Visit our Popular Forums

The Oats · 07-09-2008, 03:14 PM

Over the weekend we let our son and a bunch of friends use our Argosy. It's set up at a permanent site. Obviously he didn't instruct the girls on the proper flushing technique because when my daughter arrived she said the bowl was full of paper. She used a pvc pipe to push the paper down, but now the toilet won't hold water in the bowl and of course it stinks. I got some paper out that was stuck in the little crack around the opening. I believe this is where the flap goes into when it closes. Is it permanently damaged and need to be replaced? Also, if it does, will the higher toilets fit in there or does the little area behind the toilet get in the way? Thanks

tlavergne · 07-09-2008, 03:23 PM

Sounds to me that there is still some "debris" (probably toilet paper) in the slot that the valve flap slides into. Step on the pedal to open it up and really clean out the slot with some water pressure.
Tom

Steve & Susan · 07-09-2008, 03:31 PM

I'd use a johnny-mop, old bottle brush, or WEAR GLOVES and use an OLD toothbrush (OR you could make a point of using your son's toothbrush) with soft bristles and clean off the gasket that seals against the valve in the bowl or the toilet.

If a PVC pipe was used to push the paper down, it is entirely possible that the hard pipe damaged that soft gasket and it may need to be replaced.

KIDS - what would we do without them?

The Oats · 07-09-2008, 03:32 PM

Thanks for the quick response. I thought maybe that was the case too. I know it sounds gross but I felt around with my hand and couldn't feel any, but maybe I missed some. What should I use for the water pressure. A hose? We'll be going down this weekend. So we'll try. My husband said he was going to take it apart to see if he could fix it. It's a pain to have to fix things but I'll take one of these over those newer, other brands any day!

Steve & Susan · 07-09-2008, 03:35 PM

You could use a garden hose or the sprayer if your toilet is equipped with one. A two-gallon tank garden-sprayer might give you enough pressure too.

Kajendo · 07-09-2008, 05:48 PM

Bend a thin necked flat bladed screw driver to 90 degrees and clean the slot out.

Jim

tlavergne · 07-09-2008, 06:23 PM

A bent coat hanger would work good.
Tom

The Oats · 07-09-2008, 11:29 PM

I'll try you guys suggestions this weekend when we're there. If the soft gasket needs replaced can we do it ourselves?Where can we located one? Needless to say, I don't think we're going to have another one of those kids weekends again at least not without a full page of instructions.

Steve and Susan, I like that spending money on ourselves for a change. Irene

TBRich · 07-09-2008, 11:38 PM

Those gaskets can be pretty touchy...cleaning it out may very well do the trick...ours got a little dirty once and after cleaning the gasket where the slider valve fits into it it holds water again. (I used a wooden tooth pick.) I hope your daughter didn't force the paper down the toilet without opening the valve...that would be a bad thing.

And for your sake, let's hope those girls did put anything ELSE down the toilet!

Steve & Susan · 07-10-2008, 06:32 AM

The manufacturer of your toilet probably has a website that can point you at a local dealer who should carry parts. We had to replace an anti-siphon valve on ours and got it from a dealer in Michigan. Ours is a Sea-Land, but Thetford and others make RV toilets.

Comments from our kids when we bought our AS three years ago included - how can you guys afford THAT? The answer - "We're not paying YOUR college tuition, food, water and electricity bills anymore". When they moved out, the water bill went down by 2/3 and the electricity bill by half.
Food is now a fraction of what it was. We still do get the occasional emergence cash call though and are glad to help out.

Bambi_Bandit · 07-10-2008, 08:07 AM

After you get what all you can see out of the gasket / flap Assembly, get some toilet lube to coat the gasket.

I had a leaky bowl (not holding water) a few years ago and after the lube, it was fine.

The Oats · 07-10-2008, 08:29 AM

Yeah, I hope they didn't put anything else down there either. Our valve stays open to the septic though since we are on a permanent site. The toothpick might work and the toilet lube is a good idea. Our toilet is an old theford galaxy/starlite model, probably the original. I went on line and they said they didn't make certain parts for them anymore, the flap being one of them. The one part I did see cost $135, so a new toilet would be the smart way to go. We just bought this last year for a cheap price. No one seemed to want it because it was old, they went for the new more expensive ones in the park, but we love it! (Steve and Susan, we say that too but I'm a softy, we're trying not to be enablers anymore. They are getting better and the funny thing is they don't resent it)

NevadaGeo · 07-10-2008, 08:45 AM

(I'm looking for where it says the son is taking care of this problem he created?)

Ganglin · 07-10-2008, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Oats

Our valve stays open to the septic though since we are on a permanent site.

You may want to think about closing your flush valve. If you leave it open only the liquids run out and the solids remain which will end up clogging the tank.

If you need a gasket or other small part for the Galaxy let me know before you trash it. I have a box of misc. parts that came from ebay - I'm sure there's some duplicates in there....

ROBERT CROSS · 07-10-2008, 01:33 PM

10-4 on keeping the dump valve closed until your ready to empty the black tank, ask me how I know..very stinky!!

One of our first full hook-up lessons.....

YOU NEED LIQUID TO DUMP THE DUNG!!

maxi28 · 07-11-2008, 07:37 PM

I'm having a problem with my toilet. The flush pedals won't go down. There's no water in it yet, but I'm such a newb I don't know if that's the problem or not. They're stuck. Any suggestions or tips out there? It's a 75 Argosy.

TBRich · 07-11-2008, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ganglin

You may want to think about closing your flush valve. If you leave it open only the liquids run out and the solids remain which will end up clogging the tank..snip...

This is true. You absolutely should not leave your black tank valve to the sewer open all the time...it needs the liquid build-up to get rig of everything in a strong "whoosh" of liquid + the other stuff... If you can wait till it's 3/4 full or so, that's good...(you can use some eco-friendly black water treatment to keep the breakdown going and the odors at a minimum).

f you are not going to be there for a while and want to drain it so it's not sitting there partially filled while you're not using it, flush the toilet or pour water into it to get a good amount of liquid in there...then drain it...then close the valve. Put in a couple of gallons of water and a black water treatment and it will be fine until you are there again. Also remember to leave enough water standing in the toilet bowl so that it doesn't evaporate and dry that slider-valve gasket out.

TBRich · 07-11-2008, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxi28

I'm having a problem with my toilet. The flush pedals won't go down. There's no water in it yet, but I'm such a newb I don't know if that's the problem or not. They're stuck. Any suggestions or tips out there? It's a 75 Argosy.

The slider-valve that allows the water in the toilet bowl to drain may be dried out from inactivity and stuck to the gasket...try putting some water in it and letting it stand to soak up some moisture and break the dryness. Be careful not to force it open, as it may damage the gasket (presuming it's not already shot)... If that allows you to then eventually flush with the pedals, clean the gasket out (see earlier posts)...you might also need to lubricate the gasket... Good luck!

ROBERT CROSS · 07-11-2008, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TBRich

The slider-valve that allows the water in the toilet bowl to drain may be dried out from inactivity and stuck to the gasket...try putting some water in it and letting it stand to soak up some moisture and break the dryness. Be careful not to force it open, as it may damage the gasket (presuming it's not already shot)... If that allows you to then eventually flush with the pedals, clean the gasket out (see earlier posts)...you might also need to lubricate the gasket... Good luck!

Believe it or don't...Pour some Avon Skin So Soft in the poo hole IF the valve is stuck closed, just enough to cover the valve.
Let set overnight, try carefully again in the morning.

Worked on our old "63" Safari

Good Luck

maxi28 · 07-12-2008, 06:53 PM

I am in a hill town, and Skin So soft wasn't immediately available, but filling the toilet and then adding a blob of Baby Oil seemed to loosen things up a bit. Our water pump needs some work, as there are some leaks, so as we speak my boy toy is getting new tools to open and close a valve or two. I think the lubricant idea is great, it worked.

So, thankyou!

Soon I will be able to do the 1 and 2, instead of running into my friends house.