Upgrading My RV Toilet
RVs aren’t built to last forever. With that said, everything in any RV will eventually break, even when they’ve been properly maintained. This isn’t unlike a house, but with so many plastic (and OSB strand board) components, things just don’t last as long in an RV. WIth that said, when my RV toilet broke last week, I did what many other RVers do: I consulted the experts on Youtube. I perused videos of how to replace an RV toilet.
Youtube Videos are deceptive
The videos looked easy. Unbolt and pop the old RV toilet out. Then pop the new one in and bolt it down. I’ve replaced a few household toilets before so I didn’t even consider hiring an RV technician for this “easy” job. After all, what could possibly go wrong?
Measure Twice, Cut Once
I researched the part and found that I couldn’t get a direct replacement for the toilet, but the best fit would be a Dometic 321. I ordered the toilet from Hitchweb.com, and after being redirected a few times, it arrived 7 days later. I’ve always wanted to install a bidet, and now was a good time. So I ordered a Clean Camper RV Bidet. This RV specific bidet installs under the toilet seat. The connections are simple to do. However, in the limited space of an RV bathroom, doing the install on a new toilet would make everything easier. Then I’d just take the broken toilet out, an pop the new one in. Easy peasy. Or so I thought.
The World Of RV Repairs Is Not What It Seems
Before the install, I emptied and flushed the black tank. As an extra measure I added about a quarter cup of biodegradable dish soap down the old toilet and flushed the tank again. I turned the water supply off and put down a towel to catch any water drips before I disconnected the water intake hose. I Now it was time to put my Nalgene gloves on and unbolt the toilet from the floor.
Surprises In Store
I took took the outer housing off and found 4 bolts instead of the two bolt configuration on the Dometic toilet. Big deal, I thought. I can just move the mounting bolts to a different position on the toilet flange. Worst case, you just replace the flange. However, that’s not how it works in an RV at all. Especially in a 2008 Fleetwood Southwind.
There was no way to move the bolts around on the toilet flange, and the flange itself was about 2 feet long and curved around to be part of the plumbiing system. What to do? Now was a good time to call an RV technician.
For A Few Dollars More…
I called Courtenay RV Specialists and found out that they sold an adapter that would allow the 2 bolt toilet to be installed on the 4 bolt flange. After several trips back and forth, and about $200, I was able to get one that wound up working. Including the bidet, this RV toilet was now going to cost more than $1200. Yikes. But a toilet is necessary equipment, so I went ahead with the repair.
The toilet wound up installed. However, unlike the YouTube videos there were moments of sheer horror involved as things seemed to fly down the crapper. There’s no doubt that where there’s a will there’s a way when it comes to RV repairs, but if you’re replacing a toilet in an older RV, here are some key-takeaways from my experience.
Key Takeaways For Replacing A RV Toilet
- Lower your expectations for this upgrade (haha)
- Measure your old toilet
- Find the correct replacement toilet
- Ceramic toilets are much heavier than plastic toilets. If you have a travel trailer, consider the additional weight before you upgrade your toilet.
- Don’t panic if the bolt pattern is different on your new toilet. You can get an adapter for your old toilet flange.
- Use tape to hold the toilet flange adapter in place while you drill pilot holes. Then remove the tape before installing it.
Well, it all worked out in the end, and I must say, I’m flushed with pride at the results.
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