I assume it's a splash shield anyway.When we flush our toilet in the motorhome (Thetford Aqua Magic V) things go on down for the first day or two of a trip. Then paper and stuff starts to build up and it won't flush entirely.I pulled the toilet today to install a new blade seal, and what I see seems to be a splash shield just below the drain pipe. It looks like things are supposed to flush down there, then drain off to the sides into the tank. But instead the TP builds up on this surface. We use the TP that's supposed to dissolve easily, but since it's up on this shield it isn't submersed in water and doesn't dissolve.I can get everything to move if I use a cleaning wand (like this Valterra wand), but that's a hassle and uses a lot of extra water when we are dry camping.Any suggestions for handling this problem, other than somehow removing the shield?I guess I could take a hole saw down through the drain pipe and cut an opening in the shield, but I'm hoping for a better way.Thanks!

Just for kicks, do you use LOTS of water when flushing the throne! Not speaking of while cleaning but rather in just the everyday flushing the toilet. I know I will always fill the bowl fairly well before stepping on the pedal to flush. I realize if you are someplace without sewer then doing this might fill the tanks quickly.

Acampingwewillgo wrote:Just for kicks, do you use LOTS of water when flushing the throne! Not speaking of while cleaning but rather in just the everyday flushing the toilet. I know I will always fill the bowl fairly well before stepping on the pedal to flush. I realize if you are someplace without sewer then doing this might fill the tanks quickly.We try to, although that is part of the reason I'm changing the blade seal. Usually there isn't a whole lot of water in the bowl, but we do hold the flush lever open to let more water down in there. So, I'm sure that this at least part of the issue, but the rough texture of the surface is certainly not letting stuff run off down into the tank easily.

Never BUT NEVER! camp with your black tank drain open!!!!!!!!!!!ALWAYS!!!!! Allow the black tank to fill to almost full before dumping!! IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO FOLLOW THESE STEPS, YOUR SOLIDS WILL MOUND UP!!! Just like you're describing here. After flushing the tank ALWAYS allow it to fill with enough water to cover the bottom of the tank to prevent the next toilet flush from sticking to the bottom of the tank.If you follow these hard and fast rules, you will not have any problem with mounds of solids and TP building up in your tank.RVs are not flush toilets like you have in your house where over a gallon and a half of water move the solids along towards the septic tank or sewer treatment plant with each flush.I use and recommend HIGHLY a tank treatment called "HAPPY CAMPER" every time I empty my tank. It helps dissolve TP and breakdown the solid but most of all kills the odors. After flushing the tank, fill the bowl, put a scoop of HAPPY CAMPER in the toilet and use your bowl brush to swirl it around to mix it up and clean the inside of the bowl and lip wiping off any excess. Then flush the toilet, fill it again to rinse your bowl and brush before putting thinks away and returning the toilet to use. http://1-happycamper.com/ Use this link to read more about the product. You can find it offered by several vendors on the internet, Amazon and Ebay plus "good" RV supply stores. Shop around.

Never seen a splash shieldNever seen the dreaded "Poop Pyramid" either But have read about it and have helped some folks get rid of one (I just never saw it) IF you can see STRAIGHT down into the tank..Valterra Master Blaster is a rinse wand with serious attitude issues (I mean it is serious about blasting the .. er.. ****)Now I made my own I do not like the "Genuine article" cause the spray jet looks like it would be easy to break off so I made my own.. Actually I made my own before I ever saw the "Genuine item"1/2 inch pvc. Cap Hose fitting vacuum breaker and valve.Hose to valve to breaker to enough pipe to reach the bottom of the tank and still be 1 foot above the seat Cap the lower end then drill a hole just about 1/4 inch (or a bit smaller even) in line with either the blue line or the text line (This is to help you aim) in the SIDE of the cap.. That's the whole jobPut city pressure to the top via the valve and breaker OPen valve after it's in the tank and blast the poop-ces to pieces as Sylvester might say. You can direct the stream. and raise and lower to chew it up wellThis you do while hooked to sewer and with valve open of courseThen when well blasted.. Close valve and run oh say 10-15 gallons into the tank (Just stand on the flush pedal for that many mintues or use the factory flusher) then dump 2 or 3 timesHave a 5" clear piece at the rig end of the dump hose so you can watch the chunks blow

Never seen or heard of a splash shield, and mine doesn't have one I know for sure, and I don't know when it would ever need one.

Black tank splash shield problem | Good Sam Community

DFord
Explorer
Jul 09, 2019
Mark,
I wonder if it would be possible to get in contact with tech support at Fleetwood?
RJsfishin
Explorer
Jul 08, 2019
Quote
But, when we are parked for multiple days in the same spot there isn't any sloshing, and the build up under the toilet occasionally caused problems.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is perfectly normal
So if you add a homade "knock down stick" to the equasion, it is no longer a problem
mnoeltne
Explorer
Jul 08, 2019
DFord wrote:
mnoeltne,
You've never reacted to my earlier advice about keeping the black tank dump valve closed until the tank is near full. If you're doing that, you won't be able to see the bottom of the tank. If you're leaving the valve open, you're asking for the kind of trouble you're reporting here.

So which is it?

The tank valve stays shut until the end of the trip, or until the tank is full ( or at least 3/4 full). We seldom camp in a campground with hookups anyway.

The pile I am getting is just under the drain, and not at the actual bottom of the deeper part of the tank. Liquids drain off into the main part of the tank, but solids sometimes accumulate.

I'm sure that if we drove a bit at the end of a multi-day trip the liquids in the tank would slosh up onto this edge of tank or shield or whatever this is and wash the solids down into the main part of the tank.

But, when we are parked for multiple days in the same spot there isn't any sloshing, and the build up under the toilet occasionally caused problems.
RJsfishin
Explorer
Jul 08, 2019
Quote:Youmust poo into a full bowl of water just like at home.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Well, obviously you are not a boondocker ! That is ridiculous.
But if that was true or necessary, that RV is not designed for boondocking.
cavie
Explorer
Jul 08, 2019
mnoeltne wrote:
Acampingwewillgo wrote:
Just for kicks, do you use LOTS of water when flushing the throne! Not speaking of while cleaning but rather in just the everyday flushing the toilet. I know I will always fill the bowl fairly well before stepping on the pedal to flush. I realize if you are someplace without sewer then doing this might fill the tanks quickly.

We try to, although that is part of the reason I'm changing the blade seal. Usually there isn't a whole lot of water in the bowl, but we do hold the flush lever open to let more water down in there.

So, I'm sure that this at least part of the issue, but the rough texture of the surface is certainly not letting stuff run off down into the tank easily.

Youmust poo into a full bowl of water just like at home.
cavie
Explorer
Jul 08, 2019
DFord wrote:
Never BUT NEVER! camp with your black tank drain open!!!!!!!!!!!

ALWAYS!!!!! Allow the black tank to fill to almost full before dumping!!

IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO FOLLOW THESE STEPS, YOUR SOLIDS WILL MOUND UP!!!
Just like you're describing here. After flushing the tank ALWAYS allow it to fill with enough water to cover the bottom of the tank to prevent the next toilet flush from sticking to the bottom of the tank.

If you follow these hard and fast rules, you will not have any problem with mounds of solids and TP building up in your tank.

RVs are not flush toilets like you have in your house where over a gallon and a half of water move the solids along towards the septic tank or sewer treatment plant with each flush.

I use and recommend HIGHLY a tank treatment called "HAPPY CAMPER" every time I empty my tank. It helps dissolve TP and breakdown the solid but most of all kills the odors. After flushing the tank, fill the bowl, put a scoop of HAPPY CAMPER in the toilet and use your bowl brush to swirl it around to mix it up and clean the inside of the bowl and lip wiping off any excess. Then flush the toilet, fill it again to rinse your bowl and brush before putting thinks away and returning the toilet to use. http://1-happycamper.com/ Use this link to read more about the product. You can find it offered by several vendors on the internet, Amazon and Ebay plus "good" RV supply stores. Shop around.

+2
opnspaces
Navigator II
Jul 08, 2019
Some toilets have a 45 degree bend in the drop pipe, I wonder if that is what you are seeing. As far as filling the bowl for a flush, that doesn't really apply for just pee. Although if there is toilet paper in the bowl you will need extra water to make sure it clears the bend in the pipe.
stickdog
Explorer
Jul 08, 2019
Just filling the bowl to the rim every time a flush is necessary will fill your tank quickly. Better to find out how much your bowl holds. I dump when our black tank gets to 80 percent which is 40 gallons of a 50gal tank. After dumping I fill the bowl twice and flush to prime the tank which registers 8 percent or 4 gallons. Anyone doing 2gallon flushes aren't going to be boondocking for long.
DFord
Explorer
Jul 08, 2019
mnoeltne,
You've never reacted to my earlier advice about keeping the black tank dump valve closed until the tank is near full. If you're doing that, you won't be able to see the bottom of the tank. If you're leaving the valve open, you're asking for the kind of trouble you're reporting here.

So which is it?
mobeewan
Explorer
Jul 08, 2019
Sounds like you are seeing the edge of the tank support ledge where it rests on the support angles under the trailer. They may have mounted the tank so the edge of the tank is just under the opening for the toilet and is also in the shallow end of the tank. You may have to use a stick or fiberglass rod to help push things away from the ledge until there is enough water in the tank to help "things" float away from the opening.

Although my toilet is centered between the support ledges it is over the shallow end of the tank. Toilet paper will build up until there is enough water in the tank. Then as more water, toilet paper and solids enter the tank they help push the previous flush aside.

You might also let everyone know they might need to use a little less paper per flush and not let too much paper fill the bowl. If they have to use extra paper for clean up, more than one flush is necessary.