toilet problem and questions

[lymanguy]

I have a 2013 Livinlite 10', that we purchased last year, unused. This has been our first new camper in over 30 years, and we are very happy with the design, functionality and affordability. 

It is also our first dark siding camper. We experienced a problem with the standard air conditioner keeping up with the interior becoming too warm in direct sun, but have improved the temperature inside by putting a couple of coats of white stay cool roof coating. We are planning on putting several white or silver vinyl decals on the sleeper front and the drivers side of the camper to reflect the summer sun, even in New Hampshire.

We are in Florida on vacation, and I have experienced an annoying problem with the camper toilet not draining into the holding tank without "coaxing". I have purchased a flexible hose sprayer at Camping World, to use, which works fine. But I am curious if other Livinlite owners have also experience problems with matter draining into the tank. I never saw a black water holding tank with a shelf, for lack of a better word, where matter sits on a flat surface before dropping into the tank. The other observation is that the sleeve on the bottom of the toilet seems to be kinda long, over 6", where it empties into the tank shelf. I am using one ply tp, and after flushing there is always water and stuff just below the flush valve. When we are on the road, no problems. But when we are sitting off the back of the truck, not moving, things seem to not move into the main tank.

I suspect that the shelf is the bigger of the two problems, and wonder if anyone knows what the purpose of the shelf is. My second suspicion is the sleeve under the valve is too long or angled, and allows things to get clogged up where the sleeve ends and the shelf begins. Not enough space for matter to exit the sleeve without coaxing. 

If this is a design problem, which I kinda think it is, I might install a toilet wand spigot in the bathroom to use when necessary, or get a dealer to remove the toilet and install a shorter sleeve under the toilet, allowing matter to exit into the main black tank easier, with more space for better flow, even with a "larger load"!

Has anyone else had this problem? Thanks

[daplumbr]

Hmmmm. In our Camplite, it is a straight "shot" from the tailpiece of the toilet to the bottom of the black tank and there is no hangup. The length of the toilet tailpiece might be dictated by the need to go far enough into the black tank to seal? The shelf in your black tank seems odd; I wonder if it's part of a baffle of some sort to prevent sloshing? Others can weigh in, but it I think it might worth having a dealer take a look to see if the black tank and toilet were installed correctly. 

[lymanguy]

Well,after gushing things out again, the sleeve was viable with a flashlight. The pipe is a 45 degree bend down and about 30 degree to the front of the camper tank. My next step is to put a construction camera down to see how the pipe ends, and what is there. I could eat some pvc and poop out a better design.i have no idea why there is that shelf on the tank. An engineer probably thought of that as an anti splash thing, but all I want is to see water, paper and matter go down the hole. I will post when I can see what is going on, and ask the livinlite shop why they did that.

[thudd3r]

[quote timestamp="1456607019" source="/post/19006/thread" author="@lymanguy"]I could eat some pvc and poop out a better design[/quote]i think that is how they install them now that thor took over   (rofl)  

[daplumbr]

[quote source="/post/19006/thread" author="@lymanguy" timestamp="1456607019"]Well,after gushing things out again, the sleeve was viable with a flashlight. The pipe is a 45 degree bend down and about 30 degree to the front of the camper tank. My next step is to put a construction camera down to see how the pipe ends, and what is there. I could eat some pvc and poop out a better design.i have no idea why there is that shelf on the tank. An engineer probably thought of that as an anti splash thing, but all I want is to see water, paper and matter go down the hole. I will post when I can see what is going on, and ask the livinlite shop why they did that.[/quote]
We are all eagerly looking forward to the report of what you see. I hope the camera belongs to someone else. 

BTW, any chance your forum name indicates an interest in Lyman boats? 

[lymanguy]

Yes, a 16.5 1958 and a 1959 23 ft. Hardtop inboard slowly being restored.

[lymanguy]

Ok, since our adventure in our toilet not flushing in St. Augustine this February with our 10' with a 7 gallon black tank, I think that the problem is definitely the 2 bends in the pipe that goes into the tank. I am not going to drop the tank yet. First idea is that I am going to put a t and valve in the toilet water line in the wet bath and install a very short hose with a flexible sprinkler cleaner to expedite moving poo that gets stuck. The other thing is to flush #2 first, and then flush water w/o paper, then do the paper. Hopefully, livinlite has had other complaints and has fixed this on the new campers.