also, I haven't put a screen on the vent yet, but need to. Any advice on exactly how to do that would be appreciated as well. Do you unscrew the entire vent cap from the roof, then replace and re-seal once the screen has been applied?

 

Thanks!!!

Jim & Mary

Bozeman, Montana

2017 Legacy Elite II-Hull #294

2019 GMC Sierra 2500

 

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We carried this guy with us prior to the Ollie (and still do when we tent camp).

 

For occasional use, I’d be fine with having one of those mounted in the bath; but over time, I think the composting is easier.

 

Back in my VW camper days (1970), that one would have been quit elaborate me. I would have felt that that was for rich people, not for poor simpleton like me.

If you ever see me, simply pretend I am not there.

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Any advice on exactly how to do that would be appreciated as well. Do you unscrew the entire vent cap from the roof, then replace and re-seal once the screen has been applied?

 

I climbed up on mine last week to do this same job. There is just one Philips screw holding the vent cap in place. Very easy to remove and replace. Add your screen to the top of the stack and replace the cover. Done. I was prepared for much worse.

 

HTH. Ken

 

 

2013 Toyota Land Cruiser 200

2018 Twin Bed Elite II #351

 

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We've used a luggable loo, and the Aussie version-- Thunder down under. Gotta love that name, in a camper van with no toilet facilities.

Five gallon bucket with a seat and snap seal lid. Your choice of bag, bag and gel, bag etc., or just use it at night and empty in the vault toilet in the morning. Much easier than a blue boy...

 

 

 

2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

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KenB,  Thanks for the info about adding the screen.  I have never had the gnat problem but will be waxing next week and be up on the roof anyway.  What type of screen did you use?  Something similar to what would be on a screen door?   Thanks, Scotty

 

 

Gregg & Donna Scott and Missy the Westie  -    The Flying Sea Turtle - Hull # 145     Western NC

 

CTDEGAMDMANHNJNYNCPASCTNVAxlg.jpg

 

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KenB, Thanks for the info about adding the screen. I have never had the gnat problem but will be waxing next week and be up on the roof anyway. What type of screen did you use? Something similar to what would be on a screen door? Thanks, Scotty

I didn’t use screen. I used a block of open cell foam roughly 3 inches cubed that was a scrap from a large fish tank filter. I believe the pores are small enough to stop the gnats, but air still passes through easily. I trimmed it until it was a snug fit in the stack pipe.

 

HTH, Ken

 

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2013 Toyota Land Cruiser 200

2018 Twin Bed Elite II #351

 

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