We all love our house and our car. Well, an RV gives you little bit of both. So, you have to take care of it a little bit more than your house and car combined. The prime concern should be taking care of the waste disposal system because it’s not as strong as urban sewage systems. Any obstruction in the system could prove to be intolerable while you are on a tour.
Faster degrading toilet papers are developed specifically for RV toilets. It spares you the dreadful clogs that no one wants in their homes, let alone in RV. The most common question that almost every RV owner asks, “Can you flush toilet paper in a camper?” The answer to this can be yes or no depending on some factors.
You are right to be confused. It can’t be answered straight forward due several variables concerned. Let’s explain those a bit and help you clear your confusion.
What is RV toilet paper?
RV toilet papers are especially designed to be used in RV toilets. It degrades nearly 4 times faster than average toilet papers. It costs more than regular toilet papers, but those extra bucks you pay are worth it.
There are debates on whether RV toilet papers are actually necessary or they are just an exploitation to drain your wallet. Whether it’s true or not, opting not to cheap out on toilet papers might prove to be a wise decision in the future.
RV toilet papers: what do they do?
Basically, their job is to prevent clogs in your toilets. Why is that so much of a headache you might ask. You have to understand the RV sewage system to realize that:
RV sewage system
Our house toilets are connected to a septic tank and that drains all the wastes to city sewers. So, you don’t have to worry about waste accumulation. You use the toilet and flush, that’s it. Also, toilet and plumbing systems of houses are heavily built so they do not easily fracture or break under pressure.
A RV however has a different mechanism. Each RV utilizes three tanks, a fresh water tank, a grey water tank and a black water tank. The black water tank holds the bodily wastes and waters later to be dumped in proper dumping stations. The volume of grey tanks is big enough but they are obviously limited as they aren’t directly connected to city sewerage.
The black water tank is placed directly below the toilet in most RVs. Few different models feature a pumping system where the wastes are pumped horizontally into the tank. This type of toilet is found in RVs where the toilet is in the rear. These particular models require extra water to pump the wastes.
The bigger the tank is, the more you can go without dumping. The size of the tanks is proportional to the size of the RV. So, on the contrary, the slower it fills up, the more ways you can go without dumping. That’s where RV toilet papers come in.
RV toilet papers
They are designed for faster degradation. Regular toilet papers remain in semi solid state after using for a certain period of time. This isn’t much of a headache for house toilets but in RV toilets this can turn out to be problematic. The semi solid toilet papers can aid in building up clogs which you would want to avoid no matter the cost, especially when on a tour.
RVs don’t usually have more than one toilet. On a tour it is continuously being used by all the family members. Generally, you would want to keep the rate at which the tank fills up to a minimum. Clogging the toilet in a confined space shall pollute the whole environment, and the odor can be insufferable.
Besides clog, regular toilet papers cause the sensors to give false reading that the tank is full. This might be concerning as there is no specific reason for sensor damage.
RV toilet papers dissolve almost four times faster than regular ones. This prevents any clog formation and also delays fill up. This ensures a trouble-free tour. Plus, you don’t need to worry about your toilet more than you already have to.
Are RV toilet papers really a necessity?
Using RV toilet paper makes your RV experience smoother in many ways but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a must. Not every RV owner uses it, to some it’s a holy grail. It basically depends on preference.
Regular toilet papers have a higher chance of clog formation. Clogs are not only stinky to deal with but also, they might damage the toilet system of your RV. It would be agonizing to drive all the way back from tour while the odor wreaking havoc inside the RVs confinement. If you don’t want to take that chance, you should consider RV toilet papers.
And then, there are some who are less circumspect about any impending disturbances. People who like to take things as it is, not as it might become. If you are one of those, you don’t really have to opt for the more expensive option.
Proper disposal of used toilet papers
The funniest part when it comes to disposal of toilet papers is that many people, even those who use RV toilet papers find it inconvenient to flush it right down the toilet. It is a common practice among RV users, both experienced and newbies. They just prefer to put the papers in the waste bin and later dump it elsewhere. Few common reasons for doing so are
- They felt they should not flush toilet papers down the toilet
- Someone taught them this way
- They thought the black tank would fill up quickly by doing so
- They were scared of clog formation
You really don’t have to worry about any of these regardless of which type of toilet paper you use. Using RV toilet papers give you more freedom, but using the regular ones is okay if you take some extra precautions. Flush enough waters to so the toilet papers dissolve properly. Keep a rough estimation in your mind about the size of the black tank how much it has filled.
If you are using RV toilet papers then just flush those down the toilet. Don’t think about anything else, don’t worry about anything else. The tank is built for this type of usage, so using RV ready toilet papers just facilitates what the tank is already supposed to do.
Conclusion
Your RV is a miniature package of your residence. Its toilet system is delicate compared to house toilets. So traditional use of it may turn out to be troubling as regular toilet papers work as a catalyst to clog formation. If you are aware of all these factors and worried about your RV, the question that has definitely crossed your mind is “can you flush toilet paper in a camper?”
This question should not bother you at all if you are using high quality RV toilet papers. They are just as easy to use as regular ones and degrade at a faster rate. This makes sure that the black tank is not jammed and no clog is formed. And contrary to popular belief, they are not expensive.
I am certain that sufficient information was provided in this article to overcome any hesitation to whether or not to use RV toilet papers. Consider the extra dollars you spend as extra measures to protect your RV and ensure a pleasant family tour.
