Toilet usage

[birish21]

So I just bought my first travel trailer, a 22' Jayco Jayflight and I have a question about toilet usage and boondocking. We are going on our first trip next weekend for two days and we want to be able to use the toilet for liquids only but I read that it is not a good idea to travel with water in your trailer. Is there any way we can use the toilet without having water stored in the fresh water tank? Like bringing a large jug of water or a hand sprayer to rinse the bowl?

[rbpru]

I lot of comments for the OPs original assumption that you cannot carry water in the fresh water tank while traveling.

Many do, the only issue is how much. If I am going to a known source, I may just have a third of a tank. Having camped a time or two at campgrounds with terrible water; unknown locations dictate a full tank.

I have never noticed the difference in weight or gas mileage.

[RandomAbstract]

I always travel with a full water tank and (mostly) empty gray/black tanks. Primarily because I rarely know 1) where I am going, or 2) when I will get there (see #1).

[Harold_Fairbank]

SoundGuy wrote:

pira114 wrote:
To be clear, the reason so many say not to travel with water in the tank is just to save weight.

That, and the fact that tank support in many trailers is often sadly inadequate, creating the possibility of the tank actually falling off. :E My own brand new 2014 Coachmen Freedom Express was a case in point - first time I filled it the tank sagged noticeably.



So I had my dealer fabricate and install a pair of metal support beams which solved that problem entirely.



I normally travel with 1/3 to 1/2 tank of water but can at any time travel with a full tank with no concern the tank may drop off the trailer. Since this is a much more common issue than many realize it would behoove every RV owner to check their own rig for adequate tank support before traveling with it full. An enclosed underbelly makes this more difficult but when compared to having a tank fall off on the highway somewhere, well worth the effort. 😉

Wow!!!

What POS engineering...remind me to never buy anything made by Coachmen.

[2112]

My goodness, I didn't mean to create an argument. I thought I was offering OP sound advice.

I got this tip back when we were renting TTs in the 90's. It was their rule to always leave water in the bowl 24/7 no matter what. He stressed the point and was within their written instructions every time. I never asked why, I just did it. I concluded that he owns about 20 units so he must know something.

I have followed his advice for the past 20 yrs without issue. But then again I haven't left mine dry for the past 20 yrs for a comparison data point so I have nothing else to base this on.

Now I can ASSUME it doesn't matter but I will keep doing as I have been in silence.

[PaulJ2]

janstey58 wrote:

DownTheAve wrote:
I am sorry, but this advice makes no sense, at least to me. Why can't the rubber seals be dry? What hurts them when they are dry? Weren't they dry during the manufacturing process and before the toilet was used for the first time? Did that cause harm?

Go ahead and believe this, and in 6 months your seal will not keep water in the bowl, and you will be rebuilding the seal. Just my .02.

An opened, unboxed seal will dry out in time even hanging up in the RV store.

[Old-Biscuit]

pira114 wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Keeping water in the toilet bowl is so that there is a VAPOR Barrier .....
Residential toilets have built in 'p' trap designed into bowl fixture.
RV toilets do not..straight gravity dump so water in the bowl does keep seal wet but is for keeping the stink from waste tank coming back up thru toilet

Simple.....

As for weight.....

If you need water to prevent stink, something is wrong with your vent. Water would prevent stink if you had it though.

I was just pointing out why one would want to keep a seal wet.

Totally agree with your comments about weights. But as we all know, a lot of people try to push the limits of those weights and say they'll just not carry water. Silly, but that's what a lot of people do. Also, you're dead on about frontal area vs weight for mpg. Try telling that to some people though.....

au contraire mon frère

Vent allows vapors to exit tank and allows for air to come back in tank when draining.

But stink coming back up from black tank is prevented by having a vapor barrier ---water in toilet bowl

Just like 'P' traps on sink/shower drains.....odor
Water in 'p' traps ---vapor barrier

Just like toilet floor flange gasket....mechanical barrier

[DownTheAvenue]

janstey58 wrote:

DownTheAve wrote:
I am sorry, but this advice makes no sense, at least to me. Why can't the rubber seals be dry? What hurts them when they are dry? Weren't they dry during the manufacturing process and before the toilet was used for the first time? Did that cause harm?

Go ahead and believe this, and in 6 months your seal will not keep water in the bowl, and you will be rebuilding the seal. Just my .02.

I can tell you every RV I have owned, the bowls were dry during storage. My 25 year old Airstream, with a 25 year old toilet, never had a toilet problem. The rubber seals do not need water to maintain functionality. The toilet manufacturers in their literature do not warn to keep the bowl wet. Whatever works for you, that is great. But I will go with the manufacturer's recommendations, not someone on an internet forum!

[bobndot]

The no poop rule is mostly from the wife lol

Now we know your DW does the tank dumping while you sit in a lounge chair sipping a cold one. I'll bet you're loving this RV lifestyle :B

[pira114]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Keeping water in the toilet bowl is so that there is a VAPOR Barrier .....
Residential toilets have built in 'p' trap designed into bowl fixture.
RV toilets do not..straight gravity dump so water in the bowl does keep seal wet but is for keeping the stink from waste tank coming back up thru toilet

Simple.....

As for weight.....

If you need water to prevent stink, something is wrong with your vent. Water would prevent stink if you had it though.

I was just pointing out why one would want to keep a seal wet.

Totally agree with your comments about weights. But as we all know, a lot of people try to push the limits of those weights and say they'll just not carry water. Silly, but that's what a lot of people do. Also, you're dead on about frontal area vs weight for mpg. Try telling that to some people though.....

[Old-Biscuit]

Keeping water in the toilet bowl is so that there is a VAPOR Barrier .....
Residential toilets have built in 'p' trap designed into bowl fixture.
RV toilets do not..straight gravity dump so water in the bowl does keep seal wet but is for keeping the stink from waste tank coming back up thru toilet

Simple.....

As for weight carrying water.....
If the weight of a full fresh water tank causes issues (being overweight/pushing limits of tow vehicle, etc) then need to rethink choice of tow vehicle and or how much stuff you have in trailer.

Frontal area and height of trailer have more effect of MPG then weight does.


Besides...what are you going to do when you show up and there is NO water available due to issues with CGs water system or you have to hunker down somewhere unplanned due to traffic/accidents/fire etc that can change ones whole plans.

Carry the water, poop in the toilet, use the RV and don't make it so complicated.

[pira114]

Those seals, and most rubber components, are usually coated with a petroleum based product after manufacturing. This is to protect it from drying out in storage before it's installed in something. During installation and over time in general, that coating wears off, gets wiped off, etc. They can and do dry out. Drying out causes cracks, deformations, etc. Keeping seals lubricated in some way is just good practice. Or periodic replacement if it's cheap and easy. Often, these types of seals can outlast the component they're in. That's why it's not that big of a deal to most people. But when they fail, like in a toilet, it can be a pain. Keeping a bit of water in the bowl is a very low tech, low cost, preventative measure. That's all.

[wanderingbob]

I do not understand why to save weight that you would carry water in a jug !Does it weigh less in a jug !
2112 said it , always leave enough water in the bowl to cover the seals , for several reasons . as the seals dry out they will sometimes seize together . These seals are usually not rubber but some magical , mystical, expensive compound .

[janstey58]

DownTheAve wrote:
I am sorry, but this advice makes no sense, at least to me. Why can't the rubber seals be dry? What hurts them when they are dry? Weren't they dry during the manufacturing process and before the toilet was used for the first time? Did that cause harm?

Go ahead and believe this, and in 6 months your seal will not keep water in the bowl, and you will be rebuilding the seal. Just my .02.

[IdaD]

I always go with a full fresh tank, even if I'm going someplace with hookups. I also always put a few gallons of water into the black tank after I dump it (excluding when I winterize it). You want an ample amount of liquid in a black tank so the solid doesn't get stuck or pyramid up inside.

[rbpru]

Unless the manufacture states otherwise, the TT was designed to carry water.

I know some folks have had issues with this but that is just poor design on the part of their TT manufacturer.

TT are self-contained unit and all the necessary components run off of the battery or LP.

My TT hold 40 gallons of Fresh water and I always have it at least 1/2 to 2/3rds full.

It is true that the water adds about 300 lbs. to the TT weight but my tank is directly over the axles and with a loaded for the road TT weight of 6200 lbs. I never noticed the difference.