Noobies looking for a full-time and boondocking trailer

[themoreweexplore]

Here's our latest shopping video.

Viewers beware, I say the A******am word a few times.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv2VJ2i8TfA

[themoreweexplore]

Originally Posted by Cathy P.

Composting toilets have been discussed here before. Use the "Search" function.

Yup, I've searched "composting toilet" and none of the search results have "composting" in the title.

Originally Posted by Cathy P.

What size bed are you looking for? That can be important and also what about height as taller people have a few more limits if they want to be able to stand in a molded fiberglass TT.

We're short, so we don't need a huge bed. I'm 5'6", and Tess is 5'4". An RV queen should be plenty big for us.

Originally Posted by Cathy P.

I would go used since you are going to probably be putting a composting toilet in yourself.

I think that's a good idea. A 25' bigfoot is really appealing to us right now.

Originally Posted by Cathy P.

If you love Airstream, buy one. Otherwise, the only real possibility I see is a Bigfoot 25'. Have you thought about an Airstream in a hail storm?

I agree that a bigfoot 25 sounds like a great model to check out. When I started here, I wasn't sure which makes/models were available in fiberglass. It looks like the bigfoot is the closest to our match.

We may end up purchasing an airstream, but we most likely won't. It just opened our eyes to a less tacky interior and some cool design features. There's lots of things about airstreams that we don't love. So, before we dropped $50k+, we wanted to be thorough and see what else the RV world has to offer us.

[themoreweexplore]

Originally Posted by Ellpea in CA

My Lil'Bigfoot is only 13.5' and does not have a bathroom (we do have a porta potty). There is a small dinette in front, so we can keep the bed made in the back. I absolutely LOVE this little trailer.

This is great feedback. Bigfoots really have our attention.

Originally Posted by Ellpea in CA

The only thing that could seduce me away from it is that next model up in the ad. I love how the bed is more private and tucked away, the dinette is just a little bigger, and there's a bit more storage and space in the kitchen. And a bathroom...if I had a nice, powerful TV, I'd definitely look at one like this!

Thanks, that's another confirming vote for checking out a bigfoot. They seem fantastic online. Too bad the closest one is 6 hours away.

We're still 2-3 months out from purchasing, so we'll keep an eye out for a bigfoot local to the west coast.

[themoreweexplore]

Originally Posted by Dextersp1

Look at 4 season trailers

4 Seasons Equipped Truck Campers, Travel Trailers & Toy Haulers

Check out Lance

Artic Fox
Northwood | Arctic Fox Classic Trailers

I'd be interested in your opinion.

We attended an RV show last week and checked out Lance trailers. I had pretty high expectations, but I wasn't super impressed. I do, however, really like their glass window on the front. Natural light is a huge plus for us.

We need to check out arctic fox, they've slipped beneath our radar.

Winnebago blew us away with their light cupboards and lack of tacky wallpaper.

[themoreweexplore]

I really appreciate all the suggestions, there's a lot of good info in this thread. Not being able to see any FGRVs in person, this forum is the nest best thing, and I've learned a lot from it.

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. We're all on the same team: humans trying to spend more time with friends and family in the great outdoors, regardless of which brand/style we use.

[Dextersp1]

Originally Posted by themoreweexplore

Funny you should mention Nash, we were recently turned on to them, and they look fantastic for our needs. While we haven't seen any in person, we love the ground clearance, the strength of the frame, and a lot of the other features they've added. We need to go check one out.

Among the stick-built units, we've heard Arctic Fox is one of the warmest, strongest out there. We need to look into them more. Thanks for the recommendation.

The hard part is that most dealers are on the west coast. You are in Salt Lake City? You should be able to find one.

I would suggest 4 season - it helps in cold and warm weather. Cold weather camping in fun.

[Bob Miller]

That you can't find any threads that start with Composting Toilet should tell you something of the need for, and their popularity of, in the RV world.


But, that said, search for "Sawdust Toilet" and you will find some discussions about toileting alternatives in that thread.

[themoreweexplore]

Originally Posted by Cathy P.

Composting toilets have been discussed here before. Use the "Search" function.

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

That you can't find any threads that start with Composting Toilet should tell you something of the need for, and their popularity of, in the RV world.

All it tells me is that composting toilets aren't popular on fbrv.com, which would explain why so many here people don't understand why they wouldn't work in a wet bath.

I'm not RV shopping, I'm house shopping. 99% of the people who have RVs use them differently than I will. If I based all my decisions off what's popular, I'd be on my third marriage, live in a 5000 sqft house, and have $20k in credit card debt.

I want a composting toilet, whether they're popular or not, whether you think I should have one or not. I'm not trying to convince anyone else to get one, so I'm not sure why people are trying to change my mind.

Some people in this thread have decided I need to change my wants/needs to they'll align with their wants/needs/trailer. I'm trying to find a trailer that meets my needs, not alter my needs to fit a specific trailer.

It looks like the only fiberglass trailer that meets my wants/needs is a bigfoot 2500.

[Dextersp1]

Originally Posted by themoreweexplore

All it tells me is that composting toilets .

Travel trailers can be modified. I'd say you could design a composting toilet for a TT. But I don't know where the final compost would go. RV parks would not take it.

Other sites to visit is www.1rv2.com and https://www.escapees.com/

http://www.gonewiththewynns.com/composting-toilet

There are a lot of people who RV full time have jobs or they stop in a place and find jobs.

Good luck.

[Ron Merritt]

I suggest you look at the Oliver very closely. I have 400 ah and a 2000 watt inverter and 320 watts solar. It will run everything but AC. The wet bath is spacious and should be roomy enough for a disgusting composting toilet if that is what you need. The build quality is second to none and it's around $30k cheaper than an airstream with it's saggy insulation and non-thermo pane windows. Check out my video at Wincrasher's Travels: Video Review of the Oliver Legacy Elite II

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Ron Merritt

The wet bath is spacious and should be roomy enough for a disgusting composting toilet if that is what you need.

Sorry, I cannot agree. A composting toilet is no more disgusting than any other toilet, including the toilet installed in the Oliver or any other RV. And once fully composted, the end product is not as toxic as what is transported in black water tanks. Or dumped into sewage connections or septic tanks. They are called septic tanks for a reason.


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[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by themoreweexplore

All it tells me is that composting toilets aren't popular on fbrv.com, which would explain why so many here people don't understand why they wouldn't work in a wet bath.

I'm not RV shopping, I'm house shopping. 99% of the people who have RVs use them differently than I will. If I based all my decisions off what's popular, I'd be on my third marriage, live in a 5000 sqft house, and have $20k in credit card debt.

I want a composting toilet, whether they're popular or not, whether you think I should have one or not. I'm not trying to convince anyone else to get one, so I'm not sure why people are trying to change my mind.

Some people in this thread have decided I need to change my wants/needs to they'll align with their wants/needs/trailer. I'm trying to find a trailer that meets my needs, not alter my needs to fit a specific trailer.

It looks like the only fiberglass trailer that meets my wants/needs is a bigfoot 2500.

====================================
I think that you will find that less than even 1% of the people that have RV's use them in the manner that you have expressed interest. I think that a number closer to 99.9 % don't might be more accurate. Sorta like the song, One in a Thousand: Days Like These - One In One Thousand Lyrics | MetroLyrics
And, in FGRV's, you are in the niche market of a niche market.

When you come to an RV based site for advice, what you will get will be RV (Not "Little House") based and biased. For that reason it's not fair to the group to get angry with them because they may not see your side of how an FGRV might be used. Collectively you are speaking to thousands of years of experiences, opinions and attitudes and it's best to accept or reject that information, rather than criticize same.

And I think that most would find your attitude about those of us that are among the masses (doing what's, as you call it, "Popular") to be somewhat cynical and almost angry appearing.

I have been divorced and widowed, I do not have a 5000 sq. ft. house and have almost no credit card debt, do any of those make me a good or bad person? I think not.....

My late wife's ancestor (Levi Jackman) arrived in Salt Lake Valley on July 22, 1847. two days before someone said something about that being the place. Does that tell you anything about me???? NOPE.

[Ron Merritt]

Originally Posted by CPW

Sorry, I cannot agree. A composting toilet is no more disgusting than any other toilet, including the toilet installed in the Oliver or any other RV. And once fully composted, the end product is not as toxic as what is transported in black water tanks. Or dumped into sewage connections or septic tanks. They are called septic tanks for a reason.


Sent from my iPhone using Fiberglass RV

Sorry, but I find having to dump a pee bucket every few days to be disgusting and problematic. Also, the reaction of composting can be upset by any cleaning agents or liquids needing to be used to get your poo off the bowl sides because you can't hit the hole. Keeping the reaction going also has it's issues and does need some tending. These toilets use DC power, so having them in a wet environment should not be an issue at all.

I think many that want these things don't really have any idea of the magitude of the issues that can arise. It's seen as a magic bullet to allow you to go off the grid for extended periods. Well you still need to put your pee somewhere and your grey water still needs to go somewhere too. Saying you'll just dump it (pee & grey) out on the ground also has issues. It may be non-toxic (as is your raw sewage actually) and biodegradable, but it not hygienic. There are lots of restrictions on it.

What I've tried to do is outfit my RV's so I can go 1 week between servicings. Refilling water and emptying tanks and refilling fuel (LP). There are thousands upon thousands of locations to do that across North America to dump for free or very nominal cost. Living the RV lifestyle full time is not really all that much work or sacrifice compared to residential living if you can get your maintenance down to a once-a-week exercise.

FWIW, I do know someone who is working on a composting black tank. They have patents in, so you might actually see a product soon. They are claiming twice a year emptying of it. Up top is a normal toilet. All the composting is in the tank. Don't ask me anything else, as I don't have any details on how it works.

[Dextersp1]

Originally Posted by CPW

Sorry, I cannot agree. A composting toilet is no more disgusting than any other toilet, including the toilet installed in the Oliver or any other RV. And once fully composted, the end product is not as toxic as what is transported in black water tanks. Or dumped into sewage connections or septic tanks. They are called septic tanks for a reason.


Sent from my iPhone using Fiberglass RV

Where does a person put the end product of a RV composting product while traveling?

[honda03842]

Originally Posted by themoreweexplore

All it tells me is that composting toilets aren't popular on fbrv.com, which would explain why so many here people don't understand why they wouldn't work in a wet bath.

I'm not RV shopping, I'm house shopping. 99% of the people who have RVs use them differently than I will. If I based all my decisions off what's popular, I'd be on my third marriage, live in a 5000 sqft house, and have $20k in credit cards.

Some people in this thread have decided I need to change my wants/needs to they'll align with their wants/needs/trailer. I'm trying to find a trailer that meets my needs, not alter my needs to fit a specific trailer.

At least one of your conclusion is correct, most people use their RV differently than you do. We were novices when we began RVing and joined Escapees (Escapees.com), mostly people who full time. We are not full timers but average about 230 days a year in our Scamp 16.

One of the most interesting aspects of owning a trailer for me is making the trailer your own, defining your needs and than wants. Every summer when we are home I add something to our trailer. Before we picked up our Scamp we attended the Scamp Camp in FL, after visiting other trailers I came away with a list of some 50+ modification possibilities.

It's critical to the world that some step out of the box and define their own path, people like that can make a positive difference. There's tremendous inertia for 'normalcy', people thought we were losing it to give up our travels and hit the road... it turned out to be the best thing we ever did, providing time, freedom and health.

Certainly being conscious about your choice is wise. I've been in all the trailers you're considering. I think the Bigfoot is a good choice, but so are the Escape, Oliver and Airstream. All could be configured to meet your needs.

Wishing you well in your search

[honda03842]

"I'm not RV shopping, I'm house shopping". I do know what you mean and it caused me to laugh.

We moved from a house to an RV, never having lived in an RV and basically never having camped. We began by moving from our home to the RV parked in the front yard in order to begin to understand how the RV worked and the changes required. There's no doubt that living in most RV's is decidedly different from living in most homes.

In some ways an RV is more complete than most homes, with it's own multi-level electrical system, water system and sewerage system. They now travel with you and you become in some measure a utilities system owner. One of the most freeing aspects of our RV is stuff elimination, a real difference from a home where it's primary function seems at times to be stuff accumulation.

In a home so much is provided via pipe and wire. Now you're responsible for phone, TV and Internet, no longer services provided over a single wire. Mail's no longer delivered to your door. It's all different, good different. We laugh about how little mail we receive , we enjoy the relative independence of it all and the new world it provides.

Of course wishing you well.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Dextersp1

Where does a person put the end product of a RV composting product while traveling?

If you knew anything about composting toilets and the amount of time composting actually takes, you wouldn't have to ask that question. And if the waste product were fully composted, disposal would likely not create a problem. Composted human waste is far more sanitary than dumping waste mixed with sawdust (another recent thread) in a bag into a dumpster.


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[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Ron Merritt

Sorry, but I find having to dump a pee bucket every few days to be disgusting and problematic.

And that's you, and you are entitled to see it that way. I, on the other hand find it no more "disgusting" than dumping the black water tanks at the dump station when a previous user was, shall I say, messy, or no more disgusting than changing a baby's diaper. The only point I make is that injecting the word disgusting into this discussion is a declaration of your personal opinion, your likes and dislikes which, in the grand scheme of things contribute nothing constructive. You make a valid point that composting toilets require additional care and tending, but that does not mean they are "disgusting." Tell me how you feel about outhouses......the ones you walk into in warm weather and you almost gag. How do they stack up against composting toilets?




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[Dextersp1]

Originally Posted by CPW

If you knew anything about composting toilets and the amount of time composting actually takes, you wouldn't have to ask that question. And if the waste product were fully composted, disposal would likely not create a problem. Composted human waste is far more sanitary than dumping waste mixed with sawdust (another recent thread) in a bag into a dumpster.


Sent from my iPhone using Fiberglass RV

I don't know ... that is why I asked the question.

So, where does a person put the end product of a RV composting product while traveling?

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Dextersp1

I don't know ... that is why I asked the question.



So, where does a person put the end product of a RV composting product while traveling?

Then I suggest you do some research on composting toilets to understand how they work and why. Unless you are full timing, it is likely not an issue. The composting process is slow, but if working properly, efficient at reducing volume. Depending on usage, may not need to be emptied often.


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