While I am not actively searching, I am always on the lookout for an alternative toilet to the Thetford Electra Magic. There's simply nothing magical about it. Some folks have ripped out the Thetford and replaced it with a conventional RV toilet, but that requires either 1) installing a black water tank; 2) hookups; or 3) the continuous use of a black water tote, none of which appeals to me. Option 1 is the best out of the 3, but there is such limited under frame space in the 2600 and 2700 models that it is not ideal.
Awhile back, I came across a toilet made by Sealand that sits atop a black water tank installed in the bathroom. However, it was made for boats, and the only way of emptying the tank is via a vacuum disposal system found at marinas. Obviously, that's not helpful. But then I discovered this toilet is used in Scamp trailers, so I called them to get more info. As it turns out, they get the tank/toilet combo with a 3" female NPT connection in the bottom. That means you can remove the existing toilet flange from the TM and the pipe it is connected to, and install an ABS riser pipe with 3" male threads that will screw right into the tank. The tank then has to be vented to the outside; the wall seems like an ideal spot, and others here have done that with their Thetford. You'd just need to make sure the venting is adequate when the shells are closed. Hook up the fresh water, and you're done.
The tank has a 9.5 gal capacity.
The Thetford has a 6.2 gal capacity, of which ~2.5 gal is the initial charge. That leaves 3.7 gal for waste. Many folks here, including myself, report ~8 person days before they have to empty the toilet.
Let's assume there are 4 flushes per person day. The Sealand consumes between 1 pint and 1 quart per flush, so I'm assuming 1.5 pints. For 8 person days, the max duration for the Thetford, that's 6 gallons of fresh water. That leaves 3.5 gal left in the tank for waste, which is about the same amount of waste contained in the Thetford when full.
So compared to the Thetford, the Sealand could provide the same duration of use before dumping. The disadvantages:
- you'll use 6 gal of fresh water vs. 0 gal with the Thetford
- it's heavier -- 41 lbs empty vs. maybe 15 lbs for the Thetford; when full, an extra 25 lbs of waste -- that's a total of an extra 55 lbs when full.
Other than that, it seems ideal. The toilet cost is $365 + shipping, and is available directly from Scamp here:
http://shop.scamptrailers.com/p-155-...er-toilet.aspx
Dave
Potential ideal alternative to the Thetford
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