As a new member I would like to share a few fixes I have made in my travels.
Had a few issues with the Jayco toilet slide not fully sliding or opening the cassette cover. See picture S1. The lever should be fully to the left for the toilet to be closed and cassette removal. Fully to the right means that it is open for business and the cam has moved the cassette cover out of the way!.
Turned out that the teeth of the cassette cam had somehow moved into the wrong position as per picture T1 & T2. This is how I solved the problem.
As you can see in T1 and T2, the cam (this is the small part with teeth and is held by a Philips head screw in the middle) for the toilet cassette has the teeth half way set in the ring gear which is attached to the toilet lever inside the caravan. I have shown both pictures for clarity and parts identification. This is the incorrect position. The toilet was jammed and would not open the toilet sliding cover or cassette sliding cover fully. With the lever fully to the right the cassette could not be removed but the sliding covers were not open either.!
As you can see in T3, the cam for the toilet cassette has the teeth at the end of the ring gear teeth meshing with the end of the teeth for the cam. This is the correct closed position for removal.
How do we fix this? The lever will return to the halfway position which is incorrect but it will allow you to remove the cassette. Use your mobile phone and take a few pictures to confirm the teeth are not in the correct position first. If the teeth are sheared off you will have to replace the cam or the ring gear.
You do not have to unscrew the cam if the teeth are still present. Put your rubber gloves on and just push the cam GENTLY inwards to disengage the cam teeth from the ring gear and have someone move the toilet lever inside the caravan SLOWLY to the closed position (its your fingers in here!).
Release the cam to mesh the teeth as in picture T3. If you don't do this properly, the cassette will not fit as the highlighted part in picture C1 will not slide into the cam way correctly. The orange actuator on the cassette must be in this position to ensure the cover is closed and the cam way will align correctly.
Confirm lever is fully to the left inside, teeth are meshed as per picture T3 and that the cover has closed in the toilet. Replace the cassette and test the lever to confirm correct operation of both toilet and cassette sliding covers.
Takkleberry, Thanks for the info and the clear photos. I had this very same problem in my then new MY2016 Jayco. It did cause me to abandon my first trip away and drive 3 hours to return to the dealer (with a full cassette). Once the jammed cassette had been juggled free (2 people required, 1 inside and 1 outside the van) the problem was found to be that the cam and ring gear were misplaced by 1 tooth. This was fixed by using a screwdriver. Interesting to read of your non-screwdriver solution. Cheers, Eddie
Bicyclecamper said
03:58 PM Jul 31, 2023
Thankyou for this valuable information, I am sure this has happened or will happen to our members sometime in the future or past. I use a porta potty or park/campsite toilets, but one day when I get rich again I may have a van with an inside toilet. I have created a folder, for your post and pics, incase I ever do have this problem
Possum3 said
05:45 PM Jul 31, 2023
I had exact same problem back in 2013 - There were no "How To" U Tubes - so it took hours to first find out what was wrong. Then and there I started reading manuals and parts lists 0f every Thetford system, now I feel confident to diagnose dismantle and repair, systems and cassettes without fear.
They are a surprisingly robust unit, compared to most other "plastic ware" designed for caravans.
Keith P said
11:49 AM Aug 1, 2023
I also had this problem as well.
It turned out the cause of it was from not properly closing the handle fully to the closed position.....and trying to remove the cassette at the time. Juggling the cassette about a bit made it worse I reckon....but finally managed to get it out. After getting it out and working it out....and many mental uppercuts.... it was retimed and an agreed rule by both of us that we will NEVER try to remove cassett without checking lever first.
Cheers Keith
The Belmont Bear said
04:35 PM Aug 3, 2023
I am beginning to think of myself as a Thetford toilet techinician with all the problems that i have had to fix lately including the one that was described by Takkleberry. Before I realigned the gear I forced the cassettte out with the result that all the components from the lid mechanism dropped inside the cassette. After watching a few Utube videos I learned how to open up the tank and how all the weird shaped bits went back together. I then repositioned the gear a couple of teeth so that the locking device was aligned correctly and havent had a problem since. This trip we found fresh water was seeping out beneath the base of the toilet onto the ensuite floor. As much as I looked I couldnt find where the water was coming from. It was dry on the top of the cassette and in the cavity when the cassette was removed. I eventually found the problem by running my hand along the inlet pipe and finding thet water was leaking from where the hose met a 90deg.plastic fitting. The water was running vertically back down the pipe through the base of the toilet and as it couldnt get through the vans floor because of the sealing it ended up pooling under the toilet. The position of the worm drive clamp and the elbow itself means that its possible to catch the cassette on it whenever you go through the emptying process which can cause the clamp to move, repositioning and tightening the clamp fixed it. Another issue we had was water squirting over the rim on one side of the bowl when it was flushed, luckily the flush nozzle can be swivelled enough to redirect it - I suspect it can be knocked out of alignment during cleaning.
BB
-- Edited by The Belmont Bear on Thursday 3rd of August 2023 04:37:08 PM
-- Edited by The Belmont Bear on Thursday 3rd of August 2023 04:37:49 PM
As a new member I would like to share a few fixes I have made in my travels.
Had a few issues with the Jayco toilet slide not fully sliding or opening the cassette cover. See picture S1. The lever should be fully to the left for the toilet to be closed and cassette removal. Fully to the right means that it is open for business and the cam has moved the cassette cover out of the way!.
Turned out that the teeth of the cassette cam had somehow moved into the wrong position as per picture T1 & T2. This is how I solved the problem.
As you can see in T1 and T2, the cam (this is the small part with teeth and is held by a Philips head screw in the middle) for the toilet cassette has the teeth half way set in the ring gear which is attached to the toilet lever inside the caravan. I have shown both pictures for clarity and parts identification. This is the incorrect position. The toilet was jammed and would not open the toilet sliding cover or cassette sliding cover fully. With the lever fully to the right the cassette could not be removed but the sliding covers were not open either.!
As you can see in T3, the cam for the toilet cassette has the teeth at the end of the ring gear teeth meshing with the end of the teeth for the cam. This is the correct closed position for removal.
How do we fix this? The lever will return to the halfway position which is incorrect but it will allow you to remove the cassette. Use your mobile phone and take a few pictures to confirm the teeth are not in the correct position first. If the teeth are sheared off you will have to replace the cam or the ring gear.
You do not have to unscrew the cam if the teeth are still present. Put your rubber gloves on and just push the cam GENTLY inwards to disengage the cam teeth from the ring gear and have someone move the toilet lever inside the caravan SLOWLY to the closed position (its your fingers in here!).
Release the cam to mesh the teeth as in picture T3. If you don't do this properly, the cassette will not fit as the highlighted part in picture C1 will not slide into the cam way correctly. The orange actuator on the cassette must be in this position to ensure the cover is closed and the cam way will align correctly.
Confirm lever is fully to the left inside, teeth are meshed as per picture T3 and that the cover has closed in the toilet. Replace the cassette and test the lever to confirm correct operation of both toilet and cassette sliding covers.
30 second fix.
They are a surprisingly robust unit, compared to most other "plastic ware" designed for caravans.
I also had this problem as well.
It turned out the cause of it was from not properly closing the handle fully to the closed position.....and trying to remove the cassette at the time. Juggling the cassette about a bit made it worse I reckon....but finally managed to get it out. After getting it out and working it out....and many mental uppercuts.... it was retimed and an agreed rule by both of us that we will NEVER try to remove cassett without checking lever first.
Cheers Keith
I am beginning to think of myself as a Thetford toilet techinician with all the problems that i have had to fix lately including the one that was described by Takkleberry. Before I realigned the gear I forced the cassettte out with the result that all the components from the lid mechanism dropped inside the cassette. After watching a few Utube videos I learned how to open up the tank and how all the weird shaped bits went back together. I then repositioned the gear a couple of teeth so that the locking device was aligned correctly and havent had a problem since. This trip we found fresh water was seeping out beneath the base of the toilet onto the ensuite floor. As much as I looked I couldnt find where the water was coming from. It was dry on the top of the cassette and in the cavity when the cassette was removed. I eventually found the problem by running my hand along the inlet pipe and finding thet water was leaking from where the hose met a 90deg.plastic fitting. The water was running vertically back down the pipe through the base of the toilet and as it couldnt get through the vans floor because of the sealing it ended up pooling under the toilet. The position of the worm drive clamp and the elbow itself means that its possible to catch the cassette on it whenever you go through the emptying process which can cause the clamp to move, repositioning and tightening the clamp fixed it. Another issue we had was water squirting over the rim on one side of the bowl when it was flushed, luckily the flush nozzle can be swivelled enough to redirect it - I suspect it can be knocked out of alignment during cleaning.
BB
-- Edited by The Belmont Bear on Thursday 3rd of August 2023 04:37:08 PM
-- Edited by The Belmont Bear on Thursday 3rd of August 2023 04:37:49 PM