You love traveling with your motorhome or panel van but want to avoid chemicals or emptying a fecal tank at the campsite when it comes to the toilet?
Then the incineration toilet might be just the right thing for you: This high-tech toilet solution works completely without water, without toilet chemicals, and without connection to the sewage system – and simply burns your waste into clean ash.
In this guide, you will get all the important information, variants, and advantages about the incineration toilet in the motorhome.
What is an incineration toilet in a motorhome?
A incineration toilet is a special camping toilet that burns feces and urine in a closed combustion chamber at high temperature. Instead of a fecal tank or a cassette toilet, you only have a small ash container that is emptied after many toilet uses.
The process when using it is always similar:
- Before using the toilet, you place a paper bag in the toilet bowl.
- After toilet use, the bag with the excretions falls into the combustion chamber.
- A burner then starts the incineration process at around 600 °C.
- The urine evaporates while solids and paper burn to germ-free ash.
- The exhaust gases are safely vented outside through an exhaust pipe.
Incineration toilets are thus a complete toilet solution without a water connection, without a fecal tank, and without connection to the sewer. This makes them perfect for motorhomes, expedition vehicles, and caravans that want to be as self-sufficient as possible.
How does incineration work in an incineration toilet?
In everyday use, the incineration process runs fully automatically: You simply sit on the incineration toilet like any other WC, do your business into the prepared paper bag, close the lid, and start the incineration process either via a button, LCD display, or control. This causes the built-in flap in the toilet to open, the bag falls into the combustion chamber, and the burner heats up.
Depending on the model, the incineration takes about one hour per cycle. During this time, everything burns to ash, urine evaporates, and exhaust gases are conveniently vented outside through the exhaust.
For the corresponding fans, exhaust blowers, and the associated control, you need a 12-volt power supply, sometimes also 230 V – it depends on your model. Gas-powered models additionally use propane gas: typically about 140 to 180 g of gas is used per incineration.
In any case, only a very small amount of ash remains at the end – and you can then conveniently dispose of it in the residual waste. Due to the small amount of ash, emptying is usually only necessary after 50 to 70 toilet uses.
Advantages of the incineration toilet in motorhomes
The biggest plus of incineration toilets in motorhomes: You need neither water nor chemicals, and are therefore not tied to an emptying station.
More advantages of the incineration toilet at a glance:
- No fecal tank and no cassette toilet emptying: This means you have no contact with feces and don’t need a hose or emptying station.
- Germ-free ash instead of waste: Hygienic waste disposal is simply done in the residual waste bin.
- Low odor and clean: The high-temperature incineration minimizes odors and bacteria.
- Self-sufficient travel: Perfect for off-grid camping, expedition vehicles, and long trips without a campsite.
- No use of toilet chemicals: You protect the environment, resources, and on top of that, your nose.
So you see: If you’re tired of classic camping toilets with chemicals, the incineration toilet is a real alternative.
Installation and setup of an incineration toilet
Installing an incineration toilet requires careful planning and should preferably be carried out by professionals – especially the gas connection and exhaust gas routing. However, it is first important to find a suitable location. It should have sufficient ventilation and a stable mounting option. In the motorhome, this is usually the case in the wet room or the rear area of the vehicle.
Depending on the model, operation is via gas or electricity. Both connections must always be laid cleanly and protected against damage. Hot combustion gases are led outside through an exhaust pipe, usually through the roof or a side wall. This passage must be absolutely sealed, while sufficient supply of fresh air is necessary for clean combustion. After installation, a function test, control check, and initial incineration follow.
Our tip: Installation should always be carried out according to the manufacturer’s instructions. That’s exactly why professional installation is so important. This way, you can enjoy the low-maintenance and hygienic comfort of the incineration toilet on your travels without worry.
Everything about energy consumption and environmental impact
An incineration toilet in the motorhome does consume energy but saves water and completely avoids chemicals. Especially in combination with a solar system and smart power supply, the incineration toilet can therefore be very cost-effective and pay off quickly – despite the sometimes high purchase costs.
After purchase, you only need to include the gas consumption per incineration and the general energy requirement in your travel planning.
Waste management and hygiene
In terms of waste management, the incineration toilet is almost unbeatable in convenience: you no longer have a classic fecal tank emptying, no emptying station, no swivel pipe, no splash water, and no wastewater connection at all, because all solid excretions turn into ash.
This collects in a small tray and then simply goes into the residual waste – and that’s it. However, you must pay attention to one thing: only empty the ash container when it is cold.
In addition, you should occasionally give your toilet some maintenance and clean the collection container, the combustion chamber, and the exhaust pipe from time to time. You don’t need aggressive chemicals for this, as mild cleaners are completely sufficient.
Comfort and design – high-tech in a compact space
Modern incineration toilets are not only technically sophisticated but also neatly designed. They score with
- a comfortable seat height and a comfortable seat,
- a simple, modern housing that fits into the wet room or the conversion of your camper,
- a clear LCD display with status indicators, temperature, and the remaining time,
- a quiet fan and exhaust blower for good air circulation
- and a coordinated exhaust and supply air system for a pleasant indoor climate.
This way, the incineration toilet fits well both visually and functionally into your motorhome.
Variants and models – Which incineration toilet suits you?
On the market, incineration toilets from manufacturers like Cinderella have become established, often found under names like Travel Gas (formerly Motion) or Comfort. The variants usually differ in their performance, capacity, and installation concept.
Gas-powered incineration toilet
Runs on propane gas and consumes only a small amount of electricity (12 V) for fan and control. Ideal for motorhomes, caravans, and trailers with fixed gas supply.
12 V incineration toilet
Primarily operates on power from the onboard battery or solar systems, making it especially interesting for self-sufficient campers with PV systems.
230 V models
More designed for holiday homes or permanent camping, as alternating current must be available continuously here
In comparison, here you can see what distinguishes a chemical toilet and a separating toilet:
Chemical toilet
Also called cassette toilet. It is often inexpensive to purchase but requires complex disposal due to the chemicals it contains.
Separation toilet
Also called composting toilet. It operates without incineration and is completely chemical-free. Instead, it separates urine and solids, resulting in fewer odors than with a chemical toilet. Probably the biggest disadvantage: it must be emptied manually.
Incineration toilet, chemical toilet or composting toilet? The comparison at a glance
Incineration toilet
- No water, no chemicals, no emptying station
- Ash instead of wastewater and therefore extremely hygienic
- Higher acquisition costs and both electricity and gas consumption
Chemical toilet
- Inexpensive to purchase
- Widespread
- The chemicals are harmful to the environment
- Often strong odors, and emptying is necessary
Separation toilet
- No chemicals, no water
- Especially affordable
- Low energy consumption and very environmentally friendly
- Manual emptying of urine container and solid waste tank required
So if you want maximum hygiene and the most convenient waste handling, the combustion toilet is strong. But if you prefer to be on the road without gas, without combustion, and even more energy-efficiently, the separation toilet is the smarter alternative – especially regarding sustainability and costs.
BioTioo as a sustainable alternative to the combustion toilet
Even though combustion toilets are technically impressive, many campers want a simpler, resource-saving solution without gas and combustion. These are exactly the features that the dry separation toilets from BioTioo have. They operate:
- completely without water consumption,
- without toilet chemicals,
- without gas, combustion chamber, or exhaust pipe,
- with intelligent separation of urine and solids,
- low odor thanks to litter and smell protection,
- easily integrable into motorhomes, panel vans, or campervans.
Instead of combustion, BioTioo separation toilets rely on clever waste management. Urine is collected in a canister, while solids end up in a separate container. There they are covered with litter and then disposed of flexibly in the residual waste or by composting – depending entirely on the regulations in your area.
So if you are looking for an alternative to the combustion toilet in your motorhome that uses less energy, is easier to maintain, and remains environmentally friendly at the same time, it's worth taking a look at our BioTioo online shop.
There you will find, among other things, the BioTioo 2.0, the powerful and compact successor to the BioTioo 1.0. Our separation toilets are Made in Germany and offer you comfort and independence in one.
So don't hesitate and see for yourself: Experience how easy environmentally conscious travel can be and get your BioTioo separation toilet now.
