---
title: "Which Toilet Paper Breaks Down Best in an RV? Two Tests Point to One Household Brand"
url: "https://camperfaqs.com/which-toilet-paper-breaks-down-best-in-an-rv"
author: "Tory Jon"
published: "2026-10-02T13:42:57-05:00"
modified: "2026-10-02T13:43:01-05:00"
---

# Which Toilet Paper Breaks Down Best in an RV? Two Tests Point to One Household Brand

Most experienced RVers already know you don't have to buy toilet paper labeled specifically for RV use.

A more useful question is which regular toilet paper actually breaks apart well once it reaches the black tank.

Two separate tests compared popular household and RV-specific brands under different conditions, and **one regular household brand was a clear winner\!**

**Why do we care?**  
This can be useful even if you have used the same toilet paper for years without a clog. Paper that breaks apart more readily leaves less intact material sitting in the tank, especially when water is limited, or the tank has to sit for a while before dumping. Plus, you might find a cheaper option that performs as well as or better than your current TP.

## The first test compared seven popular toilet papers

In a [seven-brand toilet paper test](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yjx7aqDQ4ko), the tester compared Charmin, Amazon Presto, Scott RV, Angel Soft, Campa Soft, Camco RV, and Great Value Soft & Strong.

The paper was placed in water and given a limited amount of agitation. The tester initially planned on a 30-minute soak because he considered that a reasonable minimum period between using the RV toilet and reaching a dump station. He presented the main results after roughly 40 minutes.

Scott RV showed the greatest visible breakdown. The tester said there was essentially no intact piece left and ultimately called it his preferred choice from that group. Angel Soft and Campa Soft also broke apart very well.

Charmin was near the other end. After about 40 minutes, it had changed very little. Even after roughly an hour and a half, the tester saw only the beginning of some additional breakdown. Amazon's Presto paper also remained largely intact.

Camco RV was another surprise. Despite being made specifically for RV use, it showed little breakdown in this particular test. Great Value Soft & Strong broke apart less readily than the Walmart paper that had won an earlier version of the tester's experiment.

[Watch this video on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yjx7aqDQ4ko)

Angel Soft also compared reasonably well on price at the time the video was made. The tester calculated it at about 30 cents per 100 sheets, compared with 58 cents for Charmin and 38 cents for Presto. Some of the other papers in the test were cheaper, so those figures should not be read as a current price comparison.

## A second test put five brands through more conditions

Unique Camping + Marine took a more involved approach in its [toilet paper breakdown test](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoF2Ow_Ho-0).

It compared Angel Soft, Camco, Charmin, Kirkland Signature, and Scott 1000. The Scott product is worth noting because the first video tested Scott RV, while Unique tested the household Scott 1000 paper.

For each sample, Unique used four sheets of toilet paper and 72 ounces of water. The mixture was poured from a height of 14 inches to imitate the drop from an RV toilet into the black tank.

One set of samples then remained stationary. Another was moved for roughly seven minutes per day for three days to simulate an RV traveling before reaching a dump station.

The stationary results immediately separated the brands.

Angel Soft and Kirkland showed the most breakdown. Camco, Charmin, and Scott 1000 remained much more intact.

Once movement was added, Camco improved considerably and broke into shredded pieces. Scott 1000 also broke apart enough that the tester considered it suitable for a holding tank, although Angel Soft and Kirkland still showed considerably more breakdown.

Charmin remained largely intact even after the simulated travel.

[Watch this video on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoF2Ow_Ho-0)

## Adding tank treatment changed some of the results

Unique also repeated its test with one ounce of holding-tank treatment added to each sample.

In the stationary containers, Angel Soft, Kirkland, and Camco all broke down considerably more than they had in plain water. Scott 1000 still held together surprisingly well, as did Charmin.

Combining treatment with movement produced more breakdown across most of the group.

Angel Soft was heavily shredded. Kirkland was reduced to the point that very little recognizable paper remained. Camco also broke apart well, and Scott 1000 finally broke down much more like the tester originally expected from a single-ply paper.

Charmin improved too, but it remained considerably more intact than the other samples.

Unique ultimately selected Angel Soft and Kirkland Signature as its two best overall performers, with no preference between them.

Unique Camping + Marine also sells holding-tank treatments, so the treatment portion of its experiment should be viewed in that context. Its plain-water tests were conducted separately and still showed clear differences among the papers.

## Angel Soft was the most consistent performer across both tests

Neither experiment gives us a scientific ranking of every toilet paper on the market. They also did not measure the exact number of minutes required for each brand to completely disintegrate.

Still, comparing the two tests produces a useful pattern.

Angel Soft was one of the better-performing papers in the first test. In Unique's test, it was again among the best under stationary conditions, with movement, and when treatment was added.

It was also the only ordinary household toilet paper tested in both videos that consistently finished near the top.

Kirkland performed extremely well in Unique's test, but it was not included in the first comparison. Scott RV won the first breakdown test, while the Scott 1000 product in Unique's test needed movement and treatment before it showed similar levels of breakdown.

At the opposite end, Charmin produced the most consistent result for the wrong reason. It remained comparatively intact in both tests.

Based on these two demonstrations, **Angel Soft is the closest thing to an overall winner**. It is a common household toilet paper, performed well under several different test conditions, and does not require buying a specialized RV product.

## The brand is only part of the equation

Both videos also reinforce something experienced RVers already know: **water plays a large role in keeping a black tank working properly.**

The first tester acknowledged that toilet paper choice becomes less significant when plenty of water is used, while pointing out that breakdown can become more useful when camping without full hookups or when dumping options are limited.

Unique recommends starting with at least a half-full toilet bowl of water when flushing. It also suggested roughly four to eight sheets of toilet paper per use rather than sending a large wad into the tank at once.

Too little water can leave the tank without enough liquid to carry waste and paper out efficiently when the valve is opened. Unique's advice was simple: use plenty of water whenever tank capacity allows.

The company also advised keeping paper towels and so-called flushable wipes out of the black tank because those materials did not break apart like toilet paper in its testing.

For RVers who have gone years without a black-tank problem, changing toilet paper may not be high on the priority list. These tests still show that different brands can behave very differently once submerged.

If two options feel similar, cost about the same, and are sitting next to each other on the store shelf, choosing the one that repeatedly broke apart better is an easy way to give the black tank a little less work to do.