What type of chemicals do you use in your toilet?

10-09-2006, 09:46 PM

We just got back from our first trip. We went to Galveston State Park this weekend and had a great time. We were 20 feet from the beach and at times the ocean water almost looked blue!! Everything went well with the TM except the toilet. We were only there 2 days. I charged the toilet and used 1 of the orange drop in's that came with the TM (per instructions). By day 2 - the bathroom pretty much smelled liked an out house and was only about 1/3 to maybe 1/2 full. The water that swished around when the toilet when flushed looked well yuck. Apparently I did not use enough chemicals or the wrong chemicals. So I am asking the pros - what do you use.

Thanks for all you help.
GM - 2619TM

10-09-2006, 10:05 PM

I will tell yall what I have found. My wife and myself and two teenagers. I dump the toliet every 24 hours and used the Wal-Mart Orange toliet additive as directed by the label. I think to go more that one or two days with four people will smell no matter how much additive you might put in. I think if I dump every day a little bleach would work and not cost as much. Tell me if I am wrong but the best manament of our toliet is to keep clean water in it as much as possible not see how long you can go without changing the water. Even using the Parks restroom sometimes really does not extend the need to dump every day.

**B_and_D** · 10-09-2006, 10:15 PM

Thetford Campa Chem Natural. I use the kind in the zip lock bag from WalMart, and drop in two of the little packets. Works for us.

Isn't the orange stuff for holding tanks (as in grey water?)

10-09-2006, 10:17 PM

Three things help us:
1. avoid solid waste to the greatest extent possible.
2. use the Thetford chemicals. I have found no difference between with or without formaldehyde.
3. use Potty-Totty tables from Camping World to assist with odor control.

If it is just DW and I we can go 3 or 4 days before dumping because it is full. The odor is tolerable.

I almost never use the TM toilet. DW has bad knees and I do everything I can to prevent her from walking anywhere unnecessarily. I can walk to the park restroom far easier than she can.

10-09-2006, 10:19 PM

This may sound dumb - but I am a newby with this camping thing. How do you dump daily if you do not have sewer hook up? Do you pack the TM up and go to the dumping station?

Thanks GM

**YWORRYDOG** · 10-10-2006, 05:52 AM

Wayne, we have found a BIG differance in odor control between the "natural and the one with formaldehyde. We could not dump for 4 days on a trip last month. The natural one made it unbarable after about a day and a half. Even added another bottel it did not help.(all we had with us at the time.) Since then I have gone back to the formaldehyde one with much better results.

**Bill** · 10-10-2006, 09:14 AM

Like Chuck and Rose, we have found a big difference between formaldehyde-free and formaldehyde formula, if dumping daily is not an option. The Thetford formaldehyde formula (quite inexpensive at Wal Mart) is all we use now.

There is a toilet tutorial in the TM Reference Library (aka TM Info You Won't Find Anywhere Else) that may help. You will also find a lot of info on this board if you use the Advanced Search tool on the word "formaldehyde".

Bill

10-10-2006, 11:12 AM

We use the Supreme Green powder (non formaldahyde) and 2 Potty Totty tablets. Works great. The only time I had an oder problem was in 112 degree heat once this summer.
I would NOT use bleach as it could damage your seals.
Our TM is 10 years old and we aquired it 1 year ago. One thing that greatly reduced the odor was replacing the seal that sits between the bowl and the seat assembly.
Cheri

Virginia Deacon · 10-10-2006, 12:57 PM

Good advice in this thread.

I use the Thetford liquid w/formaldehyde and - in warmer weather - one Potty Toddy tablet.

This has been our first season with our 2720 we bought in March. And, the toilet was the only serious problem I encountered. See http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ead.php?t=4741 for more information, if you are interested. There was definitely a strong odor from the toilet, before I fixed this problem.

Since I fixed the problem, the toilet no longer gives off a strong smell. We are into the cooler weather now, so I'll continue to monitor this next year. Personally, I believe if Thetford's products are used as instructed, there will be minimum problems with odor.

My experience has been that using non-Thetford products, less Thetford product than instructed, and failing to fully charge the toilet when setting it up for use, will lead to unsatisfactory results. Wal-Mart seems to be a good place to save a few bucks on Thetford products, if that's what I want to do.

Happy Camping!

**Bill** · 10-10-2006, 01:45 PM

Just a reminder for those who are very sensitive to odors. One of our members (Dan of Dancin' Campers, was it you?) invented and installed a small power vent for the toilet. As I recall, he ran a small piece of PVC pipe from the back of the toilet out through the wall, and put a tiny electric fan on it. The toilet already has a hole in the top rear, on the side opposite the hole that holds the empty-full gauge. The fan was small, both to use minimum power and to make minimum noise. As I recall it was a really nice installation, and din't look too hard to do.

I can't find the thread at the moment, and it was quite long ago so even if I found it, the photos would probably be missing. Would our resident fan expert please stand up and identify yourself?

Bill