Whether or not fixing a broken bathroom or upgrading to a mannequin with the next seat or a porcelain bowl, changing an RV bathroom is a comparatively straightforward DIY process. Most RV homeowners can swap in a brand new bathroom at dwelling with the fitting instruments and a suitable substitute bathroom.
We’re right here that will help you make the substitute and keep away from leaving your trailer at a service heart for a part of the tenting season or paying a technician. Comply with alongside as we focus on all the pieces you must find out about altering a camper bathroom, from required instruments to measuring for an ideal match.
What You Must Exchange an RV Rest room
Step one in changing the bathroom in an RV is choosing out a suitable substitute bathroom. You’ll have to test a couple of issues to make sure your new bathroom goes in with out problem. To begin, measure your current rough-in, which is the gap from the middle of the ground flange to the wall. The brand new bathroom must have a rough-in equal to this or much less.
You’ll additionally want to make sure there’s sufficient house ahead of the flange, particularly should you opted for an elongated seat. Guarantee all cupboard and entry doorways are operational with the brand new bathroom’s dimensions. If wanted, you possibly can rotate the ground flange to treatment clearance points.
With these steps full, collect the mandatory instruments and supplies for the RV bathroom set up. Let’s evaluate these under in additional element.
- Adjustable Wrench
- Tape Measure
- Putty Knife
- Screwdriver ({hardware} kind varies by model)
- Pliers
- Towels
- Gloves
- Water Provide Line Adapter*
*Is probably not wanted for each set up, however is almost certainly required if the brand new bathroom’s water inlet location differs from the previous mannequin.
Technician Tip: If compression-style fittings (e.g., Aptitude-It) are used, it’s possible you’ll have to buy a particular wrench to take away them.
How To Take away RV Rest room
Whenever you take away the camper bathroom, there’ll now not be an odor barrier between the black tank and the RV’s inside. So, it’s a good suggestion to drain and clear the black tank earlier than beginning.
You also needs to attempt to shut off the toilet and open any home windows or vents to let odors escape outdoors and never into the RV. As soon as the bathroom is eliminated, it’s best to discover a spot to set it, such because the bathe pan.
Step 1: Flip off the RV water pump
Step 2: Flush the bathroom to take away saved water
Step 3: Place a thick towel beneath the water line earlier than disconnecting the road from the bathroom base
Step 4: Take away maintain down bolt caps and loosen the nuts
Step 5: Elevate the bathroom up from the ground flange and put aside
Step 6: Take away the previous flange seal
Step 7: Take away hold-down bolts by sliding them out and away from the flange
With the RV bathroom elimination full, prep the floor by eradicating leftover particles from the ground and cleansing the ground flange. Now could be the right time to examine the ground for water harm and the ground flange for cracks. You’ll additionally wish to confirm that the ground flange is a match, sitting stage, and in good situation.
If there are any ground or ground flange points, schedule an appointment along with your native service heart, as they should be changed or repaired. If you’re leaving the opening uncovered for any time frame, cowl it to forestall odors from escaping into the RV.
Set up New Rest room
It’s time to put in the brand new bathroom with the previous bathroom eliminated and safely out of your working space. Comply with these seven straightforward steps when putting in a substitute RV bathroom:
Step 1: Set up new flange seal
Step 2: Slide new hold-down bolts into place
Step 3: Set bathroom into place on ground flange
Step 4: Safe bathroom with nuts and washers, end with nut covers
Step 5: Join the water line utilizing the suitable instrument
Step 6: Activate the RV water pump
Step 7: Enable the system to carry strain, then flush the bathroom to test for leaks and performance
When securing the bottom to the ground flange, achieve this till the bottom is flush. Keep away from overtightening, as this might crack the bottom. If the brand new bathroom’s water inlet location differs from the previous bathroom, it’s possible you’ll want an adapter to reroute or prolong the road. In some circumstances, this may increasingly require further PEX hose. In others, it could require a 90° adapter. Consider your case to find out what further {hardware} you’ll want, if any.
Technician Tip: Please observe that RV bathrooms don’t use wax rings. As a substitute, they use a rubber flange seal. Wax rings are inclined to dry out over time and develop into much less versatile, which might result in leaks in a repeatedly shifting RV.
Can I Exchange a Thetford Rest room with a Dometic Rest room?
Sure, generally, you possibly can substitute a Thetford bathroom with a Dometic bathroom or a Dometic bathroom with a Thetford bathroom, because the mounting flanges are the identical. Nevertheless, if the bathrooms are totally different sizes, it’s possible you’ll encounter clearance points with the partitions or doorways, so test these earlier than substitute. Moreover, you will have a brand new flange seal and hold-down bolts particular to the bathroom model and mannequin.
What Causes An RV Rest room to Rock Again and Forth?
In case your RV bathroom rocks forwards and backwards or aspect to aspect whereas in use, it’s seemingly as a consequence of a damaged or cracked ground flange, a smooth or broken subfloor, or a scarcity of screws holding the flange in place.
The one strategy to test for all three is by eradicating the bathroom. Some ground flanges are merely screwed into the ground, however they will also be glued, which requires particular instruments for elimination. Changing the ground flange is a job finest left to the professionals, so contact a service heart close by if you must substitute yours.
We hope you discovered this information useful. Studying methods to substitute an RV bathroom can save money and time, leading to extra snug, aromatically pleasing household holidays!
Try a few of these different nice articles about RV bathrooms:
Remark under should you’ve changed yours, and tell us the way it went!