Thank you! We do not know about the plumbing yet (RV was delivered to dealership and we have yet to take ownership). Have heard more negative than good. They are replacing the toilet - problem found in the PDI upon arrival. Ordered a new one but UPS delivered it shattered (verified by tracking package). They are going to put the original toilet back in (makes us doubt the validity of why they were replacing in the first place) for us to take our holiday trip. We have to return to dealership for the correct sofa to be put in so they will install the 2nd new toilet at that time. We did hear that the macerator is supposedly more efficient, and you're stating it uses more water? Guess we'll know more Saturday. 

We have a Tecma by Theford Macerator toilet in our Trilogy. There are two buttons on the wall above it for a low flush and one for a larger flush with a light that indicates green,yellow or finally red.

Supposedly one can adjust the water level by holding both buttons at the same time but it doesn't seem to hold water. We'd like to replace it with a regular RV toilet as we can only get about 4 days out of it before red warning light comes on and we hear the "gurgling" sound which can indicate a full tank. However, we think, but need to confirm, that the toilet doesn't sit directly over the black tank which means it can't be replaced with a regular RV toilet without risk of getting a blockage in the angled drain pipe. We plan to do further checking on that.

We haven't boondocked yet and haven't tried to conserve but think we'd like to be able to go a week without dumping.

It's a porcelain bowl, easy to clean once we found the right brush, and otherwise comfortable.

It seems to me that some of the newer DRV's being built with dishwashers, garbage disposals and these toilets are meant for those planning FHU's at all times.

Sherry

We have 2 toilets in the new rig. The macerator is in our rear bathroom and a regular RV toilet mid ship. They both go to the same tank. Like mentioned the macerator toilet has a low water flush and a heavy flush and I'm certain the low volume flush uses more water than our regular RV toilet does for that type of flush. But I'm pretty sure for heavy flush jobs I would use about the same amount.
With our set up the rear bath has to be a macerator because it is ran to the main holding tank and I think I'm happy it does.

Our perspective:  We have a standard, that is a non-electric - gravity dump it in the tank, RV toilet. No macerator.  We currently have a 55 gallon black tank.  We’ve never had a problem going up to two weeks.  Actually I’m usually filling the black tank some with the clean out input before I dump it to assure good flow.

I’ve had a macerator but never found it to really be worth, for me, the trouble. But that’s me.  Others find an external one to be of benefit.  Naturally if you have a toilet where there is inadequate gravity “fall” for the waste to make it to the black tank then you have little choice.  Personally, again just me, I would avoid such a design if possible - too much to go bad / break that you can’t get to.

BTW, for those interested, there are tank gauges made that actually work.  http://www.rvgauge.com/rv.htm  They can be retrofitted or if your building a rig perhaps can be installed when the trailer if built.  They are not physically in the tanks so the sensors don't go bad.

We sort of like to keep the plumbing systems simple and have found over the last now 35+ years of RVing - simpler is much better; including, for us, no electrically powered toilets.  We’ve seen too many problems with them that you can’t fix on the road. That doesn’t make them bad.  Some have good success with them.  But for us, simple is better – especially if you have to fix the toilet when in the middle of nowhere in the Canadian Northwest Territory 200 miles from the Arctic Ocean.  “Ask me how I know this” to quote Jack.  (And people kid me about carrying too many “spares.”)

Just our perspective -
Bill

charles wrote:

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Unfortunately we have a few decades of experience with macerator toilets. They are SIGNIFICANTLY MORE TROUBLE PRONE than the standard RV toilet that dumps DIRECTLY into the holding tank.
A macerator requires a lot more water to flush, period. One must use sufficient water to carry the waste TO the black tank, this could, easily, be a gallon or more. Easily.
Then the mechanics of it with the macerator and often a pump, items that can and will go wrong, always at a bad time. Know what I mean!
Our macerator style toilets were on our boats not in an RV.
I MUCH PREFER, the RV style, not even close. RV open the flush valve and the waste falls INTO the black tank, easy and almost fool proof. Can work even without water. Try that with a macerator style.
On the boat we carried a full set of spare parts and repair kits----and needed them.
This is our experience and as always, YMMV.
CCC

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 Many threads can be found with people complaining about Rigs getting flooded due to the Valve sticking on the conventional RV toilet......I myself had to add a low voltage valve to make sure the  water is off  to our toilet, after getting flooded a couple of times......Many people have changed out the $30 valve 3-4 times and still have problems, that why I opted for the valve...I have had and do have both styles,  each has it's own positives and negatives but nothing is Fool proof....

other than dumping why would one ad the expense of a macerator toilet......this is just a question. When I look at the over-all picture, they both dump into the same holding tank that holds the same volume whether you macerate it or not.........where is the advantage under normal usage?

Genecop, please describe the valve and installation. I am not familiar with the setup nor the problem. Are you referencing the foot valve sticking?

Thanks,
CCC

I am being dense on this, why an electric switch and not just a quarter turn manual valve on the supply line?
Thanks
CCC

GENECOP wrote:

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charles wrote:

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I am being dense on this, why an electric switch and not just a quarter turn manual valve on the supply line?
Thanks
CCC

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 We used to camp with my 85 Year Old Mom, bad Arthritis in her hands, in addition we turn it on and off as we use the toilet, the switch is right next to the bowl at light switch height, if we had to reach down behind the bowl every time and manually turn the supply off it probably would be left on and defeat the purpose....

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Gene’s idea is a very very good one.  However, I suggest you still have a manual value, inside, before the electric one “just in case.”  For a few bucks it could save a lot of frustration and I’m just a belt and suspenders kinda guy when the electric stuff fails.  Guess I've just been on the road too long.

BTW, my Mom's over 90 and still does some "camping" in her rig in the winter months.  Never too old.

Bill

When I was in the boat business, we installed nothing but the Tecma macerator line of toilets. They have several in their model line as far as features, but the inside working components are the same. Out of several hundred we only had one go bad. The biggest problem was receiving one that hadn't been dropped in shipping. It takes less water than you think to flush. Experiment with it and you can flush with less than a quart of water.
If our current toilet ever has an issue, I'm replacing ours with one.