What to do with poo in the winter?

[willie1280]

Our 5th wheel is now sitting on our new land up in northern Wisconsin giving us the comforts of home...until i go outside to sit on my Luggable Loo seat/bucket combo out in the freezing cold. So, i'm wondering what would be the downsides to using the bathroom in the 5th wheel during the winter months.

The wife is concerned that it will smell. I can't imagine it would smell all that bad in the winter...thoughts?

The plumbing is all winterized already, so i would likely keep a gallon or two of water next to the toilet to rinse things down. We'd likely only go up 1-2 weekends a month over the next 4-5 months of winter when it would rarely get above freezing. So worse case scenario, 3 people x 1 "#2" visit per day x 20 days = 60 potential #2 sessions. I can't imagine that would fill up the black tank requiring me to dump it to my transfer tote any sooner than spring.

So, can we safely use the camper toilet without damaging anything and not making the camper smell like an outhouse?

[SeaDog]

the only problem I see is keeping the black tank from freezing.

[Librarianocnj]

When I go winter camping, I put a dollar store trash bag in bowl, use it, and then put it in a lidded 5 gallon bucket. Dispose of later in trash just like doggie poo.

[5picker]

Don't use water... add some antifreeze to the bowl, do your thing and then flush with more antifreeze. Use whatever favorite chemicals you always use for odor.

[Flybob]

The key to keeping RV black tanks working is lots of water, so using a bucket to was things down will likely cause big issues. Also the liquids in the tank and drain plumbing ( to dump valve) will freeze. The tank can expand, but you will crack the dump lines and valves. A few better choices.
1. Buy a portable cassette based toilet to use in the winter and take the cassette home to dump.
2. Contact a porta-potty company and rent one for the winter.
3. You may also buy a used porta potty and add water conditioner salt to keep it from freezing. Then just have it pumped in the spring.

[willie1280]

So if i used RV antifreeze like 5picker suggested, would i still have to worry about the tank freezing? The stuff is cheap enough and our visits up there would be infrequent enough that it won't cost me much.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by willie1280

So if i used RV antifreeze like 5picker suggested, would i still have to worry about the tank freezing? The stuff is cheap enough and our visits up there would be infrequent enough that it won't cost me much.

NO, if all you are using is antifreeze and chemicals, it won't freeze.

With that said... I completely forgot about the portable cassette toilets like Flybob mentioned and we had back in our pop-up days. If I were just going there on selected weekends, that would be the ticket for me.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by willie1280

So if i used RV antifreeze like 5picker suggested, would i still have to worry about the tank freezing? The stuff is cheap enough and our visits up there would be infrequent enough that it won't cost me much.

Depending on the brand of Antifreeze nothing in the tank will freeze until some seriously low minus temps.

As for smell, cold weather has a tendency to keep odors down as the "fermentation" that causes them is reduced greatly.

I would just plan on some extra effort to flush tank come spring.

I spend 6 month living in my TT one winter in Denver. Used tank daily and dumped every week or so (I had hookups). Added a tank heater that I only turned on a day or so before dumping. No issues with pipes or valves.

[Scrapper]

Don't worry about pee freezing. It won't dilute the AF much and the salt it contains will help. RV AF turns to a jell until it gets to -40 to -50 depending on which kind you use.

[hshaynes]

Make poopcicles

[phillyg]

I once made a giant poopsicle out of a sewer hose.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by hshaynes

Make poopcicles

Originally Posted by phillyg

I once made a giant poopsicle out of a sewer hose.

There's a couple of mental pictures that will be hard to forget

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by Librarianocnj

When I go winter camping, I put a dollar store trash bag in bowl, use it, and then put it in a lidded 5 gallon bucket. Dispose of later in trash just like doggie poo.

Inasmuch as human waste is considered Hazardous Waste I do not think disposing of it in other than than an approved facility, into a septic system or burning it is a good idea.

Pathogens, some of which are deadly, can enter the aquifer and contaminate the drinking water.

[johnbryanpeters]

Note that antifreeze comes in different temperature ratings, which are for burst point rather than freezing point.

Commonly available -50° F antifreeze has a freeze point of +20° F while the -100° F antifreeze has a freeze point of about -20° F.

https://www.splashwash.com/applicati...s_10-22-18.pdf

[MarkPW]

That's what they do on freight trains. Of course some guys have been know to toss them from the train; until they get caught.

Originally Posted by Librarianocnj

When I go winter camping, I put a dollar store trash bag in bowl, use it, and then put it in a lidded 5 gallon bucket. Dispose of later in trash just like doggie poo.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by MarkPW

That's what they do on freight trains. Of course some guys have been know to toss them from the train; until they get caught.

When we last traveled on trains, in Europe about 5 years ago, some trains had toilets with open holes that dropped poo straight down on the tracks.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by MarkPW

That's what they do on freight trains. Of course some guys have been know to toss them from the train; until they get caught.

Years ago the waste from restrooms on trains in this country went straight down a tube where it dropped on the tracks and no doubt splattered all the running gear/undercarriages behind it.

Think of all the people who walked on railroad tracks years ago totally ignorant of what they might have been walking on.

[Bonjoey]

Everytime we go winter camping/trip in our rv, we use windshield washer to flush the toilet and only liquids, no solids go there. Windshield washer is a lot cheaper than rv antifreeze and stay liquid even on coldest temp.

[Accountingphd]

Originally Posted by Librarianocnj

When I go winter camping, I put a dollar store trash bag in bowl, use it, and then put it in a lidded 5 gallon bucket. Dispose of later in trash just like doggie poo.

I second this approach. In fact I stack several bags inside each other so you can just tie a bag off and the next one is ready and waiting. For females, a little kitty litter will absorb urine and eliminate the splash back.

Edit: Remember if you are concerned that waste is toxic that lots of baby diapers end up in the city dump every day.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Accountingphd

Edit: Remember if you are concerned that waste is toxic that lots of baby diapers end up in the city dump every day.

And baby diapers are DEFINITELY Toxic. Been known to incapacitate grown men.