What is the best cassette toilet for the TM?

[ShrimpBurrito]

With this thread fresh in my mind, I went into the TM this morning to find one of the white plastic clips under the Electra Magic (holding it to the floor) had come out. I have no idea why. I could just get down there and slide it back in, but the nut would have to be adjusted. But I need to pull the toilet again anyway because the slide valve seals need to be replaced again. Have already done them twice......and have already pulled the Electra half a dozen times at least.

So today, I ordered the Curve -- plus a backup unit for a spare tank and parts. Consistent with Thetford's prior pricing games, the electric pump in the unit costs more than the toilet. So stupid......

The change will save us having to stop at a dump station, which not only will save time, but the money saved will pay for the Curve in no time.

Dave

[Bill]

Originally Posted by ShrimpBurrito

But I need to pull the toilet again anyway because the slide valve seals need to be replaced again. Have already done them twice.
Dave

Arghhh! Dave, have you used the Thetford RV Toilet Seal Lube when you close the camper down for more than a couple weeks? I keep recommending this stuff, and no one seems to believe it. It takes care of the Slide-EZ gaskets! I learned this the hard way, after replacing the gasket set just once. If you've replaced them twice, you are tougher than I am, I guess.

Sorry to hear of your trouble.

Bill

[gonzo628]

Bill, what is this/what is it for? (I am intrigued).

[RottieMom]

Bill, I have the kind of cassette toilet (installed at factory) that you access via a door from the outside. Is this seal lube something I need to use too for maintenance?

[Bill]

Originally Posted by gonzo628

Bill, what is this/what is it for? (I am intrigued).

In the Thetford ElectraMagic, the valve at the bottom of the tank is called the SlideEZ valve. It is what opens up and drains the contents when you pull that white handle down at the floor. Mechanically, it is a flat plastic blade about the size of a 3x5 index card that slides against a soft rubber seal above it. If the toilet sits empty for a long time, the seal tends to stick to the blade. Then, as you pull the handle, the seal will curl up, and sometimes rips. From then on, it leaks. The solution, as Dave described, is to lift the toilet off the floor, turn it over, and remove the SlideEZ assembly. (Four simple screws, as I recall). You can either buy a new assembly, or you can buy a set of new seals and replace the old ones. Again as Dave pointed out, the price of either is ridiculous if you buy from Thetford, but there are other sources.

The Thetford Seal Lubricant is just what it sounds like. When you are ready to put the TM away, you drain and clean the toilet (of course), and then pour one glug (that's a metric galoop, or about a half cup) into the bowl. The liquid works its way around the seals and lubricates them. Next time you pull the white handle, it slides smooth and ... well, EZ. Ya gotta love it.

RottieMom - since I am one of the silent majority of us who likes his ElectraMagic, I have no idea what is needed for a cassette toilet. But I would imagine that anywhere there are soft rubber seals and a moving surface, a bit of the stuff couldn't hurt.

Bill

[HoMiPa]

Originally Posted by Bill

since I am one of the silent majority of us who likes his ElectraMagic, I have no idea what is needed for a cassette toilet.

Bill

I'm with you - I have read a lot of the posts about replacing with a cassette, and was wondering if for some reason, which would be a complete fluke, I actually had good luck in one small arena of my life, because I quite like the toilet my TM came with - don't know what it is, other than a Thetford, but pretty sure it's the same type of thing you have as well. Never had any real problems with it, and haven't ever even used the lubricant. And my TM was packed up and unused for a 6 or 7 year period. But I'll be pulling that toilet apart soon and take a good look at the seals, and lubricating it at the close of season from now on!

[Bill]

I'll be pulling that toilet apart soon and take a good look at the seals

Holly -

There is a bit of info in my Tech Stuff album that may be helpful. I got it from Thetford when I first tried to rebuild a SlideEZ assembly. The pencilled annotations are theirs.

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...&pictureid=444

Bill

More: I notice that you can pay anywhere from $35 to more than $70 for a SlideEZ assembly. The gasket set can be had for numbers like $17.00 from American RV and Lazy Days. I also seem to recall that Thetford has two different part numbers for some of these parts.]

There are several good threads on the topic here on the forum. Do an Advanced Search on my name and the word "gasket" to find them.

[HoMiPa]

Thanks for that! I've been avoiding doing anything with it - 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' mindset. But, I've got to pull it out to redo the floor in the remodel. Originally, I was going to leave the bathroom as it. But as I look at the new colors, all bright & vibrant, then glance in the original bathroom..... I'm like, nope, I'm going re-do that as well, which means ripping up the linoleum, which means removing the toilet..... sigh.....

[tgpmd1]

Thetford Curve and floorplate on order. Pulled out old toilet. I'll post a review after we have a chance to test out the Curve.

[ShrimpBurrito]

Originally Posted by Bill

Arghhh! Dave, have you used the Thetford RV Toilet Seal Lube when you close the camper down for more than a couple weeks? I keep recommending this stuff, and no one seems to believe it. It takes care of the Slide-EZ gaskets! I learned this the hard way, after replacing the gasket set just once. If you've replaced them twice, you are tougher than I am, I guess.

Sorry to hear of your trouble.

Bill

I have never used that stuff, but both times I've replaced the valve seals, I have used the Dow Corning valve lubricant. It's the consistency of Vaseline, and really made a big difference in making the valve operate smoothly. But its effect was temporary, lasting maybe a year or so, presumably because it would gradually get washed away, and after that, seal failure seems inevitable at some point thereafter (maybe two years?). So your method of using that stuff prior to storage sounds more effective if you've only ever replaced the seals once.

That's only been one of my problems with the toilet. There's also been various other problems specifically relating to its unique design:

• the crack under the seat that I had repaired, and which subsequently failed again
• a leak one time between that base under the seat and the tank -- with a full tank
• I used the "Happy Campers" tank treatment a few times. It's a powder type, and I now know it has a high salt content because it completely removed the polished surface of the bowl, and also corroded some of the internal metal components that made them completely inoperable. Fortunately, I had a spare Electra Magic on hand from a member here, and so I just swapped out the relevant parts, but since I had already swapped out the base due to the crack, and the bowl is not removable, I cannot swap out the bowl.
• Maggots growing after extended storage of a fresh charge. I visually verified later that the toilet does not empty completely when the valve is opened.
• Problems with flushing relating to the infamous vinyl skirt.

I really like the concept of this toilet, and there is nothing worse that packing for a trip the night before only to discover the toilet needs some type of repair prior to departure. I think I would prefer it over a cassette if the build quality were such it weren't so maintenance intensive (at least for me) -- as I've said earlier, I have probably removed it a half dozen times; who else has to remove their RV toilet every 18 months? It sees heavy use though, so only time will tell how the Curve fares with a similar duty cycle.

Dave