Why we switched to a composting toilet after years of travel
When we first started traveling in a van, we had a standard chemical toilet. At the time, it seemed normal to us. Most campers have one, most people use them, and they don't give it much thought.
But the more time you spend on the road, the more you start to notice things that limit you.
Buying chemicals.
Hauling the cassette.
Finding places to empty it.
And the feeling that even if you're by the sea, high in the mountains, or somewhere in the middle of the forest, you're still dependent on something.
After several years, we switched to a composting toilet.
And today, we would find it very difficult to go back to a standard chemical toilet.
It's not about the toilet. It's about freedom.
When you wake up by the sea in Spain in the morning, the last thing you want to deal with is finding a campsite just for a toilet.
When you're parked by a lake for several days or deep in nature, you don't want to think about where to buy more chemicals.
And that's where a composting toilet starts to make sense.
It doesn't need water.
It doesn't need chemicals.
It doesn't need service stations.
It just works.
And you can continue your journey.
Six years of experience
We've been using a composting toilet for over six years.
When we started, we used Trelino. We didn't know the TROBOLO brand back then.
During those years, we traveled thousands of kilometers, spent winters in Spain, hundreds of nights outside campsites, and discovered one simple thing:
The simpler the solution, the better it works.
That's why today we offer both Trelino and TROBOLO.
Because we don't choose products from a catalog.
We choose them based on whether they make sense for travel.
TROBOLO – a new generation of composting toilets
What impressed us most about the TROBOLO brand is that it constantly improves its products.
For example, the new TROBOLO BilaBox is no longer just a simple portable toilet.
It now offers:
- a separate container for solid waste
- a urine level indicator
- the patented SafeShell® system
- higher comfort during use
At the same time, it maintains compact dimensions, making it suitable for small built-in spaces.
Which toilet would we choose today?
If you're concerned about every inch of space:
TROBOLO BilaBox
If you spend more time on the road:
TROBOLO WandaGO
If you're building a tiny house or want maximum comfort:
TROBOLO SilvaBlœm
And if you've been using Trelino for several years and are satisfied?
Then there's no reason to change something that works.
Chemicals or freedom?
We're not saying chemical toilets are bad.
They make sense for many people.
But if vanlife for you is about freedom, simplicity, and being in nature, then a composting toilet is one of those things that can change the way you travel more than you'd expect.
Because in the end, it's not about the toilet.
It's about that feeling when you're by the sea, open the van doors, make coffee, and know you don't have to rush anywhere.
And that's what real vanlife means to us.