Toilet Cracked

[Rockwood Travelers]

We have 2015 Signature Ultra Lite 5th wheel. My wife recently discovered that the toilet bowl is cracked. The crack runs basically parallel with the top rim down into the bowl about 3". The crack extends about 8" in length. I believe the bowl is porcelain. It doesn't leak anywhere and and we do not see any water coming out of the crack when flushing. We've taken 2 trips of about 1 week each since we discovered this crack. In addition to no sign of leakage the flushing operation works perfectly as it always has and the crack has not expanded or gotten longer since we made the discovery and we've travelled on some fairly rough roads on those two trips.

My question is how concerned should I be with this development? We don't want to be on a trip and have the toilet begin to leak or come apart. The crack is barely noticeable and if it doesn't cause any problems we have no problem just leaving it since it's almost indistinguishable unless one looks very close.

[Mokurt]

Originally Posted by Rockwood Travelers

We have 2015 Signature Ultra Lite 5th

My question is how concerned should I be with this development? We don't want to be on a trip and have the toilet begin to leak or come apart.

There's your answer!

I would replace.

[Bob K4TAX]

If it's broken, I'd replace it. It may break more, and at the least time you'd expect it.

Bob

[Rockwood Travelers]

Originally Posted by Mokurt

There's your answer!

I would replace.

Okay. First off, what would cause this to happen and is it rare or relatively common? We're on our 4th camper and have never had this happen and haven't ever heard of it happening to several friends that are fellow RV'ers.

What is a good reliable brand to go with and how difficult is it to remove and install? Having been a Midwest farmer my entire life I consider myself moderately qualified for basic mechanical tasks.

[Reverse_snowbird]

I'd say its relatively uncommon for this to happen. A defect in material is probably the cause.

They aren't hard to replace. A direct replacement with the same make/model is usually the easiest. Now sometimes getting to the connections at the back can be difficult. They are similar to residential toilets, but instead of a wax ring, the ring is plastic.

[Dwilcox]

Are you sure it is a crack, it might be a scratch. If it is a crack, it will grow from the vibration and temperature changes. I would watch it and if it grows, replace it.

[Rockwood Travelers]

It's cracked, for sure. Every other camper we've had (this is our 4th) had plastic toilets and we never had a moments problem. When I replace it I'm going to go with a plastic one. No more porcelain for us.

[Dwilcox]

Originally Posted by Rockwood Travelers

It's cracked, for sure. Every other camper we've had (this is our 4th) had plastic toilets and we never had a moments problem. When I replace it I'm going to go with a plastic one. No more porcelain for us.

If that is what you want to do. We moved from a plastic to a porcelain and no way would I go back.
As a plumber (Retired) I have installed and replaced many china fixtures and if they are not defective then they will last for years unless you drop something on them.

[Rockwood Travelers]

Originally Posted by Dwilcox

If that is what you want to do. We moved from a plastic to a porcelain and no way would I go back.
As a plumber (Retired) I have installed and replaced many china fixtures and if they are not defective then they will last for years unless you drop something on them.

I don't for a second question your experience and expertise but with that said the only frame of reference is what we've experienced in the past and in 30 years of owning RV's this is the first time we've ever had a toilet bowl crack and it's porcelain and all the others were plastic. I'm not a plumber, however, being a lifelong farmer with a reasonable degree of common sense and mechanical aptitude I am at a loss as to what would constitute the benefit of a porcelain toilet bowl in an RV environment.

Nothing was ever dropped on the bowl and it has never froze. The only trauma I can remotely think of is the seat may have been inadvertently pushed down into the seating position from the up position in freefall but the seat and lid are plastic and really aren't that heavy. Although, I don't ever remember this happening but we may have left the seat and lid in the up position while travelling and it could have dropped to the down position under hard braking or a jolt due to road conditions. We've owned the camper for 3 years and it wasn't cracked until this summer. We've traveled some crappy roads but none come to mind as being rough enough to break a piece of porcelain the size and shape of a toilet bowl.

[5picker]

We used to have one of the largest toilet manufacturers in the USA here in our hometown.
I had lots of friends who spent their entire careers there.
Porcelain toilets can crack for any number of reasons but one thing is for sure, if it's cracked, it isn't going to ever get better, mostly worse.

You seem to be soured on the fact your toilet cracked and wanting to make your incident the poster child for all porcelain toilets being crap (pun intended) but that's not the case.

We've had porcelain toilets in our last three R/Vs and most of our camping friends do as well. I visit at least 4 different R/V forums and they are not littered with threads about porcelain toilets cracking or having issues. After having both, neither my DW or I would go back to plastic. The sturdiness of sitting on it, the ease of cleaning and the elongated, higher bowl are all pluses for us to have one in a R/V.

You are certainly free to replace with whatever you want but keep in mind the plastic Dometic 300 model is known for issues and there are LOTS of threads on that.

[Bob K4TAX]

We had to replace the Dometic 300 plastic toilet due to the fact it cracked in several places. This allowed the waste to leak into the base and really smelled bad. I removed it and saw how it was made and how it failed.

I replaced it with a Dometic 310 which has a porcelain bowl and soft close lid. I would never have another plastic toilet.

Bob

[KyDan]

It's cracked. I won't heal itself.
My 3 previous trailers (each one larger than the one before it) had plastic toilets.
I can see the advantage of plastic if you had a super light weight tiny camper.
You do not.

My current trailer (#4 if you're counting) has porcelain.
I like it better than the previous 3.
I doubt it will leak thru the crack. What it might do is fall apart one cold winter day and you'll be up sh-t creek without a paddle er toilet!
Or it won't and you'll be fine as is. Do you feel lucky?

[Windjammin Wingsuit Pilot]

Chances are you didn’t blow out the water inside the rim of the bowl when you winterized and it cracked.

[Rockwood Travelers]

Originally Posted by Windjammin Wingsuit Pilot

Chances are you didn’t blow out the water inside the rim of the bowl when you winterized and it cracked.

Nope, the crack showed up towards the end of the summer camping season.

[garywilson]

Imagine how many Band-Aids you would need if it finished breaking while you were sitting on it?

I've broken one porcelain bowl when pouring very hot water in it. Catastrophic! Water water everywhere...

[DavidWJ]

Really like my Dometic 310, has a ceramic bowl and standard height. Not inexpensive... A great upgrade from the Thetford plastic junk the trailer came with.

[jjscsix]

Did I miss what kind of toilet it is? I have a Dometic 310 dismantled in my attic. They warrantied it because the valve was not working correctly. I kept the parts as spares.

[LowFlyinAggie]

At least most RV toilets don’t have tanks. When my DH put a new flushing mechanism in one in our house, he cracked the tank. Then it fell totally apart. Then we bought a new one, and I wouldn’t let him do that chore any longer. He has very strong hands and screws everything on too tight. Even the milk jug. I need a holster just to keep a pair of pliers handy. ��. Dude - get a new toilet or you will be sorry some cold winter Sunday night when nothing is open. This is advice from a woman who had a husband, three sons, one father and one brother living with us. I know toilets. I begged - BEGGED! - for a urinal for Christmas that year.