Laveo Dry Flush vs. Composting vs. Cassette
Are you in search of the best toilet option for a campervan/adventure van? We have gathered a list of the top three different options for you and will outline the pros and cons of each toilet type.
We want you to be able to determine which toilet is best for you in your van build. So let’s talk about how these three different toilets compare in the following categories:
- Cost
- Cleaning
- Smell
- Practicality
Laveo Dry Flush
First off is the Laveo Dry Flush toilet. This toilet is becoming much more popular here at Papago Vans lately as it is one of the cleanest toilets to manage. If you have a queasy stomach when it comes to this topic, a clean, manageable toilet is music to your ears.
What Is a Dry Flush Toilet?
A dry flush toilet is one that does not include any water but instead uses special bags that collect the waste and are vacuum sealed after each flush.
Cost of the Dry Flush
Although the Laveo Dry Flush toilet can cost around $800, this toilet is more affordable than others. You can see the prices of others below.
Cleaning the Dry Flush
Toilet cleaning is where the Laveo Dry Flush beats most of its competitors. Dry flush toilets have a simple cleaning process that requires you to remove the bag inside the container and dump it responsibly into a dumpster.
Odor Containment
As mentioned above, the smell is easily maintained and avoidable if nothing malfunctions within the bag itself. Once correctly flushed, the waste is wrapped up and vacuum sealed away. The key here though is once correctly flushed. The smell may linger until the toilet has been flushed and you will not want to waste a flush just to get rid of the smell.
Practicality
This toilet is very convenient to use and clean. You can also move it around easily because it only weighs around 25 lbs.
Cons
A Laveo Dry Flush toilet has some drawbacks, including the following:
- Bag Disposal. While disposing of the bags is not messy, there is still the downside of needing to dispose of the bag often and doing so properly.
- Refilling the cartridges. This is one of the biggest downsides of a dry flush toilet. The bags only last about 17 flushes until they need to be replaced. With the cost of the bags, you are paying nearly $2 for each flush.
- Accidental flushes. With other toilets, pressing the flush button on accident when moving the toilet out of storage is not such a terrible thing. When you consider the price per flush on the dry flush toilet, you are not a happy camper when that button is accidentally clicked.
- Needs to charge. Either using batteries or a cable to charge, the toilet does need to be charged at times and that can be a pain.
Composting Toilet
The next toilet to be compared is one that requires fewer cleanings than other toilets, but it can be a messy chore.
What Is a Composting Toilet?
The composting toilet works quite differently from the others as this toilet is designed to separate both solids and liquids from each other. This method keeps the solids dry and allows them to break down properly. The composting bin does need to be stocked with a dry substance such as sawdust, Peat Moss, coconut coir, or dried leaves to help speed up the drying and composting process.
Cost of the Composting Toilet
A composting toilet for an RV has a medium-high price range, coming in at around $1,000 USD for the Nature’s Head brand, which is said to be one of the best composting toilets according to VanClan.
Cleaning the Composting Toilet
This toilet can be used for #2 many times as it houses a large tank in the back and does not need to be emptied often. The #1 tank, however, fills up faster, and depending on the size of the toilet and how often you need to leak, it may need to be emptied often. Cleaning the big tank may take a while but there are some processes that help speed it up.
Odor Containment
This toilet can be tricky when it comes to odor containment. The main tank has a vent that is required to help dry out the compost. However, the vent must be pointed out of the van with a tube in order to avoid stinking up the van. This may be a deal breaker for some, but for others, not so much. The key is to plan enough room in your adventure van for a dedicated compost toilet installation.
Practicality
Composting toilets are unfortunately not known to be the most convenient compared to other options. Often, composting toilets need to be screwed into the base of your campervan, which in turn, means that removing the toilet to clean it is not as easy as other toilet options.
Cons
Composting toilets have many good qualities, but here are some of the downsides to watch out for:
- Form factor. Composting toilets are not the most convenient as they are clunky and can often be heavy. They also need to be screwed into the van to avoid disconnecting from the ventilation.
- Electricity may be required. Keep in mind that some composting toilets require a ventilating fan. This fan needs to run off some type of electricity. If we build your van, we can make sure it is connected and never drains the battery. For some people, this may not be an option.
- Environmental concerns. Some states suggest that utilizing composting toilets and emptying them can be problematic to the environmental codes and are therefore not permitted.
- Solid and liquid must be separated. This is not the most inconvenient aspect, but it can be frustrating to manage the separation of the two.
Cassette Toilet
The cassette toilet is one of the most used toilets here at Papago Vans. This practical toilet allows you to flush with water and keep it in a small compact space to avoid taking up too much of your precious room in a van.
What Is a Cassette Toilet?
A cassette toilet is a very easy-to-use toilet as it has a water flush system that we are all so very familiar with. Cassette toilets have two tanks: one holds fresh water and the other holds the tank’s black water. The bottom tank houses the black water and is where waste is dropped into the bowl. Once dropped, the toilet seals away the smell.
Cost of the Cassette Toilet
Depending on the brand and whether you choose to go with an electric flush or a manual flush, this toilet ranges from $80 USD to $300. At this price range, cassette toilets have the lowest price point of the three that are highlighted here.
Cleaning the Cassette Toilet
Just to put this plainly, cleaning this toilet is not an enjoyable process. Emptying black water into a real toilet or somewhere else that is safe to do so can be quite a disturbing experience for some. Although it is easy to avoid getting messy, the smell is unavoidable.
Another aspect that makes this toilet the least fun to empty is the extra use of water. This toilet usually requires being sprayed and flushed out with extra water for maximum cleanliness, which is not always accessible.
Odor Containment
Just like the other toilets, this one can be odorless when used properly and is simple to do so.
Practicality
Most cassette toilets are lightweight and small in size. This is one of the most practical toilets as it can be moved in and out of storage easily and does not need to be bolted down anywhere.
Cons
Cassette toilets are certainly convenient and affordable, but here are some downsides to consider:
- Cleaning can be a problem for some. If you are living in a van full-time, you will become desensitized to the sights and smells of emptying of the black water, but some would rather dump and forget. Out of sight, out of mind, as they may say.
- Chemical Pods. The black water tank needs a stash of chemical pods that will be used after each cleaning to help break down the waste and empty it out easier. However, these chemicals make it not safe to dump anywhere you want.
Recap
There are so many different factors that go into finding the right toilet for your adventure van. But hopefully, this guide helps ease your decision-making process. As a recap, here is a quick highlight of our top three toilet picks.
If you are sensitive to cleaning out toilets due to the smell and look, a dry flush toilet is the one for you. The bags in the dry flush keep everything out of sight and out of mind for you to toss away with ease. But, the bags are an expense to keep in mind.
The composting toilet is for you if you have the budget and space in your tiny home for it. If you can keep your toilet bolted in one spot and ventilate the tank with ease, then you would enjoy this toilet.
And finally, the cassette is a great, reliable and user-friendly toilet all for the lowest cost of the three toilets. So, this toilet is great if you do not mind the cleaning process and enjoy the luxury of flushing your waste with water along with the practicality these toilets offer.
