RV toilet installation is a useful skill if you own an RV or trailer.
One of the best parts of RVing is the convenience of having an RV toilet to use anytime. Whether you’re en route to your destination, at a campsite or festival, or elsewhere on your travels, you have a bathroom at your disposal. When your toilet is not working, it’s important to fix it as soon as you can! That doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of money on professional repairs or RV toilet installation. If you know how to install an RV toilet, you can complete the task in a few hours with some simple tools!
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RV Toilet Installation in 7 Steps
You can replace your RV toilet in just 7 steps. Let’s get started.
1.) Drain your tank
Drain and clean your RV waste tank. You don’t want to remove any old plumbing connections with this tank full. You’ll want to wear rubber gloves for your safety during this step, and make sure not to touch your eyes or mouth. Once you remove the gloves, make sure to wash your hands thoroughly.
2.) Make sure your water is off
Clean around your toilet and remove stuff that’s in the way. This will make the job easier, since space is at a premium in an RV. Then, turn off the water pump and flush the toilet to remove all the pressure and water in your water lines and toilet bowl. Use some rags to dry out the bowl.
3.) Remove your old toilet
Once that is complete, you’re ready to remove the old toilet. Look for a plastic cover on the bottom of the toilet. It could be on either side of the toilet, or even be wrapped around the bottom of it. Pull it up. If it seems stuck, pull it towards you. You should now see nuts and bolts that are holding the toilet down. Go ahead and unscrew each of the nuts and bolts holding it down.
Next, lean over the toilet and look at the back of it, you should see a hose connected to the toilet. Unscrew any nuts and bolts that are there. You want to disconnect the hose. Get those old towels or newspapers ready. Lift the toilet straight up to remove it, rocking if it is hard to pull.
You should find a place to put the toilet once you remove it from its mounting – either where you’re going to dispose of it, or on top of old newspapers, rags, or towels.
4.) Take measurements
You’ll want to look at how the RV toilet is mounted and make notes of the dimensions and sizes. This is best done after the old toilet has been removed. However, if you don’t want to remove the old toilet and then have to wait for a new one to arrive, you may need to work around your old one while it’s still there. Take notes of all the information about the mounting – did the toilet have a floor flange? It’s also important to take dimensions on the toilet hole, and write down exact measurements. Typically, standard RV holes are around 3”, but they can be much smaller.
5.) Remove the old gasket & install the new one
Next, remove the rubber, cone-shaped gasket that seals the RV toilet to the floor. If it’s stubborn, you may need to pry it off with a screwdriver. Once it’s removed, you can clean up any gunk still left on the floor, and then install the new gasket (which should have come with your new RV toilet).
6.) Install your new toilet
Now is the time for RV toilet installation. Carefully place the new RV toilet on top of the gasket ring, making sure to line up the mounting holes so that the new bolts fit into the old holes. Once it’s placed, use the wrench and tighten the nuts over the bolts, taking care not to overtighten. Then check to make sure the toilet is snug by sitting on it and making sure it doesn’t wobble.
7.) Reattach your hose
Next, it’s time to attach the hose behind the toilet, again making sure not to overtighten it. Once that is attached, it’s time to check your work. Turn the RV water pump on and flush a few times, checking thoroughly for leaks. If you spot a leak, go back through the steps and check your work again, tightening bolts and the hose without going too tight.
If you do better with visual aids, here’s a video on RV toilet installation for one of the most popular brands.
Tools Needed for RV Toilet Installation
You’ll need a few other items besides a brand-new toilet for your RV toilet installation. Here they are:
- Measuring tape
- Screwdriver
- Wrench
- Rags
- Old Towels & Newspaper
Troubleshooting Your RV Toilet
If you have installed a new RV toilet and have problems with a bad smell, or if you simply want to troubleshoot your toilet smells before replacing your RV toilet, there are a few things you can try. Begin by cleaning your toilet thoroughly. Get rid of any black tank clogs. Check your vent pipe. Clean your black tank. Replace the seal. And use an RV black tank deodorizer. Check out our step-by-step directions for troubleshooting RV toilet smells for more details.
RV Toilet Replacement
When you’re looking for an RV toilet replacement, there are several things to consider while shopping.
Purchasing a New Toilet
When you have the measurements for your existing RV toilet, you can start the next step in an RV toilet install – picking out a new one! First, make sure that the new toilet has the right measurements and specifications to fit into the spot where your existing toilet is.
Features
Next, make sure to look at all the features of each RV toilet. There are a wide variety of options, so it’s important to think about what makes sense for your lifestyle and how you use your RV. You may also want to save the guesswork and go with the same toilet style and model that you currently have.
If you’re going to purchase an RV toilet with different features, some of the options include: antimicrobial, low water, composting, toilets with bidets or spray units attached, and more. You’ll also want to know if you’d like to use gravity, electricity or air to power the flushing system. Keep in mind that the size of the waste hole will often dictate the answer to this question – those with a larger hole have more options. You also want to know how you’d like to flush the RV toilet. Some of the options include a foot pedal, slide handle, hand-held handle, and electric push-button.
Some of the other, potentially less important questions to answer include:
- Color
- Style
- Shape and size
- Materials – plastic, china, or a hybrid
- The brand of toilet – One of the most popular RV toilets is the Dometic Brand, and you can find a variety of toilet options on Amazon and at stores like Camping World.
Keep in mind that you may have to order the toilet you’ve selected, and it can take up to a few weeks to get it delivered.
Check out the rest of our advice on what to consider when choosing an RV toilet replacement.
With a little careful planning, you can do your next RV toilet installation yourself! If you’re feeling good about your RV maintenance skills, it’s also possible to replace your own RV awning as well.
