I’m sure you’ve all done this at some point in your life… you finish up your business in the bathroom and realize that there’s nothing on the toilet paper roll but a few shreds. That’s when you look up and see a roll of papertowels sitting conveniently on top of the sink. In a normal househould, using papertowels or tissue might fly, but when it comes to our RVs, it’s a big NO-NO.

For those of you out there who have been traveling around Minnesota in your motorhome for awhile, you know better than to use anything other than toilet paper because your RV holding tank will have a really hard time breaking it down. But did you know that there are several types of toilet paper that they can’t break down either?

I’ve heard stories from RVers using a certain type of toilet paper and thinking that their black water tank was full because a piece of it got stuck to the wall and tripped the sensor. Using a brand or ply that doesn’t easily break down will also make cleaning the holding tank more difficult.

There’s a great little test you can conduct at home to determine if your current brand will break down. Simply put a couple of sheets in a mason jar and shake it for a few seconds. Then let it sit for about 30 minutes. If they paper broke down, then you know it’s good to go!

There are specialty brands made specifically for RVs that you can find at your Minnesota RV dealership . I strongly recommend using that type or going with something extremely cheap. I know that may be difficult for some of you toilet paper snobs out there, but I’ve found that the cheaper the better (unless you opt for the RV-specific brands). Another little trick is to look on the label of the toilet paper to see if it’s good for septic tanks. These brands will also break down in your holding tank. If the paper broke down, you know that is compatible with your RV’s holding tank. You can also find special RV toilet paper at RV dealerships as well. These RV specific rolls of toilet paper are usually a bit more expensive than regular toilet paper.

So before you hit the road next time, pickup some toilet paper and do the test for yourself. If you are toilet paper snob (no judgment — who doesn’t love that soft Charmin?), grab a couple of different types and see how they dissolve. If you have any questions, or want to buy RV-specific TP, then give Pleasureland RV a call or swing by one of their four locations in Ramsey, St. Cloud, Wilmer or Brainerd.