Plumbing recommendations

[MNbusboy]

I am looking at turning a short bus into an ultimate road trip bus for my family of 7. It will have a few rows of comfy bus seats up front, a toilet room in the back on one side and a snack bar and sink on the other. The intention is to be able to drive cross country without having to stop every time one of the kids has to tinkle.

This will not be a full time RV. We will drive to our destination which will have a full kitchen and bathroom. We won't need a full sink or shower. But we will want a flushing toilet and a sink for washing hands.

I don't know much about plumbing systems, so I am looking for recommendations on a setup. What do I need, how would you set it up, are there specific products you would recommend, and how much will this cost total?

Thanks guys!!

[Danjo]

“Groover”, composting, cassette, black tank.

Your most basic is a “groover” (affectionate name for an ammo can used on Colorado River raft trips) a slightly more civilized version is a bucket with a bag in it. After you go, tie up the bag and drop it in a trash can. This is the cheapest.

Composting toilets are similar to a groover, but utilize a urine diverter to decrease microbial smell. Also uses peat moss, saw dust, coconut coir to keep smell under control. This is a longer lived option compared to a groover.

Cassette toilet is like a porta-John. When you get to your destination you empty the cassette in a toilet.

Black tank is like a conventional toilet with a holding tank and water flush. This is your most-involved option. You need a water tank and pump, a black tank and a dump station to dump when full

[Native]

I believe this was the most concise, easily read description of the basic levels of human waste control in a conversion.

[MNbusboy]

Thanks!! I think composting would be easiest to install and would accomplish the task, but the ladies in my life would prefer a standard toilet system with black tank. (They don't mind giving me added work and headaches, in fact they seem to make a mission of it!!��)

If I go with composting I can figure out the sink plumbing myself. If I go with the full black tank, any thoughts or recommendations?

[Danjo]

Originally Posted by MNbusboy

Thanks!! I think composting would be easiest to install and would accomplish the task, but the ladies in my life would prefer a standard toilet system with black tank. (They don't mind giving me added work and headaches, in fact they seem to make a mission of it!!��)

If I go with composting I can figure out the sink plumbing myself. If I go with the full black tank, any thoughts or recommendations?

Mount a 30ish gallon fresh water tank and wire a 12v pump to your fuse block (share an accessory fuse). Use PEX to plumb to your sink and toilet.

You need a black tank under the bus. The rear of the bus is a good spot because there’s usually a lot of spare room there.

There’s a couple types of RV toilet for a black tank: a simple gravity toilet (least expensive and easiest to install), and a macerator toilet that has a little grinder that turns everything into a slurry. The macerator toilet is good if you need to pump across the vehicle to a remote tank. It also makes waste uniform so that emptying the tank is also simpler. It may also pump the waste out of the tank.

I think unless you have a compelling reason to pump your poop, get a gravity model. May I suggest a Dometic 320; elongated porcelain bowl, power flush, easy to clean , comes in white or bone. About $250.

The whole setup, fresh and black tank, toilet, and water pump with all the fittings, will run you about $1000, though you might save money on tanks off eBay or used from salvage or using smaller tanks. It all depends on your willingness to search and wait and what kind of space constraints that push you to buy what works.