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Old 11-26-2017, 09:02 PM   #1
sourdough
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Toilet Replacement

I had started another thread pertaining to an apparent leak I have in my Thetford toilet. It is an Aqua Magic Style II with porcelain bowl. I was contemplating changing it to a Dometic 310 or 320. Has anyone done this?


A couple of concerns; researching the forum I see that the 310 also has leaking problems...this is confirmed in other searches so I'm not sure I'm accomplishing anything by changing brands.

The Dometic appears to have a different bolt pattern on the flange which will cause some issues I'm afraid. A 3/9 pattern vs 11/5 pattern will put my toilet where I don't want it to be. I've replaced lots of residential toilets but have not had issues with an RV toilet before.

I was going to tackle this chore in the morning but the more I read the more I think I probably need to stick with a Thetford and plan on changing it out every 3-4 years????
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Old 11-26-2017, 10:27 PM   #2
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I replaced our Thetford toilet, the same one as yours, at least three years ago, and the bolt hole placement was exactly the same between the Thetford and the Dometic 310 that I installed. Except for the flush valve coming loose from the holder, easily resolved by installing two screws that were not installed by the factory, apparently only needed for a valve replacement, but that has been the only issue. The toilet has worked flawlessly and I do not hesitate recommending the use of the Dometic to replace the troublesome Thetford toilet.
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Old 11-27-2017, 07:09 AM   #3
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The main difference between the Dometic 310 and 320 is the bowl design. The 310 is a "rimless" round bowl and the 320 is "rimmed" elongated bowl. Both are ceramic, built essentially the same, but the 320 with its "rimmed" bowl and wooden toilet seat gives the appearance of a "home toilet" while the 310 is more an "open bowl design with a plastic (lightweight) toilet seat.

All of that doesn't matter in function, but during towing, if there is any liquid in the bowl, with the 310's bowl design, the liquid can "slosh out" much easier than with the "rimmed" design of the 320.

It's a personal preference for most, but the 320 is slightly larger, so be sure to measure carefully.

I'd suggest actually looking at both the 310 and 320 models before settling on one or the other. Functionally, they both work the same, but in use, each has some advantages which make personal preference an issue.
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Old 11-27-2017, 03:26 PM   #4
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Replacement Update

Installed the Dometic 310 this afternoon. Some observations;

The Thetford toilet had some sort of internal leak. I did not dig through it and try to find out why. It did leak lots of very strong odors. When I removed it I tried to keep it level but it did tilt a bit.....a lot of the "liquid" poured on the floor.

The installation of the Dometic was straightforward and easy enough...with the exception of the water line. It should have been very easy but the water line itself is some sort of blue "semi pipe" that absolutely will not bend. That made refitting the toilet attachment a necessity. Does anyone know exactly what kind of "stuff" the blue tubing is?

I was worried about the "clocking" of the flange on the floor but that was irrelevant. The toilet dropped right on. I was concerned because I had read of some issues where the toilet would not fit the Thetford flange although I could not figure out why, and the person at the RV parts store kept saying I would need to "retrofit" the flange for the Dometic....not true. If the closet bolts are at 9/3 on the Thetford and they are straight across from each other the Dometic is going to drop on them.

I did not tear the Thetford apart but I looked at lots of diagrams and it appears the way it is constructed leaves the possibility of the toilet leaking into itself. When that happens it has "pockets" inside the pedestal that will hold the "liquid". I turned the Dometic upside down and checked it out and it looks like if the bowl/pedestal seal failed you will know it because it will run right down the walls to the floor.

I wanted the 320 but the elongated bowl would have jutted out an additional 3". Although we had plenty of room it would have put the front lip right over the heater vent and I envisioned a possible "problem" so kept the rounded bowl.

The Thetford bowl is nicer IMO and the little back hump is porcelain instead of plastic. This 310 came with a wooden seat vs the plastic on the Thetford. The Dometic looks like it constructed in a fashion to enable simple repairs; not so with the Thetford. I think the flush function on both of them probably accomplishes the job in a similar fashion. The Dometic however has a very annoying, loud clunk when you push the foot pedal. You cannot try to operate it lightly and make it go away - it's there. I had read complaints of this problem in other reviews. We're going to live with it.

We placed the old, leaky Thetford (Aqua Magic Style II) in the Dometic box. Thick cardboard, double layered. It sat for a couple of hours before we took it to the dumpster. By then it had leaked liquid all in the box and it ran out of the corners.....on us, as we dumped it . I don't miss the thing AT ALL - so beware if you ever encounter this situation!!

So there's an update.... More than a person ever wanted to know about a leaky RV toilet. I enjoyed the dousing, getting it replaced and a NON STINKY bathroom so much I just had to share!!
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Old 11-27-2017, 05:21 PM   #5
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The Dometic 320. As JRTJH mentioned, it's almost like home.
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Old 11-27-2017, 05:42 PM   #6
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The Dometic 320. As JRTJH mentioned, it's almost like home.
Agreed....to a point. Home toilets also come in round and elongated. What I really wanted was the "lip" at the top of the bowl but the extended length, which may have been OK, could have put the front lip over the heater vent - a non starter. I looked and looked at specs but nothing actually told me if the additional 3" of length for the bowl was all in the front or spread out between front and back....so, went with the 310 instead. I'm not sure any RV toilet is like home unless you spend several hundred bucks and add a hundred pounds to the RV....which I don't want/need.
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Old 11-28-2017, 08:12 AM   #7
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Hi ,

I have a 310 in my 21RBSWE,... the bathroom is in the rear of the TT,... and as others have stated liquid will slosh out of the bowl while in transit... will replace with a 320 one day...

Lee
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Old 11-28-2017, 08:25 AM   #8
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I had a 310 in a Sunnybrook trailer a few years ago. The unit came from the factory with a defective upper inlet gizmo (can't recall what the name was). I had to buy a new one as the new one had been re-designed. The main issue was putting a shut off valve in line. The blue stuff is pex (I think) and I had to go to the True Value and buy the stuff needed. The supply line isn't the normal size (smaller end that screws on as I recall) but I did find the stuff at the hardware but the supply line had to be ordered in. Once I got the shut off valve installed I was more confident I could cut the water supply in the event of another leaking Dometic 310 upper piece if that happened. It didn't but there should be a shut off valve for the toilet supply line in every trailer.
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Old 11-28-2017, 09:08 AM   #9
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Thanks all.

Yes, I do think the blue line is pex...or something. Very stiff and brittle and looks odd sized - nothing like the pex that was used to re-plumb our vacation home. The little hardware store close to us (about 15 miles) had nothing that would work so a cutoff valve is a future project.

I've read about the sloshing. I've noticed on this new one that it has sort of like 2 stages. You can depress the pedal and the valve opens but there is no water for a few seconds; then it progressively puts out more and more. To prevent any water in the bowl all you have to do is depress the pedal and release; no water is released into the bowl....or at least just a tiny bit.

Time will tell it if it was a wise choice but so far it is OK. Hoping it doesn't get another leak like the last one.
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Old 11-28-2017, 10:17 AM   #10
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Danny, I don't think you'll have a significant problem with sloshing while towing. Most who do have sloshing have toilets located in the rear of their trailer.

One way we've found to completely empty the toilet bowl when towing is to turn off the water pump, then just before departure, flush the toilet. That will empty the water above the ball valve and with no water pressure, no water will flow into the bowl rim to later drip down onto the ball valve.

Honestly, with our floor plan, the toilet is near the front of the trailer and we've never had any problems with sloshing.
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Old 11-28-2017, 10:20 AM   #11
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Thanks John. We've never had an issue with the sloshing. Our trailer has the bathroom toward the front of the trailer as well so I'm assuming (hoping) that there won't be an issue.
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Old 11-29-2017, 06:37 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sourdough View Post
Thanks all.

Yes, I do think the blue line is pex...or something. Very stiff and brittle and looks odd sized - nothing like the pex that was used to re-plumb our vacation home. The little hardware store close to us (about 15 miles) had nothing that would work so a cutoff valve is a future project.

I've read about the sloshing. I've noticed on this new one that it has sort of like 2 stages. You can depress the pedal and the valve opens but there is no water for a few seconds; then it progressively puts out more and more. To prevent any water in the bowl all you have to do is depress the pedal and release; no water is released into the bowl....or at least just a tiny bit.

Time will tell it if it was a wise choice but so far it is OK. Hoping it doesn't get another leak like the last one.
I think the toilet is designed to keep some water in the bowl for its next use much like your home toilet keeps water in the bowl. The first stage is the flush then second the fill. I have had several Dometics and that is in their user manual I believe.
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Old 11-30-2017, 01:10 PM   #13
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Hi,

As for slosh prevention.... on my TT the flush before transit doesn't work.

There is a large cavity around the circumference of the toilet bowl at the top where the little holes are that spray water when flushing. This cavity holds a lot of water.

Flushing the toilet with the pump off only relieves the pressure that is in the water lines. The water in the cavity will not be removed by flushing.

Before moving the TT, I flush the toilet with the pump off to empty the bowl. I then cover the bowl with Saran wrap. I pull the TT forward a short distance and then stop and go back in the TT and the bowl will have a lot of water in it that sloshed out of the cavity. I flush that and am good-to-go!!!! If I don't cover the bowl in Saran wrap, and I forget the second flush, I will have water all over the bathroom floor.

Lee
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Old 11-30-2017, 04:43 PM   #14
sourdough
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Hi,

As for slosh prevention.... on my TT the flush before transit doesn't work.

There is a large cavity around the circumference of the toilet bowl at the top where the little holes are that spray water when flushing. This cavity holds a lot of water.

Flushing the toilet with the pump off only relieves the pressure that is in the water lines. The water in the cavity will not be removed by flushing.

Before moving the TT, I flush the toilet with the pump off to empty the bowl. I then cover the bowl with Saran wrap. I pull the TT forward a short distance and then stop and go back in the TT and the bowl will have a lot of water in it that sloshed out of the cavity. I flush that and am good-to-go!!!! If I don't cover the bowl in Saran wrap, and I forget the second flush, I will have water all over the bathroom floor.

Lee

Hmmm, is yours a Dometic? Sounds like it with the description of the holes. So the rim holds water? That's not a good thing to me. I'm not going to the measures you are to keep it from sloshing. If it sloshes when I pull out of here, I'll pull it out and put another Thetford in. I can deal with a toilet that springs a stinky leak every 3-4 years then change it out; I can't deal with water sloshing all over the bathroom every time we drive down the road. Thanks for the heads up.
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Old 11-30-2017, 07:29 PM   #15
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Replaced with the 310 3 years ago, NO sloshing, NO saran wrap, No emptying the bowl, just close the lid til needed. Would NEVER put a Thetford back in.
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Old 12-01-2017, 08:23 AM   #16
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Hmmm, is yours a Dometic? Sounds like it with the description of the holes. So the rim holds water? That's not a good thing to me. I'm not going to the measures you are to keep it from sloshing. If it sloshes when I pull out of here, I'll pull it out and put another Thetford in. I can deal with a toilet that springs a stinky leak every 3-4 years then change it out; I can't deal with water sloshing all over the bathroom every time we drive down the road. Thanks for the heads up.
Yes Sir... Dometic 310,... which does not have the "rim" at the top... 320 does and one day I will replace with this model.

The bathroom is in the rear of the TT on my model so it takes alot of bouncing while going down the road.

I was surprised to see just how much water is still in the cavity of the bowl rim.
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