Having a toilet in our van gives us so much flexibility in terms of where we can go and the types of places we can stay. It means we’re not limited to staying places with facilities or bathrooms somewhat close by. One of the most popular van and RV toilet options is the Nature’s Head composting toilet. But it’s pretty expensive to purchase. So this post is going through the pros and cons and answering the question is a Nature’s Head composting toilet worth it?
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. This means at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through a link and make a purchase. This post may also contain other affiliate links and non-affiliate links to products and websites.
Do I Need a Toilet in My Van?
First off we know the toilet versus no toilet debate is a big one in the van and RV community. Some people would say it’s definitely necessary while others would say you can forgo it and still make it work.
When we were first designing our layout we didn’t think we would have a toilet. But after renting vans and thinking about the types of places we wanted to go in our own van we decided to integrate one into our van build. Now that we’re been in both cities and out in nature we think it is essential to have a toilet! It allows us to not have to think about where the closest bathroom is or have to go dig a hole somewhere.
So for us we love having our own toilet in our van! Late at night it’s so convenient to not have to drive somewhere to go before bed. We also can stay more remote places without missing out because we need to stay closer to facilities. But ultimately it depends on you and your van and what you are going to use your van for. If we were only using our van for weekends I don’t think it would be as necessary. Because for a weekend you can make do without one. But for us full-time in the van it makes life just a little more comfortable!
Read More: Why We Bought a Ford Transit Instead of a Mercedes Sprinter Van
What is a Composting Toilet?
A composting toilet works without water to turn the stuff (the number 2’s) into compost material. Because composting toilets don’t flush they don’t require water which is why they are popular for places such as boats, RV’s and vans. Our composting toilet uses only a small amount of electricity for a vent fan that vents outside the van to eliminate any smells.
Composting toilets require some type of compost material such as peat moss or coconut shreds. You can buy a container of peat moss at any Home Depot or Lowe’s for about $8 dollars. It’s a huge container but it will last you a really long time!
Read More: Van Life Essentials That You Can’t Live Without
Pros of a Nature’s Head Composting Toilet
After having it and using it for a few months here are our pros of a Nature’s Head composting toilet:
It Doesn’t Smell
We have heard everyone who has a Nature’s Head composting toilet say that is doesn’t smell but we seriously didn’t believe them. Like how can it not smell when it doesn’t flush and it just sits there?!
But what everyone says is true and it seriously does not smell! According to Nature’s Head the thought process is that by separating the liquids and solids it reduces the smell. There is a small vent fan that vents out the solid compost area through a tube to underneath the van. This helps give ventilation to the solids container which means it literally smells like any dirt you would have in your yard.
We know the vent fan makes a big difference because the few times we’ve unplugged it we can start to smell the dirt smell a lot more. So moral of the story is to always leave the fan on!
It’s Only Uses a Small Amount of Electricity
In a van or RV one of the biggest concerns is having enough power for everything you need. So when appliances only use a small amount it’s a big deal for us! For example, our DC lights use very little electricity making them very energy efficient.
The vent fan for our Nature’s Head composting toilet uses only a small amount of electricity. This allows us to keep it on 24/7 which means it is always vented and doesn’t smell but also doesn’t completely drain our batteries!
- It’s also really, really quiet which is an added plus! We actually can’t hear it at all unless you’re really close to the toilet. In such a small space we really appreciate that it’s not a constant super loud noise.
Read More: Everything We Used in our DIY Van Build
The Solids Container Only Needs to be Emptied Every Couple of Weeks
The frequency you need to empty the toilet depends on your usage of it. It also depends on the amount of people using it so keep that in mind!
When we were in cities and using both our toilet as well as public toilets we found the compost lasted us about 6 weeks. Now that we are exclusively using the Nature’s Head toilet we empty it about every 3 weeks.
It’s really nice that it isn’t something we need to consistently empty every week. I think that would start to become a headache after a while and discourage us from wanting to use it all the time. It’s not hard to empty but just one of those chores that you don’t want to have to do that often.
- Because it is vented when we do empty the compost it really doesn’t smell which makes the whole emptying process a lot more enjoyable! We simply flip the toilet upside down into a garage bag to throw out. Then put new, fresh peat moss in and we’re good to go!
Cons of a Nature’s Head Composting Toilet
As with everything there are always cons to go along with the pros. Here are the biggest cons we have found with having the Nature’s Head composting toilet.
It’s Expensive
This is by far the biggest con and probably the biggest deterrent for most people. It’s also the reason we almost didn’t even have a toilet in our van. It’s so dang expensive! There are less expensive toilet options such as a cassette toilet but it doesn’t function nearly as well long term, in our opinion.
Everything involved with building a van starts to add up and you have to decide if certain things are worth it for you and your needs. How often you are going to use your van as well as the types of places you are going to go are two big factors that can help determine if you really need a toilet.
The Nature’s Head composting toilet costs $925 which is a lot of money! The toilet costs almost the same amount as all of our batteries which is saying something. But we use it every day and it does impact our day to day life in the van. So while it was a big purchase it allows us to live in the van more comfortably on a long term basis.
Read More: How to Choose a Van Layout
The Liquids Container Has to be Emptied Every Few Days
The liquids container is 2.2 galloons and again the frequency with which it needs to be emptied depends on how often you are using it. We have found that when we’re using it exclusively it lasts about 2-3 days. Obviously if we use other bathrooms then it lasts longer but you don’t really want it to sit for too long before emptying it. Although we’ve never had the liquids container make the van smell so that’s also good!
Besides how crazy expensive it is this is the most annoying part in terms of using it. It means we have to find a place to responsibility empty it more often than we would like. If you’re not using it as often then it won’t be a problem but this is something to keep in mind.
- There are ways to make this better though. You can purchase a second liquids container from Nature’s Head or divert the liquids to a black tank underneath the van. We’ve seen some people do this to allow them to go longer without needing to empty it. So there are ways of making it work for longer if you’re willing to make some modifications!
Read More: 5 Tips for Living in a Van on a Budget
Is a Nature’s Head Composting Toilet Worth It?
Now that we’ve gone through the pros and cons we will say that for us yes, the Nature’s Head composting toilet is worth it! In a perfect world it would cost about a third of the actual price but now that we have it and use it every day we are so glad that we have it!
It means we have been able to stay at some amazing spots that are off-grid and not near any facilities. It also means that we just use our own toilet when going to find a public bathroom would be inconvenient.
If we were only using our van for short or weekend trips I don’t know if the cost would still be worth it. I think for shorter trips we could probably make do with either a cassette toilet for emergencies or just using facilities at campsites and other places. But for full-time van living we think it makes our van so much more comfortable to live in!
Read More: 6 Reasons We Did Not Choose a Fixed Bed for our Van Layout
3 Tips for Using a Nature’s Head Composting Toilet
Here are a few tips for using a Nature’s Head composting toilet that will make it function better and easier to use! It is a little different than a traditional flush toilet but after awhile you will get used to it!
1. Get a Vinegar Spray Bottle to Clean
You want to sanitize the top after using the liquids container. But some products will actually stop the compost process if they get into the solids container. Nature’s Head recommends using vinegar which is a really good option and you can find it almost anywhere!
We bought a small spray bottle that we hang in one of these baskets on the door of our toilet cabinet. After each use we spray a little and it’s good to go!
2. Use Velcro (or Magnets) to Hold up the Back
When the van is parked on a slant we noticed the back of the toilet falls forward and hits you in the back while you’re doing your business. It’s not a big deal but after it hits you in the back a few times it gets kind of annoying. So put a little velcro square on the front of the toilet top and the other piece on the wall behind it. That way it stays up no matter if you’re parked level or not.
- We kind of just put up with it hitting us for a while and then as soon as we did this we both said how nice it was for it to be held up! It took less than a minute to put velcro on but seriously makes a big difference. A magnet on both sides would also work if you don’t want to use velcro!
3. Put a Toilet Paper Holder Close By
We started with just putting toilet paper on the ground next to our Nature’s Head composting toilet. But it was a little annoying to grab and if we were parked on a slant it would roll away and unravel. So we added this stick on toilet paper holder to one of the doors of the cabinet where our toilet is. It works so well and didn’t require us to make any holes. Plus it hasn’t fallen off once and it even comes with a back up sticky mount in case it does fall off.
4. Pour Vinegar into the Empty Liquids Container
We have found that pouring a little bit of white vinegar into the liquids container after emptying it eliminates any smells. It helps it not smell as we use it and fill it up. It also makes it a lot more enjoyable to empty it when it’s full. Plus white vinegar is so easy to find! We usually buy a container of white vinegar from Walmart for less than a dollar and it works perfectly!
