Cruisers Forum
Main Forum => General Discussion => Topic started by: HenryJ on August 12, 2017, 05:19:34 pm
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Some time ago we developed a leak from the toilet. We missed it for ages and on the way home from Elkhart we had a lot of standing water and sure enough eyes wide open now. Determining what to do is not easy when you are not an expert on RV toilet installs. We looked at outlets to order a new one, after all ,that should stop the leak maybe. However the installed toilet is identified by an OEM Thetford number not available to retail customers... and it took a phone call to Thetford to determine and get the right number. No details from PC although we had sent several messages. So now we think the right model is on its way to our front door. Busy schedule next week without this but eventually we will determine if we are back to indoor plumbing or not. So the Thetford 2910T toilet is the 42059 the OEM is #42051 apparently.
Never had a RV toilet failure... I hope this is going to cure this problem. Will be letting you know in a week or so. Regards P
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I have to wonder why you didn't call Phoenix as your unit is still under warranty and I am sure they would have approved having a local RV dealer find the exact issue and fix it.
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I sent a message and photos of the water standing on the bathroom floor. Getting someone on the phone to assist is not easy and I get better response on email messages. Well Kermit called Jim and they had a discussion but no solution. And I sent 2 more messages and no response. Kermit is not always at the shop any more. The failure was at less than a year of our ownership. We have new toilet coming tomorrow from Amazon. And we become RV plumbers now. Sometimes you have to solve your own problems . I can do that. And we will hopefully be in travel mode soon again.
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I am surprised to read that Phoenix would not send you a new toilet free of charge being that the problem started while the rig was under warranty. That is not the Phoenix way. (WH)
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Hello Ron, have not had any word from them in a couple of weeks now. The new toilet did arrive. I touched the back of it and
made a cut on my finger that had rough trip... looks like made in Mexico but says hecho en USA. Maybe the box is made in foreign land
Hopefully there is some instructions . then to figure how to lift the unit up and line up with bolts in floor so it can be in place. I suspect this will be a never again project. It did arrive with the rubber seal and bolts at least they are stuck to the box.
One more adventure. And the engine is not even warming up.
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Hi Jim, I am located about 60 miles north of Tampa, I dont have any experience in your planned project but would be happy to assist you. If interested, send me PM.
Larry
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I've never had an issue contacting Kermit via email
Make sure you have his email address correct, I will send it to you via PM.
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Today was the toilet removal and new toilet install day. It has been a source of a great deal of distress. But it is installed.
I delivered to the RV and backed up near and opened the car and first the old one had to be removed.. the story there is longer
than I will tell you today. Jim took new out of box at the rear of the SUV and put the new gasket in place with gasket grease I had
ordered too.. It came with a gasket and studs.... has the worlds worst toilet seat...not sure how to get new replacement without
all the cut outs on the bottom that make it a cleaning nightmare. Well jim lifted it in on a pad I had by the door. I moved it back by the
bedroom so it could be lifted into place...The studs in the floor had remained there upright.. He lifted it (25 lbs) and held it over where it had
to sit and no way on earth to see the studs or that they were meeting the holes in the toilet... well he was off slightly and I gave the slightly left
instructions and he moved ever so small a move and let the unit down and sure enough he landed on the uprights.. like majic. Its absolutely
amazing what will excite a design engineer when he reaches 85...Well sure enough no wrestling match.. carefully tighten the bolts and then
put the water line connection in place and take a deep breath and turn on the water pressure. Now the cabinet work must be put back to finish the area and cover the hoses that were out of sight. And that will be Fridays task. Amazing what you have to do for indoor plumbing. Now we have it. Yeaah!!
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Donc13, could you also pm me with the proper email for Kermit?
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I think I should stop following this forum... New units with bad toilets, awnings that don't open properly, and slide out leaks.... I'm starting to get worried about my decision to order a PC. Perhaps they are going the way of other companies or close to closing...
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The failures may be a factor of usage. How someone uses and maintains makes a giant diffarance. Our toilet failure may have been affected by water pressure. So if you dont put a water pressure controller on the hose connection you may get high water pressure from some outside connections. My awning is beautiful.. it needs a little nudge to line up so it opens with the push button. But in spite of my driving too close to a fence post and scraping the arm which has been realigned it works beautifully and the lights under it are great.
We were at the plant the 24th, 25th and they are not closing down. There is some new help. And they have made some great design changes that are not gigantic but are improvements. I walked all around and watched what they were doing. Love some of the new lights i saw installed.
So dont panic yet. We traded down from an Allegro Bus, now that was an operation you need to panic if you really look, especially when you are paying $350,000. cash for a new unit....
You have to evaluate what you are looking for in a camping unit and find the one that has most of your wishes and is in your price range. You can pay more but you may not get more.
regards, Patricia, and I am the driver... have driven cross country and back a few times.. did my first 50,000 now gotta do it again.
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I think I should stop following this forum... New units with bad toilets, awnings that don't open properly, and slide out leaks.... I'm starting to get worried about my decision to order a PC. Perhaps they are going the way of other companies or close to closing...
I think that the reliability issues seen in recent years are going to be found across all brands of motor homes. Since the great recession, many manufactures of RV toilets, refrigerators, awnings and such, moved production to China. Why China cannot consistently make a decent toilet, why lead is occasionally found in the paint on children's toys, why why why is another topic. But a public forum is not the place to discuss cultural matters.
G.T.
Ron Dittmer
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The slide leak is I believe one of those things where multiple events combine to cause a problem. A new slide with slightly different gaskets, combined with a drip spout that has an opening in the rear pointed at the gasket. All fixed with a small design modification. I'll admit to being very frustrated with the problem but mostly because I could not figure out what was happening. Once I saw the connection between the gasket and drip spout, a simple fix and no more leaks. I believe the factory is also doing the same fix I did so there should be no issues going forward.
No idea on the other issues except that things do break or not work perfectly sometimes. But the toilet and awnings are just parts installed by Phoenix, and every other builder.
And we should all remember words from Ron: an RV is a house bouncing down a rough road at 70mph. (I hope I got that close to right Ron)
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(I hope I got that close to right Ron)
Yep! 2o2
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Rons words are always good. He can get us all on the right track in short order. Tomorrow the cabinet work behind the potty gets put back in then we are ready to look at a quick trip to Cocoa and a big hello to some old old friends... When you are already old your friends probably are too.. And when the plumbing works you are headed in the right direction.
thanks to all for comments and advice. It is such a help. And contributes to the Happy Camper state of mind. Luv to all, Patricia, Jim & Miss Elle
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I have to agree with JATRAX and a couple others... I just picked up my 5th Phoenix Cruiser (2nd 2350 Sprinter) and am most happy so far -- only traveled from Elkhart to MD, but leaving for the rally in Sisters this week. The slide issue, I'm convinced, was not due to Schwintek (sp) but the small issues noted, as I had two S------tek slides on my 5th wheel with no problems. Phoenix has ALWAYS responded to any issue I have had - most agreeably, and expeditiously.
In short, I'm a "Happy Camper"
Jack
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The next step in the toilet project is to find a new toilet seat and eliminate the seat with all th cut outs in the bottom... A cleaning nightmare. No advice from Thetford... So with his measurements in hand Jim went off to shop for new seat. He selected one which looks like it will work and measures well. tomorrow he will try it out and see... And I will tell you the brand and model if it does work well. Regards, Patricia
Thanks Ron, I know what you mean and with this potty if the seat does not fit fairly flush you may get water over the rim when the flush pedal is pushed. It does quite a spritz. This afternoon after Jims dentist adventure is the examination and determination if new can work.Thanks.
#2 our toilet is ceramic... 25 pounds thetford the current seat has cut out area's underside and has little narrow places that support it on the bowl rim...photos later when we are there this afternoon.
#3 the try at toilet seat change out failed. THe seat for this toilet is wider at back than a house toilet must be. If Jim keeps loosing weight we will need a training seat so he doesnt fall in. So looks like no new seat for now. But a no leak toilet is a blessing in disguise. Yeaaaah....Patricia
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Hi Patricia,
I don't know your specific PC toilet, but I seem to recall that our PC toilet seat is contoured around the bowl. When sitting on the seat, my body weight is distributed around the bowl.
A conventional toilet seat from a home improvement center typically doesn't sit flush on the ceramic bowl. It has stand-offs. If I installed a conventional seat on our plastic PC toilet, the concentrated pressure might cause a break.
Just keep that in mind when replacing your toilet seat. Maybe removing the stand-offs and resting the seat flat across the bowl will eliminate such concern.
Ron
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Newer toilets are china, not plastic.
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Well the toilet seat has no supports that are removable to allow it to sit flat on the bowl. They have done a re design on the mold to save resin and make it light weight. It is a cleaners nightmare. And shall remain so due to the shape which does not match anything we have found commercially. But if the apparatus does not leak time to go to something else and be glad for indoor plumbing. P
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Boy, the underside of that toilet seat sure does look hard to clean and keep clean. I now understand your complaint much better.
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Henry3,
Does the seat overhang the bowl rim enough to prevent it from moving?
I have to periodically loosen the seat and realign it.
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The seat does indeed overhang the edge and we have never had to realign. It is not very movable with the tie down screws in place. PWS