Another Toilet Question

[GallenH]

I took apart and cleaned the AquaMagic IV toilet. Smells like a baby's a.....oh wait...bad analogy.....it smells like the Dawn I used to clean. But I have a question. To clean I separated the bowl from the base and you can see from the diagram there is a seal (#32). But it's sealant and not a rubber seal. It's grey; stretches slightly before breaking; still pliable after 23 years. Looks alot to me like butyl tape.

I've googled all over looking for the part number, Thetford sealant, etc. and have come up with nothing. I have butyl tape and could cut it into a bead to press into the groove (the base has a slot that the bowl fits into that is currently filled with the grey whatever).

Opinions? I'm reluctant to use anything that would harden and make future separation impossible.

thx.glenn

[GallenH]

Forgot the image:

AM-IV.jpg

[GallenH]

Over 100 views and no responses. I'm gathering that my toilet is just an odd one out or that no one has taken this model apart. I did find that the sealer I cleaned out was remarkably similar to butyl tape so I used that. We shall see how the seal is and if there is any problem. But I doubt it. It's just to provide an air barrier.

Taking apart the toilet and cleaning all surfaces carefully produced a result with no smell. But after getting everything back together I noticed a faint urine {?) smell after I put the lid back on and had it closed for a while.

So I'm wondering...........can the plastic eventually absorb the odor rendering it impossible to remove? Have any of you treated your plastic bowl with anything to mitigate odor build up?

[rowiebowie]

I didn't reply for a few reasons. First, I don't have your model of toilet (mine's porcelain & a macerator). Second, while I did read of a similar problem to yours, it was a while ago and I have no idea where I read it.

But it sounds like you fixed the problem. If it recurs, you may want to consider a different toilet model, but congrats on solving a. . . ahem. . . "messy problem".

[GallenH]

Yes it was a "crappy" situation.

[GallenH]

BTW: I've covered the flapper/seal area with a cloth and am spraying with Fabreze. Install tomorrow morning. Then off to next trip....destination unknown...in a few weeks. Utah tempting but still too hot (94º in most areas of interest). We have reservations at the south rim of the Grand Canyon in the middle of October. Trying to get a trip in between. Covid stir-crazy.

[themexicandoctor]

Originally Posted by GallenH

Yes it was a "crappy" situation.

Glenn,
I answered your question at length but my reply was kidnapped by the Petty Police because I mentioned something they thought was illegal, without checking first.

Since you only go for short trips, go & buy a Thetford 5 Gallon Porta Potti, the square, short, squat version.

They are $135 if you can find one as they were selling out like crazy a few months ago.

With two people, 3 - 4 day trips are nearing full capacity.

In a worst case scenario, 4 - 5 days in, you can then open the rubber plug & utilize your 8 or 10 gallon Black Tank, now you have effectively more than doubled, possibly tripled your black tank capacity.

However if your trips are 3-4 days, you won't even need to use the black tank again.

That 3-4 days includes water & solids.

It was a long post.

I would never go back to a 3 Way Fridge or a Black Tank.

But its there if I need it.

Photos to come.

[themexicandoctor]

More to come ...

[themexicandoctor]

As you can see, although the tan piece of ply is covering that beautiful yacht teak decking I have, the lip of the top outer ring that is the top of the plumbing, is a 1/4 or taller.

With the cutout on the back of the ply, turned upside down I have a perfect flat surface for the Port Potti to sit on & also, the $24 bucket from The Container Store that keeps my shower curtain contained & the floor dry.

But if I ever wish to access the black tank for extra reserve, its right there, fully available.

[themexicandoctor]

Included a photo of the plug, about $4-6.

I also included the second Aqua Magic 5 I installed in the 12 years of ownership - only because I thought it was cheaper to buy a new one than clean the old.

Haven't included photos of the drip damage that those ridiculous pex fittings can cause at the back of the toilet but I don't need to - pulled the whole platform off & installed new risers/support & put the teak on next.

Also included photos of the way the plumbing curves up to meet the top attachment that is screwed down.

NO MORE LEAKS!

NO MORE SMELLS!

NO MORE DAMAGED WOOD, WET & MOULDY.

I USE THE SHOWER HOSE TO RINSE THE TOILET (even though the upper part of the toilet has a reservoir for containing water & soap to flush).

[themexicandoctor]

So I tried to use the Aquamagic again but the more I thought about the ineffective emptying of the large bowel (see below), & the Dark Magic & Luck needed to use a dump station every 10 days, enough was enough


No more Toilets in a Class B UNLESS I HAD A 20 GALLON CAPACITY.

OR MORE.

I was looking at the Renegade RV's for 800k, they have a 75 Gallon Tank each for Black & Gray Water.

PS. Noticed how I included photos of the raised platform that the Roadtrek at least uses?

That 6 inches plus the toilet means ineffective emptying of the large bowel. So my next photos will show you how I use my Porta Potti when making a solid deposit.

[themexicandoctor]

So when I need to make a solid deposit, I pick the Porta Potti up & place it facing the back of the van, essentially the rear dinette, in the aisle which is lowered 2 plus inches as pictured in the last photo.

I then place my heels onto the raised floor of the dinettte area, effectively changing the amount of degree my large colon needs for such a deposit.

If you look at the first photo & see carpet in the dinette & then slate, its an older photo & its now a wood platform soon to be the same teak as the bathroom.

[themexicandoctor]

The bed is always down, I use the storage underneath effectively for heavy items I don't want moving.

[themexicandoctor]

Was just studying the Modvan website adapter a new owner posted enthusiastically about his purchase & I found this article describing their Porta Potti reasoning.

https://www.modvans.com/cv1/floorpla...s/toiletCloset

Please note; not being medical people they install the wrong units, while they are still Thetfords its this funky design that looks more at home in a house but in reality it is;

1. Too tall for effectively evacuation of the large bowel.

2. Its a model that is prone to failure with its electrical flush - something they do address.

3. Its not as stable as the short, squat 5.5 gallon unit I recommend.

I think they must have gotten a deal buying a bunch in bulk.

Here are photos of each & the blurb;

Most people's first question is "will there be a toilet?" "Ew, gross!" - yeah, the toilet is gross, but our experience with our Class C RV was that the toilet was overwhelmingly popular.

When it comes to RV toilets, here are the basic choices:

Traditional RV toilet with black water holding tank
Portable / self-contained toilet with integrated flush and black water tank
Portable toilet that stores waste in plastic bags. The bagging mechanism can be manual (wag bags) or automatic (http://www.dry-flush.com/).
Composting toilet
Our Tioga RV had a traditional RV toilet combined with a large black water tank. For a toilet, it worked well and it didn't smell bad. The black water tank was too big so we typically had to add water to dump it (you have to fill it to 3/4 to make sure it will empty properly). The tank size issue would be easy to solve, but another problem we had with that setup was that it wasn't possible to empty the black tank anywhere but an official RV waste station, and we (or our friends) pretty much always ended up with the RV at home with non-empty tank (not ideal if your next trip is a month away). Another key problem with a traditional toilet and black water tank combo is that they aren’t typically designed to be easily removable.

By far, the portable toilet is the least expensive option. It could potentially be extra gross to empty, but, in practice, it is comparable to emptying a black water tank. Some products are short, but we've located an inexpensive, regular height, self-contained unit that can be permanently mounted. This toilet's main weakness is that the electric flush unit can give out. In that case, you can manually flush by pouring in water until your inexpensive replacement has arrived. The toilet has an integrated 6 gallon black water that is good for about 56 flushes (more if you mostly use it to pee).

Our interior design leaves just enough room to mount the toilet and create a small enclosure around it for privacy. The toilet is accessible from inside the van (handy when camping in the cold!) via an interior door or via the van's exterior back door.

When you don't need it, the toilet and toilet curtain are easy to remove. A simple latch allows you slide the toilet off its mounting plate. Our toilet enclosure is a curtain and cable that can be extended across the van for privacy. This system makes the toilet easy to access from both inside the van and via the passenger side rear door.

In case you were wondering: The automated plastic bag toilet looks like it would be a good option for people that are worried about dealing with black water and don't mind the expense and environmental impact of double plastic bagging. Composting toilets are a good solution for somebody that plans to spend a really long time in an RV away from civilization, but they are expensive ($1000 vs. $100) complicated (fans and vents) and weird (a diverter is used to separate pee into a bottle).

[themexicandoctor]

Here are the images, I only recommend the short, squat, square unit (by the way, the place to find them might be your local Marine/Boating store, I got mine from West Marine for $135 - the last in Southern California that month).

[themexicandoctor]

Glenn, off topic but this is whst they said about the DC Compressor Fridge that use versus the 3 Way Gas units;
https://www.modvans.com/cv1/floorplan-items/fridge

[themexicandoctor]

Originally Posted by themexicandoctor

Glenn, off topic but this is whst they said about the DC Compressor Fridge that use versus the 3 Way Gas units;
https://www.modvans.com/cv1/floorplan-items/fridge

On closer inspection it looks like a Isotherm Drawer type unit, probably a 2.5 cubic feet unit & they mention their love of ice-cream so its a Isotherm.

[GallenH]

Thanks for the info, TMD.

[rowiebowie]

Originally Posted by GallenH

Thanks for the info, TMD.

I thought you might respond TMI to the TMD.

[themexicandoctor]

Originally Posted by rowiebowie

I thought you might respond TMI to the TMD.

Glenn,

Is always helpful to me & vice versa