CLIFF918 Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 My winter project this year. The Thetford Aria has failed for the last time had to replace the flush mechanism on the road last summer and it lasted about 30 days so out it goes! My question is since the Aria is held to the floor with lag screws do I need to install a new floor flange with the new toilet? Has anyone done this conversion? Tips, Tricks? Cliff 2002 Monico Diplomat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr4Film Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 (edited) Cliff, I have done that conversion back in march of 2010 after having replaced the flush mechanism 3 times in 7 years I had owned the coach. However, I went from the Thetford Aria II boat anchor to a Sealand Magnum Opus toilet. That required a floor flange change as the flange sat too high for the Magnum Opus ceramic pedestal to rest on the floor correctly. I had to cut the glued flange off with a Dremel cut-off blade from the inside, then glue in the new correct size flange with a coupling onto the stand pipe. If the Dometic 320 sits on the flange correctly then you are good to go. Hopefully it will since Thetford and Dometic are the same corporation essentially. Here is one hit when I Google the question - https://www.rvforum.net/threads/are-thetford-and-dometic-toilets-interchangeable.76960/ Edited January 1 by Dr4Film Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmw188 Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 I still have that Aria II it worries me at times waiting for it to fail. I suppose there are no real warning signs of that. I looks like that repair is easy enough to do on the rd if I carry a replacement part? I haven’t looked up the cost of that flush kit but maybe is pricey enough to just replace the toilet itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr4Film Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 Todd, they were well over $100 when I was purchasing them back in the mid 2000's 20 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacwjames Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 29 minutes ago, tmw188 said: I still have that Aria II it worries me at times waiting for it to fail. I suppose there are no real warning signs of that. I looks like that repair is easy enough to do on the rd if I carry a replacement part? I haven’t looked up the cost of that flush kit but maybe is pricey enough to just replace the toilet itself. I've replace my flush gate valve mechanism once and since then have had it out at least 3 times to clean and lubricate the threaded shaft that moves the gate valve back and forth. Not a bad job. The hardest part the first time was getting to the water connection tucked behind the toilet, I could barely reach it. So I got a wire braided hose with the right end from Lowes. I can put a big loop in it so that I can pull the toilet out from the wall to get to it, works great for disconnecting and connecting. If your control board has not been upgraded the early models would sometimes keep flushing and cause the toilet to fill. They since put a limit of 10 water cycles in and it shuts off. I also notice that my toilet doesn't work as well with slightly low voltage, it hesitates. If I'm on shore power it works fine, but once the batteries start going down it starts hesitating. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmw188 Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 Interesting, good to know. Mine will max out at 10 flushes if I hold it switch in on manual, so I guess it has a newer board. So based on what you described there is some lubrication that should be done? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solution CLIFF918 Posted January 1 Author Solution Share Posted January 1 Thanks for the tips. Looks like I will have to do what Richard did with the dremel tool and Lowes has the rest of the parts i will need. Had the POS aria apart several times last summer the $140. kit lasted just over 30 days. Not doing that again with a half full tank. It's going to the round file. Just ordered the the new Dometic 320 will be here Friday. Tank is empty but to be sure I added some Tank perfume to the tank. Again Thanks for the tips. Happy New Year all ! Cliff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 23 hours ago, jacwjames said: I've replace my flush gate valve mechanism once and since then have had it out at least 3 times to clean and lubricate the threaded shaft that moves the gate valve back and forth. Not a bad job. The hardest part the first time was getting to the water connection tucked behind the toilet, I could barely reach it. So I got a wire braided hose with the right end from Lowes. I can put a big loop in it so that I can pull the toilet out from the wall to get to it, works great for disconnecting and connecting. If your control board has not been upgraded the early models would sometimes keep flushing and cause the toilet to fill. They since put a limit of 10 water cycles in and it shuts off. I also notice that my toilet doesn't work as well with slightly low voltage, it hesitates. If I'm on shore power it works fine, but once the batteries start going down it starts hesitating. That added piece sounds like a great idea. I am about to have the very same headache. I have had the toilet out before, but it's starting to sound awful. I didn't know you could remove it and simply lubricate the parts. Did you do that all inside the RV or did you take the toilet outside? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diplomat don Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 I too have replaced the flush mechanism several years ago. Saw them the other day on Amazon about $150. However when I had a problem again last year I opened the valve with the hand wheel on the back, took a toothbrush, not my own, used dawn dish soap and scrubbed the seal well and VOILA working like a charm. Now what I do is a couple times a year repeat treatment and works great. Seal seems to get gummy and valve blade sticks. We really like the toilet other than for that sticking problem. Oh by the way buy the wife a new toothbrush after scrubbing the toilet.😁 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 Great story about the toothbrush. It reminds me of the story of my wife who, when we travel, keeps some hard boiled eggs (unpeeled) at the ready. When it comes time to eat them, she gets a few, comes back to the co-pilot seat, gets situated with a container for the egg shells and proceeds to hit each egg on her forehead in order to start peeling. We always chuckle when she does this. It occurred to me one day that it might be fun, before the trip begins, to swap-out one of those hard boiled eggs with a raw one. We do like to live dangerously. Her with the forehead egg smacking and I with the egg-swapping. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heathbus Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 I have replaced the toilets in 2 motorhomes now. Both of the flanges were screwed, not glued, onto the drain pipe leading into the black tanks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CLIFF918 Posted January 14 Author Share Posted January 14 OK I have completed the removal and install of the toilet and all is well. It fought me the whole way but I won. The old flange was glued on to the pipe leading to the tank so had to use the Dremel tool to cut it from the inside. Thanks for all the tips Cliff 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmw188 Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 No pics, we all like pics! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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