Can You Poop In An RV?

Have you ever wondered whether it's possible for you to poop in your RV? Do you need a better way to relieve yourself? Check out this article to learn more.

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Have you ever wondered whether it's possible for you to poop in your RV? Do you need a better way to relieve yourself? Check out this article to learn more.

Topics that will be included in this article are is it possible to poop in your RV, should I poop in my RV, how to prevent any backups and clogs in the future, how to properly treat your holding tank and get rid of the bad odor as well as can I poop while I drive my RV.

Yes, you may poop in an RV. Most RV owners nowadays would usually poop in their RV as it is the most convenient way to relieve yourself, especially at night. You should consider using a huge amount of water to flush your toilet efficiently.

Please bear in mind that all of the information provided in this article is based on my past experience as an RV owner as well as from credible sources. With that being said, let's jump right into the article now.

Table of Contents

Is It Possible to Poop in Your RV?

Have you wished for a long time to poop in your RV but not sure if you can? As mentioned earlier, it is completely possible to poop in your RV. However, you will also need to keep in mind the price that comes with it. This is true especially for new RV owners that have no prior experience in managing solid waste. One of the first things that you should take into consideration is the amount of space that the toilet will take.

If you're willing to sacrifice a decent portion of valuable space in your RV just to make a toilet, then you're good. Apart from that, you will also need to empty the black water tank from time to time to allow your toilet to function properly. If you're okay with all this, then, by all means, go ahead and make yourself a toilet in your RV.

Should I Poop in My RV?

Firstly, you need to understand that RVs are designed to provide comforts for your outdoor activities such as camping, and not having a proper place for you to poop can be quite frustrating. You might have heard some rumors saying that pooping in your RV would cause a lot of problems in the future, and hence you shouldn't do it.

However, this is completely false as it might cause you to spend more and put in some effort for its maintenance, but having a toilet inside your RV would not damage it. Besides that, most of the RV owners nowadays would usually poop inside their RV, and literally, thousands of people have done it, and they have no issues with it whatsoever.

Once you have decided to have a toilet in your RV, the next thing that you need to do is to make sure that you use the correct amount of water. When you're using your RV toilet, it's highly recommended for you to fill in the toilet bowl with plenty of water right before you use it. By doing this, you will be able to make sure that the solid waste would smoothly flow out when you flush it.

If you don't practice this simple step, then you will most likely need to deal with a clogged toilet; hence always keep in mind to do this before you use your toilet. Next, don't be afraid to use more water when you flush the toilet. The amount of water that you should use to flush your toilet must be higher than the one you fill into your bowl.

How Do I Prevent Any Breakups and Clogs?

It's important for you to know how to prevent things such as breakups and clogs from happening as the probability of these things happening is certainly high, especially the pyramid clog, which is a type of clog that is made from a pyramid of toilet paper and poop. The solution to this problem is simple and straightforward as you only need to ensure that the valve of your black tank is closed at all times.

The only reason you should be opening the valve of your black tank is when you need to empty it. If you somehow accidentally leave it open, then all of the water inside of the tank will start pouring out, and the only thing that is available left in the tank is the solid waste. Without this water in the tank, the bacteria will not have the proper medium to digest the waste.

Consequently, all of the solid waste will accumulate from time to time to form a pyramid of poop and toilet paper. You will soon find it in your toilet bowl when it reaches all the way up to your toilet. If this happens to you, then you will need to buy a bottle of tank cleaner to help you dissolve all the solid waste so that the clogs can be cleared.

Besides that, the best way to prevent any possible breakups and clogs in your RV toilet is by allowing only human waste and toilet paper to be flushed into the toilet bowl and nothing else. If you have kids, then you should never allow them to bring their toys inside the toilet to prevent them from accidentally flush them into the bowl. Lastly, never flush any cigarettes or wet wipes as these things will not break down as it is one of the common causes of toilet clogs.

How Do I Treat My Holding Tank and Get Rid of the Bad Odor?

Aside from having clogged toilets, the majority of RV owners also seem to share something in common, and that is problems that are either linked with the smell coming from the toilet or the way one treats their holding tank. It's vital to understand that your stomach has billions of bacteria, and when you poop in your toilet, most of these bacteria managed to survive and made their way to the holding tank.

The bacteria in your stomach, however, are a type of anaerobic bacteria, which means that they produce that smelly gas, which is known as hydrogen sulfide, each time they break down the food that you ate earlier. These bacteria are good for your holding tank as it helps you to break down these waste as well, but these services also come with the smell of it.

However, you can still get to use their services for free, which means that you don't have to deal with the bad smell. The only thing that you need to do to achieve this result is by replacing your current anaerobic bacteria with anaerobic bacteria. The reason for this is that aerobic bacteria do not produce any smell at all.

The best way to do this is by using a bacterial tank holding treatment, which utilizes an eight-strain mix of only the best aerobic bacteria. One great example of a bacteria holding treatment that you can find is RV Digest-It. This treatment will make sure that all of your solid waste that is available inside your tank would be broken down efficiently while at the same time removing any bad odor from your RV toilet.

Can I Poop While I Drive My RV?

No, never do this, as you will definitely get yourself into a lot of trouble later on. Not only is it considered dangerous by most people, but it is also illegal to use your toilet while you tow your trailer or fifth wheel. This will also cause a lot of problems if you are walking in your RV or travel trailer while at the same time someone else is towing it.

You should always remind yourself to wear a seatbelt while driving an RV, which means that from the moment the RV starts to move, you will always need to sit on the seat that has been designed to be used when the RV is in motion. While it may be legal for you to use your RV toilet while the RV is in motion, it's highly recommended for you to park your RV instead and use it in peace.

Next, since it is considered to be illegal for you to use the toilet in a towed vehicle or a trailer while it's moving, you are only allowed to use your toilet if you are driving a motorhome. The reason for this is that most of the motorhomes that are available nowadays have the driving cab to be in the same vehicle as to the toilet, and this would include Class A, B, and C motorhomes.

However, keep in mind that just because it's legal for you to use the toilet in your RV while it's in motion, that doesn't mean that it's safe for you to do so; hence you should always prioritize your safety above all else. Apart from that, you might want to install a shower floor grip for your own safety. This is because if you plan to use your RV when it's moving, then there's a high chance that you will be slipping around in your toilet if you don't have any of these.

About THE AUTHOR

Nicholas Bates

Nicholas Bates

Hi there! I'm a 30-year-old RV owner. My wife and I started our RV journey back in 2013 when we had our first son. The first RV that I purchased was the 2007 Tiffin Allegro. One of the things that I love the most about this lifestyle is that it allows me to travel to multiple places with my family while having the comfort of being at home in my lovely RV. Currently, we're using the 2016 Forest River Grey Wolf 26DBH Travel Trailer, which we tow behind our truck.

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