Best Campervan Toilets 2024 (Camping, Vanlife, RVing) Advice From A Vanlifer
I did a lot of research before installing an Airhead Composting Toilet in my camper van. While it was a big investment, I’ve been really happy with it after 3 years and as a full-time traveler in my van. It’s comfortable, easy for me to use and keep clean, and it (surprise!) does not smell at all.
When it comes to choosing the best vanlife toilet there are many options. If you’re looking for the ultimate in convenience and comfort you might decide on a composting toilet, like me.
Or, if you’re looking for a low cost way to prepare for “emergency use only” situations a simple foldable camper toilet may be best.
Yes – the perfect van toilet for any budget or travel style does exist! By the end of this article you’ll know which one is right for you. After a lot of research, I’ve compared the best toilets for van life below.
Best Overall Vanlife Toilet: Trelino
Why It’s Great:
- Compact & durable
- Easy to use
- Very affordable
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Best Budget Vanlife Toilet: Dometic 976
Why It’s Great:
- Full-size portable toilet
- Push-button flush
- Under $200
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Campervan Toilet Options
You have 3 primary categories of campervan toilets to consider:
- camper van composting toilets
- portable toilets for van life
- emergency use only toilets
Below I’ll outline the best options within each category, their pro’s and con’s, and what you should consider when deciding which type of vanlife toilet you need.
Compostable Toilet For Van Life
1. Best Compostable Toilet For Van life: Trelino
Why It’s Great:
- Multiple sizes available
- Most affordable composting toilet
- Highly portable
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2. Runner-Up – Compostable Toilet For Van life: Cuddy
Why It’s Great:
- Specialty hinges allow toilet to be pushed flush against back wall and still open, saving space
- Available with or without solids agitator
- Good holding capacity
3. Runner-Up – Compostable Toilet For Van life: Nature’s Head
Why It’s Great:
- Large holding capacity
- Built-in exhaust fan
- Most similar to traditional toilet height
Composting van toilets are the crème de la crème. When I built my van, there were only two leading options: Nature’s Head and Airhead. And they both cost over $1,000!
Great news! There are a lot of new options on the market when it comes to composting toilets for van life. Even better, more cost friendly options have entered the marketplace.
While I installed the Airhead Composting Toilet in my van many years ago (and love it!), I would install a Trelino in my next van build – it’s far more cost effective and is just as high quality.
Composting van toilets are fantastic because they work without chemicals! You’ll prep your solids tank by lining it with a damp composting medium (like coco fiber). These can be bought in dehydrated bricks for easy storage.
When you need to make a new batch you simply add some water to the composting medium before placing it into your solids tank. Once your poo lands in this material nature takes care of the rest- no chemicals needed!
Note: some people add enzymes to their mix to expedite the composting process. I’ve also tried using these and, in my opinion, if you’re a single user (read: don’t have a ton of daily deposits to the toilet bank) then the enzymes aren’t necessary. If, however, you plan to add several fresh nuggets daily then you’ll want to help nature move along faster with some enzymes.
You should plan to dump your liquids tank every 1-3 days and your solids tank every 2-4 weeks, depending on use.
Pros:
✅ No chemicals
✅ Easier to dump / less frequent “maintenance”
Cons:
❌ More expensive
❌ More complex install (for some)
The best composting van toilets are Trelino, Cuddy and Nature’s Head.
Portable Camping Toilet For Vanlife
1. Best Portable Vanlife Toilet: Dometic 976
Why It’s Great:
- Full-size portable toilet
- Push-button flush
- Under $200
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2. Runner-Up – Portable Vanlife Toilet: Thetford Porta Potti
Why It’s Great:
- Multiple sizes available
- Budget friendly
- Easy to clean
3. Runner-Up – Portable Vanlife Toilet: Camco
Why It’s Great:
- Multiple sizes available
- Easy to dump
- Odor free
What is a portable camping toilet? Portable campervan toilets are similar to regular house toilets- all of your business is mixed together down the drain of the toilet bowl. It’s not separated or composted. Typically, they also have a wet flush option to rinse the bowl.
The main difference from a house toilet is that portable camping toilets for vanlife aren’t plumbed to water. Not having to be physically connected to a water and septic system is what makes these portable.
Portable vanlife toilets hold fresh water in a small integrated tank and flushes the bowl with a manual push- how much water you use is dependent on how long you hold down the button.
The second difference is that your business is held in a tank until you can responsibly dump it. Many people can go up to a week before having to empty their tank (for use by a single individual).
An important thing to note with portable van toilets is that you’ll need to use a chemical additive to keep your holding tank from smelling.
There’s not a huge range in prices for these types of portable vanlife toilet options- most of them range in the low $100’s.
If you want a larger tank and a few more bells and whistles you could spend up to mid $200’s for a portable toilet.
Pros:
✅ Inexpensive
✅ Easy to dump
✅ No ventilation required
✅ Portable
Cons:
❌ Chemicals
❌ Requires frequent dumping
The most popular van toilet brands are Thetford, Dometic and Camco.
Emergency Vanlife Toilet – Simple And Effective
1. Best Emergency Vanlife Toilet: Go Anywhere Folding Toilet
Why It’s Great:
- Compact and easy to store
- Easy to use
- Least expensive option
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If you’re opting not to have a full camper van toilet setup it’s still a smart idea to have some type of system in place for emergencies. Especially if you’ll be in cities or other populated areas where finding a private spot to go late at night may not be possible.
Trust me, no one wants to plan for a 3am “I think I had bad sushi” experience, but when it happens you’ll be glad you have options.
Pros:
✅ Inexpensive
✅ Easy to dump
✅ No ventilation required
✅ Portable
Cons:
❌ Not for daily use
❌ Requires frequent dumping
Things to Consider When Buying a Vanlife Toilet
There are three primary categories to consider when deciding on a portable camper van toilet:
- cost
- install complexity
- ease of use
Cost of A Vanlife Toilet
This includes your van toilet and any additional cost to install it.
Most van toilets cost $100-$200, but if you’re looking at a composting toilet then you should plan to spend $400-$1100.
Installation costs can also vary. If you’re simply storing your cassette toilet in a cabinet you won’t need anything other than the cabinet space.
If you want to put your van toilet on drawer slides, budget $50-$100 for heavy duty drawer slides. They need to be rated to a weight that can support your toilet when it’s full plus your own body weight.
Composting toilets need to vent to the outside of your van– if you’re doing the labor yourself this will just cost you time in order to drill a hole and install a 12v fan. Which leads into your next item to consider…
Van Toilet Installation
How complex is your van toilet set up and installation? How much time and labor is required in order to build it?
The simple portable toilet (sometimes called cassette toilet) stored in a cabinet is your quickest and cheapest installation option – literally just buy the toilet and make sure you have a cabinet large enough to store it. Some composting toilets, like Trelino, can be quickly installed as well.
If, instead, you’d like to put your toilet on drawer slides you’ll need to install a simple drawer. This is fairly straightforward and something anyone can build.
Some van lifers want a dedicated bathroom space in their van. If that’s you, then you’re probably considering a full van shower setup – essentially this makes it a wetbath that is dual purpose as a place to use the toilet and to shower.
This is what I have in my van. I don’t actually use my shower very often, but it’s nice to have a dedicated space for my toilet with privacy.
Some wetbaths even have a sink, although I personally just use the primary sink in my van kitchen because it works just as well and saves a ton of space.
Regardless of which of the above toilet storage methods you choose, if you’ll be installing a composting toilet you will also need to factor in labor for the ventilation.
Some composting toilets have a small fan that pulls air across your solids tank, through a hose, and then exhausts it out of the van (usually through the van flooring).
Simply put, this means you’ll need to connect the 12v fan to your electrical system and you’ll need to drill a hole for the exhaust hose.
Finding a drill-able space on your van floor can be a challenge so leave yourself options when planning your layout.
Ease of use
This is the last thing you’ll want to consider when deciding on which toilet is right for your van, and it really just comes down to personal preference.
How will you use your toilet? Is it an emergency only situation? If yes, then you can get away with a simple and inexpensive setup – like a cassette toilet in a cabinet.
Do you plan to use your toilet for number 1 (liquid) only? Smell will be less of a concern so you can easily get away with the less expensive options.
In most places, urine can be dumped outdoors safely without requiring a trip to the dump – meaning you won’t have a big need for an additional holding tank beyond what the van toilet itself can hold. With the ability to dump frequently wherever you are you don’t need to hold onto much. However, if you know you’ll be someplace you can’t dump liquids (like the desert) often, then it may be worth considering a larger holding tank so you don’t have to drive to the dump as often.
When I’m boondocking, I dump my liquids tank following leave no trace principles – 200+ feet from camp, and any water sources. Always check first though, because some locations (like the desert) have additional rules.
REI has good tips on how to properly pee in the backcountry.
If you’ll be utilizing your portable camper van toilet for all things (liquids and solids) then you will want to strongly consider the more expensive toilet options, which also come with a lot of added conveniences.
Composting toilets separate your liquids and solids. Most people think that your poop is what stinks, but the main cause of unpleasant bathroom odor is when your solids and your liquids mix together. By separating them you eliminate most of the unpleasant odors.
The exhaust fan will remove any additional odors out of your van and aid the composting process by providing fresh oxygen.
I’ve been able to go up to 2 months before changing my solids tank without any smells. While my composting toilet was one of the more expensive items in my van build, it’s been incredibly convenient and I haven’t had any problems with it. That said, if the Trelino were available when I built my van I would have opted for that over the Airhead.
Do You Need a Van Toilet?
There is not a one-size-fits-all toilet option for van life. Some people, like me, prefer to have a van toilet so they can be completely off-grid for days or weeks at a time and still be able to use the facilities in their van in complete privacy.
Others like to use their van toilet for #1 only, and find other options (like public restrooms) for their #2 needs.
And lastly, there are some folks who just don’t want to use the toilet in their van at all. If this is your preference, you may just want a compact and inexpensive vanlife toilet for emergencies.
Since I’m the person who wants absolutely no restrictions on my use of the toilet, I opted for a composting toilet which allows me to go longer periods of time between dumping my tank. It’s also chemical and odor free – but I’ll get into more detail about this shortly.
Pros and Cons of Camper Van Toilets
When it comes to camper van toilets there are pros and cons. Of course, it’s a nice convenience to have a toilet in your van, but it requires a bit of storage in an otherwise small space. They can be expensive, and some of them require a lot of ongoing maintenance. Let’s discuss…
Camper Van Toilet Pros
The primary benefit of having a van toilet is being able to poop in your van – this means you can use your clean van bathroom whenever you want and have total privacy. The other side of this coin is that you DON’T have to use a public toilet (which is a pro in my book).
Lastly, when it comes time to sell your campervan, having a toilet will increase your vans resale value.
Pros:
✅ Easy and convenient
✅ Private
✅ Clean (no public restrooms)
✅ Available 24/7
✅ Good for resell value
Camper Van Toilet Cons
There’s a few obvious items here: some types of van toilets can stink 💩 – literally (more on this later).
If you don’t want to risk an occasional odor in your van then the simple answer is not to do your business inside your van.
More importantly, unlike a toilet that is plumbed to a water and sewer system, your van toilet uses a holding tank… which you will need to dispose of.
Arguably, this is the least fun part about living in a van. Or, at least it’s one of my least favorite chores while living full-time in my van.
Cons:
❌ Odor
❌ May require chemicals
❌ Dumping
❌ Added cost
❌ Added space requirements
Additional disadvantages to having a toilet in your van include requiring additional space to install or store your van toilet, increased complexity in your van conversion (depending on the type of toilet), increased capacity of fresh water and holding tanks and the cost of the van toilet itself (ranging widely from $50-$1100).
Verdict: Do You Need A Toilet For Van Life?
Yes. At a minimum, you need something for emergencies. Anything beyond that really comes down to personal preference and how you plan to live in your van.
If you want ultra convenience, consider a composting toilet for your van.
If you’re ok with a little less convenience and a large savings in cost then a portable van toilet is your best option.
However, if you plan to make use of public restrooms and mother nature, then you may only need an emergency toilet.
