Toilet

The only “lighter moment” when dealing with my original Thetford Aquamagic Deluxe toilet came the morning after it was removed. Due to it’s weight, and the lateness of the hour, I had simply removed the toilet from the Airstream, and left it sitting nearby. The next morning, my just-turned-four year old looked out his bedroom window while his mother was rousting him, and yelled, “Look Mommy! A toilet!”

Thinking that the neighbors may not get the same amount of joy out of the discovery, the toilet, as seen in the LH picture above, was moved to just outside my shop since it was still a home to the same tiny ants which had taken over the rotted out bathroom floor area. The presence of ants, however, have little impact on small children as I later found a ‘surprise’ in the toilet. Laying the toilet on its side eliminated future surprises.

The toilet was one of the more frustrating aspects of the Airstream’s refurbishment. Made of solid porcelain, the toilet itself was okay although the plumbing’s rubber parts had withered over 23 years it had sat unused. In what was no incredible surprise, Thetford no longer carried rebuild kits for the Deluxe model as their current offering was now the Aquamagic V. Although annoyed that I was forced to replace something that could be repaired, my irritation was initially eased by the fact that the Aquamagic V, being made of plastic, was considerably lighter, which would help with potential rear-end separation problems. Although porcelain is easier to clean, I could get over cleaning concerns to save weight in the bathroom.

Unfortunately, the Aquamagic V would not fit the old toilet’s footprint. And, come to find out, nothing else Thetford made would either. Putting out a plea for help on the forum, user Janet allowed that Sealand’s Traveler Lite toilet worked in her Airstream. Luckily for me, the toilet also fit my application. Interesting name though. Although the new toilet is lighter than the old one, it still has a porcelain bowl, so it is not as “lite” as it could be.

As it sits, the toilet would have been perfect if it had been an inch or so shorter to accommodate a short, flip-over, padded bench from the original configuration. I could modify the bench to work, but ultimately do not see that it adds much to the bathroom’s utility.

The Traveler Lite, especially with it’s optional spray nozzle, has been an excellent toilet. I recommend it if it will fit your application.