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skootamattaschmidty
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# Posted: 30 Apr 2017 10:43am
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We camped for years before the cabin with a pop up trailer. I used a similar porta potty to the one posted by silverwaterlady. You just pump it with your hand....I agree the fewer mechanical parts the better. It worked great for the kids in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning and my wife liked it as well. It was used only for number one. No smell until dumping it....we still have it and it must be at least 15 years old now and still works fine. We still use our trailer as a guest house and we keep it in there for the ladies and young kids. Like above, I dump plumbing antifreeze in it in the winter time.
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Cowracer
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# Posted: 1 May 2017 09:25am - Edited by: Cowracer
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Quoting: buckybuck 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..
I'm 3 years into owning my Thetford curve and it hasn't missed a beat. I think that most of the 'pump failures' are caused by people letting the pump freeze. The other thing that makes me wonder is that it does not pump a steady stream, but in intermittent 'spurts' like a hand pump would. I wonder how many people thought this was a defect.
You can 'flush' it by other means. One weekend when our batteries got commandeered for a flashlight, we found that simply pouring water into the bowl from a gallon jug works reasonable well.
The one complaint that I will agree with is the bowl lid is very flimsy. It wont hold up to much at all. Then again, its not supposed to be a seat.
Tim
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buckybuck
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# Posted: 3 May 2017 02:09pm - Edited by: buckybuck
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If I wasn't already butt-deep in portable toilets, I'd hop on this $36 today-only deal on Amazon Prime for one:
URL
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moneypitfeeder
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# Posted: 4 May 2017 10:43pm
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I'm surprised that you are experiencing smell from your ct, we have one, and with 2 adults and 6 children visiting, we had zero smell. Maybe with a simple change of "habit" you can fix the smell. If the system is properly diverted for excess liquid to a drain field & vented well, then for the rest a scoop of peat moss per (solids) and a weekly deposit of wet leaves ought to take care of the rest.
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Bigred292
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# Posted: 5 May 2017 09:19am
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Moneypitfeeder
I understand what you're saying- the problem is my visits are too far apart - I try to get there once a month but ideally I'd like to make it every 2 weeks.
I have tried to figure it out but it's to the point of my wife being turned off going there.
My oldest will (hopefully ) be graduating HS next year so time is against me
I'm leaning towards removing compost toilet and using a Thetford curve.
The time this buys me will allow me to really think about a good,realistic plan.
Now if I could just figure out my solar/ electric problems.....
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creeky
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# Posted: 5 May 2017 12:28pm
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Well. There is this.
http://creektreat.ca/pickle-your-two/
I've been using bokashi for a couple of years now. No smell. And the bacterial agent pickles the waste rendering it safe within days. No long composting stage.
Have a look at my solar ramblings too. I long ago solved the solar equation.
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silverwaterlady
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# Posted: 5 May 2017 12:49pm
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For most women camp just makes a lot of extra work for us. Cooking, cleaning and keeping ourselves clean can be more difficult and time consuming.
I have not been able to master all to make it easier at camp like it is at home because of money and time issues. I'm about 75% there and by 2018 two weeks into our time at camp it will be 90% when I finally get my propane stove and refrigerator.
It will never be 100% because I will not have a washer ( going to town to do laundry) and won't have a dishwasher.
I love our cabin because of the peace and quiet. I feel better out in nature. I can turn everything off and relax my mind. That's why I go. So the extra work outweighs the feeling of peace nature gives me.
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moneypitfeeder
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# Posted: 6 May 2017 09:32pm
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Hi Big Red, I understand your frustration and wanting your wife to be happy visiting. Creeky has some good advice, but since we don't visit our cabin frequently enough (but when we do its a week or more at a time) we use rotting leaves for the beneficial bacteria to break stuff down. What is your specific setup? I'm surprised at you having an "ammonia" smell. Do you have a commercially built ct or a homemade variety? We have a Sun-Mar, (I think it was for a boat, you climb up a step to use the throne) and it is never "wet" i.e. all the liquid is diverted through a drain line to the outside, where it flows into a gravel leach pit. For the solids, when you rotate the drum it deposits them to a finishing tray and the air from there is vented through a standard 4" (?) vent line above the roof. If you have a commercial version, I wonder if your drain line is clogged (or not installed) leading to too much liquid in the system. To break down the solids, you just need a happy balance of green to brown + bacteria. We achieve that through us, anything veggie based (scraps), coffee grounds, peat moss, and wet leaves. Any vegg stuff too large for the system like corn cobs, goes out for the animals. I'm with silverwaterlady, camp life can be more difficult, I love my propane fridge and range. Water used to be more difficult, but with a cheap pump, small solar panel and a battery, we can finally pump it up instead of lugg it up from the creek! I hope you find a good solution for your family, and one that makes your wife happy to visit!
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Bigred292
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# Posted: 6 May 2017 10:11pm
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Moneypitfeeder
Thanks for the reply! I definitely have a commercial made compost toilet. The nametag says "Humus "
It is just like you say as far as setup - trays on the bottom and a drain line underneath the trays.
The previous owner was pretty clueless as to how it worked- he said he had no paperwork but I did find the original paperwork in kitchen drawer.
There is a humidity dial? which I adjusted in the back of toilet.
When I use it (#2 only) I add some dry peat moss and turn the handle a few times per instructions. I usually throw my coffee grinds in there as well.
There are 2 fans with the toilet. 1 is a regular 110 plug which only runs a short time (under 2 min) before the inverter shuts down- I usually run gen and run fan for awhile.
Second fan is a mystery - it appears as though there's a smaller fan installed in the vent pipe which uses the same connection as speakers, you push button down, insert wire and release button.
When I bought cabin just around a year ago the seller had his electrician come over and he said that the small fan might be too muvh of a draw and to leave it unplugged.
Should there be a fan running all of the time?
I did thoroughly clean out the toilet - the ammonia smell was absolutely overpowering - with the big fan running you could smell the ammonia outside.
I did notice a small drain line- I did not check to see if it was plugged- there was alot of fluid in the bottom trays- all of the material was completely saturated - it was not a fun experience as you can imagine
I'm going up Monday to open the cabin up for the year - plan on a complete cleaning again - will have to check that drain line
Lastly, is there a startup or do I just use it and add dry peat moss? Or do I moisten it? With water, not #1
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Bigred292
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# Posted: 6 May 2017 10:14pm
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Here's a pic
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FishHog
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# Posted: 7 May 2017 09:22am
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a lot of composting toilets have a 12v inline fan in the vent pipe to help with ventilation. That might be what you have. That being said, your vent pipe looks awfully small. Since they all work by the same manner, you might learn by reading the instructions on Sunmar's and other websites.
If yours is that wet, its not working properly! Find the cause and fix that would be your simplest route.
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moneypitfeeder
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# Posted: 7 May 2017 10:24am - Edited by: moneypitfeeder
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The pic looks very similar to a biolet 10 or 15, but I'm not certain. If so, then they have a float switch that senses extra fluid and kicks up a heater & a fan to evaporate it away. If it is a biolet, then I'd make sure everything is wired and running correctly, they are fairly technical, and if 1 piece of the puzzle isn't quite right...
https://www.biolet.com/pages/learn-moreURL
https://www.biolet.com/products/biolet-composting-toiletURL
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Bigred292
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# Posted: 7 May 2017 12:03pm
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That does look a lot like mine but there are some differences. I have the thermostat in back, when you sit it does open doors but the arms that mix are different
Maybe the 110 plug I mentioned earlier is a blower mounted below? I'm going by what the previous owner told me
The paperwork I have does list an address in Sweden- I'm at work now but will check on it when I get home
Perhaps mine is an early model?
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Bigred292
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# Posted: 20 Sep 2017 02:19pm
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Just wanted to give an update on my situation - I actually found a Thetford curve on CL about an hour away from me.
They were asking $60, still in box. Told the guy it really wasn't worth the time to make a 2 1/2 trip but thanks anyway. 3 weeks later he offered to deliver it to me for $40!
Went up to the cabin last week - removed composting toolet and got the Thetford up and running. I used it for 2 days, so far so good. Sold the composting one for $250 while I was up there too
It definitely gives me more room too.
Only thing I wasn't sure on was how often to empty it? Every visit? Going back up within 2 weeks so I decided not to empty it until then.
Time will tell I guess. Any curve owners tell me what they do?
My local Walmart had Campa chem boxes on sale for $1 each so I bought 12 boxes- should last awhile
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Bigred292
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# Posted: 20 Sep 2017 02:22pm
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Before and after
20160601_144550.jpg
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20170914_080758.jpg
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beulahfarkward
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# Posted: 24 Sep 2017 08:25pm
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I have a humanure toilet.... sort of. I line a big bucket with two garbage bags, put about two cups of kitty litter in the bottom. Then when anyone uses it they throw in about a cup of nice pine wood shavings. Once in a whhile on #2 in the winter I sprinkle some kitty deoderizer. Then when ready to leave we bag tie the bags, put a lid on the bucket and throw the bags in the local dumpster. Never have to touch anything gross and IT NEVER SMELLS! Not even in mid summer. My daughter calls it the human litter box. I call it a heck of a lot nicer than a hike to the outhouse!
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