Not a nice topic - rv toilet tissue

Hi everyone. We are just back this evening from our rv trek around Canada. Had a wonderful time and I will be posting reviews, but I have a a question. We have always bought rv toilet tissue at either WalMart or CampingWorld, but it is rather expensive as compared to regular tissue. Someone told us that there are some regular brands that are also biodegradable. Does anyone know if this is so, and which brands they are?

 

Don't worry about the brand too much. Look for 1-ply (best) or 2-ply tissue. We've always used off brands of either ply & never had a problem. B) The great thing with Camping World and other places is that they have convinced most campers that they must have their TP which is simply not the case.

 

But doesn't it have to be a tissue that "disinegrates"? My husband said someone told him to take a tissue and put it in water and if ti dissolves quickly, it is okay to use but I haven't found any that do that and I don't want to go buy every brand at the store to test that theory. I've been paying almost $5 for a 4 pack of 2 ply at Camping World. Have you ever had any trouble caused by using regular tissue in your rv?

 

Hi Cheryl,
My family has been camping for 17 years and I have never bought Camping World's paper. I use what I buy for the house (a wide variety over the years) and have never had a problem. I think as long as you "flush" your tank when leaving a campground you should be okay.
Cheryl

 

Thanks - I think I will try Angel Soft in the rv, which is what I always buy for the house. I just hate spending so much for the "specialized" kind. Hubby said he had heard that if you use the regular it can clog up you tank, but as we always dump every trip, I think it will be okay. Cheryl, you said something about flushing the tank - I have never taken care of any of that kind of stuff so was wondering, do you mean running water thru the tank after you dump? By the way, Banff National Park was beautiful but I was disappointed because I have heard there are so many animals there and the only thing we saw was 1 squirrel.

 

I've been RVing for 10+ years and haven't encountered any problems by using the same tissue that I use in the house. I've heard about the "tissue water test" where you place a piece of tissue in a quart of water and let it sit for 30 minutes to see if it dissolves but haven't tried it.

 

QUOTE
you said something about flushing the tank - do you mean running water thru the tank after you dump

Pretty much, my hubby has me fill the bowl up and then let it go all at once 3 or 4 times after he empties the tank.

 

We use Scott single ply, and it breaks down as well as RV suppliers TP. I always flush the tank well after dumping to clean it out the best I can, but I also have the tank spray system on my unit. Makes it easy! My other trick is to dump a couple bags of ice down the toilet when we are moving from one place to another. The cubes sloshing around in the tank will dislodge anything that is stuck to the sides of the tank.

 

Sorry! Double post.

 

Hey hrrvr...
We've used the same tp for years without trouble and also do the ice thing regularly to help clear the tank walls and sensors. I'll add that the tank should have fluid in it while traveling.

Another note... we also manage an RV park. I checked out your web site last night and like it and what I see of your Resort.

 

Cheryl: From a Campground owner (16 years) - we have had rv's with problems in this area. We are also rvers and live in our rig 3 months a year. Be sure the non-rv tp is septic tank safe as most campgrounds are still on a septic system. Using regular tp may not harm YOUR tank but it will clog the lines of the rv park if not used properly. Always use LOTS of water when flushing and an rv tank chemical. Do not use the home made versions of chemical. We have had too many horror stories in that area. Your effluent should be all liquid by the time you dump. Some folks do not use enough water when they flush and the tp piles up rather than dissolves. Also, you do not need to use lots of tp. If you try to use less then there will be less that has to dissolve. The idea of the ice cubes when traveling is great. If you are having a problem, and the ice cubes don't solve it, try one of the tissue digesters that are out. We use it when we are sitting for long periods of time - 2-3 weeks or more. That helps with the dissolving when you can slosh everything around by moving. The "tissue test" you refer to is taking a piece of your tp and a piece of rv tp and placing them in their own containers - with a small amount of the toilet chemical you use. If they both dissolve - continue using yours; if not, switch. (This could be done as a group if you belong to a camping club or camp with friends: get a sample of everyone's tp and a sample of their chemical. Make up as many test jars as you like. It tells a lot.) Also, use the recommended amount of toilet chemical each time you empty your tanks and start new. Some folks just use a little - because it is also not cheap. But think about it - you put good money into your rig, are you going to skimp on the basic necessities for that rig? Just my suggestions. Thanks for listening.

 

Allen....thanks for the kudos! I see we are not too far apart.

 

QUOTE
Be sure the non-rv tp is septic tank safe as most campgrounds are still on a septic system.

I live in the country and also have a septic tank, although we are supposed to get sewage next summer. I have lived here 23 years and never had to use "special" TP.

 

Thanks for all the input - I just bought 2 packages of rv toilet tissue while we were on this last trip but as soon as it is gone, I am definitely going to stock "regular" tissue in the motorhome. As I said before, I pay $5 for a 4 pack of 2 ply at Camping World and I pay less than that for the 24 roll pack of Angel Soft at WalMart. This website is truly a wealth of information...who else could I have asked about toilet paper???

 

Yet another thing we have in common, I buy Angel Soft too.

 

Cheryl, almost seems like we were sisters separated at birth. It appears we both have impeccable taste. You said recently that summer was over so you had to go back to work, which gave me the impression that you work in the education field. I worked in mergers and acquisitions until about 6 months ago but am now retired. The pay isn't nearly as much now, but the hours are much better!!!

 

I'm a kindergarten aide. I didn't start working until my youngest son was 11, so I haven't been doing it very long, he's 20 now. I had to sub for the first 3 years, did special ed for 2 and 1/2, kindergarten 1 year, office aide for 2 and finally got kindergarten again. I actually got to stay at the same school building as last year. It's all done on a seniority list here, so that doesn't always happen. Mostly I enjoy it, but I am looking forward to retiring, plan on doing so when the grand-babies start coming along - in about 6 years - or so I'm told by my oldest son.
Was going to ask what you camp in, but noticed your sig below your picture. Seems like that's where we differ.

 

My gosh Cheryl, you get up and online early. It said 5:59 a.m. which means 4:59 a.m. my time. It is always an hr. off when it says what time I left the message. I am really glad I found this website - most of the people are very nice and so helpful. What did we ever do before the internet was invented? I started to say "before Al Gore invented the internet" but assumed that would start a huge political debate!!! You mentioned our rig - we have a class A motorhome. I really like it because I drink Diet Dr. Pepper and bottled water continuously and so hubby doesn't have to stop for my hourly trips to the "powder room".

 

My time is Eastern Standard so it was 7:00am here. Not so early on a work day. I usually get up at 6:45, get in the shower then get online for 5 minutes while letting the towel soak up some of the moisture from my hair. I hate using the blower dryer so I try to avoid that whenever possible. Weekends, I like to sleep in a little. Unfortunately my internal clock seems to think that means 8:00am. Can't seem to convince it that 9:00 would be good. We keep a small cooler on the backseat of the truck for drinks. Usually, I'm pretty good at timing stops for "my breaks" when we need to fuel up. But when I need an "extra" stop, Nelson is pretty good at stopping for me. He doesn't even complain.

 

We did the water test several years & found that Angel Soft was as good as the "high priced RV "ones. We have used it for 7 years fulltiming & haven't had a problem. But like anything ,it takes a little common sense in how much is enough.