Your video just reminded me of all the things I ABSOLUTELY HATED about buying the Nature's Head for my Sprinter RV. Used it for 6 months before building my own (much better) composting toilet to replace it: 1) Dumping the solids container can't be done discretely or without creating a giant mess around the gasket & hinge. 2) Waste also gets stuck in the square corners and under the rim when dumping. 3) The upper liquids funnel section drips when unlatching to empty the liquids bottle daily. 4) The liquids bottle lacks any pour spout which means it dribbles down the sides and bottom when emptying 5) The solids container sliding lid gets soiled during use (especially when parked on slanted pavement) and smears solids in the unreachable recesses of the guide slot that can't be cleaned 6) The toilet lacks any molded-in lifting handles or straps to lift it out of the tight van interior when it is heavy with waste 7) The fan was underpowered and didn't adequately vent all smells 8) The rotating stir paddle is a joke and just becomes a sticky/muddy mess until it seizes. It isn't needed and prevents being able to use a liner bag for solids. I'm sure this isn't a complete list, but just a list of dislikes from the top of my memory! Our new custom composting toilet uses a 5-gallon bucket lined with a compactor bag for solids collection, a Separette liquids diverter seat that funnels liquids into a 5-gallon integral holding tank (twice the Nature's Head volume) with electric transfer pump to an external hose. A 1-way flap valve in the liquids drain prevents holding tank smells from entering the van. A high-power, ultra-quiet computer fan ventilates the toilet through the van floor. Emptying the solids takes just 60 seconds, as you need only to tie up the liner bag, dump, and replace the bag. No mess whatsoever. Just add a small scoop of coconut coir after each use. Liquids dumping is just a button touch to start the pump. No smell at all with the larger exhaust fan and no need for the sliding trap door that gets messy (much bigger "target' for solids). Nature's Head was a huge waste of money, except for the chance to research what we DIDN'T want in a composting toilet.

Finally! Someone who is willing to show what you really have to do. Talking about and seeing for yourself, so different. Thank you 😊

I can’t believe that for the amount of money this costs that they haven’t come up with an inner bucket for the solids so that you don’t have to remove the entire toilet to empty it!

I'm disabled & live off grid by my self and have used the Nature's Head Toilet for 5 + years now. Can be a bit of a pain @ times and the exhaust fan does fail @ once every 6 to 8 months (the free replacements are great) and the gasket needs to be replaced @ once a year or year and a half or so. I use saw dust - from my chain saw instead of peat. After surgery my digestive system has been considerably shorted. The saw dust does a better job absorbing the extra liquid and there is very little issue w/ flys / bugs apposed to using peat. No odor issue as long as I empty every 3 weeks or so. TP goes in the bin and incinerated w/ my burnables. I clean with apple cider vinegar and a very low power psi cordless pressure washer when needed - when it gets bad due to my inability to dump due to disability. The unit is a bit costly @ $ 1100 when I bought mine but over all much cheaper than $ 80k+ septic system, and the urine helps to stop predators ( big cats , coyotes, wolf and bear) from hunting my free range chickens and ducks.. Just spray around the 2 acres I have them on. Scent marking just like the predators mark their territory. The critters will move through but won't hunt inside the marked area.. Just my 2 cents and experience.

If I'm emptying my compost toilet when I return home, I tip the contents into a crate and add red wriggler composting worms; they turn the contents into worm castings in a few weeks. If I had the room to travel with a worm farm I would. As composting toilets become more popular I would like to see camping grounds set up worm farms if possible. This has got to be better than having plastic bags full of poo & peat being put into the bins. Well done for creating this informative video.

I've had one for about 8 years and love it. Wish it was still white. Just a couple of things to note though. The pee tube gets clogged with use and you do need to hose out properly when emptying, and put a tube up to loosen. You haven't had yours long enough to discover this. Pee can stain this area at the top and a vinegar/water mix sprayed after every pee helps but you need a good clean with cream cleanser from time to time. You do get insects in, they come down the air tube. Some tomato dust in the compost helps and diamatis earth is said to help too. I also spray fly spray in the area regularly. If you have had these flies, you need to thoroughly clean the top lid because it will be full of eggs which survive being wet. You need to loosen, hose and remove. Pee does stain the pee bucket over time and the vinegar doesn't completely stop this. I had had to bleach this many times and use high pressure hose when rinsing to try and remove. Not all dump points have high pressure hoses. The flap which you open can also become stained over time and needs a thorough clean at times. Still love it, but it does take a lot of work to keep clean and you can't use the commercial deodorizer/cleaners that hang over the bowl of a conventional loo. Hope this information is helpful because the compost loo truly is a much better option when using it full time.

As a nurse this isn’t something I haven’t seen. I think it is great that you did this video so a newcomer to this knows what to expect! Lots of campers have these but few say much about it - so thank you. You also did a good job explaining it without being gross - very “professional”.

Great showing everything in detail HOWEVER that waste is absolutely not safe for yards or gardens until aged at least one year and even then should not be put on plants for consumption. I hope people do their own research. A great book resource is the humanure handbook.

My sailboat came with a homemade composting toilet, based on a 5 gallon bucket. He did a nice job of building this system into the existing toilet space. I use ground up coconut husks, but reconstitute them beforehand by adding water to get them in a scoop-able form. The boat has a built in locker for holding the reconstituted husk. Use it a bit like cat littler to cover after use. It has a pee collection funnel built in. I buy the heavy duty liners made specifically for a 5 gallon bucket toilet. It has a powered vent. I just close the bag up and remove from the bucket when full. No need to clean it, beyond the stuff above the bucket. Compared to a holding tank, it’s a no smell, no need to pump option. I would not be so thrilled if I had to do all the manual cleaning that the toilet in the video requires. I go through 2 containers worth in a summer of sailing, it’s dryish waste and has no odor. My girlfriend initially cringed when looking at the system, but she is now a believer.

The most comprehensive review I have ever seen! Thanks for your efforts Sian. This will help lots of people with the decision making process, pat yourself on the back!!!

*Excellent presentation* and wonderful video editing! I'm not sure why I started watching this, but the _information and education_ was delivered so well, I had to watch to the end! Well done!

Who’d have thought that a video on a toilet could be so informative and even enjoyable to watch. I’ve been really curious about the composting Options for a while now and this has really affirmed a few things. Thanks guys.

Not a popular topic, however I am so grateful that I found this video. I plan to put a composting toilet in an out building on a farm to save people from walking a few acres back to the house. Really appreciate the detailed information.

I’ve heard about these toilets for years, mostly from watching tiny house vids. I had no idea how they worked. Thanks for lifting the lid! I’d have no issue using one in a van. I think you’ve made a great choice.

I will NEVER own one of these. Waaaaay to much work .. I have a 5 gallon cassette toilet on wheels. I dump it in the nearest public restroom usually county parks or the campground dump station. Two lids to unscrew. One for dumping contents and the other is for air into the tank. No bags.. The whole process takes me maybe 5mins including rinsing and sanitizing. Many areas in the United States it's against the law to put human waste in THAT amount in a public dumpster, composted or not!! Proper dump stations are always available at campgrounds and rest areas. . Its definitely against the law to dump the sewage on top of public or private grounds. Health regulations. Human waste needs to be buried , hence why we have sewage tanks buried on the properties. Find yourself in jail if you get caught. The United States have different laws in each state, so folks in the US, do your research.

Thanks for sharing! We've been using our natures head for 18 months now and are very happy with it! We keep our change a little more simple though. We break up a 15 litre coir brick into a bucket adding splashes of water to a third of the mix at a time, only adding about 500ml in total, so our mix is only just damp and not wet. We put a compostable bag over the toilet and then flip it over to empty. That way there's very little chance of a spill and then we double bag. We've never rinsed it out though as you're just putting coir and poop straight back in and as you mentioned all the microbes are beneficial for breaking down the next batch. We never have any unpleasant smells when we empty, it just smells of compost/soil.

That is the best informative video I have seen on the subject. Well done guys, you guys aren’t afraid to tackle the real issues of living full time on the road. Keep it up ❤

Thanks! That was a bit graphic but I’m glad. I understand the process now. I don’t think I’d want to do this in a regular basis. For me a bag with pine pellets for poop and a diverter for wee is a lot more appealing.

Thank you so much for making this video! It's been so helpful! The best and most informative video on the subject I've ever seen! Everyone pansies around the subject like it's shameful or embarrassing yet it's the second most important part of camping/van life after the kettle! Thank you, it is a great help to finally see how they work and understand what it entails and how to deal with it from start to finish! Thank you! 🙏😉

So good to see you more back in front of the camera Sian, you are a natural. Not many people could have done this vid successfully, but you pulled it off very well. Very informative, feel better educated in making an informed decision. Definitely the way of the future. Thank you.

If one is on medication it can wind up in one’s urine. Take a little care in where you place your pee. Avoid plants that provide food items. It’s OK for ornamentals but agronomists recommend 1 part pee to 10 parts water so you don’t "burn" your plants. I would buy one any day and use it it my home but I would have to import it and I don’t want to pay customs on items not made in my resident country. Anyways it’s good for the environment and what’s good for the environment should never be taxed by greedy countries which includes those in the EU which also has given the green light for taxing shipping charges.

We were going to get a composting toilet for our new van and after watching your video I am totally convinced it is the right way to go. Great video and you covered everything we needed to know. Well done!

Thank you so much for being willing to actually help us by showing us the truth about what's involved in cleaning these out. We take sanitation too much for granted. This is the real deal about what's involved in dealing with our own waste. Much respect to you for revealing what actually goes on. I now have the confidence to be able to do this myself.

Great video - Top Tip for the coco coir is to hydrate it in a ziploc bag. saves you breaking the brick apart inside the solids bin. Second tip - get a Cuddy to save wrestling your toilet each time you empty! Keep them Coming!

I was already sold on a composting toilet for my sailboat - but I wanted to watch your video anyway. Of all the ones I've seen, yours is the BEST! You get right in there (haha) and tell all about it (and show it too). Thanks for sharing.

Excellent video. So great that you have given detail - so true that no one wants to YT it but everyone needs to do it and know how it all works. Keep up the great work guys 👍

What an informative video guys a big Thank you. You have cleared up alot of questions we had on these toilets

This is such a helpful video, thank you so much for producing it.

Well done for making this vid!!! Not many would actually show this side of caravanning, but so useful to know how they work to help people make the decision. I think you need a flat pack sack-truck to take it to the dump point though 🤣

This has been the most informative video I've seen on compost toilets! I not only appreciated the pros and cons, I especially liked that you showed emptying the poop portion and explained it's ok to keep some bacteria. I always felt I had to wipe every corner each time. Waste of time & paper towels. Thank you young lady, great video.👍

Great Stuff Sian, comprehensively explained, covered all areas and answered all conceivable questions that I could think of😀. Thank you.

The first detailed and also very clear explanation about composting toilets. Great to hear the disadvantages about them, which few other videos have talked about. Also a very good comparison with cassette toilets, very useful video 👍👍👍 Jerry

One of the best and genuine reviews between cassette and composting toilets. Well done guys!

Great video. We made the decision to go compost when we purchased our Zone Base, wasn't standard. So glad we did. Your video was very comprehensive 👏 you really nailed it.

This was so informative! Well done! Thank you!

Great video! Straight forward and tons of practical insights. We’ve only rented RVs but are looking to buy. And now composting will be on our must have list. Peace - John

These toilets are amazing, been using it for nearly 7 months in an Opus camper traveling Aus solo. No separate room to block off and no smell. Empty once every two months.

We have never put paper in ours but you have given us the confidence to try it. Our Natureshead is the best upgrade we have added.

So grateful for this. Really need this type of content

Thank you for this most comprehensive and informative post on composting toilets - the best I have seen on line! Waiting for my compact 4WD motorhome to be built (with Separett Tiny Compost toilet) before doing the Big Lap in 24.

Thanks Sian and Chris for such a well presented and educational video. I, like a lot of people, had no idea on how the composting actually worked. Brilliant! Unfortunately It is not viable to change ours at this point. Maybe in the future with an upgrade we will convert 😄 Look forward to each and every video from you guys, Thank you. 💯❤ Hope to see you on the road this year!

Sensational. We leave for 12 months in a few days and have had a composting toilet just waiting for our bums! But never really felt fully in control of what’s to come with it/cleaning/everything until we start using it. KZfaq is a wasteland for info on these, until now. I’ll buy you a drink if we see you on the road purely for this vid and Natures Head should be paying you a bunch for how informative it is.

Brilliant explanation and thank you for sharing.

That is the best compost toilet instruction video I have seen. Thank you guys.

Bloody brilliant Ep Sian, so well explained covering everything. We also have a Sojourn & luv our composting toilet. You’re a natural in front of the camera, keep up the awesome content and informative information, we luv seeing your weekly updates, cheers Rob & Alana.

I purchased the Air Head and been struggling how to even install it (8” wall to vent out mainly). Was so glad to watch the actual difficult parts of using the composting toilet. Thank you so much for detailing it, so much better than reading the manual.

Great video Sian, nothing missed! I have also had a split system composting toilet in my house for four years. So when I move to my trailer fulltime middle of next year (5th wheel which has to be built from scratch) I will have a composting toilet in that too. I can guarantee there are no smells but occasionally I had a few tiny flies for a week or so at a time. Twice I think that happened and was most likely due to the hot weather. I add my soil to the big compost pile which matures for a year then goes on the fruit trees. Every third day the pee goes on the bananas, passionfruit, pawpaws, etc. I water it down 10:1 so it isn't too strong for the plants. The soil from the house takes 3wks to half fill ready for the compost. I use shavings in that atm although I will use coconut coir in the trailer. I probably would have hosed down the underside of the seat more than you did but I understand why you left it like that.

Well done guys, thanks for explaining the whole process so clearly. Great video. Safe travels

Great video. Very informative. 4 weeks is amazing and great for free camping. And the wee on the trees/plants actually fertilises them. We use a standard cassette toilet. Lasts 3 days (2 adults). With a spare cassette that's 6 days. We were clued in on an effective, cheap recipe to replace the packaged chemicals: after emptying, add 2 capfuls of eucalyptus oil (kills the smell) + 2 capfuls of powdered bleach we get from Aldi (breaks it down) + 2 squirts of liquid detergent (stops sticking). Works beautifully.

thanks for posting a thorough video on the topic. after watching other videos on this, we opted to buy a handmade ( limited edition) ceramic urine diverter ( from serbia) to use with our composting toilet. For us, and shorter stay trips, a much better option. Also our unit covered the hole left in the wall from removing the usual cassette unit. We hope to do a video on it.

Great video !! Thank you for the frank instructions and showing how it works. ❤❤

Fantastic breakdown with all the details that people need to know!

I don't know how KZfaq got the idea I was interested in composting toilets but since I do have a motorhome I plan to use someday and never have liked the idea of black tanks/hoses/dump stations/etc., I watched your video and feel I've received a pretty complete education on the subject. Very articulately presented and explained. Thank you for doing such a good job with such a yucky (& unavoidable) subject.

8:40 I have a natures head. I find it easier to place the bag over the opening of the chamber and down the outside. Then roll the chamber over. Then you are only lifting the weight of the chamber, not the waste. As you lift the chamber keep a hold of the bag opening against the sides of the chamber. Also I find I don’t need to use that much water. It still works just as well and it’s not as messy when emptying.

Great video guys 👍👍👍👍 We have also struggled to find anything real about them since ordering our Zone so was nice to see they aren’t that daunting after all.

Great content to have out there available. Thanks for covering this topic. I haven’t started Caravan life yet but this was certainly a topic that I was wondering about!

Thank you for such a great, honest, comprehensive and helpful video. I've watched a few tutorials but yours has been the most helpful by far Sian. We pretty much had the poo part sorted...ratio of peat to water etc..but I was struggling with how to keep the wee canister clean. I made the mistake of washing out with Dettol once and it took ages to get rid of the smell. Will def be switching to vinegar and water now.

Excellent video, perhaps a couple of handles ( plastic or stainless) attached to either side of the main toilet module will assist in carrying and emptying the unit.

Very well done guys really informative and easy to understand love the realism in your video. These are the facts of life and need to be talked about freely. My hubby and l have watched a few videos on composting toilets for caravans and this has been the best so far. 👌 A reality show with a true purpose

Thank you for showing the process.

What I'm thinking? I'm impressed and appreciative. Thanks guys for talking about one of the few things that ever person on the planet needs to deal with and in a mature and helpful way. Good on ya!

Really well presented, factual, clear instructions and with a straight face for a subject that isn’t openly discussed thankyou. 😅😂

This is so helpful! Thank you. As a guy about to move into a van full time, I have zero experience with composting toilets. This demystified the the whole process. Grateful!

The MOST HONEST NOMADIC POTTY VIDEO EVER! Thank you. So real. And so thorough.

THANK YOU! This has really helped me to make a decision. I had done research on Nature's Head, and thought I wanted to go that direction, and now I'm pretty sure that I will choose this over the black tank. Thanks, again.

Thank you for sharing the actual process.

Great video. First time I have seen what it’s really like with these toilets. Thank you

I appreciate the vinegar tip. For me, the pee side is worse that the poo side. I am leaving on a trip this weekend and I will take vinegar with me. Also picking up lemon eucalyptus and a spray bottle!

I thought the cassettes were bad 😂 🙅‍♂️ good demo but I will stick with the cassette. Handles would be good on the sides.

I wanted this for my van but I don't think I'm ready to work it out after seeing this vid. A gas station, the mall, gyms, others and a mini shovel would work best for me. I really needed this information, thank you for the vid. Good one. 👍

Hi guys, good honest video on the Nature's Head compost toilet. Well done on this episode!

WhT a great video! The good , the bad, and the ugly! 😂 Great commentary too! Me thinks you’ve had a lot of public speaking or teaching(?) experience as it shines through. I personally just couldn’t afford $1700 even if I wanted to. So my alternative is a bucket with peat moss… 😉 Thanks for sharing. Very educational. 😊

Great vids guys. Done nicely. We have converted to compost toilet too and will never go back. So much better. No smell or dump points. Ours is a Separett Tiny. Goes in a compostable bag instead so just throw in the bin. No cleaning toilet like Natures Head ones. Also they are good for short weekend or long trips. Take care.

wonderful explanation on the in and outs of composting toilets.

brilliant video and very informative. our little van has no toilet/shower... so I was worried that we'd be stuck with a Porta Potti. Then I discovered the Cuddy portable composting toilet. PERFECT for us and campers.

So when you dump the compost. There is still raw “poo”. So it’s not all composted. Is that not black waste. When dumping that much wee, would it not poison the ground. Great vid very informative.

It’s very informative, and so good if you to do it. BUT it looks very time Consuming, and bulky to handle. I think I’ll stick to cassette toilet with a SOG system. Also no chemicals. No bad smells. Apparently. :)

Thank you…..finally a real tutorial, great job 👏

Thanks so much for such a straight-forward video about a topic most people sort of just touch on briefly. I had so many questions and you answered them all! Thanks!!

Thanks for the video and the info. On a side note if you are outside doing your business try not to go wee on the tree because animals will be attracted to the salt content and do damage to the tree trying to get out the salt. You're better going on a rock. Anyway thanks again for the video

Thanks for the information!! One question can you use normal toilet paper? That would be a big saving as well

Thank you for this very detailed video, haven't had anyone been able to give me full details from ownership pros/cons, usage, cleaning, maintenance until this video, so thank you again.

Absolutely perfect video. Excellent demo that clearly pointed out the entire process and answered all my questions. We are looking to buy our first hybrid camper and are also buying a composting toilet. Perfect for our offgrid touring. Thanks for sharing.

Great video but holy cow we will stick to the cassette. Walk of shame is bad enough let alone having to take the WHOLE toilet with you 🤦🏼‍♀️😳

If you empty it on a Saturday do you get time and two turds?

Thank you for having the courage to tackle the natural process of wee and poo!! Very informative video. I knew nothing about composting toilets before. Now I am impressed at how efficient they are.

Great explanation! Thank you.

Good video BUT if you are older and then try and carry out the toilet of the van then if you are at a fancy caravan park I couldn’t think nothing worse than cleaning out the toilet under the awning then doing the walk of shame to the dump point cleaning I think to much effort I will stick to the cassette type cheers 😊

It looks very awkward and bulky

Thanks for the video. Always wondered about the process. Now I know and knowing is half the battle!!!!!

Very well done!! Lots of questions answered 😊

How much stuffing around is that system. A cassette is so easy. The compost toilet is to much B...S...

Thank you for your trouble making this video, answered a few questions I had on this unit. Very helpful, happy traveling an camping.

Wow that was so good and so well presented, thanks for doing it.

This is the BEST explanation. Thanks👍👍👍👍

Very informative. Thank you for having the guts to actually demonstrate the reality of the situation.

This has been a great learning video , great job!

Thank you for all the tips

Thank you for sharing this information, I had no idea how to use one. Practice is the key to use it.

Thank you for a informative easy to understand video.