RV Toilet vs Regular: Can You Use an RV Toilet in a House?
All sorts of creative ideas are considered when looking at odd spaces in homes. People try to economize and see if one fixture designed for a similar purpose can be used in different settings.
Can You Use an RV Toilet in a House? There is no reason to think that it wouldn’t work. The only issue would be the waste pipe and water connections. Those areas would need some sort of adapter for the RV toilet to work properly in a home.
To see if you can use an RV toilet in your spare small room in your home or not, just continue to read our article. We explore this issue for you and bring you the news you may or may not want to read.
RV Toilet in a House 101
RV Toilet and Regular Toilet Differences
There are a lot of differences between a regular household toilet and an RV toilet. These differences may convince you that conversion may not be a good option:
- A regular toilet is designed for heavy water flow while the RV only uses a little water
- A regular toilet sits on a drain pipe and needs lots of water to move the waste through the system. An RV toilet sits on top of the black water tank and needs little water to empty it
- A regular toilet uses a wax seal to keep it from leaking. An RV toilet uses a rubber seal
- A regular toilet is designed for homes, while an RV toilet is not
- A regular toilet is larger than an RV toilet. That is because an RV toilet needs to work in a small area and conserve limited space
Convert RV Toilet to House Toilet
While it is possible to use an RV toilet in a house bathroom, it is not going to be an easy task to complete. The designs for an RV toilet are completely different than a regular house toilet and that is going to be the main issue that has to be overcome.
To do it properly, you would have to buy special plumbing adapters to fit the RV toilet over the waste drain pipe. This must be done so that there are no leaks and you may not have the option of using a wax seal.
In addition to that, RV toilets are not designed to push waste along the length of a drain. This means you would have to adapt the incoming water supply to be powerful enough to push waste through the system.
Because of this lack of power, you may face clogged pipes. You would need to be ready and have a plumber’s snake on hand to clear any clogs that take place. The final issue to overcome would be building codes. An RV toilet may not meet those codes in your area
Can You Replace an RV Toilet with a House Toilet
It is possible to replace your RV toilet with one that is designed for home use. The key to doing this is finding the right location and seeing how much space you have. You may have to move a lot of your RV’s wiring to make sure you have enough room for the waste drain to fit properly.
Plus, you will need to move other obstructions so you have a clear 10 inch diameter space for your household toilet to flush correctly.
How to Install a House Toilet in a RV
It will take some time to do but it can be done. Here are installation steps to follow to make sure you get the proper conversion:
- Repair any sub floor and floor issues before starting
- Cut the hole and run a bead of caulk around the edge of the hole
- Keep the notches for the toilet bolts parallel to the wall and place the flange over the hole
- Press the flange into the silicone and then drill your holes
- Insert bolts, then crawl underneath your RV and use stainless steel nuts and washers to secure the flange
- Place a wax ring on the secured flange then place your house toilet on the wax ring
- Tighten the nuts and secure everything to your RV’s floor
- Connect the toilet to the shut off valve
Tips for Putting a House Toilet in Your RV
Here are a few tips to help you move a regular sized house toilet into your RV
Measure carefully to make sure you have enough space to fit the toilet and sit on it comfortably
Choose a location that is both convenient and free from almost all obstacles.
Make sure the toilet shut off valve is conveniently located on the wall. Place it a few inches above the floor
Make sure to use flexible water line hoses just in case you need to make adjustments to the water line’s location
Will a Regular Toilet Seat Fit an RV Toilet
Because an RV toilet is smaller than a regular household toilet seat, you may need to adapt the latter to get it to fit inside your RV. The rubber bumpers underneath the seat would also have to be re-positioned to make sure they protect the rim of your RV toilet.
There are RV toilet seat risers available if you have knee and hip issues. Unfortunately, these risers only go up a few inches.
RV Toilet in a Tiny House
An RV toilet may seem like the ideal option when designing your tiny house. It is small, uses a lot of water and doe snot have to be attached to the grid. The only issue would be is having a holding tank.
Placing the holding tank in a convenient location would depend on the design of your tiny house. Another issue is if you are going to be mobile with your tiny house. Being able to move when you want, will be a difficult issue to overcome.
The final issue will be the durability of the RV toilet. These are not always made from the strongest of materials and can easily crack when you least expect it. There are better toilets for a tiny house for you to use.
Some Final Comments
Swapping a regular toilet for an RV version may seem like a cost cutting move. In reality, you may be spending more in buying the adaptions you will need than it would cost for a regular toilet.
Also, the issues of the drain system maybe too much to overcome. While it seems to be a good idea, it is one that needs to be thought through more carefully.
