Best RV Toilet Paper: We Tested It So You Don’t Have To

RV toilets are finicky things; using the right toilet paper will prevent headaches down the road.

byJonathon Klein|
RV Toilet Paper Close Up
RV Toilet Paper. Deposit Photos

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BYJonathon Klein/ LAST UPDATED ON September 27, 2022

I grew up in a household that was a bit squeamish about the body’s biological functions. I had to adjust this rather cloistered worldview when my many nephews started to arrive on the scene. Millennials and Gen-Z kids had an important pillar of their early reading life: Everyone Poops. Tarō Gomi’s magnum opus from 1977 didn’t really make waves in North America until the early years of the twenty-first century, but it sure had an impact when it did. I hardly know a kid under 18 who hasn’t read the book or had it read to them, and they’re better off for it. New parents, take note.


On this assignment for The Drive, I’m taking a page from Tarō Gomi and my nephews. Pooping gets weirdly complicated when you have to deal with chemical toilets, water treatments, black tanks, dump stations, and all the related rigamarole surrounding an RV’s plumbing system. A key component to keeping your RV’s toilet operating at peak performance is using the correct toilet paper. It seems like a simple thing, but choosing the right toilet tissue can make all the difference. Here’s what I found for the best RV toilet paper.

Best Overall
Scott Rapid Dissolving Toilet Paper for RVs and Boats

Scott Rapid Dissolving Toilet Paper for RVs and Boats

Summary
Remarkably strong one-ply sheets dissolve nearly instantly, keeping your RV toilet clog-free, and your holiday on track.
Pros
  • Quick dissolving champion
  • Inexpensive when you buy in bulk online
  • Available nearly everywhere
Cons
  • Low sheet count on small rolls
Best Value

Firebelly Outfitters RV Toilet Tissue

Summary
500 sheets of two-ply fast-dissolving tissue per roll comes in at an attractive price, especially given the extra comfort.
Pros
  • High sheet counts on large rolls
  • Biodegradable
  • Rated for RVs and septic systems
Cons
  • Two-ply construction can be a little sticky and slow to dissolve
Honorable Mention

Aqua-Soft RV Toilet Tissue

Summary
Popular RV toilet builder Thetford’s house brand of toilet tissue is engineered specifically for your RV’s finicky plumbing.
Pros
  • Good value with 396 per roll sheet count
  • Comfort level comparable to household tissue
  • Fast-dissolving
Cons
  • More expensive than some other brands

Summary List 

Our Methodology

Lucky for you, the intrepid RV adventurer, this review will also offer quite a bit of first-hand knowledge as my wife and I have been living on the road in our 18-foot hard-sided pop-up travel trailer on and off for the last six months. It’s equipped with a built-in Thetford brand chemical (or, “cassette”) toilet that we actually try to avoid using too often. But it’s seen enough action this year that my own experiences will inform much of this review guide. There are three criteria that will frame my thinking about RV toilet paper: ply, comfort, and most importantly, dissolvability. 

When you read a product or gear review at The Drive, keep in mind that we work to be as up front as we can about how we select and evaluate the brands that we do. We often draw from user reviews found at online retailers like Amazon and Walmart, as well as expert opinions. Definitely check out The Drive’s review methodology for more details and be sure to reach out with questions or feedback

Best RV Toilet Paper Reviews & Recommendations

Specs

  • Ply: 1-ply
  • Sheets per roll: 231
  • Rolls per pack: 8

Pros

  • Tops in dissolvability
  • Excellent price point
  • Consistent performance
  • Available nearly everywhere

Cons

  • One-ply tactics may be a reach too far for the novice RV toilet user
  • Low sheet count

Scott may be one of the most recognizable brands in household paper goods, and for good reason, as it produces countless different products for an astonishing array of uses. The company’s RV and boat-specific toilet tissue top my list on a few different grounds. But first, let’s get the most immediate concern out of the way. You may be saying, “A one-ply toilet tissue ranks best overall?! How can this be!?” This is the crux of the RV toilet paper question — the way RV toilets function means that you can’t cram wads and wads of tissue down the bowl like you might at home. No five-ply mega rolls, adult butt wipes, or multiple flushes are allowed here. A clogged RV toilet is a nasty and potentially expensive issue to deal with, and the only way to guarantee it won’t happen to you is if you stick with one-ply (or some two-ply) toilet tissues. Single-ply RV toilet paper, when formulated correctly, dissolves almost instantly the moment it hits the holding tank. Scott’s version in my experience is the king of dissolvability. I can wield it without a second thought for the health of my RV’s plumbing. RV life is full of logistical challenges — worrying about your toilet shouldn’t be one of them. In addition, Scott’s RV toilet paper is remarkably robust for a one-ply, and it features molded ridges that increase its absorbency. I rarely experience “break-throughs” with the Scott tissue, and a simple fold can double your ply count for, uh, more intense bathroom situations without affecting its ability to dissolve rapidly. It’s also the most commonly available RV toilet paper out there. It’s affordable, and you can find it at pretty much any big box store. But buying in bulk online before you head out on your trip will save you money. Scott’s RV toilet paper is completely biodegradable, and Scott gets an endorsement from the Forest Stewardship Council for best forestry practices. Good news for those of us that like to get out into the woods on our adventures. Drawbacks? The rolls are small, so the sheet count is low, which does affect Scott’s overall value. But when I buy in bulk, I find the more compact rolls easier to tuck into small storage areas in our camper, where space is at a premium.

Specs

  • Ply: 2-ply
  • Sheets per roll: 500
  • Rolls per pack: 8

Pros

  • High sheet counts
  • Biodegradable and safe for all septic systems
  • High comfort level

Cons

  • Two-ply still makes me nervous

Firebelly Outfitters makes a range of sanitation-focused products for the RV set, including water filters, water treatment chemicals for your gray water and black water tanks, and their own line of RV toilet paper. This two-ply paper is silky-soft to the touch, and RV-ers seem to love the brand. Designed specifically for RV septic systems, Firebelly guarantees quick-dissolving performance, and claims to reduce clogs in your toilet plumbing. At $25 for an eight-roll pack, Firebelly doesn’t seem like a great value at first glance, but when you consider the sheet count, it makes up for it. At 500 sheets per roll, that’s more than twice the count of the Scott rolls, and when you factor in the two-ply construction, it doubles the value proposition. I bought a pack of Firebelly Outfitters toilet paper at a large outdoor sporting goods store and was impressed with its durability and absorbency. The eight-roll pack has lasted us nearly two and a half months of admittedly infrequent use — in fact, there are still two rolls left. (We prefer not to lean on our cassette toilet too much when we’re traveling since it’s a bit of an ordeal to empty and clean it regularly.) However, the Firebelly toilet paper is the only tissue on this list that I’ve tried personally that seems to stick to the sides of our toilet during flushing, sometimes necessitating a second flush. This can be an issue when we’re dry camping, as the water available for flushing the toilet is limited. However, we have not experienced any clogs using the Firebelly toilet paper.

Specs

  • Ply: 2-ply
  • Sheets per roll: 396
  • Rolls per pack: 4

Pros

  • Decently high sheet counts
  • Designed specifically for RV toilets by an RV toilet manufacturer
  • Comfort level comparable to household two-ply

Cons

  • A little more expensive than some other brands

Aqua-Soft is Thetford’s line of toilet paper designed specifically for RV’s. Thetford is a venerable brand in the RV toilet world — you’ll find their cassette toilets installed in nearly every smaller RV or travel trailer you run across, including ours. So, they know their stuff when it comes to RV toilet tissue. Rapid-dissolving and biodegradable, Aqua-Soft checks the most important boxes for your RV’s plumbing. For those on the comfort train, it also features 2-ply layering for an extra level of absorbency. I’ve used the Aqua-Soft as well; I found it nice and pliable, but resilient, and comparable to household two-ply toilet paper on the comfort scale. It does seem to dissolve readily, if not quite as fast or completely as the Scott tissue. Brands always love to sell accessories to complement their core products, and in Thetford’s case, you can bet their very own toilet paper should work a treat in their chemical toilets, as it has in ours.

Specs

  • Ply: 2-ply
  • Sheets per roll: 500
  • Rolls per pack: 8

Pros

  • Environmentally friendly alternative
  • Super soft to the touch
  • Highly absorbent
  • Should work in all septic systems

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Not specifically for RV toilets

Not all toilet paper comes from trees. There’s been a bit of a technological revolution in the wiping space lately as bamboo and other alternative plant materials have started making their way into the market. Bamboo is an environmentally friendly substitute for tree-based paper products. It regenerates quickly and can take less energy to process. The finished result is an uncannily soft, but surprisingly strong tissue. Caboo claims its Tree Free bamboo toilet paper is also “panda-friendly,” as well as BPA-free and biodegradable. They also maintain that the paper is perfect for septic systems, boats, and RVs, though it’s not marketed directly to the mobile toilet crowd. Most RV owners report that it is indeed fast-dissolving and clog-free. Two-ply thickness means use at your own discretion in these systems. Caboo’s bamboo toilet paper — despite its impressive 500 sheets per roll — is also the most expensive on this list, but you are paying for that little extra bit of peace of mind for the planet.

Specs

  • Ply: 4-ply
  • Sheets per roll: 220
  • Rolls per pack: 8

Pros

  • Ultimate in comfort and luxury
  • Still rated for RV plumbing systems
  • Multiple plys could encourage more economical use

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Slow-dissolving, leading to possible clogging issues

Here’s where things get really posh. Grentay’s RV toilet paper has four deluxe plys for your ultimate on-the-go (get it?) bathroom experience. You already know my position on ply-count when it comes to RV toilets, but I will admit this product is awfully tempting. You can just imagine the luxury that a four-ply toilet paper affords in terms of comfort and absorbency (especially after suffering through all that one-ply). Speaking of affordable, the Grentay paper is certainly not cheap, but you still have to pay for the finer things in life. Sheet counts are down, at only 220 sheets per roll, but the plys make up for it somewhat. For what it’s worth, Grentay says their four-ply paper dissolves just as easily as any of the other RV-specific toilet tissue on the market, and it is marketed directly to the boat or RV owner. That said, many users have reported multiple flushes to get the stuff down into the holding tank, and others have complained of clogs (some even sharing photo evidence!). Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Our Verdict

If you’re looking for the best toilet paper solution for your RV, you should be concentrating on dissolvability. It’s the best way to keep your mobile plumbing happy, and your vacation on track. For this reason, Scott Rapid Dissolving Toilet Paper is the champ, especially since it’s more robust than you might think. If you’re looking for top value combined with that little extra level of comfort, Firebelly Outfitters RV Toilet Paper might be the ticket, and Aqua-Soft’s specifically RV-formulated tissue rounds out our top three.

Choosing Toilet Paper Based on Your Type of RV Toilet

Let’s back up a moment and take a look at the most common kinds of RV or boat toilets. Depending on which one you have, it may help guide your toilet paper choices.

Cassette RV Toilet

These toilets are compact but fully functional flushing toilets that you commonly find in smaller travel trailers, RVs, vans, and pop-up campers. Thetford and Dometic are popular brands. Instead of a dedicated black water tank, these toilets come with a smaller, removable “cassette” that acts as the waste holding tank. This is paired with a freshwater tank that is the source of the flushing water, supplied by a 12-volt pump with the push of a lever. Both the flushing water and the holding tank are usually treated with a chemical that keeps smells at bay and encourages the breakdown of waste and toilet paper. When it’s time to empty the cassette, you simply remove it through a door on the outside of your RV or detach it from the bowl, and bring it to a dump station. 

These toilets are really designed for limited use. Deployed full time, most will last up to four days for two people before needing to be emptied. Some smaller, more portable versions only last for a handful of uses. This means two things: you have to be cognizant of your water use and doubly vigilant about how well your toilet paper dissolves. Clumps of undissolved tissue make flushing difficult and can lead to problems emptying the cassette, so use one-ply only for these systems

Black Water RV Toilet

Similar in construction to the cassette toilet, the black water toilet system instead has a dedicated and permanent holding tank mounted to the underside of your RV. The principle is the exact same — chemicals treat the water, and a freshwater tank supplies the flushing power. The benefits are a larger waste tank that needs to be emptied less often, and usually a more extensively sealed system that prevents smells from entering your living space. You will need to drive or drag your RV directly to a dump station so you can empty the tank, however. The larger tank means you have more options for your RV toilet tissue shopping, since two-ply tissues will have more time and space to fully dissolve in the larger tank. 

Black Water RV Toilet with Macerator

This is the Cadillac of RV toilets, and you usually find them installed only on larger 5th-wheels or campers. Identical to the average black water toilet in most ways, it differs in one key area. It comes installed with a “macerator” — a 12-volt powered device in the tank that “chews up” waste and toilet paper to make sure everything is fully dissolved and can be emptied as easily as possible when the black water tank reaches capacity. Your ply choices really expand with this device, as it can usually handle thicker toilet paper, and some even advertise that they will deal with run-of-the-mill household tissue. But I wouldn’t risk it.

Things to Consider Before Buying RV Toilet Paper

Dissolvability

As we’ve discussed, rapid dissolvability is what makes RV toilet paper RV toilet paper. It should be your primary concern when choosing a bathroom tissue brand, especially if you have a single-use or limited-use cassette toilet. Save yourself plumbing headaches by sticking with lower ply.

Ply

Related to dissolvability, ply count is key to maintaining the health of your RV toilet. But there’s a middle ground here. While four- or five-ply tissue might be overkill, most two-ply RV toilet tissues will disintegrate at a comparable rate to one-ply versions if you’re judicious with how you use it. That may be a worthwhile trade-off, especially when you take into account our third consideration.

Comfort

Look, you may as well be comfortable when you’re doing your business on vacation, right? No need to suffer needlessly. While this is the last of our important RV toilet considerations, it shouldn’t be ignored. Experiment with different brands and see where their comfort and absorbency levels rate, and balance that with your desire not to have to unclog your RVs toilet. 

RV Toilet Paper Pricing

Most RV toilet paper is priced at a comparable level to regular household versions. Amazon often rates its value by cost per 100 sheets. The one-ply Scott comes in the lowest in our comparison at $0.31 per 100 sheets, whereas the Caboo bamboo rolls ring up at $3 per 100 sheets. Firebelly is a solid value at $0.62 per 100 sheets for two-ply.

FAQs 

You’ve got questions. The Drive has answers.

Q: Are all RV toilet papers biodegradable?

A: No, Some are not, and it pays to check the specs of any RV toilet tissue you buy for this important feature. Biodegradable toilet tissue is easier on RV dump stations at campgrounds and usually dissolves much quicker in your RV toilet itself. All of the products in this review are biodegradable.

Q: Can I use chlorine-based cleaners or treatments with RV toilet paper?

A: Technically, yes. You can use regular household cleaners with your RV toilet. However, most RV toilet manufacturers recommend against using too much chlorine-based cleaner in your holding tank as it can kill off “beneficial” bacteria in the black water tank that help with keeping smells down. We recommend using a citrus-based cleaner, and RV-specific citrus-based holding tank conditioners.

Q: How quickly does RV toilet paper dissolve?

A: RV toilet paper should start dissolving the moment it contacts the water, regardless of ply. Of course, thinner one-ply paper should dissolve more quickly than, for example, Grentay’s 4-ply. But within a few minutes, given enough water, all RV toilet paper should be entirely disintegrated within your holding tank.

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