Rear toilet removal

[rc707]

How do I get the toilet out?

[bobfowler]

... I had my wife remove it while I was doing other plumbing work in the trailer!

It's just a matter of turning off the water, disconnecting the water supply line from the back of the toilet, and then removing the nuts from the bolts that connect the toilet to the flange.

[nodpete]

It is not as hard as it would seem. Lift the seats up and there is a round plastic plug on the rim. Remove this and you will see the back nut of the toilet, I got this nut off using a long extension with a knuckle on my socket wrench. You can reach around the back of the toilet and grab the loose nut. For the front nut, depress the flush pedal and you can get the nut off with a box-end wrench. Disconnect the feed tube in the back of the toilet (be sure the water is off) and you can lift the toilet off. I laid a mirror behind the toilet and a light and it made it easy! Good luck!

[cameront120]

Here's a copy of the manual. Hopefully it will help.

[eubank]

In my several experiences with the Thetford, I've had two problems:

1. For that rear bolt that Bob describes (see the PDF, too), you need a really long extension on your socket. A little bit of chewing gun inside the socket itself helps, too.

2. Removing the toilet is much easier than reinstalling it. The main problem is trying to get especially the rear coming up from the flange to align with the hole in the bottom of the back of the toilet. (My big hands are unhelpful in this regard.) It did help to go to the hardware store and purchase extra long toilet bolts, which gave a little extra room for my hands to align the bolts.


Lynn

[Ganglin]

Best tool you'll ever buy for removing/reinstalling the rear bolt on the toilet - check the size you need from the front hold down nut.
9/16" Flex Head GearWrench™

When you remove the water feed line be gentle on it - I used lock jaws to hold the flange the line attaches to and another wrench to loosen the nut. The flange is molded into the toilet and if you torque on it too much you'll snap it off.

You'll need a new flange seal - any RV place should have it. Enjoy those skinned knuckles.