Potential ideal alternative to the Thetford

[ShrimpBurrito]

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

The instructions say nothing about how to empty the tank. I wonder if it can be done from outside or if it must be done while open or just before closing.

[ShrimpBurrito]

To dump the Sealand, you simply open the gate valve under the trailer. The same as the Thetford except you don't have the extra valve as part of the toilet or tank. I believe this method is how black tanks empty on other RVs, so it's nothing atypical.

According to the specs published in the manuals of both toilets, the Sealand is:

WIDTH: 1 7/8" wider (the tank portion) than the Thetford, so I'm not sure if there is extra width there or not, and my TM is all folded and covered. It will probably be close.

DEPTH: ~1/2" shallower

HEIGHT: roughly the same; the height of the Sealand is 2" shorter from the floor to the rim of the bowl, but that doesn't include the seat. So the Sealand isn't taller unless the seat sits more than 2" high off the bowl. But the top of the Thetford is several inches lower than the sink, so height shouldn't be an issue.

Dave

[Wavery]

This is a nice set-up but it doesn't eliminate that hassle of having to dump on an extended stay.

I would far prefer a cassette toilet. It has a 5-6G holding tank that is removable from a door mounted the outside of the trailer. One would simply open the door, flip a lever to remove the tank, walk to the nearest toilet or dump station and dump it.

A friend of mine has one in his pop-up trailer and he loves it. Before they pop-down, he dumps the tank, rinses it out and he's done. It has all of the advantages of a regular toilet that flushes with fresh water but it can be dumped any time during the camp-out with the hassle of having to use a tote.

To each his own I guess.

[mbd4kids]

I added a vent to our stinkford using about 20 dollars in materials from the plumbing section at Home Depot. The difference it made is unbelievable. We camped in Myrtle Beach in August, and had no awful smell. (Last year in West Virginia, in June, we were "smelled out".) I changed all seals and thoroughly cleaned the toilet before re-install which I'm sure also helped. Either way, I highly recommend trying before you spend another $400. I think I wrote how to do the vent on another post, but would be happy to repost if you are interested. Keep in mind, I am a woman, and do the mods to our TM myself...it's not difficult.

It would be great if anyone knows how to vent this toilet.

[LoveToCamp]

mbd4kids' instructions are Entry 8 in this topic: http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...highlight=vent

I have the cassette in my 2417, and think it is a very good system. Yes, I have to empty it about every 4 days, but that is no problem Beats the heck out of having to go to a dump station, and wait in line.

How much does the cassette weigh when it is full?
Or maybe a better question is how many gallons does it hold?
Thanks.

[Brittany Dogs]

I had a Thetford cassette in my Coleman Grandview SP and it had a 20L holding cassette with 15L of fresh water. The filled cassette was easy to manage. It has several handles on it.

[myersm]

So, if I put a cassette toilet in my TM, then I need to cut a hole in the wall to be able to remove the casette from outside of the trailer... is that right? How big of a hole are we talking? Are there any structural issues to deal with?
From all the "toilet" disucssions throughout this forum, I like this idea the best! What brand casette is the most popular to retrofit in a TM?

Thanks!