Installing a Nature's Head Composting Toilet in our Airstream RV

We've been hinting at this one for a while. We finally installed our Nature's Head Composting Toilet into Charlie, our 2005 Airstream Classic. Here is how it went, step by step!
We walk you through every step of the install process from removing the old toilet, finding constant 12 volt, venting out the wheel well and finally installing the new toilet into our Airstream.
Stay tuned for an update on how we like it and any tips and tricks we come up with along the way!
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[@DanHowell-qv9rk]

Nice job! I'm finishing up my shell off Excella restoration and opted for Nature's Head unit also. Completely covered the old Black tank space with new flooring so didnt have to go through your steps to cover the old sewer drain. You guys did a great job venting out the wheel well.

[@ttinkers1062]

Thank you so much for showing how to plug the drain hole!! That was the part I couldn't figure out. Thanks again!

[@suzyq3746]

Thank you for an excellent informational video. Please know that what you are doing for many of us out there who are contemplating changing up our toilets we appreciate the effort you guys put into this. I follow you guys faithfully. Thanks again.

[@AStreaminLife]

You are very welcome Susie! That's exactly what we're trying to do, share our experiences to help others in their journey! Meanwhile we're planning to do a composting toilet update here in the next month or so with some tricks we've figured out....so stay tuned.

[@CLJ891]

Thanks guys, that was quite helpful!

[@MrTubeman123456]

Nothing wrong with what you did but I'll make my own I'm not sure I could spend a lot of money on something that requires emptying a pee bucket constantly and grinding #2 up with no bag inside and all the other work u did hooking up fan the money involved but for u maybe you will love it so I'm not mocking or nocking what you've done but I going a little different route but thanks for the video.

[@Lmarjorie1]

Were did you get the red drain plug? Having a hard time finding it. Doing same to my RV excellent video!!@!!!!

[@scottperry9581]

incredibly informative and useful. Thank you.

[@AStreaminLife]

Glad you liked it!

[@Th3Prosp3ct]

Great job, looks great.

[@AStreaminLife]

Thanks W4NT3D!

[@FadedRoseStoriesRussia]

Excellent video. Kudos!

[@AStreaminLife]

Thanks Rosie! Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@ImASurvivorNThriver]

Great job! Thanks for sharing.

[@AStreaminLife]

Thanks for watching!

[@mmiller5715]

Great video. Looking forward to update down the road.

[@AStreaminLife]

Thanks M Miller! Let us know if there is anything in particular you'd like to see :)

[@2000talon]

Two thumbs up! I will be taking my toilet out of my airstream as well, im gonna just use the compost toilet saw dust bucket meathod, I use it at my off grid location, works wonderful.

[@AStreaminLife]

Thanks 2000talon! I think the sawdust composting toilet is what Duet Justus is doing as well, if you haven't seen their install on KZbin you should check it out! Good luck!

[@NickC341]

how do you separate liquid from the solids ?

[@AStreaminLife]

The natures head does it for us. There are holes for the liquids in the bowl that drain into a compartment. For solids there is a separate hatch you open in the bowl when the time is right. We don't really have to do anything!

[@lindanerney9896]

This was very detailed. Thank you. Almost 1000 dollars for a toilet, but you must consider no need for water or chemicals makes it worth it. And no trips to the dump station.

[@AStreaminLife]

You are welcome. It was a lot up front but we are glad for the cost at this point. It has allowed us a lot more flexibility in boondocking!

[@tarbrush100]

Very nice install video but all i could think of was.... ventilation into wheel well !!!! If you ever travel in a slushy/icy environment, your hose is .....well....hosed.

[@leolivinglarge2046]

Maybe should have venter out the top

[@AStreaminLife]

Out the top of the airstream? We thought about that but it would have been too hard to route it. Venting it through the wheel well has worked great for us.

[@pamelaranney9932]

Does the opening blade clear the whole area when it's open....Does any material ever get on it???? Do you have to use coffee filters to keep poo off of it?

[@BC-mi9st]

great job! Any issues with water intruding into the wheel well hole when driving in the rain?

[@hypnosiscenternyc]

Nice video. Looks a little more complicated than some of the videos would have you believe. Think I'm going to get one.

[@AStreaminLife]

We really like ours. We just did an update video with some tips if you are interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKi6m4yAbrV9i5o Also check out videos by the Wynns. The do a great job of explaining everything :)

[@Freerydah73]

I see some room towards the wall where you could've moved your new toilet further back to create more room. Also, because of the location of the vent towards the outside below, wouldn't it stink up the area outside where you guys hangout?

[@AStreaminLife]

We couldn't put the toilet all the way against the wall because we wouldn't be able to take off the whole lid while inside and we wanted to be able to do that. Luckily our vent is on the driver's side of the trailer so we don't smell anything on the curbside/patio when we're outside.

[@Freerydah73]

AStreaminLife Is this the same brand as "gone with the Wynn's" composting toilet?

[@DarrenLangleyjasper]

How much moisture comes in from the wheel well now? Looks like using this in the winter would be very bad.

[@kirstenw9501]

What did you do with the original toilet once you replaced it? Recycle? Store it in case you sell? Great video!

[@bobcolorado3491]

What about road dirt, snow, etc from the trailer tires? Will the tires throw debris against the vent, causing it to block up?

[@AStreaminLife]

Hi Bob. Good question! We're worried about that as a well. If we find we're having issues we're going to figure out a shield/vent cover but for now we're going to see how it goes. We have some ideas percolating in the background. :)

[@kentl1314]

AStreaminLife any updates because I was wondering the same thing.

[@AStreaminLife]

We're traveling to and from Oregon this week so we'll have the opportunity to check on it and will try to remember to report back. If you dont hear from us on this by December please comment again so we remember!

[@TheBoondocker]

Any update on the wheel well issue? About to vent mine into the wheel well and am kinda nervous about debris or moisture going up there.

[@Ihaveausernametoo]

Could maybe just put a simple plug when it's time to go. It's a round and easy shape.

[@taylorboyd5516]

What type of 3inch plug did you get to cover the black tank pipe (the red one). Where did you get it from? Thanks!

[@AStreaminLife]

We got it from the local hardware store but unfortunately it's been a few years now and we don't have any details. Sorry!

[@NickC341]

great video, want to do this in my '72 Land Yacht but space seems very small to accommodate handle on the side too .. do you know if they make smaller units ? min width needed for your unit ? thanks !

[@AStreaminLife]

Hi Nicholas. I don't think Natures Head makes smaller units but there are other manufacturers out there to check out. Here is Nature's Head's website: www.natureshead.net/ . We went with the smallest option they had (ie the Spider handle instead of the standard handle). Ours is 19" wide with the handle. The standard is 20.75" wide. Hope this helps!

[@NickC341]

thanks for the feedback .. i'll measure up .., any regrets after a few months now of using ... ? does the fan run 24/7? how much power is that drawing ? I tend to boondock , thx:)

[@AStreaminLife]

No regrets! It's been really useful and we think it will be even better once we start boondocking. The fan needs to run all the time but only uses 1.7amps in a 24 hour period so the draw is miniscule. We don't think it will hold us back at all.

[@TomasQuinones]

It's been a year...do you have a problem with uric crystallization in liquid collection tank?

[@AStreaminLife]

We do have some yes. We've been working on it with vinegar and hot water but there is some staining. If we had been better about cleaning the tank, in the beginning, I think it would be better. Not very noticeable when installed though.

[@Rachmoreno67]

what is that plug called ? 3 inch what ?

[@AStreaminLife]

A 3-inch test drain plug or just drain plug. We found ours at Home Depot or Lowes.

[@garyduran1]

I have heard that if you live in a not so humid part of the state's, you do not have to use the fan. Anyone out there try this yet?

[@angelaw7070]

How has this worked out for you? Curious because I am thinking of doing this when I get my airstream :)

[@AStreaminLife]

We just published a video today taking about it! Let us know if you have any other questions!

[@retiredmilguy3960]

Question? How long can you normally boondock and how much water do you have to bring. I am looking at buying and love Airstream but the water capacity worries me. I would like to stay away from campgrounds thinking I need 100G or better for 3 weeks out? Thoughts? I would compost and combine as you did also to conserve.

[@AStreaminLife]

We can boondock for up to 2 weeks (which is often the max limit on BLM & National Forest Land). Our limiting factor is our waste water storage even though we combine both our gray & black tank. Combined we have about 80 gallons. Our fresh water tank is 65 gallons. When we start running low on fresh water we fill up to 7 gallon blue jugs we have and siphon them into our fresh water tank. We do this a few times. We talk a bunch about water conservation and what we do in these videos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5ezq5mopcucmac and kzbin.info/www/bejne/oaLYhYuMbb56h7s and kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGOTYqiIbd56js0

[@retiredmilguy3960]

Thanks for all the good info

[@VeronicaLopez-gd9lt]

How much did this model cost if you don't mind me asking? I've looked at them,but they're all really expensive!

[@AStreaminLife]

The composting toilet was around $1000. We know some people who have made their own but we wanted one that separated the liquids and solids and they are harder to make/find. We really like this one but know that it is expensive and not for everyone.

[@Baileywandering]

No need to hook up exhaust fan. Just us coconut coir and open toilet hole once a day and run fan in ceiling to aerate to keep moisture down.

[@bredlo]

10 cents worth of latex gloves would've saved me from wincing through the first half.... nice DIY, though!

[@AStreaminLife]

Thanks Brad! I had gloves out....for those that desired them..... Glad you made it through even with the wincing :)

[@bredlo]

Ha! Yeah, just teasin a bit. Nice to see you two creating thorough videos about stuff we newbie RVers need to know. Keep up the great work.

[@AStreaminLife]

Brad Cornelius Thanks Brad! If there is anything else you'd like to see or are curious about, please let us know! We're always looking for new ideas.

[@tomblackburn3605]

You’re a natural and I like the video ( him). Check out Mgtow videos. You’ll be much happier if you dump you’re woman. A much more full life,less stress, more money and options,you’ll be more fulfilled and you won’t be continually be manipulated by her . Tom

[@takayama1638]

I'd love to have double the grey tank storage! I can gut animals, do all kinds of nasty jobs, but whew... Very interested to see how sanitary this this will be. I also wonder how this works compared to what European RVs use - the cassette toilet. I've seen that kind can just be taken into any bathroom and emptied. I don't know about cleaning them though. Ugh

[@AStreaminLife]

Hi Taka Yama. We're actually loving the composting toilet so far (we'll be doing a video on it soon). Our least favorite part is emptying the liquids but it's pretty easy if you have a sewer drain or regular toilet nearby. The actual "compost" is super easy, and no smell. It really is just dirt. You also aren't supposed to clean the solids area between refilling it with fresh coconut coir since it helps with the next compost. So far so good.

[@RaineyNite]

I was actually wondering about an update on your Natures Head. I'm hoping to persuade hubby into getting a composting toilet.

[@AStreaminLife]

We're still loving the composting toilet. We've had a few learning experiences but overall we're super pleased with the switch and know we'll be even more happy once we start boondocking more. Video about the whole experience coming soon :)

[@RaineyNite]

That's great news! Thanks :D

[@dennisglick3036]

Steve Would love to see you use gloves when you do some of your projects!

[@AStreaminLife]

He uses antibacterial wipes before doing anything else and in between. He doesn't like gloves!

[@Baileywandering]

You "planned" on making two trips to the hardware store? Why not plan on making one?

[@AStreaminLife]

We know we'll forget something or something won't work right so we always assume we'll have to go back. Sometimes we don't but most of the time we do :)

[@charlesmichael9188]

OH man...where were your gloves?