We got an RV compost toilet: Was it a HUGE MISTAKE?
We've been camping in our new 2025 Embassy Cape Cod motorhome for the past two weeks, traveling through six states and getting used to all the features of this very green, no-wood, all-composite Class C RV.
Except one: The Separett Tiny compost toilet.
First, watch our video review below. Then keep reading for more info.
The RV Toilet Choices We Had
Why did we choose an RV compost toilet? Because Embassy RVs have no black tanks. And they only use two types of toilets.
One is the Laveo Dry Flush Toilet, which spins and wraps up the waste – liquid and solid – in a shiny material that looks like aluminum foil. It costs $1,170. We did a video on it and interviewed the owner some time back, and there were two reasons we decided not to use it in our Cape Cod.
- The wrapped waste material is not biodegradable. It's meant to be disposed of in the garbage and ultimately ends up in landfills. And while landfills accept human waste to accommodate baby and adult diapers, we anticipated that a segment of our audience would send us snide emails for not being green and, in essence, depositing aluminum-like “poop packages” that won't break down.
- The cartridges and refills for the Laveo toilet are quite expensive. While the waste chamber typically holds 15-17 sealed packages before needing to be emptied, refills are costly. A three-pack runs $75, and a pack of 15 is $300.
The second choice in an RV toilet that we had is the Separett Tiny Compost Toilet. The Swedish company that makes it describes it as a “urine-diverting toilet designed for small spaces like tiny homes, RVs, vans, boats, and cabins.” When you sit, a flap automatically opens at the back to access the solid waste container. Urine is directed to a separate container in the front.
Solid waste and toilet paper fall into a compostable, biodegradable bag (made of corn starch) in a solids container inside the toilet. The flap hides the waste, only exposing it when the container needs emptying. For two people in regular use, the solids container typically needs emptying about once a week. The urine container – a grey bucket – needs to be emptied every three or four days when used regularly by two people.
There is no odor. A built-in fan (powered by 12V) runs continuously to expel odors and moisture through a ventilation pipe, which Embassy routed out through a wall on the Cape Cod. As such, it sort of dehydrates the poop. The absorption pad takes up any excess liquid.
This is the unit we chose, for better or worse, for two reasons:
- It's green. While not a composting toilet, the waste deposited in it does not compost in the toilet; it's thrown out, too, in the garbage. It is biodegradable. The bags used for solid waste do indeed break down in a landfill (over months), and the waste they contain does, over time, compost. That's why it's called a compost toilet. The urine is diverted into a bucket, which, when full, you carry into a bathroom and dump into a toilet. You can also pour it into an RV dump.
- Price-wise, at $1,049, it's $120 less than the Laveo, and the supplies you need for it – some absorption pads and bags for solid waste- are much less than the refills needed for the Laveo.
Our RV Compost Toilet Experience
The toilet works as advertised. But….
The first time I emptied the pee bucket (as I call it), I did so in a men's room toilet at a rest stop in Tennessee. You should have seen the looks I got from people who saw me walking into it carrying that grey bucket.
Hey, it's better than the truck driver I saw at the same stop who had a jug of pee in a liter soft drink bottle. He took it out to the dog walk and just poured it on the ground!
In our video review above I mentioned my early concern about mess and cleanliness if you “missed” while using the toilet or the rear flap didn't open all the way..
After two weeks of use I can say that, yes, that is a valid concern. Let me just leave it at that. But having a supply of Chlorox Wipes nearby is a good idea. And experience with the toilet makes for a better experience with fewer “misses.”
But here's the thing, there is no getting around: Emptying the Separett Tiny toilet is not a pleasant task.
While that flap keeps you from seeing the contents of the solid waste container doing regular use because it only opens when you are sitting on it, when it comes time to remove the bag, you DO see what's in there. Like when you look down the hole of a vault toilet at a rustic campground.
In fact, that's what Jennifer and I have jokingly taken to calling our compost toilet: Our vault toilet on wheels.
Trust me, there are some things you DON'T need to see.
That said, using a stinky slinky and emptying a black tank isn't a fun task, either. But you see less of the mess.
As I'm sure you can tell, we are re-evaluating our decision to go with the Separett Tiny.
If you need to catch up on our new RV adventure:
We use a organic coffee filter to poop in then open the door drop contents in. No mess. We own an Airhead composting toilet.
We used a Nature’s Head composting toilet for 12 years, first on our sailboat then our RV. While we were happy with the unit, we explored other options 3 years ago. We decided to try the OGO toilet and have been very pleased with our decision. It is easier to empty, has a motor to stir the solids bin (no outside handle), and is easy to clean. We use a fine coir for the solids bucket and pour a little lemon scented PineSol in the urine container to eliminate odors. We also have a dedicated hand made bag for the urine container for a more discreet trip when emptying. There will be a learning curve when switching to any composting toilet.
We used an AirHead composting toilet in our last rig. I appreciate your idea to use a little PineSol in the liquid container. We had been told to use vinegar and I was never really happy with that solution. Otherwise the Airhead worked fine. I was initially worried about odors from the solids tank and that never was an issue.
Thanks for the Pine Sol tip and the “cover up” bag!