Rund um die Klobrille – Thema Campingklo: Vorteile, Möglichkeiten, Lösungen

About the toilet seat – camping toilet topic: advantages, options, solutions

January 23, 2024

Dry toilet, separation toilet, chemical toilet, bucket toilet – there are countless solutions on the market that are designed to make “going around the corner” easier when camping. But do I really need a toilet in a van or motorhome? After all, I'm out in nature! And if so, which toilet is best for me?

We asked ourselves these and similar questions when expanding our van and therefore clicked through various websites and forums. So that you can start your van life as carefree as possible, we have decided to provide you with an overview and thus a basis for decision-making.

Our answer in advance: Which toilet you need depends on you and how you travel.

You can find an explanation of the individual terms/types of camping toilets at the end of the text.

But first back to our question: Is a camping toilet really necessary?

Let's look at the advantages of camping toilets:

Advantage 1 - Flexibility

After the first trip with the camper, it became clear to us: A camping toilet is a huge gain in flexibility. Many overnight places are often completely overcrowded and, especially in times of Corona, many public toilets are temporarily closed. The camping toilet allows you to stand independently and anywhere without falling into a panicked search for the next quiet place. Are you not alone? Are you in the middle of the city right now? Or are you just not feeling well right now? No problem with the toilet in the motorhome!

Advantage 2 - Hygiene

Public toilets or toilets on campsites are rarely among the most comfortable places in van life! ;) Often it's pretty dirty, stinks and you're happy when you get out again. With our own toilet we always had our own, clean alternative.

Advantage 3 - Cleanliness of the pitches

Another problem is the masses of campers that are currently on the streets of Europe. Whether on southern beaches or Nordic lakes, we discovered heavily polluted places everywhere. After we found up to 40 people (!) at some pitches, we were no longer surprised. If each of these people had a camping toilet, the pitches would stay cleaner and thus be preserved in their original beauty. And clean pitches not only make the future campers happy, but also the residents. Because we still want to be free camping everywhere in a few years, right?!

Our conclusion: Bring on the camping toilets!!!

A camping toilet is a luxury that you buy not only to keep the campsite clean, but also for your own flexibility. It gives you more hygiene and also significantly more comfort in your four walls on wheels. Disposal is also no problem thanks to a good supply and disposal network within Europe. We therefore recommend that all self-builders include the toilet and retrofit it in finished vehicles. There are also affordable solutions for those on a tight budget, which we would like to introduce to you below.

And which camping toilet suits me best?

We are all different, so why not our camping toilets?! ;)

A long-term traveler will most likely have different needs than someone who travels for a week three to four times a year. Are cleanliness and hygiene very important to you? Here, too, there are tips and tricks on how you can avoid a lot of work with little effort.

To give you a good impression of the possibilities, we have decided to divide the campers into three groups - maybe you will find each other again ;)

1. The weekend camper/The campsite romantic/The short tripper

Do you always travel on weekends or a few weeks a year?

Are you always camping, but would like a toilet in the van when you're on the go, especially at night, to be more flexible?
Are you new to vanlife and trying out camping?

Then a dry toilet such as the Dry Toilet "Camper" would be ideal for you . The remains are all collected in a container, with the help of the “Poop Powder” the liquid components are removed bound and the smell neutralized. By covering yourself with the odor-neutralizing bedding, you also don't have to look at your predecessor's leftovers;). Your advantage on short trips: You only have one container that needs to be emptied and cleaned! There are no hose systems, no seals or adapters that require laborious cleaning. This saves you a lot of work and allows you to dispose of the entire contents in one go. Then you rinse the box and you're done! Go on!

Top price-performance ratio: The Goldeimer toilets!

The non-profit company Goldeimer manufactures its toilets in Germany under fair conditions and from sustainable materials. The toilet can be assembled and dismantled for long journeys and with every order a portion of the proceeds goes to charitable projects for sanitation around the world. And the best thing at the end: If many offers on the market are very expensive, the price-performance ratio of the Dry toilet "Camper" unbeatable.

If you start your van life with a slightly higher budget and if you don't mind more cleaning, we recommend the dry separation toilet from Trelino (also available here in the shop). Cleaning is a little more complicated here due to the different containers and accessories. In addition, the price is significantly higher than that of the Goldeimer dry toilet due to the production of precisely fitting containers. You have separated liquids and solids, which significantly reduces the development of odors and therefore requires less litter.

2. The wild camper

Do you prefer to be free in nature and prefer to be all alone?
Do you travel frequently, often for several weeks or months a year?
Do you want to be as spontaneous and independent as possible and be able to be completely self-sufficient with your camper?

Then both a separating toilet and a pure dry toilet can be practical for you.

Dry toilet:

If you are always on the go for long periods of time but mainly use the toilet for “big business”, the Dry toilet "Camper" an ingenious solution for you. With the help of the "Kackpulver" you can eliminate the smell for about four to seven days, depending on how you feel neutralize. To dispose of it, you only need to empty one container and will be “clean” again much quicker than with a separating toilet.

Separating toilet or dry separating toilet:

If you want to use your camping toilet often for “small business”, a lot of liquid will collect. In this case, a dry separation toilet is recommended, as your “poop powder” consumption would be significantly higher and therefore more expensive. You will also have to empty the camping toilet more regularly - simply because the container is full. In this case, we recommend the “Trelino” camping toilet, which is available in different sizes, or the Dry separation toilet “Camper” with a suitable urine separation insert. The liquid can be separated here and disposed of regularly from time to time. In a ratio of 1:10 you can easily use the contents in the garden for fertilization (be careful in nature reserves and near drinking water sources!). If undiluted, the liquid is harmful to plants and soil because it “burns” plants and soil. If you regularly take tablets or smoke every day, you should also avoid disposing of them in the garden.

If you spend a lot of time in a campervan throughout the year, you should definitely think about the topic of camping toilets in detail. Regardless of whether you are planning a longer trip or are even at home in a camper, a camping toilet is an absolute must. Unless you live in communities with their own sanitary facilities, you will appreciate the luxury of having your own toilet in your camper or motorhome. Here we clearly recommend a dry separation toilet, either mobile or permanently installed.

If we assume that you are traveling with your partner, a lot of liquid is produced every day - which, in a purely dry toilet with only one box, can quickly lead to an odor and an overfilled container. With the dry separation toilet you can keep the liquids separated from the solids and also dispose of them separately. We recommend the following products:

• Trelino separation toilet

• Dry separation toilet “Camper” with the appropriate insert for urine

• other permanently installed toilets

Just look here in the shop for the right toilet for you!

Why don't we recommend a chemical toilet?

You are probably now wondering why we have enthusiastically mentioned both the dry toilet and the separating toilet several times, but haven't said a word about chemical toilets, which are mainly installed in motorhomes and used by many campers. The reason is that we care very much about the environment and, in the long term, chemical toilets are very harmful to nature because they basically kill all microorganisms in the environment, both in the water and in the soil. In addition, chemical toilets have to be emptied much more frequently and rely on a constant supply of chemical diluent. Dry toilets also require bedding, but this is much easier to take with you in large quantities because it is much lighter. Overall, in our experience, chemical toilets require more effort and less flexibility. We therefore generally advise against using a chemical toilet.

Toilets - ABC

Explanation of terms and notes

*Chemical toilet*	The chemical toilet is a conventional, portable toilet in which the development of odors is prevented by adding chemical additives. These toilets can only be emptied at disposal stations and cause long-term damage to the environment and water. We therefore do not recommend it.
*Bucket toilet*	The bucket toilet is the simplest and cheapest option because it is just a simple bucket ;). Here, similar to the dry toilet, everything is collected in one container and disposed of together. Buckets with a matching lid are ideal to keep unpleasant odors at bay. Here too, “poop powder” can be used as an odor-neutralizing agent.
*Poop powder*	Goldeimer's "poop powder" consists of biochar, absorbent wood fibers, compost, a mix of rock dust and microorganisms. It is mainly used to neutralize odors and bind liquids.
*Separating toilet*	The separation toilet - also Dry separation toilet - is a toilet for the motorhome or garden that has two separate containers for liquids and solids. The separation allows for easier disposal and reduces the development of odors.
*Dry toilet*	The dry toilet is a toilet with a container for everything. Liquids and solids are mixed together and odors develop more quickly. To counteract this, we recommend the so-called “poop powder” - a bedding to neutralize odors.

Alternative disposal options for liquids and solids:

If you smoke or take medication regularly, don't panic! Here too, the contents of the dry and separating toilets can be easily disposed of via the sewage system. Many countries also offer sufficient free disposal stations for camping toilets. When disposing of it, just be careful not to cause a pipe blockage due to the large amount of solids and toilet paper. It is advisable to collect and dispose of the paper separately.