If you think you have everything sorted in your RV to go camping this season, think again. The conventional septic safe toilet paper in the back of your van will not take you places. For long RV rides, you can only rely upon RV safe toilet paper that doesn’t accumulate as waste in your septic tanks. We have created this RV Toilet Paper Vs Septic Safe guide to help you discover which of these will work better in your RV.
Table of Contents
An Introduction to RV Toilet Paper
We understand that many of you might have heard of an exclusive variety of toilet papers for RVs for the first time. So, here is what you need to know about them.
- RV toilet paper is made up of soluble tissue that dissolves in water as soon as you flush it, saving you the trouble of unclogging your sewer time and again.
- It does not sit in the septic tank’s bottom to have an effortless wastewater movement in the RV.
- You save a fortune on chemicals used to keep the RV’s sanitation system clean.
- Since there is no accumulation of waste in the RV sanitation system, there will be no insects in the RV, keeping it safe for you and your family.
- They are completely biodegradable, causing no harm to the environment if disposed of properly in compost.
The above description does make it sound like RV toilet paper is the way to go if you want to take long trips in your RV. However, many campers argue that even the septic safe toilet paper that is used in households serves well for RV use. Before we get into the details about which one is better, here is a guide to your RV sewer system.
RV Sewer System
The reason why picking out the right toilet paper for your RV is important is because your RV sewer system is not as robust as that of your household. It is a pretty basic system with a pipeline and black and grey tanks attached in the end to store the waste until you dispose of it.
Often, a black tank is placed directly below the toilet. It is at the back of the truck only if you have a rear toilet. Most of these toilets are ‘pumping-type,’ that is, the toilet is equipped with a mechanism that pumps the waster horizontally to make it reach the tank. Such a toilet is known as a “macerator” toilet, and it uses more water.
The black tank of your RV is much like that septic tank at your home. It is not hooked to the municipal sewer lines, requiring you to drain it out manually once it is full enough. One must be very careful about what they put in their tanks as the wrong thing can clog their drains and toilets.
Hence, toilet paper is a big issue with RV black tanks and home septic tanks. If the toilet paper doesn’t disintegrate quickly with the water movement, it can accumulate in the pipeline or tank, causing them to clog and become breeding grounds for flies and other insects.
You can buy the toilet paper, which is explicitly marked for use in septic toilets or RV toilets as they dissolve easily, and the macerator pump helps them move quickly. Take all precautions you can to ensure that no residue stays in the tank or on the sensors when you are emptying it.
It is not the right decision to leave the black tank valve open when you are parked or have hooked your tank to your camping ground’s sewer. An open valve means that all the liquids from the tank will drain out, leaving you with a mass of dry paper and feces. So, always wait for it to fill at least halfway through.
Keeping the grey tank open when you are hooked up is okay because it has all the liquid anyway.
Disposing of Toilet Paper
While you are debating about which disposable toilet paper should be used in the RV for reducing garbage, there is another school of RV drivers who store use toilet paper as garbage.
These are the people who have lost trust in their black tanks and consider it better to just bag the used stuff to throw it away later.
According to us, such a practice can make the interiors of your vehicles smell intolerably bad, and invite flies and other insects. Instead, you should just let it flush away with the rest of the waste and let go.
Test your Toilet Paper
A toilet paper breakdown test is a popular way to determine how suitable a toilet paper is for your RV adventures
For the test, take approximately 10 ounces of water in a clear jar with a lid. Make sure that water fills the vessel halfway. Now, add a couple of toilet paper sheets into the jar and cover it with a lid. Hold the jar by its top and give it a good shake twice- no more. Let it sit for a couple of minutes and then check if the toilet paper has dissolved.
If yes, you have found the right brand of toilet paper for your RV!
If not, you will have to try out another brand and keep trying until you find the perfect match for your RV toilet.
Don’t worry; we don’t expect you to test every brand of toilet paper out there. We have examined some popular brands for you already to decide which ones will work for you and which ones won’t.
1. Scott RV Bath Tissue and Toilet Paper
This Toilet Paper is exclusively designed to be used in recreational vehicles, boats, marine applications, and homes for individuals who want to get rid of the used toilet paper rather than bagging it for garbage.
It is known to dissolve four times quicker than any other RV Toilet paper brand, which certainly makes it a great competitor in the industry. It is clinically tested to assure that it will not accumulate in the tank whatsoever, making your life easier.
You can buy a 4-pack roll with 231 sheets to last you your entire trip. If you think that it will cost you more, imagine the amount of money you will save on chemicals and cleaning to keep your waste disposal system running.
Moreover, it is right for you as it doesn’t have any scent in it and is soft enough for sensitive skin. Forest Stewardship Council has certified it to be safe for the environment too.
2. Thetford 03300 Toilet paper for RV
Another product recommended by many RV-enthusiasts is Thetford 03300, as it is a two-ply tissue that feels smooth and soft on the skin and is more absorbent. You can use it for recreational and marine purposes apart from bringing them along in campsites where you do not want to litter around.
It is tested for RV toilets and passed with flying colors as it disintegrates quickly with the movement of water, so you do not have to worry about clogging in your black tank.
You can buy 4-pack packaging online with 396 sheets in one roll that can last you for your entire trip and more.
Final Thoughts
All of the above options offer a perfectly good solution for all your toilet worries in the RV. Then again, there are a few downsides to them as well, such as:
- RV toilet papers cost almost double that of septic safe toilet papers just because of the branding. If you can figure out a septic-safe option that dissolves equally well as the RV toilet paper, you should bring it along.
- Toilet paper is not always the issue; it can be sensors too. Yes, most RV manufacturers are still using outdated sensors that show faulty readings because they are covered with build up on the tank’s walls.
- Apart from being cheaper, the septic soft toilet papers are available in almost any departmental store across the country, making them a more convenient choice of RVers.
To conclude, if you have a septic safe toilet paper in your eyes that disintegrates as efficiently as RV toilet paper, you should stick to the former as it is cheaper and more readily available.
Hi, I am Tom Hank, an RV-er since 2014. Back then, I started without much help. As you can imagine, the struggles are endless. But now, you do not have to begin your adventures knowing next to nothing about RV lives.