I can not imagine that instructions on how to repair a leaking toilet in your camper is a particularly glamorous topic for a blog post, but my own battle with camper commode reconditioning made me understand the utility of such a post.
My adventure, like many adventures, began with the Internet. I looked, queried and searched from one end of the Internet to the other for the magic answer to the malady of the leaking camper toilet – discovered late night in a campsite away from home when bare feet met an unpleasant moistness coming from under the bathroom door. Ewwww! The Internet yielded little information other than a leaking toilet was a common problem that could be solved by a trip to the local RV repair shop and $150. If the toilet in my home were leaking I would not call a plumber, so I reasoned there was no need to part with my hard earned cash for the sake of a dry floor…there had to be a cost effective solution!
My first break in solving the mystery came when I found a parts list for Thetford toilets, the Thetford Aqua Magic V – king of RV toilets. If there was a parts list, someone figured a non-technical RV enthusiast like me could actually fix the leaking toilet…there was hope! I called the local RV supplier to gain intel on the possible cause of my leak. When I mentioned my problem over the phone, it was clear they knew the cause…and for a mere $150 they could fix it. I pressed for more answers – initially they avoided my questions, refocusing on their professional repair staff, but I persisted. The long interrogation, the dance of dances between between the RV shop and I did little to solve my problem, until I heard over the phone, “bring your camper by before 5 and we’ll have the water module fixed by tomorrow.” They revealed their cards, it was the water module that needed to be replaced. “How much is the water module from your parts department?” I asked. There was a long uncomfortable silence on the other end of the phone. “$27.89 plus tax.”
Replacement parts in hand, purchased from the crestfallen RV dealer, I rushed home to begin the repair. To my surprise, I found clear easy to understand instructions in the package written in English by someone living in an English speaking country. I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Step 1 - Turn off the water, turn off the water pump, hold the flush handle on the toilet to empty the bowl and release the water line pressure.
Simple enough! I knew this was going to be a breeze!
Step 2 – Unbolt the loo from the floor. Wait? Where are the bolts, I thought? Cleverly, Thetford concealed the bolts on the base of the toilet on either side under plastic covers.
Step 3 – Disconnect the water hose at the back of the toilet. It sure was hard to get to, but once I figured out how to wiggle my hand back there it was easy to disconnect the water supply.
Step 4 – Get the toilet out of the bathroom – everyone knows a phone booth is bigger than an RV bathroom, so do yourself a favor and find someplace with some actual room to work. (you do know what a phone booth is, right?) Cover the opening down into the black water tank with a towel. That way, you’ll at least convince yourself that the bad odors are “trapped” and won’t waft up into the camper.
Step 5 – Find the water module on the back of the toilet…it’s right there, at the top where the water line connects to the toilet…that’s the annoying thing that has been leaking that you never could see because it was cleverly hidden from view and made impossibly difficult to reach. Remove the water module from the toilet: pull the hose off on the side, then unscrew the water module, and finally depress the plastic clip that holds the water module on the toilet. As the water module pulls away from the toilet, unhook the metal rod that connects to the flush handle. The metal rod stays assembled to the broken water module and separates from the working toilet.
Step 6 – Reverse the steps you just completed…wait! hang on! one thing first, apply at least 2 full wraps of Teflon tape to the threads of the replacement water module. Ok, once you’ve got that covered reverse the steps – place the replacement water module on the toilet connecting the flush rod, snapping in the plastic tab, reconnecting the flush hose, and screwing the water module to the toilet. You’re almost done.
Step 7 - Put the toilet back in the camper, right? nope. One thing you have to take care of first is replacing the compression seal between the commode and the black water tank. The parts bag came with a new seal and you must remove the old one and seat the new seal so nothing leaks. I keep gloves in my camper for emptying the black water and gray water tanks – this is a perfect opportunity to use them. While you’re looking at the base flange (that’s the black metal ring that is secured to the floor and is what your toilet is bolted to) check out the bolts for corrosion. In the photo you can see I have a little corrosion, but nothing that is severe or would require replacement. If your connections to the floor are corroded, change them out now. I do not recommend waiting until the toilet breaks away from the floor unexpectedly at 2 in the morning when you’re half asleep. That’s generally a bad time to plan replacement of the flange and the corroded hardware.
Step 8 – Bolt the toilet back to the floor, connect the water supply line, turn on the water, check for leaks. You have done it!
So was the adventure worth the effort?
Parts from the RV dealer = $27.89 plus tax
Cost of my time 15 min x $200/hr. = $50
Seeing the long face of the RV dealer when he knew I was going to do the job myself = Priceless!
Yep…definitely a worthwhile do-it-yourself project!
