Best Compost Toilet

OGO Toilet Camper Van Potty

🚽 We’re so excited that we don’t have to take crap anymore! No more searching and paying for dumping our cassette toilette. No more smelly, dirty, messy dumping.

We love this OGO Toilet for our campervan!! We can’t say this enough. It really doesn’t smell like potty, it really is easier and less of a mess to maintain over all. It’s comfortable and I love that we can “go” longer without using a messy dumping station and the cleanup is minimal. We have the OGO™ Origin. This version has a fan and vent. I think it is even less aromatic than any other bathroom, home, public or anywhere because of the exhaust vent system!!

Check Out my 🧳 Best Gear Page for Camper Van and RV Must Haves for more tested favorites.

There’s no comparison in our minds if you can budget a compost toilet! I can tell that the OGO™ Origin in particular is the best option out there from personal experience and from talking crap about pottying with lots of fellow camper van home enthusiasts, both part time travelers and those who are full-time living.

The urine diverter helps the ladies and any worry they had about getting pee in the right hole! The fan and the vent installed through the wall gives one a fragrance-free pooing experience for all! It is comfortable, compact and quiet.

This “Toilet is one of the smallest composting toilets on market…Only 16″ side to side, 15″ front to back and 18.375″ tall. [The] unique design allows users to have access to every component from the front or top so it can be slide into cabinets, drawers, and other tight spaces without hindering the use.”

Some folks only use their RV potty for special occasions or emergencies. We usually optimize the use of public restrooms during the day on our outings or traveling on the road, but at night and early in the morning, we like the comforts of home. Our philosophy is that we want our tiny home on wheels to feel like “home” as much as we can. As soon as we start diverting more of our efforts from this philosophy, we know we need a change. This is why we switched from a cassette, portable toilet to a compost potty.

Compost Vs Cassette

Portable Toilet

For the first two years as we traveled long distance while we built out our camper van, we used a cassette style, portable toilet. We continued to use this great option even after we finished our build and went on the road full time. These types have an initial lower cost, so when starting out, it seems like the best option, not knowing personally if a compost toilet is better and worth the money.

We had many experiences with trying to find a dump station or appropriate toilet to dump the liquid poo and pee mix that accumulates over about 4 days’ worth. The biggest reason we tried the switch to a compost toilet had mostly to do with the effort needed to be taken to dump it and it Had Not become less stressful for us.

As a reference, we use our camper van potty mostly at nights and through to mornings for pee and/or poo for convenience and comfort. During the day, we usually use public restrooms when we are about our day exploring when available or when we’re on the road, heading to our next destination, as long as those public bathrooms are not gross. Check out my TikTok on Goodnight Trail for the series on using public restrooms and some helps for these experiences.

Compost Toilet	Cassette Portable Toilet
Initial Cost $800+	Initial Cost $150+
Maintenance Cost	Maintenance Cost
$8.50 a month Coco Coir $8.50 a month a month 4 weeks (30 uses) *I use about the same amount of cleaning supplies as a cassette *It will take us 10 months to break even in total costs. Worth it!	$86 a month $1.50-$3.00 if using 2 Holding Tank Neutralizer Plus $10-50 for dump station every 4 days (10 uses) the fully acceptable way; or free in vault or potentially socially acceptable toilet; doing this is stressful and hard in a small, public place that is not used to this sort of thing and there’s not usually a good way to rinse sanitarily.
Cost of Time & Patience	Cost of Time & Patience
Poo	Poo
Pull Lever to Open Poo Slot Then Poo & add 1 Ply Toilet Paper into compost medium in back. Don’t worry if some drops of pee go in compost. Most have diverting designs. All wipes in trash bin. We empty our one, small trash bin daily at the campground or gas station. Comfortable Toilet Seat.	Poo & Pee & Toilet Paper all in one place; flushable wipes only. All other wipes in trash bin. Smaller Toilet Seat Numbs Your Bum
Pee Pee in front urinal drain. No worries if some drops of pee go in compost.	Pee Pee & Poo & Toilet Paper all in one place; flushable wipes only.
Flush	Flush
To Flush Poo Mix Compost Medium by pressing Electric Button or Manually Crank To Flush Pee Rinse Urinal with Spray Bottle or Lysol I spray both sections with Lysol and wipe dry with toilet paper after each use. I put that paper in the trash can along with any wipes.	To Flush Poo & Pee Pull Flush Slider Out which drops all into black tank bucket. Rinse Bowl by pressing Water Pump. Pull Flush Slider Again. May need to wipe bowl clean and rinse more. I find that liquid (pee or water) in the toilet bowl first, lined with a couple squares of toilet paper for poo to land on, helps move it cleanly into black tank. Note, fresh water rinse can go up under the seat if pressed too vigorously. No wet tush for next time. Gross. I spray both sections with Lysol and wipe dry with toilet paper; don’t forget under the seat too. I put that paper in the trash can along with any wipes.
Odor	Odor
Can have a mulch or coffee-like aroma when flush slider is open. If you have the compost toilet fan and air vent out the van wall, virtually no aroma exists, even when actively pooing.	Can have chemical porta potty aroma when flush slider is open. Also mildly so after many uses even when not opened to flush but it does not smell like poo; except when actively pooing. I often use two tank neutralizers to control aromas.
Dumping	Dumping
Empty and Clean Poo Bucket Once a Month (7.5 times less often) We use potty mostly nights and mornings for pee and/or poo. During the day we usually use public restrooms when available or not gross. Easily pull Compost Bucket Out Empty Compost into Trash Bag Wipe Bucket Out with Toilet Paper if needed Not Smelly Messy Enough to Use Gloves Refill with New Compost Material — Empty Pee Container Every 2 Days into Accessible Toilet We Usually Carry It in a Discreet Bag with a Water Bottle to Rinse and a Wipe for Minimal Cleanup Any toilet works great. No smell, no noise, no mess.	Empty and Clean Tank every 4 days We use potty mostly nights and mornings for pee and/or poo. During the day we usually use public restrooms when available or not gross. The cassette toilet is cumbersome and heavy to take out to empty. This Process Is Very Dirty and Smelly and takes time to learn the best methods to not get splashed etc. Disposable Gloves is the minimum. I would wear a hazmat suit if I could. As it is, I use so many antibacterial wipes and sprays in hopes of disinfecting everything including my husband; sending him in a cloud of cleaners. Must Find an Acceptable Dump Location for the “Black Water”. Not always easy to find. They provide sewer holes and water specifically for rinsing. Dump Stations Usually Charge a Fee. Campgrounds Sometimes Charge a Fee if you’re not staying. Vault Toilets are free and stinky anyway, but there’s not a way to clean it out with water. Sludge Will build up inside if not rinsed out regularly. Not socially acceptable to dump in public toilets. It’s big and bulky, loud, splashy, and overly smelly.

We are immensely happy to be free of a cassette toilet and the messy dumping stations, the loaded smells and splashing, the frequent time-consuming, additional worrying efforts in finding a dump station that is appropriate and that doesn’t cost so much.

Have a good night on the trail, wherever you are on your journey.

🚐✨🌙