Thetford toilet leak

[MagicBox]

Happy Sunday morning,

My wife and I are on our maiden voyage in our new to us 2011 Roadtrek 190 Popular and our toilet leaks and smells.

From the videos Ive seen it seems strategic to go ahead and do the kit with the valve and base gasket.

I also plan to put some Vaseline on flap/flush gasket to improve its seal.

Can somebody give me the model number or series name of the Thetford I have?

Thank you

Eric

[avanti]

Originally Posted by MagicBox

I also plan to put some Vaseline on flap/flush gasket to improve its seal.

It is not a good idea to use Vaseline on gaskets. Depending on what the seal is made of, it may be damaged by petroleum-based lubricants.

Best to use a silicone-based lubricant instead.

[MagicBox]

Avanti,

I used vaseline because of a how to video I watched, but did notice a warning not to use it on the Thetford site after the fact.

Looks like I have the Aqua magic V pedal flush toilet.......

[markopolo]

I'm all for repairing otherwise usable items but would suggest that you to also check the price for a complete new toilet for comparison. I remember thinking that would have been a very viable option after the most recent toilet repair I completed.

Your current plan includes replacing a valve, maybe it's the inlet valve, and base seal. There's also the blade and blade seal that that can need replacing.

The stink can come from a cracked or disconnected overflow tube if your toilet model has one. --> https://www.classbforum.com/forums/f...inks-5628.html

[MagicBox]

Yes,

Replacing the whole toilet is looking better and better. I could put the kit in it and still have flapper seal issues. I have definitely seen that movie with toilet repairs at home.

Maybe Ill order one from walmart and pick it up in a couple days down the road.

Plus my fridge will only cool on propane....one project at a time.

Eric

[Bud]

Originally Posted by MagicBox

Yes,

Replacing the whole toilet is looking better and better. I could put the kit in it and still have flapper seal issues. I have definitely seen that movie with toilet repairs at home.

Maybe Ill order one from walmart and pick it up in a couple days down the road.

Plus my fridge will only cool on propane....one project at a time.

Eric

Hi Eric,

I knew that I needed to order parts for the the same toilet, no big deal. But after all considered, it was a no-brainer - a new toilet with seal, 2 bolts and the water. Simple and quick.

Bud

[themexicandoctor]

The Wonders of RV Ownership.

I agree, if I was going to keep the toilet, I would go with a new toilet.

But before you do, have you considered replacing it with a Porta Potti that uses a Cassette.

Or even a Composting Toilet, etc.

Many threads here on this subject.

I personally, still have my black tank but finally gave up with ALL THE ONEROUS processes involved & the frequent maintenance (and if you have not raised your Rig, the World's parking lots, terrain & irregularities will meet your undercarriage in its lowest possible point, the Plumbing.

Plus the raised platform design of many coach toilets like the Popular is problematic for efficient evacuation.

The secret I discovered is;

1. The Thetford 5.5 Gallon SQUARE unit, not the Residential looking spaceship design

2. Bringing the toilet into the aisle for use & while making a deposit, resting my heels on top of the rear platform where the lowered floor meets the rear dinette area.

Physiologically, this is a far more efficient way of Elimination

For me, I discovered the Black Water tank, the least desirable aspect of ownership...

[themexicandoctor]

The Job is not finished yet.

That line is the old water line for the back of the toilet - difficult to get to, a frequent source of leaks.

The Shower line now serves as my rinse/flush supply.

The very next most frustrating RV Ownership was the 3 Way Fridge - next week my DC unit arrives.

Spent 9 years on my knees checking it & praying for its performance - got very few answers.

If you want the link I can send it tonight.

Compiled & researched the very best unit for me anyway, in a 190

[mkguitar]

the toilets are completely repairable

lets figure out just what is leaking, and why it smells.

if the flapper is not holding water in the bowl then odor/gases can come up into the cabin
when driving- the low pressure of an open window will draw gasses in

plumber's grease is used to lube, the advantage is it has a high melting point and won't get hot and liquify like vaseline or etc

if you are leaking "fresh" water from the rear area of the exterior at the back of the bowl, there is a flush valve there - easily serviced, I've done this in the campground
( or flush with a bucket of water or use the shower wand until you get home)

on many RV's the vent stack isn't pulling enough air/fumes and a venturi cap will solve that- parked or driving

I use this dandy guy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgcO1gJE1so

camco makes the "cyclone" too


regarding the 3 way fridge, they struggle at above 90º



propane is the most effective, then AC power, then DC



many of us add fans and etc.


a basic going through the manual to check that that all the functions are working ( both AC and DC use heating elements and have fuses and controls)


they need attention to get the best result


I know I can get mine 60º below ambient temperatures, and under most circumstances, that's great
-but in Phoenix today that wiould be a 55º fridge and sour milk!




"newer" or compressor fridge work much better, but require a lot of electricity which many older vans cannot provide with out thousands of dollars in modifications





Mike

[Joe]

I had a problem with mine too. I found after dumping. The valve inside was not closing all the way. Apparently the plastic Handel is loose from steel rod. I now push closed on plastic Handel. Then use blunt object to push metal rod all the way in.

[mkguitar]

Originally Posted by Joe

I had a problem with mine too. I found after dumping. The valve inside was not closing all the way. Apparently the plastic Handel is loose from steel rod. I now push closed on plastic Handel. Then use blunt object to push metal rod all the way in.

I rebuilt my dump valves... put that out of my mind...PTSD!


it wasn't that bad- I did a deep cleaning from the top with a hose and a piece of pipe drilled to spray the sides



after clean I left valves open to to air and in AZ that meant dry as a bone after a few days


easy to swap in now valve ( did both since I was there) and lubed w plumbers grease


the old seal was deformed in the valve and restricting



a $20 job


mike

[themexicandoctor]

It took me 9 years before I chose the Porta Potti - about 270 black tank adventures, I mention the Porta Potti because its greatly reduced the manifold hassles of dumping, the maintenance & finding someone to work on the plumbing, when it needs repair.

And yes the DC Fridge requires about a $1000-2000 in a quality solar system, new agm batteries, etc.

I did the Solar for battery maintenance not thinking of the fridge but now I am harvesting enough yield the fridge is a no brainer.

The best set up of Solar, Battery & overall integration I have seen so far has been Booster's & he has a 2007 Popular 190, the only difference is he only had an electric rear sofa to remove verus the build outs of our 2005 models.

[themexicandoctor]

MK - was your experience with the 360?

I have the Cyclone - i think it works, the issue for us 190 owners is getting the 360 to fit as our vents are very close to the edge of the rv - if you could trim the 360 without screwing up performance, Hallelujah.

I used to use tge LIL STINKER, great piece of power driven fan exhaust but trees were always taking it out.

[mkguitar]

the Lippert 360 on my pleasure way, it works very very well, a slight pressure draw at standstill and no funk in the van

it took a little adapting and I believe I added a set screw in place of adhesive on the top of the stack


it comes which collar reducers and mounting flange



https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1


mike

[MagicBox]

Thank you for all this good information.

Mr. Thetford has given us a reprieve and is not leaking for now.

Fridge still cools when it wants to only on propane. I am having to turn it on and off for the system to "catch" and work on the gas.
I do have a homemade battery-operated computer fan in there and plan to improve its exterior cooling with additional fans in the future.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is glorious and more empty than we've ever seen it. High 90s in Roanoke but 10 degrees cooler higher up like Boone, NC.



Thank yall

Eric

[GallenH]

The fridge not operating on electric should be something that you can trouble shoot. You should be able to find an electrical schematic via the mfg. I have a much older Dometic and it has both a 120vAC and 12vDC heating element. Make sure any fuses and breakers are ok. I'd then check voltage at the heating element on 12v. If there's nothing, I'd probably consider that the board is faulty. If there is current there, I'd check the heating element. It could be something as simple as a fuse, though.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by MagicBox

Thank you for all this good information.

Mr. Thetford has given us a reprieve and is not leaking for now.

...

Wait for it. These things do not fix themselves. They just get better and worse depending on what other variables are impacting the unit at the moment.

Before you make any decisions, including possibly a decision to take no action, I recommend that you review my work on Thetford toilet issues, which encompasses the work done by both ClassBWarned (but not on that linked post) and RoadTrekLife (not to be confused with Roadtreking).

TL;DR - The Thetford is not designed to exclude waste from sloshing up into the body of the toilet. This is what gives rise to the stink and the leakage issues as it is impossible to keep the entire body's joints and interstices sealed - the toilet flap / gasket have very little to do with it. Read it and weep.

[mkguitar]

BTW my RV ( and some others) have a 30amp fuse for the fridge BEHIND the black plastic case holding a control board.


I found it by accident when going through the manual and doing all the checks ( cleaning the flue, setting the igniter gap etc)


mike

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

Wait for it. These things do not fix themselves. They just get better and worse depending on what other variables are impacting the unit at the moment.

Before you make any decisions, including possibly a decision to take no action, I recommend that you review my work on Thetford toilet issues, which encompasses the work done by both ClassBWarned (but not on that linked post) and RoadTrekLife (not to be confused with Roadtreking).

TL;DR - The Thetford is not designed to exclude waste from sloshing up into the body of the toilet. This is what gives rise to the stink and the leakage issues as it is impossible to keep the entire body's joints and interstices sealed - the toilet flap / gasket have very little to do with it. Read it and weep.

My Bigfoot truck camper stunk and I never figured out why. Perhaps this was the reason, terrible Thetford design.

[MagicBox]

Wow,

Looks like the thetford is a crappy design and not worth re-buying

Next question:
Does the Dometic 300 fit in a Roadtrek 190?

Guess ill study the measurements and try to verify compatibility.

Thank you for this toilet talk.

Edit: check the rotten reviews on the 300 (on the dometic site. #AsleepAtTheWheel)......RV products just have to function at a minimal level I guess.

Eric