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Old 02-25-2023, 06:59 PM   #1
UNCLESLIM
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Dometic toilet smell

I am second owner of a 2020 Passport that came with a Dometic 300 series toilet. It leaks internally. Had it appart once to clean and reseal to no avail. I took pictures. Not pretty. This stinks. Anyone know of a solution?
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Old 02-25-2023, 07:16 PM   #2
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Contact Dometic on Monday. There was a recall several years ago and Dometic has replaced several 300 toilets because of the internal seal leaking. If they refuse your request, I'd recommend replacing the 300 (plastic bowl) with a 310 (round porcelain bowl) or 320 (elongated porcelain bowl). The 310 is a direct changeout but the 320 is slightly longer and requires more clearance behind the toilet to the wall, so it may not fit in your trailer without some modifications.

But first, contact Dometic and see what they say.....
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Old 02-26-2023, 09:47 AM   #3
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I had the same issue. I called Dometic and they said it wasn’t technically a recall since they never identified a specific range of serial numbers/assembly dates. They kind of left it up to dealing with whoever calls to complain.

Basically, a square rubber gasket rolls when installing the two halves of the toilet if enough lubricant is not used. While I was waiting for my replacement toilet, I took mine apart, pressure washed the inner shell clean, heated the gasket in boiling water, reformed it and then reinstalled with a substantial amount of teflon grease. We used the toilet for the 2-3 months it took to get the replacement in due to the height of Covid and supply shortages (my awning took 6 months, but that’s another story).

Anyway, Dometic was very helpful and accommodating and were great to deal with as long as you don’t call it a recall
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Old 04-01-2023, 06:40 PM   #4
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We also have the dometic 300. We bought our camper new in 2021 I know covid unit. We've never had a problem until now. This is our first trip of the season, the camper has been dry in storage for like 3 months, no smell. Then boom out of nowhere smell. Smells like the black tank. Wouldn't think leak would cause stink so quick, lime day 1. I'm thinking maybe the seal to the floor flange or possibly the vent stack could be particularly blocked. Any way to tell without removing the toilet? How can I tell if I have the leak?
We got. Big trip coming up I. A couple months and I don't want a stinking toilet the whole trip
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Old 04-02-2023, 02:59 AM   #5
UNCLESLIM
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After disassembly, power wash cleaning and reassembly, after using for a short weekend it smelled again. Replaced the entire toilet with a Thetford. No more smell The Dometic , in my opinion, has a design defect. There is a seal between the inner and outer shell that leaks liquid from the bowl to between the two shells. With an endoscopic camera inserted in the rear opening you can clearly see the "stuff" in an area that cannot be cleaned without disassembly. I would not buy another Dometic toilet.
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Old 04-02-2023, 04:00 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JOglesby View Post
We also have the dometic 300. We bought our camper new in 2021 I know covid unit. We've never had a problem until now. This is our first trip of the season, the camper has been dry in storage for like 3 months, no smell. Then boom out of nowhere smell. Smells like the black tank. Wouldn't think leak would cause stink so quick, lime day 1. I'm thinking maybe the seal to the floor flange or possibly the vent stack could be particularly blocked. Any way to tell without removing the toilet? How can I tell if I have the leak?
We got. Big trip coming up I. A couple months and I don't want a stinking toilet the whole trip
The internal seal issue is unlikely to cause the smell after one trip. It takes quite a while for standing liquid “by-products” in the bowl to leak past the seal. Clean standing water in the bowl isn’t the odor source, it’s the other kind. When it does become noticeable, it is more of a urine odor than a sewer odor.

It sounds like you likely have a toilet flange/seal issue or a stuck grey tank Check Vent under the bathroom sink. Grey tank odors can smell just as bad as black tank odors sometimes.

When I was investigating my toilet odor issue, I discovered a bigger problem; a broken toilet flange. I didn’t catch it soon enough and it caused some serious floor damage. It is definitely worth pulling the toilet and investigating.

As for the Dometic vs. Thetford choice, it is like Ford vs GM vs Ram. However, anyone I have ever seen or heard that had a Thetford toilet has “dumped” it for a Dometic. YMMV.
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Old 04-02-2023, 07:44 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by UNCLESLIM View Post
After disassembly, power wash cleaning and reassembly, after using for a short weekend it smelled again. Replaced the entire toilet with a Thetford. No more smell The Dometic , in my opinion, has a design defect. There is a seal between the inner and outer shell that leaks liquid from the bowl to between the two shells. With an endoscopic camera inserted in the rear opening you can clearly see the "stuff" in an area that cannot be cleaned without disassembly. I would not buy another Dometic toilet.


You don't say which Dometic you had or Thetford you bought but realize that Thetfords are known for leaks. I remove them from a new trailer right off the bat and put in a Dometic. Attached is a link to one little video of a leak problem but there are many. Just saying, don't think that the Thetford fixed your leak or smell problems and.....don't replace it after it starts stinking then tilt it over to put in a dumpster....you will need a shower and new clothes right away.

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Old 04-02-2023, 09:17 AM   #8
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As s general rule, in the RV’ing community, Thetford is another word for crapola. The Dometic 310 is the go-to answer.
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Old 04-03-2023, 08:10 AM   #9
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I ended up just getting a new toilet straight from Dometic. This was for my 2018 Jayco though. It STUNK BAD. The top and bottom halves never did seal up correctly, even after a seal change, etc. I called up Dometic and they actually ended up upgrading me from a plastic toilet, to a ceramic. Haven't had an issue since.
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Old 04-03-2023, 03:29 PM   #10
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I had a 300 with your problems, even after trying to repair it. The 310 has been perfect so far and a better toilet.
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Old 06-06-2023, 09:22 AM   #11
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Dometic 300

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Originally Posted by UNCLESLIM View Post
I am second owner of a 2020 Passport that came with a Dometic 300 series toilet. It leaks internally. Had it appart once to clean and reseal to no avail. I took pictures. Not pretty. This stinks. Anyone know of a solution?
Second owner of a 300 toilet, same issue. Called dometic, sending new one in mail no cost, only thing I have to install. Great service. 2019 geo pro
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Old 06-06-2023, 10:54 AM   #12
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SO I did just end up calling Dometic, figured if I have to pull it up might as well reinstall with a new one. They sent me a direct replacement 300 as the 310 will not fit in my space. But before I installed it I took it completely apart and cleaned and caulked all the seals and re-assembled. Looking at old pics and videos of people who have done the same it looks like they redesigned a couple of the seals. Not sure if it fixes the issue but wasn't going to take the chance. Took like 20 minutes to pull out the old and install the new. While its still flimsy plastic this one feels sturdier. Crossing fingers all will be good with it.


Side note, to get the bad smells out of the RV we got an ozone machine from amazon and ran it in there a couple times. This also kills any smells from the formaldehyde from the wall paper and such. Like $60 and worth every penny. Will be using it at the beginning of each camping season.
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Old 06-06-2023, 11:36 AM   #13
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I would use caution with Ozone. It is an oxidizing compound that will negatively affect plastics, vinyl, rubber, fabrics, etc. as well as create health issues when breathed in or coming in contact with mucus membranes in the nose, mouth and eyes.

A quick science lesson:
Ozone is generated when an electrical current splits oxygen atoms O2 into atomic oxygen O1. Atomic oxygen is very unstable in free air so it seeks out and binds to other atoms. In this case, the intent is to create Ozone - O3 (O1 + O2 = O3). The downside is that O1 also loves to bind to water which we all know is H2O. When we add that second oxygen atom to water, we get H2O2 which is hydrogen peroxide and a very strong oxidizer (bleaching agent). This means that exposure to ozone can burn your eyes, your lungs, and inside your mouth and nose.

Ozone generators are cheap, which makes them attractive to a lot of people, but in my fire & water restoration business, we moved away from ozone years ago due to the negative health effects on my employees and our customers, plus the damage that occurs to materials. Instead, we have been using Hydroxyl machines. The use of Hydroxyl machines is 100% safe for people, pets, plants, rubber, plastic, vinyl, textiles, electronics, and other sensitive materials. Plus it is 33% more effective at oxidizing pollutants than ozone.

YMMV
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Old 06-06-2023, 12:31 PM   #14
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Yep, used an ozone machine years ago in my past as an air duct cleaner. So know what ozone can do we only ran the unit for a limited time and while no one was in the unit. Then opened both doors to create a nice draft and aired it out for about an hour each time before we entered. Then washed any soft goods we could (curtains, pillows, etc...) Yeah not something you set in the corner and run on the daily. But it was effective in ridding the sewer smell.
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Old 06-06-2023, 12:53 PM   #15
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Originally Posted by NH_Bulldog View Post
I would use caution with Ozone. It is an oxidizing compound that will negatively affect plastics, vinyl, rubber, fabrics, etc. as well as create health issues when breathed in or coming in contact with mucus membranes in the nose, mouth and eyes.

A quick science lesson:
Ozone is generated when an electrical current splits oxygen atoms O2 into atomic oxygen O1. Atomic oxygen is very unstable in free air so it seeks out and binds to other atoms. In this case, the intent is to create Ozone - O3 (O1 + O2 = O3). The downside is that O1 also loves to bind to water which we all know is H2O. When we add that second oxygen atom to water, we get H2O2 which is hydrogen peroxide and a very strong oxidizer (bleaching agent). This means that exposure to ozone can burn your eyes, your lungs, and inside your mouth and nose.

Ozone generators are cheap, which makes them attractive to a lot of people, but in my fire & water restoration business, we moved away from ozone years ago due to the negative health effects on my employees and our customers, plus the damage that occurs to materials. Instead, we have been using Hydroxyl machines. The use of Hydroxyl machines is 100% safe for people, pets, plants, rubber, plastic, vinyl, textiles, electronics, and other sensitive materials. Plus it is 33% more effective at oxidizing pollutants than ozone.

YMMV
Folks were buying a popular CPAP cleaner which relies on ozone to do the cleaning and there were a lot of complaints about sinus irritation and smell from the ozone. Have not seen that machine advertised on TV for some time now; not sure if it is still sold.
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Old 06-06-2023, 01:57 PM   #16
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Folks were buying a popular CPAP cleaner which relies on ozone to do the cleaning and there were a lot of complaints about sinus irritation and smell from the ozone. Have not seen that machine advertised on TV for some time now; not sure if it is still sold.

Yeah that one is a little different but same principle. My wife has one. You really have to air stuff out because the ozone hangs in there. Ozone (O3) is heavier than regular old oxygen but does break down but take some time and can make you sick feeling. Not good to breath ozone. Only run it in an unoccupied space and make sure it is clear before you enter.
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Old 06-16-2023, 04:14 PM   #17
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After disassembly, power wash cleaning and reassembly, after using for a short weekend it smelled again. Replaced the entire toilet with a Thetford. No more smell The Dometic , in my opinion, has a design defect. There is a seal between the inner and outer shell that leaks liquid from the bowl to between the two shells. With an endoscopic camera inserted in the rear opening you can clearly see the "stuff" in an area that cannot be cleaned without disassembly. I would not buy another Dometic toilet.
You're dead on with what I found.
We just bought a used 2020 239ML. It had no stinky odors in it when we got it, nor the whole week that the dealer held on to it for us before we brought it home. First trip, it was stinky the second day at the camp site. I watched a few videos of others' experience with the Dometic 300 on youtube. Checked with my borescope camera and there was yucky inside the outer tank. Thing is with ours, after you flushed it and let it stand for a minute, you could see the yuck leaking back INTO the bowl.

I removed it, disassembled it, cleaned it out and used a healthy amount of quality flexible white silicone bathroom sealant above and below the seal that "seals" the bowl and outer body. We just did a three night trip and had zero issues with odor or leaking yucky junk.



Added link to video that is exactly what I did.... skip to like 6:30 in the video to get past all of the usual video monologue.
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