Rough Stuff Casita?

[solar]

A composting / separating toilet is much more effective when red wiggler worms are added. They dissolve solids #2 and kitchen scraps surprisingly fast and keep the odor / volume down. We have 20+ years experience with these little guys. They like it moist but don't drown them.

[Stephen_Albers]

The problem with replacing the blackwater tank is that it is integrally molded into the shell. I did not experience any trouble cleaning it. After the stock toilet is removed there is a large hole that provides good access. Steam cleaning provides a new tank experience.

[Stephen_Albers]

Good question. Remember, I'm aviation spoiled. To avoid incompetence and outright fraud, every component in an aircraft is tested certified to make sure it works with a paper trail for each part to hold individuals accountable if it doesn't. I expect this 4 season unit to provide safety and comfort in some of the most extreme environments. Certified testing is a small price to pay to avoid failures that could be life-threatening. So much of life is about perspective. I THOROUGHLY ENJOY TESTING. I often work with manufacturers to help make their products better. Beyond lab and bench testing, field testing is even more fun which I will embark on shortly.

[Raspy]

Stephen, Do you ever go camping? I can't imagine how everything could be considered in advance and perfected in advance. I don't know how anyone could predict all camping situations in advance. And I cannot imagine why that would be a good thing. What is the use going on a journey if you already know everything you will see or do? And what if something unexpected comes up? How can you be prepared to be self-sufficient if you believe everything has been thought of, tested and perfected? The unexpected, and adversity, can bring a lot of joy and meaning to visiting the wild lands and experiencing what they have to offer.

Here's a couple of unexpected acquaintances we made recently.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by Stephen_Albers

Good question. Remember, I'm aviation spoiled. To avoid incompetence and outright fraud, every component in an aircraft is tested certified to make sure it works with a paper trail for each part to hold individuals accountable if it doesn't.

You must have missed that 60 Minutes piece about counterfeit aircraft parts.

[Motoboss]

Originally Posted by Raspy

Stephen, Do you ever go camping? I can't imagine how everything could be considered in advance and perfected in advance. I don't know how anyone could predict all camping situations in advance. And I cannot imagine why that would be a good thing. What is the use going on a journey if you already know everything you will see or do? And what if something unexpected comes up? How can you be prepared to be self-sufficient if you believe everything has been thought of, tested and perfected? The unexpected, and adversity, can bring a lot of joy and meaning to visiting the wild lands and experiencing what they have to offer.

Here's a couple of unexpected acquaintances we made recently.

I believe his preparations and testing is about the systems not the experience of camping, which I’m sure he has done plenty. I think you are confusing a reliable rig to “smelling the flowers”

You think he has never visited “wild lands” and had “unexpected acquaintances”? You think his travels take him to only places where he knows “everything he will see and do”
Being prepared for any and foreseeable situation is the preferred way to travel, for most. It eliminates the haphazard, random opportunities for failure which is being unprepared, and does not reduce the camping experience but improves it.
Experience and preparedness meets opportunity is what some call luck.

I, for one, am interested in his preparation and systems competence and reliability. Not having junk break down, fall apart and fail surly doesn’t add to camping or travel enjoyment.
It may for you

[Stephen_Albers]

Where to source red wiggler worms would be most helpful.

[Raspy]

Originally Posted by Motoboss

I believe his preparations and testing is about the systems not the experience of camping, which I’m sure he has done plenty. I think you are confusing a reliable rig to “smelling the flowers”

You think he has never visited “wild lands” and had “unexpected acquaintances”? You think his travels take him to only places where he knows “everything he will see and do”
Being prepared for any and foreseeable situation is the preferred way to travel, for most. It eliminates the haphazard, random opportunities for failure which is being unprepared, and does not reduce the camping experience but improves it.
Experience and preparedness meets opportunity is what some call luck.

I, for one, am interested in his preparation and systems competence and reliability. Not having junk break down, fall apart and fail surly doesn’t add to camping or travel enjoyment.
It may for you

You also must have missed that I was addressing Stephen. I'm not sure he needs you to stick up for him by twisting my meaning. And you certainly don't know about the preparation I do for trips. Carry on.

I hope to hear more from Stephen as he seems to have a unique way of building his rig and preparing for his adventures. We all carry out our adventures in our own way.

[Raspy]

Originally Posted by solar

A composting / separating toilet is much more effective when red wiggler worms are added. They dissolve solids #2 and kitchen scraps surprisingly fast and keep the odor / volume down. We have 20+ years experience with these little guys. They like it moist but don't drown them.

Rob, That is interesting. I'm curious, how long does it take to break down the solids? Considering that the composting toilet might have to be dumped every week or two while on a trip, is composting really viable, or is it really just storing and drying? Do you carry worms with you to start the process again, after each dumping of the contents? Throwing kitchen scraps into the RV toilet is another interesting idea. I had pretty much decided to go with a separating toilet, but I'd like to hear more.

[RogerDat]

One sometimes has to push past the point of diminishing returns to refine improvements. Not typically my thing but it is how innovation sometimes gets done.

Replacing the wood in my utility trailer with marine plywood would extend the life a good deal but a coat of epoxy paint on the floor and edge sealing will make less expensive plywood last longer than I will and still meet my requirements. That is just my own approach. Other folks come at it with a whole lot more dedication ;-)

I like seeing what people do in order to push the limits or refine things to meet a specific use. Sometimes it gives me an idea I can use. Or it just entertains me with what is possible.

My "back country" camper for many years was a 36 foot school bus conversion. Heavy suspension? Check. High ground clearance? Check. Creeper first gear? Check. Come-along, cable, and shovel? Check. Being narrower than a typical motor home was a plus. I will say "field testing" was using camper and being sure to pack the tools :-) I did live by check lists. Still test critical equipment before going on a trip. Batteries fail, flashlights break, Coleman stoves somehow develop leaks sitting on a shelf. Packs develop small tears that will give out if not addressed.

This purpose built project has brought to light several boondock considerations and solutions that are informative and interesting.

[Raspy]

I don't know if this was because I was prepared, or because I was not prepared. Was it because I was careless, or because I had everything I needed? In spite of thinking things through carefully, I got stranded. And getting stranded, while not fun at the time, is very instructive and forces out of the box thinking.

Who could realistically predict that six of the eight wheel studs would snap off over the course of a few miles? And what better place than 50 miles from the nearest town? At some point, we have to assume we can rely on equipment, because otherwise we'll have a spare everything and we won't be able to go at all. Repairs in cases like this sometimes require tools to be used in new ways, crude ways, but effective ways. I assumed my wheel studs were up to the task and needed no testing. But they weren't.

I fixed this with what I had with me and drove away in two hours.

This repair reminds me of getting three flat tires on a dirt trail in the wilds of Nevada, miles from anywhere. Or breaking an oil cooler while underway 100 miles out to sea, which dumped the engine oil into the bilge. Each one required some thought and creative use of what I had with me.

Are there any stories like this where one can definitively say it was because they were prepared, or not prepared? How prepared is good enough? Is there more value in never having a problem, or in learning form a problem?