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Topic: Toilet leak issue (Read 1540 times) previous topic - next topic

Toilet leak issue

Had our Sealand Traveler Model 511 develop a leak last week while camping up north. I found a white cap on the floor behind the toilet that reads as follows: Sealand Model No. 87, Max. Pressure 125 PSI.

It apparently goes on the backside of the toilet on the vacuum breaker, as it fit quite well when I tried to put it on. Is there something that goes underneath this cap, like a spring? The 511 head parts list shows the vacuum breaker assembly but no breakdown as to what might be inside. Seems to me that water would run out under the cap, as it is not a very tight fit.
Nitehawk,  Demolition Lady, & our NEW master, Zippy the speeding BB cat.
1989 Grand Villa 36' ORED
Oshkosh chassis, 8.2 DD V8
2006 Saturn Vue AWD

Re: Toilet leak issue

Reply #1 –
i have what seems like the same leak. It would only drip from the back when flushing. My toilet has the vacuum breaker and the hand sprayer.

You can get just the vacuum breaker on amazon or camping world, etc. My sprayer valve was sticking and I just assumed replace everything. Amazon places were 50-60bux...cheapest I found was camping world internet special: Dometic Hand Spray Kit - Dometic 385319054 - RV Toilets - Camping World

edit: forgot to say, I haven't fixed the drip yet, but I just tossed a bath towel under the backside of the toilet to catch the drips. I have all tile floor.
1998 U270 34'

Re: Toilet leak issue

Reply #2 –

NightHawk,

I had the same leak - fixed it with the new vacuum breaker shown in link below.  If you don't need a new sprayer (I didn't) then this kit will work for you.  You may or may not need the extension tube, but if you don't it just pulls off.

I took the old one apart, out of curiosity.  The cap you found is just a dust cover, or "beauty" cap.  It is not meant to seal anything.  Under the cap, there is a little rubber one-way valve thingy.  It is supposed to allow air into the pipe (hence the name "vacuum breaker"), but NOT allow water out of the pipe.  It gets dry, or warped, or deposits build up on it from hard water, and then it leaks.

Amazon.com: Dometic Sealand 500 Series Toilet Vacuum Breaker with Extension:

As an Amazon Associate Foretravel Owners' Forum earns from qualifying purchases.
1993 U280 SE 40' WTBI, Build: 4359
C8.3 300hp, 6-Speed, Exhaust Brake
960 watts on the roof (6 x 160)
Sorento (or BOLT) on a Kar Kaddy SS
"Nature abhors a vacuum"

Re: Toilet leak issue

Reply #3 –
Sealand Traveler 500 series has a few 'secrets'.

We have the original Sealand toilet and have rebuilt it with every part being replaced, except for the porcelain bowl. Our toilet was manufactured before 1997.

The vacuum break for our toilet with sprayer is 385 319 055, (without sprayer 385 320 325). Extension is needed.

Vacuum break cannot be repaired or closed off, and the toilet probably needs to be removed to replace this vacuum break, if it is too close to the wall.

Using a new 'floor flange seal kit' is recommended when removing toilet base.

To be continued. . .

Re: Toilet leak issue

Reply #4 –
I had plenty of room behind my toilet to R&R my vacuum breaker without moving the "pot".  Other coaches might be different.
1993 U280 SE 40' WTBI, Build: 4359
C8.3 300hp, 6-Speed, Exhaust Brake
960 watts on the roof (6 x 160)
Sorento (or BOLT) on a Kar Kaddy SS
"Nature abhors a vacuum"

Re: Toilet leak issue

Reply #5 –
Thanks, everyone. The porcelain throne is out, the carpet and pad are gone, all parts have been checked and cleaned, and in about an hour we will be at our local RV dealer getting a new vacuum breaker. I checked the old one and it does leak so just one more part to replace.
Nitehawk,  Demolition Lady, & our NEW master, Zippy the speeding BB cat.
1989 Grand Villa 36' ORED
Oshkosh chassis, 8.2 DD V8
2006 Saturn Vue AWD

Re: Toilet leak issue

Reply #6 –
Part 2 of our Sealand posting.

Our original vacuum breaker had a hex nut that tightened a rubber gasket to seal and hold the vac breaker into the toilet. The old porcelain toilet vac break hole was not perfectly round, thus needing the expanding gasket. Nut should come off, but if it does not come off, the vac breaker can still be removed. New style vac breaker has a rubber grommet that pushes in to hold vac breaker. A little silicone around the grommet may help to seal to a not perfectly round toilet hole. Then use dish washing soap around the plastic vac breaker and inside rubber grommet to help push in new breaker.

Our toilet sits on a Foretravel built wood box because the black tank is a couple feet forward from the toilet. We have taken box apart, cleaned and painted inside & out, and covered with vinyl tile.

We also found a crack in the black ABS pipe under the toilet and repaired it with silicone sealer.

We ordered a new Sealand low-base toilet, but when we installed it, found it sat a bit higher, and was not as 'comfortable'. Talking to the Sealand factory, learned that in the year 2000 Sealand redesigned the porcelain making it 1-1/2" taller. All other parts including the base are the same.

Another thing that changed, in 1998, Sealand removed the two inside water bowl overflow holes. These holes flowed overflow into two traps in the black plastic base. These traps were needed because the overflow ran around the ball valve and had a direct entry into the black tank. The trap kept tank smells from whiffing up through the bowl overflow holes. The overflow holes used a seal replacement kit that had two small holes that matched the bowl & base overflow drains.

Also Sealand redesigned the bowl to base seal several times.

We decided to keep our original lower bowl and use all the other parts from the new toilet, except for the vac break. The new base and bowl seal did not have the overflow holes. Sealand sent us two plastic parts to plug our bowl overflow holes. And we poured a lot of silicone sealant into the overflow holes from inside the bowl and from the bottom of the porcelain to seal off our overflow passage ways. Our bowl casting is dated Aug 4 1995.

Part numbers for our toilet:

385 318 162 - ball, shaft & cartridge, including spring cartridge p/n 385 236 096.

385 314 349 - water valve kit
385 310 063 - floor flange seal kit 385 311 462 seal replacement kit (bowl to base with ball seal)