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Bigred292
Member
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# Posted: 25 Apr 2017 11:10pm
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Here's my situation
3 season cabin, married with 3 kids- 17 y/o boy, 2 girls, 15 and 12.
Weekend use mainly - mostly myself and son, maybe 3 times a year as family, 2 nights max
Have composting toilet now- just isn't cutting it. The ammonia smell can be horrendous in the summer which is a HUGE turnoff to the ladies.
Was thinking about installing a flush toilet. I know, I know..... extra water usage, yadda yadda yadda
I want to make this more appealing to the whole family
Plan is to install underground water tank this summer - what if I ran a supply line to a tank hung above regular toilet, filled tank up before each flush and ran waste into separate holding tank?
Maybe once a year have it pumped out?
I get the whole composting thing but before you know it my kids will be gone
I do have a stream that runs by the cabin but also have a tank that I can bring to keep the new underground tank topped off
Can someone hrlp me with the design? Does my idea sound do-able?
I just want to get as many family memories as I possibly can- thsnks !
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 25 Apr 2017 11:32pm
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Do you plan on getting a septic permit?
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 25 Apr 2017 11:37pm
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http://www.small-cabin.com/forum/3_7335_0.html
My neighbor has an outhouse that has no smell and is nice as any home toilet. She puts powdered lime in.
Have you used the Search function on this web site?
Have you searched Google?
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Bigred292
Member
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# Posted: 25 Apr 2017 11:47pm
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Tell you the truth wasn't planning on getting a permit. It's an off grid cabin on the border of 300 acre open space forest.
Yes, I have tried the search feature but it always seems to go back to composting toilets and water usage/waste.
Have gotten ALOT of great info on here so thought I'd give it a shot - maybe some people with a similar setup?
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FishHog
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# Posted: 26 Apr 2017 07:43am
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the problem is all the urine. Pee outside, use the composting toilet when you need to for #2. Get a pee bucket for nighttime for the girls, and go dump it in the morning. You will be amazed how much urine a family can make in a weekend. Composting toilets just can't keep up to that much liquid that fast.
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buckybuck
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# Posted: 26 Apr 2017 07:56am
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Number 1 is easy for you and your son. A stream makes a nice flush toilet, if you get my drift.
For guys' overnight needs, a Luggable Loo is an option. A plastic bag and some organic (ground corn cob, etc.) cat litter to cover your crap make pretty colors later in a campfire.
When women are around, a Thetford Curve kinda looks, sounds, and acts like a flush toilet. You do have to take the bottom (holding tank) home once in a while and dump it. It helps if you have a sewer cleanout cap someplace outside to dump the liquid in, otherwise, you'll have to dump it down a toilet, which will leave a lingering odor.
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Wilbour
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# Posted: 26 Apr 2017 08:15am
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The volume of pee is simply amazing. When I am alone at the cabin I just pee in a jar and dump it outside, especially at night when it's cold and wet outside. I am surprised at how much pee one creates in one evening! (And that's without beer)
My wife will squat outside during the day but I have a chemical RV toilet for guests.
The #1 problem with composting is your #1!
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Atlincabin
Member
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# Posted: 26 Apr 2017 08:37am
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To answer your original question, yes, a tank should work. We have a flush toilet in our cabin that ends up in a 600-gallon fiberglas tank (our greywater goes elsewhere). We just get it pumped out occasionally for $90. Not a lot different from having a big RV except we pay the pumper to come to the cabin rather than finding an RV dump.
Most any water source (such as your creek) would work for the supply line as long as there is not debris that may clog the toilet mechanism.
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Bigred292
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# Posted: 26 Apr 2017 08:44am
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Thank you for the replies
Atlincabin- where are you located? That's what I'm talking about- the setup that you have
Did you do it yourself? Does the storage tank require a vent?
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FishHog
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# Posted: 26 Apr 2017 08:53am
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Quoting: Bigred292 Does the storage tank require a vent
definitely, your adding volume, you need to let that air (that you displace with waste) escape. Otherwise you will have problems.
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Bigred292
Member
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# Posted: 26 Apr 2017 08:59am
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Quoting: FishHog definitely, your adding volume, you need to let that air (that you displace with waste) escape. Otherwise you will have problems.
The composting toilet I have now has a PVC vent thst goes out through the roof already - would that count as the vent or does the tank need it's own?
I work with wood- not with pipes- thus the dumb questions
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paulz
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# Posted: 26 Apr 2017 10:16am
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I have a regular flush toilet. It's a low volume or whatever they call them, plus I have a couple of bricks inside the tank so it probably uses less than a gallon per flush. Pee sits (wife's), poop flushes. Goes to a 50 gallon barrel downhill. When two are full I slide them in my pickup and take them home to empty. Maybe twice a year.
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don62
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# Posted: 26 Apr 2017 12:59pm
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I just put a flushing toilet in my cabin, I bought a 1000 gal holding tank from Fleet on sale for about 750.00 and had it dug in, we use the out house most of the time and the inside john at night and bad weather. Our last cabin had a 1000 gal tank and we went a long time{2 years} before pumping..A nice comfy outhouse really adds to the cabin experience..
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ChuckDynasty
Member
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# Posted: 26 Apr 2017 06:31pm - Edited by: ChuckDynasty
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If you resolved your ammonia odor would your system work for everyone?
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silverwaterlady
Member
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# Posted: 26 Apr 2017 06:53pm - Edited by: silverwaterlady
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We have a grandfathered outhouse and use a Porta potty with the non formaldehyde deodorizer from Walmart in the cabin and use it only at night or bad weather for #1 only. It never smells bad.
We dump it in the outhouse when it's close to full (about once a week).
I have to use extra lime in the outhouse after dumping.
This is what works best for us.
Edited to include, if you want to get ideas on some attractive outhouses there is a thread on here with a bunch of photos. It's "Share your outhouse pics".
Ours is in there. I have a pretty outhouse. It even has a sink. I am always on the lookout for cool art to add in the outhouse.
This summer I'm going to add a stick on tile backsplash behind my sink. I think your wife would have fun decorating her outhouse. 
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Bigred292
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# Posted: 26 Apr 2017 08:26pm
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Quoting: ChuckDynasty If you resolved your ammonia odor would your system work for everyone?
I honestly don't think so- the cabin isn't really her cup of tea- it's more of a getaway for me.
If I put a flush toilet in then it would definitely change things
Don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing
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Bigred292
Member
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# Posted: 26 Apr 2017 08:28pm
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Also I should have stated earlier - my deed specifically says no outhouses - it's a stipulation that the town pur in
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Atlincabin
Member
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# Posted: 27 Apr 2017 10:06am
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Bigred,
We are in .... Atlin, BC, near the Yukon border. Tank requires a vent, but basically the incoming 4-inch waste line acts as the vent. Unless you have a huge slug of material coming down the line, there will be some "head" space to allow air to escape. Our tank is above-ground, under the cabin and we pump it out at the end of each summer to make sure it doesn't freeze and split.
Yes, we did it ourselves. Just set it on a gravel base and plumbed into the cabin. We are built literally on bedrock, so no chance of burying it. Has worked well for several years. I would note that we also have an outhouse that we use much of the time. Sounds like you could not do that, so may have to pump the tank more often (or get a larger tank - the pumping cost is typically the same for most any size tank since the major cost is the time and travel to get the truck to your location).
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silverwaterlady
Member
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# Posted: 27 Apr 2017 10:54am
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To bad about the outhouse.
Since your wife and girls are only there for a few days a Porta potty with a five gallon holding tank might be big enough to handle a weekend worth of urine. Take it to a rest area or home to empty.
I drove a semi truck for 14 years and used one because it wasn't safe for me to go into rest areas alone at night.
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hueyjazz
Member
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# Posted: 27 Apr 2017 12:07pm
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BigRed
I had much the same struggle as you. One guy and three girls.
I also have a cabin in Upstate NY so hard winter is a given. My water supply is brought in by 55 gallon food grade barrels that I fill up at home. My cabin is elevated off ground so I have easy access. The entire plumbing system is designed for purge.
Traps cause a special problem. If you are going to use a ceramic toilet you are going to need to pour propylene glycol into trap and blow out all lines.
I decided to borrow off of boat and RV technology for my system. For a toilet I use a Domenic 500
https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-302651003-Sealand-China-Toilet/dp/B002IVAYLE/ref=sr_1_ 8?ie=UTF8&qid=1493307534&sr=8-8&keywords=dometic+toilet
The toilet attaches to a standard flange. to this I attached one half of an RV coupling for a waste line. I found these Camco fittings.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BQR8TE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc =1
I then used a standard RV waste line going to a RV collection tank.
https://www.amazon.com/Tote-N-Stor-25609-Portable-Waste-Transport/dp/B0085KGOH0/ref=s r_1_2?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1493308902&sr=1-2&keywords=rv+waste+tank
I have the perk of be very close to a State Park that has a campground with a RV waste station so I just get a season pass to park but I have to admit hauling 30 gallons of you know what isn't the best time. I made a secondary system using a screw top 5 gallon bucket by epoxying in the above Camco fittings so the hose could attach. This was adequate for weekends and I would just bring it back to dump in home toilet.
You want the bucket with water spout as you can use it as a vent you can cap.
https://www.amazon.com/White-Spout-Gallon-Ultimate-Liquids/dp/B06XPL9QVR/ref=sr_1_cc_ 8?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1493309153&sr=1-8-catcorr&keywords=screw+top+5+gallon+bucket
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cabingal3
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# Posted: 27 Apr 2017 01:51pm
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we have a composting toilet we made inside our outside outhouse.i must admit only me and the mister use it.
it never smells ever.
we clean it daily in summer and winter cause the poo and pee goes into a 5 gallon bucket with pine needles in the bottom.
we burn our bad stuff in winter.in summer we mulch it.nothing ever smells bad anywhere.
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Cowracer
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# Posted: 27 Apr 2017 02:55pm
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I don't have running water in my cabin. We do have a standard blue porto-john at our site, and it serves us well with no real issues on smell. We have a guy at the lake that pumps them out and refills the blue fluid for like $30 and that is a bargain.
Anyway, the porto-john is about 150 feet from the cabin. Not ideal for a middle of the night piddle. So I bought a Thetford Curve portable toilet.
It is battery flush and (as advertised) 100% odor free. There have even been a couple of times where I forgot to empty it before we left and it sat in the cabin for a week in hot weather. Again, no odor, or none until you opened the flush valve. You learn in a hurry to be real quick with that thing.
Emptying it is pretty easy. All the nastiness is contained in the bottom part, which separates from the top. It has a handle for easy carrying. You simply take it to your dumping location, unscrew the cap off the dump spout and dump. It even has a thumb-operated valve to let air in so it dumps without glugging.
Even full, I would have no issues with throwing it in the trunk of the car and driving it to a dumping location.
That might be an option for you.
Tim
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 27 Apr 2017 07:46pm
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It's SO NICE to have a septic and a flush toilet... just flush it and forget it...
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Bigred292
Member
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# Posted: 27 Apr 2017 11:37pm
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Thanks for the great replies everyone- certainly a lot of good ideas.
That thetford curve has my attention- looks like some research is due.
Going to the cabin in 10 days. Going to get a local septic co to check it out and see if getting a truck there is do-able
I think the absolute best way to go is to have an underground tank put in.
Was thinking a low flow toilet- have a nice old expansion tank to hold water which would be mounted above toilet. Plumb a feed into the exp tank-use water from tank to fill toilet tank-flush-refill from upper tank.
Under the toilet flange do I use a P trap or just an elbow and straight to tank?
The composting toilet I have now has a PVC vent that protrudes through roof- do I till use that??
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Cowracer
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# Posted: 28 Apr 2017 09:10am - Edited by: Cowracer
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Under the toilet you can just use a strait pipe. The toilet already has it's p-trap built in. You will have to vent the holding tank in some fasion, or else pressure build up will bubble gas up past the P-trap and you will be right back to the smell issue again.
At my lake community, I have a good friend. We are about as opposite from each other as 2 white guys can be. I am a standard suburban subdivision guy, and my buddy is as down-home backwoods as you will ever meet. After years of trying, he finally got the guy who owned the adjoining lot to his to sell. It has a well and septic, and the family hadn't been down for years.
The first thing my buddy did was build a flush toilet outhouse. It is right over the septic tank, and he just ran a straight pipe down into the tank. Its in no way pretty, but it works great.
Tim
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Bigred292
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# Posted: 28 Apr 2017 01:37pm
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Quoting: Cowracer The first thing my buddy did was build a flush toilet outhouse. It is right over the septic tank, and he just ran a straight pipe down into the tank. Its in no way pretty, but it works great.
Not much privacy 
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silverwaterlady
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# Posted: 28 Apr 2017 08:30pm
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I like the look of the curve Porta potty until I did some research on it.
Seems the battery operated pump breaks quite often, if you want to replace it costs almost the same as the fixture.
It cannot be flushed any other way.
Also if you are not going to take it home you are going to need to winterize the pump with some rv antifreeze if you are in a cold climate.
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buckybuck
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# Posted: 29 Apr 2017 10:15am
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Quoting: silverwaterlady Seems the battery operated pump breaks quite often, if you want to replace it costs almost the same as the fixture.
Actually, I just looked on Amazon and, at least right now, the replacement pump costs five bucks more than the whole toilet itself. That's absurd.
That being said, we've had one of these Thetford Curves for three years now. It's working fine; we're actually still on the original set of batteries.
I looked at customer reviews on Amazon and counted 19 complaints about the pump, out of 537 total reviews posted there. Nothing scientific here, but it does indicate that 96 percent of the Thetford Curve buyers didn't have a problem with the pump. And that's not counting all the people who bought one of these, just the people who bothered to take the time to write a review about a toilet they didn't have a pump problem with. My guess is probably close to 100 percent of the people who paid over a hundred bucks for a toilet that didn't work took the time to write a negative review.
Theoretically, there's a hand-operated replacement pump available for these from European vendors, where the toilet is sold under the name Thetford Excellence. As near as I can figure, you're looking at at least $60 bucks for the manual pump, factoring in shipping and everything. I sure wouldn't pay that for a toilet pump, so if my Curve's pump ever goes bad, I'll try to fix it myself. If I can't, I'll throw it out and replace it with a cheaper, hand pump toilet. And then I'll probably write a crappy review on Amazon, just to vent.
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Bigred292
Member
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# Posted: 29 Apr 2017 12:52pm
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Really thinking about trying out the Thetford curve
I have quite a few projects to do as it is- if I could get 2-3 years of use it would be worth it
I know a couple of people have mentioned theirs- anyone else have experience with these? Good and bad
I think I would just dig a hole and empty it in the hole after each stay- looks like it could make things better
More time for fishing and enjoying ourselves
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silverwaterlady
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# Posted: 29 Apr 2017 03:13pm
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Here is what I've been using at camp for the last five years. The Dometic on the right. It's the five gallon holding tank model. The push button is the flush. It's works by pumping up the toilet about once every five days. It's $106.00 at Amazon.
No pump to break. I leave it at camp. To winterize I dump out the water and put in winter windshield wiper fluid and run it through the toilet. Never a problem. I also have one in my F150 since I do a lot of traveling alone to remote places without bathroom facilities.
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