8 months on the road with the dry separation toilet: My honest experience
When I first looked into the topic of camper toilets before my big trip with the T4, it quickly became clear to me: a chemical toilet was out of the question for me. The concept of the dry separation toilet immediately convinced me. Today, after eight months on the road with exactly this system on board, I can say: I am absolutely thrilled - even if everything didn't go perfectly right from the start.
The bumpy start with the first model
I chose a particular model that particularly impressed me with its concept: a compact box with a clever layout. The idea behind it was really well thought out. Nevertheless, this first model - I deliberately don't want to name the brand here because I don't want to advertise it - wasn't a big hit. I actually had a few suggestions for improvement and for a while I even seriously considered building my own dry-separating toilet based on this idea.
The biggest problem: the spout or the funnel through which the urine flows into the container was wobbling. If you sat on top, the connection wasn't stable enough - and as a result, the urine sometimes went wrong. The result: It didn't end up in the container, but in the box itself. That was anything but pretty and had to be laboriously cleaned every time afterwards. That's exactly the point you want to avoid with a good dry separation toilet.
The trade fair in Düsseldorf and the perfect solution
The turning point came when I happened to be at a trade fair in Düsseldorf and discovered another company there that offers a dry separation toilet that had exactly these weak points eliminated. All the problems that bothered me with my first model simply no longer existed here. The urine drain was tight and stable, nothing wobbled, nothing went wrong. I'll be happy to link you to this company as soon as I provide the details - because I can really recommend this solution without reservation.
Why urine separation is so brilliant
What still excites me most about the entire system is something very simple: you can simply dispose of the urine in any normal toilet. Whether at a rest area, in a café or at a friend's house - you simply empty the canister into the toilet bowl, flush it, and you're done. No hazardous waste, no special disposal station, no chemicals. This is an enormous relief in everyday life, especially if, like me, you travel a lot in places where there are no designated RV disposal stations.
My solution for the solids sector
For the fixed side - lovingly called "the code" in camper jargon - I created my own little system over the course of the trip, which worked really well. I got some pellet cat litter and brought it with me. I also had small organic waste bags with me. My approach: First put a garbage bag in the second container, then put a handful of this pellet cat litter on top so that the moisture is reliably absorbed.
The result really surprised me: it never smelled. At most it smelled slightly of sawdust, of wood - a really pleasant, neutral smell. And the best part: I didn't have to laboriously clean the container. I think that's exactly what disgusts most people when they think about a dry separation toilet - the idea of having to clean the solid waste container by hand. I can totally understand that, but of course it's not nice. With my bag solution, this step was completely eliminated.
An unexpected advantage: the garbage problem
What I hadn't initially considered: This method also solved a completely different problem that always bothered me when I traveled - waste disposal. If you're on the go a lot, at some point you'll notice that many public trash cans only have very small slots for insertion. You often can't fit large garbage bags in there, and as a camper I generally try to produce as little garbage as possible and then dispose of it sensibly. With the small organic waste bags from my toilet system, I automatically always had small, easily sealable portions that could be easily disposed of anywhere. An ideal secondary solution to a problem that I previously had to solve separately.
Space-saving and suitable for everyday use
Another plus point that I wouldn't have underestimated: the size. My dry separation toilet was small enough to disappear into its own box on a shelf at the bottom of my T4. Everyday life was extremely easy: pull out the box, do business, put the lid on, push the box back in – done. No effort, no inconvenience, and above all: no smells in the interior, even though the system was stored so compactly.
My conclusion after eight months
In the end, I wasn't really satisfied with the specific model that I chose at the beginning - there were too many small but annoying design weaknesses for that. But the principle of the dry separation toilet itself? I'm an absolute fan. For me, it's now the best thing you can think of for converting a camper. It doesn't stink, it saves space, is easy to use and with a little creativity - like my cat litter and organic bag solution - cleaning can be reduced to a minimum.
If you're still considering whether it's worth switching from the chemical toilet: from my point of view, it's definitely yes. Only when choosing the model is it worth taking a closer look and not buying into the first offer - I would have liked to have saved myself the second research from the start.
See you soon and always have a good trip,
your Tussy 💛