Toilet Paper - To flush or not??

I'm a little embarassed to be asking this question  :-[ but our friends (who do not have a TM) told us that we should put a little garbage can in the bathroom for 'used' toilet paper.  They said flushing the paper gums up the sewer line, the filter, etc., and makes it a bear to clean.  And that we should empty the garbage can every day to remove 'odor' and unsightly paper.

This sounded a little odd to us, and I smiled at my hubby and said I'd ask all of you first . . . we're heading out for our very first camping trip next weekend 4/18.

Is it okay to flush the paper?   :P

Thanks for your help, again!!!  

I have been camping in my TM for two years now, with my wife and two daughters, and have never had a problem with flushing toilet paper. A couple of things I would like to say, though, may help out. As with any septic system, I would try to always use a paper that degrades weel. One that I use is Scott brand. I have found that the thick, extra absorbant (and more comfy) paper like Charmin tends to clog more because it doesn't break down as easy. I have had more problems with my home septic using charmin then the TM. The solution your friends gave you tells me that they are probably around my grandparents age and have been on a septic tank since a young age. My grandmother still places a can in her bathroom at home for toilet tissue. I never have been able to deposit my paper in it though. I am glad she doesn't use computers, so she can't read my last remark. Happy camping

Our rule for our TM  Theford toilet is to only put liquids in it. We have a small garbage can next to the toilet for toilet paper. We use other toilet facilities (campground, etc.) for the other bodily function (to discribe it gently).

Eugene

We bought our TM (including the toilet :P) to use it. Black water chems have come a long way over the years and so we use ours whenever the need arises, always with paper that is made for RV use. No problems and no worries...life is to short ;D ;D. The combo of Campa Chem natural (green) and 1 or 2 Potty Toddy tabs as recommended on this board works very well for us. We carry a 5 gal blue tote to dump on long stays, giving us >10 gal of black water capacity. Works great. Don't worry about it, just have fun camping and enjoying the convenience.

Wade

We've always used ours completely as well, icluding some limited use for solid waste -- hey, when the 4 year old needs to go poop in the middle of the night, we're not going to the bath house!

So long as you don't overload by using to much paper, and you maintain the toilet properly, I don't think flushing the paper should be a problem.

[shebantam]

My rule has always been he or she who puts anything solid in the camper toilet gets to clean the tank. Unless it is an emergency. Then they still might have to do the dumping and cleaning. I keep a small waste can lined with a shopping bag.

Sewer lines came off my cabin a on way to Acadia the other year. In that camper,, my unhitch level, plug and play camper, there is now no black water tank, it was specially made for the Cabin As and they are no longer made. Though no tank, there is about 2 gallons of back waste storage in the lines. Important not to clog them prior to putting in the tote tank.
one thing I was told when I bought the Bantam was to let the black water build in the tank, in other eords, not to leave the drain open on the outside with full hookups. That is for people who put solids of one type or another in the toilet.
in the TM recirculating, besides the smell and my allergy to formaldehyde, the TP from past owners/users clogged the holes and lines the bowel...can we say yuck. Got that cleaned out before I switched to a curve. Methinks that others used the fluffy stuff TP in their TM.

[Bill]

One thing I was told when I bought the Bantam was to let the black water build in the tank, in other words, not to leave the drain open on the outside with full hookups.

Quite right. This is very important. See the Thetford tutorial in the TM Technical Reference library for reasons and comments.

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ead.php?t=2354

In the TM recirculating, besides the smell and my allergy to formaldehyde ...

This thing about smell is a recurring discussion. My Electra Magic has never smelled, even after I took off the vinyl flap. Of course, I do keep the lid down, and I do use a proper amount of deodorant liquid. Trying to save a dime by using too little deodorant can result in a smell.

As for formaldehyde, you might use one of the non-formaldehyde liquids. Thetford makes a good one.

He or she who puts anything solid in the camper toilet gets to clean the tank

Again, my recirculating toilet has never needed to have the tank cleaned. In fact, several of our members who have taken the top off the toilet for one reason or another have commented about how clean the tank is inside. That 6-gallon "whoosh" really makes a difference.

I keep a small waste can lined with a shopping bag

I would think this could smell far worse than the Thetford. Do you have some sort of airtight seal on the waste can?

I dunno ... but I am very satisfied with my original Thetford.

Bill

[shebantam]

When we removed the toilet I had flushed clear water through it and flushed and flushed until there was no TP residue.

The bag with the TP goes to the trash daily first thing in the morning, before my coffee and since there is nothing solid there is no real smell...now if I left it sit and get ripe...
I was not talking about the tank of the recirculating toilet, I was talking about the toilets in my Cabin A and the Bantam. With bigger black water tanks (now no tank in the Cabin A).

This tank had TP coming into the bowl every time it was flushed and clogging the flush holes, I had flushed so long, I had to reset my converter, something was beeping. If I had bought this trailer new, or almost new, there would not have been this problem. But this is a 1994 that had gone through many owners, needed a new flange seal and seals for the blade...After pouring water into it and then running it out until it was clear, there was no smell. It was neither a dirty or stinky job getting it out, though the things that needed the hook were in backwards. We had a time getting them out.
I too keep the seat down. That is a given.
Glad your toilet is a good one, sounds like you have taken good care of it.

[davlin]

+1, Bill. Double ++1.

Eighteen years of pooping and flushing in the Electramagic with never a smell or "tank cleaning" issue. I don't even understand why you would try to "clean the tank" in an Electramagic. Sometimes as many as 4 adults and 5 children share the pooper, but usually not at the same time

We DID have a flushing issue (stuff wouldn't go down), but that was immediately remedied by removing the skirt.

The "bottom line" (sorry!) is this: if I had to go to a campground toilet, or carry a cassette full of the family business to a campground toilet, I'd get a different RV.

Dave

[tentcamper]

We for years have flushed our paper in all our campers. No issues. But i could see if you use to much paper there being an issue.