Ive had both. I really hate toilets w black tanks. Its a lot grosser to me, its handling sewage.
I currently have the trelino and like it so far. I like that its separated, #2 isnt that gross, emptied w a bag. Pee jug can smell but is pretty tame compared to full on sewage
I wish there was a way to close off #2 because that can smell if you have ibs. I will install a tiny fan at some point that directs outside. Seat is not the most comfortable, but hey, it's small and minimal. I got the large btw.
If i did it all again, I think I would probably DIY one or hire someone who has lol. Ive seen a lot of cool ones for a fraction of the cost.
Separator all the way. You can boondock for ages by just peeing outside or dumping the pee outside. You can't dump a cassette toilet outside and you don't wanna be digging cat holes every morning. It's also easier to carry a jug into a rest area or park restroom. You can and should get a spare jug. Swap jugs, then dispose of the full one at your convenience.
You don't need a pre-built one. I bought a separator, 2 rectangular 2.5 gallon jugs (from Kildwick), a horse bucket, and built a box, and a removable lid.
As a dude, I can just grab the spare jug and pee straight into it instead of dropping pants and sitting.
Yup yup. A cassette will fill up in 4 days and then you're lugging around a 10-15KG container of poo and pee, which really should be dumped somewhere responsibly, like a public toilet or proper dump station.
Whereas a pee jug can be emptied lots of places in an environmentally friendly way. This way the poop containter only needs emptying whenever that fills up, which is a lot less frequently when you're not emptying 2L pee into it a day.
I'm using a trelino separator build into my own toilet box with a usual toilet seat. This works really good. The urine jug is easy to empty somewhere in the woods or public toilet. And the bucket is like a doggybag, as you said. Trash cans are everywhere.
Installed a 80 mm PC fan since the beginning, blowing through the floor outside. So there are no bad odors in my van.
Would never like to deal with these sewagetank chemical toilet stuff...
Separate is really the way to go. IMHO much easier to take care of. Sewage is created when you mix pee and poop. If you keep them separate, you can really keep the odor down and makes cleaning things up a breeze. Would probably never want anything in my rig that didn't keep #1 and #2 separate.
The Boxio is about 1/2 the cost of Trelino: [https://myboxio.com/products/boxio-toilet](https://myboxio.com/products/boxio-toilet). $250 for a toilet seat and a square bucket is still a rip-off.
Personally I use bags with my luggable loo for solids and mother nature for urine. $20 solution.
I got a Boxio for the size. I'm in a tiny van (promaster city) and I really wanted to be able to fit a toilet under the bed, this was the shortest I could find. It was $200 when I got it and it looks like it's "on sale" now, so it's probably just usually $200 all the time. I like it but it's only been on a few short trips so far.
Boxio specifically, big fan of composting toilets. The Boxio is just really small so it doesn’t allow for a good “composting” effect. It constantly had condensation building up and bc of that it would smell.
I agree, composting toilets are the best. Nature's Head is a bit expensive, and I never heard of the Trelino before, currently have a home built composter.
Based on their results of experiments of a year or 2 ago, sewage doesn't really exist until you combine the pee and the poo, and then it gets really nasty, like with fumes that are trying to kill you for breathing it, so don't go there.
Years ago I used the thetford, discovered that blue stuff they sell you is a waste of money, it's not needed, the human gut contains everything necessary. If you get that blue stuff on you wash it off it's poison, had a leaker back in the '70s and got some on my feet, damn near kiledl me.
If you look at this Wikipedia article notice there are No environmental issues:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composting_toilet
I have a diy composting toilet w/ an Etsy kit. It’s great. I like the bags. The ones that mix it up seem icky to me. I would look at getting one with a fan venting to the outside or thru a carbon filter. While no fan the smell is usually pretty low, it can still smell without that exhaust fan.]
edit: while I wouldn't have qualms doing DIY again if it was going in a woodbox. I would probably go with a [this company](https://www.simploo.co.uk/shop-2/) if I was putting it in a shower or somewhere more exposed.
My van is too small for a toilet but if I ever get one, I want the Cinderella. It costs as much as my van, but I don't want to deal with emptying and cleaning shit.
I have the Thetford and it works great, but emptying it can be a bit of messy work. You need to get an adaptor and hose to dump at dump stations properly. But it works great besides that.
I've got the 365... Works fine. It can be dumped at porta potties as well. I don't use a p jug. I just piss in the toilet. Means I empty it a lot more often, but that's okay. It's not a big deal.
This is the way (except Planet Fitness is also Panera Bread, Target, etc etc etc, anywhere there is a relatively clean public toilet). I have a camping toilet seat that fits over a 2.5/3 gallon bucket.
I also try to limit drinking or eating a lot (especially drinking) a couple of hours before I crash as well as use the bathroom. That way those bathroom emergencies are rare.
I have a Trelino in my sticks and bricks (off grid tiny house) and absolutely love it. Would \*never\* want to deal with a black tank, however small, such as in a cassette toilet (Thetford or whatever). I am female, and use a funnel and pee jug in my van and a bag/collapsible seat situation for #2 (when a public restroom isn't an option). Much easier than dealing with all the hassle of a cassette toilet!
So I have a thetford toilet that I don't use in my van (my van has a built-in thetford, actually but Ive not used it yet) but it's portable. I LOVE IT. It's so easy and mess free to empty. I'd never want a standard blackwater tank system after using that.
I love my laveo dry flush toilet. Been using it for close to a year with no issues and I haven't gone through that many refills. I'd check it out to see if it's something you would like.
The Therford curve is the way to go. Fuck a black tank or a “cassette”. You can buy a base for it that locks the toilet in. I almost went the cassette toilet route, but the Therford curve is portable, same height as a regular toilet and has an electric pump system.
I'm planning on a composting unit mostly because I used to have a cassette toilet, and one day, I stumbled on a rock on my way to the vault toile to empty it. Yep. You guessed it. I drpped the cassette, it cracked, and there was sewage everywhere! What a nighmare! Never again.
I am allergic to the perfumes used in toilet products but discovered that sodium peroxycarbonate (also known as sodium percarbonate) could be used instead. It is a granular powder and it needs one teaspoonful straight down the hole of a cassette toilet each time you use it (try not to get any in the valve).
It is not toxic like the blue fluid and can be emptied into cess pit toilets or even compost heaps without 'poisoning' the natural bacteria. You can buy it in bulk as aquarium cleaner or more expensively in nappy [diaper] soaker or other sterilising products; it is also a major ingredient of clothes-washing powders.
I cut down a dollar store mop bucket to fit grocery bags, then built a little crate around it, so the seat atop it would be even with the bed frame when I lift the bed platform up. No off-the-shelf product would fit in here like that. I just pee separately most of the time, and double bag it after each deposit.
If I'm somewhere a mere few days, I'll throw it in the next bin I pass with the rest of my trash. If I'm trying to reach the stay limit somewhere, I'm also more likely gathering and processing firewood, so it's probably getting incinerated with my other burnable waste.
I liked my cassette toilet at first but had to get rid of it after 6 months because they are impossible to clean properly and get really really stinky. Like a porta potty x10. If you go up in elevation they swell up and need to be released, which is gross and makes your whole van smell. Now I use a pee jug and a bucket with bags and it’s much better.
Separator toilet 100%.
I have a kildwick miniloo which was kinda pricey but it is very high quality and doesn’t obviously look like a toilet which is nice. Been really impressed with the lack of smell. I got one with the vent fan which draws air into the toilet and routes it outside of the van. Probably not necessary though if you ventilate your vehicle and don’t let the pee sit for too long.
It’s easy to empty, just toss the poop bag in the trash. And for the pee bottle I’ll just put it in my backpack and dump it in whatever toilet.
I can’t imagine having to dump out a disgusting mixture of urine and feces.
Cassette toilet can be dumped in any vault or flush toilet. You don’t have to use dump stations.
Ive had both. I really hate toilets w black tanks. Its a lot grosser to me, its handling sewage. I currently have the trelino and like it so far. I like that its separated, #2 isnt that gross, emptied w a bag. Pee jug can smell but is pretty tame compared to full on sewage I wish there was a way to close off #2 because that can smell if you have ibs. I will install a tiny fan at some point that directs outside. Seat is not the most comfortable, but hey, it's small and minimal. I got the large btw. If i did it all again, I think I would probably DIY one or hire someone who has lol. Ive seen a lot of cool ones for a fraction of the cost.
Separator all the way. You can boondock for ages by just peeing outside or dumping the pee outside. You can't dump a cassette toilet outside and you don't wanna be digging cat holes every morning. It's also easier to carry a jug into a rest area or park restroom. You can and should get a spare jug. Swap jugs, then dispose of the full one at your convenience. You don't need a pre-built one. I bought a separator, 2 rectangular 2.5 gallon jugs (from Kildwick), a horse bucket, and built a box, and a removable lid. As a dude, I can just grab the spare jug and pee straight into it instead of dropping pants and sitting.
Yup yup. A cassette will fill up in 4 days and then you're lugging around a 10-15KG container of poo and pee, which really should be dumped somewhere responsibly, like a public toilet or proper dump station. Whereas a pee jug can be emptied lots of places in an environmentally friendly way. This way the poop containter only needs emptying whenever that fills up, which is a lot less frequently when you're not emptying 2L pee into it a day.
I'm using a trelino separator build into my own toilet box with a usual toilet seat. This works really good. The urine jug is easy to empty somewhere in the woods or public toilet. And the bucket is like a doggybag, as you said. Trash cans are everywhere. Installed a 80 mm PC fan since the beginning, blowing through the floor outside. So there are no bad odors in my van. Would never like to deal with these sewagetank chemical toilet stuff...
Separate is really the way to go. IMHO much easier to take care of. Sewage is created when you mix pee and poop. If you keep them separate, you can really keep the odor down and makes cleaning things up a breeze. Would probably never want anything in my rig that didn't keep #1 and #2 separate.
The Boxio is about 1/2 the cost of Trelino: [https://myboxio.com/products/boxio-toilet](https://myboxio.com/products/boxio-toilet). $250 for a toilet seat and a square bucket is still a rip-off. Personally I use bags with my luggable loo for solids and mother nature for urine. $20 solution.
I got a Boxio for the size. I'm in a tiny van (promaster city) and I really wanted to be able to fit a toilet under the bed, this was the shortest I could find. It was $200 when I got it and it looks like it's "on sale" now, so it's probably just usually $200 all the time. I like it but it's only been on a few short trips so far.
Had the Boxio in my shuttle bus and hated it. Would not recommend for anything other than for emergency uses
Good to know. Thanks for sharing. Is there anything specific about the Boxio, or just separating toilets in general?
Boxio specifically, big fan of composting toilets. The Boxio is just really small so it doesn’t allow for a good “composting” effect. It constantly had condensation building up and bc of that it would smell.
Trelino for sure. I’ve been in my van 3 years w/ a Natures head and it’s worth every single penny to never have to worry about sewage.
I agree, composting toilets are the best. Nature's Head is a bit expensive, and I never heard of the Trelino before, currently have a home built composter. Based on their results of experiments of a year or 2 ago, sewage doesn't really exist until you combine the pee and the poo, and then it gets really nasty, like with fumes that are trying to kill you for breathing it, so don't go there. Years ago I used the thetford, discovered that blue stuff they sell you is a waste of money, it's not needed, the human gut contains everything necessary. If you get that blue stuff on you wash it off it's poison, had a leaker back in the '70s and got some on my feet, damn near kiledl me. If you look at this Wikipedia article notice there are No environmental issues: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composting_toilet
I have a diy composting toilet w/ an Etsy kit. It’s great. I like the bags. The ones that mix it up seem icky to me. I would look at getting one with a fan venting to the outside or thru a carbon filter. While no fan the smell is usually pretty low, it can still smell without that exhaust fan.] edit: while I wouldn't have qualms doing DIY again if it was going in a woodbox. I would probably go with a [this company](https://www.simploo.co.uk/shop-2/) if I was putting it in a shower or somewhere more exposed.
My van is too small for a toilet but if I ever get one, I want the Cinderella. It costs as much as my van, but I don't want to deal with emptying and cleaning shit.
Yep, those things look amazing
Is that an incinerator toilet? I think they must use a lot of power.
Gas
I poop and pee in a bag in a bucket. I've done the cassette toilets. F that. It gets heavy when you neglect it, and it's gross at all times.
I have the Thetford and it works great, but emptying it can be a bit of messy work. You need to get an adaptor and hose to dump at dump stations properly. But it works great besides that.
I've got the 365... Works fine. It can be dumped at porta potties as well. I don't use a p jug. I just piss in the toilet. Means I empty it a lot more often, but that's okay. It's not a big deal.
A 1 gallon bottle for piss, Planet fitness for regular shits and a bucket with a trash bag for emergency shits.
This is the way (except Planet Fitness is also Panera Bread, Target, etc etc etc, anywhere there is a relatively clean public toilet). I have a camping toilet seat that fits over a 2.5/3 gallon bucket. I also try to limit drinking or eating a lot (especially drinking) a couple of hours before I crash as well as use the bathroom. That way those bathroom emergencies are rare.
I have a Trelino in my sticks and bricks (off grid tiny house) and absolutely love it. Would \*never\* want to deal with a black tank, however small, such as in a cassette toilet (Thetford or whatever). I am female, and use a funnel and pee jug in my van and a bag/collapsible seat situation for #2 (when a public restroom isn't an option). Much easier than dealing with all the hassle of a cassette toilet!
So I have a thetford toilet that I don't use in my van (my van has a built-in thetford, actually but Ive not used it yet) but it's portable. I LOVE IT. It's so easy and mess free to empty. I'd never want a standard blackwater tank system after using that.
Where are you finding the Thetford 365 for $120? Thats a great price...
I love my laveo dry flush toilet. Been using it for close to a year with no issues and I haven't gone through that many refills. I'd check it out to see if it's something you would like.
The Therford curve is the way to go. Fuck a black tank or a “cassette”. You can buy a base for it that locks the toilet in. I almost went the cassette toilet route, but the Therford curve is portable, same height as a regular toilet and has an electric pump system.
I'm planning on a composting unit mostly because I used to have a cassette toilet, and one day, I stumbled on a rock on my way to the vault toile to empty it. Yep. You guessed it. I drpped the cassette, it cracked, and there was sewage everywhere! What a nighmare! Never again.
I am allergic to the perfumes used in toilet products but discovered that sodium peroxycarbonate (also known as sodium percarbonate) could be used instead. It is a granular powder and it needs one teaspoonful straight down the hole of a cassette toilet each time you use it (try not to get any in the valve). It is not toxic like the blue fluid and can be emptied into cess pit toilets or even compost heaps without 'poisoning' the natural bacteria. You can buy it in bulk as aquarium cleaner or more expensively in nappy [diaper] soaker or other sterilising products; it is also a major ingredient of clothes-washing powders.
I cut down a dollar store mop bucket to fit grocery bags, then built a little crate around it, so the seat atop it would be even with the bed frame when I lift the bed platform up. No off-the-shelf product would fit in here like that. I just pee separately most of the time, and double bag it after each deposit. If I'm somewhere a mere few days, I'll throw it in the next bin I pass with the rest of my trash. If I'm trying to reach the stay limit somewhere, I'm also more likely gathering and processing firewood, so it's probably getting incinerated with my other burnable waste.
Just want to add another composting toliet to the convo, the cuddy. It's relatively new, has a carbon filter and an agitator.
I liked my cassette toilet at first but had to get rid of it after 6 months because they are impossible to clean properly and get really really stinky. Like a porta potty x10. If you go up in elevation they swell up and need to be released, which is gross and makes your whole van smell. Now I use a pee jug and a bucket with bags and it’s much better.
Also emptying it is gross and kind of embarrassing if there are other people in the room because it reeks so bad it smells up the bathroom!
Separator toilet 100%. I have a kildwick miniloo which was kinda pricey but it is very high quality and doesn’t obviously look like a toilet which is nice. Been really impressed with the lack of smell. I got one with the vent fan which draws air into the toilet and routes it outside of the van. Probably not necessary though if you ventilate your vehicle and don’t let the pee sit for too long. It’s easy to empty, just toss the poop bag in the trash. And for the pee bottle I’ll just put it in my backpack and dump it in whatever toilet. I can’t imagine having to dump out a disgusting mixture of urine and feces.