BCM Community

Bus Discussion => Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) => Topic started by: Paladin on September 20, 2007, 06:09:48 PM

Title: Potty talk
Post by: Paladin on September 20, 2007, 06:09:48 PM
The boss was telling me that she wants to look for toilets, what does everyone use or prefer for a toilet?
Since I've never planted my keester on an rv toilet I know nothing about them except that I'd prefer china or porcelain or whatever they are made of.
What I don't know is anything about how well one works over others, do I need a spray handle too and is foot flush better than an electric flush? Which models will accept a regular house seat? I know that there are some past threads on this but nothing that really stands out and makes tons of sense to me.

Anyone wanna tutor the new boy on toilets? What are your thoughts?

-Dave
Title: Re: Potty talk
Post by: Utahclaimjumper on September 20, 2007, 06:22:08 PM
Various models of the Seland brand is hard to beat, bang for buck.>>>Dan
Title: Re: Potty talk
Post by: Utahclaimjumper on September 20, 2007, 06:23:03 PM
OOPs Sealand.>>>Dan
Title: Re: Potty talk
Post by: FloridaCliff on September 20, 2007, 06:34:01 PM
I have the Sealand China and we are happy with it.

Depends on the size of the usee's from what I have read in other discussions.

I am 6' and 230 and fit just fine. ;)

I bought it with the sprayer attachment, my 1st mate says it was worth every penny.

Cliff
Title: Re: Potty talk
Post by: Paladin on September 20, 2007, 06:39:00 PM
Quote from: FloridaCliff on September 20, 2007, 06:34:01 PM

Depends on the size of the usee's from what I have read in other discussions.


Cliff


Yep, I guess it sort of depends on your butt. I'm just average at 5'11 and 185.

I guess we would just want something that will work right and look decent and last for a while. On the learning curve I'm climbing a steep hill but I'll get there. 
Title: Re: Potty talk
Post by: Kristinsgrandpa on September 20, 2007, 06:53:47 PM
Regular household commodes work just fine,
1.6 gal per flush. (this can be reduced a little)

Rv commodes are usually .6 gal per flush, unless you get carried away with the spray hose.

Household commodes were $26 at Lowes, Sealand's cheapest I could find was about $90.

Ed
Title: Re: Potty talk
Post by: DrivingMissLazy on September 20, 2007, 07:26:46 PM
Hose with sprayer attachment was one of the most appreciated additions I made to DML.
Richard
Title: Re: Potty talk
Post by: TomC on September 20, 2007, 08:25:24 PM
I have the Sealand china bowl with custom platinum (light gray) color. It uses a standard sized toilet seat, and has a built in hand hose to wash down.  But- I feel that the bowl is not steep enough and sometimes have to break up the solids to encourage them to go down-course being 6'3" and 305lbs doesn't help.  Been trouble free-but now have to overhaul the ball valve since it doesn't hold water-just leaks out. Not bad for 12 years of service.  Good Luck, TomC
Title: Re: Potty talk
Post by: Boise Belle on September 20, 2007, 10:32:59 PM
I concur with TomC.  We have the Sealand 510, excellent quality, and the company bent over backwards to try and remedy the problems.  TomC says the bowl is not steep enough.  The back and sides are fine, but the front, is almost flat.  And the original, and the second replacement, actually had a low spot (it puddled),  where a slope was suppose to be.  The third bowl, has a slope you cannot verify by merely looking at it.  When you pour water on the front area, it will barely drain into the bowl.  So if anything other than liquid lands in the area, it forcefully has to be moved.  Thats probably the popularity of the "Hose with sprayer Attachment". 

Does anyone know if Sealand has redone their Cast, maybe they have corrected the slope??

But to reiterate, they gave excellent customer service.
Title: Re: Potty talk
Post by: jjrbus on September 21, 2007, 01:28:47 AM
 There are two important dimensions on a toilet. From the floor to the seat, couple inches higher here makes a big difference. From the waterline to the family jewels, the shallow bowels can make life uncomfortable.
I had a Sealand, it is a good quality toilet. I now have a Aqua Magic style plus. It is a good quality, comfortable toilet with a deeper bowl. I no longer worry about "Mr Happy" going for a dip  when I use it!!
The glazing also appears to be of a better quality, it is eaiser to keep clean with no need for a sprayer.
Title: Re: Potty talk
Post by: Gary LaBombard on September 21, 2007, 04:54:04 AM
Dave,
On my only trip, (100 miles) I never got to try mine out in the past five years, maybe I'll try it out today and make believe we are on the road!!  He he.  Every once in a while I'll sit in my driver seat and make believe I am driving down the road a piece, darn ole wooden blocks don't go very far.  I try to imitate the sound of a DD but spit all over myself when I do.  I got bigger gaps in my teeth now, getting old I am told, said that before didn't I??

Dave, you are doing right in asking any information from the experts on this bb'd.  Asking a salesman at a store will probably have him / her try to sell you a HD 5 gallon bucket with a cover is probably what you will get from them.  A little morning humor there now, I am sure sales people at Camping World will help you tell you of all the bells and whistles they now offer.
I would make a final decision from information received from your bb'd post 1st. though.

Gary
Title: Re: Potty talk
Post by: David Anderson on September 21, 2007, 03:22:11 PM
I have a Thedford.  5 years now and am happy with it.  I is a china bowl with a good glaze.  To avoid leaving skid marks on the bowl it has a second foot valve that adds more water if needed.  This did away with the need for a sprayer.

Gee, this is just not as fun to talk about as engines, but important none the less.
Kind of a yuck factor here.   :-*

David
Title: Re: Potty talk
Post by: jjrbus on September 21, 2007, 04:36:50 PM
 If you will be using your bus for the occasional weekend, there is nothing wrong with an inexpensive plastic toilet. Useing the bus on a regular basis it is worth upgrading to a china toilet.
Another thing I like about the Style plus, the flush pedal can be pressed lightly to add water to the bowl for a #2. It is at the front and can be used when sitting. This also allows disposing of the product a little at a time.
Not as much fun as engins but definaltly costs less.
Title: Re: Potty talk
Post by: Don4107 on September 21, 2007, 05:08:45 PM
Something that helps things 'slip and slide' when needed is a spray bottle with a fairly heavy mix of liquid soap.  A quick spray before use is all it takes. 

I vote for the china head too.  Have had both plastic and china in various rigs, no comparison.  Taller and bigger bowl is better too.  Sealand head in old bus adds water to bowl if you lift up on handle with your toe, opens (flushes) with water if you step down on handle.  Works great. Simple.

RV head uses little water.  Plan a way to add water to the tank if you use separate black/gray tanks.

Don 4107
Title: Re: Potty talk
Post by: Dreamscape on September 21, 2007, 05:19:32 PM
Gary, You need to seriously get your DD fix!  ;) Ask someone who owns a bus and go drive it. You need some help man! Have you seen all the posts on BNO about racing DD's???????????? Save the movies so you can turn it up when you work on that bus of yours and it will make you move faster!  ::)

Dave,
On my only trip, (100 miles) I never got to try mine out in the past five years, maybe I'll try it out today and make believe we are on the road!!  He he.  Every once in a while I'll sit in my driver seat and make believe I am driving down the road a piece, darn ole wooden blocks don't go very far.  I try to imitate the sound of a DD but spit all over myself when I do.  I got bigger gaps in my teeth now, getting old I am told, said that before didn't I??

This post has been very enlightening for those of us who have never used an RV toilet. I only used ours sparingly at the Roundup, was afraid to do #2. Nice to have the potty house close to the bus!

I currently have a standard RV type plastic and I hate it. Old and ugly. Will go to china someday so this thread is interesting.

Paul

Title: Re: Potty talk
Post by: JimC on September 21, 2007, 06:04:46 PM
Dave,
I had a cheaper plastic Sealand and it developed a leak so I replaced it with the Thetford Aqua-magic Plus and I like it considerably more. Like the other post said you press lightly for more water and then flush, but what I like is the china bowl, and the fact the it sprays water around the bowl instead of dribbling water into the bowl like my Sealand did.
Jim
Title: Re: Potty talk
Post by: Dale MC8 on September 22, 2007, 09:11:10 AM
"Something that helps things 'slip and slide' when needed is a spray bottle with a fairly heavy mix of liquid soap.  A quick spray before use is all it takes." 

Rumor has it, haven't tried it myself, that using a spray can of "PAM" or some such as a pretreatment of the bowl works wonders. YMMV.
Dale MC8
Title: Re: Potty talk
Post by: DrivingMissLazy on September 22, 2007, 09:31:48 AM
Quote from: Dale MC8 on September 22, 2007, 09:11:10 AM
"Something that helps things 'slip and slide' when needed is a spray bottle with a fairly heavy mix of liquid soap.  A quick spray before use is all it takes." 

Rumor has it, haven't tried it myself, that using a spray can of "PAM" or some such as a pretreatment of the bowl works wonders. YMMV.
Dale MC8

Yes, PAM works great for that application. Still need the sprayer sometimes. And for those who do not know, on most of the units you can use your toe to lift up the flush lever and it will add water to the bowl.
Richard
Title: Re: Potty talk
Post by: Paladin on September 22, 2007, 09:50:20 AM
I'm really glad that I asked this question. Not only did I get ideas of models but got extra tips as well.
Who would have thought to buy a can of Pam to keep by the John?

Thanks everyone!


-Dave
Title: Re: Potty talk
Post by: Utahclaimjumper on September 22, 2007, 10:40:58 AM
Tom C. try this, put a small amount of water in the bowl and add some of the chemical that you normaly use to charge the tank, let stand, when dry, spray the bowl and ball with silicone spray. I have brought mine back several times with this method over the ten years Ive had it. It seems that particals get trapped between the ball and seal, the chemical seems to eat this away and leaves the seal clean and functional, the silicone spray prevents skid marks and lubes the ball.>>>Dan
Title: Re: Potty talk
Post by: H3Jim on September 22, 2007, 12:23:18 PM
I have the ceramic RV toilet, the Thetford Aria.  A little pricy, but a great toilet.  easy to clean although it keeps itself very clean to start with.  Uses a small amount of water.  runs on 12 volt and has an "automatic flush cycle that is pretty efficient, or it can be set to "manual" to use even less water depending on how long you hold the button.  Has the bigger seat, and is nice looking too.
Title: Re: Potty talk
Post by: Chaz on September 22, 2007, 07:40:19 PM
These threads never cease to amaze me.  ;) Mine is a cheapo plastic Thetford that has a hand lever on the back left side. With all this talk, I REALLY AM scared to use it!! But when push comes to shove, I guess I'll have a can of PAM, spray bottle of soapy water and a spay can of silicone ready to douche it all with.  ;D Probably have a puddle in the bottom with all of it!

   I guess I'll be keeping a new toilet in mind.
      Chaz
 
Title: Re: Potty talk
Post by: NJT5047 on September 22, 2007, 08:06:38 PM
Relax Chaz, your plastic pottie may well outlast all the rest!   My spousal component still asks if you have any new pix posted...the answer of course is NO!   ;)   I offered to don my bibs and beat the hell out of something with a hammer.  Went nowhere.   :-[
Back to the subject at hand...anyone that wants to test out potties for fit...just run down to the nearest RV dealer.  There's a lot full of possibilities. 
I've got a cheapo Thetford...relatively cheap at $150 bucks.  Its a foot flush, full height, long bowl, solid, never leaked, minimal water flush, and it's has some sort of Pre-Pammed bowl that absolutely nothing fails...nevermind.  I had the same plastic throne in a fiver for 12 years and it never burped.  Nada, zip, problems.  Same with our 7 year old Thetford in the bus.   Most RV pots will flush with less than a quart of water. This isn't an issue if you are in a campground with full hookups.  It is a problem in the boonies.  Be very careful with house pots.  The tank on a home styled pottie will move the unit another foot forward.  RV units are tankless, thus sit against the wall. 
The key to a good flushing RV pot is related to locating the pottie as directly above the black holding tank as possible.  This requires some planning.
China is nice, but Sealand is a complicated item compared to a standard RV unit.  My experience (good many years in the marine industry) indicates a higher maintenance cost.   Sealand has sunk their share of boats...alas, another subject...ain't gonna sink any buses.   
One thing that will damage all potties is freezing weather.  Always drain and blow out, or antifreeze potties when winterizing.
My dos centavos, JR



Title: Re: Potty talk
Post by: NewbeeMC9 on September 23, 2007, 06:28:28 AM
Quote from: NJT5047 on September 22, 2007, 08:06:38 PM
The key to a good flushing RV pot is related to locating the pottie as directly above the black holding tank as possible.  This requires some planning.
China is nice, but Sealand is a complicated item compared to a standard RV unit.  My experience (good many years in the marine industry) indicates a higher maintenance cost.   Sealand has sunk their share of boats...alas, another subject...ain't gonna sink any buses.   
One thing that will damage all potties is freezing weather.  Always drain and blow out, or antifreeze potties when winterizing.
My dos centavos, JR





I'll second that, would that make quattro centavos?   Put an Isolation valve on the toilet for when the cold snap sneaks up on you.   I have a sealand with that now so I don't have to fix the valve right off the bat and can still use the toilet.  I saw the sprayer at the RV show and figured I had to have one of those redneck Bidets since i was replumbing anyway.  I didn't know what it was for ???.  My bus is my first RV.

Use PEX!!!!!  to plumb with

let us know what you come up with.

Title: Re: Potty talk
Post by: Paladin on October 01, 2007, 10:43:23 PM
After thinking about the Aria I decided on the Aqua Magic Plus, firstly, it costs less which is really a good thing for me right now and secondly I read a thread on RVnet about the controller board going haywire and flooding the rig. I decided cheaper and keeping it simple would be good for my first john. I'm sure my keester will be pleased and I also noted the tip on the Pam, who would have known?

Many thanks for the input everyone, I'm learning quite a bit and thanks for putting up with me and my newbie questions. It may be elementary to some but to me it's all new and I'm happy and thankful to learn.

Many more tips and tricks to learn but I've got time.

-Dave
Title: Re: Potty talk
Post by: Jerry32 on October 02, 2007, 05:55:02 AM
I had a Sealand in one of my first rigs and hated the flush. The plastic thetford in the next rig worked fine for 8 years but the water valve started to leak on the floor and had to replace that. I put the style plus in the bus and like the spray flush as really does a quick wash down with very little water. Jerry