All About RV Toilets and Waste Systems

Hi, I’m Geneva Long, CEO of Bowlus, and today we’re talking RV toilets. We’ve all seen that scene in Christmas Vacation where they dump their RV waste tank. That movie came out in 1985, and not much has changed in terms of dumping a blackwater tank in a traditional RV—except for maybe adding a macerator, which is basically a garbage disposal for your blackwater system because things can get stuck, which is gross.

If you’re still using a blackwater tank like that in your RV, you’re stuck in the past. European RVs transitioned to cassette toilet systems many years ago, and at Bowlus, we have always used a cassette system. I will now attempt to talk about the blackwater system in other RVs and how and why Bowlus does it differently—like the mature adult I am, without any jokes. Let’s get started on why Bowlus has the best toilet in the business.

If you’ve been in a used traditional RV, you’ll notice a specific smell; that’s usually the sewer. In a traditional RV, there’s a large blackwater tank that mixes both water and waste. You then have to take your entire RV to a dump station. Users often report that black tank sensors are notoriously inaccurate, so you end up having to guess when the tank is full by listening for the toilet to “burp” or just dumping regularly. Dumping is a whole ordeal. First, you have to bring your whole RV to the station and glove up—some people even use gloves that go over the elbow for this “Hazmat-like” job. You have to locate the “stinky slinky,” a tube that has had waste in it and is therefore forever unclean. You connect it to the RV and the sewer drain in the ground, often placing large bricks on the hose to make sure it doesn’t pop off and create a “fire hose” situation. After emptying the tank, you flush it using large amounts of water, shut the valves, and put the wet, gross hose back into your bumper. This process takes at least 15 to 30 minutes, and that’s only if everything goes to plan.

You might have heard of other solutions, such as composting toilets. These are relatively new to RVs and separate liquid waste in the front from black waste in the back. When using it, you have to carefully direct waste into the right receptacle. You then have to empty the liquid container quite frequently—sometimes more than once a day—by removing it from the inside of your RV, which creates an opportunity for spills. Additionally, toilet paper often has to be placed in a separate bin rather than the toilet itself. The black waste is deposited into a plastic bag. Even if these bags are marketed as biodegradable, they can take years to decompose. Furthermore, you cannot simply dump a bag of human waste anywhere because it is a biohazard. Leaving it in a public trash can makes it someone else’s problem and wraps the waste in even more plastic. There are much simpler, environmentally friendly options that keep waste where it belongs: in systems designed for it.

Bowlus uses a cassette system, which can be dumped into any standard toilet or porta-potty. This gives you incredible flexibility for off-grid camping. You can simply remove the cassette and dump it into a standard sewer or toilet, meaning you never have to take your entire RV to a traditional dump station. This is the system used in Europe, and it is much more hygienic. In a Bowlus, you remove the cassette from the outside. Unlike composting systems that require you to carry waste through your living space, the Bowlus hatch is located on the exterior. It’s lockable and very hygienic. When you flush the toilet inside, a specialized venting system keeps all the air inside the cassette, ensuring there are no smells inside your Bowlus.

Dumping the cassette is simple. First, you twist the top and remove the cap. The cassette is designed with a handle that makes it easy to hold and maneuver. As you pour it into a standard toilet, you press a blue button on the bottom of the cassette; this allows for a continuous, splash-free pour. Once emptied, you can easily add more water to the cassette, swish it around, and rinse it until it empties clean. Then, just put the cap back on and slide the cassette back into your Bowlus to use again. It is fast, clean, and incredibly easy to manage.

Thanks so much for joining us to explore the different types of RV blackwater systems. Hopefully, you’ll agree that the cassette system is the best, most hygienic, and easiest system to use off-grid. Let me know what you thought of this video in the comments, and if you have any other questions, feel free to contact us at www.bowlus.com. Thank you!