Every king needs a sturdy throne to sit on, and many people refer to their toilet as their porcelain throne, whether in their home or RV.
However, some RV toilets are somewhat lacking in support and stability. As far as a throne fit for a king, RV toilets may disappoint. So will an RV toilet be able to handle your husband? Let’s find out.
What’s an RV Toilet?
Most RVs these days come with a bathroom that has an RV toilet. These toilets look similar to what you’d find in a residential bathroom but differ in how they flush. RV toilets typically use assistance from gravity when flushing.
The user will press a foot pedal that releases the bottom of the toilet. The waste then drops into the black water tank directly below the toilet.
How Do People Use the Bathroom in an RV?
Although some people never use the restroom in their RV, it’s typically not much different than using the bathroom with a standard toilet. You do your business as usual and then press the foot pedal to release the waste.
Because the waste gets stored in a storage tank, you should use a generous amount of water when flushing. This helps make it easier to empty the tanks later and ensures all of the solid waste drops down into the black water tank. Additionally, you must use septic-safe toilet paper to avoid clogs in your plumbing system.
How Much Weight Can an RV Toilet Support?
You’ll see several types of RV toilets, but most are made from plastic. These toilets typically have a maximum weight capacity of 270 to 300 pounds. Exceeding the weight limit on them can cause cracking and breakage.
The other common type of RV toilet is a porcelain toilet. These have a very similar look and feel to a standard residential toilet. Because these are made from porcelain, they’re much stronger.
Most of these can hold upwards of 1,000 pounds before they experience breakage. However, a porcelain toilet will add weight to an RV compared to a plastic one.
How Long Should You Flush an RV Toilet?
You want to use a generous amount of water when flushing an RV toilet. Dumping water into your RV’s black tank when flushing helps ensure you have enough water to break down solids and toilet paper. This eliminates any chances of solids creating a blockage in the plumbing. The more water in your black tank, the better.
Once you dump the waste and water into your black tank, release the foot pedal and press it lightly for a few seconds. This will allow water to fill the toilet bowl and help prevent the seal in the bottom of the toilet bowl from drying and cracking. It also serves as a barrier for keeping any potential smells from your black tank from entering your RV.
COMMON QUESTION: Can you put bleach down your RV toilet?
How Do You Keep an RV Toilet From Smelling?
You can do a handful of things to keep your RV toilet from smelling. While doing one or two of these can be helpful, we strongly encourage you to do all of them. This will keep the stink away and help you enjoy a clean and fresh RV.
Add Water With Each Flush
You should add water to the toilet bowl after every flush. If not, the rubber seals in the bottom of the toilet bowl could dry out and crack over time. Having a couple of inches of water in the bottom of your toilet bowl also helps to block any gasses that could leak into your RV.
While the bottom of the toilet bowl will drop out when you fully press the toilet pedal, a light press of the pedal will start running water into your toilet bowl. The longer you press it, the more water will fill your bowl. We suggest letting it run for three to five seconds or until you have a couple of inches in the bottom.
Put in Holding Tank Treatments
Tank treatments can help break down the solids in your tank and avoid bacteria build-ups that could cause serious odors. These treatments come in various forms like liquid, powder, and even dissolving pods. Whichever method you choose, consistency is the key.
Regularly use holding tank treatments on your black tanks. Since you can’t reach the inside of your containers, these treatments can help break down the gunk and bacteria that can grow inside.
Keep It From Getting Clogged
As we mentioned earlier, using plenty of water is the key to keeping your tank from getting clogged. However, be mindful of the type of toilet paper you use and how much you’re using.
You should only buy septic-safe toilet paper for your rig. It starts to dissolve when it comes in contact with water, and you can test your toilet paper to see how quickly it dissolves. To do this, find a clear storage container or jar with a lid.
Fill it halfway with water, place a few squares of your preferred toilet paper in it, and then put on the lid. Shake the container a few times and look at the toilet paper squares. It should start dissolving almost instantly if it’s safe to use in your RV. If not, you’ll want to find a new toilet paper for your RV.
FACT OR MYTH: Do you need RV-specific toilet paper?
Clean It Regularly
You should flush your black tank regularly. This helps prevent any gunk and bacteria from building up inside of it. If you have a black tank flush hose connection, use it.
Flush your tanks after each trip, especially if you’ll have a week or more between uses. If you live in your RV full-time, you can get by with flushing your tank every other time you dump your tanks.
If you don’t have a black tank flush, you can use the ice method to clean the inside of your tank. After dumping your tanks, flush the toilet several times until you get approximately five gallons of water in it.
You can then take a bag of ice and dump it into your black tank through the toilet. Drive around to slosh the ice in the black tank. Then head to a campground or a dump station to empty them. You’ll likely get a good amount of the gunk and debris out of the inside of your tank.
Address Repairs Immediately
You should never put off repairs, especially regarding your plumbing system. If you suspect any leaks in your system, get them addressed immediately. Leaks in your plumbing system do not go away or fix themselves. They tend to get more serious and expensive the longer you put off getting them fixed.
Will an RV Toilet Be Able to Handle Your Husband?
While RV toilets may differ slightly from residential toilets, they’re typically up for the task. If you exceed the weight rating of your toilet, you may want to replace it with a more comfortable and capable porcelain toilet.
However, if you use plenty of water and keep your tanks clean, your husband will likely have very few issues with using the toilet in your RV.
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